Matt Barker’s AI Tool Focuses on Lived Experience for Authentic LinkedIn Content

In a recent LinkedIn post, Matt Barker discusses a novel approach to content creation using an AI skill he developed, emphasizing the importance of personal experience over AI-generated text. Barker highlights that his tool is designed not to write posts for users, but to help them uncover the unique story and perspective that only they can provide.

Barker outlines a six-step process through which his AI skill assists users in finding an angle for their LinkedIn posts. The process begins with the user providing a topic, after which the AI engages in an interview to pinpoint a specific moment or experience related to that topic. If the user struggles to recall a moment, the AI guides them through a temporal backward search, prompting memories from recent weeks, months, or even years past. This method aims to narrow the focus of the user’s brain, making idea generation more manageable.

Unearthing Personal Narratives with AI Assistance

The AI skill is designed to delve deeper once a relevant moment is identified. It prompts the user with follow-up questions such as what happened immediately before, the exact words spoken, the user’s emotional state, and the resulting changes or realizations. This detailed exploration aims to extract the core elements of a compelling narrative.

According to Matt Barker, the AI’s function is to:

“It stops. It doesn’t write the post. You do. That’s the whole point.”

Barker argues that the proliferation of AI-generated content has led to a homogenization of online voices. His tool seeks to counteract this trend by focusing on the user’s unique ‘Lived Experience,’ which he describes as ‘the one thing only you could say.’ By extracting these personal insights, the AI aims to empower individuals to create more authentic and engaging content.

The Role of Credibility and Earned Perspective

When a specific moment is elusive, Barker’s AI skill incorporates the user’s professional credibility and earned perspective. As Barker explains:

“If there’s still no single moment, it pulls in your credibility / earned perspective like the stuff you’ve seen across years in your field / industry that only you and a few others could claim.”

This feature ensures that even without a singular vivid memory, the AI can leverage the user’s deep industry knowledge and experience as a foundation for a post. The output is a set of notes detailing the significant moment, relevant details, personal feelings, and the ultimate lesson learned.

Empowering Authentic Content Creation

Barker emphasizes that the AI’s role is strictly assistive, providing the raw material for a post rather than the finished product. He states:

“Every other AI tool will happily write the post for you, which is exactly why everyone sounds the same now. This one does the opposite.”

The tool, which Barker is offering for free, guides users through answering a series of questions to generate a story for their next LinkedIn post. The core philosophy is that true engagement comes from genuine personal stories, and AI should serve as a catalyst for uncovering these, not a replacement for the human voice. Barker believes this approach helps individuals stand out by sharing their unique perspectives, fostered by their individual journeys and expertise.