Don't Start with Why. Start with Why Not?
Finding the courage to be different
Since embarking on a journey off the well worn corporate career path, I found myself in a bit of a conundrum.
When I first started out I figured I'd be a "marketing consultant" but I soon discovered there are thousands of people offering the same services.
I thought it was great I had Silicon Valley startup experience, but there are lots of people that worked at startups.
I thought it was great that I worked at a Fortune 100, but found I was competing against people who worked at a Fortune 10.
Humans are "herd" animals, evolutionarily we default to safety in numbers, so we tend to do what other people do.
But in business this can be a dangerous place, as you find yourself competing with everyone else in the herd.
I preached differentiation when I worked in corporate, but found it hard to do when I myself became the subject of the differentiation.
I was reminded of Simon Sinek's book "Start with Why". Great proposition, but the problem is many other people end up with the same "Why". To shape perception with branding. To use creative writing to tell a better story, etc.
These "whys" are not unique to me. So what to do?
It takes extraordinary courage to do something different with your work life. To say you offer some strange service that people may not have heard of or understand.
Some people say just do a job that you know people need, at least there's a guaranteed established market. That's true, but known needs are different than known opportunities. Let me explain:
Lately I've been seeing a lot of frustrated freelance copywriters on Linkedin complaining about dwindling work opportunities. They are offering to solve a known need, which is copywriting. But there are fewer opportunities than writers. They are in a piranha school — when some "job" lands in the river, they are fighting hundreds of fellow writer piranhas and are lucky just to get a bite. Often they come away with nothing. "I need a copywriter" is a known business need, but "I only have one job and there appear to be hundreds of you" is a limited opportunity. Make sense?
So I graduated from "why" and started reading more about
and thinking about creating a category of 1. Myself. It's led me to start asking, "Why Not?" rather than "What's my why?""Why not?" is more freeing, more expansive in thought, and has more hidden opportunity than "What's my why?" which often leads you into a piranha school.
The questions start simply but can lead you to your UPO, a Unique Personal Offering, that no one else can do.
Why not learn to play guitar?
Why not try AI tools?
Why not write a book about something only you know about?
Why not create a weird side gig no one else is doing?
Why not use an octopus as a metaphor?
Why not "own" a personal category so you can escape the piranha herd?
If you find yourself competing against 100 other people for work, maybe ask yourself, "Why Not?" and start cultivating the courage to create a Unique Personal Offering.
Dave, I'm a new subscriber and just wanted to share how much I have loved your work since following along. I feel like your newsletter has sparked new creativity in me and given me a lot more confidence as someone who identifies with the Octopus way of being. Thank you!!
One heuristic I like: "if there is already a guide, it's already too late."
Most people will look at Copywriting and say: "look at ALL these how-to guides, courses, etc.... this must be evidence of a great opportunity!"
In fact, it's the opposite. It's evidence that Copywriting is getting flooded with new people trying to be Copywriters. (the real opportunity, it turns out, is selling YOU on becoming a copywriter)
Amazing, unique opportunities never have a guide. Or if they do, it's extraordinarily hidden and will never be handed to you.