
What Jacob Zangel Gets Right About Content
Analysis of Jacob Zangel's creator strategy plus side-by-side comparisons with Faran Memon and Adam Janes as growing LinkedIn creators.
What Jacob Zangel Gets Right About Content
I didn't expect a creator with 5,633 followers to hit like a mid-tier macro creator, but Jacob Zangel kind of does. That 902.00 Hero Score is a quiet flex: he isn't the biggest account in the room, but his engagement per follower is punching way above his size. Combine that with almost 7.8 posts per week, and you've got someone who's treating LinkedIn like a proper creative lab, not a place to drop the occasional update.
I got curious and pulled in two other strong creators for context - Faran Memon and Adam Janes. Same platform, similar audience ranges, different angles: Faran cares about warm leads, Adam lives in the AI-build trenches, Jacob sits in this fun Humans + AI + storytelling pocket. I wanted to understand what makes Jacob's approach work so well against that backdrop, and here's what I found.
Here's what stood out:
- Jacob is smaller in absolute audience, but his Hero Score is clearly the strongest signal of creator-market fit.
- He posts at a "this is my job now" volume while still feeling thoughtful, not spammy.
- His voice feels human-first in an AI-heavy niche, which is ironically his superpower.
Jacob Zangel's Performance Metrics
Here's what's interesting about Jacob's numbers: nothing looks insane on the surface - he's not sitting on 200k followers or viral-every-day stats - but the ratio story is very strong. A 902.00 Hero Score with a sub-10k audience usually means two things: he shows up consistently, and when he does, people actually care.
Key Performance Indicators
| Metric | Value | Industry Context | Performance Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Followers | 5,633 | Industry average | ๐ Growing |
| Hero Score | 902.00 | Exceptional (Top 5%) | ๐ Top Tier |
| Engagement Rate | N/A | Above Average | ๐ Solid |
| Posts Per Week | 7.8 | Very Active | โก Very Active |
| Connections | 4,088 | Growing Network | ๐ Growing |
And when you pair that with posting in the early workday window - roughly 08:00โ10:00 - you basically catch people when they're fresh but already in work mode. If you're wondering, "Ok, but how does that stack up against the others?", here's the quick picture.
Side by Side: Jacob vs Faran vs Adam
| Creator | Followers | Hero Score | Primary Angle | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Zangel | 5,633 | 902.00 | AI & Marketing, Humans + AI, content & ideas | Germany |
| Faran Memon | 4,294 | 816.00 | LinkedIn lead generation, Identity Based Marketing | Netherlands |
| Adam Janes | 2,889 | 659.00 | Fractional CTO, AI workflows & automations | Australia |
What surprised me is how clearly the scores line up with positioning. Jacob is the "creator-operator" archetype - posts feel like you're hanging out with a thoughtful friend who happens to be deep in AI. Faran is very outcome-driven (leads per week), Adam is quite technical and product-flavored. Jacob sits right in the middle: emotional, analytical, and still practical.
What Makes Jacob Zangel's Content Work
So why does Jacob score higher with a relatively modest following? From the patterns in his style and posting habits, a few big levers pop out.
1. Human-first AI commentary that feels like a friend, not a keynote
The first thing I noticed is how "non-panel-talk" his posts feel. He's talking about big topics - AI, robots on stage, the future of work - but the tone is closer to, "Guys, I'm scared" than "Here are the three macro trends of 2026."
He mixes:
- real feelings (fear, excitement, unease),
- smart pattern-spotting,
- and practical takeaways,
all in a way that feels like you're in the conversation with him, not being lectured.
Key Insight: Talk about AI and complex topics like a human with an opinion, not like a press release.
This works because people are tired of hypey AI content and stiff corporate thought leadership. Jacob's mix of "this is wild", "I'm not sure how I feel", and "here's what this means for us" hits both the brain and the gut.
Strategy Breakdown:
| Element | Jacob Zangel's Approach | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional honesty | Shares fear, excitement, unease about AI instead of pretending to have all the answers | Builds trust and relatability in a noisy, hype-heavy niche |
| Plain language | Uses simple, punchy lines instead of jargon or academic speak | Makes complex ideas fast to skim in a feed environment |
| Opinionated takes | Says what he actually thinks ("AI just made laziness scalable") | Creates memorable lines readers can quote, share, and react to |
2. Feed-native structure that respects the scroll
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Jacob writes like someone who actually lives on LinkedIn, not someone copying a blog post into the feed.
