1. Who Am I Writing To?

You’re reading an excerpt of Great Founders Write, by Ben Putano, writer, entrepreneur, and book publisher. He’s the founder of Damn Gravity Media, a publishing house that inspires and educates tomorrow’s great founders. Purchase now for lifetime access to the book and on-demand video course.

Julianne, my sister, recently broke free from the corporate world and started her own wellness studio. She teaches yoga, Thai massage, and Reiki energy therapy. As a new founder, Julianne is experiencing firsthand the challenge of not just delivering services, but attracting the right customers, leasing studio space, and managing finances.

But Julianne’s goal is not to build a wellness empire. Instead, she wants the freedom to do work she loves and to help people. She’s actively downsizing her lifestyle to fit this dream. She pictures a day when she lives in a tiny house and tends to her garden while teaching classes full of enthusiastic students on her own schedule. This is not the typical entrepreneurial dream, but it’s hers.

Why am I telling you this? Because Julianne is one of the people I wrote this book for. I had her name listed at the top of my first draft like I was writing a letter to her.

David Perrell, a writing coach and author, says, “Write for one obsessive person … Writing comes alive at the extremes.”

In other words, if you try to write to everyone, you’ll speak to no one.

The best writing happens when you write to a specific person or two. Not the perfect version of them, but the real them—their fears, flaws, dreams, and all. That person stands in proxy of every other potential reader. By focusing on your one reader, your writing will feel personal. Your readers will get the sense you actually know them, and they’ll start to think they know you, too.

Tim Ferriss used this strategy while writing The 4-Hour Workweek. After struggling to find his voice in the first draft, Ferriss decided to write to two close friends who wanted to escape the nine-to-five grind. To enhance the illusion, Ferriss literally wrote his next chapter in an email addressed to his friends. The trick worked. The 4-Hour Workweek became a number one New York Times bestseller.

The more specific you are about who you’re writing to, the stronger your writing will be. That’s why I recommend writing to someone you actually know. It could be a friend, colleague, or a customer willing to spend time with you.

Let’s look at an example:

Imagine, like Julianne, you’re building a wellness studio. You decide to add career coaching to your list of services. Your first task is to create a landing page to test your messaging and find a few early customers to try out the service.

Now ask yourself: Who am I writing to?

You want to work with creative entrepreneurs. But this is a large and diverse group. If you try to write to everyone, you’ll end up with a shapeless gray blob of a landing page. Your service will resonate with no one. If you focus on one obsessive person, your landing page will explode with life, clarity, and passion.

You choose to write to your friend Sandy, a veteran sales rep who wants to start a pottery business. She’s already started an online Esty store but dreams of opening a small studio in the heart of Ohio City, Cleveland. She’s nervous to leave the comforts of her full-time job and worries about money. She needs a plan—and a little courage—to make the leap.

Forget writing for all creative entrepreneurs. You’re writing for Sandy.

When you decide who you’re writing to, put their name at the top of your draft. Or, like Ferriss, draft an email to them. Do whatever you need to convince yourself you’re writing to one person.

Once you’re crystal-clear on your reader, let’s get to know them a little better.