Jul 14, 2022
That is the dilemma for every content creator: FCG is the new ECG!
“You can have it all, just not all at the same time.”
Are we in the creator’s dilemma?
How do we solve such an entanglement?
What is the best duo in our life as a creator?
I have always struggled as a content creator. There are many success metrics and even more ways to get there.
I always ask myself the time, resources, and energy I should put into creating new content.
Yes, I know my why: I want to learn by teaching. That is the reason why I am creating content. Well, that is one part of the reason.
I also want to create inspiration and pay it forward for my children, their children, and the next generations.
I define myself as someone who cannot be singled out by one specific type of content. I know that the advice is to stick to one kind of content, master it and build our community around it.
That is not me. I am a curious person. I like to learn different skills, and I am interested in various life fields: from philosophy to mathematics, literature to the space-time continuum, and writing to video storytelling.
I also happen to have a 9 to 5 job. I am a father. I am a husband. I am part of many online communities creating an impact in Europe and Africa.
My time is limited; so are my resources and my energy. I don’t want to work for rest. I need to work from rest to be able to create my best craft.
We all have been there as creators:
Should we focus on quality or quantity when it comes to creative work?
That is the dilemma we are all faced with. Before we dive in, let me share a story that will illustrate my point.
We have known each other for years. We lost track. Then we reconnected as she was venturing into entrepreneurship.
She always is an artist at her core. When she writes, she will assess every single word in the text. She will go as far as constantly declining the same idea in 3 different sentences and picking the best that resonates in harmony with the rest of her text.
As we are exchanging tips about how to build communities online, we have opposite views.
I shared with her my writing process and all the digital tools that I use to help me speed up my writing.
For her, that was a sacrilège. Then, she would go on to explain to me her creative process as above.
We are coming from different perspectives. I am writing to learn, grow and inspire. Her writing is her business and, most importantly, rooted in her values that are pivotal to her worldview. That is her Ikigai.
She just freed herself from a 9 to 5 job. She doesn’t want to be a slave to social media algorithms. She wants to build her clients’ base organically.
I am more trying to amplify my impact. I am ready to feed the beast so that it can serve my purpose of reaching as many people as possible.
We did not agree on the path to get our craft out there. That is Ok. I genuinely believe that we both are driven by our mission to serve, yet with a different means to an end.
What is FCG, and does it relate to ECG?
ECG stands for Electrocardiogram and is the recording of the heart activity. When we have our ECG monitored, we are not generally in a place of best health.
Coming back to feeding the algorithm of social media platforms, I agree with my friend that it is a beast with infinite appetite.
There have been a lot of issues with mental health, burnout, or even suicides of people trying to keep up with the algorithm.
Most people trying to find success by bending to the algorithm’s rules are doomed to slow and painful disillusion.
There is a way to keep up with the algorithm healthily and sustainably. And the answer is in 3 letters, FCG as for:
- Fast,
- Cheap,
- Good.
Fig 01: The Creators Triangle
1. FAST — To keep up with the beast’s appetite, we can create content fast, so we always have something to share. We will have leverage and a bank of content upfront by setting ways to output fast content.
2. CHEAP — At the beginning, we are not all well equipped with the best gear, supported by a team, or we do not have the right connections. We just have to start and create cheap content.
3. GOOD — We can take out time to learn the skills required to create good content. If we have the time, the money, and the right resources, we can make good to amazing content.
Have you met the Entanglement dilemma?
If the word entanglement sounds familiar to you, we are not using it in the frame of Will Smith and Chris Rock slap gate.
Maybe there is a link. Indeed Jada Smith made the word famous by describing cheating on her husband as an “entanglement.’
Indeed, like many things in life, there is magic in the Holy Trinity. Be it between three siblings or in a triangular relationship, we naturally resolve the situation by falling back to the most stable relationship in nature.
The duo is the answer to every entanglement because it is the optimum for minimum friction when three entities are interacting.
In the same way, the answer to the creator’s dilemma is quite simple:
Pick Two!
Fig 02: The Creator’s Dilemma
We can fool ourselves into thinking that we can achieve the three (Good, Fast, and Cheap) at the same time.
The reality is that that is an impossible system of equations to solve. We are equipped to only grasp two out of the three elements at the same time.
I solve the creator’s dilemma by always having one key component: the “Good” is always there by default.
If I have enough resources and energy, I will go the “Fast” way, if I have enough resources and energy.
If I have a lot of time and limited resources, I will go the “Cheap” way.
That does not mean that I am always creating quality content. I am beating procrastination and focusing on quantity and consistency by picking two.
I believe that quantity comes first. Consistency follows behind quantity. Quality is the fruit of consistency and deliberate intention.
That was what I was trying to share with my friend: you can be a master of writing in your lifetime by either producing quality content now and then or by training through quantity with consistency as a path.
I am curious to know if you had to solve the creator’s dilemma:
Which duo will be your pick and why?
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You can read my previous article on These are the 4 simple steps to master any subject: from mystery to mastery! (Friendly link)
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
