Charles Blain
Notes, Stories & Thoughts on Marketing & Growth

Latest

13
Mar

Soul Transfer

You have probably suspected that endorsements don't work the way people describe them. In 1973, a small shoe
1 min read
12
Mar

Shared Context

You have probably tried to explain what you lost. A few months before Daniel Kahneman died, Josh Wolfe sat at
1 min read
11
Mar

Feature vs Future

You have probably blamed the tool at least once. Morse demonstrated a working telegraph for Congress and President Van Buren
1 min read
10
Mar

The Wrong Contest

You already know how this story ends. John Henry, steel-driving man. The 1870s. A tunnel needed cutting. A steam drill
1 min read
09
Mar

Before the Computation

You already suspect the tool does less than the pitch deck promised. In 1940, Britain had a problem no one
1 min read
06
Mar

160 Years of Proof

In 1865, William Jevons published "The Coal Question" and made a prediction nobody believed. Steam engines had just
1 min read
05
Mar

The Time Machine

Something strange happens when you order at Five Guys. You pay. You get a number. Then someone hands you peanuts.
1 min read
04
Mar

The Wrong Proxy

Here's an exercise. A company receives a million applications a year. It hires eight to ten thousand. Only
1 min read
03
Mar

Clicks Don't Persuade

When marketing went digital, it made a promise. Measurable results. No more faith-based budgets. Every dollar tracked. Every click counted.
1 min read
02
Mar

Territory Display

You've sat through a meeting where every idea was "welcomed" and nothing changed. You walked out
1 min read