Course resource

Single-Source Workflow Template

One substantial piece of work becomes everything else. This is the template for doing that without producing twelve pieces of thin content.

The principle

Do not create for each channel. Create once, properly, then adapt.

The source must be genuinely substantial — a real argument, real data, a real story. Adaptation amplifies whatever is there. If the source is thin, you get twelve thin things and an audience that stops paying attention.

The source


Format	Long article / talk / video / podcast / report
The one argument
Three supporting points	1. 2. 3.
The specific evidence	Numbers, incidents, quotes you own
The thing only I could say
Who it is for

The gate: if you cannot fill "the thing only I could say", stop. Adapt something else.

The adaptation map

Output	Derived from	Angle
Short post A	Supporting point 1	The counterintuitive bit
Short post B	The specific evidence	The number that surprises
Short post C	The thing only I could say	The opinion
Carousel / thread	All three points	The structure
Short video	The single strongest moment	Hook + payoff
Email	Full argument, compressed	Direct to the reader
Clips	Best 30 seconds of source	Standalone moments

Seven outputs from one source. Not twelve — the marginal ones dilute the rest.

The prompt

Here is my source piece: [PASTE OR SUMMARISE]

The single argument: [ONE SENTENCE]
The specifics I own: [NUMBERS, INCIDENTS, QUOTES]
Audience: [WHO]
My voice profile: [PASTE]

Produce:
1. Three short posts, each standing alone, each taking a DIFFERENT angle —
   not three summaries of the same point
2. One thread/carousel outline, 7 slides, one idea per slide
3. One email, under 200 words, written directly to one reader
4. Three video hook lines, under 12 words each

Rules:
- Every output must use one of my specifics. No generic versions.
- Each must work for someone who never sees the source
- Do not invent statistics, examples or incidents
- [BANNED WORDS LIST]

The "different angle" instruction is what stops you posting the same thing three times in slightly different words.

Adapting properly, not just resizing

Each channel has a different job. Resizing is not adapting.

Channel	The job	What must change
Long-form	Make the full argument	This is the source
Professional feed	One idea, one takeaway	Hook in the first two lines, before the fold
Short social	One sharp claim	Ruthless compression; usually a single sentence
Email	Speak to one person	Second person, direct, one ask
Short video	Hook, then payoff fast	Rewrite for the ear: shorter sentences, no clauses
Carousel	One idea per slide	Visual hierarchy; the last slide must land

Scheduling

Do not publish everything on the same day. The adaptations should extend the life of the source, not compress it.

Day	Output	Channel
0	Source
2	Short post A
5	Thread/carousel
8	Email
12	Short post B
16	Video
25	Short post C

Re-run the strongest performer against a new source later. Most audiences do not see most of what you publish.

The quality gate

Before publishing any adaptation:

It works for someone who has not seen the source
It uses at least one specific I own
It takes a different angle from the other adaptations
It reads like me
It would be worth reading even if it were not derived from anything

That last one is the honest test. If an adaptation only exists because the template had a row for it, do not post it.

What ratio to expect

Aim for one strong source per fortnight and around seven adaptations, not one per week and twenty. The failure mode of this workflow is volume: a feed of thin derivatives trains your audience to scroll past your name.

Source	Date	Adaptations published	Best performer	Why

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