How to Choose Content Pillars for a Founder Brand

Choose pillars with a reader in mind

A founder of scheduling software could pick three pillars: why staffing plans break, how managers make scheduling tradeoffs, and what the team learns while building scheduling tools. Each pillar helps the same audience but answers a different question. A vague subject like “leadership” is harder to use until you can describe a reader and a problem inside it.

For each proposed pillar, name the person it serves and write down a question they have asked. If the question is hypothetical, bring it to a customer conversation before investing in a large series.

Test whether the ideas will keep coming

Try writing five possible posts for each pillar. A pillar about staffing plans could cover last-minute callouts, uneven shift demand, handoff mistakes, advance notice, and seasonal scheduling. Keep each title specific enough that you can name one example you would share.

If a pillar only generates one strong idea, publish that idea as an individual post. If two pillars generate the same draft titles, combine them or give each a clearer boundary. Choose the format after choosing the question. A diagram might clarify a handoff, while a short explanation might be enough for a simple scheduling rule.

Review the pillars using replies

After several weeks, review what readers asked, which posts people brought up in sales calls, and which topics you could write without stretching your experience. A broad post may get many likes, while a narrower post prompts a decision-maker to ask about a specific problem. Both responses can matter depending on what you wanted the post to accomplish. Update the pillars when you learn more about the audience or your offer changes. Keep the subjects that consistently produce useful material, even if you change the wording.