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#288: He gained 190K Instagram followers in 508 days…but wouldn’t do it again | Yoni Smolyar

#288: He gained 190K Instagram followers in 508 days…but wouldn’t do it again | Yoni Smolyar

Author: Jay Clouse January 6, 2026 Duration: 45:10
Creator Science with Jay Clouse
Business
A few weeks ago, I came across a post on X from a user named Yoni Smolyar. It said, "Posting a video on Instagram every day for 508 days in a row taught me that I never want to do that again." I realized that I had seen and followed Yoni on Instagram, where he has over 190,000 followers. In the process, Yoni built an iPhone app called Brainrot, which had a $10,000 launch that he credits to his social media presence that he built during this daily Instagram posting challenge. In this conversation, you'll hear Yoni's approach to Instagram, what worked for him, why he ultimately says he wouldn't do it again, and why he believes his ex-audience of 20,000 may be more valuable. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Yoni's Website / Instagram / Twitter / Brainrot App / YouTube / TikTok *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) 508 Days of Daily Videos (05:08) Building Habits: A Month In (08:55) From Hesitant Posts to Viral Storytelling (12:35) Documenting My Entrepreneurial Journey (14:07) Speak Your Mind, Hit Record (19:38) Entrepreneurial Journey: Transparency & Growth (21:19) Brainrot: Tackling Phone Overuse (24:42) Overcoming Cringe Through Posting (30:37) Seasons of Steak and Sizzle (32:12) Origins of Social Media Sharing (34:58) Trapped by Public Perception (38:48) Short Form Video's Negative Impact *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#275: From ignoring short-form video to 3.5 billion views | Pat Flynn’s Pokémon juggernaut (Part 1)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY 📬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creator Science Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🚀 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get CreatorHQ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (creator operating system) 🧪 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Lab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (private membership community) 🧞‍♂️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get a Personalized Offer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** CONNECT 🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📹 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *** SPONSORS 💼 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View all sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For anyone trying to build something meaningful online, the sheer volume of advice can be paralyzing. Creator Science cuts through that noise with a focus on what’s proven, not just popular. Host Jay Clouse sits down with a different builder each week-think James Clear, Ali Abdaal, Tim Urban, or Codie Sanchez-for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like a practical workshop. They dig into the specific systems, experiments, and mental models that have driven real growth in their businesses. You won’t just hear inspirational stories; you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the iteration and observation that actually moves the needle. This isn't about quick hacks. It's about developing a sustainable, evidence-backed approach to creative work, which is why this podcast has become a trusted resource for so many. Each episode is built to give you a tangible strategy or framework you can test, making the weekly listen a consistent source of actionable insight for your own path as a creator.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

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Creator Science with Jay Clouse
Podcast Episodes
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