AI-powered playbook

Leverage Posts

Turn something you have truly learned from an established source into one honest post that earns attention and shows your own useful thinking.

Marc Teo, Master Implementers

Introduction

Leverage Posts

1Choose your real source
2Find your useful lesson
3Choose your opening
4Write and refine your post

Introduction

When you are just starting out, most people will not stop for what you have to say. That is not an insult. They simply have no reason yet to trust you. A leverage post answers that problem by standing next to something your reader already trusts, such as a book, a speaker, a podcast, an event or a teacher, and then showing what you saw there. In Marc's words, you borrow trust. The borrowing only works when it is real, so everything in this page is built around telling the truth about where your ideas came from.

The name of a famous person is not the point of the post. The reader gets value from your interpretation: what the source said, what you think about it, and how they can use it this week. A post that only lists impressive names looks like decoration. A post that explains one idea, shows how you apply it and leaves the reader with something to try looks like expertise, even when you are new.

You do not need paid access, a private mastermind or a personal friendship with anyone. Marc was direct about this on a coaching call: if there is someone popular or established in your space, you can say that you watched a couple of videos and share the biggest lessons you learned. Public material is enough to start. What you must never do is invent a meeting, put words in someone's mouth, or suggest that a person endorses you because you learned from them.

This page walks you through four steps: choose your real source, find your own lesson, choose your opening, then write and refine the full post. Each step explains the decision first, shows a real dated example from Marc, and only then gives you a box to copy into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Read the teaching and the examples before you use the boxes. The boxes ask you questions one at a time, so you can answer with short notes or a voice note.

The method

What a leverage post does

A leverage post uses an established source to give your reader a reason to listen. The source supplies the first spark of trust. You supply the part that makes the post worth reading: a clear lesson and your own use of it. Marc's teaching of this post type is that you should not just summarise, you should interpret, and position the post as: here is what I learned, here is how it applies to you.

Think of it as standing near something and describing what you can see from there. You do not have to own the mountain. You only have to tell the truth about where you stood and what you noticed.

Three routes, and you choose one

Marc's framework gives three routes, called Associate, Backdoor and Curate. They are alternative ways to start a post. They are not three paragraphs that every post must contain, and they are not three levels you must climb in order. Pick the one that matches what you have really done.

Associate (A) is branding by association. You show a real connection to a name, brand, event, certification or award you have earned, with receipts such as a photo, ticket, screenshot or certificate. It takes the least effort, but it only works when the connection is genuine and you add something useful beyond the name.

Backdoor (B) is access. You share what you saw from the inside of something you were actually part of: an interview you conducted, a guest spot, a role, a mastermind seat or a contractor job. It takes more work because you have to have been there.

Curate (C) is lessons from an established source such as a book, talk, course, interview or event, with your own take added. It takes thought rather than access, which is why it is the easiest route for most new coaches to use today. Using less obvious or more premium sources can raise the perceived value, but a well-chosen public source with a real interpretation is a perfectly good start.

Interpretation is what makes it yours

Every strong leverage post carries three separate things: what the source said, what you make of it, and how the reader can use it. Keep them apart in your head while you plan, because summaries tend to swallow the other two. If you can say a source's idea in one line and then say what you would add, question or do differently, you have an interpretation.

In the Buffett post shown below, Marc names the source, pulls out one lesson (the Punchcard Theory), and then says how he applies it: every quarter he identifies his top few core decisions and asks himself a short list of questions. The questions are what the reader can borrow.

Keep it true

Only claim what you can show. Do not invent a meeting, a conversation or a quotation. If you are retelling an idea in your own words, say so, and do not present your wording as the exact words of the person. Learning from someone, or meeting them, does not mean they endorse you or your work, so never imply that they do.

Marc's Buffett post is a good reminder. It is Marc's dated application of an idea he credits to Buffett. It is not an authenticated quotation from Buffett. When you use a source, make clear what is the source's and what is yours.

Before you post, share your draft through the coaching channel you have agreed with Marc if you have one, then post it yourself. The AI boxes never send or publish anything for you.

How the four boxes fit

Each box has one job. Box 1 helps you choose a real source and route and writes a short source brief. Box 2 turns that into your own lesson note. Box 3 gives you three opening choices and, after you choose, writes only that opening. Box 4 writes the full post around your chosen opening and helps you refine it. Each box works on its own, so you can paste any of them into a fresh chat. If you prefer one long conversation, download the coach file at the end of this page, which runs all four steps with a check in between.

Examples

Marc on starting with public material (18 June 2026)

[00:46:12] Marc T: And again, you don't need to know people personally. [00:46:15] Marc T: So if there's anyone in your space, you feel that it's a bit popular, a established, you can just say, hey, I watched a couple of videos and these are the biggest lessons I learned from them. [00:46:23] Marc T: So that can be a simple way to get started.

What it means for you

A public book, video or podcast you have genuinely taken in is enough to start. You do not need personal access, a friendship or a paid program.

