# Proof of Work (PoW) ## Content creation Never underestimate the long-lasting effects of writing articles. Each piece you write acts as Proof of work (PoW). Each article and book that I’ve published between 2019 and 2025 has contributed a lot to my visibility in developer communities. Although each time I published a new piece, I felt like screaming in the void. I hoped for overnight success and was often left with the sound of crickets. I thought I was doing it all wrong. But I kept writing and publishing. Over time, the effects started amplifying. I started getting revenue out of my articles on Medium, and slowly increased my reach. But beyond the audience and the direct revenue, the biggest impact of writing those articles and books is on my reputation. I keep receiving offers from startups and companies looking for experts. Each of my articles acts as a **Proof of Work (PoW)**. Just like with [cryptographic proofs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_of_work) used by [[Cryptocurrencies]]. Each article showcases my knowledge and experience on a specific topic/problem space, and proves that I’ve done my homework. It goes a long way to establish me as an expert on the topics I’m covering. Of course, experience is a spectrum, but after publishing 20+ articles on a topic, including in-depth ones, it becomes obvious that I can’t be a rookie. The compounding effect comes with time _and_ accumulation. The more pieces about a given topic, the more proofs of work and the stronger the effect. I witnessed this first while writing about software development and Web development. It helped me generate more and more passive income, but also helped me land freelancing contracts (including the one I’ve just signed). Then I did it again with [[Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)]], focusing on accumulating Proofs of Work, and letting [[Compound growth]] do its magic. In reality, the effect was noticeable early on, and I was quickly able to sell products in the PKM space, thanks to my proofs of work, even though nobody even know I was even interested in Information Management and Knowledge Management. ## References - https://x.com/i/status/1528832766833475586 - https://newsletter.dsebastien.net/issues/developassion-s-newsletter-proof-of-work-pow-1191357 - Cryptographic proofs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_of_work ## Related - [[DeveloPassion's Newsletter 064 - Proof of work]] - [[Proof of Stake (PoS)]] - [[Compound growth]] - [[Expertise]] - [[Subject-Matter Expert (SME)]] - [[Trust (MoC)]] - [[Content creation growth strategies]] - [[Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)]] - [[Cryptocurrencies]]