Most of us think that scalable ideas have some “silver bullet” feature, some quality that bestows a “can’t miss” appeal. That kind of thinking is fundamentally wrong. There is no single quality that distinguishes ideas that have the potential to succeed at scale from those that don’t.

The rise and fall of Kmart

Most scaling failures are complicated. Identifying a list of potential problems before you scale up can improve the odds of success: <ul><li>Use incentives that can scale. This applies to creating healthcare or education policy, trying to grow your startup, or just helping your community get along better.</li><li>Make all of your decisions on the margin. Don’t be a prisoner to looking at averages, as data is always presented in averages. Instead, a marginal way is to pick the low-hanging fruit right away, then scale over marginal people, not over the million people who have already consumed it in the past.</li></ul>

The world of scaling needs a “common sense checklist"

Kmart used to be a highly successful discount department-store chain with over 2,300 locations in the U.S. Their famous in-store promotion was the BlueLight Special, where a great deal would be announced at unknown times. This helped them clear out unwanted stock and gave shoppers an adrenaline rush that made them spend more money. Kmart headquarters tried to scale it up by deciding where, when, and what product would be placed on the BlueLight Special across all stores. But customers in one store had different needs than customers in another store. Centralising the special ruined the brand.

Example of scaling problem

Moving from creating evidence-based policy to one of producing policy-based evidence is a call to researchers, policymakers and business people to consider the following: If scaling an idea, what constraints should be taken into account when doing the original research? For example, in the Chicago Heights Early Childhood program, researchers created a pre-school in a low-income Chicago neighbourhood to see what would produce the biggest educational gains. They hired the best teachers for their pilot program, but at scale, they’d have to hire 30,000 less-good teachers to stay within the budget.

Creating evidence-based policy vs. producing policy-based evidence

The voltage effect describes what happens when you move from the small to the large. Most ideas experience voltage drops, when a seemingly great idea loses power as it is scaled. How to fail at scaling<ul><li>You scale a program that was never tested.</li><li>Humans don’t scale. Any time there is a human at the centre of the program, it will fail.</li><li>Experts in their field assume that everyone else thinks hyper-rationally as they do, but people seldom think clearly in an area that is unfamiliar to them.</li></ul>

Voltage drop is shockingly common

When a small startup firm or institution has some success and wants to get bigger, they should consider the following: <ul><li>Be as diverse as you possibly can, as early as you can. </li><li>Types of diversity are observable characteristics, like gender and race and the socioeconomic status of how you were raised. </li></ul> This will allow for a much deeper and more diverse set of ideas and solutions to problems and, consequently, a more productive organisation.

Scaling considerations

The best example of a product that scaled unbelievably well is Jonas Salk and the polio vaccination. He had an innovation, tested it out on his own kids, and then he ramped it up to test all kinds of different kids. It worked well and then leveraged the healthcare system. The worst example is the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program of Nancy Reagan. Police officers would go into school classrooms and teach kids about the dangers of drugs. The drug use didn’t fall and, in some cases, actually increased. The program was ineffective because it never had voltage to start with.

The best and worst examples of the voltage effect

False positives arise for many reasons such as bad measurement, wishful thinking or simply because the world is messy and it can be difficult to establish cause and effect. One reason why we don’t make as big an impact as we should is:<ul><li>We’re not really sure that this is going to ever scale.</li><li>We are unsure that this is the correct result.</li></ul> Results should be tested with, for example, Benford’s Law, to see whether the data have been fabricated.

False positives are a common cause of scaling failures

The secret to high-voltage scaling is understanding when to quit. People generally don’t quit soon enough. Usually, when someone wants to quit, it is because something went wrong. But, you should think more about the opportunity I’m giving up if I stick with it. If the opportunity changes for the better, I should quit more often.  If you’re considering quitting, force yourself to compare your performance with your peer group. Consider if you have a comparative advantage in this particular activity.

The upside of quitting

Economist John List is trying to start a scaling revolution. He discusses avoiding false positives, the cause of a given success and optimal quitting.

In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches us how to avoid false positives, how to know whether a given success is due to the chef or the ingredients, and how to practice “optimal quitting.”  

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

business

Business

startup

Startups

podcasts

Podcasts

Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior.

