Why Your Content Should Argue With Last Year's Version Of You
One of the best content ideas for founders is a belief you have changed your mind about: what you used to think, what changed it and what you think now. It is original by definition, it proves you are still learning and no competitor can copy it, because the raw material is your own evolution.
You do not have a content problem. You have a memory problem.
One of the most reliable sources of fresh content is sitting in your own past opinions: the things you believed a year or two ago that you no longer believe, and why. I have changed my mind on plenty over the years, and those reversals teach more than any list of tips.
That kind of content is honest, specific and almost impossible for a competitor to copy. It is yours.
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Content that argues with your past position shows real, ongoing thinking instead of a fixed set of talking points repeated forever.
It also signals that your current advice comes from someone still learning and adjusting. That builds more trust than content that presents every opinion as timeless.
And it is easier to write. The raw material, your own evolution, already exists. The work is recalling it accurately and saying specifically what changed and why, not inventing a new insight from nothing. It is also the kind of post most founders avoid, which is exactly why the content nobody wants to publish tends to outperform.
There is a search angle too. People type questions like "is this still worth doing" or "should I still use this." A post that says what you used to think and what you think now answers that kind of question directly, in your own words.
How Do You Turn Changed Opinions Into a Recurring Format?
Keep a running list of beliefs you have changed your mind about, even small ones, as they come up. Each entry becomes a post with four parts:
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| 1. The old belief | State it fairly, the way you used to argue it |
| 2. What changed it | The specific test, client, number or mistake |
| 3. The new belief | Plain and specific, no hedging |
| 4. Why it is better | Not just different; show the evidence |
Good places to find entries: pricing, hiring, which channels you thought mattered, tools you swore by and advice you used to give clients. If you want the post to be easy to scan and easy for AI answer tools to quote, use the question-and-answer format.
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GET THE FREE CHECKLIST →The Objection: Doesn't Reversing a Past Position Make Me Look Inconsistent?
The pushback: if I am known for certain advice, won't changing it publicly undercut whatever I say next?
A specific, well-reasoned explanation of why a position changed, backed by real evidence, reads as growth. What damages credibility is flip-flopping without explanation, not a clearly reasoned evolution over real time. Your audience already knows you are human. Show them you are paying attention.
A Reversal That Becomes the Best Post
Picture a hypothetical founder who argued for one pricing strategy for years, then tested a different approach and found it performed clearly better for their business.
They publish the reversal: the old belief, the specific test that changed it and the new approach with real numbers. It earns more engagement and credibility than the original advice ever did, because readers can see the reasoning instead of a new opinion asserted from nowhere. A periodic content audit is a fast way to spot which old positions are due for this treatment.
What to Do This Week
Start the list today with three opinions you have changed your mind about. Turn the first one into a post using the four parts above. Your past opinions are not a liability to hide. They are some of the most original content you have.
Key takeaways
- Your changed opinions are original content no competitor can copy.
- A reasoned reversal reads as growth; an unexplained flip reads as unreliable.
- Keep a running list and turn one entry into a post each week.
Frequently asked questions
What should a founder post about when they run out of ideas?
Post about something you have changed your mind on. Explain what you used to believe, what evidence or experience changed it and what you believe now. The material already exists in your own history, so it is faster to write and impossible to copy.
Does changing your opinion publicly hurt your credibility?
Not when you show your reasoning. A specific, well-supported explanation of why a position changed reads as growth. What damages credibility is flip-flopping with no explanation, or pretending every opinion you hold is timeless and has never moved.
How do I structure a post about changing my mind?
Use four parts: the old belief, stated fairly; the specific event, test or data that challenged it; the new belief; and why the new version is better, not just different. Real numbers or a concrete example make the reversal land.
Mike Nathan
Founder & CEO, Impero Ventures · Founding Partner, Exit 156 Capital
20+ companies. $170M revenue. $55M raised. 3 exits. 2 VC funds. 1M+ YouTube subscribers.
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