So let's take a brief look at the history of Brand and it's journey throughout the ages. More importantly, let's look at how Brand is shaping todays business landscape to build trust and value.

Perhaps it's time that Brand put on a tracksuit, and got a rebrand!

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The Rebrand of Brand

Brand has been such an elusive character throughout history and marketers have struggled to shed the shadow of the snake-oil salesmen. So do we finally have a more visible and honest face to the future of Brand? If Brand is simply what other people say about you when you're not in the room, how do we improve on who we are?

The concept of brand has evolved throughout history, based on changes in commerce, technology and consumer behavior. That's what I find so fascinating about brand, it's intrinsically linked to human behaviour through both emotional needs and monetary bias. The concept of brand is as much understood through psychology as it is by philosophy or economics and sociology.

In ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, branding began with simple practices like marking cattle to signify owenership, or inscribing pottery with the makers mark or region. Even back then the purpose of branding was to establish value based on trust and quality.

Moving on in time, the same practices continued as Romans marked bricks with a stamp of the manufacturer, an early form of mass production where a makers mark had yet to evolve into brand names but identified authenticity and quality.

If you don't already know it, I'm a big tea geek and the history of tea is fascinating in so many ways. Tea is also recognized as being the first form of global currency, where bricks or discs of compressed dry leaf would be stamped with a mark of value or origin. These would often be used as barter for goods or to pay taxes along the Silk Road. This is a fascinating example of product branding being attributed to a direct value.

We'll skip forward through medieval times where craft guilds began to certify quality and authenticity and traders or merchant took branding global. But it wasn't until the industrial revolution that we saw the evolution of modern branding take shape.

Mass production exploded with the industrial revolution from the 18th & 19th century, leading to the need for brand names and logos to differentiate products. Some of those earliest mass market products were for consumer medicines.

This boom in medicine brands was born from the smaller scale and more dubious remedies peddled by traveling salesmen, with brand names names such as Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root or Hamlin's Wizard Oil. They were often no more than a high percentage of alcohol with occasional herbs and morphine which no doubt served these snake-oil salesman well in product sampling off the back of a wagon!

The products were often sold by these early Sales & Marketing Managers, using a mix of showmanship and pseudo-science to sell their wares. We can probably thank these early salesmen for their creative brand stories as much as we can the founders of modern brand marketing!

The invention of the printing press revolutionized the way information was disseminated and played a huge role in the development of modern branding. By enabling mass communication, the printing press allowed businesses to reach wider audiences with consistent and compelling brand messages.

But it was the evolution of printing from the early 20th century that amplifies this ability to advertise brand, through Newspapers. Along with radio, companies like Coca-Cola and Kellogg's used advertising to build colossal brand identities.

With this new found power to dominate the market emerged the era of Brand Management with agencies such as Proctor & Gamble and General Motors. Their ability to craft consistent messaging for a brand and deliver a customer experience, brought about the golden age of advertising and consumerism in America, fueled by Television in the mid to late 20th century.

This was very much the era of brand building through product advertising and the battle to win loyal long term customers. Well known terms such as USP's (Unique Selling Propositions) were coined in this era and advertisements were designed to capture attention and make a memorable impact, through jingles, slogans, and eye-catching visuals. This is before most brands were tracking product sales directly to their ads, so in terms of todays marketing funnel, from the 1950's through to the 1980's brand activity lived in the top of the funnel to build awareness and consideration.

However, David Ogilvy, often called the "Father of Advertising," revolutionized brand marketing from this period with his emphasis on research and consumer insights. His work for brands like Rolls-Royce and Dove set new standards for creativity and effectiveness in advertising. Ogilvy's books, "Confessions of an Advertising Man" and "Ogilvy on Advertising," are essential reading.

The digital revolution we are now in, transformed branding once again. The internet and social media allowed for direct engagement, targeted and personalized marketing, and real-time feedback never possible before. The rise of ecommerce allowed for greater tracking and reporting of measurable results from online campaigns through to online sales.

In contrast to the pre-digital age, modern marketing strategies encompass the entire marketing funnel, from awareness to retention, with a more balanced approach across all stages. The tools of the digital age have brought about a level of sophistication never available before, but it also brought about a level of over-reach into privacy that has triggered a shift in recent years we'll come back to soon. Social media allowed marketers to target people by very specific demographics and personal traits.

The traditional view of marketing spend had been to allocate some 60% on brand advertising and awareness, with 40% to more targeted product campaigns. However the sudden ability to target consumer far more likely to buy, brought about 'growth marketing' or 'growth hacking' where brands began to allocate the majority of their budget to shorter terms gains at the expense of higher level brand marketing.

However, many people didn't realize their data was being made available to advertisers by platforms like Facebook, and so began the fallout from major scandals and a drastic tightening of data controls for the major platforms and their advertisers. As it stands the effectiveness of growth marketing has hit somewhat of a ceiling, although it is still very relevant in the digital age and targeted communication is still an important part of the mix. This brought with it a growing expectation from consumers that brands should have a conscience and behave ethically.

In the digital age, Seth Godin emerged as a marketing guru. He introduced concepts like "Permission Marketing," advocating for strategies based on gaining consumer consent before engagement. His book "Purple Cow" emphasized the importance of creating remarkable products first. Godin's focus on storytelling, ethical marketing, and community-building has significantly influenced modern marketing practices.

We are now seeing a return to top of the funnel brand awareness where brands can better communicate their values and align with consumer needs. Brands have begun the realise that neglecting their future potential customers is very short sighted and a shift back toward the traditional 60/40 rule appears to be happening. This correction balances the need to build customer loyalty and value with more immediate gains through targeted marketing and activations.

The challenge in brand marketing at the top of the funnel for awareness and consideration, is how you communicate measurable value of your brand building efforts to stakeholders in the business. The CEO, the CRO and the Board want to see trackable value thanks to the evolution of growth marketing. They haven't forgotten that a strong brand helps you acquire more customers and also increase the lifetime value of those customers, but we all have someone to report to and the digital age is all about accountability and data!

The only way to measure overall brand sentiment and product preference, has been through expensive market research. This has only been within reach of the larger enterprises who can afford to gather this data through expensive surveying methods carried out by the likes of Nielson, Kantar or IRI.

But, as we've seen, there is always a new development brought about by technology and as you'd expect with the rapid evolution of AI, a solution to democratize access to market research would not be far away.

But AI in most cases will be nothing without human input (at least, not until it wipes us all out!)

To get genuine high quality data in the area of brand sentiment you literally have to go out there and ask huge samples of the population. AI can help analyzing the results but there is no shortcut to getting that input data.

One of the innovations we've seen in many industries is toward live-tracking of data through beautifully designed dashboards and insights. My wife for example moved us to a home power supplier which shows your power usage live in a app and tracks it against your historic use and projected spend. That kind of technology is rolling out to everyone but requires smart metering to be installed right there in your home.

You'd think to do the same thing with brand tracking through survey data would be impossible without extortionately high costs... but no, it's starting already!

While on the job hunt, I started doing some research on innovative local startups, who are doing exciting things in the Brand Marketing space, and found Tracksuit. My brother is also very involved in the New Zealand tech startup scene as a director, advisor and investor. He also suggested I look into them. They've already been running for 3 years at the time of writing and are growing fast, expanding into the Australian, US and UK markets.

https://www.gotracksuit.com

Tracksuit | Beautiful, Affordable, Always-On Brand Tracking

Tracksuit is a radically affordable, always-on brand tracking dashboard to measure and communicate the value of your brand building activities.

They provide those beautiful dashboards I love, with always-on insights for your brand. They offer affordable market research and brand tracking at a tenth of the cost of outdated enterprise services afforded only by the largest brands. You don't go to these guys for a one-off project, Tracksuit is more like your brand partner, keeping you informed with a near realtime view of your brand recognition and sentiment. As a marketer, this allows you to strategically allocate spend toward longer term brand awareness, consideration and preference at the earlier stages of the customer journey (or top of the funnel)... through to the more immediate impact of performance marketing and brand activations at the bottom of the funnel where customers make the purchasing decisions between you and your competitors.

Ultimately, this allows you to build your brand for future customers and lifetime value with hard factual data to back up your decisions and beautiful reporting to show the stakeholders. 

So how the heck do they do this?

Tracksuit's affordability and efficiency appear to be achieved through strategic data collection and leveraging smart technology. By targeting multiple clients within the same category, Tracksuit can survey a broader audience and apply the insights across different brands. This allows for cost-sharing and economies of scale.

They also appear to utilize advanced analytics and AI to provide real-time, actionable insights. The platform is designed to continuously collect and update data, making it accessible through a dashboard which doesn't require a masters in statistics to understand. It enables clients to track brand health metrics over time and compare their performance against competitors.

So, finally we have sophisticated market insights accessible to a broader range of businesses... which I love!

Brand has been such an elusive character throughout history and marketers have struggled to shed the shadow of the snake-oil salesmen. So do we finally have a more visible and honest face to the future of Brand? Think about this again... if brand is simply what other people say about you when you're not in the room, how do we improve on who we are? If we can craft honest brand narratives that are not only aligned with basic human needs but informed by innovative market research and always-on insights like Tracksuit provide, I think we can finally say, yes...

Brand is getting a rebrand!

Yeah... it's easier said than done.

Traditionally a Truth Bomb is when you say something that is bluntly honest. Done well it can be both enlightening and provocative. It symbolizes the ability to drop a significant or hard-hitting truth that might be uncomfortable or eye-opening for the intended target.

But I want to take this concept a little further, because we don't always have someone there to provide that constructive criticism, sometimes we need to rely on our own ability to diffuse the bomb ourselves! I'd dare to argue that men struggle with this the most. Although generations are changing, there is still an inherited lack of openness and honesty about our feelings. I consider myself to have fairly good emotional intelligence and value my ability to communicate my feelings with those close to me. But I find myself at times, preferring to just bottle it up and brood on it. In fact the more I bottle it up, the more stressed and exhausted I become and the less I feel like talking about it. So a viscous cycle begins.

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Truth Time Bombs - Diffusing Explosive Behavior through Journalling

Learning to know ourselves doesn't have to be a huge journey of self-discovery, a pilgrimage into ancient traditions and countless dollars spent on self-help courses. It is simply learning to talk to yourself, through writing and the simple practice of Journalling.

A Truth Time-bomb is something that builds up, it's when you ignore some of the issues in your own life, whether they are fitness, diet, stress… or destructive behavioral patterns that can arise from a combination of all these. If you don’t find ways to diffuse that Truth Bomb it can literally blow up in your face!

Actually, I'd suggest that out of character behavior is not a cause, but the first sign of a ticking time-bomb. Whether at home or at work, if you ever hear someone say "that's a little out of character for you"... then it's time to take a step back and ask yourself why. The challenge is, we don't always have someone to point out the landmines we lay for ourselves, we don't always have the bomb squad at our disposal to disarm and save us.

We need to learn how to recognize the truths within ourselves, the call out the lies hiding in plain sight for what they are.

Perhaps the best way to recognize these out of character moments is through journalling. By locking in a minimum of 15 mins each morning and each evening. The following is a basic structure I've developed for my own journalling but use this to help develop your own. See if you can identify which part will help to recognize out of character behaviour and alert the bomb squad!

1. Gratitude Listing (3 minutes): Start your day by writing down three things you're grateful for. This sets a positive tone and can shift your perspective to one of appreciation, particularly when you get up on the wrong side of the bed.

2. Intentions for the Day (5 minutes): Outline what you would like to achieve today, focusing on just a few key priorities, or it can start to overwhelm you. Also note how you want to behave or react in certain situations, and personal qualities you want to embody.

3. Affirmations or Visualization (3 minutes): This follows on from the last part of intentions. Use these few minutes to visualize and feel the way you want to react through the day and how that makes you feel. This helps reinforce a positive self-image and aligns this mindset with your objectives.

4. Brief Planning (4 minutes): Note down a simple, time-structured plan for tackling your critical tasks. It’s also helpful to identify any challenges that might crop up, think about how you’ll handle them and how you can still tackle those key tasks by the end of the day if that happens.

1. Reflection on Achievements and Challenges (5 minutes): Reflect on what you accomplished and what was challenging. This helps to acknowledge your successes and to understand any difficulties that cropped up.

2. Analyze Reactions and Behaviors (5 minutes): Consider any moments during the day when your reactions or behaviors were out of character or not in alignment with your intentions. Think about the triggers and what might be underlying these responses.

3. Lessons Learned and Adjustments (3 minutes): Write about what you learned from the day and how you can improve from these insights going forward.

4. Evening Gratitude (2 minutes): End by jotting down a few things you were thankful for throughout the day. Note down what made you the happiest then note what you look forward to tomorrow. This can help mitigate stress and foster an overiding sense of contentment.

At first this might seem a lot to take on twice a day and when you first start it will probably take more than 15 mins. Like anything, you learn journalling as a skill which quickly gets easier. You soon find yourself able to slip into this mode of thinking, in fact you start to look forward to it and like missing your morning cuppa or coffee, you feel it when you miss it.

Learning to know ourselves doesn't have to be a huge journey of self-discovery, a pilgrimage into ancient traditions and countless dollars spent on self-help courses. It is simply learning to talk to yourself, through the practice of writing.

But when you can, be that person who asks your mates with total sincerity... how they are really doing. If you usually meetup with friends in a group... find time for 1 on 1... grab a coffee or a beer. Go for a walk or run and don't be afraid to open up and don't be afraid to ask and make sure you listen.

So tell me... how are you?

Our society often emphasizes the "rapid achievement" of success, but what if, by speed-reading our way through life, we're missing out on deeper learning and transformation? We need to learn the art of reading between the lines instead of skimming the surface. What if we consider our early experiences in life as a form of apprenticeship, much like the great masters of the past? So we're going to align two different perspectives: the personal framework I discussed in a recent article on life's 3 key phases, and the profound lessons on mastery and apprenticeship from Robert Greene's 'Mastery'.

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The Apprenticeship - How to Learn with Wisdom from the Masters

Ever wondered how the great Masters of history learned their craft? This is your roadmap for turning the early stages of learning into a journey of mastery, inspired by the lessons in Robert Greene's 'Mastery'. Read the article and subscribe to my Newsletter here: https://rwx.mrjonkane.com/apprenticeship-learning-wisdom-from-the-masters

In my recent article, I categorized life into three major phases: Read (0-25 years), Write (25-45 years), and Execute (45+ years). Each stage corresponds not just to our personal development but also to the evolution of the internet— from Web1's consumption to Web3's creation and ownership. This framework isn't just a metaphor; it's a guide for navigating each phase of life with intention and mastery.

We're going to focus today on Phase 1.

Phase 1: The Apprenticeship (0-25 Years)

This initial phase is all about learning and absorbing, much like the 'Read' permissions in the Unix operating system where I've named this framework from, or the 'Read' era of the internet (or Web1). It's a time for gathering data, experiencing life, and experimenting within a 'practice mode' for the future. Our early years are our apprenticeship in life, where we lay the foundations for all that follows.

