If you think you'll need content in two years, start now.
Source: This article draws from our video "Do You Need A Content Team? Save 6 Months With This 5 Minute Audit"
This sounds backwards. Why invest in something before it's necessary? Why take on the overhead of content creation when you have more pressing problems to solve?
Because content is a skill that compounds, and you can't rush readiness.
The Timing Trap
Most founders wait until content becomes urgent. They've grown to a certain size, paid acquisition is getting expensive, and someone tells them they need to build organic distribution. So they spin up a YouTube channel or start posting on LinkedIn.
And then they discover that they're terrible at it.
The first videos are awkward. The writing is stiff. The hooks don't land. The editing takes forever. Nothing performs. They get discouraged, conclude that content doesn't work for their business, and quit.
What they didn't realize: this is exactly what's supposed to happen. Everyone's first content is bad. The question is whether you do your bad content now, when the stakes are low, or later, when you actually need it to perform.
Content as a Practice, Not a Campaign
The founders who are good at content today weren't born that way. They've been doing it for years. They've recorded hundreds of videos, written thousands of posts, and slowly developed the instincts that make content work.
You can't compress this timeline. You can't hire your way out of it (at least not completely). If you're the face of the company, if your perspective is what makes your content valuable, you have to develop the skill yourself.
This means treating content as a practice, something you do regularly over time to get better at. Not a campaign you launch when you need results.
The difference matters. Campaigns have deadlines and expectations. Practices have consistency and patience. When you approach content as a campaign, you set yourself up for disappointment because the results won't match the expectations. When you approach it as a practice, you give yourself permission to be bad while you're learning.
The Two-Year Head Start
Let's say you start making content today, even just one video a week or a few posts. Not polished, not strategic, just practicing in public.
In six months, you'll have made 25 pieces of content. Most of them won't perform. But you'll start to notice patterns. What topics get engagement. What formats feel natural. What your audience responds to.
In a year, you'll have made 50 pieces. You'll be noticeably better on camera. Your writing will be tighter. You'll have a small but real audience that actually pays attention to what you put out.
In two years, you'll have made 100+ pieces of content. You'll know your voice, your topics, your format. When you actually need content to drive business results, you'll be ready.
Compare this to the founder who waits two years and then tries to spin up content when it's urgent. They're starting from zero, making all the beginner mistakes, while their competitor has a two-year head start and a library of content that's already ranking and circulating.
Starting Small Without Committing Everything
Starting now doesn't mean going all-in. You don't need to hire a team, build a studio, or post daily. The goal is to start the practice, not to maximize output.
Pick one channel. You can't be everywhere, especially when you're learning. Choose the platform where your customers spend time and focus there.
Set a sustainable cadence. Once a week is fine. Twice a week is fine. The frequency matters less than the consistency. What can you actually maintain for a year without burning out?
Accept that early content is practice. Give yourself permission to experiment. Try different formats, different topics, different styles. This is the time to figure out what works for you, before anyone's really paying attention.
Don't over-invest in production. Fancy editing and expensive equipment don't make up for weak content. Start simple, prove the ideas work, then upgrade production later.
Track what you learn, not just what performs. The goal of early content is learning, not results. Keep notes on what felt good to make, what got response, what fell flat. This data will guide you later.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Content is hard to make and hard to master. There's no shortcut. The founders who make it look easy have been doing it long enough that the hard parts are behind them.
You're going to make rubbish content. That's what happens. The question is whether you're making rubbish content now, when it doesn't matter, or later, when you need it to work.
If content will ever be important to your business, starting early is one of the few things that gives you an actual advantage. Not because early content will drive results, but because early practice will make your future content better.
Start before you need it. Your future self will thank you.