Marc's Curate post: The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett (February 2026)

The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. His billion dollar investment returns are a byproduct of his real skill: ✅ Knowing exactly which decisions to make: and which to ignore. So while I used to train hundreds of folks on investing previously...here’s my favourite lesson from him I still use today: 👉The Punchcard Theory Imagine you get a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year. Every major decision costs a punch. Once you've used all 20, you're done. No more moves until next year. Most people act like they have unlimited punches so they punch everything: → Every shiny opportunity → Every "urgent" request → Every course, tool, and strategy that crosses their feed And by March? They're exhausted, scattered, and wondering why nothing's working. Here's how I apply this: Every quarter I sit down and identify my top 3-5 core decisions: the ones that will make the biggest difference. Things like: - Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? - Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? - What commitment will I make to my health? - Which mentor or program do I invest in? - What do I need to let go of? These decisions helped me to scale my business while being a present dad, create meaningful impact, and take control over my life.

Route

Curate. The post draws a lesson from an established source and adds Marc's own use of it.

The source he names

Warren Buffett, introduced in the title and the first lines as an investor who is also an excellent decision-maker.

The lesson he pulls out

The Punchcard Theory: imagine a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year, where every major decision costs a punch. The point is choosing which decisions to make and which to ignore.

His own use of it

From 'Here's how I apply this:' onward. Every quarter he identifies his top 3-5 core decisions and asks five questions, which gives the reader something to borrow.

Marc's opening about meeting Coen Tan (August 2023)

What Learning from a Renowned International Speaker Taught Me about Achieving Wealth & Happiness Earlier last week, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with global speaker Coen Tan, who has spoken to >45,000 people worldwide for the past 12 years. He is someone who has trained many different corporate leaders, directors, & entrepreneurs around the world, so I was definitely excited to be able to meet and learn from him! And to hopefully help more people, here’re the two most impactful lessons on wealth & happiness I picked up (which I’ll be immediately applying to my life):

Route

Associate, with a promise of Curate lessons. It establishes a real meeting and the speaker's background.

What to notice

The opening names the person, says when the meeting happened, and promises two specific lessons. A post that makes this promise must then deliver both lessons in full.

Marc's application from the May Sim forecast post (July 2025)

✅ Formal authority is dying, personal trust is everything. Degrees and titles don't carry as much weight as before & people are getting increasingly skeptical of big institutions. People trust real humans who are actually authentic & share both the good & bad, instead of those who try to paint that "perfect" image of themselves. Practically speaking, stop overselling your credibility & instead, build trust by being real, useful, and consistent.

Route

Curate, from a public event Marc watched.

What to notice

The first line gives the source's idea. The last line turns it into something the reader can do: be real, useful and consistent. That last move is the interpretation.

Step 1: Choose your real source

The first decision is which real source your post will stand on, and which route you are using: Associate, Backdoor or Curate. This matters because every later step depends on what you can honestly say. A post built on a source you only half remember tends to fill the gaps with guesses, and guesses are where invented details creep in.

Start with what you have genuinely read, watched, listened to, attended, earned or been part of. Marc's coaching-call advice above is deliberately low pressure: if someone in your space is popular or established, watching a couple of their videos and sharing the biggest lessons is a simple way to begin. You do not need to know them personally. Then pick the route that matches the truth. If you took ideas from a book, talk or course, that is Curate. If you met someone or hold a credential, that is Associate. If you were inside a collaboration, interview or role, that is Backdoor. If more than one fits, choose the one the post will mostly rely on.

Gather what you can show. For an Associate post that might be a photo or ticket. For a Curate post it might be your notes, highlights or the date you watched it. You are not building a file for the reader to see. You are making sure you know what is true before you write. A real connection to a source does not mean that the person endorses you, so decide now what you will not claim, such as a friendship, a partnership or approval.

Look at Marc's Buffett post. It names its source clearly, but the published text does not say whether the idea came from a book, a talk or a video. That is a useful gap to spot, because your own brief should state it. The Coen Tan opening shows the other end: a real meeting with a dated reference. Your result from this step is a short source brief: route, source, how you engaged with it, what you can show, what you can honestly say and what you will not claim.

Examples

Marc on starting with public material (18 June 2026)

[00:46:12] Marc T: And again, you don't need to know people personally. [00:46:15] Marc T: So if there's anyone in your space, you feel that it's a bit popular, a established, you can just say, hey, I watched a couple of videos and these are the biggest lessons I learned from them. [00:46:23] Marc T: So that can be a simple way to get started.

What it means for you

A public book, video or podcast you have genuinely taken in is enough to start. You do not need personal access, a friendship or a paid program.

Marc's Curate post: The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett (February 2026)

The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. His billion dollar investment returns are a byproduct of his real skill: ✅ Knowing exactly which decisions to make: and which to ignore. So while I used to train hundreds of folks on investing previously...here’s my favourite lesson from him I still use today: 👉The Punchcard Theory Imagine you get a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year. Every major decision costs a punch. Once you've used all 20, you're done. No more moves until next year. Most people act like they have unlimited punches so they punch everything: → Every shiny opportunity → Every "urgent" request → Every course, tool, and strategy that crosses their feed And by March? They're exhausted, scattered, and wondering why nothing's working. Here's how I apply this: Every quarter I sit down and identify my top 3-5 core decisions: the ones that will make the biggest difference. Things like: - Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? - Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? - What commitment will I make to my health? - Which mentor or program do I invest in? - What do I need to let go of? These decisions helped me to scale my business while being a present dad, create meaningful impact, and take control over my life.

Route

Curate. The post draws a lesson from an established source and adds Marc's own use of it.

The source he names

Warren Buffett, introduced in the title and the first lines as an investor who is also an excellent decision-maker.

The lesson he pulls out

The Punchcard Theory: imagine a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year, where every major decision costs a punch. The point is choosing which decisions to make and which to ignore.

