The 3-Step Writing Framework That Helped Us Build +$10M Newsletters

About this video

Sam Parr and Shaan Puri teach a crash course on becoming a better writer by focusing on persuasion, clarity of thought, and idea generation. They break down their pre-writing process (beginning with the end in mind, copywork warm-ups, building swipe files), drafting and editing methodology (quick drafting, incubation periods, ruthless editing), and tactical writing techniques (punchy openings, conversational tone, short sentences, varied rhythm, and storytelling). The hosts draw on their experience building multi-million subscriber newsletters and sold media companies to share frameworks and resources for writing that converts.

Key takeaways

• Begin with the end in mind before writing: decide the emotional reaction you want, the action you want readers to take, and the single sentence they should remember
• Sam and Shaan recommend copywork (hand-writing great writing you admire) as a warm-up ritual, followed by quick drafting without self-judgment, then incubation time away from the draft, then high-energy editing—this process reveals and generates new ideas rather than just communicating existing ones
• Write conversationally at a 6th-8th grade reading level using short sentences by default, avoid jargon and LinkedIn-speak, don’t bury the lead, and create rhythm by varying sentence length; great writing is great editing, not great drafting
• Storytelling relies on intention (what does the character want?) and obstacle (what’s in their way?), with high emotional stakes even in mundane situations; study comedians like Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K. who master persuasive narrative structure
• Consume writing and media analytically—not just for entertainment—to reverse-engineer technique; resources include Stephen King’s ‘On Writing,’ comedians, true crime podcasts, engineering blogs, and maintaining a swipe file of phrases and openings that resonate

Episode details: published February 19, 2024 · 121K views · 56:44 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The business ideas, figures and results discussed are the hosts’ and guests’ own claims, shared as brainstorming and entertainment — not verified facts and not investment advice.

← Previous: 3 Niche Business Ideas We Thought Would Fail… But Actually Crushed It · Next: The 3 Biggest Business Opportunities Of 2024 w/ Syed Balkhi →

All My First Million videos · My First Million profile · My First Million (official site)