The Thousand People Who Matter
In most areas of B2B fintech or specialized institutional banking services, there are rarely more than a thousand key decision makers and influencers who can make a difference to your business. Potential audience size ties directly to content strategy. B2B financial innovators should focus on getting the highest-quality bespoke content directly into the hands of people who make buying decisions — no more and no less.
Thought Leaders and Gatekeepers
Operational effectiveness in creating and publishing thought leadership is essential in competitive, ideas-driven industries. But when organizations do not clearly map out who can make which decisions and under what circumstances, every gatekeeper ends up with veto rights. That messiness is exacerbated by the natural human inclination to have opinions and preferences and the difficulty of preventing those from spilling into bias.
What Free Means to Me
Earlier this month, I started offering a free hour of consulting to anyone in the world of fintech or financial services. It’s a free offer where I sit with people and help them work through complex communications challenges. This is why I’m doing it and what free means to me.
A Fable About Two Cats
Spotted Cat strategy or White Cat strategy? As marketers, we have a choice. Demanding and noisy or calm and quiet? The idea is simple. Take a patient, deliberate approach to marketing efforts, recognizing that attention earned may be of better quality than attention demanded. Especially in the worlds of financial innovation and fintech for the B2B market, patience is rewarded by an engaged and eager audience.
Clarity, Coherence, and Compassion in a Coronavirus World
Technology innovators and startups in the B2B space can make or break their strategy using thought leadership, but the coronavirus crisis is creating deep challenges for getting thought leadership out there. The key to all of it: adopt a strategy focused on clarity, coherence, and compassion. These are needed now more than ever.
Train Your Chihuahuas
Chihuahuas are notorious ankle-biters. Some owners and trainers attribute it to the small size of the breed. Others cite (probably) apocryphal stories that chihuahuas were bred to harass opponents in battle, keeping them distracted with a frustrating pack of nipping animals. Those of us more focused on the twenty-first-century workplace have our own chihuahuas to […]
The Eight Types Of Strategy Execution
After many years on the front lines of efforts to translate good ideas into good outcomes, I’ve observed a few common themes that define the contours of strategy execution. In general, strategy execution is defined by where a team, and above all, its leadership, operate, along three axes. Finding or recovering executional momentum means succeeding […]
Planning To The Power Of Three
While it’s not a replacement for detailed, methodical planning, I use a simple “Power Of Three” approach to keep my work and my goals aligned. Its purpose is to prioritize and create a framework that shapes detailed planning. It works because it highlights meaningful outcomes alongside finished work. And it works as effectively for work […]
Aligning “Should” and “Must”
This beautiful essay on “Should” versus “Must” re-inspires me every time I read it. It focuses on the dynamics of obligations versus calling. And while I do agree that Should and Must are different, the subtle art of being an entrepreneur is channeling the Shoulds to achieve the Musts. Yes, I “should” sort out the complexities […]