The paid copywriting framework for PAS startups

<p>You have a problem. You’re a builder. You built a product because you saw a flaw in the system. Now you have to market it. And marketing feels like guesswork. It feels like art when you need it to be engineering.</p> <p>The standard advice—Problem, Agitate, Solve (PAS)—is everywhere. It’s simple. It works, sometimes. But for startups, especially technical ones, it falls short. It focuses on the customer’s pain but skips the most critical step: isolating your solution from the noise. You are launching into a crowded market. Solving a problem isn't enough; you must be the only logical solution.</p> <p>The solution isn't a better 'Solve.' The solution is a new step that guarantees differentiation. We call it the PAID Framework: Problem, Agitate, Isolate, Deliver. It takes the classic PAS model and builds an extra stage for clarity and competition, making your copy less about general pain and more about unavoidable choice.</p> <p>This is how we move marketing from vague hope to a predictable system. This is how you start writing copy that works on your <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/landing-page-optimization-strategy">landing page</a> and across every channel.</p> <p><em>Short on time? Scroll to The Messaging Isolation Generator section for the copy-paste prompt.</em></p> <h2>Pas startups: use the paid framework (problem, agitate, isolate, deliver) for clear, differentiating copy</h2> <p>The classic PAS model—Problem, Agitate, Solve—was designed for attention economy advertising in a simpler time. It works well when the customer only has two choices: yours or nothing. In 2024, the customer has one thousand choices and a feed full of noise. Simply 'Solving' the problem often makes you sound exactly like your last five competitors.</p> <p>Your engineering is crisp. Your product is superior. Your marketing should reflect that precision. This is where the Isolate step comes in. You must establish the unique constraint your product removes, making your solution—the Deliver step—the only logical path forward.</p> <h3>P: Define the System Flaw, Not Just the Symptom</h3> <p>Most founders mistake symptoms for systemic problems. The customer doesn't just want "better project management." They are frustrated because their current system forces them to switch between five tools, creating inevitable data drift and status confusion. The symptom is frustration. The system flaw is tool sprawl.</p> <p>Focus on the structural problem that your product uniquely fixes. This is a builder's instinct: fixing the root cause, not just slapping a patch on the surface. When you frame the problem as a fundamental system flaw, you instantly position your solution as a necessary architectural upgrade, not a feature upgrade.</p> <p>A small win you can achieve today: List the top three complaints your customers have, then rephrase each one as a "System Flaw" caused by the existing solution, not the user.</p> <h3>A: Agitate the Cost of Inaction and Ambiguity</h3> <p>Agitation is about connecting the system flaw to a personal or business cost. It’s not enough to say "tool sprawl is annoying." You must translate that annoyance into concrete losses: time wasted, revenue missed, or, more importantly for a founder, <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/founder-marketing-mindset">the loss of clarity and control</a>.</p> <p>Agitate the cost of <em>ambiguity</em>. In an early-stage company, ambiguity is the deadliest force. It means missed launches, delayed funding rounds, and burnout. Your agitation should remind the reader how their current problem makes their daily work messy, uncertain, and unpredictable. That feeling is the real pain. We are speaking to other builders; we hate entropy.</p> <p>Permission to ignore conventional advice: Stop using hyperbolic scare tactics. Builders respond to clear, quantified risk, not emotional melodrama. Be precise about the cost of keeping the current system in place.</p> <p>Action: In the next hour, write a single paragraph that describes the financial or psychological cost of the reader doing nothing for the next three months.</p> <h3>I: Isolate Your Unique Constraint Removal</h3> <p>This is the core differentiator for startups. You’ve defined the problem (P) and agitated the pain (A). Now, isolate why every other 'solution' they’ve tried has failed. Almost every new product solves an old problem by removing a constraint the old products imposed. Your job is to make that constraint visible.</p> <p>Example: If you’re a new headless CMS, don’t just say "faster content." Isolate the constraint: "Traditional CMS platforms force a single data structure, making modern omnichannel deployment a logistical nightmare." Your product <em>removes the constraint of rigid data structure.</em> That’s your isolation.</p> <p>Your product is superior because it fixes the underlying mechanics of the problem, unlike the competitors, who are often just different flavors of the same legacy structure. When you isolate the flaw, you make the decision binary: choose the old, constrained way, or choose your product.</p> <h3>D: Deliver the Outcome, Not the Feature</h3> <p>Once you've isolated your advantage, the final step is to deliver the promised outcome with certainty. The Solve step is often weak—"Our tool fixes this!"—but Deliver is strong. Deliver connects the removal of the constraint (I) directly to a predictable, powerful outcome (D). This is where your clarity and <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/how-to-build-a-marketing-strategy">strategic momentum</a> pay off.</p> <p>Deliver the certainty of the system. For a founder, certainty is currency. Your product doesn't just manage tasks; it delivers "The certainty of shipping on time, every time." Your security tool doesn't just detect threats; it delivers "The certainty of a 99.9% clean build on deployment."</p> <p>A reframe that makes them feel competent and capable again: You are not selling a feature; you are selling the predictability of a system. You built a deterministic machine, now sell the deterministic outcome.</p> <p>Action: Re-write your core value proposition sentence to begin with: "Deliver the certainty of..." and finish with a specific, positive outcome.</p> <h2>The Founder Copy Builder</h2> <p>The PAID framework helps you structure entire pages and campaigns, but sometimes you just need clean, persuasive copy right now. This generator will help you translate your product’s architecture into compelling, isolation-focused messaging.