Understanding the Popularity of a Resigned Philosophy

“Oh, for f***’s sake!” Did I say that out loud, browsing alone in the Sunset News in Terminal 2 at SFO? Oops. Yes, I’m now talking to myself in public. It was the wall of books on “Stoicism” that provoked me. We live in a time when anyone can productize anything, repackage whatever in the […]

When Convenience Leads to Poor Judgment

I messed something up. Made a bad judgment call. And now, I’m quite pissed at myself. Although I (hope) I learned a few things. Here’s what I did: I used a tool that sends canned messages to people letting them know about my newsletter. I wrote the content, and it did the work. If you […]

The Marketing Machine vs. the Human Heart

Let’s face it—writers are NOT an asset to marketing. We are a constraint. Because only so many humans can write only so much content during any given interval. AI shows the potential of finally getting writers out of marketers’ way. You can generate virtually infinite content. No supply constraints at all. Of course, the fantasy […]

Balancing Act

Some people like to tell the story before they get to the point (if ever). Others like to make the point before they share the story (if at all). On the other hand, some people want to hear the story in order to appreciate the point. Others want you to get to the point and […]

The Unseen Decay of Content Marketing

Content marketing is dead. I got an email this week that PROVES it. Look! The race to the bottom is unwinnable, but plenty of providers are trying to do so anyway. This email reminds me of the moment that I knew crypto was over. Months before conventional wisdom pronounced crypto dead, I was waiting in […]

Forget Leads, Focus on Seeds

For large-scale, high-stakes B2B marketing in finance, plant seeds. Don’t chase leads. For example, I don’t think there are CXOs in firms over $1 billion in AUM or transacting nine-figure sums daily that are filling out web forms or making existential decisions on the basis of lead magnets. Not ever. Stop the magical thinking. Again, […]

A Call to End Digital Pollution

The environment… Human rights… Democratic values… Content… They have one thing in common. They’re collapsing. And it’s our collective fault. I wish I had better answers for the first three. But even if I did, no one is asking me to be emperor. What people ARE asking me is to help with “better” content. They’re […]

Beyond the Illusion of Busyness

I did something terrifying. Upsetting. And very restorative. I made a list. “I want time to X…, but I spend time Y.” X is for all the things I say I want to do but easily put off or justify not doing. Y is for all the things I do because I tell myself I […]

A Plea for Better Video Conversations

I know… we are somehow “supposed to” do video now, but seriously…if you have to, please stop chewing your camera. I don’t want to sit here watching you come at me like I’m a ghost and you’re a Pac-Man that just ate power pellets. No chomping, no chasing. Just conversation. Relax. Tell me something good. […]

Ditching the Draft Anxiety

People will tell you to write sh***y drafts. You don’t have to obey. The point is (should really be) not to let draft anxiety stop you from writing. I think it’s true that most writers don’t produce “great” first drafts. If you have draft anxiety, get over it, learn to self-edit relentlessly, and find editing […]

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