---
url: https://superduperai.co/library/hook-archetype-pain-point/
title: Pain-point hook: name the exact moment, not the general problem
description: Template for the hook that opens on the viewer's own bad moment, with the specificity test (a place, a time, an object) that turns 'struggling with X' into a line the right viewer cannot scroll past.
category: hooks
platforms: [tiktok, reels, shorts, linkedin]
works_with: [claude, chatgpt, claude-code, any-llm]
tags: [hook, pain-point, archetype, opener, convert, tiktok, reels]
difficulty: beginner
verified: false
created: 2026-11-01
---

# Pain-point hook: name the exact moment, not the general problem

Template for the hook that opens on the viewer's own bad moment, with the specificity test (a place, a time, an object) that turns 'struggling with X' into a line the right viewer cannot scroll past.

## Prompt

```text
Write 5 pain-point hooks for a short video about {topic} aimed at {audience}. The pain-point hook works when the viewer thinks 'that is me, last Tuesday'; it fails when the pain is generic. Each hook must contain at least two of: a place, a time of day, a physical object, a number.

Templates to fill:
- 'It is {time}, you have {number} {things}, and {the thing that goes wrong}.'
- 'You {did the work}. Then {the specific loss}.'
- 'The {object} is {state}, again.'
- '{Number} {units} of {thing}, and you cannot find {the one you need}.'
- 'You know the moment when {specific moment}?'

Rules: max 14 words, second person, present tense, no 'struggling', 'frustrated', 'overwhelmed', 'tired of'. The pain is shown as a scene, not labelled as a feeling. For each hook, say which shot opens on it (the object or the screen, never a face reacting).

Return: 5 hooks with their opening shot, ranked by how specific the scene is.
```

## Example

Topic: a notes app that turns whiteboard photos into text. Audience: students.

1. 'It is 11 pm, you have fourteen whiteboard photos, and none of them are searchable.' Shot: the camera roll, a grid of whiteboards.
2. 'You photographed every lecture. Then the exam asked about week six.' Shot: thumb scrolling fast through the grid.
3. 'Half the board is glare, again.' Shot: one photo, a white stripe across the equations.
4. 'Forty photos of handwriting, and the one proof you need is in none of them.' Shot: zooming into blurry chalk.
5. 'You know the moment when the lecturer wipes the board before you got the photo?' Shot: a hand with an eraser, mid-wipe.

## Tips

- Open on the object, not on your face. The viewer recognises their own camera roll faster than they recognise your expression.
- If the line would work for any product in the category, it is not specific enough. Add the number or the time of day.

## Works with

- Claude: Paste into claude.ai or the Claude app.
- ChatGPT: Paste into ChatGPT; works with any GPT model.
- Claude Code: Runs as a skill or a prompt in the terminal; can read your files and write the result.
- Any LLM: Model-agnostic: Gemini, Mistral, a local model.