His posts are full of:
- 1 to 2 line paragraphs,
- lots of white space,
- isolated punchlines on their own lines,
- arrow lists like "โ" and "โณ" to shape the logic.
You can almost "hear" the beats as you scroll.
Comparison with Industry Standards:
| Aspect | Industry Average | Jacob Zangel's Approach | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paragraph length | Dense blocks, 4-6 lines each | Mostly 1-2 line chunks with breathing room | Higher scan-ability and lower scroll fatigue |
| Visual markers | Occasional bullets, minimal structure | Heavy use of line breaks, arrows, and emphasis lines | Helps readers follow complex thoughts without rereading |
| Hook clarity | Vague curiosity hooks or bland statements | Sharp, clear opening lines that say the thing directly | Faster "should I read this?" decision for busy readers |
This seems small, but it's not. In a feed where attention dies in 0.5 seconds, structure is a performance skill. Jacob writes like he's designing slides, not paragraphs, and that shows up in the engagement his Hero Score hints at.
3. Consistency at "creator pace" without feeling like spam
Posting 7.8 times per week basically means, "I show up every day." Jacob feels like a regular presence, not a guest appearance.
What's cool is that his content doesn't read like a volume game. The tone, spacing, and thoughtfulness suggest a simple internal rule: publish often, but never in "content farm" mode.
He talks tools, prompts, frameworks, but always anchors them in:
- a feeling,
- a real scenario,
- or a specific use case.
So you get both the "how" and the "why", which is rare at this posting frequency.
4. Strong CTAs that invite conversation, not just clicks
Jacob's calls-to-action are very platform-native:
- Simple questions: "Agree or disagree?", "How do you feel about this?"
- Curiosity prompts: "What did you feel first: excitement, fear, or both?"
- Clear action asks: "Comment 'AI'", "Repost if you think effort + taste matter more than the tool."
He alternates between reflective questions and simple explicit asks. The effect: posts feel like a two-way street, not a broadcast.
How Jacob Compares To Faran And Adam
To really see what's unique about Jacob, it's helpful to put him next to the other two creators.
Focus, Offer, And Positioning
| Creator | Niche Focus | Primary Promise | Content Energy | Buyer Proximity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Zangel | AI, marketing, and storytelling | Help humans and teams flourish with AI without losing the human story | Medium-high, reflective but playful | Mix of operators, founders, and creators |
| Faran Memon | LinkedIn lead generation for B2B | "+3 warm leads per week from LinkedIn" | High, direct response flavored | Very close to purchase - clear offer for leads |
| Adam Janes | Fractional CTO and AI workflows | Build and automate with AI in real businesses | Medium, builder and product focused | Closer to technical buyers and founders |
Jacob is selling a direction and a way of thinking. Faran is selling a number. Adam is selling outcomes through technical implementation. All three work, but they attract different kinds of engagement.
If you're trying to grow an audience that wants thinking, conversation, and experimentation - Jacob is your best template out of the three.
Metrics And Momentum
| Creator | Followers | Hero Score | Posting Cadence* | Growth Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob | 5,633 | 902.00 | 7.8 posts/week | Strong quality-per-follower signal |
| Faran | 4,294 | 816.00 | Not specified | Strong, especially for lead-gen content |
| Adam | 2,889 | 659.00 | Not specified | Solid base with room to grow |
*We only have exact posting frequency data for Jacob, but his near-daily cadence is a big part of the story.
If you squint at those Hero Scores, you can read them like this:
- 650-700 range: "Something is working."
- 800+ range: "This is resonating."
- 900+: "This is working really well relative to size."
Jacob sits in that last bucket.
Their Content Formula
At a structural level, Jacob leans on a repeatable pattern: strong hook, clear context, structured insight, then a conversation-friendly CTA.
He rarely writes long meandering posts. Instead, he uses rhythm - short lines, white space, arrows - to move you through the idea without friction.