Drawing from Mastery, Greene highlights that this period is crucial for deep, transformative learning. He points out that many of history's great masters underwent a lengthy period of apprenticeship, quietly developing their skills. This is our time to explore, to engage with our primal curiosities, and to start understanding our unique strengths and gifts.

Let's take a series of inspiring quotes and lessons from Greenes 'Mastery' to see how this apprenticeship phase is pivotal in shaping our mastery over life.

Embrace Your Unique Path: Just as Greene emphasizes the importance of following one's unique calling, our early years should be about discovering what sets us apart. He writes...

"You are a one-of-a-kind combination of strengths, gifts, and talents. Things that no one else has".

This period is your opportunity to explore those gifts and begin honing them.

Deep Observation and Practice: Like Leonardo da Vinci's apprenticeship under Andrea del Verrocchio, we should immerse ourselves in learning from different sources through the art of impartial observation put into repetitive practice. Da Vinci's years of training weren't just about art; they included engineering and mechanics. Taking a holistic and multi-disciplinary appreoach means we start to see how everything is connected and leads to greater discoveries and learning in our own apprenticeship.

Finding Your Calling: Greene recounts the story of Temple Grandin, whose early struggles led her to profound discoveries in animal science. She was diagnosed with autism as a child but defied expectations by becoming a leading animal scientist and advocate for autism awareness. Facing challenges in communication and social interaction, she discovered a profound connection with animals during a visit to her aunt's ranch. Grandin's unique perspective led her to innovate humane livestock handling systems, significantly improving animal welfare. She leveraged her experiences to educate others on autism, showcasing the strengths that can arise from neurodiversity.

Her journey underscores the importance of paying attention to what draws us, even from a young age, and pursuing it with passion. Greene wrote...

"It's not necessarily the most intelligent people that reach mastery, it's often those who are driven at an emotional level".

Primal Curiosity: This phase is about allowing your "primal curiosity" to guide you. What fascinates you? What can you not stop thinking about? Greene suggests that mastery comes from this relentless pursuit of understanding, driven by a deep emotional connection to our interests.

Deliberate Practice: The concept of "Deliberate Practice," that we see in the meticulous studies of Leonardo, teaches us the value of focused and persistent effort. It's about breaking down skills into smaller parts, practicing them, and learning progressively.

Robert Greene outlines a three-phase process for mastering any craft through apprenticeship:

1. Deep Observation: This initial phase involves immersive learning where one observes and absorbs the fundamental concepts of their chosen field. It's about understanding the basics deeply before moving on to more complex tasks.

2. Acquiring Skills: After grasping the basics, the focus shifts to skill acquisition. This stage is marked by learning the core activities essential for the craft, alongside developing focus and discipline—key attributes in mastering any field.

3. Experimentation and Flow: With the fundamentals in place, the apprentice now experiments, combining learned skills in unique ways. This experimentation leads to a state of flow, where actions become effortless and highly focused, enabling peak creativity and productivity.

Traditional systems of learning are fundamentally misaligned with the apprenticeship model. The traditional education system, with its rigid structure, too often fails to acknowledge the individuality of each student, forcing everyone through the same standardized path. This approach not only stifles creativity and personal growth but also ignores the diverse talents and interests that students bring to the table. It's a system that rewards conformity over curiosity, memorization over understanding, and compliance over critical thinking.

Jordan Peterson, a vocal critic of modern education practices, echoes these sentiments. He once said...

"The primary reason to educate young people is to arm them with the capability to articulate themselves in the world."

This emphasizes education's role not only to impart knowledge but to empower individuals to think, communicate, and argue effectively. It's about equipping students with the tools to navigate life's complexities, to defend their ideas and beliefs, and to engage in the societal discourse that shapes our world. This harks back to Phase 2 in my personal framework where we start to engage in more meaningful ways in the world, much like the Web2 era of the internet where we not only consumed content but could interact through chat and forums.

This brings us to the power of mastering both written and spoken words. In the context of the 'Read' phase of life and beyond, learning to write and speak with clarity, precision, and persuasion is to learn a form of superpower. It's the ultimate weapon in the game of life, allowing us to influence, to lead, and to leave an indelible mark on the world. Writing is not just a method of communication but a tool for thinking. It's a way to structure our thoughts, to analyze and synthesize ideas, and to bring clarity to complex issues. Speaking, on the other hand, is how we share those ideas, inspire action, and connect with others on a profound level. Together, these skills form the cornerstone of true education. They are the essence of what it means to be educated and the foundation on which mastery is built.

The early years of our life, seen through the lens of an apprenticeship, are not just about preparing for the future. They're about building a foundation of knowledge, skills, and self-awareness that will serve us throughout life.

Just as every master was once an apprentice, your journey through these early years is an important step in shaping a life of meaning and impact.

So, take time to explore, to learn, and to grow. The path of apprenticeship, no matter what stage of life you're at, will shape the superuser you become.

This is my major play captured as I write... which is teetering on diving into losses if it dips further down... you can see my 'buy' at 4am this morning. Should I have sold the top? Maybe, but I can't tell you how many times I did that, and it wasn't at the top. We'll come back to see how it panned out at the end!

The truth is I've been in crypto since 2014, on and off at first... then pretty deep since 2017. But not just for the magical internet money! While that's nice when you make some wins, there is much more to being 'in crypto' than you might think. To be fair everything I have in there has grown from the small amount of $100 I spent on Bitcoin in 2014. I didn't make a fortune, and there are plenty of tops I should have sold, but I've accumulated enough to 'play around'.

And that's just it... I love experimenting with new technology, but you know what I'm really in it for? The human psychology and the social anthropology of the crypto space. There is no other realm of human engagement that can teach you more about your own ability to manage emotions and behavioral biases or to navigate the eternal forces of cause and effect. Covering the multi-faceted phenomenon of crypto culture is an entire topic in itself, so I'll come back to that another time. I want to explore what we can learn from it and apply to our lives more broadly.

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Ahead of the Curve - The Degen Curve Meme

From the highs and lows of crypto and meme coin trading to the philosophical teachings of Baruch Spinoza, we delve into the degen curve meme and discover how these insights apply to broader life lessons, including fitness, career choices, and consumer behavior, offering a unique perspective on achieving balance and fulfillment.

Nothing sums up this complexity more simply than the Degen curve meme, which is widely shared among crypto degens. So we're going to take a deeper look at how this meme aligns perfectly with the teachings of Baruch Spinoza, a famous 17th-century Dutch philosopher.

Spinoza's ideas were revolutionary and controversial, leading to his excommunication from the Jewish community and his books being placed on the Catholic Church's Index of Forbidden Books. But his philosophical contributions endured, influencing a vast range of fields from metaphysics and ethics to politics and psychology.

This is my version of the meme for a community token I'm holding called $Hmm on Solana. I'll come to why Hmm makes so much sense in this context.

The "Mmm" character on the left represents those who are depicted as blissfully ignorant, the "Umm" figure in the middle as those paralyzed by overthinking, and the "Hmm" character on the right as someone who is depicted as insightful and content.

Our Mmm guy on the left of the curve is your classic Degen. They're someone who apes into any opportunity presented to them, they don't think twice and will happily gamble without doing any research. Now don't get me wrong I'm not judging this guy... there's a bit of him in all of us and sometimes in life we have to just go for it. Sometimes he wins and sometimes he loses, but he doesn't look back and learn much from the results, he's too busy stumbling into the next thing.

He is someone who acts on basic desires and impulses without reflection, which aligns with Spinoza's concept of people who are driven by external forces and passions, living without understanding the true nature of good and bad.

In the middle is our mid-curver. He overthinks and never makes a move on anything. On the occasions he does make a move, he's highly stressed and reactive. If it works out, he's ecstatic and starts t think he's right of the curve... but if it starts to turn sour he'll be the first to blame everything else except himself.

He represent those who become overwhelmed by the complexities of life. This aligns with what Spinoza explained as individuals who understand good and bad but are unable to act according to their rational understanding due to their overpowering emotions and extrinsic motivations, such as the pursuit of wealth for its own sake.

On the right of the curve is our Wizard or I like to think of him as a Jedi. He bears some similarity to the lefty, in that he apes into things without overthinking, but while his decisions appear instant and irrational they are in fact highly instinctive based on his experience. The major difference is that the right curve degen is aware of his reactions and will learn from them to improve his future actions.

He align with Spinoza's ideal of a person who acts out of reason and intrinsic motivation. This person seeks joy—an active emotion for Spinoza that arises from increasing one's power of acting and understanding. This guy makes informed choices based on self-awareness and understanding of cause and effect, similar to Spinoza's wise person who seeks to align their desires with the knowledge of God or Nature.

Spinoza argues that by understanding the world and our place within it, we align ourselves with the natural order, leading to true happiness. In the context of this meme, the Jedi... or "Hmm" character's joy might be found in the pursuit of meaningful activities aligned with their nature and understanding, not merely the pursuit of pleasure or avoidance of pain.

While this meme is a common guide to crypto natives, we can see how it applies to other areas of day-to-day life. Here are a few scenarios where the different positions on the curve and the associated behaviors can be observed:

1. Fitness and Dieting:

   • The left curve individual might indulge without regard for nutritional information or the long-term effects of their diet and exercise habits.

   • The mid curve person could become overwhelmed with calorie counting, macronutrient ratios, and the latest diet trends, causing stress and potential decision paralysis.

   • The right curver seeks a balanced approach to health, informed by a good understanding of nutrition and exercise, but also listens to their body's needs and enjoys their lifestyle.

2. Career and Education:

   • On the left of the curve, you might choose a job or a course without much thought about passion or career progression, content with the status quo or just to meet the expectations of others like parents.

   • In the middle, someone might overanalyze career choices or education paths, leading to anxiety and difficulty making decisions due to fear of making the wrong choice.

   • The person on the right side approaches their career strategically, motivated by personal fulfillment and growth, but remains flexible and doesn't overthink every step.

3. Consumer Behavior:

   • The lefty could make purchases on a whim without considering their actual needs or the financial consequences.

   • A person in the middle might agonize over every purchase, researching excessively, and struggle with decision-making, potentially missing out on necessary or fulfilling purchases.

   • On the right, one would make informed purchases that bring joy and utility, without succumbing to impulsive buying or overthinking each choice.

The insights of the curve mindet reflect varying degrees of thoughtfulness, impulsivity, and self-awareness in decision-making processes. The key takeaway is the balance between instinctive reactions and informed decisions, aiming for a rational yet fulfilling approach to life.

Applying this to everyday life is actually really hard, to behavioral patterns that are so ingrained. That's why dipping your toe into crypto and web3 culture is the best place to train and no that doesn't require you to trade crypto at all... there so much more to explore.

But to understand what you're getting into... this tweet from a woman I really admire in the crypto space sums up the raw truth of it all.

"Crypto is so contentious because it's right on the edge and overtly unapologetic about all the things most people want to deny.. the best and worst of human nature & ingenuity on show.. it's astounding to witness. Most people have no interest in that much truth and alas crypto."

Mel

@belikewater893

Crypto is so contentious because it's right on the edge and overtly unapologetic about all the things most people want to deny.. the best and worst of human nature & ingenuity on show.. it's astounding to witness. Most people have no interest in that much truth and alas crypto.

5

12:24 PM • Apr 3, 2024

If you really want to face up to your own human nature, then crypto is the ultimate arena to test your mettle. It does require focus and getting in the trenches to learn the emerging tech, it does require sound judgement and a highly skeptical attitude. But learning the tech is easy, we all did it when the internet started and dial-up modems and clunky web browsers were so alien to us. The masses will do it again. The technology is not the barrier, the culture is.

Where the money flows... the grifters will go. And boy does it flow! Unfortunately the negative side of crypto is what makes headlines... and understandable when scammers like SBF of FTX cost people so much money. But the % of loud and dodgy grifters, while visible... is small. What most don't realize is the majority form an incredible culture full of creative, hardworking nerds that are innovating. Don’t ever bet against that.

I've quoted this before and I'll say it again, from Chris Dixon in his book 'Read Write Own'...

“What the smartest people do in the weekends, is what everyone will do during the week in 10 years.”

Here's the alpha: the best place to be right now is an app called Warpcast. I won't befuddle you with the tech, just know that's where the innovation is happening and it is still mostly void of the noise you get on what is known as Crypto-Twitter. Warpcast is part of a blockchain called Farcaster, it's like a cross between Twitter and Reddit and it's elegantly simple to use and to find niche groups in interest 'Channels' which don't all revolve around crypto and web3.

But, just like the technology, jumping into the underbelly of crypto culture will not always be required. When the internet started you had to jump into forums with a lot of nerds to learn how to make things work but nowadays the tricky stuff is under the surface. In crypto the tools and services will revolutionize the way we do everyday things like business, banking, voting and property purchases. But the technology will be under the surface along with the nerds and degens and they won't need to know about the protocol layers and terms like NFT or ERC.

But if you want to be an early adopter and take advantage of the massive opportunities of an emerging technology, then get in there, learn the tech but more importantly... become aware self-aware of the degen curve, make informed decisions but try not to be too mid-curve.

Ok lets see if I lost thousands of dollars while talking to you!

Ok.. as I expected, we bounced off the previous support. Honestly I knew that was going to happen... I'm so right curve! Or am I just a mid who thinks he's right curving it?!

Till next time, do well degen.

But first, ask yourself: If this reality, right here, right now, were a game, what level would I be on? What in-game items have I collected in my inventory, what have I built, and what's my end-game?

We're not only exploring the parallels between virtual in-game mechanics and the real-life hurdles we face every day. We're codifying the intersection of game theory, technology, and human behavior to illuminate a path forward for humanity based on cooperation, innovation, and collective action. Drawing inspiration from the world of gaming and emerging tech, such as AI and blockchain, we have an opportunity to foster a more cooperative, equitable, and resilient society.

There's a bigger game at play. Many of us can't see the forest for the trees... we don't see the bigger picture. By facing our challenges with the wisdom of gamers and the tools of the digital age, we can create a world where everyone wins.

This might just be the transformative game that leads the human race into an age of enlightenment. If we get it wrong it leads to an age of destruction and darkness.

Wanna play the game and see?

TL;DR Don't want to read the rest? Watch on YouTube!

Obstacles and Difficulty

On an unconscious level, gaming has become successful because it taps into human nature. While it's often perceived as an escape, gaming, in fact, mirrors our journey through life, packed with obstacles and growth opportunities. But this game is not a race to finish first. How we choose to overcome obstacles and complete levels is more important than how fast we get to the end.

Obstacles are a necessary part of every game worth playing… the biggest obstacle is yourself.

Understanding the essence of gaming leads us to a fascinating revelation: the obstacles, power-ups, and leveling up in games mirror the trials, resources, and growth we experience in life. Let's explore how these gaming dynamics play out beyond the screen.

