The seven sweeps

One lens at a time. Seven passes. Every word audited.

Seven passes, one lens each.

Sweep 1: Clarity

No sentence should require a re-read. Flag nested clauses, ambiguous pronouns, undefined jargon.

[VAGUE] for ambiguous claims. [JARGON] for unexplained terms.

Sweep 2: Voice and tone

Catch formality shifts between sections. [VOICE-SHIFT] where register breaks.

Sweep 3: So what

Read each sentence. Ask "so what?" No answer? Cut.

[DEAD-WEIGHT] for zero-value sentences. [FEATURE-NOT-BENEFIT] for missing outcomes.

Sweep 4: Prove it

Every claim: how would you verify it?

[TELL-NOT-SHOW] for unearned adjectives. [NO-PROOF] for claims without numbers or references.

Sweep 5: Specificity

[GENERIC] for vague claims. "Teams" becomes "5-person engineering teams at Series A startups."

Sweep 6: Emotion

[FLAT] where emotional weight is missing. Spec sheets can be neutral. Heroes and CTAs cannot.

Sweep 7: Zero risk

[FRICTION] for unclear commitments and missing reassurance.

Worked example

Start: "Our platform is designed to help teams collaborate more effectively."

Sweep 3: "Collaborate more effectively" answers no question the reader asked. [DEAD-WEIGHT]

Sweep 4: "more effectively" is unearned. No number, no proof. [TELL-NOT-SHOW]

Sweep 5: "teams." Which teams? How large? [GENERIC]

Rewrite: "Engineering teams of 5 to 15 ship code reviews in half the time."

Why the order matters

  1. Clarity makes it understandable.
  2. Voice makes it consistent.
  3. So what removes dead weight.
  4. Prove it backs claims.
  5. Specificity replaces generic with concrete.
  6. Emotion adds temperature.
  7. Zero risk removes last barriers.

Flag everything before rewriting. Resolve after all seven.

Quick-pass version

Three sweeps: Clarity, So what, Prove it. Ten minutes.

Word-level cuts

Kill on sight: "very," "really," "truly," "just," "simply," "easily," "actually," "basically," "essentially."

Front-load the key claim. Cut openings that start with "There is," "It is," or "We believe."