How I come up with topics for my blog posts

November 2025 marks 12 years since I started my SharePoint Maven Blog. My first blog post was published on November 2, 2013. It not only launched an endless debate about folders vs. metadata, but also helped kick off the start of my one-man consulting business. I am often asked questions about my blog, how I come up with topics, and whether I will continue doing it in the age of Copilot and ChatGPT. So I thought I would answer some of these questions in this article, thus commemorating my 12 years of blogging. Here we go:

Question: How do you come up with articles for my blog?

All of the articles on my blog are derived from actual questions from my clients and blog followers. I never write blogs for SEO, nor do I write to be on the first page of Google. Every article written was a question someone asked me on social media or a client asked during a consulting call. My philosophy is that if someone has a question, it is very likely others will have the same one too!

Question: How long does it take to write and publish a single article?

It, of course, depends on the article, but I would say it takes 6-8 hours of effort on average to get a single article published. If you notice, all my articles follow a specific format, with proper introductions, explanations, images, nuances, and essential notes. Between that and proofreading, it does take a while, that’s for sure!

Question: What does the word “Maven” in SharePoint Maven mean?

Maven in Yiddish means “an expert who shares knowledge with others”. When I was trying to come up with a name for my website, I wanted to emphasize the knowledge-sharing aspect of my blog, and this word was a perfect fit. Oh yeah, and also because I am Jewish ✡️

Question: Do you use Copilot or ChatGPT when writing blog posts?

Absolutely not and never will! Of course, AI has great potential, and I use it a lot for other reasons, but when it comes to writing a blog post, everything from its title to the body text is generated by me. You can probably see it for yourself, due to occasional spelling mistakes and politically incorrect jokes I insert every once in a while into my article. 😊

Question: Will you continue writing blog posts despite the prevalence of AI tools like ChatGPT?

Unless I win a lottery someday, you are stuck with me, my friend! My blogs do not just answer common questions on SharePoint, but also capture the evolution of SharePoint in a way. If you read my old articles, many of them were about the classic SharePoint and the debate over folders vs metadata. These days, we debate over types of sites, governance, Copilot, and related technologies. Besides, ChatGPT and Copilot need to get and learn their information from someone 😊

Question: Is it OK to copy your content and publish elsewhere?

NO. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – BUT NOT WITH ME. I do take it very, very, very seriously. Over the years, my blog posts have been stolen over 25 times. In almost all of the cases, it is my loyal blog followers who report them to me (which I am very grateful for). I go after and take action against every copyright violator. What do you think, after spending 6-8 hours writing an article, I will just let it go?

Question: What was the most popular article published on the blog?

Believe it or not, I never really cared to check the analytics. So I am not sure which one got the most clicks. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not about clicks or attention. However, I can share some funny (or not so funny) stories that occurred after I published some of the articles.

I suppose we live in such a weird and charged time that making a joke or even using the wrong word can get you canceled. Luckily, I couldn’t care less about all this. Over the years, I got grief over my Jewish jokes (I am Jewish myself!), political references, and I was even once accused of spreading alcoholism by a law enforcement agency when I joked in one of my articles that to understand how SharePoint works, you need to drink alcohol. How do you think I became an expert in SharePoint? 😊 I refuse to give in to all this nonsense. In my opinion, what makes a good article to read is the user’s personal side and opinion, not the polished, politically correct statement generated by a machine. Which reminds me, it is time to grab a drink (my favorite is Hennessy, straight) and celebrate 12 years of SharePoint Maven. Lehaim! 🍾🎉🎈