I know that many of you are expecting me to announce my candidacy for NYC mayor now that Eric Adams has been indicted. But as much as I am eager to implement my anti-umbrella, nostreet parking agenda, the time still isn’t right to begin my political career. We’ve got bigger marketing fish to fry first.
It's that time again! Our first Framework Roundup in the Spring was surprisingly popular, so we running it back with a new set. These are framework visuals that I’ve stumbled upon that I think are interesting and maybe inspirational for strategists or even regular humans. (Note: That doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with their theses, observations, or insights.)
IPA Matrix by Julia Alexander
Regular readers will know that I’m huge fan of Julia Alexander, so it’s no surprise she’s produced my favorite framework this season. It’s an ambitious attempt to answer the question, “why do we do anything on the internet, and how does that impact why we do anything away from the internet?”
I love that the intersection of Identity, Platforms, and Attention is INCENTIVE, which is refreshing in its acknowledgment that, despite the digital world flattening our media experience, it is still human needs that are drive engagement.
For brands, thinking about how the stack up in each of Identity (how many different people we reach/appeal to), Platforms (how much presence we have in the commercial and tech places that matter), and Attention (how unmissable we are in culture) might be the only framework we’ll ever need.
The Brand Stack by Ana Andjelic
Tbh I might be more enamored by the name The Brand Stack than the framework itself. In world of martech and data stacks, it’s nice to think about BRAND in an equally industrial sense. Just because brand building isn’t as technical as designing a data ecosystem, for example, doesn’t mean it’s any less systematic or precise.
Accordingly, this framework considers a brand as a collection of componentry, instead of the flowery manifesto we’re used to. If I had to nitpick, I think those components could be organized to better reflect their relationships and interdependencies.
How To Do Great Work by Paul Graham (mapped by @jasonshen)
I know I shit on Paul Graham’s “Founder Mode” post a few weeks ago, but I did appreciate his epic write up of “How to Do Great Work” a few years ago. And now some rando on the interwebs is trying to get his attention by creating a visualization of it.
Normally a framework should aim to organize complex ideas into easy-to-understand parts. But when it comes to a topic as infinitely complex as “How to Do Great Work,” I think it’s appropriate how overwhelming this wireframe is. Not understanding the visual is kind of the point of the visual.
And embedded in that visualization are some genuinely insightful bits of advice, like “optimize for interestingness,” which is my favorite.
The Power of Compounding by Gridology
I love a four-box/matrix/axis chart. And the newsletter Gridology was all about new unique four-box approaches to different challenges like “How Do I Provide Great Feedback” or What Do My Headphone Habits Say About Me?” (Alas, it seems they haven’t sent anything new in a couple of years, but it’s worth a stroll through the back catalog.)
This one about the power of compounding was particularly striking, particularly its emphasis on small wins over big wins.
What the FUCK by Pamela Leavey
No real commentary necessary.
This Week’s Whimsies
This Decoder podcast with the guys who runs Peacock is a great listen for the insights around transitioning business models, bundling, relative price values in streaming, and a lot more.
I’m proud to say that I embraced this behavior well before it was promoted by Steve Jobs and varying neuroscientists: getting up and moving to stimulate creative thinking. But I also have a corollary: we need to bring back phone calls! While it’s a good thing that we can work more remotely, it’s led to an over-reliance on laptop-driven conversations when a phone call (even with multiple people) will do. And because it’s a lot easier to walk and talk without a laptop, our virtual collaborations can become more productive if we incorporate more regular phone calls. (My dog would appreciate it too)
Michael Musto bitingly tells us “The Problem with Nostalgia,” but what he doesn’t say but what I’ve been thinking about is that nostalgia is accelerating. It seems as if we retread things faster that we used to. Is this because current culture is also moving so fast? Or is it because our consumption of that culture is becoming asynchronous (none of us experience things at the same time or pace)?