Common question:
What does Nic do?
It’s tough to get a handle on because of how ideas diffuse and where I sit in the process.
Here is a Twitter (now X) post breaking it down:
Diffusion Of Ideas
...and where you sit.
First, you might want to bookmark this. If it doesn't make sense now, come back to it later.
Okay, a framework I picked up from Lukas Resheske at an event he held at my office last weekend:
Philosophy
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools
I added the line between principles and strategies because that is the line I like to play above. This is important for me to know about myself.
I've mapped a few observations to the framework above:
Philosophy [Smallest audience]
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Largest audience]
Philosophy [Least engagement]
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Most engagement]
Philosophy [How to think]
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [What to do]
Philosophy [Timeless]
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Quickly outdated]
Philosophy [function focus]*
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Form focus]*
Philosophy [Earned (more likely to do work)]**
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Entitled (less likely to do work)]**
Philosophy [Process Focus]
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Outcome Focus]
Philosophy [Scientific (probability-based)] ***
Principles
—————-
Strategy
Tactics
Tools [Dogmatic (absolute-based)] ***
This is how I choose to diffuse new ideas.
Without others sharing strategies, tactics, and tools - they would not diffuse to the larger market. It's important to realize, IMO, that the people that are NOT like me are the key to helping more people.
I do not disagree with them because they have different personalities or preferences - I respect them for it.
If I had the time/bandwidth I would map this to diffusion of Innovation and It might help some people figure out where they fit in the diffusion process. Knowing this makes it much easier to stay in your zone.
For example, if you like teaching industry-specific strategies - you would want to learn from people that teach principles, from which you can derive new strategies. ...And you would want people that teach tactics derived from your strategies as front-end partners - they will generally reach more people than you.
Example: Someone like @thesamocean can take the fundamental principles I share and turn them into strategies and tactics based on the audience he is talking to.
@laureleatspizza can take the principles and create strategies for video advertising to teach to her students.
Someone following Sam or Laurel could derive tactics and find tools to amplify their respective strategies.
The LEAST efficient thing to do is copy what someone else is doing. If they teach tactics, go find the tools. If they teach strategy, extract the tactics. If they teach philosophy, extract the principles.
If you know where you sit, you can build teams of people or partners on either side of you. On one side, the source which you extract from. On the other, those that extract from you.
If you want the actual research on this, go buy "Diffusion of Innovation; 5th Edition' on Amazon. Most modern marketing comes from it.
Onward.
Nic
PS. This entire post is philosophical and principle-based with a hint of strategy. I hope someone takes it and turns it into an industry-specific strategy for their audience. ...and then someone else creates the tactics to implement it. Also, Lukas, the source of inspiration for this post, and I have started a direct mail newsletter - and it’s pretty badass.1 You can check it out at www.V3Letter.com
See how this works?
PPS. The Guardian Academy is designed specifically to be principle based so that readers and members can create their own stuff to share. The CCA is build to do the same, specifically for already successful business owners.
Resources:
*Function vs Form (Article)
**Earned vs Entitled (Article)
***Science vs Dogma (Video) Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify