---
name: tweet-writing
description: Draft or revise tweets and quote posts for swyx or Latent Space using real peer examples, source material, and the account's voice.
---

# Tweet writing

The user rejected generic promotional copy and a first research sample drawn
from very large accounts. Treat this skill as a starting point to improve with
feedback, not a finished house style.

## Research the right examples

For inspiration, study accounts @swyx follows with at most 200,000 followers.
The user explicitly named four exceptions to the follower cap: [@aakashgupta](https://x.com/aakashgupta),
[@creatine_cycle](https://x.com/creatine_cycle), [@lennysan](https://x.com/lennysan),
and [@GergelyOrosz](https://x.com/GergelyOrosz). Search X as @swyx using
`filter:follows min_faves:200` and verify the follow relationship, follower
count, and at least 200 likes when collecting examples. Record when the counts
were observed. Exclude @antonosika, whom the user rejected as the founder of a
hot company, even though his follower count is under the cap.
This is a filter for the examples we learn from, not a restriction on the
subject or a source the user explicitly asks us to quote.

Choose examples by **purpose**: launching a product or feature, promoting a
podcast, essay or newsletter, sharing an artifact, announcing an event, or
advancing a related argument. Prioritize launches and self-promotion. Read the
original post, its quoted context, and the source being promoted; inspect its
actual image or video when it matters. Do not infer a visual from an image label
or a video from a thumbnail. Record full short posts verbatim when permitted;
otherwise link the original and identify the text as unavailable to copy in full.
Preserve media captures and indicate whether they belong to the post or its quote.

Read [the examples by intent](references/launch-and-promotion.md) for relevant
structures and sources. Likes and follower counts are snapshots, not evidence
that a format caused engagement. Do not treat third-party examples as a substitute
for the specific account's voice.

[Liked-author leads](references/liked-author-leads.md) identifies other writers
whose individual posts appeared in @swyx's likes. These are leads for future
research, not additional exceptions to the follower cap or automatic proof that
the user likes every post by those authors.

The reference contains 36 examples. For future additions, do not count search
previews, uninspected videos, or authors whose follower count or follow
relationship is unverified. X's embedded-post data can establish public post
text, media metadata and a like-count snapshot, but not the viewer's follow
relationship, and its counts may be cached.

The [unverified research queue](references/unverified-research-queue-2026-10-21.md)
holds 53 candidate posts for the requested expansion. It is a starting point for
checking originals and capturing media, not part of the 36-example reference.
The [partial captures](references/partial-media-captures.md) preserve inspected
media when the complete post text is not yet verified; they do not count as
finished examples.

## Shapes observed so far

- Direct product launch: name the release, say what it does and how to try it,
  and show the product in motion. The Iso-Coaster example is three short lines
  with a gameplay video.
- Launch with proof points: announce the product, stack specific adoption,
  price or other claims in bullets, and give an action to try it; Fish Audio S1
  pairs that structure with a video demonstration. Attribute the claims.
- Feature launch in a quote post: answer an actual audience question, announce
  the feature, give an example input, and list the resulting actions. See Max
  Stoiber's Sites announcement.
- Founder milestone: start with the founding vision and examples of customers'
  situations, add traction and the milestone, and attach a film. See Quinten
  Farmer's Tolan funding post.
- New lab: Nathan Lambert explains a mission and theory of change, uses a
  metaphor tied to the lab's name, and closes with specific asks and credits.
- Technical release: let the visual match the communication need. TimesFM-3
  uses an architecture diagram; TabFM uses a simple input → model → output
  graphic.
- Podcast episode: name the guests, state a thesis or questions, specify the
  audience if useful, and attach a clip or full video. Brian Halligan's post
  also includes timestamps; Philip Kiely's post shows the whiteboard itself.
  @waterloo_intern's episode quote opens with a mock apology, adds predictions
  and diagrams, and quotes the show's video. Olivia Moore's browser episode
  sets up a firsthand head-to-head test and a question, paired with a versus graphic.
- Essay: a plain announcement of what was written, with an image of the work;
  Mrinal's Redis post places the link in the first reply. Do not turn that
  placement into a default rule. Jason's Codex draft introduces his connection
  to the topic and asks for feedback. Ali's article share has only a link; the
  linked article's title and cover carry the presentation. His promotional
  quote-post uses a humorous list of the effort behind the essay and a video.
- Book launch: Philip Kiely uses a one-line announcement and link, with a
  directly attached short film providing the presentation.
- Invite participation: Jason's computer-use AMA makes a specific experience
  claim and then invites questions in two short lines.
- Research initiative: announce the work and let a labeled chart or ranking
  make it tangible, as in Epoch's Benchmark Reviews or Olivia Moore's AI Apps 50.
  For a recurring report, Olivia specifies what changed in the method or shares
  her reaction, then uses attached rankings as the artifact; her benchmark post
  gives contrasting headline numbers alongside the full table.
- Talk to thread: Geoffrey Litt opens with a thesis, identifies the talk behind
  it, and promises practical techniques, with the thesis slide attached.
- Recruiting: Jason frames a team invitation through his own reasons for making
  a film, rather than presenting the video as an anonymous advertisement.
- Creative demo: one line can set up a video rather than explain every detail;
  Jason's Codex launch-video post gives the premise in six words.

These are examples of structures, not reusable scripts. Read the source examples
and distinguish the author's own attachment from media in a quoted post.

## Write for the actual purpose

- Read the article, episode, announcement, or other material. Find the most
  interesting supported fact, result, implication, or unresolved question for
  that account's audience. The reader should learn something from the post.
- For a launch or self-promotion, make the thing and its value concrete. The
  source might provide a useful observation, result, comparison, guest insight,
  or artifact to lead with. Pick the shape that fits; do not force the same
  hook, bullets, tone, or call to action onto every post.
- For a quote post, read the quoted post and add a distinct observation,
  implication, or counterpoint. Keep the quoted author's claims separate from
  the account's interpretation or calculation.
- Write conversationally and specifically. Do not manufacture voice with
  lowercase, slang, exclamation marks, or marketing filler. Use fragments,
  questions, longer posts, or threads when the material calls for them.
- Keep figures, denominator, period, and uncertainty intact. Do not turn a
  partial-cost calculation into a claim about overall profit.

## Media

Treat images and video as part of the post's communication. An article image,
chart, screenshot, short demo, video clip, or podcast frame can supply the
evidence, the artifact, or the reason to watch. Choose a visual that genuinely
supports the specific post; keep labels and context readable and source it.
When a fresh screenshot is requested, capture the relevant current state and
check that it is legible. Do not fabricate or guess at a visual.

When publication is requested, verify the account, text, link, quote target and
any requested media before posting; verify the resulting post and return its
link. Writing guidance does not itself authorize posting.