A thin brief limits how sharp first drafts can be. Here's what a useful brief actually includes - a real point of view, specific language, and what this person would never say.
Sean Weisbrot- Founder, SparkVox
A brief loaded once and never revisited is better than nothing, but a thin brief limits how sharp drafts can be from the start - the difference between a generic-sounding first batch and one that already sounds specifically like the person, before any editing.
Something like "VP of Engineering, cares about scaling teams" gives the system almost nothing to work with beyond a title. It's technically accurate and functionally unhelpful - it doesn't say what this specific person actually believes about scaling teams, which is the part that would make a post sound like them rather than like any VP of Engineering.
A real point of view - something this executive believes that not everyone in their role agrees with. Specific language they actually use, if there's a phrase or framing that recurs in how they talk. What they'd never say, even on-topic, since knowing the boundaries is as useful as knowing the content. None of this needs to be long - a few sharp sentences beat a generic paragraph.
Below the main Brief Sparky field you can also add an optional positioning claim - one sentence that states the argumentative point their content should support. Sparky uses it when selecting moments and when scoring drafts for distinctiveness, separate from the longer brief.
Thin: "VP of Engineering, cares about scaling teams." Useful: "Believes most companies over-hire engineers before they've actually validated the roadmap those engineers would build. Talks in terms of 'earned headcount' rather than growth targets. Would never publicly criticize a specific vendor by name, even when frustrated." The second version gives the system an actual person to sound like - a real, specific stance, real recurring language, and a real boundary - rather than a job title to generically represent.
Most executives don't have this written down anywhere, which makes writing the brief feel harder than it is. A useful shortcut: think of the last few times a colleague pushed back on something the executive said, or the last time they explained a decision to a skeptical audience - those moments usually contain the sharpest, most distinctive version of how they actually think, which is exactly the material a good brief should capture.
An assistant handling upload doesn't need to independently identify the executive's point of view - they can simply ask the executive the shortcut question above directly, then write down the answer as the brief. The content of a good brief has to come from the executive; capturing and loading it doesn't.
Revisiting the brief periodically matters too, since positioning shifts over time - see how to spot when a voice profile needs a fresh brief update, and the full setup on SparkVox for executives.
SparkVox
Upload a call, podcast, or interview. SparkVox extracts moments and drafts up to 15 LinkedIn posts in your voice. You review every draft before anything publishes.
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The one step in this workflow that could still feel like a task is uploading the recording. Here's what an assistant can take off an executive's plate, and what has to stay with them regardless.
Clients and teammates approve LinkedIn drafts from a no-login link - LinkedIn preview, passage comments, suggested edits, and Approve or Request changes - without a SparkVox seat.
Approve recording proof in the fact bank, QA with Strategy behind this post, then send a LinkedIn-shaped review link - so clients sign off on evidence and copy together.
Your calls and interviews are already the content. SparkVox writes the posts in your voice - upload one recording and see the drafts before you're charged.
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