Problem Diagnostic Article – GFE Content Template

Intent Type: PAIN
Goal: Explain why a specific business problem exists using GFE Canon + credible research, without hallucination, and establish authority with CXO-level readers.
Use with: .agent/workflows/create-blog-post.md — fill the brief + research table there before drafting.

0. BRIEF BLOCK (REQUIRED INPUTS)

(Intern/Agent must fill this before any research or writing)

Persona: (CEO / CMO / CRO / CFO / Head of Growth / COO / Strategy Lead)
Core Problem: (One-line description)
Main Question: (Framed exactly as the reader would say it)
Target Keywords: (SEO/AEO cluster)
Relevant GFE Canon Elements:
- Laws: See "GFE Canon Laws Reference" section below for complete list (Laws 1-10 only)
- Frameworks: AAA, Internal Risk Index, Growth Skill Tuple, Flow Mesh, AI Readiness Pyramid
- Mental Models: AI as Sound System, Org as Flow Graph
Topic Classification: PAIN

1. RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS (NO HALLUCINATION)

Minimum Sources

You MUST gather:

1 academic / management source
Examples: HBR, MIT Sloan, McKinsey, BCG, INSEAD, Stanford GSB, Deloitte, Gartner.
1 industry report or survey
Examples: Gartner, Forrester, PwC, Salesforce State of Sales/Marketing, HubSpot, IBM AI Index.
1 case example
- Can be anonymised real work OR
- A public company example from news/earnings OR
- A clearly labelled composite scenario (“Consider a mid-size brokerage…”)
1 internal GFE Canon reference
- Reference Laws 1-10 (see "GFE Canon Laws Reference" below)
- AAA, IRI, Flow Mesh, Skill Tuple, AI Readiness Pyramid
- Mental models

GFE Canon Laws Reference (VALIDATION)

CRITICAL: The GFE Canon has EXACTLY 10 laws. There is NO Law 11.

Law 1 — Time Is the First Balance Sheet (Leadership Clock)
Law 2 — ValueLogs Are the Atomic Unit of Execution (ValueLogs)
Law 3 — Proof Beats Perception (Proof of Activity)
Law 4 — LEO Determines Performance (Learning, Earning, Org-Building)
Law 5 — Friction Is the Enemy. Flows Are the Strategy. (Flow Mapping)
Law 6 — Audit First. Align Second. Automate Last. (AAA Framework)
Law 7 — Processes Must Map to KPIs Must Map to Valuation (ValuationOps)
Law 8 — Reduce Internal Risk, Reduce WACC, Increase Enterprise Value (IRI - includes tool debt)
Law 9 — Bounce-Back Time Determines Resilience (BBT)
Law 10 — Story Drives Valuation (StoryOps)

Notes:

Tool Debt is part of Law 8 (IRI), not a separate law
Verify law numbers against docs/en/gfe-canon.md if unsure
When referencing laws, always double-check the number exists (1-10 only)

Research Table (REQUIRED)

Fill this EXACT table before writing:

#	Source Type	Citation (Title, Org, Year)	URL	Key Stat/Idea	How It Supports Our Diagnosis
1	Academic/Mgmt
2	Industry Report
3	Case/Example
4	GFE Internal

CRITICAL: Verify all URLs work before proceeding to writing.

MANDATORY: Open each URL in a browser to confirm it returns 200 OK (not 404)
MANDATORY: Test every single URL - no exceptions
If a URL is broken, find an alternative source or use a cached version (web.archive.org)
Do NOT proceed with writing if URLs are unverified
VALIDATION CHECKPOINT: After filling research table, explicitly confirm: "All URLs verified and working"

Anti-Hallucination Rules

No invented numbers. Every stat must be in the research table.
No “studies show” without a real study.
No made-up company names.
Composite examples must be labelled.
If unsure, write qualitatively.
AI agents must cite ONLY the research table.

1A. INTERNAL LINKING REFERENCE (USE SHARED MAP)

Use docs/.vitepress/gfe-links.ts as the single source of truth. Helper: linkForLang(path, lang) prepends locale when needed.

Canon: linkForLang(gfeLinks.canon, lang) — link on first mention of any law.
Laws to services: gfeLinks.laws[1] (Leadership Clock), laws[2] (ValueLogs), laws[5] (Flow Mapping), laws[6] (AAA), laws[7] (ValuationOps), laws[8] (IRI), laws[10] (StoryOps).
Core services: gfeLinks.services (AAA, ValuationOps, IRI, ValueLogs, Skill System, Orchestration, Leadership Clock, Flow Mapping, StoryOps).
Quizzes: gfeLinks.quizzes (AI Leadership, Growth Archetype, Leadership Vertigo, Revenue Ops).

