I almost didn't do this.
I kept the TikTok app on my phone for three days. Watched other creators. Thought about what I'd say, how I'd look, what people would think. The usual anxiety spiral where your brain finds a thousand reasons not to hit record.
The fear is real. I'm 30+ years old, supposed to have it figured out, and here I am thinking about posting short videos. It felt silly. It felt vulnerable. It felt like I'd be judged.
But I did it anyway.
The rough start
My first video was shaky. Bad lighting. I stumbled over my words. It was exactly what you'd expect from someone who's never done this before. I hit post at like 11pm, went to bed thinking maybe three people would see it.
I woke up to something I wasn't expecting.
The numbers surprised me
Over 450 followers in the first week. That's not a massive number by TikTok standards, but it floored me. People were actually watching. More than that—they were engaging.
Comments from developers saying they related to my story about building in public. People asking real questions about the projects I mentioned. A few following along who wanted to see what I'd do next.
It's a different feeling from traditional social media. There's something about the TikTok format that makes it easier for people to actually connect. Maybe it's the short form, maybe it's the algorithm, or maybe it's just that showing up raw and unpolished somehow feels more honest.
The best part
The DMs though. That's what got me.
People reaching out saying my first video resonated with them. Other indie developers, people thinking about going solo, parents trying to balance work and family. Stories about ADHD struggles, about wanting to build something real instead of grinding for someone else's goal.
One conversation led to talking about a potential collaboration. Another was someone who'd been following my work for years and didn't know how to reach out until they saw me on TikTok. Real connections with real people who actually care about what I'm doing.
That's not something you can engineer or monetize right away. It's just... community.
What I learned
The fear doesn't go away. But it becomes less important than the connection.
Posting the first video was hard. The second one was easier. By the fifth one I wasn't thinking about how I looked anymore—I was thinking about what I wanted to say.
The people who judge you for trying? They're not your people. Your people are the ones who see you doing something difficult and say "me too" or "I want to try that."
I'm keeping the TikTok. Not because I'm going to be a creator or anything, but because it's turning into a real way to actually talk to people who care about the same things I do.
And that's worth being a little nervous about.