Freakonomics Radio

494. Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?

Humbragging is that modest or self-deprecating statement where the real purpose is to draw attention to something you are proud of. LinkedIn is full of people humblebragging. Awards. Promotions. Deals. There are two serious flaws with social media.<ul><li>People only showcase the highlights, not a balanced picture.</li><li>If these people’s careers are so impressive, why do they still craft these perfect posts to persuade everyone else about how important they are?</li></ul> There is a strategy to network professionally and get the benefits from LinkedIn the way it was designed to do.

Humblebragging on LinkedIn

Marketing blogger <a href="https://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/appropriate-content-for-social-media-platforms/">Jonathan Greene</a> describes<ul><li>Facebook as a pub crawl (a few friends and some random acquaintances talking about everything)</li><li>Twitter as a speed date (you’ve got a short amount of time to grab someone’s attention)</li><li>LinkedIn as after-work office drinks (a chance to mingle strategically).</li></ul> Don't boast on LinkedIn. You wouldn't do it in real life, don't do it online. Instead, highlight other people's good work. Talk positively about projects you're involved in but don't amplify your part. People can decide for themselves.

Ditch The Boasting

Understand why you engage with LinkedIn. What are you trying to achieve? <ul><li>Do you want to open up career opportunities?</li><li>Are you trying to find new customers?</li><li>Are you trying to build a reputation in your industry?</li></ul> Once you know your "why", work out what kind of activity will move you closer to that goal. Then plan your actions. Finding people doing the same thing as you but are a bit further ahead can help you find ideas on the type of posts, regularity, tone and strategy.

Clarify, Then Work Backwards

Be true to yourself. Don't boast, but don't undersell yourself either. Be positive and professional, but be personal too. The reasons you have to be on LinkedIn boils down to you coming across well and being able to back it up in real life.

Be Real

A lot of people just humblebrag on LinkedIn, thinking that will magically deliver new customers or being headhunted. Instead, don't boast and be genuine.

career

Career

Here’s How to Do LinkedIn without the Humblebragging

<ul><li>Allow yourself to be stressed and accept that human beings are sensitive</li><li>The more sensitive you are, the more aware you are of life</li><li>The map of yourself has a lot of uncharted territories, every emotion is a new opportunity on the journey of self-discovery</li></ul>

The Sensitive You

Koan: Phrases that don’t rationally or logically make sense but provoke a sense of enlightenment. They inspire us to think outside the normal dimensions we use to interpret our reality and experience.Koans are meant to guide you towards reassessing deep assumptions about yourself, removing the gating mechanisms of your perception so more of the raw data hits you.

The Koan

“The Koan is a little drill bit that’s drilling into the wall of my house of self.”

<ul><li>Acknowledge the state of stress you are in and define with yourself how far it deviates from your ‘normal’</li><li>Be still – this gives you the opportunity to identify and state your feelings</li><li>Allow yourself to be stressed and accept that human beings are sensitive</li><li>The more sensitive you are, the more aware you are of life</li><li>Agitation can be balanced with compassion – our hearts have the capacity to love ourselves</li><li>We tend to banish the emotions we do not understand</li></ul>

Allow And Accept Your Feelings

“Not knowing is most intimate.”

<ul><li>Feel your hands, feet, and seat</li><li>Feel your shoulders, let them slump a little bit, and relax</li><li>Feel your jaw, loosen it about an eighth of an inch forward and down</li><li>Rest your tongue on the floor of your mouth</li><li>Begin to let the relaxation spread to your torso and middle body</li><li>Balance and calmness should be taking over with a certain ease</li><li>Bring your attention to the ‘atmosphere around the heart’</li><li>Be aware of any tension, don’t change it but be soft with it</li><li>Allow it to be there, be kind to the tension. Welcome it. </li><li>Eases the urge to reject your feelings. Accept them. Compassion counters agitation.</li></ul>

