Why numbers work
Numbers do three things that words cannot: they prove scale, enable comparison, and signal that you track your own performance. "Improved customer satisfaction" is a claim. "Increased NPS from 42 to 67" is evidence.
Bock's insight was that most candidates undersell themselves by describing responsibilities instead of results. The formula forces you to lead with the outcome, not the activity.1
Evidence from a large field experiment shows that improving writing quality can increase hiring outcomes without reducing employer satisfaction.2
Finding numbers when you think you don't have any
Illustrative examples, not benchmarks.
Reduced processing time by 30%. Cut onboarding from 2 weeks to 3 days.
Saved $50K annually. Generated $200K in new revenue. Reduced costs by 15%.
Managed a team of 12. Handled 500+ customer tickets monthly. Launched in 8 markets.
First time in company history. Implemented process used by 200+ employees.
The before and after
Before: "Responsible for managing social media accounts and creating content."
After: "Grew Instagram following from 5K to 45K in 8 months by creating a data-driven content calendar that increased engagement rate from 2% to 8%."
Same job. Completely different impression. The second version answers the question every recruiter is asking: "What will this person do for us?"
Definition: evidence density
Evidence density is the amount of measurable proof packed into a line. Higher density reduces scan time and increases credibility.3