Are we building to signal how many bricks we’ve laid?
Or are we building because we see a problem that needs solving?
Measurements are necessary, of course. The architect needs to know the proper amount of all the materials and the cost of each.
But we always have the option of turning measurements into signals of our influence.
A friend of mine pointed out that we shake our heads at anyone who flaunts their income. But when we see people we like signaling how much they’ve earned off of their products, we let it slide. We become enablers of the behaviors we shake our heads at. Because they’re doing it “holistically.” They’re sharing their secrets to success in under 280 characters. To us, we feel like we’re part of their journey. Because if they can build something with only a few viral messages, so can we, right?
As creatives, as builders of remarkable things, we have a choice: solve or signal?
