Andrew Spittle

From a post discussing the disconnect between talking about solutions and addressing the underlying problem:

The difficult conversation about the problem is far more useful than the endless effort on solutions.

Good point from an interesting piece by Serra Media:

Innovation happens because an individual or an organization is willing to try lots of ideas. It can be reduced to a simple equation: The more productive you are, the more ideas you can try and the faster you’ll find that idea that works.

I would rewrite that last sentence to read: “The more productive you are, the more ideas you can try and the faster you’ll find that idea that works and those that don’t.” Productivity not only speeds up the process of finding the right idea, but it mitigates the concern over coming up with an idea that isn’t right. If you’re efficient and productive the wrong idea won’t last for very long.

Seth Godin on the business advantage to staying still and using a big shovel:

The important thing to remember is that separate events are often separate. If you use the same ineffective approach on one thousand people, it’s not going to start working better just because you use it more often.

Connected events, on the other hand, often benefit from frequency and trust.

Which leads to two viable strategies:

1. If you can stay still, stay still. Earn the trust, earn the sale by repeatedly demonstrating value and authority.

2. If you can’t stay still, get a bigger shovel. Your marketing and your sales pitch has to be so refined and focused that it works the first time, because you don’t get a second time.