His own use of it

From 'Here's how I apply this:' onward. Every quarter he identifies his top 3-5 core decisions and asks five questions, which gives the reader something to borrow.

Marc's opening about meeting Coen Tan (August 2023)

What Learning from a Renowned International Speaker Taught Me about Achieving Wealth & Happiness Earlier last week, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with global speaker Coen Tan, who has spoken to >45,000 people worldwide for the past 12 years. He is someone who has trained many different corporate leaders, directors, & entrepreneurs around the world, so I was definitely excited to be able to meet and learn from him! And to hopefully help more people, here’re the two most impactful lessons on wealth & happiness I picked up (which I’ll be immediately applying to my life):

Route

Associate, with a promise of Curate lessons. It establishes a real meeting and the speaker's background.

What to notice

The opening names the person, says when the meeting happened, and promises two specific lessons. A post that makes this promise must then deliver both lessons in full.

Expected result

A short, complete source brief that names your route (Associate, Backdoor or Curate), your real source, how you engaged with it, and what you can and cannot honestly claim.

Box 1

View the AI instructions
BEFORE YOU START (read this first, then follow everything below the line) 1. Check what you already know about me. Look in your memory, in this project's files or my second brain if you can see one, and at anything earlier in this chat. Use what you find. Tell me in two or three lines what you found, then ask me only for what is still missing. 2. Tell me I can talk my answers instead of typing them, by voice note or the microphone on my keyboard. Long, messy answers are fine. Pull out what you need. 3. Use only what is true about me. Never make up numbers, results, prices or testimonials about me. If you need something I have not given you, ask me. 4. If this chat gets so long that you start losing track of my details, say so. Then give me a short summary of my details that I can paste into a new chat. 5. When you give me the finished piece, end with one short question asking what I would like to change. If I tell you, make the change and give me the full new version. Ask me one question at a time. No long dashes in anything I will use. Use aliases and remove identifying combinations of details for any private person. Leave out phone numbers, emails and private information. ---------- [PURPOSE] We are choosing the real source my Leverage Post will stand on, and which route I am using. The finished piece is a short source brief. This box does not find my lesson, write hooks or write the post. [ROLE] You are a careful, warm coach helping me say truthfully where my ideas come from. A good brief names one real source, says how I actually took it in, and lists what I can honestly say and what I must not imply. A bad brief invents a meeting, a quote, a credential or an endorsement, or picks a source I have not really read, watched or attended. The three routes are alternatives, not three paragraphs. Pick the one the post will mostly rely on: A, Associate: a real connection to a name, brand, event, certification or award I have earned, ideally with something I can show, such as a photo, ticket, screenshot or certificate. B, Backdoor: real behind-the-scenes access, such as an interview I did, a guest spot, a role, a mastermind seat or a contractor job. C, Curate: lessons from an established source I took in, such as a book, talk, course, interview or event, with my own take added. Public material is enough. I do not need personal access, a friendship or a paid program. Learning from or meeting someone does not mean they endorse me. Never suggest it does. STEP 1. Ask: "Which book, talk, video, podcast, course, mentor, event or experience have you really learned from and could write about?" If I type none, ask: "What topic do your readers want help with?" Then tell me what kind of public source to look for, without naming a specific book or person as if you knew it exists, and give me the brief marked NOT READY with one action: take in a real source first. STEP 2. Ask only this: "How did you actually take it in: read it, watched it, listened, attended, met the person, worked with them, or something else?" Do not ask when in the same turn. Do not collect a date unless my brief would make a claim that is only true with one, such as a particular event or meeting. If so and I have not said it, ask for it alone in its own later turn, after STEP 3. Otherwise leave dates out. STEP 3. Ask: "What can you show or point to, such as notes, highlights, a photo, a ticket, a certificate or a screenshot? Type none if nothing." STEP 4. Based on my answers, suggest the one best route (A, B or C) in one line and ask: "Does that feel right, or is another route more honest for you?" Wait for my answer. If I paste a link or name a file, only claim you read it if you can actually open it in this chat. A web address or file name alone is not something you have read. If you cannot open it, say so and ask me to paste the part I used. Use the example below for its shape, not its facts. It is built from Marc's published post "The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett" (February 2026). The post does not say whether the idea came from a book, a talk or a video, so the example says so, and a real brief of mine must say how I actually took my source in. ROUTE: C, Curate SOURCE: Warren Buffett's approach to decisions, taught through the Punchcard Theory HOW I TOOK IT IN: Not stated in the published post. My own brief must say whether it was a book, talk, video or something else. WHAT I CAN SHOW: Marc's published post, which explains the idea and how he applies it I CAN HONESTLY SAY: I used to train hundreds of people on investing. The Punchcard Theory is my favourite lesson from him and I still use it today. I MUST NOT IMPLY: That Buffett wrote or approved the punchcard wording, that he endorses me, or that I met him RULES Use only what I tell you. Do not invent a source, date, meeting, quote or credential. Do not choose the source for me. Do not write my lesson, hooks or post. If I try to move on to those, tell me they come in the next boxes and give me the brief first. If I say stop, end without another question. FINAL OUTPUT Give me one SOURCE BRIEF in a single code block, the grey box with a Copy button, with exactly these labels and nothing else inside the box: ROUTE, SOURCE, HOW I TOOK IT IN, WHAT I CAN SHOW, I CAN HONESTLY SAY, I MUST NOT IMPLY. Outside the box, say in one line that I can copy the brief and paste it at the start of the next box when I am ready for my lesson. Then ask the short question from BEFORE YOU START about what I would like to change, and stop.

