Quality Loop

Iterative drafting system with backpressure from judge personas. Creates high-quality content through systematic source gathering, hook-first drafting, and multi-pass quality gates.

When to Use This Skill

UNIVERSAL QUALITY GATES: This skill triggers for ALL public-facing content.

Trigger Points by Content Type

Content Type Trigger Point Mode

Newsletter After draft, before send Full 5-judge

Deep Dive/Article Before Webflow publish Full 5-judge

Podcast blog Before publish Full 5-judge

LinkedIn post After draft, before schedule Lite 3-judge

X post After draft, before schedule Lite 3-judge

Instagram After draft + visual Lite 3-judge

Facebook After draft, before schedule Lite 3-judge

Full 5-Judge Mode

For long-form content (articles, newsletters, blog posts):

• Human Detector (BLOCKING)

• Accuracy Checker (BLOCKING)

• OpenEd Voice (BLOCKING)

• Reader Advocate (BLOCKING)

• SEO Advisor (ADVISORY)

Lite 3-Judge Mode

For social posts (faster, focused on voice and AI tells):

• AI-Tell Judge (BLOCKING) - Hard blocks only

• Voice Judge (BLOCKING) - Brand alignment

• Platform Judge (ADVISORY) - Platform-specific optimization

See "Lite Quality Loop for Social" section below.

The Quality Loop Process

SOURCES → HOOK → DRAFT → JUDGES → ITERATE ↑ ↓ └─────── (if blocked) ────┘

Phase 1: Source Compilation

Before drafting, gather all relevant sources into a single compiled file.

Source Search Order:

• Proprietary content first - Search OpenEd podcast transcripts, newsletters, Slack

• Content database - Grep Content/ for related themes (not just exact terms)

• External research - Web search for biography, facts, external validation

When no direct coverage exists: Expand the search to related themes. For example, if writing about "Daniel Greenberg":

• Search for "democratic education"

• Search for "self-directed"

• Search for "trust children"

• Search for related thinkers who discuss him (Peter Gray)

Source File Format:

Source: [Topic] Compiled

Biographical Facts

• Key dates, roles, locations
• Verified from multiple sources

OpenEd Proprietary Content

From Podcast [Episode]:

"Direct quote..."

From Newsletter:

"Direct quote..."

Key Themes

• Theme 1 with supporting evidence
• Theme 2 with supporting evidence

SEO Notes

• Primary keyword: [keyword] ([volume]/mo)
• Secondary keywords: [list]

Sources for Verification

• [URL 1]
• [URL 2]

Phase 2: Hook First

Never draft without user approval of the hook angle. Propose 4-6 hook options with clear differentiation.

Hook Proposal Format:

Hook Opening Line Why It Works

1 [Name] "[First sentence]" [Reasoning]

2 [Name] "[First sentence]" [Reasoning]

... ... ... ...

Good hooks:

• Start with a specific moment, fact, or tension

• Create curiosity without clickbait

• Connect to something the reader cares about

• Differentiate from what's already ranking

Bad hooks:

• Generic "In today's world..." openings

• Definition-first approaches ("X is defined as...")

• Vague statements that could apply to anyone

After user selects a hook, proceed to drafting.

For series content: When writing multiple pieces on similar topics (e.g., profiles of thinkers), ensure each piece has a structurally different approach to avoid sameness. Examples:

• Profile A: Personal drama narrative

• Profile B: Scientific/research angle

• Profile C: Evolution story (phases of career)

• Profile D: Institutional critique

• Profile E: Evidence/longevity angle

Track the structural approach used for each piece to ensure variety.

Phase 3: Draft

Create the full draft following OpenEd style guidelines.

Draft Structure:

Draft v[N]: [Title]

Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Type: [New / Enhancement] Target: ~[X] words

META ELEMENTS

Title Options:

1. [Option 1] ([char count])
2. [Option 2] ([char count]) ...

Meta Description (155 chars): [Description]

URL: /blog/[slug]

ARTICLE

[Full article content]

NOTES FOR JUDGES

Word count: ~[X] words Internal links: [N] External links: [N] Target keywords: [list] OpenEd connection: [what makes this ours] Unique angle: [what differentiates from competitors]

Phase 4: Five Judges

Run every draft through all five judges in order. If ANY blocking judge fails, fix and re-run that judge before proceeding.

Full judge references: See references/ folder for expanded criteria.

Judge 1: Human Detector (BLOCKING)

See: references/human-detector.md

Scans for AI tells. Zero tolerance for:

• Correlative constructions ("X isn't just Y - it's Z")

• Dramatic contrast reveals ("Not X. Y.")

• AI vocabulary (delve, comprehensive, crucial, landscape, journey, tapestry, myriad)

• Staccato patterns ("No fluff. No filler. Just results.")

• Triple Threat Syndrome (forced three-adjective stacks)

VERDICT: PASS only if zero AI tells found.

Judge 2: Accuracy Checker (BLOCKING)

See: references/accuracy-checker.md

Verifies all factual claims against compiled sources:

• Dates, names, quotes must match sources exactly

• Statistics need citations

• Timeline events in correct order

• No unverifiable claims presented as fact

VERDICT: PASS only if all facts verified.

