When I worked at Google, a colleague used to loudly declare (usually over drinks), "Let's play one-two-three-honesty!" What followed would be some kind of hilarious or hard truth about our office, our company, our industry, maybe the broader culture -- something which otherwise would go unspoken. Because a spoonful of sugar helps the strong opinion go down? Today, I want to play one-two-three-honesty about our work. I assure you, this comes from a place of love. Continuing to hide from it or couch the explanation isn't productive for anyone. (Deep breath.) Here goes. One-two-three-honesty? You're smart enough. You're expert enough. But the reason you aren't standing out easier or resonating deeper is because your IP isn't strong enough. (Exhales.) Not my favorite game. I prefer chess. Or Russian roulette. Expertise has been commodified today. We have to be honest about that. Commodities aren't useless or value-less. They're just... everywhere. The source doesn't matter much. Expertise is table stakes, and sharing generalized expertise in your content is no longer effective. I can get it anywhere, and I suppose you're anywhere? When that’s how you operate, the only way to compete is to reach your audience before your competitors do -- because you're all saying remarkably similar things. Thus, we feel like we are working harder on the hamster wheel, creating more content which itself doesn’t work harder for us. We’re spread thin across more channels. We obsess over ranking higher on search results and shouting louder or going viral on social. Maybe we even feel tempted to use those icky tricks used by so many charlatans online. (It's "what works," we argue.) We view these things as potential advantages or viable strategies … when we share commodities. We convince ourselves we have to win this game of exhaustion, a game we don't even want to play. It’s a race to the bottom, but it’s what we must do given the reality we face online right now. Orrrrrrrr..... there's another way. One as good for your business as it is your soul. * * * I've been on this train awhile, so the horn will sound familiar to many, but this is where I need to blare it once more: Don't market more. Matter more. Because when you matter more, you need to hustle for attention less. This is a skill. It's not luck. We don't magically arrive at an idea capable of mattering. We can actively develop one. We can learn to communicate in ways that matter more to others, moving our ideas from rough and relevant to pithy and powerful. We can opt out of the exhausting race to be more visible because we understand how to be more memorable. I mean, isn’t that the goal anyway? Reach is how many see it, but resonance is how much they care. When others care, they act — and we see results. We’re in the “make me care” business. We’re in the “matter more” business. This is a craft, and as with any craft, it can be approached in ways that feel concrete, deliberate, and attainable. My way of doing this -- and the method I teach my entrepreneur clients -- is called premise development. I first learned this when developing shows and speeches, quickly saw how my books and newsletter benefitted, and now see clearly how a strong premise increases the impact of your entire creative platform or brand. This leads to an obvious but necessary question: What's a Premise? Generally speaking, a premise is an assertion you make to your audience about an area of interest or expertise. A comedian might say, "Ever notice how toddlers interrupt you the moment you can finally slump down on the couch?" Or maybe they say, “I shouldn’t have to tell the bartender to…” Then the rest of the joke follows, as framed by the premise. Those two examples are two assertions: something is or should be the case. In our world of work, an assertion might sound like this: "executing your marketing should be simple" "accounting software that doesn't suck" These represent a kind of assertion many of us make to try and stand out and grow our businesses, but often to no avail. Sure, we believe what we assert, but what we assert isn't all that defensible. It's not a position we can defend or own. We haven’t reached the root of our thinking or personal perspective. As a result, our assertions are general and not defensible — because MOST others would try to claim them too. Saying “marketing should be simple” or “software that doesn’t suck” isn’t ownable. Most others would NOT disagree — even if you accuse them of lying. They’d still stake a claim to your assertion. No, we need more than “a” premise. We need an effective premise — one which can be defended and debated. Ask: What is something I can assert about my space that MOST competitors or peers would admit they disagree with or doubt? Here’s mine: I believe you should care about resonance over reach to grow your career, company, and community. I believe you should stop trying to be "the best," as that's a worthless aim. Instead, be their favorite. You might debate me on that. Many of my peers certainly can (and do). They'd freely admit, "Oh, yeah, no... that ain't me. I disagree." "Executing marketing should be simple." Your competitors wouldn't disagree (even if YOU think they make it more complex). "Accounting software that doesn't suck." Your competitors wouldn't say they sell software that does (even if YOU think they do). To develop an effective premise, we need it to be an assertion that we can be known for. Nothing invented, but rather, one born out of our personal perspective. If we define *a* premise like this: an assertion you make to your audience about an area of interest or expertise Then we can define an effective premise like this: a defensible assertion you make to your audience, pulled from your perspective I'd build on that slightly to say this: An effective premise is a defensible assertion you make to your audience, pulled from your perspective, which informs your choices and your reputation. For instance, if I assert that great stories aren't experienced, they're crafted, which follows as the best show for me to host? Story Stars -- longform interviews sharing the backstories and advice of the world's most legendary storytellers --or-- How Stories Happen -- experts and entrepreneurs dissect a signature story piece by piece and share