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This page is a swipe file. Not for generating ideas, but for getting started.
Every hook includes a real example from an actual business. Copy the structure, swap in your context, post it.
How to use it: pick a hook → replace the brackets → run the anti-bait test ("what exactly will the reader get?") → publish.
More on how to use these: Inbox Experiments
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Template: After [time / attempts], I got [specific result] (without [common tradeoff]).
Example: “After 14 outreach emails, we booked 6 qualified calls without discounting.”
Business: B2B IT services agency
Template: I tried [approach] [N times]. The part that finally worked: [specific step].
Example: “I tried 9 onboarding flows. The one that worked started with a single question, not a tutorial.”
Business: Personal finance mobile app
Template: For [X months], I did [common tactic]. It produced [unexpected outcome]. Here is what I changed.
Example: “For 3 months, we posted daily. It produced more likes and fewer trials. Here’s what we changed.”
Business: B2B analytics SaaS
Template: I reviewed [N examples] and found [X patterns] that explain [problem].
Example: “I reviewed 60 restaurant menus and found 3 patterns that explain why people don’t order the high-margin items.”
Business: Restaurant consulting
Template: I analyzed [N posts / pages / funnels]. The same [X mistakes] kept showing up.
Example: “I analyzed 40 skincare product pages. The same 2 trust gaps kept showing up.”
Business: DTC skincare brand
Template: I looked at [N winners]. They all do [one thing] before [common step].
Example: “I looked at 25 top-selling course pages. They all show outcomes before they introduce the creator.”
Business: Online course creator
Template: Why [common advice] pushes you away from [desired outcome].
Example: “Why ‘add more features’ pushes you away from higher retention.”
Business: B2B project management tool
Template: Why [best practice] backfires when you are [audience / constraint].
Example: “Why ‘post on every platform’ backfires when you’re a one-person coaching practice.”
Business: Career coaching
Template: Why "just do more" is the wrong move if your issue is [bottleneck].
Example: “Why ‘just spend more on ads’ is wrong when your bottleneck is checkout trust.”
Business: E-commerce supplements store
Template: As a [role], I kept doing [mistake] for years. It never worked.
Example: “As a photographer, I kept competing on price for years. It never worked.”
Business: Wedding photographer
Template: As a [quiet builder], I avoided [distribution task] and called it "focus."
Example: “As a maker, I avoided demos and called it ‘building.’ That was fear, not focus.”
Business: Indie dev building a note-taking app
Template: As a [developer], I overbuilt [thing] and ignored [signal]. That was the real problem.
Example: “As a developer, I overbuilt the dashboard and ignored activation. That was the real problem.”
Business: B2B HR SaaS
Template: The hidden problem [audience] hits after [milestone]: [specific trap].
Example: “The hidden problem new gym owners hit after their first 100 members: scheduling chaos.”
Business: Local gym
Template: Nobody talks about the hardest part of [channel]: [specific friction].
Example: “Nobody talks about the hardest part of TikTok: turning attention into email signups.”
Business: DTC fashion brand
Template: The small detail that quietly kills [metric]: [detail].
Example: “The small detail that quietly kills demo requests: vague button labels.”
Business: B2B cybersecurity software
Template: [Before state] -> [after state] in [time] using only [constraint].
Example: “From empty weekday mornings to steady bookings in 6 weeks using only Google Business Profile.”
Business: Local dental clinic
Template: I went from [bad state] to [good state] by changing one line: [what changed].
Example: “I went from ‘looks cool’ feedback to paid preorders by changing one line on the homepage.”
Business: Hardware gadget pre-order
Template: From [random effort] to a repeatable loop in [time]. The exact structure: [short name].
Example: “From random posting to a repeatable referral loop in 4 weeks. The exact structure: ‘Ask-Share-Collect.’”
Business: Language tutoring service