YouTube Angle Ideation

David's pre-production funnel for turning raw material (a recorded podcast, an interview transcript, a research dump) into ONE chosen video angle. Run this BEFORE drafting an outline, intro, or thumbnail.

When to Use

• David has finished recording a podcast/interview and asks "what's this video about?"
• David shares a transcript and asks for angles, framings, hooks, or "what should we make this?"
• David is about to write an intro or outline but hasn't locked the angle yet
• Any pre-production task where the topic is fuzzy

If the angle is already locked, skip this skill and go to youtube-presentation (deck) or intro drafting.

The Funnel (3 stages)

David's proven sequence — DO NOT skip steps or merge them. Each stage narrows.

Stage 1: Read the material

Read the full transcript/source. Form an honest read of what the episode actually IS vs. what it could be framed as. Note tension, surprises, the strongest 2-3 sound bites, the genuine through-line.

Stage 2: 7 angles (broad)

List ~7 distinct angles the video COULD be. Each angle = a different lens. Rank by punch. Mix tactical, mindset, contrarian, meta. One-liner each, no fluff. Add a bonus 8th if there's a strong outlier.

Format:

1. **Angle Name** — one-sentence description of the lens.
2. ...

Stage 3: 10 one-sentence framings

Once David reacts (or just asks for it), give 10 different single-sentence descriptions of "what this video is about." Each sentence must stand alone as a pitch. Vary the emphasis — some lead with the person, some with the result, some with the contrarian take, some with the practical promise.

Keep each under ~20 words. No two should feel like rewrites of each other.

Stage 4 (David picks)

David picks. Only then move to intro/outline/deck.

Critical Rules

• NEVER say "script." Use "pre-production" or "outline." Banned word.
• Don't draft the intro until the angle is locked. Even if asked indirectly. Confirm the angle first.
• Don't combine stages. If David asks for 7 angles, give 7 angles — not 7 angles + the intro + a thumbnail idea. Single-faceted output.
• Ask broad discovery questions about the DOMAIN, not confirmation of what's written. When narrowing, ask things like "who's the target viewer?" and "what's the hook angle?" — one question at a time, never combined.
• Honest read first. If the episode is "Mickey explaining his workflow with David as host," say that. Don't pretend it's a David-led manifesto. The angle has to match the actual material.

Pitfalls

• Giving framings that are all minor rewrites of each other (e.g. all start with "How to..."). Force variety in sentence structure and emphasis.
• Jumping to intro/outline before David picks. Wait.
• Treating this like a one-shot brainstorm. It's a funnel — each stage builds on David's reaction to the previous one.
• Asking multi-part questions ("who's the audience AND what's the hook?"). Split into separate turns.

Related

• youtube-presentation — after angle is locked, build the slide deck
• youtube-content — for transcript extraction (yt-dlp / youtube-transcript-api)
• ns-module-preproduction — different workflow, for NS course modules only