The seven sweeps

Seven passes, one lens each. ## Sweep 1: Clarity No sentence should require a re-read. Flag nested clauses, ambiguous pronouns, undefined jargon. `[VAGUE]` for ambiguous claims. `[JARGON]` for unexplained terms. ## Sweep 2: Voice and tone Catch formality shifts between sections. `[VOICE-SHIFT]` where register breaks. ## Sweep 3: So what Read each sentence. Ask "so what?" No answer? Cut. `[DEAD-WEIGHT]` for zero-value sentences. `[FEATURE-NOT-BENEFIT]` for missing outcomes. ## Sweep 4: Prove it Every claim: how would you verify it? `[TELL-NOT-SHOW]` for unearned adjectives. `[NO-PROOF]` for claims without numbers or references. ## Sweep 5: Specificity `[GENERIC]` for vague claims. "Teams" becomes "5-person engineering teams at Series A startups." ## Sweep 6: Emotion `[FLAT]` where emotional weight is missing. Spec sheets can be neutral. Heroes and CTAs cannot. ## Sweep 7: Zero risk `[FRICTION]` for unclear commitments and missing reassurance. ## Worked example Start: "Our platform is designed to help teams collaborate more effectively." Sweep 3: "Collaborate more effectively" answers no question the reader asked. `[DEAD-WEIGHT]` Sweep 4: "more effectively" is unearned. No number, no proof. `[TELL-NOT-SHOW]` Sweep 5: "teams." Which teams? How large? `[GENERIC]` Rewrite: "Engineering teams of 5 to 15 ship code reviews in half the time." ## Why the order matters 1. **Clarity** makes it understandable. 2. **Voice** makes it consistent. 3. **So what** removes dead weight. 4. **Prove it** backs claims. 5. **Specificity** replaces generic with concrete. 6. **Emotion** adds temperature. 7. **Zero risk** removes last barriers. Flag everything before rewriting. Resolve after all seven. ## Quick-pass version Three sweeps: **Clarity**, **So what**, **Prove it**. Ten minutes. ## Word-level cuts Kill on sight: "very," "really," "truly," "just," "simply," "easily," "actually," "basically," "essentially." Front-load the key claim. Cut openings that start with "There is," "It is," or "We believe."