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:

1. The approved brief — Load video-brief-{slug}.md from the working directory
2. The approved packaging — Load packaging-{slug}.md for the final title and thumbnail direction
3. 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):

1. Hook (30-60 sec) — What they’ll be able to do by the end
2. Context (1-2 min) — Why this matters, brief overview
3. Core demonstration (10-20 min) — Step-by-step walkthrough
4. Advanced tips (2-3 min) — Power user moves
5. CTA + wrap (1-2 min) — Asset giveaway, community mention

For Update Videos (10-20 min):

1. Hook (30 sec) — What just changed
2. Overview (1-2 min) — What the update includes
3. Walkthrough (8-15 min) — Demo each new feature
4. Impact (1-2 min) — What this means for you
5. CTA + wrap (1 min) — Asset giveaway

For Use Case Videos (15-30 min):

1. Hook (30-60 sec) — The impressive outcome
2. Problem (1-2 min) — What manual process this replaces
3. Solution overview (1-2 min) — High-level workflow
4. Step-by-step build (10-20 min) — Building the workflow live
5. Results (2-3 min) — Actual metrics and outcomes
6. CTA + wrap (1-2 min) — Asset giveaway

For Full Tutorials (30-90+ min):

1. Hook (1-2 min) — What they’ll know by the end
2. Overview/roadmap (2-3 min) — What the tutorial covers
3. Setup (5-10 min) — Getting started from scratch
4. Core sections (20-60 min) — Organized by feature/capability
5. Advanced section (5-10 min) — Power user techniques
6. Summary + next steps (2-3 min) — Recap + what to learn next
7. 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 outline
• demo-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?