Games captivate us with their obstacles, balancing difficulty to ensure we're engaged but not overwhelmed. If a game is too hard, nobody will play. If it's too easy, nobody will play. This balance between challenge and reward, between the big goal and the smaller victories, mirrors life's own dynamics. Like a well-designed game, life requires us to overcome challenges to grow and achieve our goals, celebrating the small wins and enjoying the journey towards our larger purpose.

Power-Up & 1-UPs

Power-ups boost our abilities, helping us to overcome challenges more effectively. Similarly, in life, resources like education, mentorship, and technology empower us to navigate obstacles. Historical innovations, such as electricity, automation, mobile phones, and now AI, have revolutionized our world, offering us real-life "power-ups" that change the game of life, allowing us to enhance our skills and tackle challenges head-on.

The ultimate power-up would of course be a 1-UP, for an extra life. I'll come to 'God-Mode' at the end... but in reality a 1-UP is knowing that you can try again when things don't work out. The pro gamer is the entrepreneur who fails 5 times but never gives up and wins on the 6th time. He looks at the first 5 runs as practice for the big win. It's the parents who finally conceived after years of trying or adopted instead. The real winners are those who play the game... they don't quit, they just find another way.

Practice Mode

There are times however, when you just want a practice run. Games often feature a practice mode, allowing players to hone their skills without the risk of real failure. I've been watching my daughter do this in Minecraft recently and it feels like she's doing an apprenticeship in gaming. This concept is absolutely vital in real life too. Through practice, preparation, and resilience, we learn and improve. I explored in my last article how the first major phase in life up to approximately the age of 25 is when we are in a read-only mode of operating. Throughout childhood we are mostly being looked after so we can focus on learning and developing as humans. We can make mistakes and be forgivven, we learn to push the boundaries, test our personal limits and societies limitations. In our teenage years to young adulthood we take on more responsibilities in life but generally have the mental and emotional capacity to focus on absorbing information and start our apprenticeship of real life! It's our practuce run for everything from work to relationships. I'm sure you're first few girlfriends would give you a good slap if you broke up with them at 15 and said "Thanks, you were a good practice run!"... but you get my point. Social skills and emotional intelligence are some of the most powerful skills in the game and we level up in these from a young age.

A Level Playing Field

In gaming, rewards and collectibles signify our achievements and motivate us to persevere. They also give us increased abilities and advantages to succeed. In life, our achievements and the goals we reach serve a similar purpose, providing satisfaction, motivation and skills to continue pushing forward.

The narrative structure of a game might follow the "Hero's Journey"... to achieve a final goal. It might lead us toward a singular outcome such as battling the biggest monster on the final level to save the princess or save the world. But would we want to play that game if we didn't attain rewards along the way such as in-game items and skill boosters? If those rewards along the way never existed, I'd argue that we wouldn't have the ability to defeat the monster or save the world.

In an ideal world everyone has the chance to succeed, with or without the advantages some possess over others. One of the challenges in games where you can purchase these advantages is that people who already have the means to buy them will likely remain on top. Does this sound familiar in life? When I played a game called Dookey Dash by Yuga Labs, I had the advantage of getting bonus % on every run because I held one of their premium assets, a Bored Ape. These were well out of reach for most people. BUT I saw pro gamers come along to play who absolutely killed it and outperformed people with those advantages on pure skill and perseverance alone.

That's the way it should be and Dookey Dash is soon launching to the public on mobile app stores with these same mechanics in play... trust me it's a highly addictive game so look out for it.

Character Building

The character we build in our younger years is hard to re-code the older we get, but there are always Respec Items like a Reset Scroll or an Attribute Potion. Ok, if only it was that easy IRL... well maybe it can be, if you see it the same way. The only difference is that you have to want to change and you have to code the change yourself.

Learn to code you say? Sounds too hard! Yeah it would be if you were trying to rebuild the whole operating system... but we're not. We're inserting key lines of code that begin re-programming in the background. The important part of this code is not to eliminate bad code but to counteract it with the right mix of signals that turn it into a positive pattern of behaviour. This is the essence of a Game Theory which I'll come to shortly.

Life is simply a complex mesh of languages, from Binary Code as 1's and 0's... to DNA or Chemical Signalling. The nature of our human brain means our ability to perceive such complex patterns in the world around us, is limited. It's the perfect example of reading between the lines, which was perfectly illustrated in the Matrix movies.

Vanellope von Schweetz from "Wreck-It Ralph" also serves as a great analogy for individuals striving to overcome their perceived flaws. Vanellope, initially seen as flawed due to her glitch, ultimately discovers that what makes her different is precisely what makes her unique and strong. Her journey mirrors the human experience of grappling with personal imperfections and the societal pressure to conform. Vanellope's story teaches a valuable lesson in self-acceptance and the power of embracing one's inherent quirks. By transcending her limitations and leveraging her glitch as a unique strength, she becomes a champion in her own right, offering a compelling narrative on the transformative power of self-acceptance and perseverance. Her character arc underscores the idea that flaws do not define us; rather, our response to them and our ability to turn them into strengths, do.

Game Theory

The prisoner’s dilemma is a classic game-theory problem. Robert Axelrod, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, spent his career studying the ways humans can cooperate, or betray each other, for their own benefit. What he discovered has become an incredibly powerful strategy everything from negotiations in business to international relations and even evolutionary biology. In 1980 he organized a competition where different strategies were submitted as programmes on floppy disk, to compete against each other in a deceivingly simple computer game to see which one could score the highest. The game was like a repeated version of the Prisoner's Dilemma, where each programme had to decide whether to cooperate or betray each other to win points. These weren't AI or Machine learning, but they were early examples of algorithms designed to make decisions based on the opposing response and their own predefined rules.

One strategy called "Tit for Tat" stood out because it was both simple and effective. It always started by cooperating, then it would copy whatever the other player did in response. If the other player cooperated, "Tit for Tat" did too. If the other player betrayed, "Tit for Tat" would betray as well.

"Tit for Tat" won because it encouraged both players to keep cooperating with each other. It showed that being nice and responding in kind could lead to winning results. This strategy teaches us that cooperating and matching the actions of others can often be the best way to get along in the world. But it also shows that while being nice is the best approach to start, and being forgiving also serves us well... being able to respond in kind to betrayals or negative behaviour is also required. In other words, be nice and forgiving up to a point... but don't be a pushover!

Rewards and Collectibles

Rewards and collectibles signify achievement and motivate players to persevere. In life, our achievements and the goals we reach serve a similar purpose, providing satisfaction and motivation to continue pushing forward, highlighting the importance of perseverance in both realms. I remember how good it felt to win that drama trophy at 11 years old for my performance of Fagan' in Oliver Twist. I can remember how proud I was just getting a Bronze medal in Athetics or winning the cross country obstacle course during school camp, which came with no reward except knowing I'd beaten all the school athletics champions at something.

These small achievements can be make or break for some kids, they can be the start of an entire career in sports or the arts. They have an incredibly powerful ability to become part of our character arc in life. As a parent, I insist on my eldest daughter committing to something for at least a year before deciding to quit. We need to get past the intital slump of adjusting and learning something new. We need to try to hit that Flow state that comes with mastering something. She won't get it on everything she does but the more she tries, the better the chance she'll find that something which totally aligns with who she is and in which she can naturally excel. All I can do is provide the opportunities for her to discover it on her own but making sure she doesn't give up too soon.

That remains true into adulthood too, if we've learned to celebrate even small wins when we're younger, we push harder to achieve them when we're older. Unfortunately the world is full of starters who don't finish anything and with so much distraction in the world it's a more important skill than ever... for adults and kids alike! So if nobody is going to reward you... put in place your own rewards, gamify your own life. With innovations in technology, there has been no better time to merge this with the digital world too.

Web3 and AI in the Game of Life

The rise of Web3 and AI innovations is blurring the lines between gaming and reality, integrating game principles into real-life experiences. From digital currencies to NFTs, these technologies offer new ways to experience rewards and achievements that have tangible implications and applications in the real world, pointing towards an exciting future where gaming and life converge even further.

A popular app emerged a few years ago called STEP'N and I had the privilege to work briefly on a brand campaign with them through Funday Agency where I was working at the time. In their own words... "STEPN is a w web3 lifestyle app that rewards users for movement." Essentially by owning a 3D digital pair of sneakers, purchased throug their app as a blockchain token (NFT) you could earn crypto-currency by walking, jogging ad running every day!

Gamifying health and fitness in this way is the perfect example of earning both monetary rewards as well as various powerups to your sneaker attributes and rarities.

The Ultimate Obstacle: Yourself

But, no matter how much we want to oversome obstacles, let alone win... the most significant obstacles we face are internal: self-doubt, fear of failure, and resistance to change. Adopting a "gamer's mindset" means viewing obstacles as opportunities for growth, learning from failures, and persistently striving towards our goals, overcoming our inner adversities to emerge stronger.

In life, there's no "god mode". Despite some believing in their invincibility, mortality is the great equalizer. Life requires us to know when to take risks and when to seek alternative paths. The only real "cheat codes" are the strategic application of our skills and knowledge to enhance our chances of success, navigating the game of life with wisdom and courage.

The journey through life, much like a challenging game, is filled with obstacles that test our resilience, determination, and ability to grow. By facing and overcoming personal challenges, we not only progress in our own "game of life" but also find satisfaction in the journey itself. This article has explored the parallels between the virtual and the real, urging us to leverage the lessons learned from gaming to navigate life's complexities with resilience and determination.

So, what obstacles are you facing, what power-ups do you have at your disposal and how will you reward yourself if nobody else will? Share your experiences and strategies for overcoming personal challenges in the comments or on social media.

GG HF: Good Game, and Have Fun.

It gave me some perspective these past few weeks about the years I've lived and the years I have left. Especially given I’m almost halfway to 100, had my children late in life, my wife is 10 years younger, and she will probably live to be 100 as well!

Based on my own life experience and synthesizing the wisdom of others, I’ve started applying my 'Read. Write. Execute' framework to 3 major phases we go through in our lives, from birth to old age.

It’s a macro view where we pull back to see the larger picture, but it also zooms into the micro-actions, which can propel our growth and keep us on track.

In parallel, a ‘macro’ in computer programming is a rule or pattern that specifies how a certain input should be mapped to a replacement output. Applying a macro to an input is known as macro expansion. So, let’s code this macro view of our lives... let’s run the input of our basic human needs through it and expand our view of what’s possible.

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https://shows.podcastle.ai

Permission to Succeed: Read-Write-Execute - a Growth Hack for Life

Explore the transformative Read-Write-Execute framework that guides you through life's three major phases, from learning and contributing to executing your legacy. Learn how this unique perspective, inspired by Unix command line codes, can empower your personal and professional growth, helping you navigate from birth to old age with purpose and fulfillment.

Growth Hack for Life: Read-Write-Execute

If you've followed my newsletters so far, you'll know I regularly come back to this framework, which is based on command line code in the old-school Unix operating system (the precursor to the more well-known Linux OS, which Android phones run on).

I learned the foundations of Unix when I lived in Scotland, working in the IT department of a Human Genetics Unit during the early era of the Internet. I ran daily backups of research data and managed permissions for users to access various files and folders.

Read-Write-Execute refers to the permissions a user has to those files and folders. To change permissions you run Chmod (Change Mode) then numbers which apply varying levels of access. 777 is the top level giving full permissions to r-w-x. The SU or SuperUser in the system has 'root' access to make all of these changes.

My personal 'Read-Write-Execute' framework is metaphor for personal growth and autonomy. It's about giving permission to ourselves to become Superusers in our own life and work toward a permissionless future where we take full control. This leads to my theoretical command line Chmod 888 - a hidden command for infinite and permissionless ownership of our future! The ultimate growth hack of our very DNA.

You should know I like building a narrative!

Before we delve into these 3 phases, let's see them alongside the basic human needs that weave through our lives.

Lifeline of Needs

'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs' is a well-known model of human needs. It's usually depicted as hierarchical levels. Instead, I've taken influence from this and aligned it to our age brackets that show a progression between each. This is usually shown as a pyramid but I've shown it as a timeline... or a lifeline!

Just a note: as always, there is overlap, but this helps to consolidate the hierarchy of needs as they take precedence through our lives.

Initially, we concentrate on fundamental physiological necessities such as sustenance, hydration, respiration, and rest. As we age, the pursuit of stability and responsibility becomes prominent, encompassing aspects like healthcare, financial security, and domestic stability. In our youth, these fundamental needs are typically met by caregivers, which allows us to focus on growth and learning. As we mature, we begin to independently address these needs, though they often center around our personal benefit.

Progressing through life, our psychological needs intensify, particularly the need for love, belonging, and establishing deeper connections with others. During this stage, we not only take care of ourselves but also begin to nurture relationships with partners and for some, our own children. Approaching middle age, our focus shifts towards realizing personal achievements and gaining esteem, with an emphasis on earning respect and acknowledgment from our peers.

Beyond the age of 45, as we embrace the concept of freedom as a mental construct, our aspirations turn towards seeking a deeper sense of purpose, fulfillment, and self-actualization. This phase of life is about reaching our highest potential and making a lasting impact in the world.

The progression through the stages of human development can indeed be paralleled with the evolution of internet eras and the permission levels in Unix-based systems. Here’s an explanation of each stage:

Intro to the 'Read' Phase of Life: 0-25 years

During this phase, spanning from birth to young adulthood, we are predominantly in a macro state of learning and absorbing information. Just as we 'read' or gather data from our environments, people in this age group are gaining experience in a sort of 'read-only' practice mode for life. On a micro level, we are of course writing all this information to our memory and executing through behavioral development all the time. In terms of our overriding mode at this stage of life, we are learning foundational skills, understanding social norms, and receiving education.

Web1: Known as the 'read' era of the internet, Web1 was largely about consuming content without the capacity to contribute or interact with it. This is reflective of the 0-25 age group where individuals are primarily learning from the world, acquiring knowledge and skills that will later enable them to contribute meaningfully to society. They are preparing for more interactive roles in life, just as the early internet prepared us for a more participatory future with Web2.

Intro to the the 'Write' Phase of Life: 25-45 years

As we grow as individuals, we seek psychological needs such as love and belonging. In adolescence and early adulthood, people start forming deeper relationships and taking on responsibilities that require interaction and contribution.

The 'Write' permission in a Unix OS allows users to modify the contents of a file or folder. This is akin to the 'read-write' era of the internet (Web2), where users could not only consume content but also create and modify it – think social media, blogs, and wikis. The 'read-write' era of web2 opened up the internet to user-generated content and interaction. This mirrors our personal development in adulthood, where we begin to contribute to society and build more significant personal relationships.

Intro to the the 'Execute' Phase of Life: 45+ years

In later adulthood, people often seek fulfillment and self-actualization, striving to realize their full potential and leave a legacy. This mirrors the 'execute' phase, where actions are taken to bring about significant change or results.

