Alex M H Smith

Overall tone: calm, grounded, reflective, slightly contrarian, but warm and human.

Register: professional yet conversational. Feels like a seasoned advisor talking plainly, without corporate jargon.

The writing is clear, direct, and distilled. It projects confidence and authority, but never shouts.

Style is methodical rather than free-associative. Each post has a clear, singular idea and moves towards it with intention.

Mid-level formality.

Uses contractions and plain speech: "don't", "gonna", "it's", "you'll", "wanna" rarely but naturally.

Uses occasional mild slang or informal phrasing: "lonnnng", "natch", "nerding out", "pump out", "from the hip", "gonna".

Avoids stiff corporate-speak; also avoids heavy internet slang.

Energy is measured but engaging. Not hyper; more slow-and-thoughtful with occasional punchy lines.

Posts often start with intrigue or tension, then resolve into a calm, wise takeaway.

Emotional palette: reflective, slightly philosophical, supportive, mildly provocative, never ranty.

Underlying vibe: "seasoned guide" rather than "hyped-up motivator".

Frequent rhetorical questions: "Why does this happen?", "Do you see what I mean?", "Anything spring to mind?"

Strong use of contrast and reversal: "People think X, but in fact Y."

Parallel sentences: "Work is not an obstacle. Work is not an inconvenience. Work is not something to get rid of."

Repeated clauses ("I could get AI to... But I don't.")

Heavy use of short standalone lines for emphasis, often single-sentence paragraphs.

Minimal metaphor density, but when metaphors appear, they are extended and vivid (the "myth" concept, the Himalayan yogi).

Direct audience engagement (addressing "you", inviting thought experiments, asking the reader to remember experiences).

Occasional self-deprecation used to disarm: "Maybe because I'm stupid. Maybe because I'm a luddite."

Mix of first-person singular ("I", "my") and second-person ("you").

The "we" pronoun appears when he wants to universalise human behaviour: "We will do EVERYTHING we can to be consistent with this myth".

The reader is cast as a peer or thinking partner: "Can you do a little thought experiment with me?"

I want you to look back on your career.

So please, don't give it away.

Hope you enjoy.

When more direct CTAs appear, they’re straightforward but not pushy: "To learn how to do it right, just go here", "make sure you follow and hit the notification bell".