</p> <p>Copy-Paste Prompt:</p> <p>Act as a marketing architect for early-stage builders. Your goal is to rewrite three pieces of core marketing copy using the Problem, Agitate, Isolate, Deliver (PAID) framework. The tone must be clear, human, and technically precise, appealing to builders who value systems and deterministic outcomes. Use the following product information:</p> <p>PRODUCT: [YOUR PRODUCT NAME] - [brief, 1-sentence description of what it does]</p> <p>TARGET CUSTOMER: [YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER, e.g., Mid-market SaaS CTOs, independent newsletter creators]</p> <p>CURRENT SYSTEM FLAW: [The systemic flaw your product removes, e.g., "The necessity of manual API versioning," "The requirement of hiring a full-time compliance officer"]</p> <p>DELIVERED OUTCOME: [The guaranteed, predictable outcome, e.g., "99% automated regulatory compliance," "Zero manual code review bottlenecks"]</p> <p>Deliverables:</p> <p>1. The PAID Headline (Max 80 characters)</p> <p>2. The Isolation Hook (A 2-3 sentence paragraph focusing on the "I" step)</p> <p>3. The Deliverable CTA (A 1-sentence call to action that emphasizes certainty)</p> <h3>Example Output:</h3> <p>1. The PAID Headline: Manual API updates are killing your sprint cycle. Stop versioning, start shipping.</p> <p>2. The Isolation Hook: Every other tool makes you manage the complexity of API updates. We saw the constraint wasn't the code, but the process. [PRODUCT NAME] is the only system built to eliminate manual versioning entirely, removing a core bottleneck and freeing up 40% of developer time.</p> <p>3. The Deliverable CTA: Install now and deliver the certainty of zero manual code review bottlenecks in under an hour.</p> <p>This is just one of the interconnected prompts in the LiftKit system designed to translate your technical clarity into market clarity.</p> <h2>FAQ</h2> <h3>Q: Is the PAID framework only for highly technical products?</h3> <p>A: The core principle—isolating the constraint—applies to all products, but it is especially powerful for technical startups. Builders respect architectural clarity. The clearer you are about the structural flaw you fixed, the easier the decision becomes. If you are struggling with messaging, focus on <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/value-proposition-examples">defining your core value proposition</a> before attempting to isolate it.</p> <h3>Q: How do I find the "Constraint" to Isolate?</h3> <p>A: Talk to users about the workarounds they use for the current solution. The workaround is the constraint. If they export data to a spreadsheet to cross-reference, the constraint is "cross-tool data visibility." Your product removes that extra step. This deep clarity is why <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/startup-marketing-fundamentals">startup marketing fundamentals</a> start with understanding the customer's workflow, not just their job title.</p> <h3>Q: When should I use PAS instead of PAID?</h3> <p>A: You shouldn't. PAID is simply PAS with a crucial upgrade. If you find yourself unable to define the "I" step, it often means your positioning is too generic. Your marketing is struggling because your product doesn't have a sharp, defensible answer to the question: "Why you, right now?" Go back and revisit <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/positioning-strategy-for-founders">your positioning strategy</a> until the isolation step is obvious.</p> <h3>Q: I'm pre-revenue. How can I measure the success of this copy?</h3> <p>A: You measure success by click-through rates on your Isolation Hook. Are people pausing? Are they reading the next paragraph? If your Isolation step is working, your copy will see higher engagement from qualified leads—people who recognize the constraint you are fixing. You should also map your copy to <a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/learn/marketing-strategy-for-startups">your minimum viable strategy</a>, ensuring every piece of content pushes the user toward the next action.</p> <hr> <h2>Start running operator-grade marketing in under an hour.</h2> <p>LiftKit is the only strategy-first AI marketing system built for founders. It distills the same Fortune-500 frameworks used at Apple, Stripe, and McKinsey into a simple, actionable playbook you can run in under an hour.</p> <p>Stop tinkering with tactics. Start operating with strategy.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://getliftkit.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get LiftKit</a></strong></p> <h2>Keep learning</h2> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/frameworks" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Frameworks</strong></a>: Learn proven mental models to diagnose, prioritise, and scale marketing outcomes.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/channels" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Channels</strong></a>: Understand which acquisition paths actually work and how to deploy them strategically.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/messaging" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Messaging</strong></a>: Build positioning, angle, and copy that converts without guesswork.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Strategy</strong></a>: Make smarter decisions using operator-grade prompts and structured thinking.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/tools" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tools</strong></a>: Use AI, automation, and practical templates to move faster.</p> <p><a href="https://learn.getliftkit.com/research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Research</strong></a>: Tap into market insights, psychology, and patterns that drive effective marketing.</p> <script type='application/ld+json'> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "The paid copywriting framework for pas startups", "description": "Pas startups: use the paid framework (problem, agitate, isolate, deliver) for clear, differentiating copy", "articleSection": "frameworks", "keywords": "pas startups, pas,startups,copywriting", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "LiftKit" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "LiftKit" }, "url": "https://learn.getliftkit.com/frameworks/pas-startups", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://learn.getliftkit.com/frameworks/pas-startups" } </script>