The Publication Algorithm: My Step-by-Step System for Shipping Weekly

The word “algorithm” is deliberate. A schedule is a commitment to act at a particular time. An algorithm is a process that produces a defined output given defined inputs, reliably, regardless of your mood, your motivation, or whether you feel particularly creative on a given day.

Schedules require motivation to execute. You commit to publishing on Thursdays, and when Thursday arrives you either feel ready or you do not. Algorithms do not have this problem. They have inputs and stages and defined transitions between stages. The question is not “do I feel ready?” but “what stage is this piece in?”, and the answer determines the next action automatically.

Here is the five-stage algorithm I use to publish consistently, without requiring exceptional discipline or creative inspiration at each step.

Stage 1: Capture

Entry condition: I noticed something, an idea, an observation, a question, a fragment that felt worth preserving. Exit action: A note lands in my Obsidian Inbox with enough context to reconstruct why it mattered. Timestamp, one sentence of circumstance, whatever raw content I have. No judgment at this stage. Everything that passes the five-second test gets in. Time investment: Under two minutes.

Stage 2: Development Queue

Entry condition: A note has survived at least one week in my Inbox without being discarded, and I have returned to it at least once unprompted. Exit action: I move it to my Development folder and tag it “developing.” This is the signal to myself that this idea has cleared the minimum bar for investment, it has demonstrated that it keeps coming back, which means it is worth my deliberate attention. Time investment: This happens during my weekly inbox review, which takes about twenty minutes total.

Stage 3: Active Development

Entry condition: A note in my Development folder during a weekly review where I have the time and interest to deepen it. Exit action: When the note has a clear claim (one sentence I can defend), supporting material, and a sense of who it is for, I tag it “ready to draft” and move it to Production. Time investment: Multiple sessions of fifteen to thirty minutes each, spread over days or weeks. This is not rushed. A note stays in development until it is genuinely ready, not until a deadline forces it out.

Stage 4: Production

Entry condition: The “ready to draft” tag. The note has a clear claim and the development work is done. Exit action: A complete draft written in one sitting, typically ninety minutes. I do not split drafts across sessions. Starting and stopping in the middle of a draft resets too much context. One session, one draft, then it moves to Stage 5. Time investment: One uninterrupted ninety-minute block.

Stage 5: Publish

Entry condition: A completed draft that has been reviewed once, for clarity and completeness, not for perfection. Exit action: It publishes on the next available publication slot. The slot determines the timing; the algorithm determines the readiness. The piece is reviewed once, not indefinitely refined. Time investment: Thirty minutes for review, then publish.

The Buffer: What Makes It Sustainable

The publication slot is the one element of the algorithm that resembles a schedule. I publish on a defined cadence, currently weekly. The slot is fixed. What varies is which piece fills it.

This means I maintain a buffer of pieces in Stage 5, drafted, reviewed, and ready to go. I try to keep at least two weeks of buffer. When the buffer is full, I slow down production. When it is thin, I prioritize development. The buffer absorbs the natural variation in creative energy without affecting the publication cadence. Some weeks I produce a lot. Some weeks I produce nothing. The publication slot is always filled.

What the Algorithm Eliminates

The three most common bottlenecks in creative publishing:

• “What should I work on?”, The stage of each piece tells you.
• “Is it ready?”, The exit condition answers it.
• “I don’t feel creative.”, The algorithm does not require creativity at every stage. Only Stages 3 and 4 require creative engagement, and those stages happen when you have the material and energy for them.

What remains is the work itself: capturing, developing, drafting, reviewing, publishing. The decisions about when and whether have been made in advance. You execute, not decide. And execution under a clear system is dramatically easier than decision under uncertainty. That is why people with algorithms ship more than people with intentions.

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Where to Go Next

Continue with the most relevant essays, key site pages, and trusted references.

Read Next

1. From Raw Capture to Publishable Insight
2. The Complete System
3. 5 Signs Your PKM System Is Working Against You

Core Pages

• System Blueprint
• PKM Guide
• Obsidian Guide
• Field Notes

Trusted Sources

• Systems Over Goals
• Execution Systems for Creators

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