Hey.
I'm going to be straight with you.
I didn't have a polished newsletter in me this week.
I'm building something reallyyyy important but also just finished my taxes... whew that was a rush 😅.
I'd rather skip a Wednesday than send you fluff just to keep the streak.
here's what i'll say instead.
there's a shift happening right now that almost no one in the founder/speaker space is talking about.
you've probably heard of AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). maybe you have a basic grasp of it. "SEO but for AI search engines." okay cool.
but last week I got on a call with a friend of mine. genuinely one of the top five producers of AEO content on the web.
and I realized there's a layer to this that most people are completely missing.
and here's the part that no one tells you:
if you don't know this specific piece of information, you could be actively hurting your credibility in Google's eyes right now. without knowing it. just by how you're showing up online.
but the flip side is also true.
just knowing this puts you ahead of almost everyone else.
I’m building a full breakdown, specifically how this applies to founders and speakers, and how it affects the way we show up on our channels.
coming soon. not on a Wednesday schedule. just when it's done and worth your time.
that's always been the deal.
THIS WEEK'S TOP PERFORMING HOOKS
1. "If your [X] looks like [Y], you're actually a [Z]"
2. "If you want to [desired outcome], do [unexpected thing]"
3. "This is why you need [X]"
4. "I literally hope every [your audience] does this"
5. "This is what great [X] actually looks like"
feeling spicy?
all five of these perform even stronger when you pair them with a visual. a talking head video just means it's you, speaking directly to camera…no fancy production required.
here are five formats worth trying:
(1) green screen — put a stat, screenshot, or image behind you while you talk. your face plus a visual gives instant context without cutting away from you.
(2) reply to a comment — screenshot a real question from your audience, let the platform pin it on screen, and respond on camera. built-in context, built-in relatability.
(3) whiteboard or notepad — draw the concept while you explain it. when people watch you associate shapes with an idea, they perceive you as having a deeper grasp of what you're talking about.
(4) doing a task on screen — make coffee, fold laundry, get ready, eat lunch. keep talking. the motion keeps eyes on screen and makes the delivery feel completely unscripted like you just had a thought and couldn't wait to share it.
(5) demo with a prop — hold something physical that connects to your point. the object creates curiosity before you even speak and anchors the idea in something real.
— Syd