Jonathan Courtney

I was trying to figure out what could be a way that I could reach out and hang out with someone like Jake without just being like, hey, can we grab a coffee? And I read this article from Ryan Holiday. It's called the Canvas Strategy. Have you ever heard of this?

I was trying to figure out what could be a way that I could reach out and hang out with someone like Jake without just being like, hey, can we grab a coffee? And I read this article from Ryan Holiday. It's called the Canvas Strategy. Have you ever heard of this?

it's like a systematic way to figure out how to deliver value to people who are ahead of you. And one of the things it talks about is that if you're the person who can clear the path for those in front of you, you can also kind of choose the direction, which is a cool way of thinking about it. And so what I actually did is... First of all, I had to come up with an excuse to be in San Francisco.

it's like a systematic way to figure out how to deliver value to people who are ahead of you. And one of the things it talks about is that if you're the person who can clear the path for those in front of you, you can also kind of choose the direction, which is a cool way of thinking about it. And so what I actually did is... First of all, I had to come up with an excuse to be in San Francisco.

it's like a systematic way to figure out how to deliver value to people who are ahead of you. And one of the things it talks about is that if you're the person who can clear the path for those in front of you, you can also kind of choose the direction, which is a cool way of thinking about it. And so what I actually did is... First of all, I had to come up with an excuse to be in San Francisco.

So I offered to talk at this kind of design and tech conference in Silicon Valley. This was an offer to do this for free, of course. And then I was in the region. And what I did is I reached out to Jake and I said, I have an idea of something to pitch you that I think would benefit you spreading the word of Sprint all around the world. It would also make you money.

So I offered to talk at this kind of design and tech conference in Silicon Valley. This was an offer to do this for free, of course. And then I was in the region. And what I did is I reached out to Jake and I said, I have an idea of something to pitch you that I think would benefit you spreading the word of Sprint all around the world. It would also make you money.

So I offered to talk at this kind of design and tech conference in Silicon Valley. This was an offer to do this for free, of course. And then I was in the region. And what I did is I reached out to Jake and I said, I have an idea of something to pitch you that I think would benefit you spreading the word of Sprint all around the world. It would also make you money.

And I've taken care of like 90% of the details already. And he was like, cool. So I went to the GV office and pitched him this idea of traveling around the world and teaching design sprints. But I would use my marketing skills to sell out the event so that he wouldn't have to think about it. And I would take on the really annoying part of setting up the locations and doing all of that stuff.

And I've taken care of like 90% of the details already. And he was like, cool. So I went to the GV office and pitched him this idea of traveling around the world and teaching design sprints. But I would use my marketing skills to sell out the event so that he wouldn't have to think about it. And I would take on the really annoying part of setting up the locations and doing all of that stuff.

And I've taken care of like 90% of the details already. And he was like, cool. So I went to the GV office and pitched him this idea of traveling around the world and teaching design sprints. But I would use my marketing skills to sell out the event so that he wouldn't have to think about it. And I would take on the really annoying part of setting up the locations and doing all of that stuff.

He was like, yes. And this, first of all, we became really good friends. And this opened up. So many doors to me that I could never have imagined. A lot of the Silicon Valley clients that we work with today are because of that relationship that I built with Jake. But initially, instead of just being like, hey, can we grab a coffee?

He was like, yes. And this, first of all, we became really good friends. And this opened up. So many doors to me that I could never have imagined. A lot of the Silicon Valley clients that we work with today are because of that relationship that I built with Jake. But initially, instead of just being like, hey, can we grab a coffee?

He was like, yes. And this, first of all, we became really good friends. And this opened up. So many doors to me that I could never have imagined. A lot of the Silicon Valley clients that we work with today are because of that relationship that I built with Jake. But initially, instead of just being like, hey, can we grab a coffee?

I really deeply thought about what types of things he might find interesting and thought about like, what's going to be really annoying if he wants to go and teach this around the world? Locations, filling those locations. And so I just presented an option to him that was super easy and cleared the path for him spreading the knowledge of Sprint around the world.

I really deeply thought about what types of things he might find interesting and thought about like, what's going to be really annoying if he wants to go and teach this around the world? Locations, filling those locations. And so I just presented an option to him that was super easy and cleared the path for him spreading the knowledge of Sprint around the world.

I really deeply thought about what types of things he might find interesting and thought about like, what's going to be really annoying if he wants to go and teach this around the world? Locations, filling those locations. And so I just presented an option to him that was super easy and cleared the path for him spreading the knowledge of Sprint around the world.

And that was a cold, pretty much a cold outreach from me to the team at GV. I didn't even have Jake's email address. I just emailed GV. And this is the kind of thing I do all the time. What's maybe one or two examples from you? So...

And that was a cold, pretty much a cold outreach from me to the team at GV. I didn't even have Jake's email address. I just emailed GV. And this is the kind of thing I do all the time. What's maybe one or two examples from you? So...

And that was a cold, pretty much a cold outreach from me to the team at GV. I didn't even have Jake's email address. I just emailed GV. And this is the kind of thing I do all the time. What's maybe one or two examples from you? So...