T’was the night before Christmas in the founder’s suite,
No emails, no phone calls, not even a tweet.

All the papers were sorted and filed with care,
To make sure that our castles aren’t built on air.

Now was time for reflection on this holiday night,
What can I do better? What did I do right?

We learned what it takes for a brand to achieve,
from Leo, from Howard, but mostly from Steve.

Leo taught us our product’s most profitable stance,
Don’t change what it does – change its relevance.

Howard’s brand is your third place to meet and to linger,
Do that anywhere else, and they give you the…

But what to say about Steve that hasn’t been said?
That plans to crush Android danced in his head?

That he used magic words to pitch you his dreams? 
That he did it in sneakers, black sweater and jeans?

No, the brand that was Steve, so much more than his sweater,
Was that “people with passion change the world for the better.”

By taking that stand with conviction and verve,
He gave to do-gooders what they truly deserve:

The permission to reach, no matter how high,
The proof that ideals aren’t pie-in-the-sky.

So whatever they say in obtuseness or spite,
Believe in your dreams…and then, do them right!

Steve’s clarion call we still hear loud and clear!
Wishing you all the best for a brand new year.

I like metaphors.  A good metaphor provides clarity.  A great metaphor gives actionable direction.  A fantastic metaphor can spell the difference between spending decades in search of incremental growth…or experiencing unstoppable scale.  Last week, I came across one such fantastic metaphor…because it nails the distinction that separates great brand stewards from mere entrepreneurs:

   "You Can’t Build a Castle On a Swamp"
 

What’s the swamp?  The swamp is branding your category promise; The swamp is polling your friends which logo to choose; The swamp is confusing PR with publicity; The swamp is copying your competitors’ copy; sticking too long to irrelevant positioning; delegating brand management to the marketing department, I could go on…

All that business – or should I say “busyness” – avoids the one action that lies at the heart of every enterprise that has ever reached scale: Going out and deliberately finding your higher ground, your category trumping differentiator, your space above everybody else’s in your market or niche – and claiming it for your company.   

And our raison d'être is to help you do just that: To discover – and secure – your brand’s mountain top location.  It is the only space your business ought to occupy if it is to make a superior and lasting difference in your category.  It is the only space from which to scale.  Why would you build anywhere else?

   "You Can’t Build a Castle On a Swamp"