Systemic advantage beats heroic effort

As a reader of this newsletter, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Seth Godin pays me, considering how often I mention him.

He doesn’t.

But he does have a new book out: ‘This is Strategy’.

I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, but he has been sharing excerpts from the audiobook on his podcast, which are very enjoyable.

Here are two insights that have already leapt out at me:

And more generally, on the topic of strategy, and its importance:

We’re all following a strategy, even if it’s just sliding along with what happens to us.

If you’d like another outcome, it’s probably best to establish your own.

Character is created through obstacle

When interviewers ask him about how he writes good drama, Aaron Sorkin often returns to the phrase ‘Intention and Obstacle’.

Character fills the space created by intention and obstacle.

They want something: intention.

But something stands in their way: obstacle.

‘Character’ is simply what they are willing to do to get it.

Cruella de Vil will go about achieving what she wants differently to say, Annie.

And in this sense, the writer doesn't need to know who a character is.

They just have to throw enough shit at them, and they'll find out.

So go throw some shit.

Don’t do anything that someone else can do

A few months ago, a leaked internal memo from Mr. Beast went viral.

I didn’t read it.

I let David Senra read it for me.

On his podcast, Founders, he breaks down what he learned from the document, and relates it to the biographies of other entrepreneurs he’s read.

One of the notes he makes has really stuck with me:

‘Don’t do anything that someone else can do’

He’s not talking about delegation, he’s talking about being unique.

Senra explains that he’s often found the same or similar advice elsewhere:

He then reads a passage direct from the memo, on why Mr Beast keeps drilling down into bigger and bigger giveaways and crazy ideas:

Doing what only you can do is the best thing that you can do.

It reminds your audience why they are returning to your work.

He mentions another anecdote where Larry Ellison is working with his sailing team to build a crazy expensive sail in order to try and win The America’s Cup, where Ellison is quoted as saying:

If you can do something really hard, you won’t have any competition.

If you can really be yourself, nobody can compete.

It’s the ultimate differentiator.

💉 Trainspotting (1996) [FILM]
I first saw this film when I was 12, and it made a huge impact on me. Haven't rewatched it in the past decade (until now). Still reeling from the creativity of it all. Stunning.

👁️ ‘Mr Hire's Engagement’ by Georges Simenon [NOVEL]
A self-described 'hard' novel, about a peeping tom who is suspected as a killer.

📽️ ‘when the movie's average shot length...' [VIDEO]
Really interesting short clip from Studio Stix about shot length.

endamacnally

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