Idea Generation Systems
Use this guide to build a repeatable pipeline for finding, expanding, and selecting writing ideas.
Rule: Start With a 2-Year Experience Inventory
Description: List problems you solved, skills you learned, and transitions you navigated in the last two years. Negative example: Waiting for "original genius ideas" before writing anything down. Positive example: Brain-dumping 30-50 real experiences from the last two years before judging any of them.
Rule: Build an Abundance Capture System
Description: Maintain one low-friction place to capture quotes, observations, and half-formed ideas before drafting. Negative example: Relying on memory and starting from a blank page every session. Positive example: Capturing ideas during reading, work, and conversation, then drawing from that bank when drafting.
Rule: Write to Yourself Two Years Ago
Description: Define the audience as a version of you that has not solved the problem yet. Negative example: Writing as if only top experts are worth teaching. Positive example: "I am writing for someone where I was two years ago: same context, earlier stage."
Rule: Consolidate Into 2-3 Core Buckets
Description: Group raw topics into a small set of recurring themes you can sustain. Negative example: Keeping 25 disconnected categories and bouncing randomly between them. Positive example: Narrowing to three buckets you can confidently explain with real examples.
Rule: Add Specificity Until It Feels Slightly Uncomfortable
Description: Narrow each topic by audience, context, platform, or constraint so credibility is clear. Negative example: "How to be productive" with no audience or constraint. Positive example: "How junior PMs can run weekly planning in under 45 minutes without extra tools."
Rule: Separate Idea Generation From Idea Evaluation
Description: Generate first, evaluate second. Mixing both creates early self-censorship. Negative example: Deleting ideas while brainstorming because they are "not perfect." Positive example: Running a no-judgment capture sprint, then reviewing the full list afterward.
Rule: Capture Existing Writing Fragments
Description: Reuse strong lines from messages, notes, and prior posts as raw material. Negative example: Ignoring useful language you already wrote in other contexts. Positive example: Pulling promising phrases from prior writing and shaping them into publish-ready drafts.
Rule: Expand Each Topic Through the 4A Lenses
Description: For each topic, generate angles across actionable, analytical, aspirational, and anthropological lenses. Negative example: Repeating one instructional angle for every post. Positive example: One topic turned into a how-to, a data breakdown, a personal lesson, and a human-nature insight.
Rule: Use a Structural Container Before Drafting
Description: Turn ideas into formats such as steps, mistakes, checklist, comparison, or case breakdown. Negative example: Starting with paragraphs and hoping structure appears later. Positive example: Choosing "5 mistakes + fixes" before writing the first sentence.
Rule: Turn One Breakout Signal Into a Topic Family
Description: When one piece clearly resonates, generate adjacent ideas around the same format, audience, or problem family. Negative example: Treating a high-signal post as a one-off lucky event. Positive example: Expanding one high-performing "101" concept into multiple related problem-specific versions.
Rule: Follow Signal, Not Ego
Description: Prioritize ideas with clear reader usefulness instead of personal attachment to a topic. Negative example: Repeating low-resonance ideas only because the writer prefers them. Positive example: Doubling down on formats and topics with repeated evidence of reader usefulness.
Rule: Use Conversation as a Pre-Draft Filter
Description: Favor ideas that naturally trigger practical follow-up questions and clear curiosity. Negative example: Choosing topics based only on private enthusiasm. Positive example: Prioritizing ideas that repeatedly trigger curiosity or surprise in discussion.
Idea Expansion Sequence
- Build a raw experience and problem inventory.
- Group inventory into 2-3 topic buckets.
- Add audience and constraint specificity.
- Expand each topic through 4A lenses.
- Keep the strongest ideas with clear reader payoff.
Fast Capture Checklist
- Capture in under 10 seconds when possible.
- Keep everything in one searchable location.
- Favor timeless and high-signal sources over novelty churn.
- Promote the strongest captures into draft-ready ideas.
See Also
references/ideation-and-credibility-systems.mdreferences/content-frameworks.mdreferences/emotional-resonance.md