hooks

name

hooks

description

Generate YouTube video hooks using the Kallaway desire-based framework. Produces Three Hook Alignment (visual + spoken + text), applies the Four Commandments, maps to core desires, and scores each hook. Trigger on phrases like 'write a hook for', 'hook ideas for my video', 'help me with the intro', 'generate hooks', 'write the opening for', or any request for YouTube video hooks, intros, or opening lines.

YouTube Hook Generator — Kallaway Framework

Generate high-retention YouTube hooks using the full Kallaway desire-based system. Every hook is scored against the Four Commandments and delivered as a Three Hook Alignment (visual + spoken + text).

When This Skill Activates

Activate when the user wants to:

• Write a hook for a video they're planning
• Generate opening lines or intro scripts
• Improve an existing hook
• Get multiple hook options to test

Example triggers:

• "Write hooks for my RAG video"
• "Hook ideas for 'How I Automated 90% of Social Media'"
• "Help me nail the intro for this video"
• /hooks or /hooks <video concept>

Input

The user provides one or more of:

• Video concept/topic — what the video is about
• Idea brief — output from /ideation
• Outline — output from /outlines
• Key talking points — the most interesting facts/reveals

If the user only provides a topic, ask ONE question: "What's the most surprising thing in this video that your audience probably doesn't know?" That answer becomes the hook's core material.

The Kallaway Framework

Phase 1 — Identify the Desire

Map to one of the Four Horsemen:

• Money — making it, saving it, growing it
• Time — saving it, not wasting it, getting hours back
• Health — reducing stress, avoiding burnout, mental clarity
• Status — looking smart, being ahead, impressing peers

Apply One Standard Deviation: Don't target the core desire directly — that triggers the BS detector. Package it one step away using a proxy desire.

Core Desire	Direct (BS detector)	Proxy (one standard deviation)
Money	"Make more money with AI"	"Automate your entire content pipeline"
Time	"Save 10 hours a week"	"Never start a Claude Code session from scratch"
Status	"Become an AI expert"	"Build what your team thinks requires a dev shop"
Health	"Reduce work stress"	"Stop manually doing what AI handles in seconds"

Phase 2 — Generate Hooks Using Five Desire-Based Variations

Generate at least one hook in EACH variation:

1. About Me (looking backward) "I just [accomplished X] using [Y]"

• Example: "I just automated 90% of my social media workflow using Claude Code — and it took me a weekend."

2. If I (looking forward) "If I wanted to [achieve X], I would [Y]"

• Example: "If I were starting a YouTube channel in 2026, this is the exact AI workflow I'd set up on day one."

3. To You (viewer as character) "If you're trying to [X], use [Y]"

• Example: "If you're spending more than 30 minutes on social media content per video, you're doing it wrong."

4. Can You (viewer as question) "Is it possible to [X] under [Y]?"

• Example: "Is it possible to go from one YouTube video to 10 pieces of content — automatically?"

5. He/She Just Did (third party proof) "[Z] just accomplished [X] under [Y]"

• Example: "A creator with 500 subscribers just used Claude Code to build a content pipeline that rivals teams of five."

Phase 3 — Apply Hook Formats

For the strongest 2-3 desire-based hooks, rewrite through the best-fitting formats:

1. Secret Reveal — tease unknown insights or future implications
2. Case Study — how a subject achieved a result unexpectedly
3. Comparison — instantly compare two versions to show optimal state
4. Question — directly implant curiosity
5. Education — introduce a step-by-step process
6. List — ordered set of items
7. Contrarian — bold take against the grain
8. Personal Experience — first-person story framing
9. Problem — agitate a pain point, then set up solution

Pick the 2-3 formats that match the content. Don't force all nine.

Phase 4 — Score with Six Hook Power Words

For each hook, check it contains:

1. Subject — who the video is about (I, we, you, [brand])
2. Action — the verb (built, automated, replaced, discovered)
3. Objective — the end result/outcome
4. Contrast — comparing states (before vs. after, 0 to X, manual vs. automated)
5. Proof (optional) — qualifies the perspective ("again", "after testing 50 tools")
6. Time (optional) — adds urgency ("in one weekend", "in under 5 minutes")

Phase 5 — Three Hook Alignment

For the top 3 hooks, generate the full alignment:

Visual Hook — What is shown on screen in the first 1-3 seconds?

• Triggers "bottoms-up processing" (subconscious visual response ~200ms)
• Colors, motion, unexpected imagery
• Example: Screen recording of Claude Code running 5 skills in rapid succession

Spoken Hook — What is said in the first 5-15 seconds?

• The hook line, written at a fifth-grade reading level
• 1-3 sentences maximum
• Must open a curiosity loop the video closes

Text Hook — What text overlay appears?

• The title or shortened version
• Complements (doesn't duplicate) the spoken hook
• Creates a curiosity gap WITH the spoken hook

All three must point at the same idea simultaneously.

Phase 6 — Four Commandments Checklist

Score each top hook (pass/fail):

1. Alignment — Do visual, spoken, and text hooks match? ✓/✗
2. Speed to Value — Zero delay, zero fluff before the hook lands? ✓/✗
3. Clarity — Viewer knows exactly what the video is about in one sentence? ✓/✗
4. Curiosity — Opens a question in the viewer's mind? ✓/✗

Must pass ALL FOUR to recommend. If one fails, note the fix.

Output Format

## Desire Mapping
- **Core Desire:** [Horseman]
- **Proxy Desire:** [One standard deviation]

## Top Hooks

### Hook 1 — [Format] + [Variation]
**Spoken:** "[The hook line]"
**Visual:** [What's on screen]
**Text overlay:** "[The text]"
**Power Words:** Subject ✓ Action ✓ Objective ✓ Contrast ✓ Time ✓ (5/6)
**Commandments:** Alignment ✓ Speed ✓ Clarity ✓ Curiosity ✓ (4/4)

### Hook 2 — ...
### Hook 3 — ...

## All Five Variations (for reference)
1. About Me: "..."
2. If I: "..."
3. To You: "..."
4. Can You: "..."
5. He/She Just Did: "..."

## Recommendation
[Which hook to use and why — direct and opinionated]

Key Principles

• The hook is the most important 15 seconds. More time here than on 5 minutes of body content.
• Fifth-grade reading level. Short sentences. Common words. Complex language kills hooks.
• Curiosity without clickbait. The hook must promise something the video delivers. your audience bounces permanently on oversell.
• Contrarian hooks need authority. "X is wrong" only works with immediate credibility (research, data, personal proof).
• Negative framing pulls harder. "You're wasting 5 hours a week" outperforms "Save 5 hours a week." Loss aversion is real.
• One hook per video. Don't cram multiple angles into the opening. Pick one. Commit.