Before we take on a new client, we run what we call the 3-clip test. It's the single best predictor we've found for whether short-form content will actually grow an audience — and it took us scaling a page to 3M views on one post, and a mentor's channel from 50 to 500 subs with 100K+ views in month 1, to figure it out.

Here's the test: take 3 pieces of raw footage/audio from the founder (a call, a podcast episode, a livestream — doesn't matter which) and ask 3 questions of each:

1. Is there a specific moment of tension or disagreement? Generic advice doesn't clip. A strong opinion, a correction, or a moment where someone pushes back does.

2. Can the hook be said in under 5 seconds without context? If you need to explain who the person is before the clip makes sense, it's not a clip — it's a highlight reel for people who already follow them.

3. Does it resolve? Clips that open a loop and close it (even if the close is 'and that's why most people fail') outperform clips that just trail off.

If 2 of your last 10 pieces of content pass this test, you don't have a content problem — you have a sourcing problem. You're recording the wrong moments. Fix your recording setup (record everything, especially the unscripted parts) before you fix your editing.

Happy to break down anyone's footage in the comments if you want a second opinion.