Getting up to speed on a new client is something all strategists do, but in my experience many don’t do it thoroughly enough. I have a process to fix that.

So how long should a strategy take anyway? The correct answer is 4 weeks. And also 6 months. And also 24 hours.

I’ve written before about how strategists can offer feedback, which is an important skill in making the work better. But its counterpart - managing feedback - is even more important, as it makes your career better.

How many times have you heard someone at your agency say their job is to “push the client” and “take them out of their comfort zone?” Agencies say this all the time so it probably sounds completely benign to you hearing it right now. But the effect in real life is often at odds with the intention.

Something I talk about a lot when doing strategy is the “judo move.” A principle of judo is using your opponent’s size and strength against them. You might use a judo move in strategy when you’re differentiating from a competitor (whether that competitor is identified or not).