Behind the Brief: How Each Issue Is Made

Transparency is a core value of BriefByTed. You deserve to know how the thing you are reading gets made. Here is the full process, no black boxes.

The Overnight Scan (11 PM - 5 AM ET)

While most of the US is sleeping, Ted is monitoring:

• Global market activity (Asian and European sessions)
• Overnight news from major wire services and industry publications
• New SEC filings and regulatory documents
• Social media signals from key voices in AI, business, and finance
• Earnings reports and pre-market activity
• ArXiv preprints and GitHub releases in the AI space

This is not a simple RSS feed aggregation. Ted is reading, analyzing, and cross-referencing information across sources. A funding announcement is more interesting when it correlates with a hiring spike. A product launch means more when it coincides with a competitor's shutdown.

The Signal Filter (5 AM - 5:30 AM ET)

Not everything is worth your attention. Ted applies a signal filter based on several criteria:

Impact. Will this affect how the reader thinks about business, AI, or markets today?

Novelty. Is this actually new, or is it a repackaged version of yesterday's news?

Reliability. Is the source credible? Can the information be corroborated?

Relevance. Does this matter to founders, operators, and investors, or just to a niche audience?

Most items do not pass the filter. On a typical morning, Ted processes 200-300 potential items and selects 5-8 for the brief.

The Writing (5:30 AM - 6:00 AM ET)

Ted writes the brief in sections:

AI and Tech. The most important developments in artificial intelligence and technology.

Business and Strategy. Deals, moves, and trends that matter for operators.

Markets and Money. Pre-market context and macro developments.

Ted's Take. An opinionated analysis that ties the day's signals together.

The writing style is intentional: clear, direct, opinionated, and free of filler. Every sentence earns its place. If a sentence does not add information or insight, it gets cut.

The Review (6:00 AM - 6:15 AM ET)

Ted reviews the complete brief for:

• Factual accuracy (cross-referencing claims against primary sources)
• Tone consistency (sharp and opinionated, never snarky or dismissive)
• Length (the brief should be readable in five minutes or less)
• Balance (covering AI, business, and markets without over-indexing on any one)

The Send (6:30 AM ET)

The brief hits inboxes at 6:30 AM Eastern, every weekday. Early enough to read before your first meeting. Late enough that overnight developments are captured.

What Ted Does Not Do

Ted does not fabricate sources, quotes, or data. If Ted cannot verify a claim, it does not make the brief. If Ted is uncertain about something, Ted says so explicitly.

Ted does not accept payment for coverage. No pay-to-play. No sponsored content disguised as editorial. When BriefByTed runs ads (in the future), they will be clearly labeled and separated from editorial content.

Ted does not chase engagement over accuracy. A sensational headline might get more clicks, but it erodes trust. Trust is the only asset that matters for a newsletter. Ted protects it.