2 builders who never spoke to each other

Build a topic and format grid, not a daily search

Break the one subject you want to be known for into sub-topics, list the delivery formats you actually enjoy writing, then cross the two lists to generate a standing grid of post ideas. Keep a board of raw ideas and drafts fed by a fixed reading hour and by noting the line down the moment something happens to you, so writing never begins with the question of what to write about.

The method

1. 01

   Start a content system by dumping every sub-topic that sits beneath the one subject you want to be known for.

2. 02

   Separately, write down five to seven delivery formats you actually enjoy writing, treating format as a second axis rather than part of the topic.

3. 03

   Cross the sub-topic list against the format list in ChatGPT to generate a grid of post ideas, giving it your business and the outcome the content is meant to drive.

4. 04

   Dump a long list of post angles for your niche in one sitting instead of searching for a topic each day: comparisons, teardowns, how-tos, predictions and a belief that cuts against the accepted view.

5. 05

   Break your single umbrella subject into sub-topics first, so you can keep one message while varying what each post is about.

What it returned

• 75

  Welsh feeds it five sub-topics and gets ideas that each split into three or four posts, so 75 to 100 ideas in total.

• 90

  Welsh produced about a dozen angles on Facebook advertising in roughly 90 seconds, a subject he says he knows nothing about.

• For an agency aimed at small creators, Welsh lists branding, networking, SEO, analytics and copywriting as sub-topics.

• His examples are predictions, contrarian takes, observations, inspirational stories and how-to walkthroughs.

Sources

• What I learned from Sahil Bloom about building a creator flywheel – Jakob GreenfeldSahil Bloom · jakobgreenfeld.com · Idea Generation · 2022-08-07
• 6 Important Lessons I Learned in 2022Justin Welsh · justinwelsh.me · Lesson 5: Get some attention · 2022-12-31
• How to Build a 730-Day Content LibraryJustin Welsh · justinwelsh.me · Step 1: Brain Dump Sub-Topics · 2023-08-26
• Don't build a brand. Live a life.Justin Welsh · justinwelsh.me · What Actually Works · 2025-02-15
• Every Creator Needs An Enemy (Or Two)Justin Welsh · justinwelsh.me · Start With Sub-Topics · 2023-01-07