Example (English):

**[GFE Canon](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.canon, 'en')})**
**[AAA](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.laws[6], 'en')})** or **[AAA Transformation Launchpad](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.services.aaa, 'en')})**
**[Flow Mapping](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.laws[5], 'en')})**
**[StoryOps](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.laws[10], 'en')})**

Example (Spanish):

**[Canon GFE](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.canon, 'es')})**
**[AAA](${linkForLang(gfeLinks.laws[6], 'es')})**

Best Practices:

Link the first occurrence of each Canon law and service; avoid over-linking (max 2–3 per term).
In “Path Forward,” include 1–2 CTAs tied to the relevant law’s service.
If you cite a law, link Canon + the corresponding service page.

2. ARTICLE STRUCTURE (1,500–2,000 words)

Below is the exact structure to follow.

Hook + Symptom (150–250 words)

Purpose: Make the reader feel, “This is exactly my situation.”

Instructions:

Open with a vivid, concrete scenario.
State the problem clearly.
Mention the common (wrong) explanation people jump to.

Example skeleton:
“You bought the AI tools. You trained the team. Six months later, performance hasn’t moved. The natural instinct is to blame the tools or the vendor. This article argues the real issue is something deeper inside your system.”

The Popular Misdiagnosis (300–400 words)

Purpose: Show what most companies blame, and why it’s not the real root.

Instructions:

List the usual scapegoats.
Explain why they feel correct.
Hint at the deeper systemic issue (people, process, tools).

Tone: skeptical, slightly witty.

The Real Diagnosis Using GFE Canon (500–700 words)

Purpose: Reframe the problem using GFE models.

Instructions:

Introduce relevant GFE Laws.
Example: Law 5: AI as Amplifier.
Break down the problem using Canon frameworks:
- People → Growth Skill Tuple
- Process → Flow Mesh / bottlenecks
- Tools → Tool Debt
- Risk → Internal Risk Index
- Mental Model: AI as Sound System
- Org as Flow Graph
Explain how these create the visible symptoms.

This is the intellectual core of the article.

What The Research Says (300–400 words)

Purpose: Anchor the diagnosis in external credibility.

Instructions:

Introduce with: “The data backs this up.”
Use 3–5 short bullets, each with:
- A stat (must exist in research table)
- Human-readable citation
- Short explanation

Format:

According to [Source, Year], …
A report by [Org] found …

Only use real sourced claims.

How To Tell If This Is Your Problem (Diagnostic Checklist) (300–400 words)

Purpose: Let the reader self-diagnose.

Instructions:
Write 7–12 bullets like:

“Your pipeline meeting is 70 percent arguing about data, 30 percent deciding what to do.”
“You have more tools than tool owners.”
“No one can explain your sales process in under 2 minutes.”

Each bullet must map to a Canon concept.

Short Path Forward (300–400 words)

Purpose: Provide direction, not a full cure. Bridge to the Playbook template.

Instructions:

Acknowledge complexity.
Introduce AAA:
- Audit
- Align
- Automate
Explain what an audit looks like for this specific problem.
Soft CTA:
“This is exactly what our Growth Team Audit and AI Readiness work solves.”

No hard selling.

FAQ (Optional, 3–5 Q&As)

Purpose: Improve answer engine performance + skimmability.

Instructions: Questions like:

“Is this a tool problem or a people problem?”
“Do we need more AI tools?”

Each answer: 2–4 sentences, Canon-led, no fluff.

3. WRITING GUIDELINES (MUST FOLLOW)

Tone

Direct
Analytical
Slightly witty
Zero fluff
Respect CEO-level intelligence

Voice

Diagnose, not blame
Explain clearly, no jargon stacking
Always tie back to GFE Canon

Style Rules

Use short paragraphs
Use explicit H2/H3s
Every section must be “chunkable” by LLMs
Avoid corporate clichés

4. ANSWER ENGINE RULES (AEO-Ready)

First 2 paragraphs must summarise the entire article.
Use explicit headings (“Why X Happens”, “Signs You Have This Problem”).
Keep sentences crisp and information-dense.
Include 3–5 micro-FAQs at the bottom.
Use bullets and short sections.

5. FINAL QC CHECKLIST (Intern or Human Editor MUST CHECK)

[ ] Hook feels real and specific.
[ ] Problem stated in one clear sentence.
[ ] Diagnosis uses GFE Canon.
[ ] All stats match research table.
[ ] No hallucinated companies or case studies.
[ ] Canon terms used consistently.
[ ] No “AI fixes everything” language.
[ ] Includes 7–12 diagnostic bullets.
[ ] AAA is mentioned in the “path forward.”
[ ] Article works even if only sections 1–3 are read.

6. EXAMPLE STUB (STRUCTURE ONLY)

Why AI Is Not Improving Your Sales Performance

(Example of Template 1 outline in action)

Section 1 — Hook

You invested in AI tools. Six months later, your win rate hasn’t moved. The issue isn’t the tool. It’s what the tool is amplifying.

Section 2 — Popular Misdiagnosis

Most teams blame the vendor, model, or “tool adoption.” Convenient, but incomplete.

Section 3 — Real Diagnosis Using GFE Canon

Law 5: AI amplifies underlying system quality.
People: Skill Tuple imbalance.
Process: Flow Mesh bottlenecks.
Tools: Tool Debt causing contradictory workflows.
Risk: High IRI leads to unpredictable execution.
Mental Model: AI as Sound System.

