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Where AI fits in content production

Where AI fits in content production

AI's role in each substage of the content production process map. Part of Content production and marketing pipeline. Draft v2, 2026-10-20; replaces a first guess that wasn't built on a process map.

TL;DR

  • AI has a real role in 43 of 46 substages: it runs operations and mechanical work, drafts text and prep, and proposes judgment calls. People decide, approve, record, send anything external, and own taste and templates.
  • The biggest new use is post-production assessment (4.1): AI reads the whole transcript, judges the piece, recommends what it should become, and builds the moment map that drives the cut list, intro, chapters, clips and quotes.
  • Pre-production churn (outreach, scheduling, reschedules, onboarding) is high-volume and well suited to AI drafting.
  • Learning (8.4) is what makes it improve: corrections become updates to the skills, so the same fix isn't made twice.

Asks

  1. Add the episode assessment experiment (no. 2 below) as a bead? Who runs it, and on which episode?
  2. Share with Uriel. His Asana task "Develop Content Production Pipeline" mirrors this planning work, so it should link here.

Key

  • Leads: AI does it; a person spot-checks or reviews a queue.
  • Drafts: AI produces it; a person edits or chooses.
  • Proposes: AI recommends; a person decides.
  • Assists: a person does it; AI helps.
  • Person: no real AI role yet.

1. Development

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
1.1 IdeasAssistsPulls ideas from chats, notes and meetings into one list; dedupes; suggests gaps from the back catalogue and guest referralsJudges what's worth pursuing
1.2 SelectionProposesScores ideas against strategy criteria; flags timely onesDecides what next
1.3 ResearchDraftsTopic or guest dossier with citations; finds what we've already said on the topicFact-checks before anything reaches a guest
1.4 Angle, lead and formatDraftsBrief draft, alternative angles, series arcs; sparring partnerOwns the angle
1.5 Intended trackProposesApplies the publication-track tests to the briefDecides

2. Pre-production

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
2.1 OutreachDraftsFinds the contact route; drafts the invitation and follow-ups; tracks status; flags no repliesWrites the "why you"; sends
2.2 Session setupLeadsCreates the Riverside studio, Drive folder and Asana task—
2.3 SchedulingDraftsProposes slots across time zones; drafts the invite with the Riverside link; reminders; drafts replies to reschedules and cancellationsConfirms calendar changes; sends
2.4 Guest onboardingDraftsGathers bio, headshot and links; drafts the bio and the tech-guide emailSends; agrees permissions and sensitivities
2.5 PrepDraftsQuestions, run-of-show, audience questions; for topic-led pieces, outline and slide draftsRewrites in own voice; rehearses

3. Production

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
3.1 Tech checkPersonChecklist onlyRuns it
3.2 RecordingPersonLive AI help is not shipped yetRecords; marks moments
3.3 Wrap-up and debriefAssistsTurns a voice-note debrief into structured notes for 4.1; logs cuts the guest asked for; drafts the thank-you and next-steps noteGives the verdict; sends the note
3.4 IngestLeadsFiles to Drive, backup, catalogue entry—

4. Post-production

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
4.1 Assessment and triageProposesReads the whole transcript; assesses quality against our criteria; recommends episode, series, cut-down, fast release or hold; builds the moment map (cold open, chapters, clips, quotes, cuts) with timestamps; flags weak stretchesDecides the track
4.2 SlotProposesSuggests a date and episode number from the queue and cadenceConfirms
4.3 Edit planProposesCut list with timestamps, reordering, series split, uses for extra materialApproves
4.4 EditLeadsRuns the approved cut list; light filler removal, layout, levels (via Riverside; depends on the MCP experiment)Listens through
4.5 Intro, outro and bumpersDraftsPicks the cold-open moments; drafts Sylvie's intro script; assembles template bumpersSylvie records
4.6 Graphics and B-rollDraftsLower thirds from the template; slides for talks; B-roll suggestionsChecks
4.7 Transcript, chapters, subtitlesLeadsTranscript with a names glossary; chapters from the moment map; subtitlesProofreads names and chapter titles
4.8 Sign-off and exportAssistsAutomated checks (loudness, gaps, glitches flagged)Signs off

