Turn your expertise into expert content.
Protagonist creates effective, expertise-driven marketing content for the organizations and people who are making what's next.
HI, I’M CARL.
Not a copywriter. Not a marketer. A designer and strategist who writes.
I’m a content specialist with 15+ years experience and ~1M words published…as well as an engineer, industrial designer, science educator, and a seasoned researcher and interviewer.
This unique hybrid background is why I’m able to grasp your specific expertise and POV, no matter how cutting-edge or esoteric. Then I turn that perspective into clear, effective marketing content. In just the past year, I’ve worked with:
some of the world’s top AI experts
globally renowned entrepreneurs
leading management and creative consultancies
a top-ranked school of design and innovation
Clients like these trust me because I bring something most marketing agencies can’t: the background and curiosity to understand what sets them apart. And the insight to generate expert content that builds credibility, drives valuation, and supports lasting client relationships.
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“It’s not just that Carl writes so well. It’s that he can to do it on an incredible range of topics, and get up to speed on new ones almost immediately…I develop content that involves a lot of different areas of expertise—and I’ve yet to encounter one he’s been unable to handle.”
Marc Randolph
Co-founder and first CEO of Netflix
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“[Carl] has a special knack for turning a half-baked idea into something worth sharing with the world. Simply put, sharing a room and a piece of writing with Carl made me a better thinker and storyteller.”
Sean Madden
VP of Experience Design & Research at Best Buy
Three Ways I Work With Clients
Content Blueprint
Everything you need to turn your unique competence and perspective into a long-term content pipeline…in three to eight weeks.
Ideal for clients who:
are creating a new content program from scratch
are tired of spending hours developing their own content, only to see it underperform
are facing competition from less expert (but more visible) newcomers
From US$7200
Content Retainer
Writing and editorial support, plus regular strategic check-ins to keep your content aligned and delivering value.
Ideal for clients who:
have a solid content strategy but need support executing it
want to free up their valuable thought leaders for more pressing tasks
want to step up content quality or expand into new formats without putting more work on their plate
From US$2800 per month (3 month minimum)
Custom
Projects
Get your content published—faster, clearer, and without dumbing down.
When you’ve got a clear idea of what you need written, edited, scripted, designed, or developed…and you’re ready to hit the ground running:
newsletters, blog posts, and contributed articles
video scripting, podcasts, and interactive course content
annual reports, white papers, and business books
web copy and social media
design fiction, UX prototypes, and scenario planning
standalone content audits or internal workshops
From US$1500
Frequently Asked Questions
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Startups, consultancies, agencies, foundations and entrepreneurs, plus the occasional product team within a larger company. There’s a good overview in the Work section.
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Long-form articles and blog posts
Newsletters
Annual and research reports
Case studies
Short videos (interview, Q&A, explainer)
Interactive courses and curricula
Design fiction & scenarios
I also design and run workshops, and have co-written several business books.
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Occasionally, as part of a larger program, but it’s not my primary capability. This also goes for taglines, SEO, and short-form engagement-oriented social media content. These are all valuable to have, of course, but there are other folks out there better suited.
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In many cases, yes. With me, you get a single point of contact, low overhead, and very focused set of skills.
I’m often the fourth, fifth, or even sixth content expert or agency a client engages—and the one who finally gets it. So I can share your ideas and insights without sacrificing sophistication.
Need examples? You can verify my output here.
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Sparingly, and maybe not in the way you’re thinking. I’m a big fan of Claude as a tool for summarizing reference material, brainstorming short-form text, stress-testing copy, and drafting shorter posts from existing content. It’s good at that. Writing from scratch, not so much.
I also offer customized AI prompts for generating short-form content as part of some Content Blueprint packages.
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If your organization depends on its unique expertise and perspective to succeed, high-quality content is the best way to show it. This is especially true for B2B companies and startups trying to raise awareness and valuation.