SNACK_PACKS_v185
nobody has time to look up and nobody can afford to slow down.
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The long term thinking problem:
Brand building is a long term project. Just like parenting. (ok not really that similar… your kids should have more than topline awareness of your existence)
But I make the comparison because as a parent – how the hell do you think about preparing your child for adulthood when you genuinely don’t know what the next 5-10 years will bring?? The range of possible futures is SO BROAD.
10-15 years ago it was “just get a college degree and you’ll be able to get a job”
Then it was “if you want a good job, get a degree in computer science.”
Now, kids are being encouraged to go into the trades.
My perspective is kids should do what makes them happy.
And honestly, that’s probably my advice to brands too.
Just have fun.
in short, brands should go to art school and safely experiment with drugs.
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It is incredible how often just writing down what you’re trying to say can help clarify things. If there isn’t a bullet point outline of what you’re trying to say, I promise it will end up convoluted.
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“We could have asked for less?”
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Client Brainstorm Sessions: Have time scheduled for them to not be in the room as well.
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This was good enough that it got me to post to notes or whatever the feed on substack is called. A feature that I have very mixed feelings about (stop making me engage with platforms!)
A few select quotes (but really worth reading the whole thing)
Today, agencies are losing the right to define the problem
Originality doesn't win the pitch; alignment does. Campaigns pass through KPIs like airport security: You may bring your ideas only if they fit in the tray.
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“Every expert is surrounded by a horde of amateurs eager to pounce on every mistake and mock every unsuccessful prediction or policy,”1
This is not a quote about working at an agency, but also, isn’t it?
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Freelance Learnings/Skills relevant to full time employment.
Clarity. Above all, it is this. As a freelancer, the risk of a missed deliverable outweighs the risk of asking a dumb question (most of the time I’ve found, everyone else had the same question as well).
Honesty. About what is possible in a given amount of time. About what is worth doing. About what is needed before something can be done.
Inquisition/Context. One of the bigger challenges as a freelancer is not having all the context for any given project. Background with the client, team dynamics, prior conversations. But full time employees rarely have all the context either. But for some reason they assume they do. There is always more context worth digging up. Worst case scenario it has the by product of increasing the conversations you have with others across the org.
Self Doubt. The fear of added value is real. When you’re charging someone $200+/hour, the question of “am I adding value” can eat away at you. Because often your input is not part of the output. “how can I best provide value” is a good question for FTE to ask as well. Because it isn’t always by doing the thing they have been tasked with or done historically. Just be careful with this one. Over done it becomes crippling.
Self Perception. It is important to think about yourself as someone outside of your company. you are a contributor who brings value. Make sure the value you get in exchange for your input is worthwhile. Be it compensation, opportunity, work/life balance or something else.2
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WEEKLY MONSTER
I started making my own flies.
Guess I need to learn to fly fish now.
In fact, I think about my relationships with companies as inverse to how I think about my relationships with people. With people, I think about how I can help them. I find fulfillment in that. With companies, I think about how much value can I extract?