Charles Blain
Notes, Stories & Thoughts on Marketing & Growth

Latest

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
27
Feb

Force vs Feedback

Romania, 1966. Ceausescu decided his country needed more people. He banned abortions for women under forty-five. The birth rate doubled.
1 min read
26
Feb

I Prefer Blondes

How do you know you chose what you chose? Petter Johansson showed subjects two photographs and asked which face they
1 min read
25
Feb

Four Floors of Pipe

Donella Meadows turned the hot faucet in an old London hotel. The water heater sat in the basement, four floors
1 min read
24
Feb

The Numbers Were Enough

In 1986, the US government required factories to report their toxic emissions publicly. No new regulations. No fines. No mandated
1 min read
23
Feb

Dirty Dishes, Clean Excuses

Someone criticized you today. Before they finished the sentence, you had a rebuttal. Not because you weighed their argument. Because
1 min read
20
Feb

The Taste Premium

AI can build your deck in 10 minutes. You already know this doesn't feel like an advantage. Because
1 min read