A lot of people freeze every time they sit down to write a Linkedin post. They think writing something original means being provocative and it terrifies them. But originality is a simpler idea, it's just owning a thought that's yours, not borrowed from someone else or AI-generated.

Also, people confuse originality with drama. But when drama isn't available, when you work in professional services, or B2B, or anywhere with a reputation to protect, the only alternative to 'drama' that feels safe is beige, middle-of-the-road, who-gives-a-shit content. So that's what gets posted.

It's forgettable by design.

The space in between drama and beige, where actual originality lives, is often ignored in industries where originality can feel subversive.

Write one sentence you've never read anywhere else. Not a hot take or a contrarian jab, just something you actually believe. Originality isn't weird, it's just yours, the thing AI can't replicate.

Originality doesn't have to be extraordinary. Your narrow slice of the world is enough, your thoughts and opinions are enough, you just need to be brave enough to share them.

++I'm Nigel. I built Ghostart and the Beige-ometer because LinkedIn has enough forgettable content already — I post advice to help professionals write posts people actually want to read. Lots of people post snarky comments on my posts because I don't think people who use AI to help them communicate professionally are the devil incarnate.