5. Packaging

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
5.1 Written metadataDraftsTitle options in format, summary, tagline, notes, bio, tagsChooses and edits
5.2 VisualsDraftsFills Canva templates with text and framesApproves; designers own templates
5.3 Short-formDraftsPicks clips from the moment map, writes hooks, cuts reels and teaser (Riverside), captionsPicks the final set
5.4 Written derivativesDraftsAll social copy, carousel text, newsletter blurb, Substack note, transcript page; quotes checked word for wordEdits
5.5 Guest kitLeadsAssembles links, clips, images, suggested captions—

6. Review and release

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
6.1 Pre-publish checksLeadsChecks links, title format, brand version, crops, quotes against the transcript; flags factual claimsVerifies flagged claims; judges taste
6.2 ApprovalsAssistsDrafts one approval pack per piece; tracks responses; reminds the team; drafts chasers to guestsApproves; sends anything to guests
6.3 StagingLeadsFills YouTube and Riverside fields via API; prepares Substack copyPastes into Substack if there's no API
6.4 PublishLeadsSchedules YouTube and the audio feed; checks it reached each placeConfirms; publishes Substack by hand
6.5 Hand-off to promotionLeadsCreates social tasks automatically—

7. Promotion

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
7.1 SocialDraftsAdapts copy per platform; schedules once approvedUriel approves
7.2 NewsletterDraftsSlots the blurb into the next issueEdits the issue
7.3 Guest and partnersDraftsShare email with the kitSends
7.4 CommunityAssistsTriages comments and messages; drafts repliesReplies
7.5 Links and playlistsLeadsPlaylists via the YouTube API; drafts Linktree changes (no API checked)Updates Linktree

8. Follow-up and learning

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
8.1 Performance reviewLeadsMonthly digest across YouTube, Riverside and SubstackReads it
8.2 Promote decisionProposesShortlist of pieces to promote furtherDecides
8.3 Back-catalogue reuseProposesFinds moments by theme across past transcripts; drafts compilationsCurates
8.4 Process learningDraftsCollects corrections and slow steps; proposes updates to skills and SOPsApproves updates

0. Operations

SubstageAIAI doesPerson does
0.1 TrackingLeadsCreates and assigns tasks; follow-on tasks at each hand-off—
0.2 Backlog and overviewLeadsWeekly report merging Asana, GitHub project #38 and comms issuesReviews
0.3 Templates and SOPsDraftsUpdates from 8.4Approves
0.4 Tools and accountsPerson—Chooses and pays
0.5 Assets and archiveAssistsTags and catalogues filesRights; brand assets

What to build

WhatSubstagesStatus
Operations automation: tasks, hand-off, weekly overview0.1, 0.2, 2.2, 3.4, 6.5, 7.5Experiment lip-93f.2.16.13; overview lip-93f.2.16.8
Research and prep skill: dossiers with citations, brief, questions, outlines1.3, 1.4, 2.5New
Outreach and scheduling assistant (drafts only, via Gmail and Calendar)2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.3, 7.3New
Moment capture: live markers and voice-note debrief, as inputs to assessment3.2, 3.3New
Episode assessment skill: triage recommendation, moment map, cut list, intro script4.1, 4.3, 4.5, 4.7New; proposed experiment 2
Episode package skill and approval pack5.1, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.2lip-93f.2.16.2
sor-voice plus quote and claim checkall text; 6.1Part of the package skill
Template fill (Canva)4.6, 5.2lip-93f.2.16.9
Monthly digest and learning loop8.1–8.4New
Riverside Grow (MCP)4.4, 4.7, 5.3, 8.3lip-93f.2.16.19

Riverside MCP capabilities and the Canva editing operations are unverified vendor or second-hand claims; see appendices B–D.

Experiments

#ExperimentOwnerBead
1Canva text fill on Uriel's carousel templateUriellip-93f.2.16.9
2New: episode assessment on one recorded but unreleased episode. Measure: does AI's triage match the lead's, and how much of its cut list and moment map is kept?To decidenone yet
3Episode package skill on 3 episodes, logging editing timeRufuslip-93f.2.16.2
4Riverside MCP on one episode, after the Grow upgradeRufuslip-93f.2.16.12
5Automatic social tasks at hand-off—lip-93f.2.16.13

For each, compare time with AI plus corrections against doing it by hand, and feed corrections into the skill. Stop if the corrections don't improve it.

Detail

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Links to this page:

  1. Content production process map
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