A 5.5-year experiment
Curiosity, persistence, and the math of slow progress
On Aug 27, 2019, I had 143 followers on LinkedIn.
Today, on Feb 5, 2026, it’s 15,000+.
I’m sharing this for one reason: I’m writing this to my twenty‑something self back in 2019 — the one who wondered if this could ever happen — as a small but real proof that long‑term thinking actually works (even when it feels painfully slow while you’re in it).
This screenshot takes me back: Laptop on my desk at my parents’ home. I had just quit my first job out of college and was deep in that chaotic, (slightly) delusional founder phase building ASIDU.
And I remember thinking about the “what if”: what if I have many followers on LinkedIn like those people? What will happen? I was just curious — the same curiosity that drives every scientist to test an idea born in imagination.
I overlay what I did with the framework Napoleon Hill mentioned in his legendary book Think and Grow Rich, just for fun:
First, I conceived the IDEA: to build meaningful reach on LinkedIn.
Second, I mixed FAITH with that idea, believing that consistent effort could transform it into reality.
Third, I created a PLAN: to send ten connection requests each day.
Fourth, I acted upon that plan with DECISION, carrying it out daily as faithfully as a morning ritual.
Fifth, I met OBSTACLES—limits, warnings, even restrictions from LinkedIn for sending too many invitations—but I persisted, waiting patiently when halted, resuming when freed.
Sixth, I followed through with PERSISTENCE, never allowing discouragement to take root.
2,355 days (or 6 years and 5.5 months) later, here we are. I got my 15000 followers.
The motivation of reaching this goal is just pure curiosity, not monetization or anyhitng financial. I just had fun, and I think this mindset is important.
That being said, this journey is rewarding, as I have met many inspiring minds and had conversations that give me a sense of belonging and motivation. Life is good!
If you are building something and progress feels slow, remember: every great structure begins as an idea, mixed with faith, shaped by a plan, and sustained by persistence. Compounding is silent until it speaks in results.