I just sent "the witnessing function" to my subsribers of The Narrative. Be sure to get on my list to get the next one straight to your inbox. storiedinc.kit.com via @kit

Geoffrey Moore says startups die in the chasm because pragmatist buyers demand a "whole product." These folks won't tolerate gaps. They need references. They need the complete solution. The chasm is lethal because because the buyers won't buy without perfection. But Moore's model assumes there's an EXISTING solution the buyer is comparing you to. The whole framework assumes the buyer has a status quo they're comfortable with. When the *bar is zero*, when the alternative is literally "we die" or "we do this entirely by hand with 2,000 people" (Block's compliance team) or "we just don't have this capability at all"? The chasm doesn't exist for those. Buyers start acting like visionaries instead of skeptics, because they have to buy. The alternative doesn't exist. They'll tolerate a 60% solution, missing features, no references, because 60% of something beats 100% of nothing. The companies I get most excited about aren't disrupting incumbents. They're filling voids. 9 Mothers in the YC Spring 2026 batch is a counter-drone defense co for whom bar is zero, there is no viable close quarters defense otherwise! There's no chasm to cross for that. The practical implication for founders: if you're in a market where the bar is zero, stop worrying about whole product, stop worrying about crossing the chasm, stop worrying about pragmatist references. Ship the 60% solution. They're begging for it. If you're NOT in a bar-is-zero market (if there's an incumbent, a status quo, a "good enough") then Moore applies in full and you need the whole playbook (beachhead, bowling alley, whole product, the works). The question every founder should ask: is my customer's current alternative literally nothing? If yes, you're in a different game than the textbooks describe. Ship it in whatever form you have. You'll know. And it's a great place to be.

very smart thesis and insights from @kickingkeys

My next newsletter "the Claude Migration Kit I wish I had" is coming Sunday. Subscribe to get it and stay in the loop on everything I'm creating. storiedinc.kit.com via @kit

My next newsletter "the Claude Migration Kit I wish I had" is coming Sunday. Subscribe to get it and stay in the loop on everything I'm creating. storiedinc.kit.com via @kit

A MIT professor taught the same lecture every January for 40 years, and every single time it was standing room only. I watched it at 2am and it completely rewired how I think about communication. His name was Patrick Winston. The lecture is called "How to Speak." His opening line hit like a truck: your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas in that order. Not your GPA. Not your pedigree. Not your IQ. How you speak is what separates people who get heard from people who get ignored. Here's the framework he drilled into MIT students for four decades. He said never start with a joke. Start by telling people exactly what they're going to learn. Prime the pump before you pour anything in. He called it the "empowerment promise" give people a reason to stay in their seats within the first 60 seconds. Then he broke down the 5S rule for making ideas stick: Symbol, Slogan, Surprise, Salient, and Story. Every idea worth remembering hits at least three of these. The part that floored me was his "near miss" technique. Don't just show what's right show what almost looks right but isn't. That contrast is when the brain actually locks something in permanently. His final rule before any big talk: end with a contribution, not a summary. Don't recap what you said. Tell people what you gave them that they didn't have before they walked in. I've used this framework in pitches, interviews, and presentations ever since watching it, and the results are not subtle. Patrick Winston passed away in 2019, but this lecture is still free on MIT OpenCourseWare. One hour, watched by millions, and it costs absolutely nothing. The most important class MIT ever put on the internet isn't about code or math. It's about how to make people actually listen to you.

Huge congrats to my doppleganger @mmargolis on his new book! It's a must read for UX designers and product builders.

The curiosity prayer: “Grant me the curiosity to explore the things I do not understand, the courage to question the things I do, and the wisdom to never stop learning.”

9 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Your Message Across

Introducing myself again

7 New Reasons I'm Starting to Write Online

Interested in narrative, change, and tech disruption? Over the next 30 days, I'll be writing 30 Atomic Essays. Follow my Social Blog on @typeshare_co: typeshare.co/michaelmargolis

I just hopped aboard the October Ship 30 for 30 cohort from @dickiebush and @nicolascole77! Join me and 500 others to learn the fundamentals of digital writing, form lifelong friendships, and publish every day for 30 days. Check it out!👇🏼🚢 ship30for30.com

Thrilled to share that I've recently joined the @RubinMuseum Advisory Council to provide guidance on the development of exhibitions, programs, and digital offerings; strengthening the impact of the Rubin Museum in New York City and abroad. Read more: rubinmuseum.org/images/conte…

Read to collect the dots, write to connect them

People aren’t brands. I love this juicy convo between @debbiemillman & @karaswisher. I run a women’s storytelling co. (mightyforces.co/) & always say that I hate the term personal brand b/c human beings don’t have brands, we have stories. nytimes.com/2022/02/07/opini…