Hey Everyone,
Hope you're having a great week. One quick announcement. Animalz, the content agency I work for, is launching a scholarship for college students. Get the details here—and please help us spread the word!
Here are a few things I've been reading and pondering lately. Enjoy!
1.Core Content Marketing Concepts
There are a handful of core concepts that we address on the Animalz blog over and over again. There’s good reason for this. Content marketingstrategy isn’t rocket science, but it does require thoughtful preparation and great execution. I simply cannot reiterate these foundational concepts often enough.
2. Happiness & the Gorilla
Professor Scott Galloway on the algebra behind a happy life. This is a great post.
3. What Every Successful Person Knows, But Never Says
It's been far too long since I've included a James Clear article in this newsletter. This one showed up in by inbox this week and it's too good not to share.
Everybody I know who does interesting, creative work they went through years where they had really good taste and they could tell that what they were making wasn't as good as they wanted it to be. They knew it fell short. Everybody goes through that.
4. How Wharton Launched Warby Parker--and Dozens of Other Companies Just Like It
This is a long read, but a fascinating one. I came away wondering if the direct-to-consumer trend is actually any better for consumers.
One after another, many DTC startups have come to a realization: If [customer acquisition cost] is the new rent, then why not pay actual rent? SoHo in Manhattan has become a physical manifestation of this. Within a one-mile radius, you can walk into stores belonging to a dozen DTC brands--Away luggage, Allbirds sneakers, M.Gemi shoes, Untuckit shirts, Everlane fashion, Indochino menswear, Outdoor Voices activewear, Bonobos men's clothing, and, of course, Warby Parker.
Every one of these stores is another alternative to the Facebook and Google hamster wheel. There's a good reason that hanging out a shingle was the original customer-acquisition strategy, after all: It works.
5. Random Links
- This is hilarious/interesting: Why Tech Founders Get Hot
- ProfitWell is hiring for a bunch of cool roles in Boston.
- Another recent post from the Animalz blog: Content MarketingStrategy for Multi-Product Companies
- A gem from McSweeney's: This is a Generic LinkedIn Rant
- Exercise can be a very effective way to treat depression. So why don’t doctors prescribe it?
Have a great weekend!
Jimmy
PS - I’m looking to partner with a few great businesses to sponsor this newsletter. It reaches a bunch of smart folks from places like Google, Apple, Spotify, New York Times, Marriott and Harvard. Shoot me an email if you're interested in working together.