how i write viral articles on X i've written a little over 43 articles. by my count, they've generated roughly 20–30 million views directly and indirectly. give this to your agent. here's my 7-step process for finding ideas, researching, writing, and designing titles + thumbnails people want to click and save. [the full workflow, tools, and prompts are in the article below.] 1. find the intersection of attention and experience start with: → what people are currently talking about → something you've personally built, tested, read deeply, or figured out that gives you a timely topic and a reason people should listen. i use Perplexity and Grok Bot to find questions, research papers, and existing explanations. then i read the sources and develop my own argument. research prompt: “what questions remain unanswered about [topic]? show me the best sources, conflicting evidence, and gaps i can explore using my experience in [area].” 2. design the title, thumbnail, and outline together i do this before polishing the article. → the title sells the outcome → the thumbnail makes the value visible → the content delivers the substance if i can't communicate the value in one line and one visual, the idea needs more work. the title should explain what the reader can achieve or make a bold claim the article fully supports. “How to Build X” gives readers an outcome they can pursue. “I Built This” asks them to care about your project. i generally use the broader framing to reach more people, then bring my specific experience into the piece. how-tos, blueprints, resources, and guides make the value easy to understand. a title can be a single-line question or summary. either way, make the payoff clear. you cannot LARP through the title. 3. normie-max the packaging make the title and thumbnail broadly understandable, then bring the depth as people read. give people a familiar outcome before introducing the technical details. i call the visual side the cocomelon effect: → brighter colors → no more than three dominant elements → consistent typography the goal is instant recognition. a diagram can contain several steps while remaining one dominant visual element. 4. make the thumbnail deliver value before the click i use Pinterest for inspiration. useful searches: → technical editorial diagram → serif poster typography → minimal workflow infographic pick references for specific properties: typography, color, and layout. then build the thumbnail around the article: → use a large diagram that visually summarizes the idea → keep annotations to around four or five words → use GPT or another image-generation tool for a clean workflow diagram → choose a background with enough contrast to keep everything readable → make the subject feel detailed and approachable thumbnail prompt: “turn this article into one clear visual. show [workflow] with short labels. use these references for typography and color. keep the composition simple, readable at thumbnail size, and in [aspect ratio].” when revising, name the exact change: → keep the diagram → shrink the title → fix the connector → preserve the aspect ratio protect what already works. the thumbnail should make someone think, “this is useful enough to save.” the title gives them the conviction to click and learn how to do it. 5. give the payoff early i use Typeless and Whisperflow to talk through my ideas quickly, then organize the material into a clear argument. the first five to seven lines should explain: → what the reader gets → why it matters → what experience supports it put a strong tldr near the top. someone who doesn't have time to read everything should still leave with something useful. then bring the authenticity through your actual experience: → what you tried → what happened → what you changed → what you learned give readers the prompts, steps, screenshots, and expected results they need to follow along. each paragraph should help explain or deliver the promise. 6. give readers something they can reuse for technical articles, i like a public GitHub repo containing: → the full article → the prompts → the diagrams → the relevant project files it gives the work a searchable home outside X. people can download it, inspect it, and give it to their own agents without depending on those agents being able to retrieve an X article. 7. check the promise before publishing ask: → where would a beginner get stuck? → which claims need evidence? → is the thumbnail readable at its intended size? → does the article deliver what the title promises? giving value upfront shows readers their time is respected. the deeper explanation gives them a reason to keep reading.