Hook formula library

Use these formulas when your post has a good idea but the first line is too soft, vague, or clever.

Contrarian

Everyone says X. But the truth is Y.

Everyone says engineers hate sales. The truth is they hate fake sales.

It challenges a familiar belief and opens a curiosity gap.

Pain Mirror

If you're [audience] and [pain], this is why.

If you're an engineer trying to sell and every call feels awkward, this is why.

It makes the reader feel seen before offering a path forward.

Specific Promise

How to get [outcome] without [annoying tradeoff].

How to sell your technical product without sounding like a sales bro.

Specific outcomes reduce friction and increase perceived value.

Before / After

Before: [bad state]. After: [better state].

Before: demo calls that ramble. After: 15 minutes to a clear next step.

It creates motion and makes the benefit visual.

Hidden Mistake

The mistake most [audience] make with [topic].

The mistake most founders make when they ask for customer feedback.

People want to avoid invisible failure modes.

Tiny Tactic

A tiny [topic] tactic that changed [result].

A tiny discovery-call tactic that doubled my useful customer notes.

Small changes feel believable and immediately actionable.

Uncomfortable Truth

Uncomfortable truth: [truth].

Uncomfortable truth: your product demo is probably answering questions nobody asked.

The phrase signals honesty and cuts through generic advice.

Numbered Lesson

I learned [number] lessons about [topic]. Here's the one that mattered.

I studied 100 founder sales calls. Here's the pattern nobody talks about.

Proof plus selectivity makes the reader expect signal.

Identity Callout

For [identity] who [desire/pain].

For technical founders who can explain the product but can't close the deal.

It tells the right reader this is for them.

Myth Bust

[Topic] isn't about [myth]. It's about [truth].

Sales isn't about persuasion. It's about helping the right people decide faster.

It reframes a loaded topic in a cleaner way.

Question Hook

What if [surprising question]?

What if your best sales asset is already sitting in your changelog?

A good question makes the reader complete the thought.

Stakes First

If you don't fix [problem], [bad consequence].

If you don't fix your positioning, every sales call becomes a custom consulting session.

It makes the cost of inaction explicit.