LinkedIn’s enSHITtification 💩
aka crapification and what to do
I think LinkedIn has officially entered the third stage of platform decay.
Not “LinkedIn is dead.” Not “quit LinkedIn.”
Just this:
The incentives have flipped.
And when incentives flip, the experience always gets worse.
What’s Enshittification?
Cory Doctorow calls this “enshittification” (crapification).
It’s basically a 3-stage cycle:
Stage 1 The platform is insanely good for users. Easy reach. Fast growth. Everyone wins.
Stage 2 Once you’re hooked, it starts favoring business customers. Ads, paid tools, “creator features,” subscriptions.
Stage 3 It starts extracting from everyone. Users get less value. Businesses get squeezed. Paying doesn’t even feel worth it anymore.
That’s where LinkedIn feels like it is right now.
Reach is rationed. The feed feels noisier. And the platform keeps pushing you toward upgrades.
We’ve seen this movie before
A few platforms that ran the same cycle:
MySpace Went from cultural default to a ghost town. Bought for $580M, later sold for around $35M. (Reuters)
Digg Was the front page of the internet, then the redesign broke trust and the crowd left. Sold for $500k. (The Verge)
Tumblr The adult-content ban was a major turning point, then it got sold for a tiny fraction of its peak value. (WIRED)
Vine Creators built it. Twitter shut it down. (Medium)
Orkut, Google+ Big runs, then closed. (Wikipedia)
Friendster One of the originals, then eventually shut down too. (Wikipedia)
Different reasons. Same ending.
If your entire identity lives inside a platform, you’re one algorithm change away from panic.
What I’m doing differently in 2026
I’m not quitting LinkedIn.
I’m demoting it.
LinkedIn is distribution now, not home.
So this year I’m doubling down on owned presence and increasing touchpoints:
More newsletter. More YouTube. More “my world” online.
And fewer LinkedIn posts.
Not because I’m mad at LinkedIn.
Because I’m not building my house on rented land anymore.
A simple blueprint for 2026
Build a one-page website Clear positioning. One call to action. Subscribe.
Start a newsletter Substack, Beehiiv, ConvertKit. Pick one and commit.
Record one thinking session every week Just talk. No pressure. No performance.
Turn that one idea into a week of content One LinkedIn post. One LinkedIn newsletter edition. One YouTube video. A couple short clips.
Do that every week in 2026.
You’ll be shocked what happens when you stop chasing reach and start building presence.
My stack right now
Wispr Flow to capture raw ideas fast. (Click here to get 1 month of Wispr Flow for FREE, no card needed). ChatGPT to organize without sanding off my voice. Google Docs for final edits. Canva for simple visuals. Tella for screen recordings.
And I’m also expanding my ScoreApp quiz.
It used to be: “Is your LinkedIn profile client-ready?”
Now it’s: “Is your personal brand clear on the internet?”
Positioning. Packaging. Proof. Clarity.
Because when platforms decay, clarity is the only thing that still travels.
Are you building outside LinkedIn in 2026, yes or no?