Hey there, it’s Yash and Andrea!
Welcome to the the founder/mode journal!
In each issue, we break down successful Linkedin posts so you can reverse engineer them for your own content.
This week, we’re tackling this post by founder/mode user Jason Shen:
It hits because it flips a limiting belief that smart, competent people carry. Let’s dig into why it works.
“Hiding it doesn’t make you humble. It just makes you harder to find.”
This line reframes a value many high-achievers quietly hold: humility > visibility. The post takes that belief and dismantles it. That’s powerful, especially for overthinking founders who see promotion as cringey.
This post lets people feel okay being seen.
“In your honest opinion, are your skills better than many of your peers?”
That question, aimed at the psychiatrist in the post, also lands squarely on the reader. We reflect on ourselves in real time. It activates self-assessment in a subtle, non-preachy way.
That’s a classic coaching trick, and it works just as well in content.
“The reverse Dunning-Kruger effect.”
By naming a known cognitive bias, the post does two things:
Reduces shame (“oh, this is a thing”)
Gives readers language to make sense of their own hesitation
Naming the bias transforms this from self-help bs into a shareable / relatable insight.
Start with empathy → lead with education → show your evidence
This closes the loop. After showing us the why, it gives us a concrete how. The list format boosts readability and helps readers take something with them—even if they only skim the end.
It’s all about the hook.
“Most people think promoting their work is narcissistic.”
The hook here is solid, but slightly diffuse. A punchier opener like “You’re not being humble. You’re hiding.” might grip readers faster. Especially on LinkedIn, tighter intros mean better retention.
This post builds up a compelling insight—but doesn’t end with an invitation. A line like “What’s one skill you’re hiding because it feels too obvious to promote?” would drive comments and deepen engagement.
While smart readers will recognize the concept, briefly stating it (“The more competent you are, the more you doubt yourself”) could help it land harder with a wider audience.
→ Reframing = resonance. Show people how their belief might be holding them back and offer a more empowering alternative.
→ Mirror the reader. Ask questions that invite introspection.
→ Anchor big ideas in real patterns. Label the invisible dynamics we all feel, but haven’t named yet.
Until next week,
Yash & Andrea
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If you’re looking to build your founder brand on X and linkedin and generate leads for your business, you’d like what we’re building at founder/mode—we turn your messy thoughts into content that grows your business.
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