Meditation: Allow And Accept

02:06:28 - Zen Master Henry Shukman — 20 Minutes of Calm, Plus the Strange and Powerful World of Koans | Brought to you by&nbsp;GiveWell.org&nbsp;charity resea…

mindfulness

Mindfulness

meditation

Meditation

Zen Master Henry Shukman — 20 Minutes of Calm, Plus the Strange and Powerful World of Koans | Brought to you by GiveWell.org charity research and effective giving, Laird Superfood clean, plant-based creamers, and LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 770M+ users. More on all three below.Henry Shukman (@mountaincloudzencenter) teaches mindfulness and awakening practices to a wide range of students from all traditions and walks of life. Henry is an appointed teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage and is the Guiding Teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Center. He has an MA from Cambridge and an MLitt from St Andrews and has written several award-winning books of poetry and fiction.Henry’s essays have been published in The New York Times, Outside, and Tricycle, and his poems have been published in The New Republic, The Guardian, The Sunday Times (UK), and London Review of Books. He has taught meditation at Google, Harvard Business School, UBS, Esalen Institute, Colorado College, United World College, and many other venues. He has written of his own journey in his memoir One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir.Henry has also recently created a new meditation program, Original Love, which aims to provide a broad, inclusive path of growth through meditation.Please enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by Laird Superfood. Founded by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton and volleyball champion Gabby Reece, Laird Superfood promises to deliver high-impact fuel to help you get through your busiest days. Laird Superfood offers a line of plant-based products designed to optimize your daily rituals from sunrise to sunset.My two favorite products are their Turmeric Superfood Creamer and Unsweetened Superfood Creamer. I put one of them in practically everything. Both can really optimize your daily coffee or tea ritual, and a $10 bag will last you a long time. For a limited time, Laird Superfood is offering you guys 20% off your order when you use code TIM20 at checkout. Check out LairdSuperfood.com/Tim to see my favorite products and learn more.*This episode is also brought to you by GiveWell.org! For over ten years, GiveWell.org has helped donors find the charities and projects that save and improve lives most per dollar. GiveWell spends over 20,000 hours each year researching charitable organizations and only recommends a few of the highest-impact, evidence-backed charities they’ve found. In total, more than 50,000 people have used GiveWell to donate as effectively as possible.This year, support the charities that save and improve lives most, with GiveWell. Any of my listeners who become new GiveWell donors will have their first donation matched up to $250 when you go to GiveWell.org and select “PODCAST” and “Tim Ferriss” at checkout.*This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 770 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.*For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim Ferriss is a self-experimenter and bestselling author, best known for The 4-Hour Workweek, which has been translated into 40+ languages.  Newsweek calls him "the world's best human guinea pig," and The New York Times calls him "a cross between Jack Welch and a Buddhist monk."  In this show, he deconstructs world-class performers from eclectic areas (investing, chess, pro sports, etc.), digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and tricks that listeners can use.

The Tim Ferriss Show

#560: Zen Master Henry Shukman — 20 Minutes of Calm, Plus the Strange and Powerful World of Koans

Zen Master Henry Shukman — 20 Minutes of Calm, Plus the Strange and Powerful World of Koans

﻿What the smartest people do on the weekend is what everyone else will be doing during the week in 10 years

Ideas start as fringe ‘culty’ clubs. Why was personal computing being talked about in Steve Jobs’ garage and not at IBM?<ul><li>A lot of ideas stay as hobbies and don’t catch the exponential mainstream</li><li>Businesses of scale plan on the execution of incremental improvements, not disruptive innovations</li></ul> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_climbing">Hill Climbing</a> an algorithm that keeps building on itself to continue making incremental improvements. People apply this too literally in their careers, ending up at the top of the hill they didn’t even want to climb. Allow randomness into your life so you’re always climbing the right hill at the right time

Frontier Of Innovation

Web1<ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Dominated by<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol"> protocols (http)</a>, built on top of the web, you controlled your platforms</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Read-only</li></ul>Web2<ul><li class="ql-indent-1">You created content under a closed network using a social media platform</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Read & write under centralized ownership</li></ul>Web3<ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Internet owned by builders and users, orchestrated with tokens</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Read & write & own</li></ul> Tokens are a mechanism to give value and control to the user rather than a centralized company.The tokens are self-marketing which is why it will eventually beat web2.

