Dive deep into business, brand and strategy.
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The Quiet Coup: How Consultants Quietly Overtook Agencies
In the bustling corridors of a Fortune 500 company, a CEO once remarked after a failed advertising campaign, “The creatives looked good, but it didn’t feel right strategically.” This sentiment encapsulates the tension between the worlds of consulting and agency. But what drives this tension? The answer lies in two foundational documents: the business case…
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Managers Thrive in Meetings; Creatives Flourish Outside Them
In the bustling landscape of the modern workplace, two distinct species coexist: managers, who thrive in the structured confines of meetings, and creatives, who flourish in the expansive wilderness outside them. This dichotomy, however, presents a paradox. As a leader, you might believe you’re fostering innovation, but the conventional manager’s schedule could be suffocating your…
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From Janitors to Jargon: Navigating the Big Four with an Unlikely Tool
👀 I’m about to tell you how I used my ‘humanity compass’ to navigate the wild jungles of consulting, where power suits meet PowerPoint slides, and where it’s easier to get lost in the jargon than to find a free meeting room! Ever tried striking up a conversation with a security guard on a bustling…
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The Chacha Chaudhary Guide to Leadership
TLDR; Navigating the business world is a bit like being the characters from Chacha Chaudhary comics. There’s Chacha, the small old man with a red turban known for his intelligence. Then there’s Sabu, his loyal friend from Jupiter, who is as strong as he is tall, often saying, “Sabu ko jab gussa aata hai, to…
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The Hustle of Indian Street Hawkers: Lessons in Productized Services
Growing up in a bustling neighbourhood of Chandigarh, India, the cacophony of street hawkers was the soundtrack of my childhood. The kaleidoscope of their wares — balloons in riotous colours, meticulously stacked fruits, basic groceries, tinkling ice cream carts, whimsical toys, and the ‘bartan-wala’ with his assortment of cleaning products — was a daily carnival…
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Seeing Apple’s Genius: The Power of Simplified Language in Tech
I’ve recently immersed myself in Apple’s latest keynote, and the revelation hit me like a ton of bricks – the audacity of simplicity steals the show. It’s out there, blatantly audacious yet subtly brilliant, making me wonder – why don’t more tech giants embrace this apparent magic trick? Apple has deciphered the code that eludes…
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How to sell anything without sounding like The Architect
Have you ever been in a presentation where buzzwords like “synergy,” “interchain,” and “paradigm shift” were used, leaving the audience confused? This common phenomenon, which I call “technobabble fever,” might make the speaker feel like The Architect (from The Matrix) but leaves listeners bored and wonderings what’s for lunch. These blunders can render communication ineffective…
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The Gap Between “What You’re Selling” vs “What They’re Buying” is Empathy
You’re probably thinking, “I’ve got a phenomenal product or service. Why aren’t customers breaking down my doors?” Truthfully, when you’re waist-deep in the trenches of your product or service, it’s easy to get tunnel vision. You think, “Oh, my new Vision Brag 5000 has a 20% faster thingamabob and twice the storage capacity of the…
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Response to Andreessen on “Why AI Will Save the World”
Read Andreessen’s article first. As a curious designer, I read the article published on Andreessen Horowitz’s blog, “Why AI Will Save the World.” The piece is a compelling read, filled with optimism and a vision of a future where AI is the panacea for all our problems. However, as someone who has spent years studying…
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“Yes, But…”
If your meetings are akin to watching paint dry and customer objections make you want to assume the fetal position, then buckle up, compadre; you’re thirsting for “Yes, And…”. “Yes” is the hearty handshake to someone’s idea; “And” is crafting a Lego palace together. The “Yes” acknowledges – it’s the embrace of your partner’s line…
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The Cheesy Connection Between Abundance and Risk
Imagine this: a radiant Sunday afternoon, with the glimmering waters of Lake Ontario stretching out below. I’m perched on an 18th-floor balcony, surrounded by friends, laughter and the tantalizing aroma of a freshly baked Margherita pizza. Amid this enticing backdrop, I casually toss a nugget of wisdom into the mix. “An abundant mindset,” I offered, with…
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The Stoic Coach: Stop talking. Start listening.
Coaching, within a stoic framework, is a journey of personal transformation. At the core, both Stoicism and coaching thrive on introspection, self-improvement, and resilience. They foster a deep sense of understanding, empowering individuals to navigate their paths with wisdom. Both respect the boundary of control, focusing on self-development and facilitating others to do the same.…
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