Reducing Strokes

It’s made out to be more complicated than it actually is.

You probably already know I enjoy “reducing strokes” – making things better by making them simpler. So when I speak with a lot of mission-driven entrepreneurs and enterprises and routinely see people over-complicating the impact they want to make, I decided to make some brief notes:

Passion keeps the tank filled. Never mind what people are telling you to do, a journey you don’t enjoy taking is a journey you won’t complete. Don’t cut everything out that brings you joy just because others like you did.

Don’t let the strategy be sexy. We’re promised easy success in almost every advertisement we see. That’s sexy. Don’t trust it. Meanwhile, the hard work of continually getting to know your people better so you can serve them better isn’t considered very sexy. It’s considered monotonous and boring. That’s what’s actually sexy.

Reduce the strokes. If you can tell a complex story or a simple story and achieve the same result, tell the latter; the former only impresses you and your parents. If you can send someone 1,000 marketing emails copied from someone else, or 1 that speaks to the heart of your chosen recipient, send the latter. The former impresses other marketers, the latter gets the job done.

Play better with less moves. Paint better with less strokes. Enjoy the creation process.