Case Study
How Smart Teams Get Stuck in Their Own Patterns
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Interview
It's Nearly Impossible To Read The Label On The Jar You're Sitting In
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Build the company you actually set out to build.

You started this to change how people learn. Somewhere, it got complicated. What's in the way might be the business. It might be you.

An outside perspective changes that.

An outside perspective helps with that.

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what keeps you
up at night?
Founder Chris D.
Introduction by
—
Chris Davis,
Founder & Principal

As an EdTech leader, you're too close to things. It's like trying to read the label on the jar you're sitting in.
The instincts that built this company are the same ones making the next stage harder to see. That's not a failure of effort. You're doing the work.
You're too close because you care. And here's what I notice most often:

01—
your positioning

Making critical decisions in a vacuum

‍(lonely at the top)

the right buyers aren't finding you(invisible)

—— You can describe what you do. You're less certain why someone should choose you over the alternatives or why the right buyers aren't finding you at all. You've got a point of view on the problem you solve. You just need the right people to recognize it without having to be convinced.

abstract positioning target
abstract positioning target

Getting your numbers to make sense(performance)

—— You're not lacking options. You're drowning in them. You've had success, yet you've outgrown your current decision-making framework and haven't developed new ones yet. When executives can finally see their patterns clearly, one choice typically becomes obvious while others fade into the background.

02—
The Right Metrics

Too much data, not enough insight

‍(analysis paralysis)

Too much data, not enough insight(overthinking)

—— You know something's off but can't pinpoint exactly what, so you keep collecting more data hoping it will become obvious. The dashboard gets bigger. The picture gets less clear. You have all the numbers and still can't tell with confidence where you're actually headed.

abstract performance piano keys
abstract performance piano keysabstract performance piano keys

Standing out in the crowd(Brand differentiation)

—— You know something's off but can't pinpoint exactly what, so you keep collecting more data hoping it will become obvious. You're likely tracking several numbers, yet only 3-5 typically predict success. What executives discover is that when you can finally see which metrics actually matter, the rest becomes noise you can confidently ignore.

03—
Direction, Not Activity

03—
Strategy
misALIGnMENT

Working hard but not moving forward

‍(out of sync)

Solving the wrong problems beautifully(out of sync)

—— Your team is executing flawlessly but you're still not hitting the target. Everyone's busy, initiatives feel urgent, and the priorities make sense when you explain them. What's harder to see is whether any of it is pointed at the thing that actually drives the most value or whether you're solving a problem that feels easier than the real one.

abstract alignment
abstract alignmentabstract alignment

Getting business and creative strategy on the same page(Alignment)

—— Your team is executing flawlessly, but you're still not hitting the target. Everyone's busy, yet initiatives feel scattered, and you're starting to wonder if you're solving the wrong problems entirely. When teams can finally see the same patterns clearly, the scattered feeling and frustration tends to dissolve naturally.

Recent insight
& projects

How Smart Teams Get Stuck in Their Own Patterns

After three years of development, WriteRightNow was fundamentally broken. Teachers couldn't sign up. The interface was confusing. The value proposition was buried under features nobody understood. Despite months of "fixes" and additional features, the team was stuck in an execution spiral—working harder but getting further from a viable product.

Even smart teams fall into this classic trap: when you're deep into execution, you work harder on patterns that aren't working. And it's nearly impossible to step back to read the label on your own jar.

But then the University of Oregon research team saw their pattern. When they uncomfortably watched teachers struggle with their product, everything became visible. Breakthrough followed naturally—5,000+ teachers adopted the platform in six months, 400% above target.

view case study
STRATEGY

Who Was That Decision Really For?

The boardroom is unbearably quiet. Eight faces across the table, waiting for you to begin. Is today the day they figure out you were a teacher three years ago?
‍
Read the full story here.