I've become the person people call when they're stuck. Founders. CMOs. Strategy directors. When they can't see the path, they call me.
It's the part of the work I'm most proud of.
What I've noticed
Smart people don't get stuck because they're dumb. They get stuck because:
- They're too close to the problem
- They have too much information and not enough frame
- They've been arguing about tactics so long they've forgotten the question
- Nobody in the room has permission to say the obvious thing
What I do
I listen. I ask the dumb question everyone's been avoiding. I draw something on a whiteboard.
Usually, the answer is already in the room. It just needs someone from outside to point at it.
The pattern
The call is never about information. They have plenty of information. The call is about clarity.
Clarity about the game. Clarity about the space. Clarity about what to do next.
I don't bring answers. I bring the whiteboard.