Hey Reader,
If there's anything I've learned over the past years, it's that you have to advocate for your own work.
No one else will do it for you...
And yet, I think most of you aren't advocating for your work hard enough (I have evidence for this!)
Let's say you've put in many hours learning something new and built a data or AI project, like a data analysis on a real dataset, an AI automation app, a dashboard, a machine learning model, or whatever.
You get it working. You're proud of it, actually proud.
Then you push the code to GitHub, call it a day, and move on with your life.
And then you wonder why nobody found out about it.
I've made this mistake over and over again too π€¦π»ββοΈ.
Only 12% of you on YouTube said you actually write about your projects somewhere: a blog, LinkedIn, your own website.
The rest never showcase them anywhere at all...
...or just push the code to GitHub and call it done.
That's a huge missed opportunity.
Let me explain why.
1. (Almost) no one is going to actually read your code on GitHub
Except for a few tech nerds out there, almost no one is interested in your project in code form.
Not a hiring manager. Not a future client. Certainly not your boss!
(I don't know about yours, but mine was too busy talking to people and making slide decks anyway lol).
I know that stings a little, because a lot of us treat the repo like it's the whole point.
Like "if the code is clean and it's up there, the work should speak for itself, right?"
Let me tell you a well-known secret: it rarely does.
Most code repos just sit there collecting dust, enjoying a slow death, because no one ever touches them again.
To most people, the code is never the point. Your future clients and managers are more interested in things like:
- what you learned building it
- why you built it
- what it actually does
- ...
None of that is visible from a folder of files.
So GitHub is not your portfolio.
I'd argue it's actually one of the worst forms of portfolio you can rely on for visibility, for building credibility and trust.
Especially now, with so much AI-generated code floating around the internet.
No one can even tell if the person behind the project is actually a person, or just... Claude Code.
2. What to do instead (this is the part I underestimated for years!)
A different way to present your projects is through writing, storytelling, and inviting conversation.
The moment you write a post, make a video, or even just share a thread about what you built, you stop being invisible.
People can't find work they don't know exists.
Obvious when I say it like that. It took me years to actually act on it...
Over the past 10 years, I've built dozens of personal data science and AI projects, and dozens more at work.
What I've noticed is that the projects that brought me the most opportunities weren't necessarily the best ones I built. They were the ones I actually shared about online, or even taught others how to do.
Once I became active in sharing my work, it's brought me opportunities I never expected.
I got invited to speak at events.
Got offered freelance gigs before I ever pitched anyone.
Had a recruiter end up in my inbox instead of the other way around.
Had a bunch of coffee chats with genuinely cool people (who doesn't want that? π).
This is not to brag with you, though, I see it happen to people and friends all the times too.
Almost everyone who found me, found me through my Medium blog, my YouTube videos, or a LinkedIn post.
My GitHub repos are merely a way of sharing the exact implementation, for people who want to contribute or replicate the work.
If I'd just let my work sit on GitHub, I never would have had these opportunities.
3. The easiest way to start
Now, if you're thinking "that makes a lot of sense, but how do I actually start?"
I'm not saying you need to launch a blog or start a YouTube channel (trust me, that's a whole different ball game).
Just pick whatever platform you're already on.
If you're active on LinkedIn, tomorrow, instead of scrolling through your feed, write a short post about:
- the project you finished
- what you were trying to solve
- what you tried
- what worked in the end
- what you learned from it.
Include some screenshots and links if you can.
That's the big first step.
In the next newsletter, I'll cover the exact frameworks I use for writing about your projects, for both blog and social media, the ones that actually showcase your skills and get you noticed.
So this week, I'm curious:
Which project of yours has been sitting quietly on GitHub, waiting for someone to hear about it?
Just reply and let me know :).
ChΓ o,
Thu
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