There are times when we receive a very specific request from a current or prospective client. It may be a request for a new website, a new campaign, or anything they may seek us out for. But if we just take the request at face value, we don’t uncover what the real need may be. That’s because oftentimes, a request like that doesn’t give us the proper insight into how we can truly help them\u00a0 with what they’re ultimately trying to achieve.<\/p>\n
If someone comes to us and says “We need a new website,” what they may really be saying is that their site isn’t driving the inquiries they are looking for and they assume that the aesthetic and communication is one of the barriers. But digging deeper you may find that the site has been stagnant because there’s a disconnect between the sales and marketing teams on their brand positioning and nobody wanted to invest in updating the site. By listening, asking the right questions, and challenging assumptions, we can often discover more fundamental things that we can help with that will make that tactic we were asked to help with even more successful. We like to think of this as working backwards – what are we really trying to solve, what are the true issues we’re trying to overcome, and how are we going to get there.<\/p>\n
From Socrates to Elon Musk, some of humankind’s greatest thinkers questioned everything – even the question. For an introduction to first principle thinking and how it’s practically implied you can listen to Musk explain it:<\/p>\n