Believe Me: LinkedIn is DEAD!

Okay, let me start from the beginning.

I started this newsletter for a few reasons:

• I wanted to get in touch with some amazing writers who would later help me grow my business | I got a handful of such astounding writers who I know are loyal to their work and have amazing work ethics.
• I wanted to get out of my introverted shell and help the community in the best way that I could | Over the last two years, I have helped several. Their shoutouts, recommendations, DMs are enough to light up my day.
• I wanted to help others how they can grow from ZERO if they are starting with their freelance business from scratch | I got on detailed calls, one-on-one sessions, and even jumped on quick 5-10 mins call with complete strangers just so they wouldn't make the mistakes that I did when I first started my professional journey in 2010-11.

But truth be told… I don't feel like checking my LinkedIn anymore.

Let me take you back to a time when LinkedIn was a platform I genuinely loved. Back then, I was incredibly active here—sharing my journey, posting insightful content, hosting weekly Q&A sessions, and engaging with my community. Remember how I used to offer advice on everything from optimizing LinkedIn profiles to mastering the art of pitching and networking.

Remember how there was a time when I would simply share a post where I would offer 500-1000 job offers from around the world? Remember that time?

Some of you might even remember those sessions.

Some of my old connections here remember how I shared those leads. It felt like we were building something meaningful together. It felt like we all were growing together.

But now? Haha

I log in, and LinkedIn feels like a shadow of Facebook. It's cluttered, chaotic, and, to be honest, disappointing.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the video content.

Videos are everywhere. I get it—content creators are simply responding to the demand for engaging, bite-sized media. Theek he! I have had my objections to sharing videos here on LinkedIn but I totally, totally get the point of sharing it here. I understand the value of videos for some audiences. No problem there. But the quality? That's where it hits hard.

I have some amazing connections here who share their journey, financial advice, business advice, and more via video — AMAZING! You guys are helping out the community in the easiest way possible. Kudos!!! 

But… yes! There's a big BUT here.

There are several of my connections (now I have unfollowed them), who shared TikTok/Instagram-style cringe videos here on a professional platform.

There are several who upload under-the-belt humor and call it "content" just to rake in impressions. I have even seen some qualified professionals reducing themselves to meme culture for a quick dopamine rush of likes and comments.

And don't even get me started on the selfies. I mean, sure, share what you feel like! Just like I am sharing my rant here today with you all, but at least understand the difference between Instagram and LinkedIn.

• If you are a travel writer and sharing your travel-related photos → PERFECT
• If you are a food writer and sharing your kitchen or cuisines or some food-related pictures → PERFECT
• If you are a yoga instructor and sharing yoga poses or results → PERFECT
• If you are a finance writer and sharing a photo that you know belongs either in the private folder or on your Instagram account → SPEECHLESS
• If you are a company owner and sharing a photo of your team's outdoor activity → PERFECT
• If you are a company owner and sharing a meme that does not sit with your target audience and you are only sharing it to get a laughs → BHAI, maiko block karde!

Do you guys know that I started sharing "unrelated pictures"? I share them just to hit those nerves but hardly anyone understood the meaning of "unrelated" there! Anyway… let me get back to my rant…

Tell me, guys -- What happened to the learning, the growth, the referrals, and the professionalism that LinkedIn once stood for? It was a place for job seekers, learners, and people like me, who genuinely wanted to contribute to a larger professional community.

To be fair, there are still 100s of amazing creators posting exceptional, value-driven content here. I admire them deeply! There are a few copywriters who share some amazing videos from different ad campaigns! A great learning source for copywriters and someone who wants to advance in this industry.

Truth be told, just because of a few creators, I am still here and have not completely lost my hope! But they are like a tiny island in a sea of noise. The sad reality is that for every piece of original, thoughtful content, there are 20-25 posts fishing for views disguised as "engagement strategies."

Here's a personal example of how bad it's gotten.

I used to post job openings here with the hope of finding talented, motivated individuals. Now, I dread it. The people I meet? Let's just say they don't always make it easy to keep believing in LinkedIn as a serious professional platform.

Let me share a little backstory. I once hired a writer through LinkedIn. At first, she seemed perfect… polite, eager, and promising. But soon after, the cracks begin to show. I can tag my entire content team and they will agree here because they all have heard her lies. Her blatant lies about how her mother is forcing her not to go to a different city to pursue a full-time writing career… how she does not even have 500/- to buy the groceries. Sachchi, this is what she said over an URGENT call that she made post 11 PM. IMAGINE if a male colleague had done that to a female employee! Thankfully, I had my Head of Content and HR with me, and we handled this fake writer diligently.

Naturally, we empathized and tried to support her. And after taking advance from me to buy household groceries, she would have tequila shots at the Bangalore clubs! Behan, you forgot to block me from Instagram!

I know this is starting to sound like a rant—and maybe it is. But can you blame me? LinkedIn is and will remain the one platform I rely upon to find talent for my businesses. However, with the growing meme culture, unprofessionalism, excessive use of AI, it has now become a hub for the unmotivated, the unoriginal, and the uninterested.

What's even more infuriating is the kind of content that trends. The other day, I saw a video of an e-rickshaw accident. And guess what people were commenting under it? "INTERESTED." Seriously, interested in what? It's like the basic premise of LinkedIn as a professional networking site has been lost.

Yet, I know there's still hope.

This platform is home to some incredible minds. As I mentioned above, there are several of the creators who use their posts to teach, inspire, and uplift. There are a few product managers who share some humorous content but there is professionalism in their posts as well!

They remind me of what LinkedIn could be. But the sheer volume of noise is drowning them out.

• I want to log in and feel inspired again.
• I want to see posts that push me to think, learn, and grow. I want LinkedIn to be a place where people can genuinely find jobs, connect with like-minded professionals, and share meaningful insights—not a dumping ground for low-effort content.
• I want to resume my sessions and Q&As and continue sharing more content with you all… but… 

I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. Many of you have seen the shift. Some of you have even reached out to me over calls and DMs and have expressed your frustration with what LinkedIn has become.

So, here is my suggestion:

Let's take a step back, please? Let's just rethink the kind of content we post so we all can focus on value over vanity? Do you guys think that it is still possible or the ship has already sunk?

I don't know… I will go back to editing my novel!

Until later.

Baw-Baw

- V