Scan time: 2-3 min / Read time: 5-7 min
Hey rebel solopreneurs 🦸♀️🦸♂️
Most content creators spend 20 minutes staring at a blank page before every post. Trying to craft the perfect headline. Deleting. Rewriting. Still not sure if it's good.
Smart ones generate 49 headlines in 3 minutes and pick the best one.
✳️ Why this works
Here's the thing most writers get backwards:
They write the article first. Then try to create a headline that fits.
That's why they ramble. Repeat themselves. Forget key points. The article has no clear direction.
Here's what actually works:
Write your headline FIRST. Then write to fulfill it.
Your headline is your roadmap. It tells you exactly where you're going and what you need to deliver.
Think of it like a movie trailer. Beginning. Conflict. Solution. Transformation. All clear before filming starts.
Without that roadmap? You're lost. You're asking readers to trust a mystery journey. No one does that.
Most writers make headlines vague. "Writing 101." "The Dream Brigade." "Double Or Nothing."
The reader has no clue what they're getting. So they scroll past.
But wait. The "How to X without Y" framework gives you the complete roadmap in one sentence.
It answers two questions instantly:
What will I get? (X - the outcome you'll teach)
Why is this worth my time? (Y - the obstacle you'll remove)
"How to build a house without having to build it yourself." "How to make tons of money without working 60 hours per week." "How to become a Digital Writer without spending $120K on an English Degree."
Now you know exactly what to write. Teach them X. Show them how to avoid Y.
Clear outcome. Clear benefit. Zero guessing. For the reader AND for you.
Your article practically writes itself because you know exactly what promise to fulfill.
Turns out, clarity beats cleverness every time. BAM.
Let's see how Jordan figured this out:
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Jordan writes weekly newsletters.
But here's the problem. Every single week started the same way. Blank page. Blinking cursor.
"Should I write about productivity? Or mindset? Or tools?"
Type something. Delete.
Type something else. Delete.
30 minutes gone. Still no headline.
Jordan tried brainstorming lists. "10 productivity tips." Too generic. "The ultimate guide to focus." Too vague. "How I tripled my output." Too personal.
Every headline felt off.
After 6 months of this, Jordan had written 26 newsletters. Each one took 45 minutes just to find a decent headline. That's 19.5 hours wasted on title writing alone.
Jordan was tired of starting every writing session stuck.
Then Jordan found something. A principle from someone who'd taught 8,000+ writers.
A concept called "The How to X without Y Framework."
It explained exactly why headline brainstorming was killing productivity. And how to generate dozens of options in minutes instead of staring at blank pages for hours.
Jordan decided to follow these steps:
Step 1: Generate 7 subtopics (the outcomes readers want) Step 2: Create 49 "How to X without Y" headlines automatically
📝 Step 1: Jordan generated 7 subtopics
Jordan opened ChatGPT/Claude (the AI sidekick).
The topic for next week's newsletter was "Running Your First Marathon."
But wait. Which angle should Jordan take?
Training plans? Nutrition? Mental preparation? Injury prevention?
Jordan had no clue which subtopic would resonate.
Tried listing ideas manually:
"Maybe training schedules?"
"Or recovery strategies?"
"What about race day tips?"
15 minutes. Seven weak ideas. None felt compelling.
The problem? Jordan was guessing which angles readers actually cared about.
But if Jordan could see the 7 most important subtopics instantly, picking the right angle would be obvious.
Jordan decided to run this prompt to generate subtopics.
The prompt needed just the main topic. From there, it would identify the 7 key areas readers need help with. Jordan could see exactly which angles to cover.
The subtopic generator prompt:
You are helping me generate content ideas for the topic below.
I need you to identify 7 key subtopics that my target reader would want to learn about within this main topic.
Each subtopic should:
- Focus on a specific outcome or action the reader wants to accomplish
- Be clear and concrete (not vague)
- Represent something readers actively struggle with or want to achieve
Format your response as a simple numbered list:
1. [Subtopic focusing on specific outcome]
2. [Subtopic focusing on specific outcome]
...and so on
---
INPUT:
[Paste your main topic here. Example: "Running Your First Marathon"]
The AI sidekick returned 7 clear subtopics:
Developing a training plan for first-time marathoners
Building running endurance without overtraining
Preventing common running injuries
Optimizing nutrition for marathon training
Mental strategies for race day
Selecting the right gear and shoes
Recovering effectively after long runs
Jordan scanned the list. Every single one was something readers ask about constantly.
