Hey friend – Rob here.

A few months ago i kicked off a video interview series, starting with Chris Rawlinson, founder of 42courses. You can watch it here. It was genuinely one of those wide ranging conversations where you start on point A and finish on point 37.1. And if that structure makes no sense, it's by design. I love randomness in exchanges.

Anyway, there's tons of wisdom that i got out of Chris's brain, and some good lessons to help us all grow with a greater sense of compassion, clarity and creativity. For ourselves, and for others. Here's 10 things i learned.

Constraints

Chris strikes me as the philosophical kind, so i was very pleased that he responded well to my schtick of "freedom is what you do with what is done to you". That's not an original thought by me, that's Sartre. But we both agreed that learning to work within limitations is an important skill for strategists. Reality check: most times you can't fix the product you're communicating. But you can find the most effective way of communicating it. Focus on what you can control, instead of just getting frustrated with what you can't. We'd probably all be mentally healthier if we did this.

Breadth

I've been listening to the Range audiobook (David Epstein), and it's indeed a gem. Well, unsurprisingly for someone who runs an edtech startup, Chris shared how learning from multiple disciplines can be a competitive advantage. When i was at VCCP, my CSO encouraged us to know 10% of all specialisms. We'd not only be more thoughtful and creative thinkers, but we'd also be able to unlock more opportunities for the company to help solve client problems. And this applies not only to strategy specialisms, but others as well. Know 10% of account management. 10% of basic production principles. 10% of what good design might look like. This is how you grow your professional value, and in time the premium you can attach to that value (for those with more entrepreneurial inclinations).

Relationships

Chris shared a fascinating study where you're more likely to get help from older, less active contacts, than from people you contact with daily. It's beautifully counter-intuitive, but it makes sense. If you speak with someone directly, of course there is a warmth and value exchange that means they're more likely to wanna help you out. But equally, just because you've not spoken to someone in years, doesn't mean you can't re-connect if you need help. Chances are, precisely because you've not heard from each other in a while, it will stand out. And that counts. Related to this: build relationships before you need them. Karma matters more in our industry than we think.

Power

I love power. Specifically, studying it. Knowing how it works. How you can subvert it. And how you can make it work for you and those you protect. Chris had a wonderful perspective on who actually holds a lot of power: executive assistants, or personal assistants. The reality is, they will know senior people far better than many of us. So, they are people you want to have great relationships with as well, because they can make the difference between you having access to a key decision maker, and... not. If this sounds Machiavellian... it is. We could all do with being 10% more Machiavellian if it's for the right reasons. It's how you get ahead and give others a ladder to get ahead too. (This last part is crucial.)

Principles

Timeless principles forever. Literally, and metaphorically. It's insane to me how many people are fascinated with novelty before mastering what's been around for decades and stood the test of time. The challenge, of course, is the dance between the two. Know your Stephen King planning model before pretending you have all the answers because you read some Gary V LinkedIn hot takes. But also, don't automatically shun the Gary Vs of the world because if you have enough critical thinking there are things we can extract from their overly-energetic posts. I often describe this as the fine dance between experience and experimentation. Learn how to make that dance work for you.

Exploration

The counter to the previous point is that things also change all the time. Learning how to learn is one of the most indispensable skills of the 20th century, especially when we're learning how to deal with learning machines as well. Strategists should, by definition, be at the frontlines of people who are willing to experiment with new tools who can help them think faster, but also better. The APG has started sharing their body of work around AI, and good for them. We need more of this stuff. The worst thing you can do is pretend change isn't happening, or not affecting you. It's better to be a little bit paranoid about how things are changing, than to be 100% sure they are not. This may help.

Choice

Chris is big on behavioural science. Possibly a testament to why he runs a successful edtech, as knowing how to influence behaviour is crucial to getting people to learn stuff (and apply it). One thing we both agreed was important was giving people the illusion of choice, rather than simple "yes/no" decisions, especially when we think that choice will be for their good. I do this with my daughter all the time. It's never "do you want to take a bath". It's "do you want to walk or be carried to the bath". The bath is non-negotiable. Switch bath with brand strategy discussions and this analogy may just about make sense.

Accessibility

42courses' mission is to help make learning more accessible, and Chris is hugely passionate about that. Designing for engagement with something, rather than just information delivery, is essential to keep 42courses successful. I am always reminded of the teachers i had in uni, where all they did was read out of a PowerPoint for 60 minutes. Well, i could theoretically do that as well! Sure, the information was delivered, but no one engaged with it. Designing for accessibility of how we retain information is crucial. We need to better ask of each other, "how do you learn best?". And then designing learning materials that can fit that. TL;DR: The answer may not always be a slide deck.

Resilience

When you're self employed, becoming more personally resilient is a life saver. One of our Salmon Crew members, James, talks about a buddy of his who specialises in helping exited entrepreneurs get back to social life and being emotionally vulnerable. It sounds like a joke, but it's a thing. When you run your own thing, you own everything. The good and the bad. And the bad can sting. So, being resilient is a powerful survival mechanism, and learning to interpret "no" as nothing personal is indispensable. Here's the other side of it though: don't overestimate how much others think about your failures. Chances are, for you a rejected proposal is the end of the world. For your client, and your peers, it was just another Tuesday. There is tremendous freedom in accepting this is how the world works.

Value

Every time people ask me why i write so much, i always go back to the same answer. Because i wish someone had written this stuff when i was starting out and working things out. Zoe Scaman recently wrote a fantastic piece about going solo, and one of the big things she advocates for (and so do i) is writing your way to visibility. Don't expect others to spotlight you. Create your own spotlights. Not by being self-promotional, but by being useful. By being irrationally open with sharing your knowledge. See above about karma, but there is definitely a strange cosmic dynamic going on here, where the more you give away, the more you get in return. It just takes a bit of courage, and no ego attached. I have genuinely gotten clients who got to know me because of my newsletter, and wanted to work with me instead of wanting me to pitch to them. It's not guaranteed, but it can work. So see how it can work for you.

What next?

You can watch the full interview below as well. Thanks Chris for being such a wise mind, open with your thoughts, a generally thoughtful human being, and an avid reader of the newsletter (🎉!). Learn more about Chris on LinkedIn and 42courses.com.

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If you'd like to do an interview as well, send me an email and let's talk: rob@salmonlabs.co. The format is now simpler than when i did it with Chris. You just need to tell me one question: "What are you really into right now?" And we'll go from there.

Keep swimming,

Rob

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Rob Estreitinho Strategist, writer, maker Whenever you're ready, here's 2 ways i can help you: ​Join the Salmon Crew. Access our private WhatsApp group, where you'll find a safe space to help you stop overthinking strategy. You'll get memes, questions, quotes and links, help from other smart folks, you can be a guest on future panels, and get to shape the future of Salmon Theory. Join smart minds from Leo Burnett, Genius Steals, System1, Flight Studio, VML, Miami Ad School, and more. ​Hire Salmon Labs. We help savvy brands swim upstream. From brand, comms and content strategy, to training on creativity and how to use AI, we like to do things in a fast and bespoke way. No fixed methodologies, moments of grand reveal or complicated language. Just pure shared problem solving.

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