Surfaces
Pick one primary surface before drafting. The surface controls length, structure, polish, and review requirements. It does not change the facts.
1–5 short paragraphs
Move a live conversation forward without turning it into a memo.
Open: answer or reaction first
Structure: minimal
End: a direct question only when needed
Required: preserve thread context · distinguish observation from ask
Avoid: greeting · full recap · mini-essay · over-polish
Human review: external recipient · commitment · sensitive claim
70–180 words
Make a specific human connection and give the recipient an easy way to respond.
Open: why this person
Structure: plain paragraphs
End: one bounded ask
Required: specific reason for reaching out · concrete context · low-friction ask
Avoid: generic admiration · resume dump · overwritten warmth · corporate polish
Human review: first contact · introduction · employment discussion
80–300 words
Create a durable record with a clear purpose and response path.
Open: purpose in first two sentences
Structure: short paragraphs; bullets for parallel items
End: owner, date, or decision
Required: useful subject · clear ask or status · enough context when forwarded
Avoid: ceremonial greeting · buried request · multiple competing asks
Human review: external · legal · financial · reputational
100–400 words
Give busy collaborators the real state and what changes next.
Open: what moved
Structure: status blocks or bullets
End: next decisions and owners
Required: wins and misses · verification · blockers · next action
Avoid: selling the mission to insiders · hiding a miss · decorative status labels
Human review: personnel · company-sensitive · broad distribution
60–300 words
Share one useful idea in a personal, credible way.
Open: specific observation
Structure: short paragraphs
End: stop when the idea is complete
Required: one idea · one concrete detail · bounded public claims
Avoid: engagement bait · announcement theater · forced lesson · hashtag stack
Human review: always before publishing under Thomas’s name
as needed
Develop an argument or narrative without losing the reader’s path.
Open: problem, observation, or scene with purpose
Structure: sections earned by argument
End: honest implication, not a slogan
Required: clear thesis · evidence · limits or tension · section-level progression
Avoid: outline-shaped filler · tidy moral · repeated thesis · abstract conclusion
Human review: publication · personal story · consequential claim
only what the situation needs
Address harm, conflict, or uncertainty with care and accountability.
Open: acknowledge the issue directly
Structure: plain paragraphs
End: repair or next contact
Required: name impact · separate fact from intent · take responsibility where warranted · avoid pressure for forgiveness
Avoid: humor · brand voice · defensive explanation · false reassurance
Human review: always
compact but complete
Transfer state so another agent can act without replaying the work.
Open: outcome
Structure: done / verified / remaining / action needed
End: exact next step
Required: artifact identifiers · verification result · unresolved uncertainty · whether human action is needed
Avoid: process diary · unsupported completion · ambiguous ownership
Human review: external side effect · private data transfer
up to 3 New items, at most 5 Improved and at most 5 Fixed lines per period
Tell a product's users what they can now do or see, one period at a time.
Open: the period heading, then the New items
Structure: period heading, newest period first; each New item is a 2–6 word title and one sentence of at most 20 words; Improved and Fixed are bullets of at most 12 words each; one link per item to where the change lives
End: the last Fixed line; no sign-off or summary
Required: write for the product's users: what they can now do or see · second person, present tense, active voice · the product's own words for its features · New, Improved and Fixed kept apart; Fixed says how it works now · true when shipped and still true · merge changes about one outcome into one item
Avoid: internal names users never see: agents, tools, models, people, branches, PR or issue numbers · process: how it was built, tests, refactors, CI, deploys · internal work with no visible change, and changes reverted in the same period · hype words, exclamation marks and em dashes · an entry for a period with nothing users can see · "bug fixes and improvements" or "we added"
Human review: price, limit or plan change · data or privacy change · removed feature · security fix
brief unless the task requires depth
Produce a safe, plain draft when the destination is unknown.
Open: purpose first
Structure: plain paragraphs
End: state the next action only when known
Required: use public-safe context only · preserve uncertainty · flag that the surface was not specified
Avoid: private shorthand · assumed relationship · personal anecdote · commitment
Human review: always before external use