From the chair
Notes on running a better agency, from someone who’s been in the chair. Deeper, more thoughtful writing than LinkedIn, in your inbox every fortnight(ish).
The ceiling that founders build for themselves, usually without realising it. It's not a market problem or a hiring problem - it's a structural one.
Tracking utilisation makes sense. KPI-ing your team on it is a different matter. If you do, Charlie Munger will tell you exactly what happens next.
I'm largely sceptical, but I think they serve a purpose, so long as the people you want influenced by winning will actually be influenced. The question is who you're trying to reach.
What I'm seeing in the agencies on the right side of the 50/50 split right now, covering positioning, marketing, and getting the back-of-house in order.
Bringing in someone with a strong network and a track record sounds great. In practice, it rarely works like that. The core issue usually isn't what you think it is.
Building assessment into the program, structuring contracts carefully, and why your best recruitment channel is probably sitting in a university lecture theatre right now.
More agencies are swearing off hiring juniors. I still won't shut up about how good our grad program was at Alpha Digital. Here's what made the biggest difference, starting with structure and recruitment.
I was on Scoro's podcast talking about running your agency like it's sale-ready. Here's what we covered across strategy, culture, capability, risk, and performance, plus some additional thoughts.
The most structured of the three models and the most powerful when it's set up well. Plus some blunt final thoughts on all three options.
Higher-touch and more personalised than a peer board, but only as good as the person you choose. What to look for, and what to watch out for.
Most agency founders don't start with governance. They start with a question: is this normal? Here's an intro to the three common models, starting with peer boards.
Key takeaways from a panel session on building an agency brand that cuts through in a crowded market, with thoughts on positioning, PR, thought leadership, and making it all sustainable.
The final part of the series. Three financial reasons agencies bounce against an invisible ceiling, from a lack of financial acumen to a broken pricing model.
Four strategic and positioning reasons agencies bounce against their ceiling, from offering saturation to expectation misalignment.
Four structural reasons agencies bounce against an invisible ceiling: overloaded managers, top-heavy hierarchies, inconsistent ways of working, and unclear reporting lines.
Why some agencies bounce against an invisible ceiling, starting with people. Four blockers, their symptoms, and where to start.
If you run an independent agency and you're ready to move faster - with someone who's been in the chair - get in touch.