Judge 3: OpenEd Voice (BLOCKING)

See: references/opened-voice.md

Core stance: Pro-child, not anti-school.

• Describes, doesn't prescribe

• Practical takeaways present

• 3+ internal links

• Uses proprietary OpenEd content

VERDICT: PASS only if aligned with stance.

Judge 4: Reader Advocate (BLOCKING)

See: references/reader-advocate.md

Assesses engagement:

• Hook creates curiosity (not definitions)

• Logical section flow

• Scannable structure

• Appropriate length

• Strong ending

VERDICT: PASS only if engaging throughout.

Judge 5: SEO Advisor (ADVISORY)

See: references/seo-advisor.md

Evaluates search optimization. Does not block.

• Keyword in title, first 100 words, H2s

• Meta elements optimized

• 5+ internal links, 2-3 external

• Featured snippet opportunities

VERDICT: Advisory feedback only.

Phase 5: Iterate

If any blocking judge fails:

• Make the specific fixes identified

• Re-run ONLY the failed judge

• If pass, continue to next judge

• If fail again, make additional fixes and repeat

After all judges pass:

• Update status in tracking document

• Move to next piece or finalize for publication

Folder Structure

The folder structure depends on the project type. Organize sources and drafts logically.

Example for profile series:

project/ ├── sources/ │ ├── person-a/compiled-sources.md │ └── person-b/compiled-sources.md ├── drafts/ │ ├── person-a/v1.md │ └── person-b/v1.md └── TRACKING.md

Example for guide project:

project/ ├── sources/compiled-sources.md ├── drafts/ │ ├── v1.md │ ├── v2.md │ └── final.md └── TRACKING.md

Tracking Progress

Maintain a tracking document showing status of each piece.

Tracking Table Format:

Item Sources Hook Draft HD AC OV RA SEO Status

[Name] DONE [Hook name] v1 PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS COMPLETE

[Name] DONE pending

NEEDS HOOK

Legend:

• HD = Human Detector

• AC = Accuracy Checker

• OV = OpenEd Voice

• RA = Reader Advocate

• SEO = SEO Advisor

Lite Quality Loop for Social

Faster quality checks for social posts. Run after draft, before scheduling.

Judge 1: AI-Tell Judge (BLOCKING)

Hard blocks - auto-reject if ANY found:

• Correlative constructions ("X isn't just Y - it's Z")

• Banned words: delve, comprehensive, crucial, leverage, landscape

• Setup phrases: "The best part?", "What if I told you", "Here's the thing"

• Staccato patterns: "No fluff. No filler. Just results."

• Em dashes without spaces (use " - " not "—")

VERDICT: PASS only if zero hard blocks found.

Judge 2: Voice Judge (BLOCKING)

Checks:

• Sounds like OpenEd/brand account (not personal blog)

• Aligns with Open Education values (parent empowerment, learner agency)

• Appropriate tone for platform

• No preachy or prescriptive language

VERDICT: PASS only if brand-aligned.

Judge 3: Platform Judge (ADVISORY)

Platform-specific checks:

Platform Checklist

LinkedIn 200-500 words, links in comments, 3-5 hashtags, hook in first 2 lines

X 70-100 chars optimal, 1-2 hashtags, retweet-worthy

Instagram Visual-first, caption supports, 5-10 hashtags, first 150 chars hook

Facebook No external links, no hashtags, ends with question/engagement prompt

VERDICT: Advisory feedback - does not block.

Lite Loop Process

DRAFT → AI-Tell Judge → Voice Judge → Platform Judge → SCHEDULE ↓ (fail) ↓ (fail) FIX & RETRY FIX & RETRY

Quick Reference: AI Patterns to Avoid

Correlative Constructions (Most Common Tell)

• "X isn't just Y - it's Z"

• "X didn't Y. It Z."

• "The goal isn't X - it's Y"

• "It's not about X, it's about Y"

Forbidden Words

delve, comprehensive, crucial, vital, leverage, landscape, navigate, foster, facilitate, realm, paradigm, embark, journey, tapestry, myriad, multifaceted, seamless, cutting-edge

Forbidden Phrases

• "The best part? ..." / "The secret? ..."

• "What if I told you..." / "Here's the thing..."

• "In today's fast-paced..." / "In the ever-evolving..."

• "In conclusion" / "In summary"

• "Let that sink in" / "Now more than ever"

Dramatic Contrast Reveals (Priority #2)

• "Not on lessons. On fear."

• "Not the curriculum. The structure."

• "He didn't teach. He observed."

• Any "Not X. Y." fragment pattern

Forbidden Patterns

• Staccato: "No fluff. No filler. Just results."

• Triple adjectives: "Bold, beautiful, brilliant"

• Negation structure: "No X. No Y. Just Z."

Formatting Rules

• Use hyphens with spaces - like this - not em dashes

• No emojis in body content

• No bold for emphasis in articles