A simple 7-question test helps us realize how diverse a population is. On this quiz, the highest possible score is less than 7%. No matter how common you think your answers are, no matter how normal you feel, you’re actually in sync with just 7% (at the most) of all citizens of the US. My answers put me under 4.
“People like us do things like this,” is a useful definition of culture. But which things? Billions of people believe things you don’t, are unaware of things that are easily demonstrated, or simply don’t care.
When you decide to reach the masses, you’ve made a significant (and probably fruitless) choice.
The backlist are the products already in the marketplace. Built earlier, still sold. The frontlist is the new.
Restaurants have regulars (backlist) and new patrons. Broadway shows are attended by people who see three to ten shows a year, as well as folks going to their very first production. Supermarkets sell staples (like milk and bananas) as well as new products. Software companies, farmers, even rock stars have backlist items.
Today’s post is the frontlist of the blog, the other 10,000 posts are the backlist.
Two things are true, in a surprising juxtaposition:
That’s not a typo. Every viable publishing house loses money on the frontlist. They do it to build a backlist. to create a catalog that pays the bills over time.
The confusion starts with the name.
Let’s call it what it is. The foundation list is the backbone of the organization and the engine for sustainability and profits.
And the experimental list is just that. A chance to invest in things that aren’t sure to work (because no one knows anything for sure about the future), with a focus on adding to the foundation list.
Now that the confusion is cleared up, we can make smarter decisions about how to spend our time and invest our resources.
Make your experiments actual experiments.
Devote time and money and focus to your foundation.
Improving your foundation always pays off. And being bold with your experimental list is easier once you call it an experiment.
If you can swap your slogan with a competitor’s without changing the meaning of either brand, then your slogan is meaningless.
For example, “You belong here” is not a positioning statement for a college seeking new students. It’s just noise.
It also doesn’t help to mix weasel words with more weasel words and then add specifics. On charity’s pitch: “Your contribution can help up to 35 people.”
“Up to” covers a lot of ground, doesn’t it?
It’s true that the copy we use can be noisy decoration, not often read or fully understood. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t put in the effort to make it useful and powerful.
One of the nicest thing you can do for someone you care about is point them to an idea, a book, a talk or a tool that will amplify their work and help them get to where they’re going.
It’s not easy. It means you understand their goals, see them for who they are and care enough about their work to amplify it.
That’s why filling in the missing piece with a complement is worth much more than an empty platitude or compliment.
They keep getting fancier. But you would benefit from investing in better lighting instead.
It’s tempting to upgrade your computer processor, your frying pan or your sneakers as well.
The thing is, once the foundational tools are good enough, technique and training outperform hardware. New snow tires are often more effective than a new car at getting to work, because traction matters more than horsepower.
Sharpening your saw or building resilience might be the best way to improve.
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