In the Unix OS, 'execute' permission allows a user to run a file as a program. In the context of the internet (Web3), this can be seen as the ability to execute or engage with decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts, which carry out specific actions on the blockchain.

As individuals in this stage of personal development, we are looking to make a mark and effect change, Web3 users are empowered to be part of the governance and decision-making processes of the platforms they use and we are empowered to own the value we build.

So to boil that down: the 'read' era of personal development and Web1 is primarily about consumption of information, the 'write' era of Web2 corresponds to contribution and interaction, and the 'execute' era of personal growth parallels the deeper values, empowerment and legacy building of Web3.

Let’s dive even deeper into what we can do through these stages of life to take advantage of this ‘Permission Paradigm’.

Permission to Live - (In Depth)

The 'Read' Phase of Life: 0-25 years

Read (r) Permission: In computing, the 'Read' permission allows the contents of a file to be viewed by a user. For directories, this permission allows a user to list the contents of a directory.

We can also align this to what is commonly referred to as the ‘Read’ era of the early internet. Web1 was characterized by content consumption rather than interaction or content creation. Users would “read” information with little opportunity to contribute, offer feedback, or interact with others in real-time.

In much the same way, the read component in my framework starts with learning through the consumption of information. This encompasses everything from reading books to blogs and formal education if you want to practice the 'discipline of learning' in an institutional environment. But nowadays it's the self-driven learning that has the greatest potential, from short courses and e-learning to YouTube and ChatGPT!

But there are two types of learning in life, studied and experienced. Combined, these equal knowledge. They're both equally important, but in our younger years, learning to deep-dive for information and apply critical thinking, is the skill that will prepare us for life.

I'm not going to assume everyone has the privilege of higher education, or even the luxury of free time in their youth. The reality is many young people have it damn tough and are out there doing it on their own. Generally speaking though, the responsibilities from our teens to early 20's are for jobs you can mentally 'clock-out' from. They're good life experience but typically serve to earn a buck. Hell I was cleaning offices after school as a teen, or washing dishes in cafes. These responsibilities are to fend for yourself. Not to diminish the importance of that but it allows a greater degree of mental and emotional capacity compared to the responsibilities of starting your own family or a career-job where you never fully clock-out.

That's why those who end up with a family in their late teens or early 20's and have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, have it particularly tough. It allows little time to educate yourself and break out of survival mode. Interestingly enough, the ones who take on responsibility for others from a younger age such as siblings or even their own parents, tend to have a high degree of potential for success. The circumstance that put them in that position in the first place, can come with emotional baggage, but the ones who use that to fuel their purpose have gone on to be the strongest and most capable people I know.

"When Adversity and Diversity look in the mirror, they see their future selves smiling back... Capability and Adaptability". ~mrJK

While the emphasis in this phase is on consuming knowledge, begin to document it for yourself. That might be a personal journal, or a Notion account to document and link together your sources of information and to process ideas.

By all means execute and put ideas into action too, but treat it as a project or an experiment to test out what you're learning. Some of the greatest inventions came from experiments and the garage enthusiasts are often trying things that 99% of the population just won't understand yet. So keep at it but don't expect it to happen overnight.

So if you do start a business under 25, go into it with some perspective and tell yourself;

"This probably won't be what I do for the rest of my life, it's just the beginning of what I'll do with my life".

No matter how much potential your idea has to succeed, view it as a stepping stone to greater things. The right balance of confidence, enthusiasm and realism will earn you more respect than anything.

Finally, my biggest piece of advice for those under 25 is to realize that experience in these years is also like a practice run for life. I would highly recommend getting involved in interest groups and clubs, whether it's for music, hobbies, cultural groups or sports... learn the art of participation from a young age. If you're willing to take it further, become a youth leader and join the committees of these groups. I always put my hand up for committees when I was younger, whether it was the Youth Choir, the Psychic Research Society or the body corporate for the apartment building I lived in. Getting an understanding of governance principles at a young age is invaluable!

This combination of documenting and experimenting starts introducing our 'write & execute' disciplines which will take precedence in later years.

The 'Write' Phase of Life: 25-45 Years

Write Permission (w): In computing, the 'write' permission allows the contents of the file to be modified or deleted by the user. For directories, this permission allows the user to add, remove, or rename files stored in the directory. It's the ability to change the contents or state of a file or directory.

Aligning back to the history of the internet, our write phase also parallels Web2. This second era in contrast to web1, was marked by the rise of blogs, wikis, and social media platforms, which empowered users not only to consume content but also to curate, create, share, and interact with each other.

Just as 'write' permissions allow for the alteration of files and directories, this phase is often marked by a greater capacity to modify our lifes path. This is a period where many of us take significant steps in our careers, start families, establish homes, and engage more deeply with our communities. The ability to "write" our narrative becomes more pronounced, with increased resources, skills, and the confidence to make impactful changes.

Just as the Web2 era democratized content creation and participation, we find ourselves in a position to contribute and participate more in society. This era of life mirrors the interactive nature of Web2, where the emphasis shifts from mere consumption to active contribution in the form of ideas, leadership, innovation, or community engagement.

This period is also marked by the sharing of our knowledge, skills, and experiences, and contributing to collective growth and learning. So if you started documenting just for yourself in the younger years, now is the time to begin publishing it if you haven't already. No matter what your profession is, the practice of giving back through mentoring and training is a massively undervalued skill in life. It sets us up for phase 3 where the greater purpose of giving back takes on a lot more meaning from 45 year onwards.

The 'write' permissions also symbolize the ability to edit and refine one's personal and professional identity. This phase is often a time of significant growth, where experiences and challenges lead to deeper self-awareness, skill development, and a clearer sense of direction. The empowerment to "write" our own story is closely linked with the pursuit of personal and professional fulfillment.

Just as the Web2 era empowered users to leave their mark on the digital landscape, the later years of this phase are a crucial period for establishing one's influence and beginning to think about the legacy we wish to leave behind.

Life Experience: If you ask a 25 year old what has been a seminal life experience... a majority will say it was getting out and seeing the world. They're not wrong, so long as they got off the tour bus and immersed themselves. Experience is taking part in life, not just observing it. That means making emotional connections in the world and experiencing the highs and lows of love and loss, taking calculated risks, being afraid to lose but still doing it anyway. In another 20 years if you ask them again, I guarantee they won't give the same answer.

The 'Execute' Phase of Life: 45 year+

Execute (x): In computing, the 'Execute' permission allows the file to be run as a program by the user. For directories, this permission allows the user to access the directory's contents and execute files within it, assuming those files also have execute permission for the user.

To continue our parallel with the development of the internet, we can also look at this period as web3, where users can take ownership of their digital footprint and secure a legacy on decentralized networks.

You might think you have it all figured out at 30 or 40… but 45 onwards is when you take all that experience and put it into real action. In the leadup to 45 we start to crave the freedoms of youth and we remember that there is more to life than the status quo. In a world that has conditioned us to believe there is meaning in money, we are starting to wake up to the reality that fleeting achievements based on short-play status games are just not enough.

This doesn't mean we stop trying to make money, we just realize it can be done as part of something greater than our own needs. We start to seek a deeper purpose to what we do and the provide value back to the world. The trigger can be anything from kids flying to coop to career changes, burnout or health scares. An awareness of our own mortality sets off a dormant part of our psyche, coded in us from ancient times. Like inscribing stories on a wall, we too need to leave our mark on the world.

How do you want to be remembered? Who will remember you and why?

You've been writing your executable program from the start, even if you didn't realize it. You were laying the foundations and wire-framing the interface in your 20's, you were coding it in your 30's, then you did the beta-testing and debugging in your 40's. Now you're ready to execute and totally Change Modes to Superuser.

The purpose of your program is up to you, so make it count.

Why Wait?

But why wait until your 45+? I never said you have to wait. If you have the self-awareness to work through all this earlier in life, go for it. This is just a natural progression based on the societal norms we operate within, particularly in western society. Just be aware that the genuine experiences of living life are what drive the strength of our resolve to make change for the better. You can't fake experience and you can't manufacture knowledge.

Impact & Success

For most of us, there may be a 3-5 year leeway either side of these phases, and there will always be the outliers who achieve significant impact in their younger years. I say impact rather than success, because throughout life, success tends to take on different meaning. Something that feels a like a huge success when we're 20, may pale in significance to what we deem as success at 40.

Considering my own journey through this timeline, I don't entirely fit the mold... but I didn't produce this for myself. I was a late starter in many respects and an early adopter in other ways. I did my share of "life experiments" between 25-35 including 3 failed businesses alongside a mixed career between web development and television. But the experience and knowledge I gained propelled me into what I consider a successful career in Marketing from 35-45 that I may never have landed without the stepping stones to get there.

Those 10 years also introduced me to what a late starter can achieve. The founder of the brand I worked for started his business at 65 with an incredible level of purpose from the start. He was the perfect example of building your belief system from experience in an industry that desperately needed change. He even told stories of his formative years which taught him about giving back to those less fortunate. That brand went on to become one of the 10 biggest tea brands in the world and he died last year (2023) at age 93 years old with his sons and their grandchildren taking over the family owned business. His life would probably match this timeline to a tea!

No Regrets

I used to go to sleep as a teenager listening to vinyl of Edith Piaf singing "Non, je ne regrette rien" (btw - watch my video for an embarrassingly bad rendition). I live by that and have no regrets in life.

I launched several of my own businesses, but I was always too early. I was importing craft beer from Australia to New Zealand before there was a market for it. I was building a gamified tourism business in 2004 before we had the funding and resources to scale it further. I bought the Master Franchise license for a designer retail chain and launched the first store just before the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.

The businesses failed, I didn't. I learned a lot from those ventures and even now if I went back and did it again I don't believe they would have worked in the circumstances.

Throughout all 3 of the life phases we've covered, the principles of read-write-execute continue to spin like a whirring flywheel of growth. Each supports and amplifies each other. You'll always be learning, you always be engaging and you'll always be putting your knowledge into action.

Don't be afraid to fail, the only failure is not finishing with your best foot forward.

It still amazes me how many people in business still don't understand the core differences between marketing and advertising, and would you believe there are still business owners who think they don't need either? That's a story for another time. So now, grab a cushion and enjoy my version of the Tortoise and the Hare.

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Tortoise vs Hare: Brand Marketing vs. Direct Advertising

Discover how the timeless fable of the Tortoise and the Hare applies to today's marketing strategies, emphasizing sustainable growth and the power of brand loyalty. Read the full article on my blog and subscribe for my newsletter: https://rwx.mrjonkane.com/brand-marketing-vs-direct-advertising-tortoise-vs-hare Watch the Video Version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cCCDIK9LMeA

Once upon a time, in a lush forest where ancient trees intertwined with the songs of birds, there lived a Tortoise and a Hare. The Hare, with his sleek, soft fur and long, bounding legs, was known throughout the land as the swiftest creature. The Tortoise, on the other hand, carried her home on her back and moved with the patience of the earth itself, embodying the very essence of steadiness and resolve.

One radiant morning, the Hare, brimming with confidence, proposed a race. He sought to prove once and for all that speed was the supreme virtue in their world. Nobody dared to challenge the Hare. But then, the Tortoise, with a gentle smile that held the wisdom of the ages, plodded forward and humbly accepted the challenge.

As dawn broke the following day, the animals gathered along the winding course which ran past their homes through the forest, all buzzing with anticipation. The race began, and true to his reputation, the Hare dashed forward with incredible speed, quickly leaving the Tortoise behind. Confident and unbothered by the notion of defeat, the Hare didn't see the need to engage with the onlookers or enjoy the journey; his eyes were fixed solely on the victory ahead.

Meanwhile, the Tortoise, moving at her own steady pace, savored every moment of the race. She stopped to chat with the animals along the path, sharing kind words and listening to their stories. These simple acts of kindness endeared her to the forest's inhabitants, who began to view the Tortoise not just as a competitor, but as a friend.

The Hare, taking shortcuts along the way, reached the finish line in what felt like a blink of an eye. Only he found it eerily silent. The victory he had envisioned, filled with cheers and admiration, was nowhere to be found. He had crossed the finish line so quickly that nobody had arrived to witness it; the crowd was now following behind the Tortoise, accompanying her on the journey.

As the Tortoise neared the finish line, she was greeted with a resounding cheer from the gathered crowd, who had followed her, drawn by the warmth of her character and the strength of her spirit. The Tortoise may have come in second, but she was celebrated like a true champion, surrounded by friends and admirers.

In that moment, the Hare understood. The race, with its singular focus on reaching the end first, had offered only a fleeting thrill, a hollow victory that echoed in the emptiness of his moment of triumph. The Tortoise, in embracing the journey itself, had garnered the true prize: she had captured the hearts of those around her, earning a far greater victory.

There are so may ways this can be interpreted from a business perspective, but imagine for moment, that our Hare is the founder, focussed only his competitors weaknesses and his own prowess. He'll do anything to win and fails to recognize who his customers actually are. He doesn't care to learn who they are, intent on just shouting about his products at every opportunity he can. He's built products that he thinks everyone wants to buy, but he never stopped to ask why. He values hard work and tireless hustle but he's not very strategic... it's all eyes on the prize.

The Tortoise on the other hand is someone who works smart and listens. She is someone who builds from the ground up with a purpose. This is someone who builds a community around what they do and understands the culture, is embedded and backed by the culture and is able to influence culture from the inside. She's building value.

Do you get the Story?

A story breaks about the holy grail being discovered in a small English village but nobody knows who actually found it. You and one other journalist from the opposition media are the first on the scene. He's sitting in his car Googling for information and trying to connect with people on Facebook who live in the area. Your in the cosy local pub talking with the chatty Publican as he pulls you a pint of good ale.

You get the story. Sometimes it's better to pull levers than push buttons to get results.

Pour me another pint!

Ok before we delve deeper lets just do a refresher on the differences between Brand Marketing, Direct Marketing and Advertising.

Direct marketing communicates directly with targeted customers to generate a response or a transaction. It can be highly personalized and it's designed to prompt immediate action, such as a purchase, subscription, or to visit a website. Direct marketing comes through various channels, such as:

• Email marketing

• Direct mail (brochures, postcards, catalogs)

• Telemarketing

• SMS messaging

• Targeted online display ads

The key characteristics of direct marketing include measurable responses, personalized communication, and a direct call to action. It's particularly effective and immediate because it's based on knowing something about you already. It's usually linked to a key marker such as the email list you joined, the loyalty club that has your phone number or the baby clothing website you visited who now deliver ads to you on Facebook.

Advertising is a broader term. It encompasses the creation and sharing of messages to promote or sell a product or service. It can also be broader Brand Advertising designed to raise awareness, create a positive image, and communicate the values of a brand. Advertising strategies are typically designed for mass audiences and can be found across:

• Television and radio commercials

• Print media (newspapers, magazines)

• Online ads (banner ads, video ads)

• Outdoor advertising (billboards, transit ads)

When these ad formats are used for broader Brand Awareness campaigns the biggest consideration is immediate impact. The attention of people seeing these is short, because you're probably driving, scrolling, turning pages or channel surfing. Advertising is the art of short impactful messaging and design.

