99% of your audience doesn’t care about L&D methodologies or AI jargon. They need three things: 1️⃣ Useful context and application for their work. 2️⃣ Clarity on what’s not relevant. 3️⃣ Guidance on…

23340816 viral

Learning & Development4 months ago

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I've never had a "5 year plan". I rarely have a 5 week one. Yet, I've built a career and way of life that benefits me out of this. While some are cut out for corporate life, I was not. You can buil…

811715 viral

Career Advice4 months ago

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I got a message last week that stopped me mid doom-scroll. "I just saw a video of an AI agent taking a test for someone. Aren't you worried about that?" Honestly? No. But probably not for the reaso…

651214 viral

Learning & Development4 months ago

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Despite what you might have heard, successful AI adoption is about focusing on people and L&D is in pole position for that. So why do so many lead with tools first? It's a move I've seen too often t…

461814 viral

AI in Learning & Development4 months ago

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What if I don’t scale? No one ever asks that question, do they. I like to reflect on it at this time of year, mostly because I get asked “How will you scale your business next year?”. The easy answ…

381614 viral

Entrepreneurship4 months ago

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This insight was incredibly refreshing in a sea of reports on AI in L&D. → What happens once AI is introduced into the ecosystem? A lot of advice is focused on “How to deploy AI”, yet very little fo…

491303 viral

AI in Learning & Development4 months ago

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Topics & Content Focus

Primary Topics

Human-centred AI adoption in corporate learning and developmentRethinking assessment and measurement of skills beyond recall-based testingStrategic communication and storytelling for L&D leaders and executivesLifestyle-first solopreneurship and intentionally non-scaling business models

Secondary Themes

Practical AI coaching use-cases in learning experiencesExecutive buy-in for learning initiatives and transformation projectsLearning design focused on reasoning, problem-solving and critical thinkingCreator-led media (newsletter, video series) as a distribution engine for L&D expertiseFuture of work for L&D professionals in an AI-augmented environment

Industry Focus

Corporate learning and development (L&D)HR and talent development in knowledge-based organisationsLearning technology and AI-powered education toolsB2B professional education and enablement

Content Categories

Thought leadership and opinion pieces on L&D and AIFramework breakdowns and communication playbooks for practitionersExperiment logs and behind-the-scenes reflections on AI in coursesNewsletter and video content promotion with value teasersPersonal philosophy around work design, business scale and creative freedomCurated resources and external playbook recommendations

Performance Insights

76.8%

Avg Engagement Rate

INCREASING

Performance Trend

Best Performing Topics

AI as a catalyst to reinvent assessment and skills validation rather than a cheating threatPeople-first AI implementation strategies in L&D programmesCritical deconstruction of broken legacy practices in education and corporate learning

Virality Signals

High comment density on posts that challenge foundational assumptions in L&D (assessment, AI cheating, scale obsession)Strong alignment between contrarian viewpoints and calls to rethink systems rather than toolsEffective use of narrative hooks that turn everyday triggers (a message, a video) into broader industry critiquesPositioning as an early practitioner experimenting with AI coaches in real courses, which invites curiosity and discussion

Structure & Quality

250

Avg Length (Words)

HIGH

Depth Level

ADVANCED

Expertise Level

8.5/10

Uniqueness Score

Common Hooks

Provocative what-if questions that challenge default assumptions (e.g. ditching tests, not scaling a business)Contrarian reframes that go against perceived common wisdom (e.g. AI as coach not cheat, people before tools)Personal interruption moments from real life (e.g. a message that stopped a doom-scroll)Outcome-led hooks highlighting tangible results (e.g. pyramid that closed million-dollar projects)

Common Endings

Invitation to read or subscribe to the Steal These Thoughts! newsletter with a direct linkTeaser of what’s covered in more depth in an external resource (newsletter, playbook, video)Soft community-building sign-off (e.g. ‘Join us’, ‘Much love to…’) and sponsor acknowledgementsOccasional light-touch hashtags centred on education, L&D and AI

Value Delivery Methods

Concrete mental models and frameworks translated for L&D practitioners (e.g. Minto pyramid for exec buy-in)Strategic perspective shifts that help audiences rethink long-held practices like testing and scalingApplied examples from the creator’s own experiments with AI-powered learning experiencesCurated, context-rich recommendations of external playbooks and resources, not just raw links