The Evolution of Web

Web3 has gotten twisted to be a political argument over centralized vs decentralized but the main utilitarian goal is to make the internet a better place for users and creators

Benefits<ul><li>Your data will be secured with private keys, where we can give selective access to our data to whom we choose</li><li>Contributors own the platform rather than corporations</li><li>Defeats the corporate selfish use of leverage on copyright and intellectual property</li><li>You want people to recompose your content!</li><li>The codebase is open-source, developers can co-opt creation in a way truly best suited for users</li><li>It is composable, use one piece of an application to help build another</li></ul> Challenges<ul><li>Security and storage – functioning correctly as your own bank</li><li>Maintaining your anonymity</li><li>Usability</li><li>Messaging of utility</li></ul>

Benefits and Challenges of Web3

Anything that is in fashion can hold value through a community context. People are attaching their identity to their NFTs, large sentimental value. Web2 companies convinced you to give away your creations in exchange for little hearts,NFTs allow you to tokenize your value as a creator. NFTs are the core concept of ownership of the internet, there will be a broad utility. Creators can provide first access to products or exclusive services through the ownership of an NFT for accessibility.

NFTs

NFTs are creating a vibrant digital economy within the gaming community. Games like League of Legends have monetized off of aesthetic add-ons, nothing that increased performance, a status flex. These virtual good purchases were being bought from the company, not individuals. Axie Infinity: by playing the game, you create and improve NFTs which can be purchased by other players on a marketplace (like eBay) as an add-on Yield Game Guilds : play-to-earn gaming, opportunity to get loaned access to a platform like Axie Infinity to participate in the marketplace without paying the entrance fee

NFT in gaming community

Steve Jobs coined this concept that applies aesthetic designs to innovations to make them feel more familiar. For example, the first automobile mimicked the horse and buggy. But the native internet has taken over, people who use technology are comfortable embracing new ideas There is no point in packaging blockchain as a new ‘supply chain management’ tool. Familiar products may work, but disruptive tech is what is going to last over the next 10 years You don’t need to replace products, people can adapt very quickly to the native functionality of products.

Skeuomorphism

Regulators regulate through policy or enforcement. We’ve only seen enforcement on Web3 so far because no one knows what to do. Policy needs clarity and goals need to be aligned.There needs to be a balance from the SEC to crack down on obvious scams but also let true innovations naturally grow. Fairness must be defined before this is possible

Regulation

crypto

Cryptocurrency

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

Confused About NFTs?

Tim, Chris, and Naval discuss what the frontier of innovation looks like as it relates to Web3, NFTs, and decentralization.

creativity

Creativity

Brought to you by UCAN endurance products powered by SuperStarch®, Theragun percussive muscle therapy devices, and Tonal smart home gym.Chris Dixon (@cdixon) is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where for the past six years he has been an active seed and venture-stage investor.Previously, Chris co-founded and served as the CEO of two startups, SiteAdvisor and Hunch. SiteAdvisor was an internet security company that warned web users of security threats. The company was acquired by McAfee in 2006. Hunch was a recommendation technology company that was acquired by eBay in 2011.Chris has been a prolific seed investor, co-founding Founder Collective, a seed venture fund, and making a number of personal angel investments in various technology companies. Chris started programming as a kid and was a professional programmer after college at the high-speed options trading firm Arbitrade. He has a BA and MA in philosophy from Columbia and an MBA from Harvard.He has written about his theories and experiences as an entrepreneur and investor on Medium and before that at cdixon.org. His a16z Podcast appearances can be found here.Naval Ravikant (@naval) is the co-founder and chairman of AngelList. He is an angel investor and has invested in more than 100 companies, including many mega-successes, such as Twitter, Uber, Notion, Opendoor, Postmates, and Wish. You can subscribe to Naval, his podcast on wealth and happiness, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find his blog at nav.al.For more Naval-plus-Tim, check out my wildly popular interview with him from 2015—which was nominated for “Podcast of the Year”—at tim.blog/naval. We also had a second long-form conversation in 2020, and you can find that here. His most recent appearance was helping me interview Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin here.Please enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by UCAN. I was introduced to UCAN and its unique carbohydrate SuperStarch® by my good friend—and listener favorite—Dr. Peter Attia, who said there is no carb in the world like it. I have since included it in my routine, using UCAN’s powders to power my workouts, and the bars make great snacks. Extensive scientific research and clinical trials have shown that SuperStarch provides a sustained release of energy to the body without spiking blood sugar. UCAN is the ideal way to source energy from a carbohydrate without the negatives associated with fast carbs, especially sugar. You avoid fatigue, hunger cravings, and loss of focus.Whether you’re an athlete working on managing your fitness or you need healthy, efficient calories to get you through your day, UCAN is an elegant energy solution. My listeners can save 30% on their first UCAN order by going to UCAN.co/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the most advanced strength studio on the market today. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and AI learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using AI, and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM100 at checkout.*This episode is also brought to you by Theragun! Theragun is my go-to solution for recovery and restoration. It’s a famous, handheld percussive therapy device that releases your deepest muscle tension. I own two Theraguns, and my girlfriend and I use them every day after workouts and before bed. The all-new Gen 4 Theragun is easy to use and has a proprietary brushless motor that’s surprisingly quiet—about as quiet as an electric toothbrush.Go to Therabody.com/Tim right now and get your Gen 4 Theragun today, starting at only $199.*For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#542: Chris Dixon and Naval Ravikant — The Wonders of Web3, How to Pick the Right Hill to Climb, Finding the Right Amount of Crypto Regulation, Friends with Benefits, and the Untapped Potential of NFTs

