#288: He gained 190K Instagram followers in 508 days…but wouldn’t do it again | Yoni Smolyar
Creator Science with Jay ClouseShow Notes
A few weeks ago, I came across a post on X from a user named Yoni Smolyar. It said, "Posting a video on Instagram every day for 508 days in a row taught me that I never want to do that again." I realized that I had seen and followed Yoni on Instagram, where he has over 190,000 followers.
In the process, Yoni built an iPhone app called Brainrot, which had a $10,000 launch that he credits to his social media presence that he built during this daily Instagram posting challenge.
In this conversation, you'll hear Yoni's approach to Instagram, what worked for him, why he ultimately says he wouldn't do it again, and why he believes his ex-audience of 20,000 may be more valuable.
Full transcript and show notes
Yoni's Website / Instagram / Twitter / Brainrot App / YouTube / TikTok
***
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) 508 Days of Daily Videos
(05:08) Building Habits: A Month In
(08:55) From Hesitant Posts to Viral Storytelling
(12:35) Documenting My Entrepreneurial Journey
(14:07) Speak Your Mind, Hit Record
(19:38) Entrepreneurial Journey: Transparency & Growth
(21:19) Brainrot: Tackling Phone Overuse
(24:42) Overcoming Cringe Through Posting
(30:37) Seasons of Steak and Sizzle
(32:12) Origins of Social Media Sharing
(34:58) Trapped by Public Perception
(38:48) Short Form Video's Negative Impact
***
RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE
→ #275: From ignoring short-form video to 3.5 billion views | Pat Flynn’s Pokémon juggernaut (Part 1)
***
ASK CREATOR SCIENCE
→ Submit your question here
***
WHEN YOU'RE READY
📬 Creator Science Newsletter
🚀 Get CreatorHQ (creator operating system)
🧪 Join The Lab (private membership community)
🧞♂️ Get a Personalized Offer
***
CONNECT
🐦 Connect on Twitter
📸 Connect on Instagram
💼 Connect on LinkedIn
📹 Subscribe on YouTube
***
SPONSORS
💼 View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Creator Science with Jay Clouse
My guest is Dorie Clark, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, 4-time Thinkers50 honoree as one of the world's top business thinkers, and longtime faculty member at Duke and Columbia Business Schools.
My guest is George Blackman, a YouTube scriptwriter who got his start writing full-time for Ali Abdaal and has since written scripts for creators from 30,000 to over 10 million subscribers.
My guest is Jessica Lackey, founder of Deeper Foundations and author of Leaving the Casino: Stop Betting on Tactics and Start Building a Business That Works. She helps coaches, consultants, and service providers build expert-led businesses on strong foundations.
David Altizer is the co-creator of Thumbnail Academy and has quickly become one of the most sought-after thumbnail designers around. David’s clients include Kurtis Connor, Jolly, Max Fosh, Hayden Hillier Smith, and now me.
My guest is Tamara Grominsky, founder of PMM Camp — a private, application-only membership for senior product marketing leaders with 280+ members.