strat_saps v186

its complex trying to communicate how things could be simpler.

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I have no idea where this is from, but found it in my camera roll…

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

Anyway… its been a while. Again. So this is a long one.

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

Strategy is about simplicity. But there is an irony in the work that is easy to get caught up in.

In pursuit of simplicity, there is almost always a byproduct of complexity.

When you start to focus on something, all the different ways that one thing could come to life suddenly appear. And suddenly, you are left with the complex task of explaining why the one route is better than the rest – when in truth, more often than not any choice is the right choice so long as it is made.

Justifying simplicity can get complex very quick. And the more reasoning you provide, the more rationale, the more opportunities are created for your audience to get lost along the way, get caught up in the weeds or simply disagree.

If a brand’s positioning was “beans¹” when an agency strategist came on to build a creative brief, they might (read: should") start by pushing what “beans” means.²

That’s all to say, while it can be tempting to explore all the possible choices, try to start with just stating what the simplest version of something is.

When we say ________,
what we mean is ___________.

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

Strategy is planning your own surprise party without ruining the surprise.³

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

I think this could potentially be a really helpful framework for defining problems.. Only problem is I have no idea what it means.

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

Creative feedback R5 Re-brief client review 2

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

There are only 3 kinds of presentations;

1. The pitch (here’s why we’re special and a mock of an airplane wrapped in brand advertising)

2. The proposal (here are some things we could do)

3. The compromise (ok we heard you and changed as little as possible. please say yes)

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

What is Strategy’s version of this? Rewriting the same thing in different ways to avoid “people getting tripped up by this language”

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

Strategy is not a process to be followed, it’s a conversation to be had

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was looking for the source for this quote and found two opposing articles that are both correct in their own way.

1. Strategy Is A Conversation, Not A Deliverable

2. Strategy is what you do, not what you say, Roger Martin

The thing they are both saying is that strategy isn’t a box go. check.

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

re; that last one, the “It Did Happen Here” episode on Portland’s history with fighting nazis is worth a listen.

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

Smart people write ugly decks.

(yea but dumb people respond best to pretty ones)

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

pretty sure ive shared this before, but it came in handy recently;

𝔖𝔗ℜ𝔄𝔗𝔖ℭℜ𝔄𝔓𝔖

THIS FULL POST FROM Kyle Matthew Duckitt, BUT ESPECIALLY THIS PIECE;

Answers aren't actually that powerful.

Sure, it feels incredible when you crack that strategic challenge – that moment when all the research, insights, and market analysis crystalise into a beautiful statement. You can't wait to share it. The dopamine rush is real. I live for that shit. But then something strange happens.

It falls flat. Not because it's wrong! The answer might be brilliant. But because the very act of providing an answer closes the loop.

BUT ALSO BURIED IN THAT POST IS SOMETHING I ALMOST MISSED

Why? This uncovers the actual business or human problem – the thing no one else has seen that represents a genuine opportunity. It's about drilling down to the root issue worth solving, not just addressing symptoms. The shit that actually matters.

What if? This is the strategy – framed as a guiding question rather than a definitive statement. It's the provocative possibility that, if pursued, would address the "Why." This becomes the North Star that guides all subsequent thinking. The big juicy question everyone rallies around.

How? These are the action-oriented questions that emerge across every aspect of the business. How would we tackle this through marketing? How might this campaign come to life? How could we measure success? How do we drive buzz? Each "How" question stems directly from trying to answer the central "What if?"

I LOVE THAT BOOK. BUT I NEVER PUT IT TOGETHER EXACTLY LIKE THIS. THANKS KYLE, THIS IS GOING IN THE TOP DRAWER AND HAS ALREADY BEEN HELPFUL.

(also, thanks for the shout at the top.)

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WEEKLY MONSTER

some recent work by me, me and my daughter, respectively

1. this actually feels like a really good example for something meant to be farcical. It is both seemingly specific and somehow still infinitely abstract.

2. I abandoned this absurd example/metaphor. but kept what I had up to then because I think it is funny.

3. I found this as the only text in a draft post from nearly 100 versions ago. There is always good stuff to be found in old drafts and files.