There’s a quote from mathematician Jim Simons talking about beauty in work, "You might think 'building a company that's trading bonds, what's so aesthetic about that?' What's aesthetic about it is doing it right. Getting the right kind of people, approaching the problem, and doing it right it's a beautiful...
by Michel Hogan and David Finn* Ever wondered how, despite the best intentions of everyone involved, promises get broken? You thought the detail was nailed. Everyone was working hard to make it happen. Then bit by bit, things unravelled, and time ran out. What went wrong? What unpredictable forces undermined your...
Have you ever seen the term ‘values-based policies’? A company using it meant a policy that determined people’s behaviour, for example, a code of conduct. Yet, more broadly, all policies exist to shape and guide activity and decisions. Meaning if your values are genuine, they should form the foundation. Turning...
When you say someone has a reputation for something, what do you mean? Whether it's positive or negative, a reputation is generally when people share what they repeatedly hear or see and come to know about you from things you do. Either from personal experience or via others. They’re super...
When Michael Garcia bought drinks at a Starbucks drive-through in February 2020, one of the venti-sized cups of scalding hot tea fell into his lap. He claimed the lid was loose and the cup wasn’t properly wedged into the drink carrier. The resulting third-degree burns to his private parts required skin...
Have you ever needed to change a promise? Committed and agreed, then circumstances went pear-shaped or something unexpected got in the way. You feel conflicted. Social practice says you must keep your promises. No matter what’s happening. I’m guilty of that. My work is littered with encouraging words for how to make...
Seems like every time I open a newsletter email these days someone is touting what I call unheroic work. Which makes me happy. We’re well past time for people to start talking about it. Perhaps the rise is a commentary on our times. When the world feels daunting and dangerous it’s...
When organisations talk about customer loyalty, what do they mean? Mostly some mix of how frequently and over what period someone buys a product or service. In all cases there is some kind of (usually) monetary trade happening. And modern definitions certainly focus on faithfulness as the cornerstone attribute. Earlier meanings...
It’s a new year and a new platform and look. From here on, I’m using Substack to send you The Brand Article. It’s a better platform to publish my work on and hopefully a better experience for you. So, let’s go. The start of 2025 also means a fresh slate of questions...
Walking along the airport concourse I checked the departure board for my flight. Hang on a minute, that’s new. There was a word added to the time of departure. Estimated. Such as tiny change might go unnoticed. But the impact is outsize. With that one word, Virgin set the expectation...