Tactics vs. Frameworks

Everyone hunts for best practices. But best practices often fall into two tiers: Tactics and Frameworks.

Tactics tend to work in the short-term. Do x, y, and z to optimize for 1, 2, and 3. They work until a “market” is saturated with them. And then they stop working.

Frameworks (good ones, at least) tend to work in the long-term. Instead of actions x, y, z to do 1, 2, 3 — it’s more “View the problem in x, y, and z ways, then attack the problem accordingly.”

Cultural McMansions (which crumble under the weight of time) are built upon collections of Tactics.

Old stone houses (which stand the test of time) are built upon collections of Frameworks.

Being able to fluidly combine or ditch or switch between Tactics doesn’t ensure long-term success. Being able to combine or ditch or fluidly switch between Frameworks is an indicator of long-term success.

To paraphrase/repurpose Peter Thiel, things that fail in the long-run but succeed in the short-run are unable to solve “Zero to One” problems– the types of challenges that require strong problem-solving skills (inherent in Frameworks) and that are almost impervious to imitative ploys (like Tactics).

Future of Clickbait Headlines

When banner ads first came out, they were extremely effective. Until they were everywhere. Users then found them annoying and stopped clicking them.

Exhaustion. Overstimulation.

Businesses seem to continue chasing what they think is Seth Godin’s “Purple Cow”– something truly remarkable. But they confuse “remarkable” with “shiny”.

And as Kevin Spacey’s House of Cards character Frank Underwood said:

“Money is the McMansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn’t see the difference.”

Clickbait headlines that “test well” and “convert well” in the short run are the McMansions. What’s the old stone building? It’s what these clickbait headlines try to approximate, which is emotional resonance, lasting value, true enlightenment and inspiration.

Tweaking headlines so people click on them is a terrible approximation for the reason why people click things in the first place.