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Team Resource

Anti-AI-slop guide.

A short guide for teaching your AI to sound like a person, not a chatbot. Paste it into any AI tool before it drafts for you, or run a finished draft back through it as a checklist. No more em dashes.

The one rule

If a sentence sounds good but says nothing, cut it. If a phrase could appear in literally anyone's post, it's generic. Replace it with something only you could say: a real name, a real number, a real moment.

Never use these words

Intensifiers: revolutionary, groundbreaking, transformative, paradigm shift, cutting-edge, game-changing, innovative, unique, exceptional, seamless, sophisticated, robust, bespoke, elegant
Verbs: unlock, unleash, transform, revolutionize, supercharge, maximize, leverage (as filler), empower, harness, dive, delve, navigate, demystify, unravel, unveil, discover
Filler: realm, tapestry, ecosystem, synergy, beacon, hurdles, complexities, multifaceted, ever-evolving, meticulous, tailored, refreshing, captivating, testament, eager, poised
Absolutes: absolutely, completely, extremely, totally, utmost
Hedging: in my opinion, I believe, I think, it is important to note. Strip every one. State the claim.

Never use this formatting

Banned sentence constructions

These are the phrases that make a sentence sound like it came from a chatbot, not a person. Rewrite the beat instead of reaching for these.

“Not X, it’s Y.”

The single most common AI fingerprint. It fails the moment a reader sees it.

Bad: “The point is not the framework. It’s the discipline behind it.”
Better: “The discipline is the point. Frameworks come and go.”

Empty drama connectors

Phrases that promise something important is coming instead of just saying the important thing: “X stopped me,” “that hit me hard,” “I leaned in,” “number three is the reason I perked up.”

If you catch yourself reaching for one of these, the writing underneath isn’t sharp yet. Fix the sentence, don’t dress it up.

Teacher-to-student register

Bad: “Most founders get this wrong.” / “Here’s what people don’t understand.”
Better: “The common pattern right now is X.” (Observe, don’t correct.)

Accusatory framing

Never imply the reader did something wrong.

Bad: “Most owners buy tools before defining context, and end up with a mess.”
Better: “The common pattern is buying tools before defining context.”

Self-undercutting

Never disclaim or hedge your own work in the copy itself. Point forward, don’t apologize.

The quick self-check before you publish

  1. Could a competitor post this word-for-word? If yes, it’s too generic. Add a real name, number, or story only you have.
  2. Does it use any word from the banned list? Find the specific replacement.
  3. Is there an em dash, exclamation point, or “not X, it’s Y”? Rewrite the beat.
  4. Does any sentence sound good but say nothing? Cut it.
  5. Would a smart peer read this as talking down to them? If yes, reframe from teaching to observing.

Get it into your AI tool

Paste this at the start of any chat where you want your AI drafting copy, emails, or posts.

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How you know it worked

If it sounds like marketing, it’s wrong. If it sounds like a real person describing what they actually did, it’s right. Restraint is the signal of competence.