How I cut a 45-second script to 22 without losing the point

How I cut a 45-second script to 22 without losing the point

A tech reviewer's scripts ran long and retention bled out by 0:30. Here's the cutdown playbook. Step one: highlight the one sentence that delivers the payoff. Step two: delete everything that isn't setup for it or the payoff itself. Step three: time the result, if it's over 25 seconds, cut the weakest example.

Before: 45 seconds, three examples, retention 62% to 24% by the end.
After: 22 seconds, one example, the hook "this $30 gadget replaced four of mine" stayed but the two weaker gadgets got cut.

The result: completion rate jumped from 24% to 49%, views went 18k to 71k.

The principle: length isn't the enemy, dilution is. Keep the payoff and the single best path to it, cut the rest.