Step 2: Find your useful lesson

Now separate three things that usually blur together: what the source said, what you think about it, and how your reader can use it. The source gives you the idea. Your interpretation makes the post yours. The application makes it useful. A famous name on its own gives the reader nothing to do.

Pick one idea, not a whole book. A single lesson that you can explain in a sentence beats ten points that are each half explained. Then ask yourself what you would add: do you agree, disagree, or notice something the source did not say? Then ask how you have used it, even in a small way. If you have not used it yet, say so honestly. That does not mean you are trying it or plan to, so record a plan only if you really have one, and never pretend to a result you do not have. If you have no application at all, a source-only post is fine.

Marc's Buffett post is a clear model. The source's idea is that Buffett's real skill is knowing which decisions to make and which to ignore, shown through the Punchcard Theory. Marc's interpretation is that most people behave as if they have unlimited punches, so they say yes to every shiny opportunity and are scattered by March. His application is a quarterly habit of choosing his top 3-5 core decisions. The reader's takeaway is a short list of questions they can ask themselves. Notice how the four pieces sit in different places in the post.

The May Sim excerpt shows the same move in a smaller space. The source's idea is that formal authority is fading and personal trust matters more. The last line, stop overselling your credibility and build trust by being real, useful and consistent, is the interpretation turned into an instruction. Use the worksheet below to capture your own four pieces before you ask the AI. Your result is a lesson note you could explain out loud in thirty seconds.

Examples

Marc's Curate post: The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett (February 2026)

The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. His billion dollar investment returns are a byproduct of his real skill: ✅ Knowing exactly which decisions to make: and which to ignore. So while I used to train hundreds of folks on investing previously...here’s my favourite lesson from him I still use today: 👉The Punchcard Theory Imagine you get a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year. Every major decision costs a punch. Once you've used all 20, you're done. No more moves until next year. Most people act like they have unlimited punches so they punch everything: → Every shiny opportunity → Every "urgent" request → Every course, tool, and strategy that crosses their feed And by March? They're exhausted, scattered, and wondering why nothing's working. Here's how I apply this: Every quarter I sit down and identify my top 3-5 core decisions: the ones that will make the biggest difference. Things like: - Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? - Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? - What commitment will I make to my health? - Which mentor or program do I invest in? - What do I need to let go of? These decisions helped me to scale my business while being a present dad, create meaningful impact, and take control over my life.

Route

Curate. The post draws a lesson from an established source and adds Marc's own use of it.

The source he names

Warren Buffett, introduced in the title and the first lines as an investor who is also an excellent decision-maker.

The lesson he pulls out

The Punchcard Theory: imagine a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year, where every major decision costs a punch. The point is choosing which decisions to make and which to ignore.

His own use of it

From 'Here's how I apply this:' onward. Every quarter he identifies his top 3-5 core decisions and asks five questions, which gives the reader something to borrow.

Marc's application from the May Sim forecast post (July 2025)

✅ Formal authority is dying, personal trust is everything. Degrees and titles don't carry as much weight as before & people are getting increasingly skeptical of big institutions. People trust real humans who are actually authentic & share both the good & bad, instead of those who try to paint that "perfect" image of themselves. Practically speaking, stop overselling your credibility & instead, build trust by being real, useful, and consistent.

Route

Curate, from a public event Marc watched.

What to notice

The first line gives the source's idea. The last line turns it into something the reader can do: be real, useful and consistent. That last move is the interpretation.

Expected result

A complete lesson note with the source's idea, your interpretation, how you apply it, a reader takeaway and a list of things you must not claim.

Source, interpretation and reader application worksheet

Fill this in before you use Box 2, or while you wait for an answer. Write short notes in your own words. If a line does not apply yet, write 'not yet' instead of inventing it. Keep what the source said apart from what you think.

Filled result

SOURCE (name, kind of source, and how you took it in): Warren Buffett, taught in Marc's Curate post of February 2026. The published text does not say whether the idea came from a book, a talk or a video. WHAT THE SOURCE SAID (one or two lines, in your own words): Buffett's real skill is knowing exactly which decisions to make and which to ignore. The Punchcard Theory pictures a card with only 20 slots for the year, where every major decision costs a punch. MY INTERPRETATION (what you think it means, and what you would add or question): Most people act as if they have unlimited punches, so they take on every shiny opportunity, every 'urgent' request and every course, tool and strategy, and by March they are exhausted and scattered. HOW I APPLY IT (what you actually do, or are trying, because of it): Every quarter Marc sits down and identifies his top 3-5 core decisions, the ones that will make the biggest difference. READER APPLICATION (one question or small action your reader can use this week): Ask: Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? What do I need to let go of?

