The Underdog Protagonist
The Underdog Protagonist is a podcast for the ones who are currently in the hustle period of their life. They are in the process of doing something big. But they are currently the side characters of a movie. This podcast is their voice, which speaks about the hardships which not all are aware of. The ones who are at the epitome of their success get to share their story. But what about us underdogs? The achievements we have made aren't small either. This podcast is to share our story. Let's be the protagonist of our story. Let's not settle being the side character anymore.
The Underdog Protagonist
Ep. 21 - In the Feed: Here’s How the Metrics Are Lying - And the Real Reason You Think You’re Not Growing
We live in an era obsessed with numbers - reach, likes, followers, engagement rates. But what happens when you’re doing everything right… and the metrics still don’t move?
In this episode of In The Feed, we explore a question creators rarely ask out loud: If growth isn’t visible… is it still real? Host Pratyush peels back the illusion of "growth equals visibility" and invites you into a quieter, more powerful narrative. One where growth is defined by alignment, clarity, and inner evolution, not just dashboards.
If you've ever doubted your progress because it didn’t trend, if you've burned out trying to perform “success” online, or if you’re ready to reclaim your definition of winning, this is your space.
Featuring reflections on emotional resilience, creative identity, hidden growth signals, and a quiet dare that might just shift how you show up forever.
If you’ve been showing up but still feel unseen, this one’s for you.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:27 The Episode That Changed a Life
02:45 The Realest Metric of All
03:37 Why We Obsess Over Numbers
04:28 Expression vs. Impression: The Metrics Trap
05:15 Creators Who Win Quietly
06:08 The Moment You Stop Posting for Proof
06:30 Rethinking Growth
07:53 5 Real Growth Metrics That Algorithms Can’t Track
09:33 Felt Metrics vs. Feed Metrics
09:59 The Truth About Consistency and Creativity
10:23 The Quiet Win That No One Saw (But Changed Everything)
10:46 A Radical Suggestion
11:28 The Final Reframe
11:44 The Quiet Dare
12:18 Outro
About Pk:
Pratyush has been a designer for more than 6 years. He started creating content to share his knowledge and establish a connection between design and business. He believes that knowledge grows by sharing and he wants to do just that. He is in a journey to help fellow freelancers and content creators make a profitable career.
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Cheers!
Hey. Hey. Hey. You're listening to the underdog protagonist, and this is in the feed, the series where we don't just scroll past what's trending, we pause, look, and question what it's doing to us. I'm Pratyush, a designer, strategist, and a full time observer.
Despite everything I know about algorithms, content strategy, and branding, has been haunted by one lingering question. If growth isn't visible, is it still real? That question has sat with me through late night edits, slow performing posts, silent DM's and honestly, weeks where the feed felt more like a mirror I did not recognize myself in. And if you have ever felt like that, like you're building something with heart, with discipline, with intent and yet no one's clapping for it, then today's episode is for you. Because while the world says show up, stay consistent, post daily, share value, what it does not say enough is you can grow without growing online.
Let's discuss how the metrics are lying and how you can redefine the growth outside the feed. Let's get into it.
Let me take you back. A few months ago, maybe a year ago, I dropped an episode of this podcast, the kind that took hours to script, edit, record, revise, and rerecord again because I wasn't satisfied with the tone. It was honest, vulnerable, one of those that felt like a journal entry disguised as a monologue.
And then I published it. I hit post, I wrote a caption, I promoted it once maybe twice and what happened? Not much. The stats weren't abysmal but they were quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you doubt yourself.
But then a few days later, I got a DM. It was one listener. He said, the episode really connected with me. Everything just felt as if I was talking about his condition, his situation and he felt so connected with the episode that he went around his whole family, turned on his phone, turned on Spotify and made everyone hear it at least once. And after hearing this, I felt like my work indeed has some value in it.
It has the power to influence people. And that day after coming home, I just sat there staring at the stream thinking that's it. That's the real metric. Because we have been tricked into believing that big impact equals big numbers. But often, the most powerful growth happens invisibly.
Not with fanfare but with clarity. Not with applause but with peace. So here's the first truth. Growth isn't just what you show, it's what you shift. You don't need a viral movement to validate your evolution.
Sometimes growth looks like answering emails with less anxiety, walking away from toxic clients, saying no to a great opportunity that does not feel aligned, sleeping without the mental buzz of overthinking. None of that is sexy, none of it performs but all of it is real. So, if you're building in silence, don't mistake that for being stuck. Let's unpack the psychology here. Why do we obsess over metrics?
One word, certainty. Numbers are tangible. They are tractable. They are binary and when you're navigating a path with no clear milestones, numbers feel like control. But here's the kicker.
What's easy to measure becomes what we value even when it's not what matters. We start performing to please the chart, not express the truth. This is how you end up publishing because it's posting daily, scrapping ideas that does not fit the format, choosing engagement over exploration. We're not cheating, we're calculating and I call it performance paralysis. The moment creativity becomes a scoreboard, we lose the joy of playing the game.
There's this quote from the psychology of social media. It goes like, we are not on social media to express ourselves. We are there to be seen expressing ourselves. Listen to it again. We are not on social media to express ourselves.
