How I used audio transcription to create this essay on tackling big projects.
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https://twitter.com/jessejanderson/status/1369678529856737282
Start with your concept, perhaps based on something you've recently learned or heard discussed.
My concept was based on some ideas inspired by the excellent @NestedFolders podcast.
It can help to take a short walk in silence to bounce ideas around in your head a bit.
My concept was based on some ideas inspired by the excellent @NestedFolders podcast.
It can help to take a short walk in silence to bounce ideas around in your head a bit.
Once you have the concept, figure out your headline.
Attention spans are short, you have to grab their interest with a few words or they will not read.
Take @Nicolascole77's advice and focus on clarity, not cleverness.
Attention spans are short, you have to grab their interest with a few words or they will not read.
Take @Nicolascole77's advice and focus on clarity, not cleverness.
Now you're ready to get started.
You can use the built-in iOS transcription (that's what I used) but there are specific apps that do this as well.
Just start talking as if trying to explain the idea to a friend.
You can use the built-in iOS transcription (that's what I used) but there are specific apps that do this as well.
Just start talking as if trying to explain the idea to a friend.
After a few minutes of dictation, you'll have several hundred words in one giant sentence.
Break it up into bullet points without concern for the order of things.
Just start a list, delete unnecessary words, and keep pressing enter to break it up into a list of atomic ideas.
Break it up into bullet points without concern for the order of things.
Just start a list, delete unnecessary words, and keep pressing enter to break it up into a list of atomic ideas.
For example:
"then you can get started by breaking the project into different phases or acts like a movie um it helps to sort of think of these phases as their own projects"
becomes
- breaking the project into different phases
- think of these phases as their own projects
"then you can get started by breaking the project into different phases or acts like a movie um it helps to sort of think of these phases as their own projects"
becomes
- breaking the project into different phases
- think of these phases as their own projects
Don't get distracted by editing at this point.
You're just trying to organize your thoughts so you can rearrange them later.
You're just trying to organize your thoughts so you can rearrange them later.
Once you have a giant list, look for patterns.
If you had to summarize the whole thing in a single tweet, what are the 3-5 essential ideas?
If you had to summarize the whole thing in a single tweet, what are the 3-5 essential ideas?
Now take those essential ideas and craft 3-5 section titles that encapsulate those ideas.
You can use the idea itself as your headline, or something more general to wrap that idea with some related concepts.
You can use the idea itself as your headline, or something more general to wrap that idea with some related concepts.
Now you just need to fill in the blanks!
Take any other ideas from your transcription list and see where they fit.
As you move them to sections, you can edit them into actual sentences.
Take any other ideas from your transcription list and see where they fit.
As you move them to sections, you can edit them into actual sentences.
Remember that less is more.
Look at each sentence and remove every unnecessary word.
Saving you audience time is creating value for them. Respect their time.
Look at each sentence and remove every unnecessary word.
Saving you audience time is creating value for them. Respect their time.
Thanks to @HeyScottyJ and @RosemaryOrchard for the excellent podcast that inspired the original essay.
Nested Folders always helps me to reconsider my approach to getting things done. 🙌
Nested Folders always helps me to reconsider my approach to getting things done. 🙌
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