John MacGaffey

The Power of Incremental Progress

As humans, we tend to overestimate what we’re capable of accomplishing in a small amount of time and underestimate what’s possible over a much longer period.

Emotional Appeals

Advertising smoking as a feminist activity was devastatingly effective.

Good Enough

Freeing ourselves from the Sisyphean pursuit of perfect.

Quarter-Inch Holes

Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt famously said, "People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!"

Context Matters

It's easy to be misled by stats because they seem so objective, but they're easy to use in a dishonest way, even when they’re technically true.

Wrong Notes

"It's not the note you play that's the wrong note – it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong."

Strathern’s Insight

“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”

Self-Promotion is Storytelling

If you can't tell your story, who will?

Stop Pedaling

To pass your competition, stop pedaling and let physics do the work.

Strategy vs. Tactics

A tactic is a tool for getting something that you want. But it's only useful to you if your broader strategy is solid.