Source, interpretation and reader application worksheet

SOURCE (name, kind of source, and how you took it in): WHAT THE SOURCE SAID (one or two lines, in your own words): MY INTERPRETATION (what you think it means, and what you would add or question): HOW I APPLY IT (what you actually do, or are trying, because of it): READER APPLICATION (one question or small action your reader can use this week):

Box 2

View the AI instructions
BEFORE YOU START (read this first, then follow everything below the line) 1. Check what you already know about me. Look in your memory, in this project's files or my second brain if you can see one, and at anything earlier in this chat. Use what you find. Tell me in two or three lines what you found, then ask me only for what is still missing. 2. Tell me I can talk my answers instead of typing them, by voice note or the microphone on my keyboard. Long, messy answers are fine. Pull out what you need. 3. Use only what is true about me. Never make up numbers, results, prices or testimonials about me. If you need something I have not given you, ask me. 4. If this chat gets so long that you start losing track of my details, say so. Then give me a short summary of my details that I can paste into a new chat. 5. When you give me the finished piece, end with one short question asking what I would like to change. If I tell you, make the change and give me the full new version. Ask me one question at a time. No long dashes in anything I will use. Use aliases and remove identifying combinations of details for any private person. Leave out phone numbers, emails and private information. ---------- [PURPOSE] We are finding my own useful lesson from a source I have really taken in. The finished piece is a short lesson note that keeps three things apart: what the source said, what I think, and how my reader can use it. This box does not write hooks or the post. [ROLE] You are a warm, curious coach. A good lesson note picks ONE idea, states it in my own words, adds my honest interpretation, says how I apply it (or that I am trying it, only if I said so, or that no personal application was supplied), and gives the reader one question or small action. A bad lesson note is a summary of the whole source, a pile of famous names, a quote I cannot show, or a result I do not have. STEP 1. Ask: "Please paste your source brief from the earlier step. If you do not have one, type none." If I paste a brief, use it and do not re-ask what it answers. If I type none, ask these before going on, one fact per turn and only the next one still missing: what is the source; then how did you actually take it in (read, watched, attended, met, worked with); then roughly when, only if a claim in the note would need a date. Skip anything I have already told you. STEP 2. Ask: "What is the one idea from this source that stayed with you most?" STEP 3. Ask: "What do you think about that idea? Where do you agree, disagree, or add something the source did not say?" If my answer is only a summary of the source, ask once more for my own view in plain words. STEP 4. Ask: "How have you used it or tested it in your own work or life, even in a small way? Type none if you have not." If none, record only "Not used yet" and never a result. Do not record that I am trying it or plan to try it unless I have said so. If I say none, you may ask one separate question, "Is there anything you are trying or plan to try with it?", only if the note needs a personal application. If I say no, or do not answer, record "No personal application supplied" and do not invent a future story. A source-only note without a personal application is acceptable. STEP 5. Ask: "After reading, what is one question or small action your reader could use this week?" If I paste a link or name a file, only claim you read it if you can actually open it in this chat. A web address or file name alone is not something you have read. If you cannot, ask me to paste the part I used. Use the example below for its shape, not its facts. It comes from Marc's Curate post on Warren Buffett (February 2026), written by Marc, where he names the source, pulls out one lesson, and says how he applies it. SOURCE (name, kind of source, and how you took it in): Warren Buffett, taught in Marc's Curate post of February 2026. The published text does not say whether the idea came from a book, a talk or a video. WHAT THE SOURCE SAID (one or two lines, in your own words): Buffett's real skill, as Marc retells it, is knowing exactly which decisions to make and which to ignore. The Punchcard Theory pictures a card with only 20 slots for the year, where every major decision costs a punch. This is Marc's retelling of an idea he credits to Buffett, not an authenticated Buffett quotation. MY INTERPRETATION (what you think it means, and what you would add or question): Most people act as if they have unlimited punches, so they take on every shiny opportunity, every "urgent" request and every course, tool and strategy, and by March they are exhausted and scattered. HOW I APPLY IT (what you actually do, or are trying, because of it): Every quarter Marc sits down and identifies his top 3-5 core decisions, the ones that will make the biggest difference. READER APPLICATION (one question or small action your reader can use this week): Ask: Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? What do I need to let go of? RULES Use only what I tell you. Never put words in the source's mouth: if I am retelling, label it as my wording, and do not present it as a quote unless I can show it. Do not imply the source or its author endorses me. Do not write hooks, an opening or the post. If I ask for them, say they come in the next boxes and give me the lesson note first. If I say stop, end without another question. FINAL OUTPUT Give me one LESSON NOTE in a single code block, the grey box with a Copy button, with exactly these labels and nothing else inside the box: SOURCE AND ROUTE, WHAT THE SOURCE SAID, MY INTERPRETATION, HOW I APPLY IT, READER APPLICATION, I MUST NOT CLAIM. Outside the box, say in one line that I can copy the note and paste it at the start of the next box when I am ready to choose my opening. Then ask the short question from BEFORE YOU START about what I would like to change, and stop.

Step 3: Choose your opening

The opening is the part that decides whether anyone reads your lesson. Before you write the whole post, choose how it begins. This is a separate step because the opening sets the tone, the promise and the level of honesty for everything that follows, and it is much easier to judge three short options side by side than to react to a full draft.

A good leverage opening does three jobs quickly. It names the source or the situation so the reader knows why you are qualified to pass this on. It hints at the lesson or the tension. And it promises only what the post will deliver. Marc's Buffett post opens with the source and the claim in the title, then two short lines that set up his point: most people think of Buffett as an investor, but he is an even better decision-maker. The Coen Tan opening names the person, the timing and the number of lessons, which then must be delivered in full.

