YES, Alan Brown, YES. Getting vulnerable, connecting deeply, understanding who people are–that's the beating heart of what we do. Radical empathy is how we make work that makes people laugh pretty hard and cry pretty hard. For anyone out there who wants to build brand storytelling that hits them right in the feels, message us.
Elon Musk thinks empathy is destroying society. In a recent interview with Joe Rogan, he claimed: "The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy, the empathy exploit. They’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response." Are we hearing this right? At DNA&STONE, we couldn’t disagree more. We don’t see empathy as a weakness—we see it as our greatest strength. Our agency is built on the foundation of radical empathy—the ability to deeply understand and connect with others without judgment while challenging personal biases and societal norms. It’s not just a feel-good philosophy; it’s how we create genuine consumer insights, build stronger client and employee relationships, and develop work that truly resonates. In a world that’s more divided than ever, radical empathy isn’t a liability—it’s a competitive advantage. It drives innovation, fuels connection, and helps brands create meaningful, lasting impact. So, if empathy is a “bug,” consider us proud to be hacking the system. DNA&STONE DNA Little Hands of Stone DifferencesMakeDifferences Michael Boychuk Matt McCain Chris Witherspoon