26 Comments
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Chintan Zalani's avatar

Really cool of you to share this vulnerability with us Jenny. Love you're trying to serve both 'tool seekers' vs. 'journey supporters.' I am excited for the next phase for you :)

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Chintan! :)

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Daria Cupareanu's avatar

Just read this and felt all of it, from the excitement to the pressure. So happy for you, Jenny!! Keep on rising ✨ always cheering for you

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Daria, for the encouragement and for sharing the journey together! Really grateful to have crossed paths with all of you 💕

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Petar Dimov's avatar

Incredible transparency and reflection Jenny. Thank you for articulating the quiet pressure that can come with early success. Cheering you on as you keep building with heart and clarity.

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Petar! So grateful to have your support and thoughtful words.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Love they way you share in public. Restacked with a note as my audience will love this one ✨ Let's jump on a call soon 🌞

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Chris! Really appreciate how you’re always sharing and supporting small rises like me. Would love to catch up 🌟

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Dinah's avatar

It's been really cool watching you grow on Substack! I am so happy I met you through Code Like A Girll. Keep up the great work here!

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you so much, Dinah! It really means a lot coming from you.

Writing for Code Like A Girl was the first lucky break I had in creating online, and your support has been one of the biggest motivators that helped me find the right track far sooner than I could’ve on my own.

Really appreciate you stopping by, and all the support you’ve given along the way!

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Doina Leovchin's avatar

Reading this felt like a reminder that growth isn’t just about numbers or badges, but it’s about staying true to why we started and the people we want to show up for.

Thank you for sharing your journey. Jenny.

Looking forward to what’s next!

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Doina! Really appreciate the way you reflected on this.

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Didi Khan's avatar

This is fascinating

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thanks!

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Luan Doan's avatar

Thanks for the very honest and useful sharing. Really inspired by your journey in building a product. I definitely want to build something too. Congrats on your rise, Jenny. Keep it up.

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Luan! I know you’ve got such a sharp handle on the technical side, feels like it’s only a matter of time before your product takes off. Really looking forward to seeing it happen.

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Wyndo's avatar

There’s so much optimism in this post and lessons learned! Glad to know you are taking things to the next level. Looking forward to see your workshop, go Jenny! 🙌🏻

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Wyndo! I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have encountered the wonderful people here, building and learning alongside each other has meant a lot.

The shift from writing to offering more feels a little intimidating, but it’s also super exciting.

I’m really curious to see how you’re going to play things out. Whatever direction you take, I know it’s going to be great.

I’ll keep you posted on the workshop details!

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One Brilliant Arc (OBA)'s avatar

This is such an honest and human way of processing something as wild as growth as an online content creator. I appreciate you sharing your journey with us. You are doing great work, Jenny!

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, “OBA”! Your feedback helps in keeping me going :)

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GetWellwithDanielle's avatar

I wish I had the time to read this whole post right now. I’ll come back! I didn’t know about these badges. Also what’s Substack explorer? I’ve been here two years but feel like a newbie still fumbling around 😂

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, Danielle!

Same here, I didn’t know about it until I saw people sharing their Rising badges. It’s probably not a huge deal since it rotates, but still felt pretty energizing to experience it for the first time.

Substack Explorer actually started as a tool I built for myself, to map out my niche and see subscriber distributions. Later I turned it into something others could use too.

There’s a free section if you want to get a feel for the numbers, feel free to try it out!

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James Presbitero's avatar

Love to read this. Cheering you on, you deserve your explosive growth! Very well done.

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Jenny Ouyang's avatar

Thank you, James! I know a lot of folks, probably you as well, have been through this already. I’m just being extra loud about it to share the experience! 😄

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James Presbitero's avatar

It’s definitely a universal experience. That’s why it’s so important that you’re talking about it :)

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Sabine Selbach's avatar

Congratulations! Your generosity really stands out. I messaged you a few months back and you provided a detailed custom analysis of my Substack niche (even though I've since pivoted). Gestures like that are memorable and make a real difference. 🙏

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