The delta hook: start at -100, end at +100

The hook writer (BX-003, keyword HOOKS) writes five hook options for every post. Most of them follow one technique: the delta hook. This guide explains it so you can write one yourself, or check what the skill gives you.

The idea in one sentence

A hook first takes the viewer to -100 (they recognise a problem), then turns, then takes them to +100 (the promise). The rest of the post keeps them watching with one open question per step.

Why the distance matters

Think of a scale from -100 to +100. Your viewer starts at 0.

A hook that only promises a win (“3 ways to plan your week”) moves them from 0 to +100. That’s a distance of 100.

A delta hook starts somewhere else. It first names the pain, or the idea most people believe. That moves the viewer from 0 to -100. Then it turns to the promise at +100. The distance is now 200 instead of 100. That bigger swing is the whole point of the technique.

Delta just means difference. The hook is built on the difference between where the viewer is and where they could be.

The three parts

Every delta hook has three parts, always in this order:

Part	What it does	Rule
-100	Recognition: the pain, the common belief or the wrong choice the viewer is in right now	In the words your audience uses. Concrete. Never blame them.
The turn	The contrast, in one word	Usually But. Also: “That’s wrong.” or “It’s not A or B.”
+100	The promise: what works, or what the viewer gets	Concrete. A number or a real thing if you have one. This is what the rest of the post delivers.

The -100 is recognition, not a complaint. It always ends at +100. A hook that stops at the problem just leaves people feeling bad.

The three forms

There are three patterns. When I write five hooks for one post, I use at least two of the three forms.

D1: Pain, then one thing

“Most [audience] [pain]. But it’s only [one thing].”

Example: “Most freelancers rewrite their proposal from scratch every time. But you only need one template with three blanks.”

D2: Myth, then the opposite

“Everyone says [belief]. That’s wrong. Here’s why.”

Example: “Everyone says you need to post every day. That’s wrong. Here’s why.”

D3: Not A or B, but C

“It’s not [A] or [B]. It’s [C].”

Example: “It’s not the camera or the editing app. It’s the first three seconds.”

Note: all examples in this guide are fictional and neutral. They show the shape, not a real result.

The rule people skip: the turn only denies what was said

This is the rule that’s easiest to get wrong.

When you write “But it’s not about X”, X must be in the -100. Or it must be very obvious that the viewer is thinking it. If not, the turn answers a question nobody asked.

Test it like this: read the -100 on its own. Then read the turn on its own. Does the turn follow from what you just read?

Wrong:

“Teams retype customer data three times. But it’s not about more people.”

Nobody mentioned more people. The turn denies something that was never said, so the viewer has to stop and work out what you mean. You lose them there.

Right:

“Your team enters every customer three times: CRM, project tool, invoicing. But that’s not work. That’s a missing connection.”

The -100 says “your team enters data three times”. The turn says “that’s not work”. It denies exactly what was said. Then the +100 names what it really is.

Two more fictional pairs:

Wrong	Why	Right
“Your inbox is full every morning. But it’s not about discipline.”	Discipline was never mentioned	“You answer email for two hours every morning. But most of those emails need the same three replies.”
“Most coaches post daily. But you don’t need a bigger audience.”	Audience size came out of nowhere	“Most coaches post daily and still get no leads. But the problem isn’t how often. It’s that no post asks for anything.”

Length limits

Where	Limit
Spoken hook (reel or video)	About 15 words, max 2 sentences
Carousel cover	About 12 words in the headline, the rest in the line under it

Read it out loud. Every word that doesn’t carry meaning goes.

No invented numbers

A hook with a number feels stronger. That’s exactly why people make numbers up.

“73% of founders waste ten hours a week on email” sounds precise. Unless you have the source, it’s invented. Don’t do it. Your viewer can’t check it, and the first person who asks “where’s that from?” breaks your trust.

What you can do:

• Use a number you can show: “three tools”, “five hooks”, “one command”.
• Use a general word without a figure: “Most founders…” is fine. “73% of founders…” needs a source.
• Use your own experience, if it really happened.

Common mistake: “Everyone…” and “Nobody…” as fact. “Nobody tells you this” is almost never true. Say what you know.

The six beats after the hook

The hook is only the first beat. The hook writer works inside a fixed storyline of six beats. The same six apply to a reel and to a carousel. Only the packaging changes.

#	Beat	What it does	In a reel	In a carousel
1	Hook	-100, turn, +100	First 0 to 3 seconds	Slide 1
2	Result first	Show the end result before you explain	Seconds 3 to 6	Slide 2
3	Steps	One step per beat, each one adds a piece	A new step every 3 to 5 seconds	One step per slide
4	Rehook	An open loop to what’s next: “But here’s the better way.”	Around every 10 seconds	A short loop line every 2 slides
5	Unless	A real condition: “This won’t work unless…”	Just before the end	Second to last slide
6	Close	Proof and one call to action	Last line or end screen	Last slide

Three rules keep this honest:

• Every loop gets closed. If a line promises something, the next beat or slide delivers it.
• One delta hook, max two rehooks, one unless per post. More than that and it feels like tricks.
• One contrast per post. The “not X but Y” lives in the hook. In the rest of the post you just say the point directly.

The unless beat is where a giveaway fits. “This won’t work unless you have your brand voice written down” makes the keyword logical, because the giveaway solves that condition. But the condition has to be real, not a sales line.

How the hook writer uses this

When the skill runs on a post brief, it:

1. Writes five hook options, each from a different angle.
2. Makes at least three of them delta hooks, in at least two of the three forms.
3. Writes the parts under each delta hook, so you can see the build: -100, turn, +100.
4. Leaves the choice to you. It never picks the hook itself.

Then the post reviewer (BX-004, keyword CHECK) checks the chosen hook against the same rules.

Self-check

Run this list on any hook before you use it.

Check:

1. Is there a -100? Would your viewer recognise it in their own words?
2. Is there a turn? Read the -100 and the turn separately. Does the turn deny something that was actually said?
3. Is there a +100 that’s concrete? Does the rest of the post deliver it?
4. Spoken hook: 15 words or fewer, 2 sentences max? Carousel cover: 12 words or fewer in the headline?
5. If there’s a number in it, can you show the source?
6. If it says “everyone”, “nobody” or “always”, can you back that up?
7. Does it end on the promise, not on the problem?
8. Is there only one contrast? No second “not X but Y” after the turn?

If you answer yes to all eight, use it. If not, rewrite it.

Next

Read Human in the loop to see how the reviewer and your own approval fit into the flow, so nothing goes live without you.