Chris Dixon and Naval Ravikant — The Wonders of Web3, How to Pick the Right Hill to Climb, Finding the Right Amount of Crypto Regulation, Friends with Benefits, and the Untapped Potential of NFTs

It's getting harder to be noticed in people's inboxes. Yet, email is still the most effective channel to engage, convert, and retain potential customers. That is why creating an engaging email subject line is vital to catch your readers attention to open your email.

Email is the most effective channel

A Yesware study found that email subject lines between one and five words had the highest open rates. A Marketo study found subject lines with about 41 characters or seven words had the most engagement. Try not to push too much information in a message. Email subject lines like "Products celebs are wearing" or "Deals you can't miss" is to the point and will gain interest.

Try using five or less words

Numbers lend credibility to your message. Include a statistic from a survey, a time-saving figure, the discount percentage figure, or the number of steps in your how-to-guide. For example:"40% off today only""15 ways to save on energy"

Use numbers in your email subject line

<ul><li>Consider using a question to add interest or promise to show how readers can do something. For example, "Jane, here's how to boost your home's value."</li></ul> <ul><li>Ensure you know your customers' pain points and use that to offer a solution to their issues.</li></ul> <ul><li>Use the FOMO technique occasionally to boost short-term engagement. “Peter, your 20 percent discount expires at midnight.”</li></ul>

Add intrigue or feature a promise

Studies show that personalised subject lines can increase open rates by 50%. Email subject lines sound personal when you keep the language informal and write like you're talking to a friend. For example, "Linda, we don't want you to miss out."

Combine personalisation with conversational language

Use language that is unique to you and complements your personality. Unconventional words make your subject lines more noticeable. For example, Activewear retailer Fabletics used this subject line: “Your butt will look great in these workout pants.”

Sharpen up your unique voice

Experian found that emojis in the subject line can increase open rates by 45%. But in B2B business or a more formal business, emojis may seem inappropriate. Experiment by split testing two versions of the same subject line - with and without emoji.

Experiment with emojis

"You", "your," "yours," and "yourself" make the reader feel more emotionally connected to your business and the message. Write about your reader, not about your business. Emphasize how the reader will benefit from reading your email.

Use second-person pronouns

We've collated seven sources to help you specialize, strategize, and streamline your career as a digital marketer.

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

Become a Marketing Pro

You only have one chance for your email subject lines to stand out and grab your customer’s interest enough to open your marketing email.

writing

Reading & Writing

Email Subject Lines: 9 Copywriting Techniques to Boost Open Rates

Really Good Emails (RGE) is a website that tries to capture the best emails in one place. It tries to showcase email design and resources on the web.&nbsp;

What Makes A Really Good Email (RGE)

<ul><li>The email connects visual design with a good simple hierarchy.&nbsp;</li><li>The content serves the customer more than the company.&nbsp;</li><li>There is consistency across branding, website and app experience.&nbsp;</li><li>The campaign uses best-in-class technology.&nbsp;</li><li>It’s enjoyable because it surprises and delights.&nbsp;</li><li>The email is likely to perform well.&nbsp;</li><li>It balances live text and imagery.&nbsp;</li><li>It is accessible across devices and screens.&nbsp;</li></ul>

