Most people break their voice doing competitor research. They study a creator, copy a line, and quietly start sounding like them. Here is how I keep research from touching my voice and only let it upgrade my packaging. Educational only. Not investment advice.
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Wall Street Prompt · LinkedIn one-page
How A Competitive Reference Becomes A Dave Post
LinkedIn one-page
Competitor research improves your packaging. It never touches your voice. Here is the workflow.
LinkedIn1080 × 1350
References & validationReference missing
No specific creator reference resolved. Add an observed post before production.
Reference creator: Build-in-public SaaS founders
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Post content
Dense one-page content — sections, tables and frameworks
The mistake most people make with competitor research
Studying a competitor is not the problem. Absorbing them is. The failure mode is quiet: you start sounding like the people you watch, and your edge dissolves.
| Common mistake | Failure mode | Disciplined workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Copy the wording you liked | Your feed reads like a clone. No reason to follow you over them. | Copy the STRUCTURE only. Rewrite every line in your own frame. |
| Mirror their topics one-to-one | You chase their roadmap. You are always one week behind. | Extract the format, then map it onto your own thesis and data. |
| Adopt their tone to fit in | Voice drift. Audience can no longer tell you apart. | Keep voice fixed. Treat tone as a constant, not a variable. |
| Save the post, do nothing | Research becomes hoarding. No asset ships. | Convert one reference into one shippable asset, same day. |
Why it matters: research that changes your voice is a liability. Research that upgrades your packaging is leverage.
Separate the two layers: packaging vs voice
Every post has a surface you can borrow and a core you must not. Build-in-public founders are great to study for the surface. Read their structure like you read a comp set in an IC memo: useful for shape, never for conviction.
| Layer | What it is | Borrow from competitors? |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging | Hook shape, section order, table vs list, post length | Yes. This is the comp set. |
| Format | How proof is laid out, where the CTA sits, visual rhythm | Yes. Adapt freely. |
| Voice | Sentence cadence, vocabulary, what you refuse to say | No. Fixed input. |
| Thesis | Your operational point of view and the data behind it | No. This is your alpha. |
Key: packaging is the wrapper, voice is the asset. You can restock the shelf without changing what is in the box.
The 6-step extraction workflow
One competitor post in, one Dave-native asset out. Run it like a process, not a vibe. Treat the reference as raw material, the way a 10-K is raw material before the memo.
| Step | Action | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Capture | Save one reference post. One, not twelve. | A single source artifact |
| 2. Strip | Delete every word. Keep only the skeleton: hook, sections, proof type, CTA. | A blank structural template |
| 3. Diagnose | Name why the structure works. Curiosity gap? Numbered proof? Contrast table? | A reusable format rule |
| 4. Map | Drop YOUR thesis and data into that skeleton. New claims, your evidence. | A first draft, your content |
| 5. Rewrite to voice | Run every line through your voice filter. Short, concrete, anti-hype. | A Dave-native draft |
| 6. Pressure-test | Remove the byline. Could a reader still tell it is yours? If no, rewrite. | A shippable asset |
Heads up: if you skip Step 2, you will paraphrase instead of rebuild. Paraphrase is plagiarism with extra steps.
The voice filter (your fixed constant)
Voice is the part competitors cannot give you and should not change. Define it once, apply it every time. This is the line that keeps research from turning into mimicry.
- Short declarative sentences. One idea each.
- Concrete and finance-grounded: 10-Ks, earnings calls, comps, position sizing, risk.
- Anti-hype. Name the mistake, the failure mode, then the disciplined fix.
- Teacher framing: Why it matters, Heads up, Tip, Key.
- Human judges. AI builds. The thesis stays yours.
- Educational only. No buy, sell, hold. No targets. No promised returns.
Tip: keep this list pinned next to your editor. Step 5 is non-negotiable, not a polish pass.
Worked example: same skeleton, two different assets
A build-in-public founder posts a numbered teardown of how they shipped a feature. You keep the spine. You change the substance.
| Element | Their version (reference) | Your version (Dave-native) |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | How we shipped X in 7 days | How one competitor post becomes a Dave asset |
| Structure | Numbered build log | Numbered workflow table |
| Proof | Screenshots and metrics | Process steps and a voice filter |
| Frame | Hustle, speed, growth | Discipline, judgment, risk awareness |
| CTA | Follow my build journey | Comment your workflow gap |
Why it matters: the borrowed part is the numbered spine. Everything load-bearing, the thesis and the framing, is yours.
Caption
LinkedIn post copy
Visual design notes
- Near-black forest-green background. ONE teal/green accent only, used for the subtitle banner, table header rows, and the emphasized title word.
- Heavy condensed sans headline, left-aligned, with 'Becomes' in the green accent. Subtitle sits in a thin teal banner bar directly under the title.
- Dense 2 and 3-column tables with alternating dark row striping. Thin 1px green dividers. Monospaced or tabular figures for step numbers.
- Each section heading in small-caps or uppercase tracking, accent-colored kicker number (01-05) to the left.
- Insert a small left-to-right diagram between Section 1 and Section 2: Reference -> Strip -> Map -> Voice Filter -> Asset, as 5 connected pill nodes.
- Pin the voice filter section as a bordered callout box so it reads as the fixed constant, visually distinct from the workflow tables.
- Generous left margin, tight vertical rhythm. All body copy left-aligned. Footer locked to bottom with a thin green rule above it.
Production checklist
- ☐Design the 1080x1350 one-pager in the WSP template: near-black/forest bg, single green accent, condensed headline with 'Becomes' emphasized, teal subtitle banner.
- ☐Build all five sections; render Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 as 2-3 column tables with header rows and row striping; set Section 4 as a bordered voice-filter callout.
- ☐Add the 5-node extraction diagram (Reference -> Strip -> Map -> Voice Filter -> Asset) between Sections 1 and 2.
- ☐Add WSP header lockup and footer line; place 'Educational only. Not investment advice.' as a small disclaimer near the footer.
- ☐Proof every line against Dave's voice filter: short declaratives, no em dashes, no hype, no buy/sell/hold or targets.
- ☐Export PNG at 1080x1350 for the LinkedIn feed and a PDF version for DM sharing; check table text legibility at mobile scale before publishing.
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Comment the one place your packaging copies a competitor instead of upgrading it. I will reply with a structural fix.