When I first committed to taking LinkedIn more seriously several years ago, I wasn't entirely sure what I was hoping to achieve.
On the one hand, I wasn't searching for a new job, looking to hire anyone, or trying to sell a course. On the other hand, I wanted a place where I could share my thoughts, opinions, and progress with a like-minded community whilst retaining a portfolio for myself to look back on in years to come. A space where I could see how my thinking had evolved with time. A place where my growing network was an investment and where my contacts remained in touch.
I didn't feel interesting or attractive enough for Instagram. My views were too moderate for X. I was bored of Facebook. But, I was very ambitious in my career. I wanted to have an impact. Why? I'm not entirely sure. It just seemed like a sensible thing to want at the time.
To this day, I’ve primarily posted content, newsletters, and created community groups. I’ve never sought a job through LinkedIn, I’ve never hired anyone, and I’ve never sold a course. I’ve used LinkedIn Learning occasionally, but more often than not I forget about it.
Nevertheless, LinkedIn has done a few marvellous things for me.
It taught me how much I enjoyed sharing my journey, promoting others, and creating beautiful, engaging, and authentic content.
It honed my writing, helped me find my voice, and discern what really mattered to me.
It led to my online publication The Engineering Experience™ (abbr. TEE™) where I write about simplicity, clarity, and effort well spent. With TEE™ I'm growing an online community and readership, whilst generating monthly revenue for my writing.
The first time someone became a paying subscriber was a little surreal: I was literally a paid writer. I never take my readers for granted and do everything I can to ensure every article leaves a thoughtful imprint on their lives and provides a great experience.
None of this would have been possible if I'd never got started on LinkedIn. No, I've never gone viral. No, I'm not an influencer. But, I am happy. I get to write about topics that fascinate me, I get to connect with industry leaders across the globe, and I have a space for creative self-expression.
I share this with you because I want you to see that journeys are rarely linear. Mine certainly wasn’t. Did I anticipate in 2016 that I’d be writing on Substack in 2026? Of course not. But each step honed my craft, and helped me to discover what I love, who I am, and who I want to be.
Sometimes a platform isn’t your ultimate destination. It’s the training ground for what comes next.
Thank you LinkedIn.
Thank you friends, peers, and mentors.
You’ve genuinely shaped my life.
Stay thoughtful.
James.