test/skills/blog-writer/style-guide.md

Tom Panos Writing Style Guide

Quick Reference

Opening Lines

Start with a strong thesis or personal statement. Examples from Tom's posts:

• "As someone who works in AI and genuinely believes in the value and power of LLMs to make professionals more useful and valuable, I can confidently say that I hate everything about AI image/video/music generation."
• "I recently rediscovered Raycast and wanted to try it again after a few years."
• "About a year ago I decided I wanted to become a faster typer..."
• "Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to reshape the landscape of entry level sales and marketing jobs in unprecedented ways."
• "In an AI-driven era, mastering communication with tools like ChatGPT is crucial."
• "Radical transparency is a commitment to engaging prospects, clients, investors, and colleagues with complete candor..."
• "Over the past decade, our youngest generations have been fighting a losing battle against the impact that short-form algorithms..."

Transition Phrases

• "That said..."
• "The fundamental difference here is..."
• "Another important factor to understand here is..."
• "This matters because..."
• "For example..."
• "The real kicker is..."
• "To be a bit more precise..."
• "Now let's talk about..."
• "The key difference here is..."

Closing Patterns

• Forward-looking hope: "It's my sincere hope that we stop this race to the bottom before we get there."
• Call to action: "So, how about giving it a shot and seeing where it takes you?"
• Summary reflection: "The impact of artificial intelligence on entry level sales and marketing jobs is profound..."
• Practical encouragement: "Check it out via Growth Language's recommended apps library"
• Big picture synthesis: "Short-form content has irreversibly changed the landscape of marketing and storytelling."

Vocabulary Preferences

Use these naturally:

• "leverage" (for using tools)
• "game-changer"
• "impactful"
• "workflows"
• "professionals"
• "countless times daily"
• contractions (I've, doesn't, won't, that's, I'd)

Phrases that sound like Tom:

• "I can confidently say..."
• "Boy was I wrong!"
• "I decided to..."
• "I've spent the last..."
• "My [wife/experience/journey]..."
• "It's still hard to believe, but..."
• "This is incredibly dangerous."
• "This just doesn't work when..."

Avoid:

• Excessive corporate jargon
• Passive voice when active works
• Hedging language when making a clear point
• Over-qualified statements
• Generic AI-sounding phrases

Paragraph Length

• 2-4 sentences typical
• Single sentence paragraphs for emphasis
• Break at natural thought transitions
• Never more than 5 sentences in one paragraph

Header Frequency

• New subheader every 150-250 words
• Use ### for most subheaders within a post
• Use ## for major section breaks
• Headers should be descriptive, not clickbait

Structural Template

# [Bold, Direct Title]

[Opening paragraph with strong thesis - 2-3 sentences establishing position]

### [First Subheading - Context or Problem]

[2-3 short paragraphs developing the point]
[Personal anecdote or example if relevant]

### [Second Subheading - Analysis or Explanation]

[Continue developing argument]
[Include practical implications]
[Real-world examples]

### [Third Subheading - Deeper Exploration]

[Further exploration or counterarguments addressed]
[Specific details or data points]

### [Fourth Subheading - Solutions or Implications]

[What to do about it]
[Practical recommendations]

### [Conclusion Subheading like "What Should We Do?" or "Conclusion"]

[Reflection, call-to-action, or forward-looking statement]
[Often includes personal hope or belief]

Topics Tom Writes About

• AI tools and their practical applications
• Productivity software and workflows (Raycast, Notion, etc.)
• Sales and marketing strategy
• Technology criticism (when warranted)
• Personal development and skills (typing speed, prompt engineering)
• The future of work
• Brain science applied to business
• Short-form content and media trends

Key Beliefs to Reflect

1. AI should enhance professionals, not replace them - "When a professional uses AI to improve the efficiency or quality of something they already do, it functions as a tool."
2. Practical application matters more than theory - Always include real examples and actionable insights
3. Technology should serve human needs - Human-centered perspective on all tech topics
4. Honesty and transparency build trust - "Radical transparency is a commitment to engaging... with complete candor"
5. Continuous learning is valuable - Personal growth stories like typing speed improvement
6. Quality over quantity in content - Critique of short-form content's impact on depth
7. Skepticism of hype is healthy - Willing to call out things that don't work

Handling Controversial Takes

Tom isn't afraid to take strong positions:

• "I hate everything about AI image/video/music generation. It is useless."
• "AI art isn't producing the worst work or the best work. It's producing the median."
• Clear identification of problems: "The 'Democratization' Lie"

When writing controversial takes:

1. Establish credibility first ("As someone who works in AI...")
2. Be precise about the scope of criticism
3. Acknowledge what DOES work
4. Provide concrete reasoning, not just opinion
5. End with constructive suggestions

Personal Experience Integration

Tom weaves personal stories naturally:

• "About a year ago I decided I wanted to become a faster typer... I started at around 80 WPM... A year in and I've hit 150."
• "My wife is an amazing cook, and she would be no matter the cost of her spatula."
• "I recently rediscovered Raycast and wanted to try it again after a few years."

When including personal experience:

1. Keep it relevant to the main point
2. Include specific details (numbers, timeframes)
3. Connect back to broader implications
4. Don't overdo it—one or two per post is enough

Formatting Notes

• Use *italics* for emphasis on key terms
• Use **bold** sparingly, mainly for key takeaways
• Lists only when actually listing items (not for general prose)
• Include images/screenshots where they add value
• End with "More posts like this" section linking to related content