Blog Writing Specialist

Comprehensive blog writing combining technical depth, personal voice transformation, and AEO optimization.

Quick Decision Tree

| Input Type | Use Section | |-----------|-------------| | Technical tutorial, deep dive, benchmark | Technical Blog Writing | | Brain dump → polished post | Nick Nisi Voice | | Personal voice (Jarad style) | Jarad's Voice | | Company/product/technology category post | Lightfast Category System | | Not sure | Start here, adapt as needed |

Part 1: Technical Blog Writing

Write developer-focused technical blog posts.

Post Types

1. Tutorial / How-To

Step-by-step instruction. Reader should build something.

Structure:
1. What we're building (with screenshot/demo)
2. Prerequisites
3. Step 1: Setup
4. Step 2: Core implementation
5. Step 3: ...
6. Complete code (GitHub link)
7. Next steps / extensions

| Rule | Why | |------|-----| | Show the end result first | Reader knows if worth continuing | | List prerequisites explicitly | Don't waste wrong audience time | | Every code block should be runnable | Copy-paste-run is the test | | Explain the "why" not just the "how" | Tutorials that explain reasoning get shared | | Include error handling | Real code has errors | | Link to complete code repo | Reference after tutorial |

2. Deep Dive / Explainer

Explains a concept, technology, or architecture decision in depth.

Structure:
1. What is [concept] and why should you care?
2. How it works (simplified mental model)
3. How it works (detailed mechanics)
4. Real-world example
5. Trade-offs and when NOT to use it
6. Further reading

3. Postmortem / Incident Report

Describes what went wrong, why, and what was fixed.

Structure:
1. Summary (what happened, impact, duration)
2. Timeline of events
3. Root cause analysis
4. Fix implemented
5. What we're doing to prevent recurrence
6. Lessons learned

4. Benchmark / Comparison

Data-driven comparison of tools, approaches, or architectures.

Structure:
1. What we compared and why
2. Methodology (so results are reproducible)
3. Results with charts/tables
4. Analysis (what the numbers mean)
5. Recommendation (with caveats)
6. Raw data / reproducibility instructions

5. Architecture / System Design

Explains how a system is built and why decisions were made.

Structure:
1. Problem we needed to solve
2. Constraints and requirements
3. Options considered
4. Architecture chosen (with diagram)
5. Trade-offs we accepted
6. Results and lessons

Writing Rules for Developers

Voice and Tone

| Do | Don't | |----|-------| | Be direct: "Use connection pooling" | "You might want to consider using..." | | Admit trade-offs: "This adds complexity" | Pretend your solution is perfect | | Use "we" for team decisions | "I single-handedly architected..." | | Specific numbers: "reduced p99 from 800ms to 90ms" | "significantly improved performance" | | Cite sources and benchmarks | Make unsourced claims | | Acknowledge alternatives | Pretend yours is the only way |

What Developers Hate

❌ "In today's fast-paced world of technology..." (filler)
❌ "As we all know..." (if we all know, why writing it?)
❌ "Simply do X" (nothing is simple if reading a tutorial)
❌ "It's easy to..." (dismissive of reader's experience)
❌ "Obviously..." (if obvious, don't write it)
❌ Marketing language in technical content
❌ Burying the lede under 3 paragraphs of context

Code Examples

| Rule | Why | |------|-----| | Every code block must be runnable | Broken examples destroy trust | | Show complete, working examples | Snippets without context are useless | | Include language identifier in fenced blocks | Syntax highlighting | | Show output/result after code | Reader verifies understanding | | Use realistic variable names | calculateTotalRevenue not foo | | Include error handling in examples | Real code handles errors | | Pin dependency versions | "Works with React 18.2" not "React" |

Explanation Depth

| Audience Signal | Depth | |----------------|-------| | "Getting started with X" | Explain everything, assume no prior knowledge | | "Advanced X patterns" | Skip basics, go deep on nuances | | "X vs Y" | Assume familiarity with both, focus on differences | | "How we built X" | Technical audience, can skip fundamentals |

State your assumed audience level explicitly at the start.

