Blog Post Scaffolding

When to Use

Trigger when user wants to create a new blog post or says "new post", "write about", etc.

Two-Phase Workflow

PHASE 1: Topic Validation & Angle Discovery

Before creating any structure, validate the topic is worth writing:

1. Capture the topic idea - What do they want to write about?

2. Internal content search:

   • Check content/en/blog/ for existing posts
   • Check content/en/drafts/ for in-progress drafts
   • Look for related tags
   • Ask: "Have you already covered this?"

3. External landscape search (use WebSearch):

   • What's already well-covered on this topic?
   • What angles exist in the wild?
   • What gaps can be identified?
   • Who has authority here already?

4. Present findings with structured format:

I searched for existing content on [topic]. Here's what I found:

**Already well-covered:**
1. [Common angle 1 with examples]
2. [Common angle 2 with examples]
3. [etc.]

**Potential gaps identified:**
- [Gap 1]
- [Gap 2]

**Internal content check:**
- [Existing posts if any] OR [No existing posts found]

5. Ask numbered, assumption-based questions about THEIR experience:

Based on this landscape, I have some questions about your specific angle:

1. I'm assuming you have hands-on experience with [specific aspect]. What problems did you encounter that others don't discuss?

2. I'm thinking your unique value might be [specific implementation/discovery]. Is that accurate, or is there something else?

3. What did you build/discover that solves a gap I identified above?

4. Is there anything you tried that contradicts common advice on this topic?

What's your specific experience with this that would add genuine value beyond what already exists?

6. Validate uniqueness before proceeding:
   • Do they have personal, hands-on experience?
   • Is their angle different from what exists?
   • Are they sharing experience, not summarizing knowledge?

Red flags that should pause scaffolding:

• "I think people should know about X" (no personal experience)
• "It's a trending topic" (no unique angle)
• Just summarizing others' work
• No specific problems encountered or solutions built

Green flags to proceed:

• "I built X and discovered Y"
• "Everyone says X but I found Y"
• "I tried common solution and it failed because Z"
• "Here's my implementation handling edge case W"

Key principle: The blog exists to share experience, not summarize knowledge.

PHASE 2: Scaffold Creation

Only proceed after angle is validated through conversation.

1. Brief structure discussion (now that angle is solid):

   • What sections make sense for THIS angle?
   • How does your experience map to structure?
   • What's the "why bother" for readers?

2. Create structure:

   • Directory: content/en/drafts/slug-from-title/
   • File: index.md
   • Frontmatter with current date and draft: true
   • Headers with ## and bullet point guidance
   • NO content filling - just structure

3. Leave TODOs:

   • TODO(@fabio): Write introduction about...
   • Mark sections that need the author's voice
   • Reference the validated unique angle in TODO guidance

4. Collapse reference material:

   • Use <details><summary> blocks for research findings, examples, technical notes
   • Example: Research findings from external search → collapsed under "Research findings for reference"
   • Example: Technical examples or code snippets → collapsed under "Technical details"
   • Keeps the main structure clean while preserving context for writing

Frontmatter Template

---
title: "Post Title Here"
date: YYYY-MM-DD  # Current date when scaffolding, update when publishing
draft: true
tags:
  - tag1
  - tag2
description: "TODO(@fabio): Add one-line description for SEO"
---

Note: Post stays in /content/en/drafts/ until ready to publish. When publishing, move to /content/en/blog/YYYY/MM/DD/slug/ and update date.

Structural Notes

Headers emerge from content organically - don't prescribe structure. Examples from past posts show different approaches:

• 2017 Serverless: "Background", "Why do I think...", "How did it go?", "TL;DR"
• 2025 AI/Lazy: "The YAGNI Reality Check", "Tool Experimentation Journey"
• 2025 VirtualBox: "The Problem", "The Solution", "Troubleshooting"

Opening approaches vary:

• Jump straight into the problem/context
• Start with personal background/motivation
• Lead with "I've been doing X but..."

Let the narrative dictate the structure, not a template.

Anti-patterns

Phase 1 anti-patterns:

• Skipping validation and jumping straight to scaffolding
• Accepting "I think people should know" without hands-on experience
• Not searching for existing content (internal + external)
• Approving generic topics just because they're trending
• Doing comprehensive research that belongs in the post itself

Phase 2 anti-patterns:

• Writing full paragraphs instead of structure
• Creating scaffold before validating unique angle
• Generic examples instead of referencing validated personal experience
• Assuming the conclusion
• Missing the draft: true flag
• Adding meta-framing sections: "Who This Is For", "What You'll Learn", "Key Takeaway:", "Prerequisites", etc.
• Creating "The Bottom Line" or summary boxes
• Over-structuring with series navigation boilerplate

Relationship to blog-topic-research Skill

blog-scaffolding includes validation as Phase 1 - use this for "I want to write about X" flows

blog-topic-research remains standalone for:

• Mid-writing validation ("is this section/angle actually unique?")
• Additional research after initial scaffold
• Researching content without starting a new post
• Surgical validation anytime during writing process