Charles Blain
See Different. Think Different.

Latest

03
Feb

Logos Are Conversations

TOMS wasn't a charity. It was a status machine disguised as philanthropy. And the logo was the receipt.
1 min read
02
Feb

Walk or Optimize

Strategic optimization killed them. The team with the strongest animals, full supplies, and adaptive planning froze to death 11 miles
1 min read
30
Jan

The Root Node

You simplified. You prioritized. You still didn't make progress. It's not because you cut too little.
1 min read
29
Jan

Your Chaos, Their Tuesday

You mapped every touchpoint. Built the funnel. Tracked the metrics. And customers still behave like chaos. It's not
1 min read
28
Jan

The 58% Lie

Everyone claims they learn from experience. Almost no one does. Because experience without a record is just a story you
1 min read
27
Jan

One Button Won

You've watched the features pile up. More buttons. More options. More complexity. And something in your gut said:
1 min read
26
Jan

The 5-Minute Ceiling

James Clear tells the story of a reader named Mitch who lost 100 pounds. His secret wasn't discipline.
1 min read
23
Jan

The Infrastructure Illusion

In 2006, only 26.7% of Kenyans had access to formal financial services. No banks in their villages. No branch
1 min read
22
Jan

The Living Hard Drive

For 50,000 years, Aboriginal Australians navigated a continent without maps, compasses, or GPS. They used songs. Songlines are oral
1 min read
21
Jan

The Label Problem

On May 24, 1976, nine French wine experts gathered in Paris for a blind tasting. They compared French wines against
1 min read