What A Good Email Looks like

<ul><li>Subject Line&nbsp;</li><li>Pre-header text&nbsp;</li><li>Email Layout Patterns&nbsp;</li><li>Images&nbsp;</li><li>Typography&nbsp;</li><li>Whitespace&nbsp;</li><li>Mobile Optimization&nbsp;</li><li>CTA Design&nbsp;</li><li>Text CTA Ratio&nbsp;</li><li>Video&nbsp;</li><li>Animated GIFs (Does it add value)&nbsp;</li><li>Interactivity&nbsp;</li><li>Personalization&nbsp;</li><li>Voice &amp; Tone&nbsp;</li><li>Footer Finish&nbsp;</li><li>Legal&nbsp;</li></ul>

What Aspects Gets Critiqued About An RGE

<ul><li>Use short and sweet retention emails to get users back into a product.&nbsp;</li><li>Don’t let their campaigns try to do everything at once.&nbsp;</li><li>Try out and test new CTAs that are more descriptive.&nbsp;</li><li>Make emails match up to branding and web/app experience.&nbsp;</li><li>Use bold imagery to capture openers attention.&nbsp;</li><li>Use hacks like the search bar image to show an audience what actions they should take.</li></ul>

The best emails - Airbnb

<ul><li>Use an offer with clear copy and supporting CTA.&nbsp;</li><li>Include tasty imagery to show your product in action.&nbsp;</li><li>Create your own icons for an associated action instead of counting.</li><li>Bottom navigation lets the offer be the main focus. If people need the links they will look for them.&nbsp;</li><li>Social icons that match your branding or the rest of the email is a nice touch.&nbsp;</li><li>Include a link to download your app if you have one.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Learn from Blue Apron

<ul><li>Make sections of your email content shareable.&nbsp;</li><li>One column emails work great on desktop and mobile. Single CSS buttons are the way to go. They focus the CTA and make it obvious what to do next.&nbsp;</li><li>Shows brand has a customer support focus. Add a feedback section to the bottom of the Email.</li><li>Experiment with new technology. There are usually fallbacks that still look good.&nbsp;</li></ul>

What we can learn from Code School

First off, what is Really Good Emails? It’s a Internet website that tries to put together the best emails in the universe in one place. Really Good Emails (RGE for short) aims to be the best showcase…

product

Product & Design

What Makes A Really Good Email?

The follow-up email is a message sent in response to a subscriber action. For example, it prompts customers to upgrade, schedule a meeting, provide feedback, buy other products, etc. Using an effective follow-up email strategy can build rapport and trust with potential customers. It can also provide you with an opportunity to make an impression before they consider buying from you.

The follow-up email

<ol><li>Set context. Start your email with a connection to a previous email or contact.</li><li>Add value. Alway increase the stakes with a follow-up email and add value to motivate them to reply or care.</li><li>Mention the reason why you're emailing. Express your goal.</li><li>Insert a call to action. For example, if you're trying to schedule a meeting, propose a day, time and location.</li><li>Wrap up your email. For instance, "Kindly inform me of your thoughts" or "Kindly notify me if you have any concerns." [Your name]</li></ol>

How to write an effective follow-up email

As a standard guide, wait two or three days before sending your follow-up email. Other proposed periods for delivering follow-up emails:<ul><li>Within 24 hours: Express thanks, sales meeting, or interviews.</li><li>Within 48 hours: After the submission of a job application or other critical paperwork.</li><li>Within 1 - 2 weeks: Follow up on an appointment, after no communication to a job offer, or verify receipt of an email you need information on.</li><li>Every three months: Reconnect with a former contact, inquire about their business or life, or hear about a new achievement.</li></ul>

When to send email follow-ups

80% of non-routine transactions happen after four or more follow-ups. <ul><li>Send as least five follow-up emails, every time providing more time for the receiver to respond. This will lessen the chance of overdoing it.</li><li>Two or three follow-ups are ideal. But even one follow-up email may increase engagement.</li><li>Follow-ups depend on the type of previous engagement you had with a prospect.</li></ul>

