Lists
40 post ideas for founders, each with a post that proved it
Not prompts — pairings. A goal crossed with an opening, 40 times, each with a post from the library that did exactly that and the analysis of why it worked.
Rests on:the post,the post,the post,the post,the post,the post,the post,the post
Post ideas that are actually ideas, not prompts: each one is a goal (what you want the post to do) crossed with an opening (how it starts), and each one comes with a post from the library that did exactly that — so you can see the move before you make it. 40 of them, in the order of how far the example travelled.
1. Build an audience, opening with a number
I’m moving $1B of my Square equity (~28% of my wealth) to #startsmall LLC to fund global COVID-19 relief. After we disarm this pandemic, the focus will shift to girl’s health and education, and UBI. It will operate transparently, all flows tracked here: https://t.co/hVkUczDQmz
Why it worked: Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the leads with a number opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
2. Build an audience, opening with a story
Last month we launched Project Glasswing, our collaborative AI cybersecurity initiative. Since then, we and our partners have found more than ten thousand high- or critical-severity vulnerabilities in essential software.
Why it worked: Drops you into the middle of a story, so the next line feels necessary.
Your version: Preserve the Hook structure and the opens mid-story opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
3. Build an audience, opening with a question
What if Studio Ghibli directed Lord of the Rings?
Why it worked: Opens with a question, so the reader starts answering before they have decided to read.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the opens with a question opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
4. Build an audience, opening with a curiosity gap
Turns out Meta was targeting vulnerable users—like expectant mothers—with distressing ads
Why it worked: Promises an answer and holds it back, which pulls the reader down the post.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the promises an answer it withholds opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
5. Build an audience, opening with an announcement
I'm back from a week at my mom's house and now I'm getting ads for her toothpaste brand, the brand I've been putting in my mouth for a week. We never talked about this brand or googled it or anything like that.
Why it worked: Ends on a short line that is easy to quote and repeat.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the announcement opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
6. Build an audience, opening with a list promise
10 REASONS WHY THIS IS THE WORST CRYPTO WINTER EVER
Why it worked: Promises a countable payoff up front, which sets a clear expectation.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the promises a list opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
7. Build an audience, opening with an observation
Coming shortly, 𝕏 will publish everything demanded by @Alexandre and how those requests violate Brazilian law.
Why it worked: Follows a clear Hook → Context → Landing shape, so the reader always knows where they are.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Landing structure and the plain observation opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
8. Build an audience, opening with direct address
You can now enable Claude to use your computer to complete tasks.
Why it worked: Addresses the reader directly, so it reads as written for them.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Landing structure and the speaks directly to you opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
9. Launch a product, opening with a number
I will soon be introducing a bill to give the public a 50% ownership stake in the largest AI companies in America.
Why it worked: Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the leads with a number opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
10. Launch a product, opening with a question
Looking for an affordable platform to run popular #genAI models at the edge?
Why it worked: Opens with a question, so the reader starts answering before they have decided to read.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the opens with a question opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
11. Launch a product, opening with a "stop doing this"
Never been a better shoe launch marketing than Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3.
Why it worked: Opens by telling you what not to do — harder to scroll past than advice.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Landing structure and the tells you what not to do opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
12. Launch a product, opening with a curiosity gap
Here's what GitHub's last CEO @ashtom has been up to: building an agent-first dev platform. I'm an investor.
Why it worked: Promises an answer and holds it back, which pulls the reader down the post.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the promises an answer it withholds opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
13. Launch a product, opening with an announcement
Introducing Claude Design by Anthropic Labs: make prototypes, slides, and one-pagers by talking to Claude.
Why it worked: Written from experience rather than as advice, which is harder to argue with.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the announcement opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
14. Launch a product, opening with an observation
As a proud American company, we're thrilled to continue to make significant investments in the US. Today, we’re announcing a $500 billion commitment to support American innovation, advanced manufacturing, and high tech job creation. https://t.co/xoNy7zGqZG
Why it worked: Uses concrete numbers instead of vague claims, which makes it credible and quotable.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the plain observation opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
15. Launch a product, opening with direct address
If you’re confused on the Marvel Rivals layoffs news, the team that got laid off were part of a smaller arm in Seattle. NetEase is primarily based in China, they used them to help launch the game and now they’re gonna cut costs, replace, and get out of the US. So much greed.
Why it worked: Addresses the reader directly, so it reads as written for them.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Turn structure and the speaks directly to you opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
16. Share a lesson, opening with a number
1/ The first 18 months of a startup:
Why it worked: Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the leads with a number opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
17. Share a lesson, opening with a story
10 months ago we shut down Atrium after raising $75m in venture capital. Anyone hearing that knows I made tons of mistakes along the way. Someone asked me today what my biggest lessons learned were. Here they are:
Why it worked: Drops you into the middle of a story, so the next line feels necessary.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the opens mid-story opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
18. Share a lesson, opening with a "stop doing this"
Don't make the mistake of respecting grumpy people because they seem to be wise mature people. Grumpiness is fake maturity; it only looks like maturity to the inexperienced.
Why it worked: Opens by telling you what not to do — harder to scroll past than advice.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the tells you what not to do opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
19. Share a lesson, opening with a curiosity gap
The reason why going AI-first as a company is so important now is best captured by Paul Graham's startup advice of "live in the future, then build what's missing." AI-first companies will see new problems to solve soonest, and that flywheel will only compound over time.
Why it worked: Promises an answer and holds it back, which pulls the reader down the post.
