Everything Everywhere All At Once: A Strategist’s Quest for Less

The Los Angeles Times describes Best Picture nominee Everything Everywhere All at Once as “a product of the contradictions and emotional whiplash of being very online at the time.” An attempt for the writers of the film to “grapple with the chaos” of existing in the ever-expanding, always-on internet era.?

Those words captivated me. Not just because I was mesmerized by the film, whose depiction of the metaverse includes hot dog fingers, but because I couldn’t help but reflect on the information fatigue we face every day as strategists. It almost seems baked into the job description. It made me step back and look at this world in which 95 trends reports, 57 Super Bowl spots, libraries of 50+ frameworks, and a never-ending stream of “must-read” Substacks are the norm and ask:?

How did we get here??

And how can we find signal amidst the noise??

But before we get there, let’s rewind to what my corner of the strategic world looked like when I entered the field, about a decade ago…

The Strat-scape of 2012

There was a lot that wasn’t great about the world of ad agency strategy in the early 2010’s. The discipline was (and in many cases, still is) predominantly white, mostly male, with access to key knowledge and tools limited to those “in the know.” Since you can’t really study strategy at the undergraduate level, cracking into the field generally meant knowing someone or being at the right place at the right time. Strategy felt opaque by design and insular to outsiders.

Determined to learn some of the hard skills of strategy, I enrolled at Miami Ad School. Note: I was fortunate to be in a financial situation where I could afford a program like this - another major barrier to many pursuing strategy at the time. I gained an embarrassment of riches by way of knowledge, resources, and hands-on coursework… But it wasn’t an overwhelming experience. Gaining an understanding of the different strains of strategy from some of the industry’s best offered a sense of confidence that my classmates and I were getting a distillation of the best knowledge strategy had to offer.

Back to the Present: 2023

The insular, analog, under-lock-and-key discipline of a decade ago has transformed dramatically. With thought leadership taking center stage on LinkedIn, the pervasive nature of podcasts, and the emergence of self-publishing platforms like Medium and Substack, the barriers to content about strategy have seemingly vanished. And there to meet the challenge of “can you learn strategy from your laptop?” head-on are industry veterans like Mark Pollard, Strategy Friend addressing a wide set of topics, from practical frameworks and advice, to metacognition. With a refreshingly open dialogue, his transparent efforts have changed the industry for the better from what I can tell.?

But in looking at the full breadth of strat content at our fingertips, portion control can be tough. As blessed as young industry professionals are with unprecedented access, they’re saddled with the Paradox of Abundance.

As David Perell describes the Paradox of Abundance: the average quality of information is getting worse and worse, while the best stuff is getting better and better. As strategists, the expectation has always been that our curiosity will lead us to the best insights, but that previous reality has been flooded with more information (and overwhelm) than ever before.

Author of The Rebuilders, brand consultant, and friend of 21CB, Sara Tate highlights the tension strategists face: “similar to our fight or flight response, research has shown that it’s quite hard to be both curious and anxious at the same time.”

So how can we manage this tension and let healthy curiosity rise to the top? Here are a few tools that have proven valuable.

The Big Goal: Protect Your Noggin

It starts with a Samurai-like discipline in protecting your brain’s ability to focus, absorb and learn.

This can be put into action in a few ways…

Tool 1: A finite toolbelt for a universe of infinite tools

Strategists are famous for deploying a framework in any life situation - from better understanding their consumer’s buying behavior through the FCB Grid, to better understanding how they fumble their way through adulthood. But rather than starting from scratch every time, a trusted toolbelt can at minimum instill a sense of organized confidence, and at its best, force you to become an expert on the models you deem most useful.

A simple search for “brand positioning” will turn up everything from a Key, to a Pyramid, to a Golden Circle. And while each of those models can do things that the others cannot, a more streamlined approach, focused on the essentials can serve us well.?

Disclaimer: The above is an example, not a universal remedy. Different strategists will argue different tools as most essential, so tailor what’s right for you. I prioritize frameworks with a timeless quality and broad application. No matter how your toolbelt varies, it will let you pull your favorites to the forefront, and ensure each tool is uniquely suited to address those frequently recurring client challenges.?

This isn’t to say new and custom frameworks shouldn’t be cycled in! For example, here at 21CB, we lean heavily into the four pillars of excellence which have helped us build some of the most iconic brands of our time, like Airbnb, Pinterest, Nextdoor and Headspace.

Most importantly, to make the finite toolbelt both powerful and practical, you should know the best hardware stores to shop at - to replace a marketing funnel that ignores today's reality or some naming framework you haven’t dusted off since your junior days.

Some of my go-to hardware stores:

• Jennifer Bonhomme ’s Framework Bank
• Baiba Matisone ’s A to Z of Frameworks
• Nick Liddell ’s Toolkit (kind of a finite toolbelt of its own)

While a finite toolbelt can help reinforce a strong foundation, how can we best react to the incoming deluge of content??

Tool 2: Content Non-negotiables

Start with determining your non-negotiables. Take a ruthless editor’s approach to determine what’s worthy of your eyes and ears. It can be easy as E.D.E.

Once you lock in your key criteria, apply them to every piece of content that comes across your screen. If a link doesn’t pass at least one of your three filters, make like Elsa and let it go.

If you can’t quite let it go, this leads me to one last tool to help you manage your digital hoarding…

Tool 3: Podium vs. Parking Lot

My last tip for finding signal amidst the noise is a stupid-simple Apple Notes trick I call “Podium vs. Parking Lot.” Ok, I use Google Keep, but I’m pretty sure they function similarly.

This tactic is similar to someone with a sweet tooth keeping an ice cream bar in the back of the freezer, not for daily consumption but for the peace of mind of “knowing it’s there.”

• Step 1: Start a note.
• Step 2:? To organize content that got clogged during your non-negotiables phase, simply pull the 5 most important pieces of content to the front of your list. This is your podium.?
• Step 3: Create a divider, then drop every other link that nearly missed the cut below it. This is your parking lot.

As you check links off your list, pull in net new content to your Podium or pull a near-miss up from the “Parking Lot” section. With this system, you’ll never have more than 5 things to consume, plus you’ll never lose anything on the fringe because it will be parked down below.

Of course, when it comes to a parking lot of “maybe I’ll get to it later” content, there are plenty of tools that can meet this need. I use Pinterest, organizing boards for everything from earned media ideas to the next wave of emerging startups. Pocket from Mozilla is another great tool for scouring the web and curating content. There’s also the handy “Save” button on social platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.

Parting Thoughts

So there you have it. A handful of tools to help you feel less like a factory farm animal being forced-fed a torrent of content, and more like the almighty truffle pig, sniffing out gems.

When the content-spheric river feels like it’s too much to bear, remember:

• As you read this today, we’re collectively dealing with more information than we’ve ever possessed in human history
• You’re not in it alone. Other strats are experiencing a similar sense of overload. Compare and contrast tools and tips for defending your brain
• Tools and filters are only useful if we have an insightful, acute understanding of people’s lives and motivations and can connect those insights to the brands we help shape every day. As Nick Susi recently called out, “if you’re not an active participant in the culture, your frameworks won’t save you.”

While it’s tempting to point your finger at information overload as the problem of the moment, it’s truly been a human problem since Gutenberg commercialized the printing press nearly 600 years ago. We are the ultimate defenders of what we consume. As Clay Shirky put it: “It’s not information overload. It’s filter failure.” It’s on us to continually sharpen and reinvent our filters if we are to persevere in a world of everything everywhere all at once.

What tools and hardware stores have helped you control the chaos? Look forward to reading more tips & tricks in the comments below.