I spent 3 years interviewing the world's smartest people — Reid Hoffman, Aravind Srinivas, Mike Krieger — and I was still making content decisions based on gut feeling. My YouTube analytics told me what happened, but not why or what to do next.
Then I built something that changed everything.
I built my personal content strategist using Claude Projects.
Now when I ask "Should I interview this person?" I get a data-backed score across 8 criteria, predicted view count, and specific title recommendations — all calibrated to my audience.
This isn't a vague "AI assistant." It knows CTR above 5% is my threshold for success. It knows my audience responds to "You only have 2 years" messaging, not "How to learn AI."
It took me 23 minutes to build. And I want to show how you can set one up for your business.
Here's What I Did
I created a Claude Project that acts as my personal content strategist.
It has access to:
29 podcast transcripts
My YouTube analytics
My Instagram performance data from Meta Business Suite
Custom instructions about my audience and goals
Now when I ask "What topic should I cover next?" — it doesn't guess. It tells me based on what's actually worked.
How to Build Your Own (Step by Step)
Step 1: Create a Project
Go to Claude → Click "Projects" → New Project.
Give it a clear name: "Content Strategist" or "Podcast Planner":
If you're a... | Name it... |
|---|---|
Startup Founder | "Product Growth Strategist" |
Coach/Consultant | "Client Acquisition Brain" |
TikTok/Short-Form Creators | “Content Strategist" |
Marketing Leaders | "Campaign Strategist" |
C-Level Executives | "Executive Strategy Partner" |
Step 2: Write Your Custom Instructions
This is where you tell Claude WHO you are and WHAT you need.
Here's what mine looks like:
I am trying to rethink my strategy for the upcoming podcast to make sure every podcast gets at least 100,000 views. Can you spot similar patterns among podcasts that do not perform and podcasts that do perform?
Adapt it for you:
If you're a... | Your instructions might say... |
|---|---|
Startup Founder | "Help me create content that drives signups. My product is [X]. My audience is [Y]. Analyze what messaging resonates and suggest content angles." |
Coach/Consultant | "Help me create content that books calls. My offer is [X]. Analyze what content drives inquiries." |
TikTok/Short-Form Creators | "Help me create viral Reels and carousel ideas. My niche is [X]. Analyze my best-performing posts and tell me what patterns you see." |
Marketing Leaders | "Help me plan campaigns that hit KPIs. My channels are [X]. Analyze what messaging and formats perform best." |
C-Level Executives | "Help me communicate strategy to my team and board. Summarize market trends and draft executive updates." |
Step 3: Upload Your Data (This Is the Magic)
Claude can only strategize if it has context. Feed it everything relevant.
What I uploaded:
Full episode transcripts (Reid Hoffman, Amjad Masad, Aravind Srinivas, Mike Krieger, Mel Robbins, etc.)
My YouTube analytics: 1,825 rows of daily performance data by video
My Voice profile: content boundaries, phrases I use, phrases I hate, emotional patterns, structural preferences
What you could upload:
If you're a... | Upload this... |
|---|---|
Startup founder | Customer interview transcripts (20-30 files), churn analysis exports (CSV with reasons, timing, segments), feature usage analytics (what gets used, what doesn't), your product positioning doc (how you describe your product) |
Coach/consultant | Client session notes or transcripts (anonymized), your framework documents (how you teach)testimonials and case studies, email sequences that converted |
TikTok/Short-Form Creators | Analytics exports (views, watch time, shares, saves, transcripts of your top 20 performing videos, comment themes from viral posts, hook document (first 3 seconds of each video) |
Marketing Leaders | Campaign performance data (all channels, A/B test results history, top-performing ads/emails (actual copy), brand voice guidelines, customer persona research |
C-Level Executives | Board meeting transcripts/notes, strategic planning documents, KPI dashboards, competitive analysis reports, your communication style guide or past speeches |
Pro tip: Export analytics as CSV or PDF. Screenshot dashboards. Download transcripts. The more data, the smarter your strategist becomes.
Step 4: Start Asking Strategic Questions
Once your project is set up, you can ask questions.
Here are my examples:
Questions you could ask:
If you're a... | Ask this... |
|---|---|
Startup founder | "Analyze my customer interviews and churn data. What patterns predict churn before it happens? Which features correlate with retention? Give me 3 specific interventions." |
Coach/consultant | "Based on my client transformations, what's the breakthrough moment that appears across 80% of successful clients? Help me systemize that into a teachable framework." |
TikTok/Short-Form Creators | "Compare hooks from my top 10% videos vs bottom 10%. What linguistic patterns predict virality? Generate 15 hooks following the winning pattern." |
Marketing Leaders | "Across all my campaigns, what messaging themes correlate with highest conversion? What channels have declining efficiency? Recommend budget reallocation for next quarter." |
C-Level Executives | "Analyze our last 4 quarters of performance against strategic goals. Where are we ahead of plan? Where are we behind? What leading indicators should I watch this quarter?" |
The Real Power: It Gets Smarter
The more you use it, the better it gets.
Every time I upload a new transcript, add fresh analytics, or share what performed well — my strategist learns.
It's like having a team member who:
Never forgets anything
Has read everything you've ever made
Is available 24/7
You HAVE TO go and try it yourself!!
Go Deeper: Watch My Podcast
If you want to see how to make AI your actual strategic partner (not just a writing tool), here's my interview with Conor Grennan:
Conor breaks down how to think WITH AI, not just use it for tasks. It changed how I approach this.
→ Subscribe to my podcast so you don't miss episodes like this.
See you next week,
Marina