Guest Post Guide
Hello, fellow chief!
Welcome, and thanks for considering a guest post swap. This page describes what I need from you to make the collaboration smooth and the result great—for both our audiences.
How This Works
Guest posts on The Solo Chief are reciprocal. You write for my audience; I write for yours. The goal is mutual: we each get introduced to readers who don’t know us yet. Here’s the super-complicated workflow from my side:
You let me know your requirements; I give you mine (as described below)
You will send me an editable Google document with your draft
I will review the draft, make appropriate edits, add a personal introduction at the top, and create the header image
I will send you back the edited/formatted draft for your review/approval
When I publish your post, I will add a subscribe button linking to your newsletter and tag you as the author of the post
That’s the entire process! Further details below ⬇️
Non-Negotiable Requirements
These are the few things I won’t budge on. If a submission doesn’t meet these, I’ll ask you to revise before we proceed.
1. Topical relevance. Your post must be relevant to Solo Chiefs—the creatives, solopreneurs, intrapreneurs, lone managers, and fractional executives who read this publication. It doesn’t need to be about AI or solopreneurship directly, but it should matter to people navigating sole accountability in their work. If your readers and my readers don’t overlap, the swap makes no sense.
2. No listicles, no how-tos, no tool tutorials. The Solo Chief publication doesn’t publish “5 Tips for...” or “How to Use [Tool]” posts. We publish thinking, not instructions. If your post is a step-by-step guide, it’s not a fit—no matter how good the steps are. Share your timeless wisdom, not your current process.
3. No product promotions. Your post should offer genuine insight, not serve as a funnel to your product, course, or service. Linking back to your newsletter is welcome and even encouraged. Pitching your SaaS is not.
4. Authentic writing. I reserve the right to reject submissions that read like AI-generated slop. It’s totally fine using AI to assist with your writing. But your voice should sound like you, not like the millionth copy of a language model that just tries to sound human.
5. Minimum 750 words.
6. Fully spell-checked and grammar-checked. Please. 🙏🏻
7. Submit as a Google Doc with edit access for me.
Strong Recommendations
These aren’t dealbreakers, but following them will make your post stronger for my audience.
Content & Voice
Think “maps, not recipes.” My readers value orientation over prescription. They want to think more clearly about their situation, not follow a playbook. Offer perspective, not a formula.
Open at body temperature. Start with a person, a moment, a feeling—not an abstract thesis. “I almost quit my job last Tuesday” pulls readers in. “In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape” makes them fall asleep.
Acknowledge complexity. Avoid promising certainty. My readers are smart and very skeptical of simplistic answers. They live in ambiguity every day. Show the uneasy trade-offs.
Don’t assume readers have a team. Many of my readers carry sole accountability, even when they collaborate with others. Advice that begins with “get your team aligned” may not always land.
Formatting
Use H2 headers for your section headings (not H3 or smaller). This helps with readability and search visibility.
Bold key sentences so that readers who skim still get the gist. Aim for one bolded sentence per two or three paragraphs.
Consider a pull quote—a standalone sentence that works out of context. Something a reader might screenshot and share.
Links
You may include up to 5 links to your own archive. Choose posts that genuinely add context, not random plugs.
You may link to external sources (research, articles by others) as you see fit. There’s no cap on external links — just keep them useful.
What to Deliver (provide at the top of your document)
Title—give it a punch or make stand out in any way you want
Subtitle—the one-line explanation that I usually use for SEO optimization
Custom article slug—the URL-friendly version of your title (e.g.,
decision-making-under-uncertainty).Separate SEO title (if different from your display title). This is what Google shows in search results. Keep it under 60 characters and keyword-conscious.
SEO summary—a meta description of 150-160 characters
Provide a byline—a short bio similar in length to what appears on your own newsletter’s Home page
A promo block—a short paragraph (3-4 sentences max) pitching your newsletter, to which I’ll add a subscribe button. Keep it roughly the same length as mine:
I’m a seasoned founder, intrapreneur, and former CIO who builds maps and models for Solo Chiefs navigating sole accountability in the age of AI—informed by plenty of scar tissue. All posts are free, always.
What Happens Next
You submit the Google Doc.
I review and make edits with suggestions/comments.
I will create the header image and handle the final formatting.
You review and approve the edits and formatting in the document.
I publish, with my introduction above and your byline and promo block included.
We coordinate timing for the reciprocal post on your publication.
There’s no strict timeline. We’ll figure out scheduling together.
Know Your Audience
My readers are Solo Chiefs—people who carry sole accountability for their business, unit, or career. They include creatives, solopreneurs, single founders, fractional executives, and lone managers. Their shared job-to-be-done: survive and stay sane in the age of AI.
They value thinking over tutorials, orientation over prescription, and honesty over certainty. They are experienced professionals who chose their path deliberately.
A few terms my readers already know and use. You don’t need to use them, but you might want to be aware of them:
Solo Chief — someone carrying sole accountability
Cockroach business — built to survive anything, not to become a unicorn
Operational loneliness — the weight of being the only one who sees the full picture
Single wringable neck — the one person everyone looks at when things go wrong
Maps, not recipes — orientation over step-by-step instruction
Networked agentic organizations — organizations where humans and AI agents collaborate
M-skilled professionals — people with multiple deep skills (not just T-shaped)
For a deeper look, here’s the full glossary: AI Glossary →
Questions? Just reach out to me over DM or email.