Ben Guttmann

Like giving money to a baby

Before we landed on the final outline of Simply Put, I initially had a whole section of the book about simplicity in action. Where did Occam's razor cut the sharpest? One place was with baby bonds.

July 9, 2024

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Bad instructions, bad product?

I currently have a stack of instruction manuals on my desk. More or less any day now, my wife and I are expecting our first baby – and along with endless indescribable joy and an equally endless supply of diapers, babies mean stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. The experience of getting and assembling that stuff has been a mixed bag.

July 1, 2024

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What makes an award matter?

This month, lots of marketing types are descending upon Cannes – and hopefully returning with some shiny new hardware for their office shelves. We all know the Oscars and the Grammys, but industry awards are just as much a tradition in many parts of the economy. There are trophies for everything. But do they mean anything? It depends.

June 15, 2024

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35 things I’ve learned in my 35th year

We’re back around the sun once again for another birthday this week, and I’m back to share a bunch of things I learned during this lap. Just like last year, these aren’t life lessons. Indeed, they’re not really lessons at all. They’re just some fun facts I’ve picked up in my travels.

June 10, 2024

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What's the difference between being kind and being nice?

In Simply Put, I outline that simple communication is vital because it is effective, efficient, tested, and kind. And as I've been talking about the book on podcasts and at events, that last attribute keeps coming up – what do I mean by "kind" exactly?

May 6, 2024

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