May we all grow like bacteria
"I think you will grow like bacteria," he said in reference to my audience growth.
Recently, I had a fascinating conversation with a friend who happens to be a scientist and also a regular follower of my Substack.
"I think you will grow like bacteria," he said in reference to my audience growth.
Naturally, I was curious (I mean, who wouldn't?), so I asked him to explain what he meant. He described how bacteria multiply—starting slowly, building incrementally, and eventually hitting a point where growth spikes dramatically.
The more he explained, the more fascinated I became by the parallel.
He told me that bacteria initially multiply at a steady pace, but under the right conditions, there’s a tipping point. Suddenly, their growth becomes exponential.
My friend believes that’s what will happen with my social media platforms—a slow, steady rise followed by an explosive period of rapid growth.
This got me thinking: Can we grow our audience the same way bacteria grow?
Let’s break it down.
The initial growth phase: Small but steady
Just as bacteria begin by multiplying in small numbers, our early efforts to build an audience can feel slow. It takes time to gain traction, and the process might seem tedious—oh so tedious!
This is the phase where consistent output is crucial. Much like bacteria multiplying steadily in favorable conditions, we as content creators need to create the right environment for growth—whether it’s by maintaining regular posting schedules, engaging with our audience, or refining our content based on feedback.
Reaching the tipping point
In bacterial growth, once a critical mass is reached, the population begins to multiply rapidly. For audience growth, this tipping point can happen when our content starts to resonate more broadly—perhaps through a viral post, a feature in a large publication, or a powerful recommendation from an influencer.
But just like with bacteria, this doesn't happen overnight (Overnight success is a myth).
It’s the result of consistently nurturing our audience, creating quality content, and building relationships over time.
The exponential growth
Once the tipping point occurs, bacterial growth becomes exponential.
For creators, this is the moment where everything begins to click. Our audience numbers start to rise quickly.
Our content is being shared, discovered by new readers, and discussed in circles we hadn’t reached before.
It’s the product of all the steady, patient work we put in.
Preparing for the spike
If we take the bacteria metaphor further, we can also learn a valuable lesson: we must be prepared for growth. While bacteria flourish when conditions are optimal, they also decline rapidly if the environment becomes unsustainable. (Take another closer look at the chart above.)
This means preparing for growth before it happens—ensuring that we have systems in place to handle more engagement, offering value beyond just our content, and nurturing relationships with our audience.
For example, you can develop a backlog of high-quality content to maintain momentum, create an editorial calendar, and batch-produce content in advance.
You can also set up automated email welcome sequences, develop a social media response strategy, or consider hiring community managers or virtual assistants.
Trusting the process
Just like in science, growth is a process.
There are no shortcuts. Repeat after me; there are no shortcuts.
If you consistently show up, provide value, and remain authentic, our audience will grow—just like bacteria—until one day, you reach that tipping point.
That’s what I choose to believe for now. That all my efforts will pay off, eventually.
Just look at the audience growth graph below. It’s so eerily similar to bacterial growth.
Is my friend the scientist onto something here?
So, my fellow creators, may we all grow like bacteria.
Keep showing up, keep creating, and watch as the tipping point comes when you least expect it.