How the notebook worksEvery page answers two questions: what kind of thinking it keeps, and how far along that thinking is.What it keepsNotesmy thoughts in fluxTopicA gathering point. It collects the notes underneath it, and sometimes nothing is written in the middle.Minethis oneMy ideas, at every stage of thought.InspiredNot fully, or mostly, original. It says whose idea it started as.StubNot enough to say in public yet. Here for the links in and out.How far alongSteepingThin and early. Written down so I can find out what I think of it.BrewingHas a shape, still moving. Most of the notebook lives here.PouredFinished, which is not the same as long. Five words can be poured.Mix kind and stage on the benchEdited
Messaging Map
A message map is a structured way to organize how you talk about something (a product, a company, or a person) so that everyone communicating it says the same things, in the same order of importance, backed by the same evidence. It’s narrower than a full “messaging framework,” which covers the whole brand (positioning statement, pillars, tone, personas); a message map is the tighter working document teams actually pull from when writing collateral.
Core Components
- Core message / pillars: the 3 or so central value props, kept to a small number for memorability.
- Supporting messages: 3-4 points per pillar that explain and expand it.
- Proof points: the evidence backing each claim: features, data, certifications, quotes, or specific facts, generally ranked by importance.
- Audience / persona layer: the map is built against a specific buyer or audience, since the same core message lands differently depending on who’s hearing it.
- Objection handling: pre-built responses to the pushback or skepticism that audience is likely to raise.
- Positioning statements: a phrase, a sentence, and a paragraph version, so the same message scales from headline to full write-up.
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