Section 4 — Research

(Insert 3–5 bullets backed by your research table.)

Section 5 — Diagnostic Checklist

(Insert 7–12 bullets.)

Section 6 — Short Path Forward

Outline AAA. Emphasise audit + alignment before automation.

Section 7 — FAQ

3–5 short Q&As.

5. FINAL PUBLISHING CHECKLIST

Before marking the blog post as "ready to publish", ensure the following:

Content Quality

[ ] All research citations are hyperlinked to actual sources
[ ] All research URLs have been verified (no 404s)
[ ] Internal links added for:
- [ ] AAA Framework → /services/aaa-transformation-launchpad
- [ ] Internal Risk Index → /services/iri-internal-risk-index
- [ ] AI Readiness or relevant quizzes → /quizzes/ai-leadership/
[ ] Section headers are reader-friendly (no "SECTION X" prefixes)
[ ] All template instructions removed (Brief Block, Research Requirements, Writing Guidelines, etc.)

Frontmatter & Metadata

[ ] YAML frontmatter added at top of file with:
- [ ] title, slug, date, description
- [ ] author, image, alt, tags
- [ ] sections array populated
- [ ] Full head metadata for SEO/OG tags
[ ] blog-data.js entry updated with:
- [ ] Final excerpt
- [ ] Correct image path
- [ ] Populated sections array

Visual Assets

[ ] Custom cover image generated
[ ] Image saved to docs/public/images/blog/[slug]-hero.png
[ ] Image path updated in both frontmatter and blog-data.js

Verification

[ ] Ran npm run docs:dev and verified post renders correctly
[ ] All links clickable and working
[ ] Cover image displays correctly

End of Template

Problem Diagnostic Article – GFE Content Template ​

0. BRIEF BLOCK (REQUIRED INPUTS) ​

1. RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS (NO HALLUCINATION) ​

Minimum Sources ​

GFE Canon Laws Reference (VALIDATION) ​

Research Table (REQUIRED) ​

Anti-Hallucination Rules ​

1A. INTERNAL LINKING REFERENCE (USE SHARED MAP) ​

2. ARTICLE STRUCTURE (1,500–2,000 words) ​

Hook + Symptom (150–250 words) ​

The Popular Misdiagnosis (300–400 words) ​

The Real Diagnosis Using GFE Canon (500–700 words) ​

What The Research Says (300–400 words) ​

How To Tell If This Is Your Problem (Diagnostic Checklist) (300–400 words) ​

Short Path Forward (300–400 words) ​

FAQ (Optional, 3–5 Q&As) ​

3. WRITING GUIDELINES (MUST FOLLOW) ​

Tone ​

Voice ​

Style Rules ​

4. ANSWER ENGINE RULES (AEO-Ready) ​

5. FINAL QC CHECKLIST (Intern or Human Editor MUST CHECK) ​

6. EXAMPLE STUB (STRUCTURE ONLY) ​

Why AI Is Not Improving Your Sales Performance ​

Section 1 — Hook ​

Section 2 — Popular Misdiagnosis ​

Section 3 — Real Diagnosis Using GFE Canon ​

Section 4 — Research ​

Section 5 — Diagnostic Checklist ​

Section 6 — Short Path Forward ​

Section 7 — FAQ ​

5. FINAL PUBLISHING CHECKLIST ​

Content Quality ​

Frontmatter & Metadata ​

Visual Assets ​

Verification ​

Problem Diagnostic Article – GFE Content Template

0. BRIEF BLOCK (REQUIRED INPUTS)

1. RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS (NO HALLUCINATION)

Minimum Sources

GFE Canon Laws Reference (VALIDATION)

Research Table (REQUIRED)

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1A. INTERNAL LINKING REFERENCE (USE SHARED MAP)

2. ARTICLE STRUCTURE (1,500–2,000 words)

Hook + Symptom (150–250 words)

The Popular Misdiagnosis (300–400 words)

The Real Diagnosis Using GFE Canon (500–700 words)

What The Research Says (300–400 words)

How To Tell If This Is Your Problem (Diagnostic Checklist) (300–400 words)

Short Path Forward (300–400 words)

FAQ (Optional, 3–5 Q&As)

3. WRITING GUIDELINES (MUST FOLLOW)

Tone

Voice

Style Rules

4. ANSWER ENGINE RULES (AEO-Ready)

5. FINAL QC CHECKLIST (Intern or Human Editor MUST CHECK)

6. EXAMPLE STUB (STRUCTURE ONLY)

Why AI Is Not Improving Your Sales Performance

Section 1 — Hook

Section 2 — Popular Misdiagnosis

Section 3 — Real Diagnosis Using GFE Canon

Section 4 — Research

Section 5 — Diagnostic Checklist

Section 6 — Short Path Forward

Section 7 — FAQ

5. FINAL PUBLISHING CHECKLIST

Content Quality

Frontmatter & Metadata

Visual Assets

Verification