8.6 Public Writeup Creation
8.6 Public Writeup Creation
What you're building: A public body of work that establishes your expertise, gets referenced by other professionals, and serves as a concrete demonstration of skill to potential employers — better than any resume.
Write and publish high-quality technical writeups that demonstrate expertise and build public reputation.
Technique: Technical Thought Leadership
Tools/Templates: Obsidian, Hugo, Jekyll, GitHub Pages
Procedure:
# Writeup Structure: [Machine Name / Technique Name]
## 1. Context
[Brief intro: what is this target or technique? Why does it matter?
2-3 sentences. Don't pad it.]
## 2. Approach
[How you thought about the problem. What failed first?
The learning is in the failures — don't skip them.]
## 3. Technical Depth
[The core of the writeup. Exact commands, exact output, exact reasoning.
Annotated screenshots for visual steps. Don't summarize — show the work.]
## 4. Key Learning
["The 'aha!' moment" — what would you do differently next time?
What should others take away? One clear lesson.]
## 5. References
[Links to tools, CVEs, documentation, and research you relied on.]
SEO & Audience Calibration
- Descriptive Titles: "ADCS ESC1 to Domain Admin in 4 Minutes" beats "Certificate Abuse Writeup"
- Technique Headers: Use H2/H3 for specific techniques (e.g., "PKINIT Authentication Abuse") — these get indexed and drive organic search traffic
- Assume Literacy: Don't explain
nmapflags unless they're unusual. Focus on the logic, not the syntax. - Visuals: Annotated screenshots > walls of text. Blur hashes and IP addresses from real engagements.
- Timing: HTB machine writeups only after the machine is retired — check the rules.
Platform Selection
- Personal Blog (Hugo/Jekyll): Best for long-term SEO, ownership, and formatting control
- Medium: Good initial reach, but SEO degrades over time and you don't own the content
- GitHub Gist: Quick and easy for code-heavy snippets or short technique notes
- HTB Forums: Targeted audience for machine writeups; builds community reputation
- LinkedIn Articles: Good for professional visibility and recruiter reach
NOTE: Write for the reader who is one level below you. Don't explain
cd— do explain why you chose this injection technique over the obvious one, and what you noticed in the error output that made you pivot.