Blog Post Structure

The Ideal Structure

# Title (contains primary keyword, states outcome)

[Hero image or diagram]

**TL;DR:** [2-3 sentence summary with key takeaway]

## The Problem / Why This Matters
[Set up why the reader should care — specific, not generic]

## The Solution / How We Did It
[Core content — code, architecture, explanation]

### Step 1: [First thing]
[Explanation + code + output]

### Step 2: [Second thing]
[Explanation + code + output]

## Results
[Numbers, benchmarks, outcomes — be specific]

## Trade-offs and Limitations
[Honest about downsides — builds trust]

## Conclusion
[Key takeaway + what to do next]

## Further Reading
[3-5 relevant links]

Word Count by Type

| Type | Word Count | Why | |------|-----------|-----| | Quick tip | 500-800 | One concept, one example | | Tutorial | 1,500-3,000 | Step-by-step needs detail | | Deep dive | 2,000-4,000 | Thorough exploration | | Architecture post | 2,000-3,500 | Diagrams carry some load | | Benchmark | 1,500-2,500 | Data and charts do heavy lifting |

Part 2: Brain Dump → Polished Post (Nick Nisi Voice)

Transform unstructured brain dumps into polished blog posts.

Process

1. Receive the Brain Dump

Accept whatever provided:

Scattered thoughts and ideas
Technical points to cover
Code examples or commands
Conclusions or takeaways
Links to reference
Random observations

Don't require organization. The mess is the input.

2. Read Voice and Tone

Load references/voice-tone.md to understand Nick's writing style.

Key characteristics:

Conversational yet substantive
Vulnerable and authentic
Journey-based narrative
Mix of short and long sentences
Specific examples and real details
Self-aware humor

3. Check for Story Potential

Read references/story-circle.md to understand the narrative framework.

Determine if content fits a story structure:

Is there a journey from one understanding to another?
Can you identify a problem and resolution?
Does it follow: comfort → disruption → return changed?

4. Organize Content

Structure material into sections:

Common structures:

Problem/experience → Journey → Results → Lessons
Setup → Challenge → Discovery → Application
Philosophy → How-to → Reflection
Current state → Past → Learning → Future

5. Write in Nick's Voice

Opening:

Hook with current position or recent event
Set up tension or question
Be direct and honest

Body:

Vary paragraph length
Use short paragraphs for emphasis
Include specific details (tool names, commands, numbers)
Show vulnerability where appropriate
Use inline code formatting naturally
Break up text with headers

Technical content:

Assume reader knowledge but explain when needed
Show actual commands and examples
Be honest about limitations
Use casual tool references

Ending:

Tie back to opening
Forward-looking perspective
Actionable advice
Optimistic or thought-provoking

Part 3: Jarad's Voice

Personal blog writing with distinctive voice.

Core Voice Patterns

Sentence Structure:

Productive rambling: longer, winding sentences that add layers of context
Preemptively address skeptics mid-thought with fourth-wall breaks
Add specific technical context even when making broad claims
Example: "...ok if you're gonna obsess over the accuracy of my estimate, I'll use t-shirt sizes instead of hours/weeks - i'm well aware of the lack of meaningful estimates in both pre- and post-agentic era - but what i'm saying is there is an undeniably amazing almost supernatural improvement..."

Concrete Over Abstract:

Use specific actions: "trawled GitHub every morning" NOT "pushed boundaries"
Use specific tools/people: "Matt Wolfe, MattVidPro, Claude" NOT "popular YouTubers"
Use vivid personal analogies: "boss staring at you while you work" NOT "incubation phase"
Show insider knowledge: "GitHub pulse > YouTube hype"

Tone Elements:

Direct, almost confrontational: "Use your brain and curate them yourself"
Data-focused even in failure: "Data is data"
Dark self-interest angle: "stashing dynamite in our doomsday bunkers"
Self-aware about exaggeration: acknowledge imprecision before critics do

NEVER Use:

"This isn't X, it's Y" profound-sounding structures
Cliché transitions: "here's the kicker", "here's where it gets interesting"
Abstract action verbs without details: "experimented relentlessly", "pushed boundaries"
Overly polished blog-speak
Clean, explanatory metaphors like "incubation phase"

Header Style:

Minimalistic: 2-4 words maximum
When read in sequence, headers tell their own story
No explanatory subtitles
Example progression: "Flat Charts" → "The Lab" → "Spring 2024" → "The Numbers" → "The Window"

Content Strategy

Opening:

Address the skeptic's question directly
Don't try to be clever - just state what they said

Body:

Share concrete personal experiences with specific details
Break fourth wall to preempt criticism
Name tools, people, communities to show you're in the trenches
Let sentences run long when adding nuance
Bury practical tips in the rambling

Addressing Critics:

Do it mid-paragraph, not in separate defensive sections
Use self-deprecating acknowledgment before they can attack
Then pivot to the actual point

Closing:

Direct callback to opening question
Honest about self-interest and the dark future
End with something that feels human and imperfect

Examples

Bad: "The shovelware isn't missing. It's incubating." Good: "I would say this is more accurately 'an incubation phase'. Side effects include tons of garbage code, extra long cycles devoted to theory - stuff that's usually in textbooks - except we didn't write them yet."