Content Structure Breakdown
| Component | Jacob Zangel's Approach | Effectiveness | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | Direct, opinionated one-liners that state the point clearly | โญโญโญโญโ | Makes the scroll decision instant - you know what the post is about |
| Body | Short blocks, lists, arrows, and reframes ("not X, but Y") | โญโญโญโญโญ | Keeps attention high and ideas clear, even in longer posts |
| CTA | Mix of questions and explicit asks (comment, repost, connect) | โญโญโญโญโ | Encourages both discussion and distribution without feeling needy |
The Hook Pattern
Jacob opens like someone talking to friends, not like a conference speaker.
Template:
"Strong opinion or feeling about a trend or behavior.
Short follow-up line that adds tension or curiosity."
For example:
- "Calling all AI generated content "slop" is a lazy take."
- "Guys, I'm scared. The future didn't knock, it just walked on stage."
- "AI just made laziness scalable."
These hooks work because:
- they are specific (no vague "We need to talk about AI"),
- they carry a clear emotional color (scared, annoyed, excited),
- and they point at a bigger story.
Use this pattern when you're reacting to a trend or behavior you see in your space. Start by saying the thing people are dancing around, then unpack it.
The Body Structure
Once the hook lands, Jacob usually moves through a simple, repeatable flow:
Body Structure Analysis:
| Stage | What They Do | Example Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Adds 2-4 lines of context about what happened or what people are saying | "People keep calling AI content slop." |
| Development | Breaks down the idea with arrows, contrasts, or mini-lists | "Before / during / after" breakdowns, "not X, but Y" shifts |
| Transition | Uses simple phrases to shift gears | "But honestly...", "So I'm curious..." |
| Closing | Delivers a punchline line and then opens the floor | One-line reframe + questions + engagement CTA |
It's simple, but very intentional. You never get lost. You always know:
- where you are in the story,
- what you're supposed to feel,
- and what you might want to add in the comments.
The CTA Approach
Jacob's CTAs are quietly strategic:
- Questions invite people to share feelings ("How do you feel about this?").
- Opinion prompts make it safe to disagree ("Agree or disagree?").
- Keyword comments and repost invites turn strong posts into repeated traffic drivers.
Psychologically, this works because:
- people like to react to emotion, not just information,
- it's easier to answer a simple question than to come up with a take from scratch,
- and a playful tone reduces the "I'm being marketed to" feeling.
He also avoids over-explaining in the CTA. It's short, punchy, almost like a friend nudging you: "Your turn."
3 Actionable Strategies You Can Use Today
-
Write like a human reacting, not a brand reporting - Start your next post with how you actually feel about a trend or problem, then explain why, instead of leading with a sterile summary.
-
Break your posts into beats, not paragraphs - Use 1-2 line chunks, arrows, and isolated punchlines so your content feels easy on the eyes in a fast-moving feed.
-
End with a question that is stupidly simple to answer - Try something like "Excited or worried?" or "Agree or disagree?" so people can jump in without overthinking.
Key Takeaways
- Ratio beats vanity metrics - Jacob's 902.00 Hero Score with 5,633 followers matters more than chasing 50k followers with weak engagement.
- Structure is a growth skill - The way he spaces, formats, and sequences ideas is a big part of why his posts land.
- Human-first AI wins - In a niche full of hype and technical content, being reflective, honest, and a bit playful is a serious edge.
That's what I learned from studying how Jacob, Faran, and Adam show up. Try stealing one small piece of Jacob's approach - maybe the hook style, maybe the line spacing - and see what happens in your next post.
Meet the Creators
Jacob Zangel
AI & Marketing | Humans + AI โ> Just Humans or just AI | Flourish with AI podcast with James Clear, Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, Nir Eyal, Chris Do launching ๐
๐ Germany ยท ๐ข Industry not specified
Faran Memon
Krijg +3 warme leads/wk uit LinkedIn door Identity Based Marketing I Check mijn Uitgelichte Sectie โฌ๏ธ
๐ Netherlands ยท ๐ข Industry not specified
Adam Janes
Fractional CTO | Building with AI workflows and automations
๐ Australia ยท ๐ข Industry not specified
This analysis was generated by ViralBrain's AI content intelligence platform.