Brand Marketing has traditionally been a subset of advertising, but it takes you deeper into building and strengthening the brand's identity, personality, and values. Unlike advertising and direct marketing, which seeks immediate responses, brand marketing aims to develop a lasting relationship between the brand and its audience. It involves consistent messaging across all platforms to foster brand recognition, loyalty, and preference.

Brand marketing strategies can include storytelling, content marketing, and immersive brand experiences. This is where strategies in the digital age have evolved into social media and community building. That forms a nice dovetail back into direct marketing.

Distinctions

• Purpose: Direct marketing seeks immediate action from its target audience, while brand marketing aims to build awareness and establish a connection over time.

• Communication: Direct marketing communicates directly with consumers in a personalized manner. In contrast, advertising often targets broader audiences with a more general message.

• Metrics: The success of direct marketing is measured by the direct responses and transactions it generates. Advertising's effectiveness, particularly brand marketing, may be gauged by longer-term metrics such as brand awareness, perception, and loyalty.

The best way to visualize how all of these work together is the Sales & Marketing Funnel.

The Sales & Marketing Funnel

The Sales and Marketing Funnel is a visual representation that maps out these different strategies in the customer journey from discovery to retention.

Brand is not a logo

Brand Marketing is a pull lever, it can influence culture on various levels by building attention and trust. Its traditional purpose is 'brand awareness' and 'brand positioning' but on a more human level it’s now about influencing the way people think of a business ‘entity’ as an identity. That’s why so many businesses are trying to personalize their brands with ghost writers publishing the same corporate talk from a CEO's personal Twitter profile then retweeting it to the company feed. That just doesn't cut it anymore. We can get into more meaningful strategies another time but for now think of it this way...

Brand is how people think of you. Not your logo.

Funnily enough a lot of individuals are still trying hard to appear like a business. How many of you have considered branding your one-person business as an "agency"? To be fair, separation is sometimes deliberate… you can spot those who are seeking Venture Capital and plan to sell. Their exit strategy often requires personalities to be somewhat detached from the value of the business.

Even personal brands often fail to understand this idea of bringing individuality to their communications. You just need to be the Tortoise stopping to chat with people along the way! This is perhaps one of the better qualities that politicians embody, especially when they are doing it because of a genuine belief that they can make a difference in the world.

If Brand Marketing is a lever to be pulled, then Direct Marketing & Advertising is a push button that aims for a more instant transactional result.

At its core, brand marketing transcends mere transactions to weave a narrative that resonates deeply with the audience. It's about crafting a story, much like those told by our charismatic barman in a cozy English pub. This storytelling does more than just sell a product; it embeds the brand within the cultural fabric, making it a topic of daily conversation and a marker of identity.

While advertising and direct-marketing pushes for an immediate and measurable reaction—click, buy, subscribe - brand marketing pulls the audience into a narrative, building a relationship that can last a lifetime. Advertising's success is measured in sales and conversions, metrics that are straightforward and quantifiable. Brand marketing, however, operates in the realm of perceptions and emotions, its impact often felt over longer periods and harder to quantify through traditional metrics.

The True Measure of Brand Marketing

The true measure for a brand is whether people are willing to pay more (in dollars or attention) for what you offer vs your competitors. Even more important is loyalty. Are they willing to not just do that once or twice, but to keep coming back!

This distinction between broader Brand Marketing and direct transactional marketing or advertising highlights a strategic fork in the road for businesses: opt for the instant gratification and measurable outcomes or invest in the slow, rewarding build of brand loyalty and cultural influence through brand marketing. Do you ant to be the Tortoise or the Hare? The choice is not mutually exclusive but requires a delicate balance to ensure both immediate needs and long-term goals are met.

Strategic Allocation:

Let's take influence from the Tortoise's strategy but also invite the Hare to be on the team! Allocating a larger portion of resources (say 80%) to brand marketing ensures a brand's steady growth and deeper cultural integration, avoiding the pitfalls of over-allocation to the short-lived victories driven by direct marketing tactics.

This strategic focus on brand marketing doesn't diminish the importance of direct marketing but rather positions it as a complementary tactic. The immediate conversions generated by direct marketing can fuel the broader goals of brand awareness and loyalty, provided they are not at the expense of the brand's integrity or its long-term vision.

The Intersection of Brand Marketing and Technology

The advent of web3 and blockchain technology represents a frontier for brand marketing, offering unprecedented opportunities to engage with communities and influence culture. These technologies, with their emphasis on decentralization and user empowerment, align with the core pillars of brand marketing—authenticity, community, and shared values.

Early adopters are the Founders best friend. They are the ones who will weave your story into their own story to tell their friends. They are the first ripples when you drop in the pond.

Innovative startups who are building in web3 or the existing brands that venture into this space, not only tap into a tech-savvy audience but also participate in shaping the very fabric of this new frontier. These brands are not merely advertising; they are helping to pioneer a cultural movement, embedding their narratives within the foundational stories of web3 and blockchain.

The Holy Grail!

Brand marketing, with its capacity to influence culture and foster deep connections, stands as a powerful counterpoint to the transactional nature of advertising. In digital marketing, where new technologies like web3 offer new opportunities, brands must navigate with strategic foresight and a commitment to being more than authentic.

The essence of brand marketing is to build a narrative that resonates on a human level. It begins a conversation which moves us beyond the sometimes evasive idea of authenticity. It allows us to display something through our actions that holds the values of our friend the Tortoise: A consistency of character. No matter who is racing against us, we can remain true to our purpose, make friends along the way, and they may just follow along to celebrate with you.

Now… can you guess where that Holy Grail was hidden in our quaint English village?

The barman said “Go ask the Tortoise… you might find it hidden in her shell!”

Are you a creative thinker or entrepreneur who develops new ideas in the fields of art, coding, literature, music, business, or design? Are you someone with the ability to collect and organize ideas or content and present it in a meaningful and engaging way?

If that sounds like you, then you’re what I call, a Curátive.

Traditionally, "curative" refers to something that has healing or therapeutic properties, often used in the context of medicine or natural remedies.

I believe in the power of words and creative expression to heal humanity and raise our consciousness into an age of enlightenment!

The Curátive is someone who ultimately wants to make the world better through their work.

TL;DR Don't want to read the rest? Available now via Podcast or YouTube.

https://shows.podcastle.ai

The Curátive's: Pioneering the Digital Renaissance and Creator Economy

We explore the role of The Curátive in pioneering the Digital Renaissance and the creator economy. As content creators and entrepreneurs, The Curátive provides a therapeutic experience to help ignite creativity and success in the online world. Join us as we dive into the power of the Digital Renaissance and the growing importance of the creator economy.

Curátives: are those naturally adept at being the creator and a curator, collecting and organizing inspiration and ideas, then infusing them in original, creative ways to enlighten, synthesize, educate and positively impact those around them. That might be their immediate network or to a broader audience. They are people who aspire to a greater purpose, seeking transformative knowledge and executing through innovative practices. A Curátive prescribes knowledge in condensed forms of content that have the ability to heal our minds in a toxic world.

Personality Types: At the end of the article I've linked to a free Myers-Briggs personality test and listed a range of personality types that very much align with a Curátive. For example I'm the following...

1. ENFJ (Protagonist): ENFJs are natural-born leaders who are passionate about helping others achieve their potential. They excel in communicating complex ideas in relatable terms and inspiring others to action, making them effective at spreading impactful knowledge and fostering growth.

The Content Pill

Red pill, green pill... whatever colour you like. The well known idiom of "a hard pill to swallow" predates the common reference to 'The Matrix', and describes a fact, truth, or situation that is hard to accept or come to terms with.

The Curátive is able to tackle the hard to swallow problems and boil down a synthesis of knowledge. The content they compact, ranges from short form tweets to long form books or even consulting solutions and education.

Swallow it, smoke it, sip it or stick it up your ass... the Curátives pill is compacted knowledge that can change the world for the better.

I hear you say... "I'm a writer, artist or designer and I gather inspiration and research for my work already?"

But do you share this process with the world? Do you document your journey and communicate the greater purpose of your work? Do you tell people why you believe so strongly in what you do? Many artists have written their 'artists bio', but leave it at that. Turn it into a living document that you write about regularly. If you're a writer, start writing your own content about what matters to you.  

The activating ingredient is being able to communicate your ideas to an audience. A writer may be closer to achieving that, but many writers are also busy 'doing' the writing for others and not stepping back to find a purpose for their own writing. Likewise, a designer might dabble with their own designs on the side, sell them on stock sites etc... but few learn to communicate an overriding intent or purpose in their work. This is where the designer is often the artist as well. Most artists do it part-time while earning a living elsewhere... busy creating their work when they can, but frustrated at never finding opportunities to get their work seen more.

Am I saying this is just learning to write about your work? No, but it's the best place to start. You don't have to be a 'great writer'... it's the thought that counts.   

You can record a simple video on your phone, talk to camera or film what you're working on and talk over the top if you don't like being on screen.

The mindset of a Curátive is where it really starts.

I believe this is something which comes naturally to every creative thinker, artist, writer or designer, but remains unrealized and underutilized. The common hesitation, particularly among artists, is "I don't have time to do anything but create!". But it's something you already internalize.

It only requires a few raw ingredients:

1.) Identify Your Motivation (or the Problem you are trying to Solve)

2.) Find the Solution

3.) Communicate the Purpose

1.) Identify Your Motivation

No matter what you do, you need to address pain points for others. I'll use an artist as an example but the same applies whether you're a writer, business founder or a stay at home mom! Your work resonates with those who feel an emotional connection to it on some personal level. Sure, some people will get that impact by knowing nothing about you or your intent. But surely you want what you do appreciated, or to have your work seen and more importantly, felt, by more than just 'some'. Getting your work out to a broader audience comes from finding more people that can relate to your work. 

Ask yourself this: What made me start my endeavors in the first place? What in your best moment excited you about it.

Was it because picking up a paint brush and painting has a meditative quality and you simply love the process? Great... the problem your trying to solve, is just the opposite of doing that.

So then ask yourself this: If you don't create, how does it make you feel? Anxiety, depression, lack of focus, creative block?

2.) The Solution

The Solution usually starts with the simple steps to getting started. That's the hardest part for most people. If you're doing it you are a few steps ahead and we love hearing from people who are just a few steps ahead because it still feels achievable.

So think of practical steps. Take a lesson from the popular YouTube format "If I were starting again - this is what I'd do!". List them out because everyone loves actionable lists.

3.) Consistency & Purpose

Don't even think about your audience to start, forget about who is watching, reading... or the zero likes and views. Do it for yourself and once you start, do not stop.

I'll say it again... as much for me as I say it for you. Do Not Stop!

Finally, keep hammering your purpose. This is the secret sauce I've seen from working with inspirational founders. Dogged repetition of not just their main goals, but their transcendent purpose.

Transcendent Purpose

Your transcendent purpose is that unwavering belief, that what you do, no matter how minor, has the potential for major impact.

Now for the hardest pill to swallow.

If you really can't find that purpose in what you do. GTFO and do something else.

You can live a life without purpose, but it's not a life well lived. Live the life of a Curátive.

Resources

If you don't know your Myers-Briggs persoanlity type I'd recommend this free assessment on https://www.16personalities.com/

Curátives" encompass a broad range of personality types, yet certain Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personalities may naturally align more closely with the Curátive concept due to their intrinsic characteristics. These personality types are particularly adept at blending creativity with an analytical mindset to curate and create impactful content. Here are a few MBTI types that fit the Curátive profile:

1. ENFP (The Campaigner): ENFPs are known for their enthusiasm, creativity, and ability to connect seemingly unrelated concepts to create novel ideas. Their natural curiosity and ability to see the big picture make them excellent at gathering diverse insights and synthesizing them into meaningful content. They're motivated by their desire to inspire and uplift others, aligning closely with the Curátive's goal to heal and enlighten.

2. INFJ (The Advocate): INFJs are visionary and creative, with a deep sense of idealism and integrity. They often feel compelled to make the world a better place. INFJs are skilled at writing and expressing complex ideas in a way that others can understand, making them natural curators of knowledge with a transformative impact.

3. INTP (The Logician): While INTPs might seem an unconventional choice, their unparalleled ability to analyze complex problems and devise innovative solutions can make them excellent Curátives in domains like technology, coding, and science. They are adept at collecting vast amounts of information and distilling it into core insights and theories.

4. ENTJ (The Commander): ENTJs are strategic leaders who excel at organizing projects and people to achieve long-term visions. Their ability to see possibilities, coupled with a drive to transform ideas into reality, can align well with the Curátive's role as changemakers and builders of the creator economy.

5. ENFJ (The Protagonist): ENFJs are natural-born leaders who are passionate about helping others achieve their potential. They excel in communicating complex ideas in relatable terms and inspiring others to action, making them effective at spreading impactful knowledge and fostering growth. This one is me!

6. INFP (The Mediator): INFPs possess a unique blend of creativity, empathy, and an intrinsic drive to help others and make the world a better place. Their ability to express deep concepts in creative and accessible ways makes them natural Curátives, especially in the arts, literature, and any field that benefits from a deep understanding of human emotions.

These personality types share common traits that align with the ethos of a Curátive: creativity, the ability to synthesize and curate information, a drive to impact the world positively, and the communication skills necessary to share their vision with a wider audience. However, the essence of a Curátive could potentially be found in any personality type, given the right motivation, mindset, and commitment to their craft and its purpose.

This also addresses the risks of building a business that relies too heavily on centralized incumbents like Facebook or Twitter that, at a whim, can squeeze you out, de-platform, or retain your core value.

That core value is the network you've worked hard to build.

If the risks of relying on centralized platforms are not a priority for you right now... the features and functionality that are coming in the next wave of the social internet will be. Early adopters will gain a massive competitive advantage.

TL;DR Don't want to read the rest? Available now via Podcast or YouTube.

https://shows.podcastle.ai

Ownership Economy: A Guide for Content Creators on the Blockchain

Explore how the ownership economy revolutionizes content creation, offering creators control and fair value exchange through decentralized networks. Discover how you can start to build sustainable long term value by owning not only your content but the audience you work hard to build.

Not Another Social Media App!?

Being an early adopter on the next big social app is a promise we've all heard before. Many of us are sick of signing up for yet another 'game-changer.' But what I'm looking at now is not just a shiny new app but an ecosystem where participation is earning you transparent and portable credibility across the entire network. So, whatever apps become the winners in that ecosystem, you won't be starting from scratch if you move to another app.

Imagine you'd built up 100k followers on Twitter but they changed their algorithm so your reach was nothing like it used to be and the features no longer suited your content. You find a new app that fixes all those issues, but you'll be starting from scratch with 0 audience.

Pay attention: this will be the last time you have to start from scratch again.

