Quantity or Quality? Every Definitive Answer is a Lie

These nuanced guidelines will make you a prolific and fulfilled creator, while preventing burnout.

If you want to publish anything online, you can't avoid facing the age-old question: “Is quantity or quality better?” In other words, “Should I publish as much as possible or should I spend hours on every piece of content?”

I still sometimes struggle with this one, after blogging and making videos for over 14 years.

We can’t simply choose a side. If we want to grow online and be creatively fulfilled, we need a more nuanced approach. Let me explain.

The case for quantity

If you study successful content creators, even before social media, you’ll see most of them publish more than the average creator. A lot more.

Take Justin Welsh, for example. His flagship courses (I bought one) are all about methods for creating tons of short posts from a single long article.

I’m not Justin Welsh, but when I started my first blog in 2014, I published two long photography tutorials each week. This strategy quickly boosted the site to the top of Google rankings in Italy, where it stayed for years.

I could go on for hours. Publishing more just works:

• it gives people more views to discover you,

• it strenghens the relationship with your audience,

• it feeds more data to the algorithms,

• it provides more reps to improve your content creation skills.

The case for quality

I recently spoke with a subscriber. He hesitated to launch his new publication because he didn’t want to add to the overwhelming noise online.

This is a frequent objection against quantity, and it's valid:

• if you want to stand out online, you need time to reflect and develop original thoughts,

• if you want creative fulfillment, you need time to tinker with your creations and exercise your craft,

• if you want unique, authentic content that drives engagement and attracts loyal subscribers, you need to run experiments and collect meaningful experiences.

Time, time, time. If you want to be a unique and fulfilled creator, you need to spend time on your content. This doesn't happen if you focus solely on quantity.

At the same time, wearing the "I vote for quality" badge easily becomes an excuse to procrastinate. Even seasoned creators struggle with it.

You might think you’re refining your craft, but if you lack a proven track record or substantial audience feedback, you’re likely relying on assumptions about what “quality” means. Producing less means fewer chances to test and refine your ideas, creating a vicious cycle that hampers your growth.

So, what should you do?!?

Extremes fail

Both sides have a point. And both are flawed.

We constantly make this mistake. We want to simplify everything into neat boxes. But reality is complex and ever-changing. We need nuance and compromise.

If you want to succeed as a creator, but also feel creatively fulfilled and avoid burnout, you need what I call quality on schedule.

It means creating the highest value content possible while sticking to a consistent, slightly challenging schedule. Here's how it works.

Choose the right platform

To determine a realistic cadence, you first need to choose a platform (here’s my article about choosing platforms). Every publishing platform has a minimum publishing schedule. Below it, it’s hard to see results. People just forget about you if they don't see you often enough. Algorithms do too.

For example, on YouTube you need at least one long video per week, or one short video per day. The most successful newsletters on Substack publish once or twice weekly. And so on.

If you choose a platform with a minimum publishing schedule, beyond your possibilities, you won't reach the critical mass necessary to break through and see consistent growth.

So, pick a platform you enjoy, where your audience spends time, and that aligns with your goals. Research the optimal post types and publishing frequency. Then ask yourself: do I have enough time to publish enough good content consistently on that platform?

If the answer is no, consider another platform. If no platform works, you need to a better writing system (here's the guide to design your own) or lower your quality standards (you'll increase again later, with more experience and a better process).

If possible, set a publishing schedule that slightly exceeds the minimum for steady growth.

Curb your perfectionism

Now, pour your heart, talent and enthusiasm into every piece of content. BUT, always stick to the schedule. It's gospel. Commit to yourself and your audience to never miss a deadline.

This is a self-controlling mechanism against perfectionism. The first weeks will be terrible. You'll often hit publish at the last minute (or worse…).

The approaching deadline will force the question: how can I speed up without sacrificing too much quality?

Thanks to this approach, I learned to:

• refine the most important parts of a video or post and don’t worry too much about the rest,

• constantly optimize my process,

• choose narrower topics,

• follow my excitement, that makes me create faster,

• don't fret over every word or sentence once they're clear enough,

• and more.

"Publish" don't just "create"

Isn't it the same if you just make a deal with yourself to write every day?

No.

Committing to publishing makes the challenge more well-rounded, more real. You have to face the inevitable doubt "will this audience like it?" and still hit publish. You have to accept time's finitude. But you'll also be surprised by how well something "imperfect" can work.

Not a precise recipe, but it works

I know this isn't a perfect, step-by-step solution to the 'quantity vs quality' conundrum. But anyone claiming to have one is lying—there's no such thing.

Consider this a guideline, a less annoying Jiminy Cricket in your head that constantly motivates and inspires you to chase the perfect balance between productivity and quality.

Self-imposed deadlines are an effective antidote against perfectionism and procrastination. Several articles, like this one, prove it.

So, embrace quality on schedule. Publish consistently, improve, and grow your audience steadily. That’s how you make an impact.

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