Noah Kagan vs The StartUp Circle: Reach versus conversation on LinkedIn
Noah Kagan dominates reach with 107K followers and 333 avg engagements per post, built on vulnerable storytelling and numbered lists. The StartUp Circle punches above its weight with 29K followers but generates 1074 avg engagements per post through direct community invitations and a 75.2% conversation index. Choose Noah for aspirational business lessons; choose The StartUp Circle if you want to build a tight, engaged community.
Noah Kagan
Chief Sumo at AppSumo.com | Helping entrepreneurs get started at noahkagan.com
The StartUp Circle
Founder - The StartUp Circle | Startup, VC & Angel Content Creator | LinkedIn Growth Strategist for HNIs, Founders & Investors | LinkedIn Optimization | Brand Collaboration & Marketing | 28K+ Followers | IIM Calcutta
- Noah: 3.7x more followers, lower engagement per post, storytelling-driven authority builder.
- StartUp Circle: 3.2x higher engagement per post, community-focused, WhatsApp group strategy.
- Noah wins reach; StartUp Circle wins conversation depth and comment rates.
- Noah posts 15.3x/week; StartUp Circle posts 11.6x/week with higher quality engagement.
Side by side
| Dimension | Noah Kagan | The StartUp Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Direct, vulnerable mentor sharing failures (fired from Facebook) with conversational tone and hard-earned wisdom. | Formal, helpful advisor using direct address ('Dear Corporate Professionals') to establish exclusive community access. |
| Content mix | Career advice, entrepreneurship tactics, personal development, Facebook lessons, and contrarian takes across five pillars. | Career growth, networking opportunities, startup insights, employee issues, and LinkedIn growth tips focused on Indian founders. |
| Hook style | Story openings and bold statements leveraging personal credentials ('I'm the CEO of a $100 million business'). | Direct address plus benefit-driven offers ('We have created a WhatsApp Group especially for...') with clear CTAs. |
| Engagement pattern | 333 avg engagements per post with 17.2% conversation index; audience consumes and shares rather than comments. | 1074 avg engagements per post with 75.2% conversation index; audience actively comments and joins communities. |
| Posting cadence | 15.3 posts per week with 2.6% repost rate; high volume, original content strategy. | 11.6 posts per week with 0.8% repost rate; lower volume, highly original, community-focused content. |
Who wins what
107K followers versus 29K, with top post hitting 3350 engagements through credibility and storytelling.
75.2% conversation index versus 17.2%, generating 1074 avg engagements per post through direct community invitations.
Numbered lists and actionable frameworks are inherently shareable; lower conversation index suggests more saves and shares.
0.8% repost rate versus 2.6% shows tighter editorial control and more original content per post.
Pick Noah Kagan if…- You want to build personal authority and reach 100K+ followers through vulnerable storytelling and business credibility.
- You're launching a course, book, or product and need content that gets shared and saved by professionals.
- You want to learn how to turn a single credential (Facebook, AppSumo) into a repeatable content engine.
- Use numbered lists as your default format; Noah's top posts all use this structure, making advice scannable and shareable.
- Lead with a personal failure or credential ('I was employee #30 at Facebook. Then I got fired.') to establish trust before giving advice.
- Post on Sundays; Noah's best day shows timing matters even when posting 15+ times per week.
Pick The StartUp Circle if…- You're building a niche community (Indian founders, corporate professionals) and want high-engagement, conversation-driven content.
- You want to grow a WhatsApp group, Slack community, or membership by using LinkedIn as a funnel.
- You prefer quality engagement over vanity metrics and want to know your audience personally.
- Use direct address and benefit-driven CTAs ('Dear [Audience], we created [resource] for you') to drive comment engagement and community building.
- Build a WhatsApp group or community as your primary conversion funnel, not just a secondary offer; this drives 75%+ conversation rates.
- Keep repost rate below 1% and focus on original, niche-specific content rather than chasing viral trends.
Noah Kagan and The StartUp Circle represent two valid LinkedIn strategies with opposite trade-offs. Noah optimizes for reach and authority by posting frequently (15.3x/week) with vulnerable, shareable frameworks that appeal to a broad audience. The StartUp Circle optimizes for community depth by posting less frequently (11.6x/week) with direct invitations that turn followers into active members. The choice depends on your goal: if you want to build a personal brand or sell to many people, copy Noah's storytelling and numbered lists. If you want to build a tight community or membership, copy The StartUp Circle's direct address and exclusive access strategy. Neither approach is wrong; they're solving different problems.
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