You Don’t Need New Ideas. You Just Need Better Iterations

Here's Why "Above Average" Is My New Viral

Most creators don’t need more ideas. They need a better system for squeezing more out of what already worked.

The pressure of transforming a blank screen into a masterpiece is stressful.

Especially if we sit down to write every day. That feeling of being overwhelmed can lead a lot of people to burn out or cause them to be paralyzed by inaction.

But what if every day didn’t need to start from zero?

If you didn’t need to come up with fresh ideas, just simple variations.

Rick Rubin wrote, “Creation is not the act of making something from nothing. It is the uncovering of something that already is there.”

In the past 2 years, I’ve built an entire content strategy around this truth.

Growth doesn’t come only from new and novel ideas. It comes from tapping into variations of what we’ve already created. So maybe…

You’re not short on content. You’re short on a system.

Let me show you mine.

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The Shift That Changed Everything

Viral creators aren’t constantly reinventing the wheel.

They reuse, remix, and repeat what’s already worked in the past.

This was a trend I witnessed through studying creators, investing in courses, and observing what large personal brands were doing.

Justin Welsh, a LinkedIn creator, has a system of repeating his best-performing ideas every 90 days.

Ali Abdaal, a YouTube creator, creates multiple videos on the exact same topics, like productivity. Ex: Top 10 Productivity Tools, Best Productivity Apps in 2024, Why I Use Notion Daily.

Mark Manson, author of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck”, spun a viral blog post into his global bestselling book.

Gary Vaynerchuk, love him or hate him, has created one of the most well-known personal brands, repeating the same message thousands of times for over a decade.

Success leaves clues. So, I adopted this as a go-to strategy of mine, too.

I’ve managed over 13 Million dollars in Facebook ads, and this became known as my Content To Cash system. Some of my highest-converting ads were organic posts that I turned into ads for my clients.

And, today? It’s the cornerstone of my Substack growth strategy.

Leveraging winning posts and ideas has led me to grow over 5,000 subscribers, write 3 books, and create multiple lead magnets and products.

Now, I leverage what I’ve already created instead of creating from nothing.

Let me walk you through the exact system I use.

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My System for Better Iterations

If you've written one good Note, you're sitting on five more. At least.

That’s the idea behind my iteration system. It’s not fancy. It’s not complicated. But it works because it’s built for consistency, not being clever.

Here’s how I approach it:

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Big Idea Planning

I don’t start by asking, "What should I post today?" I start by asking:

What’s one clear idea I want to communicate? What question am I answering? What are people asking me?

Then I build from there.

If I have a concept I believe is strong, I turn it into 3–5 Notes right away. These might vary in:

• Format (story, list, insight)

• Hook (different leads, first lines)

• Tone (contrarian, punchy, inspirational)

• Length (short, long)

Think of it like remixing a song, the lyrics stay the same, but the vibe, tempo, or rhythm changes. Same message, communicated differently.

Note: I generally keep a repository of my ideas in Apple Notes and Google Keep. As they drop in, I capture them, and use them when batch creating content.

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Track What Works

Not every Note needs to go viral. I’m just looking for what’s above average.

I use a simple content calendar in Notion to track:

• Notes.

• Angles.

• Performance.

• When it was posted.

• Various other items for iteration.

Every Friday, I check.

If something performs slightly better than normal, I mark it "Above Average".

That’s my signal. Not perfection. Just potential.

Want my Notion Content Calendar? You can download my Notion template with a walkthrough of how I use it by Clicking Here.

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Iterate on Winners

Once I find a Note that resonates, I don’t move on to the next idea. I double down.

Here are ways I create variations:

• Change the hook.

• Add a personal story.

• Make it a single punchy line.

• Ask a polarizing question.

• Include numbers or statistics.

• Challenge an assumption that the original idea hinted at.

• Add a short CTA to drive engagement. ("Agree?" "Have you tried this?")

Sometimes I make the post shorter. Sometimes I expand it. Sometimes I flip the core takeaway entirely.

If a Note hits 100 likes? That’s a green light. I’ll repost the exact same thing in 4–8 weeks. No changes. Just timing.

Because the truth is, most people didn’t see it the first time. And even if they did? People don’t mind repetition when it’s relevant.

Note: 100 likes is my personal “viral for me” marker at the time of writing.

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A Real Example

One of my most engaged Notes in April was a variation.

It didn’t come from being a viral genius. It came from iterating on "Above Average."

I saw a Note that had performed well a few weeks prior. I changed the hook. Made a few tweaks. And hit publish.

This variation got over 600 likes and 271 new subscribers.

Think iteration, not creation.

If you see below, this post was my 5th iteration from the previous note.

(And the previous Note was my 8th iteration from the initial idea)

Notion Screenshot by Landon Poburan

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This Works For Notes + Posts

I take a similar approach to my longer posts.

Sometimes I reverse the flow:

• Start with a post.

• Break it into 3–5 Notes.

Other times:

• Start with a winning Note.

• Expand it into a full-length piece.

I source my post ideas from what’s already proven to work: comments, questions in DMs, and my best-performing Notes.

No guesswork. Just signals.

This is how I progressively get my content closer to what my audience wants.

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Repetition Is the Strategy

I love writing, but I don’t spend 2 hours a day writing Notes, and I don’t write 1,000 words per day.

There’s no prize for word counts. Working smarter isn’t being lazy. It’s a strategy.

So I spend more time strategizing than I do writing.

For me, “Above Average” is the new viral.

Iterating on my “Above Average” content creates exponential leverage.

It simplifies my creation process, improves engagement because it builds on what’s been proven to work, and repetition builds familiarity, authority, and allows me to become known for something.

There’s a simpler way to publish daily content.

Say the same thing, more often, in different ways.

I don’t rely on inspiration. I rely on a repeatable loop.

New ideas are fun. But better iterations build momentum.

Hope this helps.

Landon

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Want my Notion Content Calendar? You can download my Notion template with a walkthrough of how I use it to iterate content by Clicking Here.

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PS: If you found this helpful, would you do me a quick favor and restack it? Sharing spreads the message and motivates me to keep writing practical content to help you thrive in your online business.