CRITICAL
Hook
0:00 – 0:48Stop the scroll and open a loop the viewer needs closed before they leave.
Cold open promise
Lead with the most surprising outcome or claim. The first sentence decides 30-second retention — no throat-clearing, no intro.
Open the loop
Tease the unanswered question ('how I did X without Y') so the brain stays to resolve the tension.
Name the stakes
Show why this matters to the viewer now — relevance is what converts a click into a watch.
Retention Note
Biggest drop-off of the whole video happens in the first 30 seconds. A vague or slow open loses 40%+ before the content even begins.
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