Hey friend β Rob here. Every now and then, i like to reflect on short and sharp quotes. They help the introspective side of me feel seen, which in turn makes me better around others. Here are five quick bites to get you in an introspective state as well. Mindfulness music optional! "Everybody wants to save the earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes." P. J. O'Rourke Careful not to indulge in ego-driven productive procrastination, especially when the job is right in front of you. "It is often underestimated, how much talent is required to be a great reader." Zadie Smith And this is why even document summaries from Claude AI might miss what an astute brain would naturally pick up. "Thousands of people donβt like what I do. Fortunately, millions do." James Patterson Distinctiveness is not a game of absolutes, but of net positives. "So what exactly is phenomenology? It is essentially a method rather than a set of theories, and its basic approach can be conveyed through a two-word command: describe phenomena." Sarah Bakewell The single biggest contribution you can do to a project is give an outside world's perspective on its potential impact. "A great way to understand yourself is to reflect on everything you find irritating in others." Kevin Kelly Gossip builds bonds, but careful not to reveal more about yourself than about others. Keep swimming, Rob
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Helping savvy strategists swim upstream.
Hey friend β Rob here. This is the last newsletter of the year, and goodness me what a year it's been. I was made redundant. I started a business. I lost my mother. I had my best year ever in terms of cash and confidence building. Ebbs and flows, eh? I hope you have a chance to take a break, genuinely turn off those notifications, and sleep in if you feel like it. I bring below 3x articles i wrote recently, and an event we're running in January. See you in 2025, and thanks for supporting...
Hey friend β Rob here. Here's what's been swimming around our brains lately: Synthesis-as-a-Service 5 things iβve learned from Theophilus Wells IV The question i ask whenever i open a book [Bonus!] Social strategy, deconstructed Grab a cup of caramel tea, and let's get into it. Synthesis-as-a-Service And why it may be an underrated use case for hiring independent strategists. 5 things iβve learned from Theophilus Wells IV Including directness, self-definition and why impostor syndrome is a...
Hey friend β Rob here. Do you worry about things? Or at all? My suspicion is that you worry far too much about everything. But don't worry, so do i. I think it's part of what makes strategists minimally good at the job. We are always wondering what else we might be missing. It's not a point of advantage, but it's definitely a point of parity. Worrying means we don't take anything for granted. And that's the first ingredient you need to challenge preconceptions about a problem. However. As you...