10x What Works
When something works in startups, push it as hard as you can before it fades.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 2
- Confidence
- 70%
Fechter's operating rule from the startup world is that when something works, you 10x it — because it won't work forever. When his repurposed stories exploded on LinkedIn, he didn't optimize slowly; he posted as many as he could and rode the format to roughly 200 million views. The same logic applies to automation and channel arbitrage: smart operators get an unfair advantage during a short window before platforms crack down or audiences change their perception. The discipline is to confirm something works, then push it hard and fast while the window is open.
Origin
When Fechter discovered LinkedIn storytelling was massively underpriced attention, he applied the startup maxim that a working tactic won't last, so he went as hard as possible and 10x'd his posting.
Core principles
- 01In the startup world, when something works you 10x it.
- 02Tactics won't work forever, so exploit the window while it's open.
- 03Go as hard as you can once a channel or format proves out.
- 04Smart, tech-savvy users get an unfair advantage during a short window before the system adapts.
How to run it
- 1
Validate that it works
Confirm a tactic or channel is genuinely producing outsized results before scaling it.
- 2
Push it as hard as you can
Immediately go all-in on the working tactic rather than tinkering, because the advantage window is temporary.
Pro tip Assume the platform or the audience's perception will change and shrink your edge in 2-3 years.
Watch out Windows close — content that went viral a year and a half ago won't go viral today.
In the wild
After a repurposed story hit ~90,000 engagements, Fechter posted as many stories as he could instead of easing in.
→ The all-out push accumulated close to 200 million views over a short span while the format was still underexploited.
Common mistakes
Assuming the edge lasts forever
Tactics and channel arbitrage decay as platforms crack down and audiences adapt; hesitating wastes the window.
Is it for you?
Best for
Growth marketers and creators who can spot an underused channel or format and move aggressively.
Not ideal for
Brand-building efforts that require steady long-term consistency over opportunistic bursts.
From the transcript
“in the startup world that something works you 10x it because it's not always gonna work forever”
“so I went as hard as I could and posted as many stories that could result in close like 200 million views”
From the episode
Josh Fechter: Growth Hacker Marketing Secrets
Josh Fechter