Christopher Lochhead

So whenever we go to do thinking work, creative work, strategic work, we start with reject the premise. So we look at, well, what's the premise for this? What does everyone else say about this topic or about this market or about this type of product or service? What does everybody say? Write that shit out and look at it and go, okay, let's reject all of it. Let's start with it's all wrong.

So whenever we go to do thinking work, creative work, strategic work, we start with reject the premise. So we look at, well, what's the premise for this? What does everyone else say about this topic or about this market or about this type of product or service? What does everybody say? Write that shit out and look at it and go, okay, let's reject all of it. Let's start with it's all wrong.

Now look, you might reject the premise, do some real thinking about thinking, and come back and fully accept the premise after you've gone through that exercise, that's fine. If you really go through the exercise. Because the only way we know to open the aperture of our minds and consider something radically different, I say those words on purpose, is to start by rejecting our own premise.

Now look, you might reject the premise, do some real thinking about thinking, and come back and fully accept the premise after you've gone through that exercise, that's fine. If you really go through the exercise. Because the only way we know to open the aperture of our minds and consider something radically different, I say those words on purpose, is to start by rejecting our own premise.

Now look, you might reject the premise, do some real thinking about thinking, and come back and fully accept the premise after you've gone through that exercise, that's fine. If you really go through the exercise. Because the only way we know to open the aperture of our minds and consider something radically different, I say those words on purpose, is to start by rejecting our own premise.

And now we're free. And my friend, the legendary designer, John Bielenberg, says, start by doing the opposite. That's his way of rejecting the premise. So he teaches university courses on innovation and creativity and all this good stuff. And one of the exercises he does with university students, Ryan, is he gets them to build a bike. And the bike only has one design point.

And now we're free. And my friend, the legendary designer, John Bielenberg, says, start by doing the opposite. That's his way of rejecting the premise. So he teaches university courses on innovation and creativity and all this good stuff. And one of the exercises he does with university students, Ryan, is he gets them to build a bike. And the bike only has one design point.

And now we're free. And my friend, the legendary designer, John Bielenberg, says, start by doing the opposite. That's his way of rejecting the premise. So he teaches university courses on innovation and creativity and all this good stuff. And one of the exercises he does with university students, Ryan, is he gets them to build a bike. And the bike only has one design point.

They can do anything they want with the bike, except there's one thing that the bike's got to do. It cannot be rideable. Go. And the reason he does that is to have them go through an exercise that is 100% reject the premise. I love that, man. I love it.

They can do anything they want with the bike, except there's one thing that the bike's got to do. It cannot be rideable. Go. And the reason he does that is to have them go through an exercise that is 100% reject the premise. I love that, man. I love it.

They can do anything they want with the bike, except there's one thing that the bike's got to do. It cannot be rideable. Go. And the reason he does that is to have them go through an exercise that is 100% reject the premise. I love that, man. I love it.

I'm going to say yes, but not 100% mean it. But here's why I'm going to say yes with a little bit of an asterisk. All right. Let's pretend I 100% mean it for a second. Here's the big aha. And very few marketers understand or can understand this. And the minute you do, it changes everything.

I'm going to say yes, but not 100% mean it. But here's why I'm going to say yes with a little bit of an asterisk. All right. Let's pretend I 100% mean it for a second. Here's the big aha. And very few marketers understand or can understand this. And the minute you do, it changes everything.

I'm going to say yes, but not 100% mean it. But here's why I'm going to say yes with a little bit of an asterisk. All right. Let's pretend I 100% mean it for a second. Here's the big aha. And very few marketers understand or can understand this. And the minute you do, it changes everything.

When you're the company evangelizing the category, that is to say evangelizing the problem, that is to say talking about legendary marketing creates a different future. It moves the world from one place to a new and different place, right? So you're evangelizing, we call them photos, those from twos, right? It doesn't have to be this way. It could be a lot different, right?

When you're the company evangelizing the category, that is to say evangelizing the problem, that is to say talking about legendary marketing creates a different future. It moves the world from one place to a new and different place, right? So you're evangelizing, we call them photos, those from twos, right? It doesn't have to be this way. It could be a lot different, right?

When you're the company evangelizing the category, that is to say evangelizing the problem, that is to say talking about legendary marketing creates a different future. It moves the world from one place to a new and different place, right? So you're evangelizing, we call them photos, those from twos, right? It doesn't have to be this way. It could be a lot different, right?

When you're the company and or the person doing that, Here's the interesting thing. The consumers of that message assume you're the category leader. Because the only person and or company they've ever heard evangelize a category in a, and I'm going to use these words very purposely, missionary way like that, is the company and or person bringing the idea to life. And so here's the irony.

When you're the company and or the person doing that, Here's the interesting thing. The consumers of that message assume you're the category leader. Because the only person and or company they've ever heard evangelize a category in a, and I'm going to use these words very purposely, missionary way like that, is the company and or person bringing the idea to life. And so here's the irony.

When you're the company and or the person doing that, Here's the interesting thing. The consumers of that message assume you're the category leader. Because the only person and or company they've ever heard evangelize a category in a, and I'm going to use these words very purposely, missionary way like that, is the company and or person bringing the idea to life. And so here's the irony.