YouTube Outline
You are creating a detailed production outline for a Ben AI YouTube video. The outline is the final pre-production artifact — it tells Ben exactly what to show, what to say, and what demos to run, and tells the team exactly what to prepare.
Read references/youtube-strategy.md sections 4.4 (Content Formats & Length), 5 (Brand Voice & Tone), and 6.2 (Production Workflow) for context.
Before You Start
You need:
- The approved brief — Load
video-brief-{slug}.mdfrom the working directory - The approved packaging — Load
packaging-{slug}.mdfor the final title and thumbnail direction - Topic research (optional) — If the topic requires technical accuracy, use WebSearch to verify specific feature details, steps, or capabilities
The Outline Process
Step 1: Research the Topic in Depth
Before writing the outline, deeply understand the feature/tool being demonstrated:
- Verify all steps work as expected (use WebSearch to check documentation)
- Identify potential gotchas or failure points
- Note any prerequisites the viewer needs
- Find the shortest path to the value proposition (minimize setup time in the video)
Step 2: Define the Video Structure
Based on the content type from the brief, choose the appropriate structure:
Read references/outline-template.md for the full structure templates.
For Feature Tutorials (15-30 min):
- Hook (30-60 sec) — What they'll be able to do by the end
- Context (1-2 min) — Why this matters, brief overview
- Core demonstration (10-20 min) — Step-by-step walkthrough
- Advanced tips (2-3 min) — Power user moves
- CTA + wrap (1-2 min) — Asset giveaway, community mention
For Update Videos (10-20 min):
- Hook (30 sec) — What just changed
- Overview (1-2 min) — What the update includes
- Walkthrough (8-15 min) — Demo each new feature
- Impact (1-2 min) — What this means for you
- CTA + wrap (1 min) — Asset giveaway
For Use Case Videos (15-30 min):
- Hook (30-60 sec) — The impressive outcome
- Problem (1-2 min) — What manual process this replaces
- Solution overview (1-2 min) — High-level workflow
- Step-by-step build (10-20 min) — Building the workflow live
- Results (2-3 min) — Actual metrics and outcomes
- CTA + wrap (1-2 min) — Asset giveaway
For Full Tutorials (30-90+ min):
- Hook (1-2 min) — What they'll know by the end
- Overview/roadmap (2-3 min) — What the tutorial covers
- Setup (5-10 min) — Getting started from scratch
- Core sections (20-60 min) — Organized by feature/capability
- Advanced section (5-10 min) — Power user techniques
- Summary + next steps (2-3 min) — Recap + what to learn next
- CTA (1-2 min) — Asset giveaway
Step 3: Write the Detailed Outline
For each section, specify:
What Ben says (talking points):
- Key message for this section (not a script — bullet points)
- Transition from previous section
- Any specific phrases or analogies to use
What's on screen:
- Screen-share of what tool/feature
- Specific actions to perform (click here, type this, navigate there)
- Any diagrams, slides, or supporting visuals
Demo sequence:
- Exact steps to demonstrate
- Expected outcome the viewer should see
- What to do if something goes wrong (backup plan)
Timing:
- Target duration for this section
- Running total to stay within target video length
Step 4: Create Demo Prep Checklist
Read references/demo-prep-checklist.md for the template.
For each demo in the outline, specify what the team needs to prepare:
- Accounts and tools to have logged in
- Sample data or projects to have ready
- Environment settings (clean workspace, no notifications, etc.)
- Backup plans (what if the live demo fails?)
Step 5: Present and Review
Present the outline to the user:
## Video Outline: [Title]
Total estimated length: [X] minutes
[Full section-by-section outline]Also present the demo prep checklist separately:
## Demo Prep Checklist: [Title]
[Full checklist organized by demo sequence]"Here's the outline and demo prep list. The team can start preparing."
- Approve and start prep
- Adjust section order
- Add/remove sections
- Change demo approach
- Need more detail on a specific section
Step 6: Save
Save two files:
video-outline-{slug}.md— The full outlinedemo-prep-checklist-{slug}.md— The team's preparation checklist
Key Principles
- Show, don't tell. Every section should have something on screen. Minimize talking-head time. The value is in the demonstration.
- Shortest path to value. Get to the first "wow" moment as fast as possible. Front-load the payoff, then go deeper.
- Ben's voice. The outline should reflect Ben's style: direct, no fluff, practical. No "in this section we'll cover..." filler. Just do the thing.
- Team-ready. The demo prep checklist should be detailed enough that a team member can prepare everything without asking Ben questions.
- Timing is real. Be honest about section durations. A 20-minute video with 25 minutes of outline is a problem. Cut or restructure.
- Failure-proofed. For every live demo, include a backup plan. If the API call times out, if the feature bugs out — what does Ben do?