The Anti-Robot Checklist
9 Fixes to Sound Human (so People Actually Read You)
Creators love to sound professional, polished, and perfect. But readers don’t trust robots—at least not when they’re scrolling LinkedIn. They trust humans who sound like they’re thinking out loud.
When your content opens with corporate speak instead of real talk, you lose people fast.
Which is why we’re going to talk about what authentic content actually looks like, and how to turn your voice into an engagement engine.
We’re going to walk you through:
Why sounding professional kills connection
Why specific numbers beat vague claims
Why admitting uncertainty builds trust
Why every extra word loses readers
Why implementation stories beat hot takes
Why sharing failures creates loyalty
Why genuine questions crush generic CTAs
Why adjectives kill credibility
Why helping beats selling always
If you want more real engagement, actual DMs, and fewer “thanks for sharing” comments, this is for you.
Let’s get into it.
1. Stop Writing Like a Press Release
People don’t read LinkedIn to find corporate communication—they want real insights from real humans.
When you write like an HR department, you trigger every reader’s “this is an ad” defense mechanism. Corporate speak feels safe to write, but it’s death to engagement.
Your brain defaults to professional language because it feels less risky. But readers’ brains are wired to trust human voices, not PR departments.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators polish their voice until it’s unrecognizable. They think sounding professional builds credibility. It doesn’t. It builds walls.
🎯 Here’s the test:
Read your post out loud. Does it sound like you explaining something to a friend? Or like you’re presenting to the board?
❌ Instead of: “Leveraging cutting-edge Al solutions to optimize workflow efficiency”
✅ Try this: “I spent $5K on Al tools. Here’s what actually worked”
If it sounds like a corporate press release wrote it, delete it.
Next, let’s talk about why vague claims kill credibility.
2. Use Numbers That Prove You Actually Did The Thing
People trust specific proof.
When you say “improved performance significantly”, readers think “this person is making it up.” When you say “reduced latency from 2.3s to 0.4s”, they think “this person actually built something.”
Specificity bypasses the bullshit detector. Concrete numbers signal you were actually there, not just reading a blog from your couch.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators hide behind vague language because they think it sounds more professional. “Significantly improved” means nothing. “Cut costs by 47%” means “I have the spreadsheet to prove it”.
🎯 Here’s why it works:
Specific numbers force you to back up your claims. They show you cared enough to track results, not just ship and forget.
❌ Instead of: “Many developers struggle with implementation”
✅ Try this: “73% of my team quit after our RAG implementation failed”
Specificity builds trust.
Next, let’s tackle the vulnerability paradox.
3. Admit What You Don’t Know
People follow humans who’ve struggled like them.
When you say “I’m not sure this scales beyond 100 users,” readers think “finally, someone who doesn’t pretend to know everything.” Admitting uncertainty doesn’t weaken your credibility. It strengthens it.
Perfect people aren’t relatable. Flawed experts who share their journey? That’s who we follow.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators think vulnerability equals weakness. They present polished success stories while hiding the messy middle. But your struggles are more valuable than your successes.
🎯 Here’s the psychology:
When you admit limitations “I tried 5 approaches before this worked,” you validate everyone who’s also struggling. That builds relationships, not just reach.
❌ Instead of: “This framework guarantees 10x productivity gains”
✅ Try this: “This might not work for everyone, but it cut our debugging time by 60%”
Vulnerability > Authority.
Next, let’s talk about respecting your reader’s time.
4. Cut Until It Hurts, Then Cut More
People don’t have time for your poetry—they want value, fast.
Every unnecessary word is a chance for readers to leave. The best content deliver maximum insight in minimum time.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators write like they’re paid by the word. They bury insights under layers of setup, context, and throat-clearing.
🎯 Here’s the test:
Can you cut 50% of your words and keep 100% of the value? If not, you’re writing for yourself, not your reader.
❌ Instead of: “In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, it’s becoming increasingly important for developers to adapt their skill sets...”
✅ Try this: “I just watched a junior dev with ChatGPT outperform our senior architect. Here’s what changed”.
If you’re writing LinkedIn poetry, stop.
Next, let’s talk about backing up your claims.
5. Back It Up or Don’t Post
People don’t care about your opinions—they care about what you’ve actually built.
Opinions without implementation are just noise. Anyone can theorize. But readers follow people who’ve shipped, failed, and learned.
When you share what you’ve actually built (including what broke), you shift from armchair commentator to battle-tested practitioner. That’s where real authority comes from.
⚠️ The problem
Most content is all theory, no practice. “I think microservices are overrated” means nothing. “We migrated back to a monolith and here’s what happened” actually helps someone make a decision.
🎯 Here’s why it matters:
Readers are drowning in hot takes. They’re starving for real experience.
