I spend most of my time turning long-form video into shorts, so I've watched thousands of clips live or die in the first 3 seconds. A few patterns that hold up almost every time:

1. The hook has to work with no sound. Most people watch on mute first. If the visual alone doesn't make someone stop scrolling, the audio never gets a chance.

2. Cut the setup. Long-form creators are trained to build context. Shorts punish that instantly — start at the moment the payoff begins, not before.

3. One idea per clip. The best-performing shorts I've cut are almost annoyingly simple. One joke, one insight, one moment. Multi-beat clips split attention and tank retention.

4. Captions aren't optional. Not just for accessibility — they're doing a huge chunk of the hook's work before someone even processes the video.

I started a free community (CoolShorts Hub) where I'm posting the behind-the-scenes of how I pick and cut clips from my own channel. If you're into short-form or building an audience, come hang out.