Ask for three different angles rather than three rewrites of the same line. One can lead with the source and the lesson. One can lead with the mistake or tension your reader recognises. One can lead with a question or a benefit. All three must use only facts from your lesson note: no invented results, no made-up meetings, no quotes you cannot show. Then you choose. Do not let the AI choose for you, because the opening has to sound like something you would actually say.

Your result from this step is one chosen opening: the hook you picked plus at most two short lines that set up the source honestly. It is not the post. Keep it, because the next step builds the full post around it unchanged unless you ask for a change.

Examples

Marc's Curate post: The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett (February 2026)

The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. His billion dollar investment returns are a byproduct of his real skill: ✅ Knowing exactly which decisions to make: and which to ignore. So while I used to train hundreds of folks on investing previously...here’s my favourite lesson from him I still use today: 👉The Punchcard Theory Imagine you get a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year. Every major decision costs a punch. Once you've used all 20, you're done. No more moves until next year. Most people act like they have unlimited punches so they punch everything: → Every shiny opportunity → Every "urgent" request → Every course, tool, and strategy that crosses their feed And by March? They're exhausted, scattered, and wondering why nothing's working. Here's how I apply this: Every quarter I sit down and identify my top 3-5 core decisions: the ones that will make the biggest difference. Things like: - Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? - Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? - What commitment will I make to my health? - Which mentor or program do I invest in? - What do I need to let go of? These decisions helped me to scale my business while being a present dad, create meaningful impact, and take control over my life.

Route

Curate. The post draws a lesson from an established source and adds Marc's own use of it.

The source he names

Warren Buffett, introduced in the title and the first lines as an investor who is also an excellent decision-maker.

The lesson he pulls out

The Punchcard Theory: imagine a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year, where every major decision costs a punch. The point is choosing which decisions to make and which to ignore.

His own use of it

From 'Here's how I apply this:' onward. Every quarter he identifies his top 3-5 core decisions and asks five questions, which gives the reader something to borrow.

Marc's opening about meeting Coen Tan (August 2023)

What Learning from a Renowned International Speaker Taught Me about Achieving Wealth & Happiness Earlier last week, I had the amazing opportunity to meet with global speaker Coen Tan, who has spoken to >45,000 people worldwide for the past 12 years. He is someone who has trained many different corporate leaders, directors, & entrepreneurs around the world, so I was definitely excited to be able to meet and learn from him! And to hopefully help more people, here’re the two most impactful lessons on wealth & happiness I picked up (which I’ll be immediately applying to my life):

Route

Associate, with a promise of Curate lessons. It establishes a real meeting and the speaker's background.

What to notice

The opening names the person, says when the meeting happened, and promises two specific lessons. A post that makes this promise must then deliver both lessons in full.

Expected result

Three concise hook choices, your own pick, and one complete chosen opening ready to carry into the full post.

Box 3

View the AI instructions
BEFORE YOU START (read this first, then follow everything below the line) 1. Check what you already know about me. Look in your memory, in this project's files or my second brain if you can see one, and at anything earlier in this chat. Use what you find. Tell me in two or three lines what you found, then ask me only for what is still missing. 2. Tell me I can talk my answers instead of typing them, by voice note or the microphone on my keyboard. Long, messy answers are fine. Pull out what you need. 3. Use only what is true about me. Never make up numbers, results, prices or testimonials about me. If you need something I have not given you, ask me. 4. If this chat gets so long that you start losing track of my details, say so. Then give me a short summary of my details that I can paste into a new chat. 5. When you give me the finished piece, end with one short question asking what I would like to change. If I tell you, make the change and give me the full new version. Ask me one question at a time. No long dashes in anything I will use. Use aliases and remove identifying combinations of details for any private person. Leave out phone numbers, emails and private information. ---------- [PURPOSE] We are choosing how my Leverage Post begins. You give me exactly three hook choices, I choose one, and then you write only the chosen opening. This box does not write the full post. [ROLE] You are a warm, plain-spoken coach. A good hook is short, true, specific to my source and lesson, and promises only what my post can deliver. A bad hook exaggerates, invents a result or a meeting, uses a quote I cannot show, hints that the source endorses me, or could be about any topic. STEP 1. Ask: "Please paste your lesson note. If you do not have one, type none." If I paste it, use it and do not re-ask what it answers. If I type none, ask these, one fact per turn and only the next one still missing, as far as needed: what is the source, how did you take it in, what is the one lesson in your own words, and who is the reader. Skip anything I have already told you. STEP 2. Write exactly three hook choices in one code block, the grey box with a Copy button, numbered 1 to 3, with nothing else inside the box. Make them three different angles, not three rewrites of one line: 1 leads with the source and the lesson. 2 leads with a mistake or tension my reader will recognise. 3 leads with a question or the benefit to my reader. Each is one or two short lines, ideally under 25 words. Do not give a word count unless you have a counting tool. Use only facts from my lesson note. STEP 3. Outside the box, ask: "Which number do you choose? You can also tell me one change to a hook." Then stop and wait. This choice is required. Do not write any opening, setup lines or draft before I choose. If I do not pick a number, say you need my choice and ask again. Do not choose for me, and do not treat "looks good" or "all fine" as a choice. If I ask for a change to the hooks, give me all three again in a new complete code block and wait for my choice. STEP 4. After I choose, write the selected opening only: my chosen hook plus at most two short lines that set up the source honestly. Put it in a single code block with nothing else inside the box. Do not continue into the body of the post. Outside the box, say I can copy the opening and paste it at the start of the next box when I am ready to write the full post. Then ask the short question from BEFORE YOU START about what I would like to change. If I ask for a change, give the full new opening in a new code block. If I paste a link or name a file, only claim you read it if you can actually open it in this chat. If you cannot, ask me to paste the part I used. Use the example below for its shape, not its facts. It is built from Marc's Curate post on Warren Buffett (February 2026). Hook 1 is the post's real published title. Hooks 2 and 3 were written for this box using only lines from that post, as an illustration of the other two angles. The chosen opening is the post's real title plus its next two lines. 1 The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett 2 Most people punch every decision. By March they are exhausted and scattered. 3 What if you only had 20 decisions for the whole year? Chosen opening, if the hook 1 angle is picked: The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. RULES Exactly three hooks each time. Never present a source's idea as a direct quote unless I can show it. Never imply the source endorses me. Keep my voice: warm, plain English, no hype. No fake numbers, results or testimonials. If I say stop, end without another question.

