A major myth about growing on X has now been clearly debunked by Nikita Bier, Head of Product at X, in a public thread where he directly explained how reach actually works on the platform. His comments matter because they come from the person responsible for how posts are ranked and distributed.
Nikita explained that in October, a new myth started spreading, that users needed to reply hundreds of times per day to grow an account. He said this idea is wrong and damaging. According to him, every single post you make uses part of your reach for that day.
He wrote, “In October, a new myth started circulating in CT that you need to reply hundreds of times per day to grow an account.” He followed that by explaining, “However, each time you post, it uses some of your reach for that day.”
To make it very simple, X cannot show unlimited posts to everyone. Nikita explained that the average user only views about 20 to 30 posts per day. Because of that limit, the system has to choose what to show. If someone fills their day with low effort replies, their reach gets spent before their real content even goes out.
He explained this clearly by saying, “We can’t show all your posts to all your followers because the average user only views 20–30 posts per day.”
Many users asked how the system decides when reach gets reduced. One user asked, “How do you calculate a users total reach for that day?” Nikita answered with a very direct example that made the rule easy to understand.
He replied, “If their first 10 gm’s get zero likes, we’re not going to show your 11th post to that many people.”
This means the system looks at early signals. If your early posts get ignored, the algorithm learns that your content is low value and limits distribution of what comes next. This applies even if the later post is something important.
Another user responded by saying, “great. so repetitive content will be punished.” Nikita did not disagree. Instead, he explained why that makes sense from a system point of view.
He asked a question that summed up the logic behind the algorithm. “If you’re an algorithm, how would you judge the quality of these posts? Would you show the user’s next post to anyone or would give their slot to someone else who wrote an essay or recorded a video?”
In other words, the system prefers to show content that looks thoughtful, original, or useful instead of short filler replies that get no engagement.
Some users complained that their reach is very low even though they pay for X Premium. One user said, “Nikita, I pay monthly for 23 people to see my posts. Dev do something.” Nikita did not blame the user, but he made it clear that payment does not override quality signals.
He explained that this is not a new problem and not targeted at any specific account. Accounts that constantly post short filler content teach the algorithm to treat them as low priority.
He summed it up bluntly in a final line that became widely shared. “Each time you post 3 word slop, you dig yourself deeper in algorithmic hell.”
For content creators, the takeaway is simple. Posting more does not mean growing more. Low effort replies like “gm” use up your daily reach. When you finally post something important, the system may only show it to a few people because your reach is already exhausted.
The new reality on X rewards fewer posts, better posts and real engagement. Quality now protects reach. Spam destroys it.
Source: Nikita Bier, Head of Product at X
