The full pipeline: research → idea → hook → script → production → testing → iteration. Work through it in order. Every stage has a checklist or scorecard so you never guess.

Step 1: Find high-potential topics

A topic is high-potential when it scores on at least 3 of these 5 signals:

Signal What to look for Where to find it
Proven demand Videos on this topic already pull outlier views in your niche Competitor accounts, niche hashtags, search
Repeated pain The same complaint or question appears again and again Comments, reviews, Reddit, support tickets
Emotional charge People argue about it, confess to it, or brag about it Comment sections, community threads
Fresh angle available You can say something the top 10 videos on the topic do not Watch the top performers, list what they all miss
You have proof You own a result, dataset, story or demo that makes it credible Your own results, client results, experiments

Topic sourcing checklist (run weekly):

Step 2: Score the idea before you create it

Do not produce anything that scores under 18/30. Rate each criterion 1–5:

Criterion 1 (weak) 5 (strong)
Relevance Vaguely related to your audience Aimed at their exact situation this week
Novelty Everyone in the niche has said it New angle, new data, or new packaging
Emotion Neutral information Triggers curiosity, surprise, fear or desire
Proof Pure opinion Specific result, demo or evidence attached
Shareability No reason to send it to anyone Viewer looks smart or helpful by sharing it
Production ease Multi-day shoot, heavy editing One person, one take, one hour

Decision rule: 24+ = priority production. 18–23 = produce when capacity allows. Under 18 = rework the angle or kill it.

Step 3: The anatomy of a high-performing short-form video

Timestamp Job Fail state
0–1s Visual + verbal pattern interrupt. Stop the thumb. Logo intros, slow fades, "hey guys"
1–3s Hook lands. Viewer knows exactly what they will get and why they should care Vague promise, no stakes
3–10s Open the curiosity gap. Set up the tension the video resolves Delivering the payoff too early, or padding
10–40s Deliver value in escalating beats. Every 5–7 seconds, something changes One static shot, one idea stretched thin
Last 5s Payoff resolves the gap, then a single CTA Three different CTAs, weak ending that kills rewatches

Core structure: Hook → Curiosity → Value/Payoff → CTA