# Proof first

Story / Hook / Textual hooks (what to say). Checked 2026-10-13.

Leads with the result, so the claim earns attention.

- Use when: Testimonials, case studies, product results.
- Phrase: open on the number or the review, on screen and spoken: 190 ads in one quarter with four people
- Page: https://directorchair.ai/hook/proof-first
- JSON: https://directorchair.ai/api/hook/proof-first.json

## Watch out

- Hooks are judged by the first two seconds of retention on the platform. Test two openings of the same video instead of trusting a formula. (practitioner; The Director Chair hook framework (our 2026 synthesis of @marco.thecreative's TikTok series, OpusClip's hook formulas, a Brandefy article, Meta retention research and a Gemini research report))

## Prompts

### Any chat model

```
Write five opening lines for a short video about [your product], for [your audience]. Use the proof first pattern: leads with the result, so the claim earns attention. Hooks are judged by the first two seconds of retention on the platform. Example: open on the number or the review, on screen and spoken: 190 ads in one quarter with four people. Plain spoken language, no hashtags, no emoji. Tell me which one you would post first and why, in one line.
```

## Source

Own words from the Director Chair hook framework (our 2026 synthesis of @marco.thecreative's TikTok series, OpusClip's hook formulas, a Brandefy article, Meta retention research and a Gemini research report)

Text CC BY 4.0, Director Chair (directorchair.ai). Reference clips and their card texts belong to their makers.