Your version: Preserve the Hook structure and the promises an answer it withholds opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
20. Share a lesson, opening with an announcement
We're updating our Responsible Scaling Policy to its third version.
Why it worked: Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the announcement opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
21. Share a lesson, opening with an observation
UPDATE—Just learned that Eli Lilly executives are raging and furious at losing $20 billion in market cap from this stunt with @TwitterBlue. It’s too bad they don’t see their own damn insulin price gouging as the actual problem. Karma @LillyPad, karma.
Why it worked: Uses concrete numbers instead of vague claims, which makes it credible and quotable.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the plain observation opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
22. Share a lesson, opening with direct address
You know I invite both my real friends and my newer startup friends to my house parties
Why it worked: Addresses the reader directly, so it reads as written for them.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Landing structure and the speaks directly to you opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
23. Tell a story, opening with a number
Beginning in 2014, prestige industries decided they urgently needed to diversify. They didn’t purge established Boomers. Instead, they did everything possible to avoid hiring white millennial men.
Why it worked: Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the leads with a number opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
24. Tell a story, opening with a story
In 2018, Sam Altman simultaneously managed YC(a $30B+ Startup Accelerator) , invested >$400M in startups on the side, and built the world’s best team of frontier AI researchers with Elon for Open AI.
Why it worked: Drops you into the middle of a story, so the next line feels necessary.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Landing structure and the opens mid-story opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
25. Tell a story, opening with a question
Somehow all foreign movies are a national security threat but TikTok isn’t???
Why it worked: Opens with a question, so the reader starts answering before they have decided to read.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the opens with a question opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
26. Tell a story, opening with an announcement
Today's newsletter is the story of how Prabhakar Raghavan, Google's former head of ads - led a coup so that he could run Google Search, and how an email chain from 2019 began a cascade of events that would lead to him running it into the ground.
Why it worked: Ends on a short line that is easy to quote and repeat.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the announcement opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
27. Tell a story, opening with an observation
Found an iPhone on the side of the road... Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA1282 Survived a 16,000 foot drop perfectly in tact!
Why it worked: Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the plain observation opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
28. Tell a story, opening with direct address
you know I was gonna question the ethics of giving harvey weinstein a profile interview in 2026, but I gotta be honest, 10,000 words of him going "oh God, this is awful, I hate my life" was a pretty feel good read.
Why it worked: Addresses the reader directly, so it reads as written for them.
Your version: Preserve the Hook structure and the speaks directly to you opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
29. Start a debate, opening with a contrarian take
Hot take: Online gaming should be completely free, this is a completely arbitrary price with no real benefit.
Why it worked: Opens by contradicting a common belief, which makes readers stop to disagree or agree.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the contrarian opener opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
30. Start a debate, opening with a "stop doing this"
Never thought I would see "Meet the Press" publicly disssent from a decision made by NBC News, but it happened today. Chuck Todd to Kristen Welker: "Our bosses owe you an apology." Then two other panelists explained on air why hiring Ronna McDaniel is such a credibility disaster.
Why it worked: Opens by telling you what not to do — harder to scroll past than advice.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the tells you what not to do opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
31. Show proof, opening with a number
$1 Car vs $100,000,000 Car!!!
Why it worked: Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the leads with a number opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
32. Show proof, opening with a story
When I was at hint water, a few years ago we ran a marketing test that has now become an industry-standard marketing tactic:
Why it worked: Drops you into the middle of a story, so the next line feels necessary.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Payoff structure and the opens mid-story opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
33. Show proof, opening with a question
ever wonder why the cheap junk flooding Amazon has keyboard-mashing brand names like MOFFBUZW?
Why it worked: Opens with a question, so the reader starts answering before they have decided to read.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → List structure and the opens with a question opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
34. Show proof, opening with an announcement
We're coming out of stealth.
Why it worked: Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Context → Landing structure and the announcement opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
35. Show proof, opening with an observation
For years, @DoorDash cheated its delivery workers by using customers' tips to meet its workers’ guaranteed pay instead of giving them the tips they earned.
Why it worked: Uses concrete numbers instead of vague claims, which makes it credible and quotable.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the plain observation opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
36. Show proof, opening with direct address
If you want my serious take
Why it worked: Addresses the reader directly, so it reads as written for them.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → List → List structure and the speaks directly to you opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
37. Hire someone, opening with a number
We just hit a major milestone — @FireworksAI_HQ passed $800M annualized run rate and reached 4x revenue growth, apart from Cursor, in Q1.
Why it worked: Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the leads with a number opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
38. Hire someone, opening with an announcement
We're hiring a Research Engineer at @Arsenal ⚽🔴⚪ to work directly with our Men's First Team!
Why it worked: Written from experience rather than as advice, which is harder to argue with.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the announcement opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
39. Hire someone, opening with an observation
💙 like this post and be the first to see what’s coming.
Why it worked: Opens with a short, self-contained line that is easy to take in at a glance.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Landing structure and the plain observation opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
40. Hire someone, opening with direct address
If you survey enough people, all the advice will cancel to zero. You do have to have your own point of view:
Why it worked: Addresses the reader directly, so it reads as written for them.
Your version: Preserve the Hook → Context → Landing structure and the speaks directly to you opening. Keep the move; every fact and figure is yours. Open it in the studio.
Using this list
Pick the goal first — what do you need this post to do this week? — then read the two or three openings under it and choose the one you can honestly write. Save the example to a board, write one line about what you want from it, and remix with your own subject. The idea is the pairing; the post is proof it works; the words are yours.