The Diary of a (co-) MD: w/e Feb 14

This week I've been:

• Flying the first half of the week solo as Rowan Morrison , Rationale 's other co-MD, has taken some time off over the February half-term. Having two MDs was a choice we made about 12 months ago now and while we're still playing around with the format and our roles/responsibilities as we continue to evolve, it's hugely beneficial to have two figureheads. We share the successes, but we also share the (many) pressures. I'm surprised not many more businesses do it to be honest. One to explore in our upcoming (TBC!) book...
• Waiting for a prospect to get back in touch about a tender we submitted a few weeks ago. A lot has been said about the new Procurement Act (https://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news/what-do-businesses-need-to-know-about-the-procurement-act/), which comes into effect on February 24. The changes are designed to make it easier for SMEs like Rationale to bid for and win work - something I welcome. One change I’d like to see, however, is compensation for agencies when asked to prepare substantial work as part of a tender process. Too often, agencies such as ours are expected to produce extensive strategic plans and creative concepts, requiring significant time and resources. For an industry built on expertise and insight, this approach undervalues the work that goes into crafting these proposals. If businesses are serious about engaging agencies for their strategic and creative thinking, then fair recognition, and fair payment, should be part of the process I think.
• Facilitating the agency's first AI Working Group session. It was a terrific workshop with representatives from each of the agency's departments (Design, Video, Strategy and Accounts) discussing the latest happenings in AI and how we can harness the latest tools and platforms responsibly to better service our clients. We plan to make the minutes from these session public so watch this space...
• Travelling - up and down to London in a day which, on the face if it, sounds insane. However, I find the 4h20 each way trip a hugely productive and calming one. Having lived in London for about 10 years it's a trip I know well, and there's something about the journey up and down the north east corridor that I find almost meditative. My secret power is to be able to reel off the London North Eastern Railway route from London all the way north: Peterborough - Newark - Northgate - Doncaster - York - Northallerton - Darlington - Durham - Newcastle - Berwick - Edinburgh. Rock and roll, I know.

This week I've been inspired by:

• Rationale - the awesome snythpop/R&B artist. I stumbled across him a few years ago when absent-mindedly typing in 'Rationale' into Spotify, and have watched his career rise and rise since. His collaboration last year with Big Wild - "6s to 9s" - is one of the tunes of the last decade. Now he's performing in London in September (https://agmp.seetickets.com/event/rationale/here-at-outernet/3228106). Would it be weird for Rationale to go and see Rationale wearing Rationale t-shirts

"6s to 9s" - https://open.spotify.com/track/4DAaQ5InUO23d8yNRbB0Yj?si=11bcd0ae20b94bba