Sacred Cows make for great Kobe beef.

Sacred Cows are also known for tasty Kobe burgers.

In house teams can be productive, if they act like external agencies. Interesting. Fire your internal design team each month, or at least make them feel like it could happen. Fear is a great motivator, ask any everyday dictator.

Here are a few of Stephen's insights.

"Stand for something", like external agencies do every day. "We're not about good. We're about great." Something that commonly doesn't show up in house, but often shows up out of house. Great way to inspire internal teams. And, great way to actually get something done.

"Move forward by looking back," seeing what you've accomplished helps you see what you haven't. What you haven't is where you start when seeking a new future.

"Fail Constantly," yes and fast is also good. Fail fast is a product development philosophy and certainly applies in and out of house for creative. Use the exercise of matching brands with products and try to sell something that has failure all over it. Example: how would Apple sell lipstick? Answer: they wouldn't, but the creative process is a safe way to fail. Try it.

Thank you Stephen Gates, Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Aaron Keller
Managing Principal, Capsule
Capsule's Blog