mental models

  • When we assess our choices, we’ll take the inside view by default. We’ll consider the information in the spotlight and use it to form quick impressions. “…” What we’ve seen, though, is that we can correct this bias by doing two things: zooming out and zooming in.

    When we zoom out, we take the outside view, learning from the experiences of others who have made choices like the one we’re facing. When we zoom in, we take a close-up of the situation, looking for “color” that could inform our decision. Either strategy is helpful, and either one will add insight in a way that conference-room pontificating rarely will. When possible, we should do both.

    — Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath, Dan Heath

  • A worldview is a point of view, a way of seeing the world. Worldviews are not formed objectively and supported by facts. They are subjective, values-based reflections of our experiences and beliefs.

    Our worldviews shape our attitudes and biases, influence our decisions and guide our actions. And while as innovators and marketers we understand all of this, in our search for ways to understand and define our markets, we sometimes forget to apply it. Just because they take the same route to work each morning doesn’t mean that all twenty-nine-year-old men living in the suburbs share the same worldview.

    Our assumptions about the stories of the people we create for can lead us down the wrong track.

    — Meaningful: The Story of Ideas That Fly by Bernadette Jiwa

  • A product is viral if its core functionality encourages users to invite their friends to become users too. This is how Facebook and PayPal both grew quickly: every time someone shares with a friend or makes a payment, they naturally invite more and more people into the network.

    This isn’t just cheap — it’s fast, too. If every new user leads to more than one additional user, you can achieve a chain reaction of exponential growth. The ideal viral loop should be as quick and frictionless as possible.

    — Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel, Blake Masters

  • Customer Success: Some tech companies have what’s referred to as a high‐touch model of helping their customers, and some have a low‐touch model. You need to understand what your company’s customer success strategy is, and you need to ensure that your products are aligned with that strategy. Again, if you are proposing something that would represent a change, you’ll want to sit down with leadership and discuss the options.

    — INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love (Silicon Valley Product Group) by Marty Cagan

  • Don’t be an expert, be open. Let’s be honest. There is a lot of talk about embracing mistakes, failing fast, and showing vulnerability. But expertise is both rewarded and embraced, and often essential to being viewed as credible. How do you balance this? The marketing leader finds ways to communicate expertise while still showing openness toward others, inviting participation.

    This balance is serious Jedi-level $h#t (I’m still working on it). You’re never really a master. But the difference between a “functional expert” (director) and “leader” (VP or CMO) lies in tone, tenor, and self-awareness. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to develop tools to navigate challenges with grace. Experts feel closed. Leaders feel open.

    — Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products (Silicon Valley Product Group) by Martina Lauchengco

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