How I Accidentally Built a Personal Brand (and Turned Writing into a Career)

Notes #1 - The unexpected path from a lockdown hobby to professional opportunities

Josep Ferrer

Mar 18, 2025

∙ Paid

Hey everyone! Josep here 👋🏻

Today I am sharing my first-ever career insights 🚀

If you've ever wondered how to start building your personal brand online, this is the post for you.

Because let me tell you—I never planned for any of this.

And yet, here I am:

Growing an audience across Medium, LinkedIn, and Substack (with my beloved DataBites 🧩)
Writing for top publications like KDnuggets, DataCamp, and TDS.
Teaching at a university because of my online content

But how did I get here?

Not through a master plan. Not by hustling from day one.

It all started because of pure randomness.

So let’s dive in! 👇🏻

Enjoying a creamy latte and a chocolate cupcake at a cozy café in Rotterdam ☕️ `𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼!`

It All Began with a 10-Day Lockdown

In 2022, I was 24 years old, living in Barcelona, working full-time in data science—and suddenly, I got COVID.

Back then, Spain still had strict self-quarantining, meaning I was stuck in my room for 10 days.

At first, it was fun:

🎮 Gaming
📖 Reading
📺 Netflix marathons

But by Day 4, I was bored out of my mind. I started some online courses, but my motivation was low.

Then, a random thought hit me:

💡 Why don’t you write something?

As a kid, I loved writing fantasy and sci-fi stories. But during college, that passion disappeared under the weight of assignments, exams, and stress.

So, I decided to bring it back.

But… what should I write about? 🤔

My First-Ever Article (and my first Breakthrough)

I had been using Medium for a couple of years, primarily as my go-to resource for data science tutorials and content. So, when I decided to start writing, it felt like the natural platform to try.

The next challenge? Choosing a topic.

I had zero plans to write about data science. I was already doing it for work—I wanted something different.

And that’s how I stumbled into UX Design.

Looking back, it makes perfect sense why I love DataViz so much today. But at the time, it was just an experiment—one that led to my very first online article:

Why is Dark Mode So Captivating?

My ever first article on Medium back in 2022.

I wrote it on Medium and I hit publish and expected nothing. At first, that’s exactly what happened —a total of just 20 readers. Not exactly groundbreaking.

But then… something unexpected happened.

During my research for the article (and trust me, I went all in—reading over 10 articles and even a book on the evolution of dark mode), I mentioned

Fabricio Teixeira

in my piece.

To my surprise, he left a comment on my article and invited me to publish it in UX Collective—one of the biggest UX design publications on Medium.

🚀 The result? My views skyrocketed!

My very first Medium post stats: zero views for the first four days, then a surge after being featured in UX Collective!

That single moment turned my quiet debut into a breakthrough opportunity.

My reads skyrocketed.
I gained (a few) followers overnight.
I started earning $100/month—without even planning to.

This was the first turning point.

Realizing the opportunity, I committed to writing consistently, experimenting with different topics and styles. If you check my early Medium posts, you’ll find a mix of everything—a lot of trial and error.

Here are the next four Medium articles I published—including my attempt to make Big Data more approachable!

A lot of tests and trials during my first articles in Medium.

Eventually, I went all-in with design, UX, and tech—still avoiding data science.

Until… my content took on a life of its own.

Accidental Growth: When Writing Became a Job

Before I knew it:

Brands and professionals started reaching out for collaborations.
My LinkedIn inbox was full of opportunities.
People assumed I was a designer.

And then I had a realization:

I don’t want to be a designer.

This was when I decided to pivot my writing.

I switched to data science—a topic I felt comfortable with and one that aligned with my career. The transition wasn’t easy, I had to find new publications and rebuild momentum. But soon, I found my groove.

Some of my first DS articles include:

They performed well—but I still hadn’t hit a true viral moment.

Until… I accidentally wrote my biggest post ever.

The Viral Post That Changed Everything

In late 2022, ChatGPT had just launched. I decided to write a quick article about six useful extensions for ChatGPT.
I wrote it fast, published it, and forgot about it. Why?

Because I was about to fly to Korea for a vacation.

And then… BOOM. 💥

I landed, checked my phone, and saw 10,000+ views.
The article earned me $1,000 (my first four-figure post).
My inbox exploded with messages from people wanting to collaborate.

In 30 days, the article had over 200k views and earned 3k+ $.

Lifetime statistics of my ever-first viral post.

That post changed everything. I got:

Writing opportunities with KDnuggets & DataCamp.
Collaborations with industry leaders like O’Reilly.
Joining top DS publications on Medium, like TDS and Better Programming.

I was no longer just a hobbyist writer. I was now a professional tech writer.

For over a year, I stayed consistent, publishing regularly and growing my presence. Until an new turning point hit

Medium changed its monetization rules. My income dropped overnight.

I couldn’t rely on one platform. It was time for my next big shift.

The Real Turning Point: Owning My Personal Brand

I had a problem: I was 100% dependent on Medium.

If their algorithm changed, if they paid less, if they shut down—I would lose everything.

So, I decided to take control.

1️⃣ I Built My LinkedIn Presence

Started posting consistently, growing my network, and attracting industry opportunities.
Today: 6K+ followers and an average of 100K weekly views. 📈

2️⃣ I Launched a Substack (DataBites)

Medium was great, but I needed a platform I owned—so in March 2024, DataBites was born.
With it, I experimented, engaged, and built a loyal email list.
Today: 7K+ subscribers and a thriving community of readers—and YOU! 🎉

3️⃣ I Expanded to X (Twitter)

More visibility → More connections → More growth.
Today: 25K+ followers and an average of 50K views—PER DAY! 🔥

Taking control of my digital presence wasn’t just a backup plan—it was the best decision I ever made.

Then, a LinkedIn message popped up.

A university reached out to me.
They had read my work and thought

This guy knows how to explain complex topics clearly.

They offered me a teaching position.

Just like that, I became a university professor.

And it all started with a random blog post!

So now… what are the takeaways you can apply to yourself?