This is not the equivalent of setting up a static web page back in 1996; it's the equivalent of adding e-commerce to your business before the market got overcrowded or being an early creator on Instagram who stood out and grew exponentially over time... without the risk of getting rugged.

As a content creator, you don't have to be reliant on ad revenue or platform-based monetization. By leveraging a new era of decentralized networks, creators can monetize work in novel ways and build sustainable value without being tied to one specific platform. The network you build is portable, and the content you create is published to distributed storage that no single entity owns.

But that already exists, doesn't it? Email lists can be exported and moved between Newsletter delivery services because of the open protocol of SMTP and I can move my website to a new host because of DNS for domain names. RSS provides the same for blogs, and like Vinyl records, Podcasts have made a comeback through RSS in an almost analog fashion.

Yes, this is true to some extent.

Along with the foundations of the open internet itself, these 'Protocols' have remained relatively true to their original purpose.

There is also value in the economy of scale provided by large networks like Twitter. No denying that. But value at what cost. Larger platforms come with the promise of greater reach by tapping into their massive user base. But it's not that simple. The omnipotent algorithms chew us up and spit out a deluge of shallow SEO driven content created to growth hack the system. I know, I've been there and done it myself and I still catch myself dipping my toes in that murky water.

There's no avoiding this algorithmic game, if you want to remain competitive as a business. But as an individual I'm driven to experiment and test alternatives that respect the early intentions of the internet. Let play on protocols designed to spawn, what may become the future norm.

Chris Dixon says...

“What the smartest people do in the weekends, is what everyone will do during the week in 10 years.”

You don't need to be inventing the next "big thing", just make time to try new things.

Web 1

The internet was founded by researchers with a vision for an open system that created a level playing field for everyone. Protocols like SMTP for email, and HTTP for web access further underscore this spirit of openness, promoting a free exchange of information and ideas. This is what the internet was founded upon. It is what has been commonly referred to as the 'Read' error of the internet where information was typically 1-way, a bunch of online directories and catalogues you could read without any real engagement. I still remember that feeling of wonder the first time in 1996 that I heard a dial-up modem connecting me to information from around the world.

Web 2

The second evolution of the internet, known as web2 is where the economics of well funded corporate entities began to consolidate ownership by providing services for free at the expense of being tied to their platform. Before YouTube you could pay for video hosting at a premium or set up your own media server, but streaming was barely usable. These networks were a natural evolution which brought about innovation.

They not only consolidated content hosting and delivery services but consolidated the ability for people to connect and find each other beyond email. It started with chat clients like ICQ and MSN Messenger, MySpace was an iteration of blogging for the masses and then Facebook took hold.

User generated content and self-publishing proliferated, shaping society in a way we hadn't seen since introduction of the printing press. This era is dubbed the Read-Write phase of the internet, we could now create content and interact with ease. I remember the default for a startup web businesses back then was to tack 'Interactive' onto your business name!

For further reading on this history, Chris Dixons recently published book 'Read Write Own' perfectly sums up this history of the internet, let alone the future of ther ownership economy. I'd highly recommend you grab a copy.

But what is the 'Own' in his book title?

Web 3 (or is it still 2.75?)

The 3rd phase we're entering now is where we take back ownership of our digital lives. The move to decentralized networks is becoming undeniably mainstream. Blockchain networks are still at an equivalent stage to where internet adoption was in the mid-late 2000's. That's not to be confused with development, UX and infrastructure which has come along in leaps and bounds as developers and designer from web2 shifted to web3 during bull markets like 2018 and 2021. Some great examples of this I'll get to shortly for content creation.

While it's not apples for apples to compare, the most important crossover is how many developers have stayed through the bear market and continued building, how many VC firms have stayed 'in touch' even if their funding dried up amidst broader macro constraints. They know the tipping point is upon us and are eagerly positioning themselves, not for the short term wins we see in the speculative crypto casino culture, but for the medium-long term investment in a cultural phenomenon.

I could talk for ever on this, and I will. But right now I want to pivot back to what I'm doing right now to get back to tinkering and trying new things and why you need to consider how and where you publish your content as both individuals and as business entities going forward.

My Web2 Tech Stack

I started Read.Write.Execute last year as a way to synthesize my skills and experience in communication, marketing and brand building over 25 years, with my 'hobby' of experimenting in web3, blockchain and crypto since 2014.

My first instinct was to build my website, newsletter and blog on fairly well established web2 platforms based on the recommendations of other content creators who have found success, and replicate that in my own way. Even in web2 no one platform does everything you want so I landed on a combination of Kartra for my main website and newsletter delivery, while building up a series of course content in the background which is where Kartra really stands out.

Kartra doesn't manage blogging so well so I recently started a trial of 'Dropinblog' which integrates seamlessly with Kartra through embedding and I love it's live SEO ranking as you write. Downside is, that for a relatively new content creator without any revenue stream to speak of yet... this combo is not cheap. To embed on Kartra you need to upgrade to the Growth plan at more than $200 / month! (Shout out to the founder of Dropinblog actually, after I replied to his personal welcome and said much the same, he applied a 25% discount to my plan for the first year).

But I won't be taking it. I'll tell you why shortly.

The alternative is Wordpress which I've used many times over the years as a web developer, but I know all too well how much time is required to piece together all the different plugins and add-ons. If you read my article on the Art of Restraint - Perfectionism to Profit' you know I lean a little toward being a detail oriented creative. The challenge is, I'm also time-poor with family, kids and paid work. We always pay for convenience, which is what I've ended up doing.

The more I rack up the subscription fees to these services, the more I question what I'm getting for it, not only short term but long term as well. If you want to build a sustainable business, you need to build value into your core product from the ground up. You have to build it yourself. There's always a case for short term gain by building apps on top of existing corporate networks, but you have to know when to take profit and exit because it comes with platform risk.

But building everything yourself as a one person business is just not feasible for most.

So what's the next best thing, to build long term value, from the content you publish to the business solutions you provide? Lets first define 'long term value'.

Who Owns the Flywheel?

The 'ownership economy' is simply about owning the value you build. You need to own the flywheel that generates growth for your brand.

Content creation is not just for individuals, it's for any brand big or small. It needs to be more than an afterthought tacked on to a marketing plan, it should be the hub through which messaging pillars reach your audience for greater traction, efficiency and momentum. This flywheel is what generates value and enables a brands growth, particularly if it fosters a sense of quality and trust.

Imagine for a moment this flywheel is part of a bicycle.

What happens if you're in a wheel where the spokes are the centralized corporate channels that reach your audience, and some of those spokes begin to fail. At the very least your ride gets bumpy and you are forced to slow down. You lose traction with your audience and you risk the tyres falling off completely! Now imagine the gears on that bike are controlled by an algorithm which thinks it knows the best gear for your ride. The gears start changing randomly and you struggle to maintain speed and efficiency on the road. You are constantly peddling harder to keep up momentum. I hope you're wearing a helmet!

Zen and the Art of Flywheel Maintenance

So how do we build a reliable bike from interoperable parts in the blockchain stack.

I've been exploring a range of content publishing platforms since 2021 that align with the principles of an ownership economy but only recently did I find something that I think is perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between web3 and the less crypto-native masses.

I tried Mirror.xyz back in 2021-22 when I co-founded and authored content for a CPG DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). We developed 'gm Cereal' using Bored Ape IP with Bored Becky and launched a Chocolate range with OnChain Monkeys. You can read the Litepaper here - alas the bear market got the better of the project and we had to let it go).

For simple publishing of content to the blockchain, Mirror is great, but aside from the ability to mint content (purchase an NFT token of ownership for articles) there is not much beyond read-only functionality. Think of Mirror as a blockchain version of Medium. It's based on the Ethereum blockchain so transaction (gas) fees can be a little higher for people wanting to mint content. It's also crypto only which means it really caters to a crypto-native user base and audience for now.

Then I discovered Paragraph.xyz!

Paragraph.xyz

Paragraph is a decentralized blogging platform that allows writers to publish their work in a censorship-resistant and user-owned environment. It's built on blockchain technology, ensuring that writers have true ownership of our content and the network of readers we build. More than that, the content data and network you create is portable, usable and interoperable with a growing ecosystem of powerful publishing protocols and tools. I'll explain more about what that actually means... but I can hear the first question that comes to mind for most...

"Do I need a censorship resistant platform if I haven't been de-platformed or shadow-banned elsewhere? I only plan to blog about my families secret recipes?"

You wouldn't think so, but there's more to consider than that.

You could just use Paragraph like Substack without any need for a crypto wallet at all. You can publish blog posts in a refreshingly clean interface and have those automatically sent to an existing mailing list you import. You can set up gated content for free subscribers or paid memberships using Stripe for recurring credit card payments. All cozy and familiar.

Here's where it gets interesting! You can also set up membership tiers and gated content for people who hold a defined amount of a crypto token or an NFT and people who have a crypto wallet. Paragraph allows minting via energy efficient, fast and cheap Layer 2 blockchains (like Base, Optimism, Polygon and Zora). Not only that, people with digital wallets who are subscribed to your content can now receive notifications with content title and intro text to their wallet address every time you send out a newsletter!

The number of unique Ethereum addresses reached more than 250 million by February 2024 and the number of unique addresses active on a given day has been reported to be around 400,000.​.. and growing fast!

This is the first time I've seen a publishing tool that balances the features and monetization options for mass market appeal without being fully blockchain centric. Paragraph blends these traditional and familiar options with the blockchain tech stack for entrepreneurs and creators who value their work and want to preserve those "family recipes" for generations to come!

Imagine if there was a Twitter killer with the same appeal? Well hold that thought...

First I want to answer that question I heard from the cheap seats...

"Where is the data being stored that makes it so censorship resistant and secure?"

On Paragraph, all content is published to Arweave.

Arweave

Arweave is a decentralized storage network that offers permanent storage of data. It differs from traditional cloud storage services or other blockchain-based storage solutions by its unique approach to data storage, ensuring that once data is uploaded, it remains accessible indefinitely and it's not hosted on a single entities servers.

Arweave addresses the problem of data preservation on the internet, making sure that information, websites, and applications are permanently recorded and accessible. It's used for various applications like decentralized website hosting, data archiving, and even storing the transaction history of other major blockchains.

Yeah but... nothing is really permanant!

Let's just be realistic for a moment. When we say 'permanant storage' we're talking about, not waking up one day to find that a corporate entity has sold, gone bust or been hacked. But even Arweave and blockchain aren't totally indestructible... I mean what happens if a catastrophic event wipes out global internet? Well I think we've got bigger problems if that happens!

What if the network, is no longer maintained by enough nodes to keep it operational? Sure that's a possibility. For Arweave to become unusable, a significant majority of its nodes would need to quit simultaneously, leading to a loss of data redundancy and accessibility. While theoretically possible it's highly unlikely due to the distributed nature of the network and the economic incentives for nodes to remain active.

The question I ask is this: if I knew I was going to die tomorrow... where would I place my lifes work for posterity?

Assuming not all of us are in a position to store our data in an underground, nuclear and meteor proof storage facilty in the north pole... I'd choose Arweave.

Network Value

But what is the value of your work if it doesn't reach the right audience.

Don't just value your work, value your network.

While I post mainly on X and LinkedIn nowadays, I've begun building a parallel network on web3 social platforms.

Honestly I've tried too many to mention over the last few years with Crypto Twitter degens clambering to grab handles on any new decentralized social platform that pops up.

None have really clicked for me. Until I discovered Farcaster and it's leading social app for desktop and mobile, Warpcast.

On first impressions it feels very similar to the feed experience of Twitter / X with the depth of information and engagement you'd get from Reddit... all in a beautifully functional mobile-first user interface.

Farcaster

Farcaster is a decentralized social protocol. This is important to note... remember protocols are things like SMPT for email or DNS for domains. They are the foundational layer on which everything else is built. It's a protocol that any application or interfaces can be built around. It allows users to control their data and identities without being locked into a single platform.

Warpcast

Warpcast is built by the Farcaster team on the Farcaster protocol. It leverages Farcaster to provide users with a social networking experience that is resilient and user-focused. Warpcast handle user identities, messages, and interactions, ensuring that the data is not controlled by any single entity and can be accessed across different platforms that use the Farcaster protocol.

This dual development of the protocol and the client has allowed them to scale a very innovative and intuitive user experience, which acts as the perfect springboard for what others will build out from there.

Such as Frames!

Frames

Warpcast and Paragraph can now integrate using something launched by the Farcaster team, known as 'Frames'.

'Frames' can be thought of as a standardized data format or a protocol feature that allows for embedding, referencing, or interaction with content across different platforms, such as directly in social posts on Warpcast.

At the time of writing this, Frames has only been live for about 1 week and already many clever and playful uses have sprung up from pick-a-path games to practical applications that show the serious potential Frames is about to unlock.

Imagine on Twitter if you could post a link to your blog and the automatic preview box that shows in your tweet is not only the open graph image, title and description... but an active 'Subscribe' button too... which anyone can click to be instantly subscribed to your blog without even leaving that post. That now works on Warpcast to Paragraph!

Farcaster

Colin Armstrong on Warpcast

Shipped a Frame for Paragraph: share your newsletter on FC and users can subscribe without ever leaving their feed. If your wallet's already associated with a Paragraph account, we subscribe using your account; otherwise we create you a new account, letting you receive newsletters via XMTP. paragraph.xyz/@blog http://paragraph.xyz/@blog

Escape Velocity

There are so many more use cases being built with Frames. They have just enough simplicity and constraint for developers to get creative with enough expressivity to achieve 'escape velocity' to propel Farcaster to the true web2 social killer.

To better understand the basic premise of Frames, watch this video from Farcaster developer, Varun Srinivasan.

Farcaster

Varun Srinivasan on Warpcast

A quick video primer on frames! - Powerful mini-apps in your feed - Helps you reach your users on Farcaster - Built on open standards

Ok let's just come back up for air before we dive too deep.

Pivot to a Web 3 Tech Stack

For me, It's a small overhaul... and I want to take you with me! It's a chance to re-evaluate priorities and run content in tandem (for now) with some of the existing web2 technology stack (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn, Kartra for the courses I'm building). Existing subscribers, you'll see my newsletter now delivers via Paragraph and the Read.Write.Execute blog posts now live on my rwx.mrjonkane.com subdomain.

I'd suggest the same for an existing web2 based business. You still have those social networks you've built. Just stop relying on them.

Learn these new platforms and when you're comfortable, begin 'inviting' your audience to join you there 'as well'. You'll find the most valuable customers are the ones who follow your lead. They're typically the early adopters who will amplify your messages.

Hone in on those followers and take advantage of the 'early adopter' narrative, work the value proposition of long term thinking as a competitive advantage into your own messaging pillars.

Recap!

Let's review the above and list some action points you can take away and execute on.

