# Clickbait Engine

> Clickbait Engine - Engagement-Maximized Content Titles & Hooks

- Skill: `javimosch/clickbait-engine` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add javimosch/clickbait-engine`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/javimosch/clickbait-engine/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: javimosch (https://skillmd.com/u/javimosch)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/javimosch/clickbait-engine

---


# Clickbait Engine - Engagement-Maximized Content Titles & Hooks

Built from studying @AlexFinn (406K, $300K ARR), @notthreadguy (355K), and @Jackkk (29K, 37M impressions/2wks).

## The Three Masters: What They Do

### Alex Finn (@AlexFinn) - The Absolutist
**Pattern:** Extreme declarative statements that force agreement or outrage.
- "Apple will win the AI war in June 2026 without investing a single penny into AI"
- "OpenClaw is the greatest application of AI we've ever seen"
- "Humanity has advanced more in the past 3 weeks than the previous 100 years combined"
- "We have entered a new age"
- "It's never been more important to move as violently as possible"

**Why it works:**
- **Superlatives force reaction** — "greatest," "never been more," "ever" — you HAVE to click to see if he's right
- **Time compression** — "3 weeks > 100 years" creates cognitive dissonance
- **Identity statements** — "We have entered a new age" makes you feel like you're missing something
- **Zero hedging** — no "I think" or "maybe" — pure conviction = engagement

### ThreadGuy (@notthreadguy) - The Unfiltered Reactor
**Pattern:** Raw emotional reactions that mirror what the audience is thinking but won't say.
- "theyre trying to convince sbf to claim bags app fees LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO"
- "i'm legitimately tired bro"
- "why is sam bankman fried on my timeline every morning please make it stop"
- "if you ever tell me to go to sleep again i will start using chatgpt"
- "need a term to differentiate actually reading something vs having ai summarize it"
- "in the club thinking about Dario Amodei"

**Why it works:**
- **Parasocial intimacy** — talks like he's texting his group chat, not broadcasting
- **Lowercase = authenticity** — no caps, no polish = "real" feels
- **Cultural references as punchlines** — drops names (SBF, Dario) without context = insiders club
- **Creates vocabulary** — "read it raw" → meme-able, shareable, screenshot-able
- **Absurdist juxtaposition** — "in the club thinking about Dario Amodei" = unexpected + relatable

### Jackkk (@Jackkk) - The Quote Clipper
**Pattern:** Extract the most provocative quote from a conversation, frame it as a reveal.
- "MrBeast reveals he doesn't like expensive food"
- "Threadguy reveals Nick Fuentes has a Milady alt account"
- "Top geopolitical trader reveals intelligence agencies are looking at Polymarket"
- "TJR reveals his $3,500,000 Koenigsegg did NOT get repossessed"

**Why it works:**
- **"reveals" = instant curiosity gap** — implies secret knowledge being shared
- **Name + shocking statement** — borrowed authority + unexpected claim
- **Dollar amounts** — $3.5M, $100K/y — concrete numbers trigger clicking
- **Contradiction framing** — "did NOT get repossessed" — correcting a narrative = drama

## The Behavioral Science

### 1. Curiosity Gap (Loewenstein, 1994)
Create a gap between what people know and what they WANT to know. Never close it in the title.
- ❌ "Here's why Apple will win the AI war: they have M5 chips"
- ✅ "Apple will win the AI war without investing a single penny into AI"

### 2. Loss Aversion (Kahneman & Tversky)
Humans fear missing out 2x more than they enjoy gaining. Frame titles as "you're behind."
- "Stop what you're doing" (implies urgency, you're wasting time)
- "We have entered a new age" (if you didn't know, you're behind)
- "How do you not see this future?" (you're blind if you disagree)

### 3. Social Proof + Authority
Name-drop people with status. The audience clicks to see what the authority said.
- "MrBeast reveals..."
- "Michael Burry is short stocks and he's wrong"
- Frame experts as "top [role]" even if vague

### 4. Pattern Interrupt
Break expected formatting to stop the scroll.
- ALL CAPS for emphasis: "LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO"
- Extended letters: "please make it stopppp"
- Single-word reactions: "what" (with quote tweet)
- Absurdist mismatch: "in the club thinking about Dario Amodei"

### 5. Tribal Identity
Make the reader feel they're part of an in-group or challenge their membership.
- "if you ever tell me to go to sleep again i will start using chatgpt" (claude users = tribe)
- "everybody fc bitcoin right now" (community command)
- "The world has changed more in the past month than the previous decade" (if you don't feel this, you're out)

## Title Formulas (Pick and Apply)

### The Absolutist (Alex Finn style)
```
[Subject] is the [superlative] [thing] [timeframe qualifier]
[Subject] will [bold prediction] without [expected requirement]
[Timeframe] has [changed/advanced] more than [longer timeframe]
It's never been more [important/urgent] to [action]
```

