ZM happy Tuesday
I pulled today’s inspiration straight off one of those little Four Agreements cards that’s been floating around the studio. Front side: a loud red reminder that says, “Don’t Make Assumptions.” Flip it over and it hits harder: when you speak openly and honestly, you stop wasting energy guessing what everyone else means and start communicating in real time—clean, clear, no translation needed.
That’s exactly the muscle we’re building inside ZAO right now. Every project check-in, every late-night Discord brainstorm, every “Is this crazy?” idea—none of it works unless we air it out and let the team chew on it together. Transparency isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the grease that keeps this decentralized contraption from grinding to a halt.
Personally, I’ve had to drop my old habit of mind-reading collaborators. Instead, I ask the uncomfortable question sooner, own the awkward silence, and let the truth land where it lands. Funny thing—when you do that, the silence usually fills with better ideas, tighter timelines, and way fewer emergency fixes down the road.
So here’s my Tuesday challenge to the whole crew: pick one assumption you’re carrying about a teammate, partner, or community member, and replace it with an honest conversation today. If you need a nudge, post it in the #open-mic thread and tag me. Let’s see how much creative drag we can cut in 24 hours.
– BetterCallZaal on behalf of the ZAO Team