how they're using it to grow their causes Given my assertion, my premise, it follows that I'd host How Stories Happen. (PS: I just announced that SparkToro will be the presenting sponsor when the show launches in April! Watch for a trailer in March. Big thank you to Blake Ink for the incredible artwork...) My premise informs my choices -- like what the name and format for my show should be. It can even inform the questions I ask my guests. I recorded the pilot this week, and I realized many of my questions were too advice-focused for my guest, Andrew Davis. So I switched things up. I'm asserting that great storytelling is really about careful crafting of a story out of a moment you experienced, so if Andrew is on record saying, "Don't grab attention; hold it," I can't ask why or how generally -- I have to ask why or how THIS story he's sharing did THAT thing he teaches. So the premise informs your internal choices, making the work clear and coherent. But it also informs your reputation publicly. You can't own your audience, but you can own an idea in their minds. By routinely exploring your premise, others associate you with the idea. WE get to explore a really cool concept we love and have endless questions around, and THEY understand what we're all about and why we're for them (or why we're not). As we continue to explore the premise across our work, we develop IP -- definitions, named concepts, visual frameworks, teaching methods, and signature stories. Imagine doing this ahead of your next speech or book or major project launch. Rather than be a smart expert who shares a bunch of random pieces of content or insights/interviews/prescriptions, you take the posture of an influential voice, known for your high-impact idea. Your premise. * * * Here's where this leads us: to a kind of formula or workflow for resonating. If you want to stand out easier and connect deeper with your audience, follow this order of operations: 1/ Develop a premise. 🎯 GOAL: evolve from smart expert to influential leader. 🚀 ACTION: analyze your industry like an author. Sense what's broken and what needs to change. Ask big questions that have no simple answer, and launch an investigation through your content. ▶️ STARTING POINT: your own frustration with the status quo, which in turn leads to curiosity. The spark lights the fire, and your creativity talks over. (Here's more on developing your premise.) 2/ Develop a skillset (storytelling), made effective by the premise. 🎯 GOAL: evolve from a good storyteller who grips people to an effective storyteller who moves people. Every time you share a story, you arrive at an insight about your premise. I like using the phrase "that's the thing about" to do so. I share a story, then say something to the effect of "that's the thing about resonating with your audience (a topic I like to teach)..." followed by the insight learned from that day's story. Everything is informed by the premise. Everything is made more effective and coherent. 🚀 ACTION: develop content like a comedian. Aerate, refine, and validate your ideas. Don't drop your conviction. Lord knows, so many people are willing to say anything the market "wants" them to say. No, you have conviction around the idea. What do YOU have to say about this stuff? But crucially, you have to learn how to say it in a way that ensures it connects with others. Publish in low-friction places and gauge responses (or lack thereof). Then put those proven ideas or stories in front of larger crowds in higher-stakes projects. Act like a comedian, moving from small comedy clubs to the big stage. ▶️ STARTING POINT: start making your assertions publicly to get a feedback loop in two ways -- you to yourself (writing is thinking; you'll sharpen ideas the more you write them out) and your to your audience (a small number of people responding with passion is strong signal you're onto something important). Ideas need to be aerated, refined, and validated to support larger projects or your entire brand. (Here's more on developing signature stories.) 3/ Apply #1 and #2 to your content, ideally in your pillar projects first. 🎯 GOAL: Become synonymous with your premise. Again: You can't own your audience, but you can own an idea in their minds. 🚀 ACTION: build your audience like a showrunner, moving from pieces to series. Instead of creating content, develop IP. It's not just having a premise but your ability to explore, explain, educate, and defend that concept (it's a "defensible" assertion, remember) which helps you truly own it and benefit from it. ▶️ STARTING POINT: establish a single, pillar project carrying your IP to market. I like using shows and newsletters. I also uses speeches. Something named and owned works well. It must also recur. That's because you'll use the pillar project to collect new stories and flesh our your IP (defining key concepts, crafting teaching models, and even coming up with memorable phrases others begin to quote back to you or out to others). Stop wondering why your content isn't working for you (even your pillar projects) when you haven't developed the skillset of effective storytelling. Stop wondering why your stories aren't connecting when you haven't developed your premise. The premise is the missing piece. You're smart enough. You're expert enough. But maybe the reason you're not differentiating or resonating requires you to embrace a hard truth. Can we play one-two-three-honesty? Your IP isn't strong enough. Analyze your industry like an author. Develop your content like a comedian. Build your audience like a showrunner. Develop, validate, and own a premise. * * * Thanks for your support of my ideas and MY premise. I use this writing to aerate my thinking and develop IP. After 2 years of doing so in this one area, I’ve begun to consult entrepreneurs and experts who sell high-ticket services and education on their Premise Development. It’s a 2-3 month consulting engagement, and we work together on your premise, your signature stories, and your ability to take them to market and own them publicly. It’s a framework-forward process, customized to each of my clients. Inquire about my availability here. This is a premium service intended for established entrepreneurs and creators.

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