We are there to be seen expressing ourselves. And now, ask yourself, when was the last time you created without thinking about how it would land? When did you post just because it felt true? If your answer is I don't remember, you're not alone. The metrics taught us that expression is only valuable if it's seen.
But here's the radical truth. You don't have to go viral to be valid. Let's talk about the unsung heroes, not the blue tick creators, not the verified thought leaders, the ones building without a stadium. There's a designer I deeply respect. Doesn't post often, does not optimize But his work speaks.
Every project has depth. Every brand system he touches feels intentional. He books out months in advance. Why? Because clients trust quiet mastery more than loud marketing.
There's a writer I know who does not even have two ks followers. But her newsletter gets replies every single week. People write essays back to her emails. What does that tell you? She's not chasing virality.
She's building belonging. And that's where real brand is trust over trend. And you, yes, you might already be winning in ways you can't measure. Let me ask you, do people return to your work? Do you get invited into deeper conversations because of what you have said?
Has someone told you, I needed that? Then you're growing, no matter what their dashboard says. So now that we have peeled back the illusion, let's ask a deeper question. What is growth really? We have been told it's linear, that it should climb like a chart but anyone who's building something with depth, a skill, a brand, a self knows that growth is not a graph, it's a gravity, a pull towards your next version.
Sometimes that version arrives with fireworks. Most times it whispers. Let me offer you a reframe. Instead of asking how many followers did I gain this month, ask how much clearer is my voice. Instead of how well did this post perform, try asking how aligned did this post feel?
Because here's the deal, every post you make either brings you closer to your truth or takes you further from it. Here are some quiet signals I have learnt to honor. You no longer explain your prices like you are apologizing. You trust your silence as much as your voice. You stop fixing work that isn't broken just because it's not flashy.
This is the growth they don't show in creator bootcamps but it's the kind that sticks because it doesn't change your metrics, it changes you. Let's get real practical. If we are throwing out the usual dashboard, what do we replace it with? Here's my personal list. These are the metrics that tell me I'm growing even when nothing's trending.
Number one, creative clarity. Can you articulate what you do not in a pitch but in a sentence that feels like you? If yes, you're maturing. If no, that's your next growth edge. Number two, emotional resilience.
When the algorithm does not reward you, do you spiral or do you stay steady? The creator economy will test this repeatedly because visibility is not validation and silence is not rejection. Number three, identity anchoring. Do your ideas sound like echoes or do they sound like you? If your work is starting to feel like a reaction instead of an initiation, pause and re anchor.
Number four, depth over DMs. Are people responding to you with real conversation or just double tapping? Look, there's nothing wrong with surface level reach but depth is what builds resonance. I have had post with 30 likes that sparked partnerships. You don't need thousands.
You just need the right one to feel seen. Number five, energy mapping. After you hit publish, are you proud, peaceful or present? Or are you already worrying about tomorrow's posts? Track your energy, not your reach.
It tells a real story. Try this. Start tracking your felt metrics, not just your feed metrics. Use a journal, notion doc, sticky notes, whatever works. Ask weekly, what felt easy?
What felt aligned? What did I not want to do? Where did I show up like the version of me I'm becoming? That's the real scoreboard and I promise you, it changes the game. Here's something I need to say more often.
Consistency is not the same as creativity. We have glamorized daily posting but ask yourself, are you growing or are you looping? There's a difference between practicing your craft and performing for the feed. Some growth seasons are meant to be silent, some breakthroughs happen off camera. One of my most pivotal moments in the last year was saying no to a high paying opportunity because I realized I was doing it for the optics not alignment.
No one saw it, no one clapped but it gave me my integrity back. That's what I mean by quiet wins. Sometimes you don't need content, you need context. Here's a thought. Not all of your progress needs to be public to be powerful.
Let's call out the hard truth. Sometimes numbers numbers. They take you out of your body and put you in your browser. You start designing for analytics, not humans. So here's your permission slip.
Turn off the analytics for a week, maybe two, maybe a month. Watch what changes. Because often when the numbers disappear, your voice reappears. When you stop tracking every like, you start making work that actually feels like yours again. And isn't that why you started?
Let me close with this. You, the one building in the margins, writing drafts that don't go live, editing work that no one will see this week. You are growing. You are evolving. Even if your dashboard does not say so.
So here's your quiet dare for this week. Post something you are proud of even if no one claps. Don't post anything and notice if you feel less valid. Track your moments you felt successful even if no one saw them. This is the season of redefining growth and you don't need proof to own your progress.
You just need presence. Here's a quote for you to remember. If you're always visible, when do you actually become real? Okay, thank you so much for listening to the end. You've been listening to in the feed part of the underdog protagonist and this wasn't a growth hack.
It was a growth reframe. And if it hits something in you, forward this to the one friend who's quietly crushing it and probably doubting themselves because they did not post today. Let's change the narrative together because the metrics, they will lie. But you work, it never will. Until next time, grow gently, grow truly, grow like no one else is watching.
I'll catch you in the next episode but until then, take care.