# Thought Leadership > Writes opinion pieces and thought leadership articles that position the author as an industry authority. Use when you need to publish a strong perspective on an industry topic. - Skill: `reaperinvest/thought-leadership` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/thought-leadership` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/thought-leadership/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/thought-leadership --- # Thought Leadership ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Write an opinion piece that stakes a clear position on an industry topic - Create thought leadership content that builds authority and credibility - Produce a perspective-driven article for a blog, LinkedIn, or industry publication - Publish a contrarian take or forward-looking prediction with supporting evidence **DO NOT** use this skill for how-to content, listicles, or neutral informational articles. This is for opinion-driven, authority-building pieces. --- ## Core Principle THOUGHT LEADERSHIP WITHOUT A CLEAR OPINION IS JUST CONTENT — THE AUTHOR MUST TAKE A POSITION AND DEFEND IT WITH EVIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Topic / position** | "What is your opinion or argument?" | No default — must be provided | | **Why now** | "Why is this relevant right now?" | Industry trend or recent event | | **Author's credibility** | "What experience qualifies you to have this opinion?" | No default — must be provided | | **Target audience** | "Who should read this and be influenced by it?" | Industry peers and potential clients | | **Publication** | "Where will this be published? Blog, LinkedIn, industry publication?" | Blog | | **Word count** | "Target length?" | 1,200-1,800 words | **GATE: Confirm brief before outlining.** --- ## Phase 2: Outline ### Article Architecture ``` **H1:** [Declarative title that states the position] **Hook** (~150 words) — Story, observation, or bold claim that sets up the argument **H2: The Current State** (~300 words) — What most people believe or do today **H2: Why That's Wrong / Incomplete** (~400 words) — The author's contrarian perspective with evidence **H2: What I've Seen / Done Instead** (~400 words) — Personal experience and results **H2: What This Means for You** (~300 words) — Practical implications for the reader **Conclusion** (~150 words) — Restate the position and call to action ``` **GATE: Approve outline before writing.** --- ## Phase 3: Write ### Writing Rules | Rule | Detail | |------|--------| | **State the opinion early** | The reader should know your position within the first 3 paragraphs | | **First person required** | Thought leadership demands personal voice — "I believe," "In my experience" | | **Evidence for every claim** | Data, case studies, or personal results back every argument | | **Acknowledge the other side** | Address counterarguments directly — it strengthens your position | | **No hedging** | "I think this might possibly be..." kills authority. State opinions confidently. | | **Concrete examples** | Abstract opinions are forgettable. Specific stories and numbers are memorable. | | **End with implications** | Tell the reader what to DO with this perspective | ### Opinion Strength Scale Rate the piece before delivering: - **Level 1 (Safe):** Agreeable insight most people already hold — limited impact - **Level 2 (Informed):** A position backed by data that some will disagree with — good - **Level 3 (Contrarian):** Directly challenges conventional wisdom with strong evidence — best for thought leadership - **Level 4 (Provocative):** May alienate some readers but creates strong engagement — use with care Target Level 2-3 for maximum thought leadership impact. ### Structure Template ``` [HOOK: Specific moment, observation, or bold claim] [THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM: What most people believe about this topic] [THE PROBLEM: Why that belief is wrong, incomplete, or outdated] - [Evidence point 1] - [Evidence point 2] - [Personal experience or data] [THE ALTERNATIVE: What the author does/believes instead] - [How it works] - [Results achieved] - [Why it's better] [COUNTERARGUMENT: The strongest objection and your response to it] [IMPLICATIONS: What this means for the reader and what they should do] [CLOSE: Restate the position in one powerful sentence] ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Thought Leadership Checklist ``` ## Quality Checklist - [ ] Author's position is clear within the first 3 paragraphs - [ ] At least one contrarian or non-obvious insight - [ ] Every claim is backed by evidence (data, experience, or case study) - [ ] Counterarguments are acknowledged and addressed - [ ] Written in first person with personal voice - [ ] No hedging language ("might," "could possibly," "it seems") - [ ] Ends with practical implications for the reader - [ ] Opinion strength is Level 2 or 3 - [ ] Article would generate discussion if posted on LinkedIn - [ ] Author's credibility is established early ``` ### 2. Distribution Notes - **LinkedIn:** Share with a personal hook paragraph that teases the contrarian angle - **Email list:** Send a condensed version with a link to the full piece - **Social media:** Pull 3-5 standalone quotes for social posts --- ## Example: "Why I Stopped A/B Testing Everything (And Revenue Went Up)" ``` Position: Obsessive A/B testing wastes more money than it saves for small businesses Credibility: Ran 200+ A/B tests over 3 years at a 7-figure e-commerce company Evidence: 80% of tests were inconclusive, opportunity cost of test setup exceeded gains Outline: Hook: "I spent $40K on A/B testing last year. Net revenue impact: -$12K." Current state: The industry worships A/B testing as the path to optimization Why it's wrong: At small traffic levels, most tests never reach significance What I do instead: Make decisive changes based on qualitative data and customer conversations Implications: Stop testing everything. Start listening to customers. ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **No clear opinion** — "Here are some thoughts on marketing" is a blog post, not thought leadership. Take a position. - **All opinion, no evidence** — hot takes without data are social media posts, not authoritative articles. - **Hedging throughout** — "This might not work for everyone, but perhaps..." undermines every argument. Commit to the opinion. - **Attacking people instead of ideas** — criticize practices and approaches, never individuals or companies by name. - **No personal experience** — thought leadership without "I tried this and here's what happened" reads as theory, not authority. - **Burying the opinion** — do not make the reader wait until paragraph 8 to discover your actual position. --- ## Recovery - **No strong opinion:** Ask "What do you believe about [topic] that most of your peers would disagree with?" If they cannot answer, brainstorm 5 contrarian takes and pick the one they feel strongest about. - **Opinion is too safe:** Push toward a Level 3 position. Ask "What would a bolder version of this argument look like?" - **No supporting data:** Substitute with detailed personal experience and specific results. First-person evidence is powerful even without external data. - **Author is uncomfortable being controversial:** Frame it as "informed disagreement" rather than controversy. Focus on sharing a better approach rather than attacking the current one. - **Piece reads like a rant:** Add structure — acknowledge counterarguments, provide evidence, and end with constructive implications.