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josh-braun-copywriting

Skill8 starsChanged 4 months agoMITView on GitHub

Josh Braun's 5 cold email writing principles plus personalization best practices. Use when refining email copy, improving message quality, or reviewing outreach for common mistakes.

2 other projects use a version of this, 2 of them edited.

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The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

2 rules. About 0 are common, 2 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈2

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    Write with an eraser: - Remove every unnecessary word

    line 10
  2. Distinctive:

    Every word must earn its place: If it doesn't add value, delete it

    line 39

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Josh Braun Writing Principles

The 5 Principles

  1. Write with an eraser - Remove every unnecessary word
  2. Be cheeky - Personality matters, make them smile
  3. Be specific - Credibility comes through precision
  4. Don't say "we reduce costs" - Say "e-commerce companies doing $5k/month overpaying 10-15%"
  5. Use loss aversion - Frame around what they're losing, not gaining

Personalization Best Practices

DO:

  • Custom prompts based on research
  • Facts prospects consistently care about
  • Time business was founded (owners proud of longevity)
  • Recent company news/changes
  • Tech stack signals

DON'T:

  • Generic AI compliments ("Love your work!")
  • Content that sounds same as what they already have
  • Over-personalization that feels creepy
  • Complimenting LinkedIn posts without substance

Key Takeaways

  • Specificity = Credibility: "47% increase" beats "significant improvement"
  • Loss > Gain: People act more to avoid loss than to gain
  • Every word must earn its place: If it doesn't add value, delete it
  • Personality differentiates: Be human, not corporate

Combines with

SkillWhy
email-writing-frameworksApply principles to any framework
personalization-hooksCreate hooks that don't feel generic
sdr-outbound-rulesQuality checklist alignment
cold-email-templates-34Review templates against principles

Example prompts

Review this email using Josh Braun's 5 principles and suggest improvements.
Rewrite this email to be more specific and use loss aversion.
Make this email "cheeky" without being unprofessional.

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