Completion moment: Jordan had 7 specific angles to work with instead of vague topic ideas.
🎯 Step 2: Jordan created 49 headlines automatically
Jordan had 7 subtopics. Great.
But now what? How do you turn "Developing a training plan" into a compelling headline?
Jordan tried writing manually.
"How to develop a training plan." Too basic.
"The complete guide to training plans." Too generic.
"Why your training plan matters." Doesn't promise anything.
Should this focus on time? Or complexity? Or personalization?
20 minutes writing and rewriting. Three mediocre headlines.
The problem? Jordan was creating one headline at a time with no systematic way to explore different angles.
But if Jordan could generate 7 variations per subtopic automatically, finding the best one would be simple.
Jordan ran this prompt to create the complete headline matrix.
The prompt needed the 7 subtopics from above. From there, it would identify 7 common obstacles (the "Y") for each subtopic, then automatically combine them into "How to X without Y" format. Jordan would get 49 complete headlines to choose from.
The "How to X without Y" headline generator prompt:
Great, now for each of the subtopics above, I want you to generate article titles using the "How to X (without Y)" format.
"X" is the goal of the subtopic.
For example:
If the subtopic is "Developing a training plan for first-time marathoners."
Then X would be "develop a training plan"
"Y" will be common obstacles people would face or objections as to why they wouldn't be able to accomplish "X."
For example:
If the subtopic is "Developing a training plan for first-time marathoners."
And "X" is "develop a training plan"
Then Y could be "without spending hours researching"
Step 1: For each of the 7 subtopics, generate 7 common problems or objections ("Y") someone might have in accomplishing that subtopic outcome ("X"). List all problems first.
Step 2: After listing all problems, create one "How to X without Y" headline for each problem.
Final output: 49 headlines total (7 subtopics × 7 headlines each)
Format the output clearly:
**Subtopic 1: [Name]**
1. How to [X] without [Y problem 1]
2. How to [X] without [Y problem 2]
...and so on for all 7
Then repeat for all 7 subtopics.
---
INPUT:
[Use the subtopics from above]
The AI sidekick returned 49 complete headlines.
Subtopic 1: Developing a training plan
How to develop a training plan without spending hours researching
How to develop a training plan without hiring an expensive coach
How to develop a training plan without risking injury
How to develop a training plan without overwhelming yourself
How to develop a training plan without sacrificing your social life
How to develop a training plan without needing advanced running knowledge
How to develop a training plan without committing to unrealistic mileage
Subtopic 2: Building endurance
How to build running endurance without overtraining
How to build running endurance without running every single day
How to build running endurance without getting injured
How to build running endurance without losing motivation
How to build running endurance without adding hours to your schedule ...and 42 more headlines across all 7 subtopics.
Jordan stared at the screen. Every headline was clear. Every one promised a specific outcome while removing a common fear.
"How to develop a training plan without sacrificing your social life" — that's exactly what beginners worry about.
"How to build running endurance without running every single day" — perfect for busy people.
Completion moment: Jordan had 49 testable headlines to choose from. One newsletter topic for every week of the year.
📊 Jordan's results after 4 weeks
Before:
Time per headline: 30-45 minutes of brainstorming
Headlines per session: 1-2 weak options
Confidence level: Low (never sure if it's good)
After:
Time per headline session: 3 minutes total
Headlines per session: 49 strong options
Confidence level: High (can test multiple and pick the winner)
Jordan's process now:
Pick this week's topic (1 minute)
Run subtopic generator prompt (45 seconds)
Run headline generator prompt (90 seconds)
Pick the best headline from 49 options (5 minutes)
Start writing with clear direction
Total time: 8 minutes. Not 45 minutes.
The AI sidekick handles subtopic identification and headline generation in under 3 minutes. Bingo.
🧩 Your turn
Copy both prompts into your AI sidekick. Run them in the same chat.
Paste your topic into Prompt 1. Your AI sidekick generates 7 key subtopics.
Then Prompt 2 runs automatically using those subtopics. It creates 49 "How to X without Y" headlines.
Generation time: 3 minutes total. Time to pick your winner: 5 minutes.
That's it, my fellow outliers!
Yours 'helping solopreneurs skip the hard way of doing things' Vijay peduru 🦸♂️