7 powerful mental models for writers & content marketers:
1/ gordian knot
what it means:
complex problems can often be easily solved through lateral thinking - like cutting through a tangled knot, instead of trying to untie it
what it means:
complex problems can often be easily solved through lateral thinking - like cutting through a tangled knot, instead of trying to untie it
how to use it:
find a hard problem, reframe it as a non-issue or find a higher-order solution that makes it irrelevant
~ attribution is hard → just focus on SQLs
~ ideation is hard → dump everything into a Google doc
~ it's hard to publish in December → repurpose old posts
find a hard problem, reframe it as a non-issue or find a higher-order solution that makes it irrelevant
~ attribution is hard → just focus on SQLs
~ ideation is hard → dump everything into a Google doc
~ it's hard to publish in December → repurpose old posts
2/ chekhov's gun
what it means:
any notable element within a story has to have some impact on the plot. if a playwright emphasises the loaded gun hung on the wall, it has to be fired at some point - otherwise we kill the anticipation and disappoint the audience
what it means:
any notable element within a story has to have some impact on the plot. if a playwright emphasises the loaded gun hung on the wall, it has to be fired at some point - otherwise we kill the anticipation and disappoint the audience
how to use it:
deliver on the promises you make in your titles, headers and introductions
if an opening paragraph talks about “building a community, establishing authority, and distinguishing your brand,” the following sections need to systematically address those 3 points
deliver on the promises you make in your titles, headers and introductions
if an opening paragraph talks about “building a community, establishing authority, and distinguishing your brand,” the following sections need to systematically address those 3 points
3/ arbitrage
what it means:
information asymmetry makes it possible to “purchase...something in one market at a low price and [resell] it in another market at a higher price.”
think thrift-shop clothes bought for cents and sold for tens of dollars through vintage marketplaces
what it means:
information asymmetry makes it possible to “purchase...something in one market at a low price and [resell] it in another market at a higher price.”
think thrift-shop clothes bought for cents and sold for tens of dollars through vintage marketplaces
how to use it:
~ ideas from one domain, like finance, can be repurposed in another domain, like marketing
~information locked up in dense PDFs or books can be made accessible in blog posts
~ data points spread across dozens of disparate sources can be centralized into one place
~ ideas from one domain, like finance, can be repurposed in another domain, like marketing
~information locked up in dense PDFs or books can be made accessible in blog posts
~ data points spread across dozens of disparate sources can be centralized into one place
4/ the hamming question
what it means:
mathematician Richard Hamming would ask people, “what are the most important problems in your field?” and respond with, “why aren’t you working on them?”
there's usually a gap between where we should focus effort, and where we actually do
what it means:
mathematician Richard Hamming would ask people, “what are the most important problems in your field?” and respond with, “why aren’t you working on them?”
there's usually a gap between where we should focus effort, and where we actually do
how to use it:
look at the last 10 articles you published. ask yourself:
~ do they matter enough?
~ are they achieving a worthwhile outcome?
~ do they tackle the biggest, hardest problems facing your readers?
look at the last 10 articles you published. ask yourself:
~ do they matter enough?
~ are they achieving a worthwhile outcome?
~ do they tackle the biggest, hardest problems facing your readers?
5/ oblique strategies
what it means:
producer Brian Eno would help musicians overcome creative blocks by posing arbitrary challenges to incorporate into their work (like "give way to your worst impulse")
constraint - even an arbitrary one - encourages creativity
what it means:
producer Brian Eno would help musicians overcome creative blocks by posing arbitrary challenges to incorporate into their work (like "give way to your worst impulse")
constraint - even an arbitrary one - encourages creativity
how to use it:
when you suffer from writer's block, choose a constraint — any constraint — and apply it to your work:
~ how would BuzzFeed/HBR write this?
~ interview an expert
~ focus on the most interesting part; delete everything else
when you suffer from writer's block, choose a constraint — any constraint — and apply it to your work:
~ how would BuzzFeed/HBR write this?
~ interview an expert
~ focus on the most interesting part; delete everything else
6/ MECE
what it means:
good writing should be:
~ mutually exclusive: the content of each section doesn't overlap with any other section
~ collectively exhaustive: together, the sections cover the topic such that no information is omitted
what it means:
good writing should be:
~ mutually exclusive: the content of each section doesn't overlap with any other section
~ collectively exhaustive: together, the sections cover the topic such that no information is omitted
how to use it:
~ create a bullet point outline before writing (a "10% outline")
~ consolidate similar ideas together
~ cut ideas that don't serve the core narrative (they can be other articles in the future)
~ assign word counts to each section based on their importance
~ create a bullet point outline before writing (a "10% outline")
~ consolidate similar ideas together
~ cut ideas that don't serve the core narrative (they can be other articles in the future)
~ assign word counts to each section based on their importance
7/ BLUF
what it means:
BLUF is a military communications acronym—it stands for “bottom line up front”—that’s designed to enforce speed and clarity in writing, reports and emails
what it means:
BLUF is a military communications acronym—it stands for “bottom line up front”—that’s designed to enforce speed and clarity in writing, reports and emails
how to use it:
put the most important details first. don’t tease or delay your main point because people are busy and their time is valuable:
~ open with your key point
~ include the context your reader needs to act
~ make your "ask" clear
~ save elaboration/examples for later
put the most important details first. don’t tease or delay your main point because people are busy and their time is valuable:
~ open with your key point
~ include the context your reader needs to act
~ make your "ask" clear
~ save elaboration/examples for later
جاري تحميل الاقتراحات...