"Don't Forget About Us When You Blow Up"
Every creator has heard some version of this line. A friend sees what you're building, gets a little starry-eyed about the idea of you "making it," and says something like:
"When you pop off, don't forget about us."
It sounds like support. It's said with a smile. But here's the part nobody says out loud:
They said it instead of liking the post.
Not after. Not alongside. Instead of.
That's the trade a lot of people are making without realizing it — they want a future seat at the table, but they skip every chance to help set the table up. And the thing is, support isn't complicated. It's not a favor that costs money or time you don't have. It's thirty seconds. A like. A share. A comment. The stuff that actually moves the needle for someone before they've made it — not after, when it costs you nothing and means even less.
You don't get to skip the boring, unglamorous part — the part where nobody's watching yet and every bit of momentum has to be earned — and still expect a spot in the good part.
If you want to ride the wave later, help build it now. That's not a big ask. That's just what being someone's friend, and not just their fan club with a future start date, actually looks like.
Support shows up before the applause, not after it.
Don’t Forget About Us When You Blow Up