We've touched on the ins-and-outs of the ownership economy and hopefully you can see a future where we, the creators and entrepreneurs, truly own and control our digital landscape. We've peeked into the world of web3, exploring how platforms like Paragraph.xyz and Protocols like Arweave are changing the game for content creation and storage. We've also looked at the power of building a resilient network with tools like Warpcast on Farcaster.

Now, let's get you rolling with some clear action steps:

1. Get Your Feet Wet with Web3: Start by exploring platforms like Paragraph.xyz. It's where the magic of blogging meets the solidity of blockchain.

2. Network Wisely: Dive into decentralized social platforms. Warpcast on Farcaster isn't just an alternative to web2 social; it's the future of social network ownership.

3. Bridge the Gap: Integrate these web3 platforms into your current content strategy. It's not about a complete overhaul, just smart additions which I only recommend because they are technically accessible to anyone without a heavy web3 onboarding.

Take it One Step at a Time. This is about evolving your strategy, not flipping everything on its head overnight. This is a great starting point if you're not crypto-native...

...but beware the rabbit hole, it is a trip!

References & Links Mentioned:

Read Write Own by Chris Dixon: https://readwriteown.com/
Kartra (building my courses): https://home.kartra.com/
Dropinblog (good web2 product) https://dropinblog.com/
Paragraph for Web3 Newsletter & Blogging: Paragraph.xyz
Farcaster (Warpcast) for Web3 Social: https://warpcast.com/

 "A Law Unto Yourself" means you are fiercely independent, you are someone who charts your own course, unbound by the conventional norms.

Now, imagine applying this autonomy to the realm of storytelling, crafting a narrative so compelling that it becomes... a lore unto itself.

Whether you're a visionary entrepreneur, a creative artist, or someone simply looking to define their role in the digital renaissance, understanding how to harness the power of lore, can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

This is not about, making shit up to be different; it's about being definitively you.

You don't do it for ego, you do it for purpose. You have to believe in yourself first, before others will believe your story.

We're going to explore the origins of lore in culture, its modern manifestations in the digital renaissance like gaming and web3, and, most important, how you can craft your own lore.

Lore is not a story of your past, it's the road-map to your future. 

TL;DR Don't want to read the rest?
Available now via Podcast or YouTube.

https://shows.podcastle.ai

The Power of Personal Narrative: Lore for the Digital Age

Unleash the power of personal narrative and step into the art of crafting lore for the digital age. In this video, I delve deep into the roots of storytelling, exploring how lore, a concept as ancient as society itself, has evolved into a compelling tool for personal, cultural, and digital transformation.

Originally stemming from the rich tapestries of culture and society, lore has evolved into a compelling tool in the modern digital landscape, particularly in gaming and web3 communities. But its influence doesn't stop there. Lore can be a transformative element in crafting business ideas or a personal mission.

So let's unravel the enigma of lore. Let's discover how its ancient roots are influencing modern storytelling and identity, then we'll look at some techniques to craft our own lore.

Lore: Its Origins in Society and Culture

The Ancient Art of Storytelling

Lore, or Folklore, is the essence of storytelling through culture and society. It's the fabric of myths, legends, and folktales passed down through generations.

It served multiple purposes: preserving history, imparting moral lessons, and explaining the unexplainable mysteries of the universe.

In many ways Lore has shaped society as we know it. Society is merely a framework built on a collective rule of law, evolving over time. Culture is a framework built on the collective role of lore. The threads of culture (lore) and society (law) weave the fabric of our reality. By reality I mean the way we both view the world and how we choose to interact with it.

Lore is how you begin to weave your own influence over that reality. Even the thinnest, most delicate thread in the tapestry can begin to change the pattern.

The Role of Mythology and Folklore

• Greek mythology, with its pantheon of gods and heroes, provides a classic example of lore shaping a society's understanding of the world.

• Native American folklore, rich in symbolism and moral teachings, offers another perspective on how lore can guide a culture's values and behaviors.

Lore as a Cultural Binder

• Lore acts as a cultural binder, uniting communities through shared narratives and oral histories.

• It fosters a sense of identity and belonging, grounding individuals in a larger, interconnected story.

Invented Lore in Modern Culture: Gaming and Web3 Communities

The Evolution of Lore in the Digital Renaissance

With the advent of technology, lore has found new life in the digital world. Gaming and web3 communities have fully embraced lore, using it to create immersive, engaging worlds that captivate audiences.

While this use of Lore is typically an invented narrative, it's a great example of the power of creative storytelling to build entirely new communities. 

Gaming: A New Frontier for Lore

• Video games like "World of Warcraft" and "The Elder Scrolls" have extensive lore that enriches gameplay and engagement. 

• Lore in tradtional gaming creates depth, providing a backdrop that influences game mechanics, character development, and player experience.

I still remember the excitement of loading adventure games on my Commodore 64 (yep that old!). The Last Ninja was a classic example of early game Lore. (Don't even get me started on my childhood obsession with Ninjas!)

Here's how it was told on the loading screen.

"The secrets of the Ninjitsu way had been jealously guarded for centuries, only once every decade were the scrolls seen at the ritual of the White Ninja. None coveted these secrets more than the evil Shogun. Seizing the opportunity of the ritual he sprang a fiendish trap that destroyed the brotherhood, except for one...

You. The Last Ninja.

Your sworn oath is to recover the scrolls, you travel to the mystical lands of the Shogun. Already his guards are mastering the ways of the Ninjitsu. To reach the Shogun’s Palace you must use all your weapon craft and fighting skills as you travel through dangerous wastelands, magnificent gardens then descend into the direst dungeons before the final confrontation...

You cannot fail. You are the Last Ninja." 

That music just takes me back!

But fast forward to the future of gaming and there are some amazing developments happening right now where Lore goes beyond a fanciful story and taps into the cultural narrative of the digital renaissance itself.

Web3, NFTs and the Metaverse: Lore as Digital Culture

Gaming has traditionally been a top-down story, driven by large gaming companies and adopted by the masses. Web3 lore is a community-driven story from the bottom up, built by creators in this digital renaissance.

• NFT projects and metaverse platforms utilize lore to establish unique digital cultures and communities.

• Lore in these spaces goes beyond storytelling; it becomes a means of identity creation and community belonging in a digital context.

The engagement within these communities around a project's success is intrinsically tied to a sense of ownership, not only for financial purpose, but a belief in advancing digital culture in a direction where everyone can benefit from the growth.

Even within traditional gaming, the mechanics of player rewards have shifted from points and leader-boards toward digital collectibles and in-game items. These remain mostly a centralized function on game servers rather than on the blockchain.

In web3 gaming however, those digital collectibles take on a very different value proposition as Non-Fungible Tokens that can be traded and purchased via Cryptocurrencies and custom tokens.

The vision of ownership in this digital world goes beyond community-driven lore and into tangible assets on a platform that is co-owned by the community rather than a centralized corporate entity.

Notable examples, either still in development or already in play are Yuga Labs, Futureverse and Walker World... to name a few of many! I know these best because, in full transparency, I own assets to varying degrees within each.

Yuga has perhaps the most anticipated metaverse called 'Otherside', still being built and publicly tested along the way. They've also brought out smaller arcade-style games like Dookey Dash, which is now launching to the public via App-stores without the need to hold Yuga assets or even have a crypto wallet.

The Lore behind Dookey is probably the funniest I've seen... it has to be watched to fully appreciate it!

Building on this, Dookey Dash Unclogged will introduce innovative new formats like Creator Mode, which allows you to; 

"Create and sell 3D models of new skins, vehicles, stickers and more using the Faraway Creator Suite. Your 3D models can be purchased by anyone via the Faraway Shop and then used in 'Dookey Dash Unclogged' and thousands of other digital experiences and games".

This hints at the open cross-platform intentions of Yuga. Games that can bridge the values of core web3 communities to the broader mainstream will be the winners!

Futureverse is also setting new standards in the metaverse with groundbreaking tools like the FuturePass Smart Wallet and a decentralized AI Protocol through ASM Brains which has been integrated into games like 'Muhammad Ali - The Next Legends'. All of this is powered by Futureverse's own decentralized blockchain, The Root Network. 

Aligning with perhaps the most famous Lore to bridge mainstream audiences with the Metaverse narrative, Futureverse have partnered with the author of the iconic 'Ready Player One' book to establish Readyverse Studios. Readyverse is expected to launch in 2024 as a dynamic platform for connected digital experiences, in a major rights deal with none other than Warner Bros!

Beyond gaming, you can find Lore playing a part in the gamification and purposeful mechanics of web3.

A relatively little known project that has been building non-stop through the bear market of 2022-2023 is Dogface Labs and Xeno Mining. Alongside a very colorful Lore, they are driven by a real sense of purpose and belief in what web3 can provide. Holders of their different collections can stake assets to earn rewards from crypto mining operations set up from the crowdfunding of asset purchases. With the founders all coming from a military service background, a significant portion of those mining rewards go to support military veteran charities and first responders. 

The Power of Community-Driven Lore

• In these modern iterations, lore often becomes a collaborative, community-driven effort, with participants contributing to not only creative storytelling, but a broader narrative based on their belief in building a decentralized ownership economy.

• This interactive aspect of lore in digital spaces signifies a shift from passive consumption to active creation.

Chris Dixon said in an interview with 'The Verge'...

"The next Disney or Marvel would not come top-down from a company. It would come from an internet community who comes together using NFTs, tokens, and other kinds of Web3 concepts to create stories and characters, and would actually own parts of those characters and have control over them."

Chris Dixon is a widely respected and successful investor, internet entreprenuer and general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. They are the most active and influential VC firms with with some $35B in assets under management. All this to say, he really knows what he's talking about!

His new book 'Read Write Own' is going to be a tipping point. I can't wait to read what I suspect will align to my Operating System for Change: 'Read-Write-Execute' based on the old Unix command Chmod 777. Not only that, my personal vision and Lore for this framework is leading me towards a theoretical command line...

Chmod 888: unlocking infinite and permissionless ownership! 

/Watch this space _

Applying Lore to Business and Personal Branding 

Lore in Business: Crafting a Compelling Narrative

In the realm of business, lore can be an invaluable framework to shape a company's identity and mission. While some traditional businesses would clearly not produce the imaginative Lore we see in web3, the ability to see the business through the lens of a story told for generations to come is invaluable. 

The Art of Storytelling in Business

• Businesses can use lore to craft compelling narratives that resonate with their audience, turning customers into a community. 

• Examples include brands that have built mythologies around their origins or values.

Apple's story of innovation and disruption intertwines visionary thinking, technological breakthroughs, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Their lore not only showcases Apple's products but also celebrates the ethos and values that propelled the company to its iconic status.

This is not to be confused with a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) or 'Brand Positioning'. Lore is distinct from traditional marketing narratives. It's the essence of a company's heritage, like an oral history shared around a camp fire.

Lore embodies the roots of a company's culture, such as Steve Jobs and Wozniak crafting the first Apple computer in a garage, or the accidental invention of cereal by the Kellogg brothers. While strategic branding focuses on showcasing benefits and positioning, lore adds a human touch. It's not just about selling; it's about creating a sense of connection, even for those outside the target market.

For instance, you might not be an avid Apple user, but the story of two visionaries in a garage pursuing a revolutionary dream resonates with anyone. Refining a strategic narrative is necessary, but sharing your lore transforms your brand from a faceless entity into a relatable, humanized presence.

You don't need to have a 'long history' already. Make history and others will write it for you. Imagine two people sitting around a campfire in 50 years time talking about your brand. What do you want them to be saying about it? What interesting stories did they read in the book about it's origins?

Make those stories happen and start to slip those insights and personal anecdotes into conversations, podcast interviews and even Tweets! That's where it begins.

Lore in Personal Branding: Crafting Your Story

For individuals, particularly artists, entrepreneurs, and professionals, lore can be a powerful tool in developing a personal brand. 

Not all businesses have a Founder figure, or one that is willing to develop a narrative and personal brand. But there is plenty of reason to seriously consider this if you are a founder.

The art of crafting a personal brand is a much broader topic, but it starts with identifying the core pillars of your belief system,  these become your messaging pillars. In particular identify both your personal goals and a more transcendent purpose that will make change in the world (big or small) for the better.

Finally, it takes dogged repetition of these core messages... every chance you get. The most effective and inspiring leaders I've come across are the visionary leaders who hammer home their purpose consistently... for years. 

Tips for Mission Statements and Artist Bios

• Lore can transform a standard bio into a compelling narrative that captures the essence of an individual's journey and values.

• It's about crafting a story that resonates, that turns a personal or professional trajectory into something almost mythic, yet relatable.

• Don't be afraid to sound a bit over the top. When I worked in television, we'd always coach people to be more expressive and energetic on camera. It feels uncomfortable at first, but something that would be too much in person actually works better on camera. The same applies here. 

To Conclude...

From ancient cultural narratives to modern digital communities and from business branding to personal identity, the concept of lore remains a powerful and transformative tool for building your presence in the digital renaissance.

It's a reminder of the enduring power of storytelling and its ability to connect, persuade, and inspire across ages and mediums. Whether you're building a brand, shaping a business, or crafting your personal narrative, consider the role lore can play in elevating your story to something truly memorable.

Remember, every story has the potential to become a legend.

References & Links:

Read Write Own - by Chris Dixon: https://readwriteown.com/
Yuga Labs: https://yuga.com/
Futureverse: https://www.futureverse.com/
Xeno Mining: https://www.xenomining.com 

But sometimes we need to look at what we don't want to be, to drive us in the direction of what we want to be.

I'm rejecting normal!

TL;DR: Don't want to read the rest?

Available now via Podcast or YouTube.

https://shows.podcastle.ai

Not Normal - Embrace the Rebel and be an Extraordinary Misfit in Life

Embrace the Misfit and Respect the Rebel! Break free from the 'normal.' Join me as I delve into the mysteries of life and explore the significance of being 'not normal.' This video is a heartfelt exploration of embracing our inner rebel, the importance of emotional intelligence, and the art of 'deep diving' into both knowledge and emotions.

Now in my late 40's on the slippery slope to 50 I'm becoming accutely aware of the span of my life and a deeper sense of purpose. You might say it's the beginning of a mid life crisis but it's not that simple.

I don't have a sudden desire to be young again but I have the perspective to now see what the younger me could not. Even better, I still have time to do something about it!

From a young age I sought the mysteries behind the veil of life. I was fascinated with the paranormal when I was 11. I loved playing with Ouija boards, and I became the youngest ever committee member of a local Psychic Research Society at 15! My favourite place was Pathfinder Bookshop (name says it all).

I was not normal.

Looking back, I never discovered or experienced anything profoundly supernatural, it was merely the idea that there might be something else to this strange life we live. Despite the name, it was actually a well balanced group who would approach everything with a degree of skepticism and question every probable cause.

It taught me if nothing else, to consider all the angles and to question.

My own daughter from age 5 would stop and look at the world around her and say "It's so strange that we're alive!" I don't ever want her to lose that sense of wonder.

She is not normal.

