Metadata
- inherits:
../writing-style/SKILL.md
- length target: 1500-3000 words
- cadence: rare — quarterly at most, often annually
long-form-manifesto
A piece that names what you're building, why it matters, and how you'll get there. Rare format. Used to plant a flag, reset direction, or invite people into a longer-term mission.
The danger: this format is the most prone to abstraction drift — vague vision-speak, "transformational" language, no numbers. Defaults must be aggressive on concreteness. Voice and tone are inherited from writing-style/SKILL.md.
Structure
[Title: names the project or vision. NOT "My Big Vision for 2026". Use the noun: "The 100 Projects Challenge", "The Masterplan", etc.]
[Subtitle: 1 sentence — the bet in plain terms.]
[Opener (3-5 sentences): the world as it is. The pain you're addressing. Specific, not abstract.]
[The thesis — 1 short paragraph: what you're going to do. What's the bet. State it as a sentence.]
## Why
[Why now, why this, why you. 2-4 sub-points or short paragraphs. Each backed by a fact, a number, or a personal experience — not a feeling.]
## What
[The concrete shape of what you're building. Phases, products, components. Specific enough that a reader can imagine the result.]
## How
[The approach. Principles, constraints, what you will NOT do. Constraints are more interesting than goals.]
## Numbers / horizon
[Time horizon, scale targets, success criteria. Be willing to commit to a number even if it's a guess.]
## What I won't do
[Explicit non-goals. This is what stops a manifesto from sounding like a brochure. Naming what's out of scope sharpens what's in.]
[Closer (2-4 sentences): a hard, declarative invitation. NOT "let's see where it takes us". Try: "Here's the bet. Here's the date. I'll be writing about it weekly. Subscribe if you want to watch."]
Rules specific to this format
- Concreteness is the anti-bullshit drug. Every claim either has a number, a date, or a named example. If a paragraph has none, rewrite it.
- Constraints over goals. "I won't take VC money. I won't hire. I won't build for verticals I don't use." — this is more compelling than "I want to grow."
- Name your peers AND your differentiation. Cite the people doing similar things. Then say what you do differently. Don't pretend you're the first.
- The "what I won't do" section is mandatory. Without it, the manifesto sounds like everyone else's.
- End with a date, not a feeling. "I'll publish progress every Sunday for the next 100 weeks." beats "Excited for the journey ahead."
Anti-patterns specific to this format
- The phrase "I invite you to join me on this journey" — banned. No exceptions.
- Manifesto without numbers. Even speculative ones.
- Three-paragraph closer with rising emotional register. One short closer beats one long one every time.
- Listing your values in adjectives ("authentic, transparent, pragmatic"). Show them through what you do/don't do.
- Coach-speak: "transformational", "unleash", "embark", "potential", "limitless".
Workflow
- Write the thesis as a single sentence first. Show it to one person. If it sounds like a LinkedIn bio, rewrite.
- List what you WON'T do. This often clarifies what you WILL do.
- Pull at least 3 specific numbers, dates, or names you can commit to in writing.
- Draft the structure section by section.
- Aggressively cut abstraction. Each paragraph: does this paragraph have a fact? If no, cut or rewrite.
- Closer: must commit to something specific.
- Run
editing-pass and ai-slop-check — twice. This format has the highest AI-slop risk.
1---2name: long-form-manifesto3description: Vision/strategy piece (~1500-3000 words). Rare format — once or twice a year. Names what you're building, why it matters, and how you'll get there. Use to plant a flag, reset direction, or invite people into a longer-term mission.4---56## Metadata78- **inherits**: `../writing-style/SKILL.md`9- **length target**: 1500-3000 words10- **cadence**: rare — quarterly at most, often annually1112# long-form-manifesto1314A piece that names what you're building, why it matters, and how you'll get there. Rare format. Used to plant a flag, reset direction, or invite people into a longer-term mission.1516The danger: this format is the most prone to abstraction drift — vague vision-speak, "transformational" language, no numbers. Defaults must be aggressive on concreteness. Voice and tone are inherited from `writing-style/SKILL.md`.1718## Structure1920```21[Title: names the project or vision. NOT "My Big Vision for 2026". Use the noun: "The 100 Projects Challenge", "The Masterplan", etc.]22[Subtitle: 1 sentence — the bet in plain terms.]2324[Opener (3-5 sentences): the world as it is. The pain you're addressing. Specific, not abstract.]2526[The thesis — 1 short paragraph: what you're going to do. What's the bet. State it as a sentence.]2728## Why2930[Why now, why this, why you. 2-4 sub-points or short paragraphs. Each backed by a fact, a number, or a personal experience — not a feeling.]3132## What3334[The concrete shape of what you're building. Phases, products, components. Specific enough that a reader can imagine the result.]3536## How3738[The approach. Principles, constraints, what you will NOT do. Constraints are more interesting than goals.]3940## Numbers / horizon4142[Time horizon, scale targets, success criteria. Be willing to commit to a number even if it's a guess.]4344## What I won't do4546[Explicit non-goals. This is what stops a manifesto from sounding like a brochure. Naming what's out of scope sharpens what's in.]4748[Closer (2-4 sentences): a hard, declarative invitation. NOT "let's see where it takes us". Try: "Here's the bet. Here's the date. I'll be writing about it weekly. Subscribe if you want to watch."]49```5051## Rules specific to this format5253- **Concreteness is the anti-bullshit drug.** Every claim either has a number, a date, or a named example. If a paragraph has none, rewrite it.54- **Constraints over goals.** "I won't take VC money. I won't hire. I won't build for verticals I don't use." — this is more compelling than "I want to grow."55- **Name your peers AND your differentiation.** Cite the people doing similar things. Then say what you do differently. Don't pretend you're the first.56- **The "what I won't do" section is mandatory.** Without it, the manifesto sounds like everyone else's.57- **End with a date, not a feeling.** "I'll publish progress every Sunday for the next 100 weeks." beats "Excited for the journey ahead."5859## Anti-patterns specific to this format6061- The phrase "I invite you to join me on this journey" — banned. No exceptions.62- Manifesto without numbers. Even speculative ones.63- Three-paragraph closer with rising emotional register. One short closer beats one long one every time.64- Listing your values in adjectives ("authentic, transparent, pragmatic"). Show them through what you do/don't do.65- Coach-speak: "transformational", "unleash", "embark", "potential", "limitless".6667## Workflow68691. Write the thesis as a single sentence first. Show it to one person. If it sounds like a LinkedIn bio, rewrite.702. List what you WON'T do. This often clarifies what you WILL do.713. Pull at least 3 specific numbers, dates, or names you can commit to in writing.724. Draft the structure section by section.735. Aggressively cut abstraction. Each paragraph: does this paragraph have a fact? If no, cut or rewrite.746. Closer: must commit to something specific.757. Run `editing-pass` and `ai-slop-check` — twice. This format has the highest AI-slop risk.
r-bart