❌ Instead of: “I believe microservices are the future of scalable architecture”
✅ Try this: “We migrated from 17 microservices to 1 Rails app. Response time dropped 80%. Here’s the PR:”
No data = no credibility.
Next, let’s talk about keeping it real.
6. Show Your Scars, Not Just Your Trophies
People don’t trust perfect stories, they trust battle scars.
Success stories without struggle are just bullshit. When you share what broke before it worked, readers see the full picture and trust you.
Your failures teach more than your victories. Because everyone fails. Not everyone admits it.
Raw honesty creates connection. And connection drives engagement way more than perfection.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators sanitize their stories until they’re unrecognizable. They share the “after” but hide the “during.” But the messy middle is where the real lessons live.
🎯 Here’s what works:
For every success metric, share a failure metric. For every “it worked,” share a “it broke first.” Balance builds trust.
❌ Instead of: “Successfully implemented cutting-edge RAG architecture”
✅ Try this: “Our RAG system hallucinated 30% of the time. Here’s how we fixed it:”
Your worst day is someone’s best teacher.
Next, let’s fix your CTAs.
7. Ask Questions You Actually Want Answered
People want to have real conversations.
Generic CTAs like “Follow for more!” treat readers like numbers. Questions about their actual problems treat them like peers.
When you end with a genuine question you’re starting a dialogue. That’s the difference between comments that say “great post!” and comments worth reading.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators treat engagement like a numbers game. They use the same tired CTAs everyone else uses. Readers scroll past without thinking.
🎯 Here’s what works:
Ask questions you genuinely want answers to. The kind you’d ask at a meetup, not in a marketing funnel.
❌ Instead of: “Follow for more AI insights! 🚀”
✅ Try this: “What’s the dumbest bug that took you the longest to fix? Mine was a missing semicolon that cost us $30K”.
Real questions get real engagement, and real engagement keep you in the feed longer.
Next, let’s talk about cutting the fluff.
8. Stop Decorating Your Sentences Like a Christmas Tree
Adjectives are opinions dressed up as facts.
Revolutionary Groundbreaking Innovative = Nobody Believes You
Every adjective is a missed opportunity to provide proof. “Game-changing” means nothing. “Reduced costs by 80%” means you actually built something.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators use adjectives as crutches. They think bigger words create bigger impact. They don’t. They create bigger skepticism.
🎯 Here’s the rule:
If you can’t quantify it, don’t qualify it. Let your results do the talking.”
❌ Instead of: “Revolutionary AI breakthrough transforms industry
✅ Try this: “New model beats GPT-4 on math. Costs 80% less.”
Adjectives are opinion. Numbers are proof.
Next, let’s talk about value vs. promotion.
9. Help First, Sell Later
People buy from people who’ve already helped them for free.
If your post only has value when someone buys your product, you’re writing an ad. If it has value even if they never buy, you’re building trust.
Your content should solve problems without requiring a credit card. That’s what creates real loyalty.
⚠️ The problem
Most creators are scared to give away their best stuff. They think sharing their methods will kill their business. Wrong. Give away all the information for free, sell the implementation.
🎯 Here’s the test:
Could a competitor use your post to improve their product? (It should)
❌ Instead of: “Excited to announce our new AI platform that revolutionizes how teams collaborate!”
✅ Try this: “We built an AI tool. But first, here’s the open-source version and why you might not need the paid one:”
If you’re writing an ad, at least be honest about it.
Action Recap: The Anti-Robot Checklist
(save this)
Before posting, ask yourself:
□ Voice: Does this sound like me thinking out loud, or like a press release?
□ Specifics: Is there at least one specific number or example?
□ Honesty: Did I admit uncertainty or a limitation somewhere?
□ Length: Can I cut this by 50% without losing the point?
□ Evidence: Did I show proof, not just opinions?
□ Balance: Did I share the failures along with the successes?
□ Questions: Is my question genuine or just engagement bait?
□ Clarity: Can I kill more adjectives?
□ Value: Does this help even if they never buy?
Score yourself: Under 7/9 = keep editing.
Your Action Steps
Today:
Pick your worst performing post from last week
Rewrite it using these rules.
Post it tomorrow and watch what happens.
DM it to me, I want to see the transformation.
From now on:
Before publishing anything, run it through the checklist.
Score under 7/10? Fix it or kill it.
The gap between good and great writing is just following rules you already know.
The Real Unlock
The checklist isn’t about rules.
It’s about remembering you’re talking to humans.
Every time I ignore it, my engagement tanks.
Every time I follow it, people actually care.
Not because the checklist is magic.
Because it keeps me human.
That’s it for now—more unfiltered thoughts soon!
Catch you next time,
Creator of LinkedIn Audience Building for AI/ML Engineers
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I read and reply to every single message!
This piece really made me think. Even when building AI models, that 'thinking out loud' human element is kie for geniune engagement.