Friday Field Notes: 2/21/2025
Happy Friday, folks.
This was a fun week. Hopefully for you too.
In my little intro spiel, I want to encourage you to get feedback from your clients.
This week, I got 2 awesome pieces of feedback. 1 positive. 1 criticism.
The positive was from multiple clients who shared their appreciation for how I help them work through our curriculum. I get my hands dirty doing the tasks so we can move faster.
The criticism was also from multiple clients who pointed out while they see the value in everything we’re doing, they’d feel better if they could see the bigger picture.
If only one person had shared either of these, I’d pay attention but might not have done anything.
Since multiple people echoed each, it was easy for me to hit the drawing board and figure out the best path forward.
So I’m continuing to help my clients the way I currently do, but making it more apparent to prospects that I do it.
I’m also creating a more clear map so everyone is on the same page.
Regardless, the only reason I’m able to take these action is because I want constant feedback from my clients.
It’s a blessing and a great opportunity to refine your services.
Lessons Learned This Week:
1. The only true competitive advantage a company has is its culture.
Tech can’t be the moat for your business it once was. As soon as you push a product live, someone is already emulating it. And they’re doing it cheaper and faster.
The only thing that can’t be cloned is your culture. This also happens to be the only thing the leader of the organization truly owns.
Culture comes down to the standard you set. This is why it can’t be copied.
Set a high standard and build a team around it.
2. AI has become the cure for transactional information.
Whether with search engines or directly with LLMs, nearly everyone I know is using AI for transactional information.
What does this mean for us?
We have to provide the non-transactional information. Perspectives, frameworks, strategies, stories. All of these are things AI can’t replicate. And when it does, it’s not based on experience.
3. Editing is a liability. If you only sound good when edited, you're fucked.
Someone told me the other day that they refuse to publish anything that hasn’t been edited.
Their thinking is sound. They want to ensure they’re packing the most value they can for their audience.
As someone who rarely edits, I can appreciate that thinking. But I also think it can be a detriment.
If you ONLY sound good when you’ve edited your work, what happens when you can’t edit? Does it mean you can provide no value?
Get good at riffing and it’ll only make you better. Imagine editing when your first take is already good. You can then make it outstanding.
And I’m not editing this newsletter, so if you think the idea is stupid and I’m proving myself wrong, let me know.
Content I Enjoyed:
Garrett is a smart dude. Enjoyed this post because I see so many people get sucked into shiny object syndrome because they’re bored.
Read it. Engage. Share your thoughts.
Quote That Slaps:
“You will never outperform your inner circle.” - Ed Mylett
Be selective of who you surround yourself with because there’s a good chance some of them are holding you back.
I can appreciate this quote because at times, I’ve surrounded myself with people who unknowingly held me back. They had no desire to succeed past where they were, and I let that bleed into my focus, making me complacent.
It’s not easy to separate, but if you’re clear on your goals and continuously pushing, it often makes those who’d hold you back uncomfortable. Then, they separate on their own.
Do with this information what you will.
Content Roll Up:
Have a great weekend!
Comment and share any of your learnings this week!
