Alex Hormozi recently shared something that caught my attention because it was so simple it almost felt like a dare: "My hot takes that I stand by." That was the whole post. No list. No explanation. Just a flag planted in the ground.

And yet it pulled hundreds of likes and a lively comment section. That contrast is the point. A strong premise can do more work than a long paragraph, especially on LinkedIn where attention is scarce and certainty is magnetic.

In this article, I want to expand on what Hormozi hinted at with that one line: why "hot takes" travel, how to use them without turning into a professional contrarian, and how this kind of positioning becomes a repeatable content strategy.

Why a single line can go viral

Hormozi did something that many creators forget to do: he created tension.

A hot take is not just an opinion. It is an opinion that implies conflict with the default.

It signals confidence: "I stand by this."
It signals novelty: "This might surprise you."
It invites response: "Do you agree or disagree?"

A hot take is a compressed promise: "If you read further, you will get a clear stance."

Even without sharing the takes, Hormozi created an open loop. People lean in because they want to know what he believes, and because they want to test their own beliefs against his.

What Alex Hormozi is really teaching here

When Alex Hormozi writes "My hot takes that I stand by," he is not only teasing content. He is reinforcing an identity: someone with a point of view.

On LinkedIn, identity-driven content often beats information-driven content.

Information says: "Here are tips."
Identity says: "Here is how I see the world."

That is why hot takes can outperform long educational posts. Education is easy to skim. A worldview is harder to ignore.

Hot takes are not about being loud

The internet rewards extremes, but sustainable business rewards trust. The best hot takes are not outrageous. They are:

Clear
Specific
Useful
Defensible

The phrase "that I stand by" matters. It implies the take is not a gimmick. It is a belief the author would defend in public, in a room of smart people, under pressure.

If you want to use this approach, adopt the same standard: do not post a take you would abandon the moment someone pushes back.

A simple framework for writing hot takes that hold up

Here is a structure I use when I want a post to feel bold but not sloppy.

1) The Claim

State the belief in one sentence.

Examples:

"Most small businesses do not have a marketing problem. They have an offer problem."
"If your content is not polarizing, it is probably forgettable."

2) The Contrast

Name the default belief you are disagreeing with.

"Most people think you need more leads."
"Most creators think consistency is the whole game."

3) The Reason

Give 1-3 reasons. Not ten. Hot takes lose power when they become lectures.

4) The Test

Offer a quick way to validate the claim.

"Look at your last 50 sales calls. What actually stopped the deal?"
"Audit your last 10 posts. Which ones had a clear stance?"

5) The Invitation

Ask a direct question that makes commenting easy.

"Where do you disagree?"
"What would you add?"

The goal is not to win the argument. The goal is to start the right argument with the right people.

Turning hot takes into a content strategy

One reason Hormozi can post a line like that and get traction is that his audience expects strong opinions. That expectation is built over time.

Here is how to systematize it.

Build a "belief bank"

Create a running list of:

Things you believe about your market
Things you believe about customers
Things you believe about pricing, hiring, sales, or product
Mistakes you see repeatedly
Advice you think is overrated

If you struggle to generate beliefs, start with prompts:

"People say X, but in practice I see Y."
"The advice to do X works only if Z is true."
"If I had to delete 80 percent of what I teach, I would keep this."

Pick a lane, then vary the angle

A good hot-take strategy has consistency in topic and variety in expression.

For example, if your lane is "B2B sales":

Take 1 can challenge outreach scripts
Take 2 can challenge discovery calls
Take 3 can challenge discounting

Same domain, different doorway.

Use comments as R and D

Hot takes are market research disguised as content.

When people push back, pay attention to:

Which words triggered them
Which assumptions they have
Which edge cases they bring up

Then turn that into follow-up posts:

"A few people asked about the exception. Here is when my take is wrong."
"Here is the nuance I should have added."

That is how you stay credible while still being bold.

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Mistake 1: Confusing "hot" with "mean"

Attacking people is lazy. Challenging ideas is productive.

Instead of "Anyone who does X is dumb," try "X fails because it ignores Y." You keep the edge without losing professionalism.

Mistake 2: Being vague

"Most people are doing business wrong" is not a hot take. It is noise.

Make it measurable:

"If you cannot explain your offer in one sentence, your ads will not save you."

Mistake 3: No proof, no story, no stakes

A take without support reads like a random opinion. Add one of:

A short story
A number
A counterexample
A lesson learned the hard way

Mistake 4: Forgetting your goal

Your goal might be:

More qualified inbound leads
More authority with a niche audience
Better hiring pipeline
Partnerships

Write takes that attract the people you want and repel the ones you do not.

Why this works especially well on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a relationship network wearing a content platform costume.

People are not just evaluating your ideas. They are evaluating:

"Would I work with this person?"
"Would I refer them?"
"Do they sound decisive?"

A well-argued hot take signals decision-making ability. It says, "I can choose a direction and explain why." In business, that is valuable.

So when Hormozi posts "My hot takes that I stand by," he is also quietly saying: "I have a compass, not just a keyboard." That is why people stop scrolling.

A practical template you can copy

If you want to try this today, fill in the blanks:

"Hot take: ________. Most people believe ________, but that fails because ________. If you want to test this, look at ________. Agree or disagree?"

Keep it tight. Make it defensible. Then stand by it.

This blog post expands on a viral LinkedIn post by Alex Hormozi, Founder Acquisition.com, Co-Founder Skool.com. Get your free scaling roadmap👇. View the original LinkedIn post →