5 Mental Models Thought Leaders Use to Think Before They Write
Standout writing starts long before the first word is typed.
10X Writer #34
Welcome to 10X Writer, the weekly newsletter designed to help writers, copywriters, and freelancers achieve 10X results with expert insights and actionable strategies.
Most writers start by thinking about what to write.
Thought leaders think differently.
They don’t just focus on what to say — they focus on how to think about what matters.
Before they write, they question their assumptions.
They simplify their ideas.
They think about the reader’s blind spots — and their own.
They don’t just aim to create content.
They aim to create clarity, perspective shifts, and trust.
The difference between good content and unforgettable content often isn’t style.
It’s mental discipline.
In this post, you’ll learn the 5 mental models that separate everyday content from thought leadership.
Use them before you write — and you’ll write less, say more, and be remembered.
Model #1: First Principles Thinking
Start where the reader is. Not where the writing formula begins.
First principles thinking is about stripping away assumptions and solving the real problem from the ground up.
In science, it’s used to invent new solutions.
In writing, it helps you see what your reader is missing — and meet them there.
Most writers ask:
“What do I want to say?”
“How do I say it well?”
Thought leaders ask:
“Why hasn’t the reader already solved this on their own?”
“What belief is holding them back?”
“What fear or assumption is keeping them stuck?”
That shift changes everything.
Let’s say you're writing about pricing.
The average writer jumps to:
“Here are 3 pricing strategies to try.”
But the first-principles writer pauses and thinks:
“What makes pricing hard?”
“Is it fear? Insecurity? A belief they’re not ‘worth it’?”
Now, your piece might start with:
“If you’ve ever felt guilty about charging more — even when you know you’re underpriced — this post is for you.”
You're not just delivering information.
You're removing invisible blocks.
Try this:
Ask:
Why does the reader need this?
Why haven’t they figured it out already?
What misunderstanding or fear is stopping them?
That’s first-principles thinking.
And it turns your writing into something your audience didn’t just want — but needed.
Model #2: Inversion
Start by avoiding what makes writing bad.
Most writers focus on what to add:
Better intros. Stronger stories. More “value.”
But great writing often comes from what you remove.
Inversion flips the question.
Don’t ask: “How do I make this better?”
Ask: “What would make this worse — and am I doing that?”
That’s how you remove what’s bloated, boring, or blocks the message.
It’s not just about editing a few lines.
It’s about flipping your entire approach:
Instead of trying to be persuasive → Avoid being forgettable
Instead of trying to sound smart → Avoid sounding unclear
Instead of trying to impress → Avoid losing trust
Example:
Let’s say you're writing a post about productivity.
Default question:
“How do I make this post more valuable?”
Inversion question:
“What usually makes productivity posts boring?”
“What do people roll their eyes at?”
Now you cut that noise — and your signal gets sharper.
Try this:
What’s weighing this down?
What would a smart, skeptical reader skip first?
If I had to cut 30%, what would go?
Inversion isn’t about being clever.
It’s about getting out of your own way so the message can land.
Model #3: Opportunity Cost
Every word, idea, or choice comes at the cost of something better.
Opportunity cost means that every time you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else — often without realizing it.
In writing, this shows up everywhere:
Saying yes to a safe idea means saying no to a stronger one.
Keeping a decent sentence means losing space for a sharper one.
Writing for Instagram every day might cost you the newsletter that builds your brand.
Thought leaders don’t just ask, “Is this good?”
They ask:
“Is this the best use of this space, time, or moment?”
Example:
You’re writing a piece with three points. One of them is just okay.
You know it’s filler — but you keep it.
Opportunity cost thinking asks:
“What would this piece feel like if I went deeper into the two that matter most?”
Or if you’re spending hours writing for clients that drain you, this model reminds you:
“Every yes to low-leverage work is a no to building long-term assets.”
Try this:
What is this sentence, section, or project costing me?
What would I write instead if I had to make every word count?
Great writing isn’t just about what you include.
It’s about what you protect your reader (and yourself) from.
Model #4: Confirmation Bias
To write something worth reading, challenge the beliefs you're bringing — and the ones your reader is holding onto.
Confirmation bias is our tendency to favor what we already believe and reject anything that contradicts it.
As writers, we carry this bias straight into our content.
You start with a point to prove.
You cherry-pick examples.
You assume your reader agrees.
And your writing becomes predictable — even preachy.
Thought leaders do the opposite.
They ask:
“What belief am I bringing into this?”
“What does my reader believe — and is that belief helping or hurting them?”
“How can I open this up without sounding like I’m trying to ‘win’?”
Example:
You’re writing for freelancers who believe:
“I need more clients to earn more.”
You could confirm that belief…
Or you could challenge it by saying:
“What if you don’t need more clients — you need better positioning, pricing, and packaging?”
Now your writing becomes transformative — not transactional.
Try this:
What do I believe — and what if it’s wrong?
What does my reader believe — and what belief needs to shift before anything can change?
Confirmation bias is invisible until you name it.
But once you do, you can write something that frees people from it — including yourself.
Model #5: Map vs Territory
What you know about the topic — and your reader — is never the full picture.
The map is your plan, structure, and understanding of how things work.
The territory is reality — with all its mess, nuance, and unpredictability.
Thought leaders know their writing map is just a starting point.
It’s not the truth. It’s not complete. And it’s not always accurate.
They ask:
“What am I assuming about this topic that may not be true?”
“What might the reader know that I don’t?”
“What don’t they know that I’m taking for granted?”
Example:
You’re writing a piece on niching down.
Your “map” says:
“Freelancers resist niching because they don’t want to miss out.”
But the territory might show:
They don’t know how to pick a niche
They have a niche but don’t know how to position it
They think they’ve niched, but haven’t stood out yet
If you write for the map, you’ll miss all that.
But if you’re willing to listen, ask, and update your understanding, you’ll write something that actually meets them where they are.
Try this:
List what you think you know.
Then ask: “How do I know this is true?”
Where might I be wrong — and what would that mean for what I’m writing?
Great writing happens when you stop assuming your plan is the truth and start exploring what’s really there.
Think Better. Write Differently.
Most writing advice lives on the surface.
It gives you tips for how to sound better.
But, thought leadership doesn’t come from style.
It comes from clarity.
And clarity doesn’t start on the page.
It starts in your thinking.
These five mental models won’t just help you write better content —
They’ll help you write with intention.
With depth.
With power.
Because thought leaders don’t write to impress.
They write to shift minds.
To simplify the complex.
To earn trust — one honest idea at a time.
And it all starts before the first word is typed.