To become an authority, focus on creating compelling content rather than experience. Develop a feel for conversations in your target audience and post content regularly. Content that provides value like how-to guides or summarizing complex topics can establish you as an authority. While credibility builds over time, search engines and social media allow good content from newcomers to spread. Post content to platforms like Twitter and Hacker News to generate impressions and followers in order to promote your expertise.

1. Becoming an Authority:
How to act like an expert
An Innovative And Dynamic Approach To Venture Capital And Incubation

2. What Makes Someone An Authority?
Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures
“I know nothing about the
subject, but I’m happy to
give you my expert opinion.”

3. Authority Is About Content And Credibility
We decide what information to trust based on both factors
• You build credibility over time, based on your actions
• Increasingly, your content is judged on its own merits
• If you keep putting out good content, you build credibility
Paul Graham’s posts top Hacker News, but so do random “nobodies”
• You can be that random nobody!
• You just have to have a nose for creating compelling content
Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures

4. You Don’t Need Experience To Be An Authority
Write a roundup
of a rapidly
changing topic
Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures
Etc.
Interview
someone from
the space
Write a
“Beginner’s Guide
To…”
Boil down a
complex topic to
easily digestible
bullets

5. Creating Compelling Content
Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures
Develop a feel for the conversation
Know your audience, and
what works for them
Practice makes perfect—
post early, post often
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2
Popurls
Hacker News Daily
Techmeme
3

6. Let Search And Social Do The Work For You
Search and Social change the way information spreads
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Make something people are
looking for
Create relevant, useful content
(“How To”)
Search
Make something people will
want to share
Create timely, remarkable,
shareable content (“WTF”)
Social

7. A Peek Behind The Curtain
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8. Where Did That Traffic Come From?
Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures

9. Exploit The Content By Encouraging Sharing
Post your pieces to Twitter and Hacker News
Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures
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By generating impressions, you build your credibility
And if you get people to follow you on Twitter, you can now DM them
Reply to comments on your blog, to replies on Twitter,
and to the thread on Hacker News
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10. Academy.wasabiventures.com @wasabiventures
If you are interested or know some interested
in the Wasabi Ventures Academy, email
wvacademy@wasabiventures.com