The niche sentence—non-negotiable
Write one sentence: who it is for, what outcome you help them reach, and what you explicitly are not. Examples: “Self-taught devs landing their first frontend job in 90 days—no enterprise Java.” Put this sentence in presets or rules so AI and collaborators align.
If your real audience spans two segments, pick a primary for messaging and treat the secondary as a sub-series—otherwise your titles and hooks blur.
Weekly rhythm (60–90 minutes)
Scan 10–15 titles across your reference set; tag patterns (how-to, story, news, opinion).
Log five phrases your audience uses in comments—copy exact words for later titles.
Identify one gap: a question asked repeatedly with no good answer in your niche.
Pick one experiment for the next publish window based on gap + proof you can offer.
Segments and language
List three segments inside your niche (beginner, intermediate, pro). Note which language each uses—jargon that delights pros confuses beginners. Adjust your preset per segment when you switch series.
Competitive moats
Speed: news or platform changes.
Depth: tutorials that survive rewatches.
Personality: hosts viewers return for, not only information.
Systems: templates, spreadsheets, checklists people reuse.
Ethics and originality
Research tells you what exists; your stories, examples, and mistakes are yours. When you synthesize many sources, say so. When you respond to one creator, consider linking or credit—especially in small niches.
Monthly, rewrite your niche sentence if your last ten videos prove a different audience showed up. Data beats the story you told yourself at launch.