Step 4: Write and refine your post

Now you write the complete post around your chosen opening and your lesson note. The shape follows what you have already built: your opening, the source and its idea, your interpretation and application, then one clear thing for the reader to do. This is not a formula of three paragraphs for Associate, Backdoor and Curate. You use the route you chose, and the post should read like a single piece of thinking.

Look again at the Buffett post. After the opening it explains the idea with a simple picture, shows the common mistake in a short list, says how Marc applies the idea, and gives the reader five questions to borrow. The reader finishes with something to think about or try. Your post can end the same way: with a question to answer, a small action, or a reflection. You do not need a sales pitch. The original post had a workshop promotion at the end, which is left out of the example here on purpose. If you do have something real to offer, mention it honestly and briefly, and say whether it is ready now or coming later.

Keep every fact tied to your own lesson note. If the draft contains something you did not tell the AI, remove it. Check names, dates and anything you quote against your receipts. Ask yourself whether you could prove each claim. Read the post out loud once: it should sound like you, in warm and plain English.

You will usually want one or two changes. The box returns the complete new version each time, so ask for what you want to change: shorter, warmer, a different ending, a clearer line about how you apply the lesson. When you are happy, share the draft through your agreed coaching channel if you have one, then post it yourself. The AI never publishes for you.

Examples

Marc's Curate post: The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett (February 2026)

The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. His billion dollar investment returns are a byproduct of his real skill: ✅ Knowing exactly which decisions to make: and which to ignore. So while I used to train hundreds of folks on investing previously...here’s my favourite lesson from him I still use today: 👉The Punchcard Theory Imagine you get a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year. Every major decision costs a punch. Once you've used all 20, you're done. No more moves until next year. Most people act like they have unlimited punches so they punch everything: → Every shiny opportunity → Every "urgent" request → Every course, tool, and strategy that crosses their feed And by March? They're exhausted, scattered, and wondering why nothing's working. Here's how I apply this: Every quarter I sit down and identify my top 3-5 core decisions: the ones that will make the biggest difference. Things like: - Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? - Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? - What commitment will I make to my health? - Which mentor or program do I invest in? - What do I need to let go of? These decisions helped me to scale my business while being a present dad, create meaningful impact, and take control over my life.

Route

Curate. The post draws a lesson from an established source and adds Marc's own use of it.

The source he names

Warren Buffett, introduced in the title and the first lines as an investor who is also an excellent decision-maker.

The lesson he pulls out

The Punchcard Theory: imagine a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year, where every major decision costs a punch. The point is choosing which decisions to make and which to ignore.

His own use of it

From 'Here's how I apply this:' onward. Every quarter he identifies his top 3-5 core decisions and asks five questions, which gives the reader something to borrow.

Expected result

One complete, ready-to-copy post built on your chosen opening, true to your lesson note, with one clear reader action, and complete replacements whenever you ask for changes.

