How to avoid black swans
“Many modern-day “black swans” are merely plausible, but highly unlikely events that most people failed to consider because they’re outside their lived experience.” This section from Genevieve Hayes’ newsletter made me think that those are the biases that won’t let us see beyond our own noses, so we don’t prepare for a “black swan” —or, in diving terms: a clusterfuck. It’s inevitable, yet we act like it won’t happen. In organizations that are struggling, this keeps them in motion as inertia….
Product-Led Growth
There’s no such thing as product-led growth. Think of it: Growth. Led. By. The. Product. The product is inanimate. It can’t take responsibility. It can’t be accountable for. And it certainly cannot *lead*. As friend of the list and daily emailer, James Turner said in this essay: “The words you use matter. They change and shape the world around you. […] Things like asking, “Could you say that quietly?” as opposed to “Could you not shout?” when trying to lower the volume in the house.The…
Spend less time with your kids
– They just waste your time.- I can’t believe a father would say “Spend less time with your kids”. Now, watch this short ???? This is a common thing that happens when working with clients —or trying to close with prospects. We forget we might have different understandings of what we say, the nuances in our language and the subtle meanings. Most of the times, it doesn’t end in a big laugh, but in frustration, resentfulness, discomfort and stress, because we just assume. How do you become a Simon…
Is defining your category the same as creating your category?
Friend of the list, great illustrator and digital brand builder, Rad Co came back with this insightful question re: Category Creation. Here’s my answer (shared with permission) Is defining your category the same as creating your category? It depends on the meaning, although they’re two very different things from where I stand. For example, while some say that online/digital writing is a new category, it in fact is a sub-category. It belongs to the category “Writing”. Competitive-wise, digital…
4 insanely unvaluable prompts to use with chatGPT. (Part 1)
“If you’re not learning ChatGPT, you’re falling behind.” This is one of the misconceptions around: “falling behind”. Incentivizing your FOMO (fear of missing out) and moving you into whatever is on trend just for the sakes of it. Here are prompts that —while being viral— bring nothing of value to you. The thinking behind these prompts… ???? Spoiler alert: this one comes out as a (digested) rant. 4 insanely unvaluable prompts to help you “master” ChatGPT. First two. 1. Learn any complex topic…
Quit charging your worth
“Charging your worth” focuses on you, not on the outcomes and transformations you can drive. It doesn’t focus on what your clients are after. It assigns the subjectivity to your POV (what you think it’s worth), instead of figuring out what is valuable for your clients. It implies that your worth has a fixed price. So that for whatever task you do, the price will be the same. Design a strategy? X price. Mown the lawn? The same X price. Wash the dishes? Same X price Implement a whole biz…
A push
Would your clients describe you as Rick Rubin is described? “He is the end all of listeners,” said Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, following their time working together on last year’s Unlimited Love.” Source: MusicRadar There’s a (hidden) definition of leadership in this interview, because leadership is about elevating others: “[…] It’s all about helping to push the musicians he’s working with, and the music they’re writing, in the right direction. This is accomplished by…
A Bolt use of time
Usain Bolt is considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. The assumption we go under is that he uses less time to get from point A to point B, making time the measurement. However, the perspective is not accurate. In words of Ron Baker, “Time is a constraint. A constant constraint”. [Context starts at 4:04, gold at 5:43] You can’t take it, store it nor use it. You simply get faster/more efficient within that time constraint. It’s not that Bolt “uses” less time, he just gets more…
A crazy idea
You’ve chosen not to specialize yet, because of… No niche? Hard decision to make a decision? Multi-hyphen whatever? Afraid you’ll pigeon hole yourself? Afraid you’ll die of boredom IF you choose? Or maybe just don’t know how to decide? I feel you. Walt Stanchfield is famously attributed to saying: “We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us. The sooner we get them out the better.” Same is with your ideas. The sooner you get them out the better. The only way I’ve seen and tested to do so is one,…
The opposite take
Are you stuck trying to articulate what’s your “special sauce”? In a conversation with James Turner, we got to this point. (shared with permission) All good stuff to ponder as I circle and circle my own differentiation. Who do I work with? What do I offer? What problem do I solve? Here’s an easier start to get you in motion: Who do you NOT (and won’t) work with? What DON’T you offer? What problem you’re NOT interested in solving? What type of problem you DON’T want to solve? Fellow daily…