### The Reveal (Jackkk style)
```
[Person] reveals [unexpected fact about topic]
[Person] explains why [counterintuitive claim]
[Role] reveals [insider knowledge] about [trending topic]
[Person]'s $[big number] [thing] [unexpected outcome]
```

### The Reactor (ThreadGuy style)
```
[lowercase raw reaction to trending event]
[absurdist observation] + [unexpected cultural reference]
need a [new concept] for [common experience everyone relates to]
[person/thing] on my timeline [emotional reaction] please [dramatic request]
```

### The Hot Take (General)
```
[Common belief] is wrong. Here's why.
Everyone is [doing X]. Nobody is [doing Y].
[Controversial figure] was right about [topic nobody wants to admit]
The real reason [thing happened] has nothing to do with [obvious cause]
```

### The Medieval Mindset (Video Essay style)
```
Why [Modern Trend] Is Basically [Historical Parallel]
[Gen Z Thing] Has Ancient Roots Nobody Talks About
The [Adjective] History Behind [Viral Trend]
[Current Culture] = [Unexpected Historical Era] (Here's Proof)
```

## Clip Caption Formulas (For Posting Clips to X)

### The Setup → Punchline
```
[context of the game/scene]
[the rules in > arrows]
[what happened — the unexpected moment]
powered by [tag]
```

### The Quote Pull
```
"[most provocative direct quote from clip]"
[one-line context]
[tag]
```

### The Reaction Bait
```
[short description of what's about to happen]
nobody was ready for this
[tag]
```

## Honey B / Other Games Application

For Otherside content specifically:
1. **Frame events as cultural moments**, not just games — "speed dating on the Otherside" not "our emote matching game"
2. **Name-drop participating projects** — borrowed authority from WoW, BAYC, etc.
3. **Use game mechanics as hooks** — "if they don't match they're incompatible → kicked out the bar" = drama
4. **Lowercase authenticity** for tweet text, CAPS only for emphasis moments
5. **Every clip needs a one-line setup** that creates curiosity before the viewer hits play

### The Lore Clipper (Clavicular/KickChamp/Clippd style)
The hottest format right now. Treats real life like an RPG/anime saga.
```
[Character] was CAUGHT [embarrassing action] right after ASCENDING to #[rank] on the [Leaderboard] which could trigger an instant [DEBUFF] and push him back to #[rank] making the [RIVAL] reclaim #1
```
```
[Height] [Nationality] [TIER]-CHAD [Name] has [DRAMATIC ACTION] in order to [QUEST OBJECTIVE] and engage in a [COMPETITION TYPE] to avenge [ALLY] after the BRUTAL [incident] last [timeframe]
```

**Key rules:**
- Headlines have NOTHING to do with the actual video (the lingo IS the product)
- Use RPG/gaming language: debuffs, ascending, leaderboards, mog, saga
- Frame everything as an ongoing SAGA with characters and rivalries
- ALL CAPS for power words: CAUGHT, BRUTAL, ASCENDING, HUNT, REJECTED
- Treat streamers/participants like anime characters with arcs
- Works because Gen Z already thinks in gaming terms (Medieval China article confirms this)

**Lingo dictionary:**
- Mogging = physically/socially dominating someone
- Frame mog = dominating with physical frame/size
- Ascending = improving your ranking/status
- Debuff = negative event reducing your score
- Looksmaxxing = enhancing appearance at any cost
- TERA-CHAD = ultimate tier alpha
- Jester maxing = compensating with humor
- Burgergooning = eating junk (seen as failure)

**Why it works (behavioral science):**
- Serialized narrative creates investment (soap opera effect)
- RPG language gamifies real life (engagement through familiar framework)
- CAPS + dramatic framing triggers pattern interrupt
- "Saga" framing makes people want to follow the whole arc, not just one clip
- @beffjezos: "This saga is better than the Marvel franchises at this point"

**Application to Other Games / Otherside clips:**
- Frame events as ongoing sagas with characters
- Kodas become recurring characters with arcs
- Event outcomes = plot twists
- Use RPG language naturally (we're literally in a game world)

## Anti-Patterns (What Kills Engagement)
- ❌ Hedging: "I think maybe this could be..."
- ❌ Corporate voice: "We're excited to announce..."
- ❌ Explaining in the title what the content shows (kills curiosity gap)
- ❌ Generic superlatives without specificity: "This is amazing!"
- ❌ Too many hashtags (looks desperate)
- ❌ Emojis (Honey B's rule — and it reads cleaner)
- ❌ Em dashes (AI tell)

## When Used by Cello
1. Always generate 3-5 title options, ranked by engagement potential
2. Score each on: Curiosity Gap (1-5), Emotional Trigger (1-5), Shareability (1-5)
3. Default to the one with highest combined score
4. For clips: use Setup → Punchline format unless quote is more powerful
5. All @handles must be verified before posting (reference/verified-handles.md)