The audience actually wants to know whatâs going to happen next - they just donât want to know that they know.
Hey {{first_name}}
Hot Ones is one of the most successful shows on YouTube - obviously.Â
And while everyone talks about the wings, the big names, and Sean Evansâ savant level research... I want to talk about something else. That is - sauce number 8.
Da Bomb.
Apart from Sean himself, it must be the most consistent thing about the show. Itâs always there - Itâs never nice - and you bet its going to lead to some tears.
Itâs not the hottest, and Itâs not the final sauce. But it is the one we all watch for.
So where am I going with this?
Look, Da Bomb isnât just a sauce - itâs a device.
Itâs a built-in beat that guarantees a moment.
A ritual.
A reaction.
And thatâs the bit more of us should be stealing.
Iâm going to call it - your secret sauce. (See what i did there?)

YouTube is full of Secret Sauces. Hereâs a few:
Beard Meets Food - Surely not?!
Iâve seen this guy eat close to 10LBs of meat, bread and cheese and STILL ask the waiter for a dessert menu. He almost always gets the sweetest, most calorific thing he can, and proceeds to devour that too. The reactions from the crowd and the restaurant staff are always worth sticking around for.Â
Secret Sauce = Those 6 magic words âHave you got a dessert menu?â
Johnny Harris - A nerd like obsession with cartography
Itâs beyond a trope now. Johnny Harris LOVES a map. A lot of his videos start with the simple âlook at this mapâ. Itâs endearing, and solidifies him as a person of authority (At least in things related to geography).
Even when he doesnât mention maps, his audience absolutely does.. The people crave a map!
Secret Sauce = Look at this map
Huge If True - Making science look sexy
A world class info graphic. Without a doubt, if its Cleo Abrams video, there will be an info graphic, and you sure as hell know itâs gonna slap. Heck, iâd watch a supercut of JUST the sick graphics.
Secret Sauce = Show me something interesting, in a way Iâve never seen it.
I know it seems a little abstract, but trust me, every successful creator has their own.
So... Whatâs Your Secret Sauce?

Itâs that recurring beat that only you can deliver.Â
The bit your audience knows is coming.
The thing they stick around for.
Or the bit they skip ahead to.
Thatâs what gives a brand, channel, and creator, shape.
Itâs the stuff that builds rituals.
Thatâs what makes formats repeatable, and addictive.
It doesnât need to be dramatic. It just needs to be deliberate.
If youâve already got a Secret Sauce - send it to me.
Or if you need help finding one, I'd love to chat and help you figure it out!Â
I want to help make your content better, and write about it in a future edition. So if you need a hand, let me know
Because your content might be good...
But building rituals is what keeps your audience coming back.

