π£ This design maxim is everything
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Hey β Rob here. I love a pithy mantra. Very few got pithier than Abram Games: Maximum meaning, minimum means. It was his design philosophy. But really, it's powerful guidance for any form of communications we do. Including when we're thinking through strategy. The process should be simple:
This is why I love the craft of writing. Brevity is the soul of wit. Sure, too much brevity and you lose style. But not enough and you miss the substance. Just enough brevity... that's Goldilocks energy. We frame our jobs around intellect, but the core task is to create a set of intentions. To establish meaning and help people use it to make decisions. It's useful to ask ourselves on the regular:
This is how we create meaning in an intelligent way. By adding value to clients without wasting their time (or ours). Little to no ambiguity, but instead total clarity of thought. It's impossible to hide in a one-pager. Alternatively? A good ol' chat. Meaning also emerges from conversations, not just presentations. A substantial conversation around a client's challenges unlocks more value and meaning than slideware ever could. Upcoming events
What I've been reading
Keep swimming, Rob |
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Hey β Rob here. After 15+ years in this game, I've concluded I learn best obliquely. Philosophy gave me the technical chops to get better at strategy. Parenting has added the social and relational ones on top of it. So, to mark the fact I now have a four-year-old, plus that I finally met my pal and fellow Bandit fanboy AdriΓ‘n in person on Sunday, here's an updated piece on what being a parent has taught me about strategy. Strategy lessons from parenting 1/ Our job is environmental When you're...
Hey β Rob here. Here's what the Salmon Crew has been discussing over the past seven days. Expect practical wisdom, links, music, career crises. All the goods. Events How to drop killer workshops New! How to build a writing habit Coming soon... How to sell comms strategy Sharp takes Claude's Super Bowl ad is either a clever de-positioning exercise among insider audiences, or too clever for its own good given it was targeting a mass audience. Two things may be equally true. If you're not...
Hey β Rob here. In less than 24 hours, 43 people have joined our upcoming panel on how to drop killer workshops. I think we'll get to 90+. I'm capping it at 100. You should join us here. I've been fascinated by workshops because I've come to believe strategy is a team sport. Our job is to be a manager and playmaker simultaneously. This doesn't always land well with people, because there's this myth that strategy is best done in isolation, through deep work. And in parts, sure. My experience?...