The frequency of follow-up emails

<ul><li>Determine the purpose of the email. Never send emails unless you are sure of the outcome you desire.</li><li>Think like a client. What is in it for them? What are their emotions?</li><li>Set an automation sequence for your follow up.</li><li>Use diverse channels. Use outlets that are worth your time and effort.</li><li>Personalise your follow-ups.</li><li>To capture attention, make exciting subject lines, such as one-liners, amusing puns, or some controversy.</li><li>Don't use unnecessary industry jargon and phrases. Instead, educate them.</li><li>Focus on one goal and CTA.</li><li>Know when to let go.</li><li>Express your appreciation when prospects react.</li></ul>

Strategies and best practices

Before we directly dive deep to follow up email strategy, it's important to know all about follow up email first. 

Follow Up Email Strategy: 10 Best Practices to Win Prospects

To streamline our illustration process we decided to conduct an exercise, an experiment of sorts, in color harmonies with our recently updated color palette.We wanted to treat this exercise as a guideline that would help us use our brand’s unique set of colors effectively and efficiently. With an array of hues, shades, and tints to choose from, we knew this exercise would be a time-saver when working with color.

A Color Exercise for our Brand’s Illustration

Our color palette includes a wide range of tones and we aim to utilize the entire spectrum of colors to create warmth and energetic work. Our team already uses a shared swatch library which allows for easy access and color consistency for the entire team. Below is a screenshot of Creative Market’s colors:

Creative Market’s Color Palette

A systematic approach would work best and decided to study color combinations that are regarded as harmonies. These combinations are known to have pleasing or contrasting quality to them and consists of these groups: analogous, complementary, Split-Complementary& Side-complementary, and Triad. There are numerous other color groups but we chose these harmonies that were unique for our use.

Color Combinations

Along with the color guide we also researched color techniques in Illustrator that would improve our workflow.

A Few Color Techniques

We’ve recently begun to use this magnificent trick in Illustrator. There are various examples and tutorials online on how to use global colors, but in short they are a great way to change colors quickly when working with multiple shapes and layers in an illustration. Here’s an example:

Quick tip #1 —  Global Colors

Creative market uses a tool called Recolor artwork to change the hue of our brand's color wheel in real time. The goal is to have a guide that provides a refresher and speeds up our decision making process when it comes to color Pairings. The colors we choose and the combinations we make are important factors for our brand personality. And it doesn’t stop here, we’re continually searching and improving our process.

Quick Tip #2 — Recolor Artwork

A group of three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.We tend to use these when working with smaller spot illustrations. This combination is very reliable and aesthetically pleasing but when using this harmony we need to ensure that focus & visual interest is created using chromatic contrast.

Analogous

Colors directly opposite each other in the color wheel.We do not tend to use this combination due to the visual tension it creates. Most of our projects do not require this level of contrast which may distract from our project goal when working with our product or marketing team.

Complementary

This is a variation of the complementary color scheme. It uses the base color plus two “Analogous” colors (or just one if it’s a Side-Complementary) adjacent to its complement.We use this color relationship the most in our illustrations. As mentioned earlier, we want to use the entire spectrum of color to convey dynamic work. This harmony gives enough contrast to create visual interest without the intensity that can occur in complementary harmonies.

Split-Complementary & Side-Complementary 

Colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheelWe tend to use this harmony for larger illustration work where we want to use the entire spectrum of color as a representation of our creative community and company. When using so many colors we’re mindful of how and where we place colors together in our illustration. This ensures that the visual mood stays within our company’s voice & tone.

Triad 

Last week our Senior Brand Designer, Bronwyn Gruet, wrote a great article about our initiative in streamlining our illustration work with the introduction of Illustration Object Libraries. To further…

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

In this episode of the Liquidicast, Thomas and Ron are joined by Michael Browning, the Co-Founder and managing director at Fox Ellis agency. In the episode, we touch on sports marketing and branding, personal athlete branding, and some of the challenges for young athletes. We then discuss what different sports are doing effectively and we share our thoughts on the future of sports marketing.

Liquidicast 07 — Breaking down sports branding with Michael Browning of Fox Ellis

In this episode of the Liquidicast, Thomas and Ron are joined by Michael Browning, the co-founder and managing director at Fox Ellis Agency, a sports marketing and advertising agency based out of the…

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