---
title: "The Content Operators Playbook"
description: "7 playbooks, 49 principles."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/
updated: 2026-10-25
---

# The Content Operators Playbook

> 7 playbooks, 49 principles. How Tom builds creators and founders into media businesses, one page per principle.

## 1. Positioning

- [Builder or authority](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/positioning/builder-or-authority/index.md)
- [Avoid the messy middle](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/positioning/avoid-the-messy-middle/index.md)
- [A mission and an enemy](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/positioning/a-mission-and-an-enemy/index.md)

## 2. Content

- [Formats over ideas](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/content/formats-over-ideas/index.md)
- [The same eight things](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/content/the-same-eight-things/index.md)
- [The outlier is the brief](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/content/the-outlier-is-the-brief/index.md)

## 3. Funnel

- [Top, middle, bottom](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/funnel/top-middle-bottom/index.md)
- [One person, one problem](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/funnel/one-person-one-problem/index.md)
- [Fake pods and hotlines](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/funnel/fake-pods-and-hotlines/index.md)

## 4. Distribution

- [Three a day](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/distribution/three-a-day/index.md)
- [Overwhelm the algorithm](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/distribution/overwhelm-the-algorithm/index.md)
- [Signals before numbers](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/distribution/signals-before-numbers/index.md)
- [Instagram first](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/distribution/instagram-first/index.md)

## 5. How I work

- [Retainer kickoff](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/retainer-kickoff/index.md)
- [The creator audit](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-creator-audit/index.md)
- [Recording day](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/recording-day/index.md)
- [The clip bank](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-clip-bank/index.md)
- [The consulting session](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-consulting-session/index.md)
- [Soft DM outreach](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/soft-dm-outreach/index.md)
- [Pricing and the offer ladder](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/pricing-and-the-offer-ladder/index.md)
- [Building a content team from zero](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/building-a-content-team-from-zero/index.md)
- [Carousels and the middle of the funnel](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/carousels-and-the-middle-of-the-funnel/index.md)
- [Monthly ideation](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/monthly-ideation/index.md)
- [Pitching a show format](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/pitching-a-show-format/index.md)
- [Brand partnerships and talent](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/brand-partnerships-and-talent/index.md)
- [Making a viral YouTube video](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/making-a-viral-youtube-video/index.md)
- [Packaging, titles and thumbnails](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/packaging-titles-and-thumbnails/index.md)
- [Long form to short form](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/long-form-to-short-form/index.md)
- [Proposals that win](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/proposals-that-win/index.md)
- [The founder's personal brand](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-founders-personal-brand/index.md)
- [The Venture Room Asana operating system](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-venture-room-asana-operating-system/index.md)
- [AI in the content workflow](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/ai-in-the-content-workflow/index.md)
- [Owned audience](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/owned-audience/index.md)
- [The paid community](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-paid-community/index.md)
- [Outlier mining and the idea funnel](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/outlier-mining-and-the-idea-funnel/index.md)
- [Packaging and the first ten seconds](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/packaging-and-the-first-ten-seconds/index.md)
- [The Shorts story formula](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-shorts-story-formula/index.md)
- [A podcast built to repeat](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/a-podcast-built-to-repeat/index.md)
- [A personal brand that converts](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/a-personal-brand-that-converts/index.md)
- [The event as a studio content day](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/how-i-work/the-event-as-a-studio-content-day/index.md)

## 6. Formats

- [Selfie and yap videos](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/selfie-and-yap-videos/index.md)
- [Reaction and story time](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/reaction-and-story-time/index.md)
- [Podcast clips the fake pods](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/podcast-clips-the-fake-pods/index.md)
- [Creator hotline](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/creator-hotline/index.md)
- [Carousels](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/carousels/index.md)
- [Creator therapy](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/creator-therapy/index.md)
- [The newsletter](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/formats/the-newsletter/index.md)

## 7. Clip anatomy

- [Shape one, the selfie clip](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/clip-anatomy/shape-one-the-selfie-clip/index.md)
- [Shape two, the Q&A cutdown](https://tomsharman.com/playbooks/clip-anatomy/shape-two-the-q-and-a-cutdown/index.md)