The Creation Code: How to Produce 10X Output While Everyone Else Is Stuck Consuming

Author

Brad Costanzo
March 21, 2025

Last week, I shared my Digital Darwinism framework—how to adapt strategically in the AI economy. Your responses were fantastic. Seems like the competitive intelligence dashboard hit a nerve (and yes, I'll share more on that soon).

But adaptation alone isn't enough.

In a world where everyone has access to the same AI tools and information, the ultimate advantage goes to those who create more. More content. More products. More ideas. More solutions.

The problem? Most people are stuck in consumption mode. (I fall into this trap more than I care to admit)

They read but don't write. They learn but don't teach. They consume but don't create.

This isn't just a productivity problem—it's an evolution problem. Consumers follow. Creators lead.

The Great Creation Gap

While content consumption has exploded, content creation remains flat. Everyone's reading tweets, but few are writing them. Everyone's watching videos, but few are making them.

The same applies to businesses, products, services, and ideas.

This creation gap creates massive opportunity. When supply stays flat but demand grows exponentially, the value of creation skyrockets.

After years of obsession with productivity systems (I've tried them all, from Getting Things Done to Bullet Journals to every app under the sun), I've developed what I call The Creation Code—a system for 10X output that leverages both human creativity and AI amplification.

Here's how it works:

1. Idea Extraction: Mine Your Mind

Most people think they need more ideas. The truth? You already have enough—they're just trapped in your head.

The first step is extracting and capturing these ideas before they evaporate.

Practical Tip #1: Build your idea extraction system

  1. Create a friction-free capture tool (I use a voice recorder app and Notion)

  2. Schedule 15-minute "idea extraction" sessions 3x weekly

  3. Use these prompts to mine your thinking:

    • What bothered me this week that others might share?

    • What did I explain to someone that they found valuable?

    • What pattern am I noticing that others might be missing?

    • What do I wish existed but doesn't yet?

Practical AI Tip #2: Use AI as an idea multiplier

  1. Take one of your extracted ideas and use this prompt: (change the info inside the [brackets] to be relevant to you). 

I'm exploring this idea: [Your idea]

Please help me expand this by:

1. Identifying 5 different angles to explore this idea

2. For each angle, suggest 3 specific examples or applications

3. Identify any counterintuitive aspects of this idea

4. Suggest how this idea connects to these topics: [Your industry/interests]

  1. Save the output to your idea library

  2. Add your own thoughts to the AI's suggestions

I use this process weekly and have built an idea library of over 500 potential topics—enough content runway for years.

2. Systematic Creation: Build Your Factory

Waiting for inspiration is for amateurs. Professionals build systems that produce consistently, whether inspiration strikes or not.

Practical Tip #3: Create your production blocks

  1. Identify your high-energy times (mine are 6-9am and 2-4pm)

  2. Block these times exclusively for creation—no meetings, no email, no consumption

  3. Establish pre-creation rituals that signal to your brain it's time to produce (mine is making a specific tea and putting on instrumental music)

  4. Use the "touch it once" rule—when you start creating something, finish at least a complete draft before switching tasks

Practical AI Tip #4: Build your scaffolding system

  1. For each content type you create, develop a basic structure template

  2. Use this prompt to build your scaffolds: 

Help me create a structural template for [content type]:

My goal is to: [what you want this content to achieve]

My audience is: [brief description]

My style is: [brief description]

Please create:

1. A flexible structure with key components

2. 3-5 potential hooks/openings

3. 3-5 potential closings

4. Transition phrases between sections

5. Questions to ask myself as I create

Then save these scaffolds as templates.

This system has cut my content creation time by 40% while improving quality.

3. Amplified Output: Scale Without Sacrifice

The final step is using strategic amplification to turn one creation into many without sacrificing quality.

Practical Tip #5: The Content Multiplication Matrix

  1. Create a 3x3 grid with:

    • Rows: Different formats (written, audio, visual)

    • Columns: Different lengths (short, medium, long)

  2. When you create something new, plot how it can be transformed to fill other cells in the matrix

  3. Prioritize the diagonal (short written → medium audio → long visual) for maximum efficiency

Practical AI Tip #6: Build your content expansion system

  1. After creating a piece of content, use this prompt: 

I've created this content: [Paste your content]

Help me expand this into:

1. A thread of 7-10 tweets with the key insights

2. 5 LinkedIn posts focusing on different angles

3. An email newsletter expanding on the main idea

4. 3 potential hooks for a video on this topic

5. 10 prompts for visuals/graphics to illustrate key points

For each adaptation, maintain my voice and style while optimizing for the platform.

Use the AI output as a starting point, then apply your own judgment and voice

Practical AI Tip #7: Create your feedback loop

  1. For any content you create, use this prompt before publishing: 

Review this content from my audience's perspective:

[Paste your content]

Please analyze:

1. The strongest parts (and why they work)

2. The weakest parts (and how to strengthen them)

3. What questions remain unanswered

4. How this could be misinterpreted

5. One unexpected direction this could take

Don't focus on grammar/spelling—focus on impact and clarity.

Incorporate the feedback that resonates with your vision

I use this for all important content and it's caught numerous blind spots before they reached my audience.

The Bigger Game

This isn't just about creating more content. It's about becoming a producer in a world of consumers. A solution provider in a world of problem spotters. An innovator in a world of imitators.

The beauty of The Creation Code is that it's platform-agnostic. It works whether you're creating:

  • Content (articles, emails, videos, etc.)

  • Products and services

  • Business strategies

  • Art and creative works

  • Solutions to complex problems

While AI can and will create generic content, it can't create YOUR content—the unique combination of your experiences, insights, and vision.

The future belongs to those who create what only they can create, at a scale that was previously impossible.

Until then, start creating.

—Brad Costanzo

P.S. What's one idea you've had stuck in your head that you haven't created yet? Reply back or tell me in the comments. Sometimes just articulating it is the first step to making it real.