People often tell me they aspire to start writing more.

But they're often very embarrassed about the idea that what they write will be low quality.

They want to make sure the first post is great, a bar that they never can muster up the surge of energy to clear.

So they end up never writing anything, and the world is worse off!

The advice I give in this circumstance is "Don't worry, nobody will read it."

This is what might be called self-capping downside.

If you write up something and quietly post it somewhere (as long as it's not controversial, because those can go viral for bad reasons), then the default is no one reads it.

If no one reads a not-great thing, then no downside manifests.

But if it's good--if people who stumble on it or read it after you share with a "I burped up this silly thing, sharing just in case you find it useful"--then the upside is uncapped!

The core dynamics of self-capping downside:

If it's bad, no one will use it.

If it's good, then people will use it.

And if people are using it, it's good, even if you thought it was bad!

If making the thing is enjoyable for its own sake (e.g. a fun hobby project) then there's basically no downside!