August 24th, 2025.

I'm sitting at my desk, and I just scheduled my Instagram account for deletion.

Set to disappear September 23rd.

Instagram was very nice, they gave me a month to think about it if I really want to do this.

But I'll be honest, my mind is made up.

Most people think I'm crazy.

Let me tell you why it was the smartest business decision I've made all year.

The Weight I Didn't Realize I Was Carrying

My two week deactivation period felt like lifting a weight off my back.

I'm not a star by any means, but I did have a decent following on there. And it comes up in real life more often than I'd like to hear.

People checking my follower count like it's some measure of my worth as a creative.

During those two weeks of freedom, I got to see the effects of not being on Instagram in real time.

I took note of the people who checked in and took note of the people who didn't.

It's humbling to realize most people don't really care about your follower count. Most of my so called network never reached out during those two weeks.

And that's fine. That's the reality check I needed.

The Vanity Trap

I never wanted to admit this, but that app made me more vain than I'd ever been in my entire life.

Nine years chasing like a moth drawn to a flame, building content to appeal to people who just want to scroll, drop a fire emoji, and move on with their day.

If I told my childhood self about this obsession with follower counts and engagement rates, that kid would think I'm insane.

I've always been an entrepreneur, a hustler. And lately I've become a creative. When I finally started coming into my creativity around 17, I thought Instagram was the best way to spread my work.

I already had a small following from people who knew me from school.

So began my nine-year journey making music in hopes of being recognized for it.

With a vision of stardom I never even really wanted.

The bigger the number, the better you are

Right?

The Math That Doesn't Work

Here's the brutal business reality about Instagram for producers:

Hours spent shooting content.

Hours editing videos.

All hoping to maybe sell one beat lease.

I've spent hours shooting and editing IG content in hopes of maybe being able to sell a singular beat lease. Think about that ROI for a second.

Meanwhile, Instagram's algorithm ensures less than 1% of your followers actually see your content.

They're drip-feeding you YOUR OWN audience.

Compare that to email…

I see 30-60% open rates on Substack versus Instagram where my reach doesn't even hit 1%.

Which is kinda pathetic when you think about it.

What Really Mattered All Along

The things that really mattered to me looking back:

Building a community of like minded people and monetizing my creative work by any means.

These were the things I really wanted.

I got some of that on Instagram, but it's just not enough to get me where I need to get to.

I was chasing something I don't really care about because I see a lot of producers making money selling beats online.

That feeling has always been lingering, that I'm chasing something I don't really want because of what I think success should look like.

Choosing Freedom Over Fame

With Substack, I'm free to bring my audience and leave as I please because it's really just a newsletter at its core. No algorithm controlling my reach. No vanity metrics dictating my self worth.

I started my Substack transition with 450 subscribers on my email list from sending loops out to other music producers over the years.

If you're reading this from that original list thank you for sticking around.

The engagement difference is night and day.

Real conversations.

Real connections.

Now that the app is gone, I can fully focus on the new path.

One more community driven.

My new focus will be cultivating a beautiful community through Substack and my email newsletter.

Luckily I've been building this list for a few years, so I get to start with some people.

I'm really liking the vibe on Substack.

What I'm Building Now

My next focus is Digital Decay - a Serum 2 preset pack for music producers.

I'll be posting new song demos as I create them, building something real with people who actually care about the craft.

Not followers chasing the next dopamine hit. Real producers building real things.

This is about building systems that actually work for independent producers.

Creating content that has lasting value instead of disappearing into the algorithm void after 24 hours.

The Freedom to Create

Look, the "you need social media as a producer" crowd isn't wrong.

If your goal is mainstream recognition, major label attention, going viral……

Then yeah, you probably need that hamster wheel.

But those just aren't my goals anymore.

What would I tell my 17-year-old self about all this?

Keep doing what you love.

The platforms will change. The algorithms will change. The vanity metrics will fade.

Your creativity won't.

Building Something I Actually Own

If I end up missing Instagram, I can always start over. But I doubt I will.

Because for the first time in nine years, I'm building something I actually control. Something that can't be taken away by an algorithm update or a platform decision.

Something real.

If this resonates with you, if you're tired of chasing metrics that don't matter, consider what you're actually building.

Consider what you actually own.

Your audience. Your creative work. Your freedom to choose where and how you show up.

That's worth more than any follower count.

Everyone has an Instagram these days, right?

But what if that's the trap?

What if the real power is in choosing platforms where you control the relationship with your audience?

Where your content doesn't disappear into an algorithm designed to keep people scrolling instead of engaging?

Where your reach isn't artificially limited to drive ad spend?

The Real Numbers

Instagram's business model depends on your content getting limited organic reach so you'll pay for ads.

Your 10,000 followers might as well be 100 if only 1% see your posts.

Email? When I send a newsletter, 30-60% of my subscribers open it.

That's real reach.

That's real connection.

That's a real business.

Moving Forward

I'm documenting this transition with complete transparency.

Real numbers, real results, zero vanity metrics.

The kind of honest business perspective most creators won't share because it doesn't fit the "hustle harder" narrative.

But maybe that's exactly what we need more of.

Honest conversations about what actually works versus what looks impressive on paper.

Stay Blessed,

Void

P.S. - This journey toward platform independence is just getting started. I'll be sharing the real data, the challenges, and the wins as they happen. No filtered highlights, just the actual process of building something sustainable.

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