Till now, I have identified two types of content that I should be making:
- First person
- Second person
In first person, I am confessing or talking very vulnerably, so people’s nurture or attack instinct kind of activates, and they pay attention. The type 1 thing is the one which I find most difficult to do without choreography and thus it is innately less effective for me. Second person is where you are saying things about the audience in such a way that they are overwhelmed and they need to watch your video to get the relief. As a creator, most of my experiences are from the first person, so I need to talk about me. The current structure is not that effective, so I need to find something.
I think a phrase such as “I know” can aggregate both of these videos types and maybe enhance the effect. And that can happen by making what they think or feel as the first sentence. Like if you are talking about how you got 200 users using organic videos, you can basically say, “I know you think it is very hard to get organic users, but I got 200 using a little trick.”
I think this way you can keep the audience at the forefront always and get them to validate whatever you are going to say even before you mention it. Even if they don’t think or have that belief, even that accusation can help you. If they actually think it is hard to get users using organic methods, they might be curious that you are challenging them. Or if they do not agree with the hook. Their validation is on the way because you are actually agreeing with what they are saying. For both cases you are actually creating tension and solving it.
I know provides you such flexibility that you can include their being, their action, their feeling, their motivation, or anything in front of it.
"I know you [their limiting belief/fear/struggle],
but I [your result] by [your method/mindset]."This lets you validate whatever they are feeling or are. Motivate them by showing what you are or are doing and how you do it guides them. A complete package in just two sentences. The fucking language gymnastics I’ve been doing is crazy.
Phrases like these can create a somewhat same effect:
- I understand
- You keep
- You are probably xyz
- Chances are xyz
- If you are like me then xyz
- You think
- You feel
- You say
Basically:
Subject (you/me/ everyone) + verb (feeling/action/ is) + object of video
Where:
Subject = You / I / Everyone / Most people / They
Verb = Think / Feel / Say / Keep / Want / Need / Try / Believe / Know / See / Hear
Object/State = The thing they believe/do/feel that you’re addressing
From claude
Why Type 3 works:
It combines the benefits of BOTH:
From P2 (Recognition):
- “I know you think…” = You’re reading their mind
- Makes them feel SEEN
From P1 (Proof/Belonging):
- “…but I [did the thing]” = You’ve been where they are AND escaped
- Makes them feel HOPEFUL
The Bridge Effect:
- You’re not just mirroring their pain (P2)
- You’re not just confessing your journey (P1)
- You’re validating their struggle THEN offering proof of escape
- It’s empathy + solution in one sentence
Examples for your situations:
Situation: 200 organic users
- “I know you think organic content takes forever, but I hit 200 users in 2 months using one system.”
- “I know you’re posting and getting no signups, but I scaled to 200 users organically—here’s how.”
Situation: AI coding tools
- “I know Cursor keeps spawning duplicate endpoints for you, but I built Rohkun to fix that exact problem.”
- “I know you’re spending hours debugging AI code, but I turned that frustration into a product.”
Situation: Content creation grind
- “I know you’re burned out trying to be creative every day, but I systemized content and hit 200 users.”
- “I know you hate hearing your own voice on camera, but I posted 120 videos anyway and built an audience.”
3. The verb determines the angle of attack:
| Verb Type | What It Targets | Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive (think, believe, assume) | Their mental model | Challenges assumptions |
| Emotional (feel, want, need) | Their emotional state | Validates feelings |
| Behavioral (keep, try, do, say) | Their actions/patterns | Calls out loops |
| Perceptual (see, hear, notice) | Their observations | Reframes reality |
TESTING ALL COMBINATIONS:
Let me show you how verb choice changes the hook for the same topic:
Topic: Quitting too early on content
Cognitive angle: “You think 10 videos is enough to test organic content, but I made 30 before ONE hit.”
Emotional angle: “You feel like quitting after 10 videos, but I pushed through 30 to crack it.”
Behavioral angle: “You keep posting for 2 weeks then giving up, but I made 30 videos over 6 months.”
Perceptual angle: “You see creators going viral on their first video, but I made 30 before getting one hit.”
All valid. All work. Different angles of attack.