How to write an X bio that makes people follow you
When someone likes your reply, they tap your name. You have about two seconds of their attention, and your bio has to earn the follow.
A résumé doesn’t do it. “Software engineer. Founder. Coffee lover.” tells me nothing will happen if I follow you.
The formula
- Who you were, or what happened: “14 years at agencies. Burned out in 2024.”
- What you’re building now: “Shipping small Mac apps solo.”
- A number that will change: “$0 → $10k MRR · now $1.2k”
Past, present, future. It’s a plot, and people follow plots.
Why the number matters most
A number gives people a reason to check back. Revenue, users, days in a row, books written: anything public that moves. It also keeps you honest, which readers can tell.
Small things
- X allows 160 characters, and emoji count as two
- One true human detail beats three job titles
- Put your product link in the link field, not the bio text
- Change the number when it changes. That’s a reason to post too
In Orbit X, fill in your story on the Voice page and Claude writes five bios with this formula, each under 160 characters.