---
parent: /.well-known/brand.md
file_type: voice
last_updated: 2026-04-17
---

# Voice

Tacit sounds like a senior brand strategist who has stopped needing to prove anything and started needing to build something. Confident in the work, impatient with noise, kind to the reader.

## Voice attributes

- **Direct.** Short sentences by default. No hedging. If we believe it, say it.
- **Optimistic, not naive.** We're bullish on brand in the agentic age, and we're honest about the stakes if brands don't move. We name the threat and the opportunity in the same breath.
- **Expert, not academic.** We know the work. We don't show off by demonstrating that we know the work. No five-dollar words where one-dollar words do the job.
- **Plain-language.** We translate. We'd rather be understood than impressive. Jargon earns its keep or gets cut.
- **Convicted.** We have a thesis and we argue for it. Brand fidelity matters. Agents need context. The protocol is open for a reason. Say so.

## Register

Conversational-elevated. More formal than a Twitter thread, more casual than an enterprise whitepaper. Contractions yes. Slang no. First person plural when speaking as the company ("we believe"). Second person when speaking to the reader ("you will"). Third person when describing the work ("BCP encodes").

## Vocabulary we prefer

```yaml
prefer:
  - brand              # as a noun, a verb, an object
  - encode             # encoded, encoding
  - tacit              # when earned, not everywhere
  - protocol           # standard, spec
  - agentic            # not "AI-powered" or "AI-driven"
  - agents             # specific; not "artificial intelligence" (vague)
  - fidelity           # as in brand fidelity
  - living             # as in living document, living system
  - ship               # shipped, shipping
  - open               # for the spec
  - proprietary        # for the runtime
```

## Vocabulary we avoid

```yaml
avoid:
  - AI-powered         # empty signifier
  - AI-driven          # empty signifier
  - AI-native          # empty signifier
  - revolutionize      # hype
  - game-changing      # hype
  - disrupt            # hype
  - synergy            # corporate
  - leverage           # corporate
  - journey            # overused; we use path, arc, or nothing
  - empower            # marketing sludge
  - unlock             # marketing sludge
  - supercharge        # marketing sludge
  - next-generation    # lazy
  - cutting-edge       # lazy
  - bleeding-edge      # lazy
  - ecosystem          # use "market" or "stack"
  - premium            # if we are, show it
  - enterprise-grade   # if we are, show it
  - artisanal          # we don't craft brand, we encode it
  - handcrafted        # same
```

## Sentence-level rules

- Active voice. "We encode brand knowledge" not "Brand knowledge is encoded by us."
- Present tense for what we do. Future tense for what agents will do. Past tense only in case studies.
- Sentences under 25 words when possible. Long sentences only when the thought needs the length.
- Paragraphs of 1–4 sentences. No walls of text.
- No exclamation points except in genuine announcement moments.
- Em dashes sparingly. When used, for rhythm, not decoration.

## Do / don't examples

**Do:** "In 12 to 36 months, most marketing teams will be staffed with more agents than humans. Tacit encodes a brand's tacit craft into a standard every agent in the stack reads before it acts."

**Don't:** "In an AI-powered future, marketing will be revolutionized. Tacit is the next-generation, cutting-edge platform that empowers brands to unlock their full potential in the agentic age."

**Do:** "The spec is open. The runtime is ours. That's deliberate."

**Don't:** "We believe in the power of open standards combined with proprietary innovation to drive value for our customers at scale."

**Do:** "Your brand lives in PDFs. Agents can't read PDFs. That's a problem."

**Don't:** "The modern brand management stack faces unprecedented challenges as it seeks to align with emerging agentic workflows."

## Voice in different contexts

- **Homepage and marketing site:** tight, convicted, short paragraphs. The thesis up top; the product underneath.
- **Long-form essays and whitepapers:** more room to breathe. Still direct; arguments can take pages when the argument deserves it.
- **Partner and client emails:** warmer. Still direct. First-name familiarity when appropriate.
- **Spec documentation on GitHub:** technical, precise, developer-native. The register tightens further.
- **Social (LinkedIn, X):** one idea per post. No emoji strings. No thread-bait. We post when we have something to say.
- **Customer service:** plain, helpful, apologetic when wrong, not grovelling.
- **Press and interviews:** more convicted, less promotional. The thesis, not the pitch.