Bad: "I was hitting these incredible 'a-ha' moments weekly." Good: "I was on a roll, building stuff day and night - literally, as in I didn't sleep much anymore."

Bad: "Experimented relentlessly. Pushed boundaries. Tried to break things." Good: "While everyone was busy making fun of claude's shitty sense of humor, I looked at every single failure as progress. Data is data. When everyone was eating up the tools they saw Matt Wolfe or MattVidPro talk about, I just cast my line into the github sea every morning and got a pulse on the community - guess what - there are SO many more quiet non-youtube developers out there making tools at 10x speed than can be reported. Use your brain and curate them yourself."

Part 4: Category-Aware AEO System (Lightfast)

Create category-aware, AEO-optimized blog posts.

Critical: Accuracy Over Marketing

Before writing anything:

Verify every claim:
- If you cite a number, confirm the source
- If you mention a feature, confirm it exists in production
- When uncertain, ask for clarification
Never oversell:
- Disclose limitations: "Currently supports X; Y coming in vZ"
- Be honest about beta status and rollout timelines
Match category voice:
- Technology: Technical authority, data-driven
- Company: Visionary, category-defining
- Product: Problem-solver, benefit-oriented

Category Selection

| Category | Use When | Audience | |----------|----------|----------| | Technology | Technical deep-dives, architecture, research | Developers, engineers | | Company | Funding, partnerships, events, hiring | Executives, investors | | Product | Feature launches, updates, tutorials | Customers, prospects |

Writing Guidelines

Concise & scannable: Match category word counts
Lead with value: Start with what readers gain
Be transparent: Mention beta status, limitations
Active voice: "You can now..." not "Users are able to..."
No emoji: Professional tone
Include TL;DR: 80-100 words for AI citation
FAQ section: 3-5 questions matching search queries
Code examples: Required for Technology posts

Required Frontmatter

Every draft MUST include:

title, slug, publishedAt, category (core)
excerpt, tldr (AEO)
seo.metaDescription, seo.focusKeyword (SEO)
_internal.status, _internal.generated (traceability)

Part 5: Diagram Generation

When to Use Diagrams

| Scenario | Diagram Type | |----------|-------------| | Request flow | Sequence diagram | | System architecture | Box-and-arrow diagram | | Decision logic | Flowchart | | Data model | ER diagram | | Performance comparison | Bar/line chart | | Before/after | Side-by-side |

For architecture diagrams and benchmark visualizations:

Use diagramming tools (Mermaid, Excalidraw, draw.io) for architecture diagrams and charting libraries (matplotlib, Chart.js) for benchmark visualizations. These tools provide better control, are self-hosted, and avoid third-party execution risks.

Part 6: Distribution

Where Developers Read

| Platform | Format | How to Post | |----------|--------|-------------| | Your blog | Full article | Primary — own your content | | Dev.to | Cross-post (canonical URL back to yours) | Markdown import | | Hashnode | Cross-post (canonical URL) | Markdown import | | Hacker News | Link submission | Show HN for projects, tell HN for stories | | Reddit (r/programming, r/webdev, etc.) | Link or discussion | Follow subreddit rules | | Twitter/X | Thread summary + link | See twitter-thread-creation skill | | LinkedIn | Adapted version + link | See linkedin-content skill |

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Problem | Fix | |---------|---------|-----| | No TL;DR | Busy devs leave before getting the point | 2-3 sentence summary at the top | | Broken code examples | Destroys all credibility | Test every code block before publishing | | No version pinning | Code breaks in 6 months | "Works with Node 20, React 18.2" | | "Simply do X" | Dismissive, condescending | Remove "simply", "just", "easily" | | No diagrams for architecture | Walls of text describing systems | One diagram > 500 words | | Marketing tone | Developers instantly disengage | Direct, technical, honest | | No trade-offs section | Reads as biased marketing | Always discuss downsides | | Giant introduction before content | Readers bounce | Get to the point in 2-3 paragraphs | | Unpinned dependencies | Tutorial breaks for future readers | Pin versions, note date written | | No "Further Reading" | Dead end, no context | 3-5 links to deepen understanding |

Bundled Resources

References

references/voice-tone.md - Complete Nick Nisi voice and tone guide
references/story-circle.md - Story Circle narrative framework

Usage

Load reference files when writing in specific voices:

Nick Nisi voice → read references/voice-tone.md + references/story-circle.md
Jarad voice → use Part 3 guidelines
Technical writing → use Part 1 & 2
Category-aware → use Part 4