The TL;DR:
Going viral is luck.
Building an engine that creates compounding attention is strategy.
Most brands chase spikes. The smartest ones build systems where every piece of content fuels the next — like Huberman Lab, Morning Brew, Hormozi, and the newsletters dominating your feed.
Here’s how they do it — and how you can build your own.
Look closely at any brand with momentum and you’ll find the same pattern:
One high-performing piece becomes a seed
That seed becomes multiple derivatives
Those derivatives reinforce the core idea
The audience learns the brand’s “language” and spreads it
It’s not random.
It’s an attention feedback loop.
Every piece of content drives people back to the root source — and the source drives new content.
Huberman does it with protocols.
Morning Brew does it with formats.
Hormozi does it with frameworks.
You don’t have to be them.
You just need a system.
The Attention Engine Framework (Simple, Repeatable, Scalable)
1) Create One “Hero Idea” Per Week
Not 50 ideas.
Not a 40-point content calendar.
One idea strong enough to carry multiple formats.
Examples:
“Cold email templates that actually convert”
“The real reason your retention sucks”
“A 3-step system to double your lead flow”
This becomes your source code for the week.
2) Break the Hero Idea Into 5–10 Smaller Assets
Think of it like slicing a loaf of bread.
From one hero idea, create:
A short video
A carousel
A story or thread
A visual explainer
A quote card
A deeper written breakdown
Each piece links back to the main idea, reinforcing authority every time it appears in someone’s feed.
3) Create a “Core Repository” for Your Best Ideas
This is where the engine gets powerful.
Store your best-performing ideas in one place.
These become your recurring characters.
When you need content, you don’t start fresh, you upgrade, remix, or expand ideas that already proved themselves.
Nobody remembers your posts like you do.
Repetition is branding.
4) Build Feedback Loops Into Your Distribution
Every brand with compounding attention uses loops, even if they don’t call them that.
Examples:
Loop A: Reach → Save → Subscribe
Instagram carousel → lots of saves → CTA to join newsletter → newsletter reinforces messaging → more content ideas
Loop B: Video → Short Clips → Search
Long-form video → clipped into shorts → shorts drive search → search drives long-form → repeat
Loop C: Thread → PDF → Email
X thread → free downloadable guide → email sequence → higher engagement → more thread ideas
The goal:
No piece of content should be a dead end.
5) Build a Repeatable Weekly Engine
Monday: Publish hero idea
Tuesday–Friday: Publish derivatives
Saturday: Repurpose top performer
Sunday: Archive into your repository
It feels simple… because it is.
The compounding happens automatically.
Why This System Works
Because attention compounds like money.
One post can do okay.
But 10 connected posts create their own gravitational pull.
Your brand becomes:
Predictable.
Recognizable.
Shareable.
Referable.
People know what you stand for — and they stick.