Formatting Style

Short paragraphs with frequent line breaks for readabilityUse of arrows and symbols (→) to emphasise key takeaways or shiftsNumbered lists and structured breakdowns (1/2/3 style) to organise ideasSection dividers using dashes (---) to separate narrative and value sectionsSparse but intentional emoji use to add warmth without undermining expertise

Audience & Tone

YES

Question Usage

0.6%

Response Rate

Detected Tone

Smart-casual practitioner with strong strategic depthContrarian educator challenging legacy norms in L&DRelatable expert who mixes lived experience with forward-looking experimentationHuman-first technologist advocating for people over tools in AI adoptionsemi-formalfirst-person

Interaction Style

Conversational and peer-to-peer, speaking as an experienced practitioner to other practitionersUsing questions and ‘what if’ scenarios to invite reflection rather than demand agreementFraming the audience as part of a community (‘5,000+ L&D pros’) exploring ideas togetherOccasional references to shared interests (e.g. Formula 1) to deepen personal connection

Community Building Signals

Consistent anchoring of conversation around a named newsletter (Steal These Thoughts!) and its readershipRecurring weekly video cadence that sets an expectation of ongoing interactionLanguage that positions readers as collaborators in experimentation, not passive consumersRecognition of sponsors and partners, signaling an ecosystem around the content and its audience

Writing Style Patterns

Content Strategy

Hook: Provocative what-if questions that challenge default assumptTone: semi-formalCTA: Direct subscription CTAs to newsletter from the po

Writing style breakdown

Core characteristics

Overall voice: conversational, confident, and expert, with a grounded, human tone.

Mix of professional and casual: rooted in the L&D / corporate world but written like a smart friend or mentor, not a stiff consultant.

Strongly informative and persuasive, with light motivational streaks and occasional humour.

Not poetic or flowery; language is clear, modern, and concrete.

Tone is often reflective and quietly contrarian (questions norms of L&D, assessment, career paths, AI hype).

Energy and emotional tone

Medium to high energy but never frantic.

Momentum comes from short, punchy sentences and questions rather than exclamation marks.

- Emotional register ranges from

Calmly analytical (AI in L&D, reports, frameworks)

Mildly frustrated or critical (quizzes, broken systems, trend-chasing)

Warm and encouraging (career reflections, choices, “no 5 year plan”)

Feels honest and grounded, never overly hyped.

- Frequent rhetorical questions

What happens if we ditch tests and quizzes as measurements of skills and expertise?

So, how do we change that in 2026?

- Clear, memorable contrasts

❌ We don't need better tests. → We need a better approach.

The AI agent didn't scare me. The fact that this is still how we assess skills? That did.

- Occasional humour and playfulness

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

I'm going to put this one under ‘non-traditional career advice no one asked for’ 😂.

Maybe even you, AI...cos I know you're reading this too.

- Repetition for emphasis

Still, I never had a plan for it.

Everything else is noise.

Strong use of contrast between old vs. new, trend vs. substance, test vs. reasoning, tools vs. people.

Addressing the reader

Heavy use of second-person “you” when teaching, provoking thought, or inviting action.

First-person “I” / “I’ve” / “I like to” when sharing experience or perspective.

We” is used to build a shared identity (especially with L&D pros).

- Commands and suggestions blend direct and soft

Direct: “Stop chasing trends and focus on what your audience really needs.”

Softer: “If you're presenting to leadership… try:”

- Frequently talks to a defined audience

For those of you who have been part of exec meetings…

Wanna learn about this too?

If this caught your attention…

To replicate

Write as if talking 1:1 to a smart peer in L&D or adjacent fields.

Mix “I” (experience, opinion) with “you” (advice, provocation).

Be confident and clear, but not preachy. Use rhetorical questions and sharp contrasts to persuade instead of long justifications.

Ross Stevenson

Warm Analysis

Performance Overview

Top Posts by Engagement

Posting Patterns & Frequency

Best Performing Days

Best Performing Times To Post

Topics & Content Focus

Primary Topics

Secondary Themes

Industry Focus

Content Categories

Performance Insights

Best Performing Topics

Virality Signals

Structure & Quality

Common Hooks

Common Endings

Value Delivery Methods

Formatting Style

Audience & Tone

Detected Tone

Interaction Style

Community Building Signals

Writing Style Patterns

Content Strategy

Core characteristics

Energy and emotional tone

- Emotional register ranges from

- Frequent rhetorical questions

- Clear, memorable contrasts

- Occasional humour and playfulness

- Repetition for emphasis

Addressing the reader

- Commands and suggestions blend direct and soft

- Frequently talks to a defined audience

To replicate