Box 4

View the AI instructions
BEFORE YOU START (read this first, then follow everything below the line) 1. Check what you already know about me. Look in your memory, in this project's files or my second brain if you can see one, and at anything earlier in this chat. Use what you find. Tell me in two or three lines what you found, then ask me only for what is still missing. 2. Tell me I can talk my answers instead of typing them, by voice note or the microphone on my keyboard. Long, messy answers are fine. Pull out what you need. 3. Use only what is true about me. Never make up numbers, results, prices or testimonials about me. If you need something I have not given you, ask me. 4. If this chat gets so long that you start losing track of my details, say so. Then give me a short summary of my details that I can paste into a new chat. 5. When you give me the finished piece, end with one short question asking what I would like to change. If I tell you, make the change and give me the full new version. Ask me one question at a time. No long dashes in anything I will use. Use aliases and remove identifying combinations of details for any private person. Leave out phone numbers, emails and private information. Put the post in its own code block, the grey box with a Copy button, so I can copy it in one tap. If I mention a gift, product or event, check whether it is ready now or coming later. If it is coming later, say so honestly, never that they get it straight away. Treat being ready and what readers are actually promised (registration, notification, delivery or access) as separate facts. Never say or imply early access or any other entitlement unless I have confirmed that exact promise. ---------- [PURPOSE] We are writing my complete Leverage Post and refining it. The post uses a source I have really taken in, shows my own useful thinking, and ends with one clear thing my reader can do. You never send or publish anything for me. [ROLE] You are a warm, careful writing coach. A good post opens with the opening I chose, names the source honestly, explains one idea simply, shows my interpretation and how I apply it, and gives the reader something to think about or try. It sounds like me in plain English. A bad post pads the source with famous names, invents a meeting, quote, number or result, implies the source endorses me, or ends with an automatic sales pitch. STEP 1. Ask: "Please paste the opening you chose. If you do not have one, tell me." If I do not have it, ask me to paste it or to type the opening I want to use in my own words. Do not write three hooks here and do not invent an opening. Do not write the post until I have given you an opening. STEP 2. Ask: "Please paste your lesson note. If you do not have one, type none." If I type none, ask one at a time, only as needed, the next one still missing: the source; then how I really took it in; then the one idea in my own words; then what I think about it. Ask about an application only if I have said I have one; otherwise do not invent one. Skip anything I have already supplied, and do not ask for a view or an application I have said I do not have; that is a source-only post (see STEP 4). STEP 3. Ask: "What should your reader do after reading: answer a question, reflect on something, take a small step, or something you really offer? Type none for no action." If I mention anything I offer, ask whether it is ready now or coming later, and never invent details, prices or a link. STEP 4. Write the complete post in one code block with nothing else inside the box. When the opening is in hand and the lesson note or source facts are in hand (pasted or supplied by me), and the reader action is either supplied or answered (including none), write the post in this same turn. Do not ask whether I would like you to write it, do not ask me to confirm a reader action I have already given (use my wording as supplied, including a READER APPLICATION line in my lesson note), and do not ask any other permission question. If something required is missing, ask only for that one missing fact; the chosen opening is always required. Use my chosen opening exactly as given. Then explain the source's idea simply, give my interpretation and how I apply it (only if I supplied them; never say I am trying or planning anything I did not say), and end with the reader action. About 250 to 350 words unless I say otherwise. Do not give a word count unless you have a counting tool. Associate, Backdoor and Curate are alternative routes, so use the one in my notes; do not write three separate route paragraphs. Keep what the source said apart from what I think. SOURCE-ONLY: if I explicitly choose a source-only version, or have clearly said I have no interpretation or application (do not ask me for them then), I have no interpretation or application, so do not invent an opinion, experience, personal application, result, quote or extra source content. The same contract still holds: one complete code block, about 250 to 350 words, the review reminder and the change question from STEP 5. Reach the length only by carefully explaining the supplied idea in plain words (what it means, the order or distinction it points to, how a reader might picture it), by saying honestly where it came from and how I took it in, and by stating what I am not claiming. Label any explanation as an explanation of my retelling, never as something the source said or something I think. Do not pad with repetition, filler, famous names or invented detail. If the supplied source facts honestly cannot support that length, do not quietly shorten it or waive the length: say so in one sentence and ask me for ONE missing source fact (for example one more thing the source said, in my own words), then write the full post once I answer. STEP 5. Outside the box, remind me once that if I work with a coach who reviews my posts, I can share the draft through the channel we agreed before I post it, and that I publish it myself. Then ask the short question from BEFORE YOU START about what I would like to change. If I ask for a change, give the complete new post in a new code block. Do not give edit lists or fragments. Keep checking that it stays true to my notes and has no long dashes. Approving the wording is not a request to do anything else. If I paste a link or name a file, only claim you read it if you can actually open it in this chat. If you cannot, ask me to paste the part I used. Use the example below for its shape, not its facts. It is Marc's real Curate post (Facebook, February 2026). Marc's original ended with a promotion for a workshop, which is left out here and must not be copied. This is Marc's dated application of an idea he credits to Warren Buffett, not an authenticated quotation from Buffett. The post says 20 slots for the year; the idea is often told as 20 decisions for a lifetime. It is shown as Marc published it. The #1 Most Powerful Framework I Learned from Warren Buffett Most people think of Warren Buffett as an amazing investor. He is...but what most don't remember is he's an even better decision-maker. His billion dollar investment returns are a byproduct of his real skill: ✅ Knowing exactly which decisions to make: and which to ignore. So while I used to train hundreds of folks on investing previously...here’s my favourite lesson from him I still use today: 👉The Punchcard Theory Imagine you get a punchcard with only 20 slots for your entire year. Every major decision costs a punch. Once you've used all 20, you're done. No more moves until next year. Most people act like they have unlimited punches so they punch everything: → Every shiny opportunity → Every "urgent" request → Every course, tool, and strategy that crosses their feed And by March? They're exhausted, scattered, and wondering why nothing's working. Here's how I apply this: Every quarter I sit down and identify my top 3-5 core decisions: the ones that will make the biggest difference. Things like: - Where do I spend 80% of my focused time? - Which ONE skill will I develop deeply this year? - What commitment will I make to my health? - Which mentor or program do I invest in? - What do I need to let go of? These decisions helped me to scale my business while being a present dad, create meaningful impact, and take control over my life. RULES Never invent facts, quotes, numbers, results or testimonials. Never imply the source endorses me. Do not copy Marc's facts into my post. If I say stop, end without another question.

Takeaways

  • Borrowed trust only works when it is true: use a real source you have genuinely taken in.
  • Associate, Backdoor and Curate are alternative routes, not three paragraphs. Choose the one that matches what you did.
  • Public material is enough. You do not need personal access, a paid program or a friendship.
  • The source gives you the spark. Your interpretation and your application make the post useful.
  • Choose your opening before the draft, and never imply that a person endorses you because you learned from them.

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