Dilan Esper on Product

this gets the causation completely 180 degrees backwards. and it shows how so many journalists don't understand their own business. they think the NYT strategy is something anyone can do, rather than the product of winning a zero sum competition.

152 likes8 repliesPosted Jan 27, 2026

Remix this post

Your note

Private to you, and used when you remix this post.

Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Contradicts something the audience already believes, which stops the scroll.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.
Short sentences keep the pace up, so the reader never has to re-read a line.

The mechanics

Hook: Leads with a number
Structure: Hook → Landing
Style: Conversational paragraphs at a steady pace.
Tone: plain, matter-of-fact
Mechanisms: Pattern interrupt
Written for: Product teams

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Product

Post by Dilan Esper on X