Even to this day I'm both terrified and fascinated by the infinite expanse of the universe. I can't help but be aware of how insignificant I am in the larger span of time.Is that normal?

Rebellious by Nature

None of us are born normal. We are born rebels, every single one of us. We learn by pushing the boundaries. Trust me, the creative penmanship of my 2 year old across every surface of the lounge and kitchen yesterday was testament to this!

Many successful people in this world are not those who followed expected path to success. They have been the rebels and the misfits who find their own way. Of course it depends how you define success, but in my view it is being able to make change in the world, for the better.

The script from Apples 1997 Think Different campaign sums it up nicely.

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

But then reality hits, I'm not pushing the human race forward. I went and bought the latest iPhone... but I/m still just... normal?!

Damn you Apple!

Rejecting Normalcy: The Path to Being Extraordinary

As humans we've always loved the rags to riches stories or success out of adversity. But that's not the only story, it's not my story.

I'm from a good family and from relative privilege compared to so many. I don't for a minute forget how lucky that makes me in this world and I wouldn't change it.

Sometimes though, it does make me feel a bit ordinary. So I remember to embrace that inner rebel... even if it just takes me from ordinary to extraordinary. It's a start.

I don't go around drawing on the walls... but the temptation to be an artist who throws paint at a canvas is real.

I don't go and paint the town red either... binging and brawling is not the rebels fight. You have to pick your battles to win the war of identity.

We all struggle with our identity at times in life, particularly in our teenage years and then again mid-life. The pressure to conform moulds us all in different ways and some of us learn to question, resist and rebel. 

The Emotionally Intelligent Rebel

My kids are yet to become teenagers, but a part of me hopes they learn to rebel, with purpose. I can set them up with emotional intelligence... and in the process improve my own ability.

Deep Diving Information:

Forget math and spelling homework! The greatest skill we can teach the next generation is Deep Diving. When my 7yo asks about something, I try to help her learn for herself and to dig deeper.

Instead of a short distracted response, I tey to sit down and research it with her using google, wikipedia or ChatGPT. This way she starts to value the idea of deep diving into a topic.

Deep Diving into Information and Emotions:

The second part to this is deep diving our emotional responses and reactions. This one is more complex to navigate, and timing is key. Trying to discuss reactive behaviour in the heat of a moment never works. Finding time to sit down later and talk is key. But transfer some power, let them choose when that happens, as long as it happens.

We have a great book called 'Raising Good Humans' by Hunter Clarke-Fields, and occasionally I'll find our 7 yo sitting there reading a page. I'll ask her to read a section out loud and then we discuss it. The knowledge that truly sticks in life is what we discover for ourselves. So instead of lecturing kids, create opportunities for them to learn for themselves... or even better, get them to teach us!

The art of intelligent rebellion.

If kids can 'learn to learn' from a young age, they will have the discipline to apply that to their rebellious reactions too. If there is something they don't like, guide them to find out why. Help them understand their feelings, to consider all the angles through deep diving. Document and communicate it, then find ways to take action.

Read-Write-Execute (r-w-x): A Strategy for Life

I can also apply my new framework to this, an Operating System for change that I'm calling 'Change Modes' or rwx777. See the sneak preview below of what I'm developing into a full system. 

I've begun to show my daughter how to become the Superuser (she prefers Superhero).

Inspired by the old school Unix operating system, where you can change file permissions with command line prompt Chmod 777 (Change Mode) for full Read-Write-Execute permission.

Read: Deep dive the subject or feelings.
Write: Document and communicate what you're learning.
Execute: Put into action solutions you have learned.

They've now upgraded their OS! We are no longer 'Normal Playing Characters' in this game, we are becoming self-aware rebels seeking to find gaps in the code!

Full transparency.

This comes from a personal perspective because I have for years been a motion artist through my lifelong love of photography and the moving image. I'll delve deeper into that another time, but suffice to say I feel strongly about this. My own work is designed from the outset as motion images and motion is captured through the lens, in-camera. However, the video below is one of the few where I applied a ripple effect on the water to emphasise the stillness of the birds in the sky. 

The Intriguing Intersection of AI and Art

I'm a big fan of innovative tools and technology. Over the last 10 years we've seen a plethora of new apps and plugins that will animate still images. When I first started specializing in Cinemagraphs I took a very hard line that the format should only refer to lens based motion art. But despite a tight-knit group of Cinemagraph creators trying to educate that point, it was a losing battle. Soon the trend took off and Instagram was full of people animating still photos with free apps and posting them as Cinemagraphs.

AI is now bringing the same surge of animated still images onto social media again. While it's truly incredible what can be done with AI in video creation, it's still early and most of what I see is nothing more than interesting experiments, all with the same morphing of details. That will change, and it won't be long before we can't tell the difference between lens-based capture and AI-generated video.   

The more I see this, the more I fall back in love with still images, regardless of whether they are AI generated or not. (But yes, the magic of light captured on film or sensors... still captures my heart.)

The Unspoken Charm of Still Images

There's a unique strength in still images. A single frame can capture a moment, tell a story, or evoke emotions without the need for motion or progression. The magic lies in its ability to let the viewer's imagination roam free, filling in the gaps, creating their own narratives. The same can be said of the written word. Sometimes it's what you don't reveal that raises the tension. This power of suggestion is often lost when an image is set into motion. As an artist, recognizing when to harness this power is crucial.

The Art of Restraint in a Digital Age

In the digital age, where tools to animate and modify are at our fingertips, the temptation to constantly add 'more' can be overwhelming. Yet, the skill of restraint – knowing when to stop, when to let a piece be, is what sets apart great artists. It's not just about what you add to a piece, but also about what you choose to leave out. This principle of 'less is more' can elevate a good piece of art to a great one.

The Subtle Mastery of Leaving Things Unsaid

What an artist chooses to present as their final work is a testament to their maturity and understanding of their craft. Overworked pieces can often lose their essence, becoming cluttered and less impactful. Knowing when a piece is complete, when it has said all it needs to say, is an underrated skill. This discernment is what differentiates a seasoned artist from an enthusiastic novice.

Balancing Innovation with Artistic Integrity

While it's exciting to push boundaries and explore new possibilities, true artistry often lies in the subtle art of knowing when to draw the line. It's a delicate balance – one that requires a deep understanding of both the medium and the message. As artists continue to navigate the complex landscape of creativity, this balance of innovation and restraint will remain a guiding principle, ensuring that the essence of art, in its purest form, is preserved and celebrated.

Remember, great art isn't just about what you add; it's also about what you choose not to change. Embrace the power of stillness and let your art speak volumes in its tranquil form.

This week we delve into the pitfalls of being too focused on the creative process and explore how shifting your mindset from 'creator' to 'builder' can transform your artistic passion into a thriving business venture. We'll unravel why this trap is so alluring, how it hinders your growth, and provide practical strategies to start balancing creativity with entrepreneurial acumen.

Solution to Execution

Infinite Ideation, Finite Execution 
Creatives often fall in love with the endless possibilities of ideation. The rush of a new concept, the allure of a blank canvas, and the thrill of innovation can be intoxicating. However, this often leads to a cycle of constant creation without concrete execution.

Most great business ideas start with solutions to a simple problem or they find a gap in the market. Once you have a foot in the door, a small wedge in that gap... you leverage it open wider and expand.

Creatives are Entrepreneurs
The creatives advantage is finding ways to solve their own problems first. Creative thinkers are the greatest problem-solvers but with a tendency to only look inward. The entrepreneur is exactly the same but with a tendency to look outward, to see how they can sell their solution to others.

A simple example is a video editor who wants a specific look to apply to their footage so they create a LUT (Look Up Table) for color-grading footage to their exact liking. There's a good chance others will appreciate that look as a product and be willing to buy it.

I've spent countless hours grading footage to my liking and yet, I've never felt it's perfect enough to create a LUT, let alone sell it. Why?

Perfectionism and Fear of Failure 
Many creatives are perfectionists at heart, constantly tweaking and refining their work. This pursuit of perfection can be a double-edged sword, leading to procrastination and a fear of launching an imperfect product or service.

Consequences of the Creative Trap

Stunted Business Growth
While being lost in creation, crucial business skills like marketing, customer acquisition, and financial planning are often overlooked. This can lead to stagnation of ideas or half baked products that sit on the shelf going dusty.

Burnout and Frustration
Constantly chasing new ideas without seeing tangible business results can lead to burnout, frustration, and a sense of unfulfillment.

Mindset Shift: From Creator to Builder
Not all creatives are looking to launch a fully-fledged business and many don't need to from the get-go. But every single creatives has something up their sleeve worth selling, a tool they've built as part of their workflow or an entire workflow itself. That one simple thing is the key to unlock a treasure trove of potential, it's what can begin to shift your earnings beyond the limitations of an hourly rate.

Balancing Art with Strategy
Learn to wear two hats - the artist and the entrepreneur. Understand that a successful business requires not just creative excellence but also strategic planning and execution.

Embracing Imperfection
Adopt the mindset of 'progress over perfection.' Understand that in the business world, timely execution often trumps flawless creation. Iterate instead of stagnate. There is a time and place to step back and think, but sometimes to get the ball rolling you have to build fast and break sh*t!

Practical Strategies for Shifting Your Mindset

Set Clear Business Goals 
Define what success looks like for your business. Is it a revenue target, customer numbers, or market presence? Clear goals can guide your creative efforts towards tangible outcomes. These targets will also help when it comes time to focus on how you market your product or service.

Time Management and Prioritization
Allocate specific time for creative work and business development. Prioritize tasks that directly contribute to your business goals.

Embrace Learning and Adaptability
Be open to learning about business strategies, marketing, and finance. Adapt your creative process to be more aligned with business objectives.

Breaking free

This doesn't mean stifling your creativity. Instead, it's about enriching it with purpose and direction. By shifting your mindset from being a creator to becoming a builder, you pave the way for your creative passion to manifest into a successful, sustainable business. Freelancing is for the creator, business is for the builder.

Remember, the most beautiful designs not only captivate but also convert and compel. It’s time to turn your creative vision into a living, breathing business reality.

“Who is more responsible than a gull who finds and follows a meaning, a higher purpose for life? For a thousand years we have scrabbled after fish heads, but now we have a reason to live — to learn, to discover, to be free!” ~ from Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

My Purpose.

Life never gets in the way.

From a young age I was a seeker and explorer, one to ask questions and try to translate meaning in this world. I was a rebellious youth who pushed back against the norm, took risks, walked a fine line, pushed the boundaries and survived. Like many of us, I lost that innate drive for many years because, as they say, life gets in the way. But the two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

I don't believe life gets in the way of anything. To the contrary, each obstacle earns you XP points and is a power up that only makes you stronger.

But if you get too busy with a career, family or many of the dopamine-fuelled distractions of the modern world, I get it. It's easy to wake up one day and want your life back, or some memory of what you thought your life was or would be. No, I've not had a midlife crisis and I don't intend to! I'm taming that beast before it rears its gnarly head. 

It's a Family Affair.
At the time of writing (Christmas 2023) I'm 48 with two gorgeous daughters (7 and 2) and an incredible wife, living in a slice of paradise by the sea. (You'll see a window to my home life on IG Stories). Despite life's challenges, I've landed on my feet. I do need to remind myself of that occasionally and when I'm turning into a grumpy dad my wife needs to remind me too. I'm intensely nostalgic with a need to capture moments in time, hence my lifelong love of photography and, over recent years, lens-based motion art through a format known as cinemagraphs. I fear the infinite expanse of space and am acutely aware of how insignificant we are in the universe... or are we? 

Bringing out the best in myself and others.

I am a writer, communicator, marketing & comms mentor. But I'm here to mentor myself first! Sorry but you reader, come a close second. It's how I sort my thoughts and make sense of everything, past, present and future. I'm a huge fan of time travel stories, and sometimes I get this strange feeling that I'm in multiple places at once. I'm writing to my younger self, while projecting to my older self, who is looking back to make sure I stay on track. 

While I know a few things, I don't fool myself into thinking I know better than everyone else. What I do know is how to bring out the best in others.

Navigating Through Experience.

My journey hasn't been a straight line – it's been a rich tapestry of experiences that have shaped my perspective and approach to life. In my career, I've navigated through dynamic startups, iconic global brands, and creative endeavors. Each role, whether as a Marketing Manager, a Brand Strategist, or a Content Creator, has not just been a job but a chapter in my story, contributing to my understanding of the world and the people in it. 

A Creative Confluence.

Creativity and innovation have always been my compass. Whether I was telling human stories as a field director working in documentary television, managing product teams or steering brand strategy, my focus was always on how to bring something new and meaningful to the table. This drive didn't just manifest in professional success but also in a deeper satisfaction – the joy of creating something that resonates with others and has a greater purpose beyond profit.

The Power of Sharing Knowledge.

Sharing knowledge has been a cornerstone of my life's work. As a co-founder and advisor at gmgn supply co. I dove into the complex world of blockchain and decentralization. I realized the immense power and responsibility of educating others, not just about new technologies, but about new ways of thinking, collaborating and building value in a creator economy. My role in this revolutionary space is more than just strategic planning; it's about demystifying and disseminating knowledge.

Continuous Growth and Reflection.
I continue to challenge myself, seeking new horizons and deeper understandings. I've learned that growth is not just about accumulating experiences or skills, but about continuous self-reflection and adaptation. It's about mentoring myself, as much as I mentor others, and staying true to my path.

My Vision for the Future.
Looking ahead, my vision is clear: to inspire, educate, and lead in a world that is constantly evolving. I believe in the power of thoughtful communication, the importance of authentic leadership, and the beauty of a shared vision. My goal is to not only leave a positive imprint in my professional sphere but also to empower others to find their voice and their path.

Join Me on This Journey.
I invite you to join me on this journey of exploration, innovation, and growth. Whether you are seeking guidance, collaboration, or just a conversation, I am here – ready to share, learn, and create. Together, let's shape a future that's driven by purpose, passion, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge that not only propels us through the digital renaissance, but into an Age of Enlightenment for the next generation.

Experiments in branding and identity.

Web3 is where I explore innovative technology that will transform the way we live and work. I've always been an early adopter, buying Bitcoin in 2014, dabbling in ICO's in 2017, NFTs in 2021, DAOs 2022... and now?

Now, I'm driven by building and educating for the Ownership Economy.

During lockdowns in early 2021 I found an amazing community of thinkers, writers, artists and builders on Twitter and Clubhouse. All of us were exploring the emerging value economy through tokenization and digital asset ownership.

I was fortunate to mint this 'monkey jpeg' from the Bored Ape Yacht Club when it launched for $200 and despite the collection reaching some US$430,000 per Ape, I've hodled all the way. Why? Because I believe we are still early, and it wasn't just about the monetary gains for many of us.

Aside from an incredible community and everything I've learned from that alone, BAYC resonates with me on a deeper level. Are humans not just a bunch of bored apes seeking purpose, meaning and some fun along the way in this strange thing called life?