Most marketers spend their careers collecting tactics. ❌
“Post exactly at 9 AM on LinkedIn!”
“Use these 5 email templates!”
“Copy this landing page format!”
But here’s what nobody tells you: Top marketers ignore all that.
They play a completely different game.
They hunt for ideas. ✅
Let me show you what I mean.
Tactics have an expiration date 📅
The moment a tactic works → everyone copies it → it stops working.
That’s why:
Yesterday’s “perfect” cold email template = today’s spam
Last month's “viral” LinkedIn format = this month’s cringe
2024’s “genius” landing page = 2025’s generic template
The half-life of marketing tactics is getting shorter and shorter.
But ideas? They’re timeless.
Why most marketers stay stuck at $80k 🪜
The career ladder in marketing looks like this:
$80k = Tactical execution
$120k = Tactical innovation
$170k = Idea spotting
$250k+ = Idea creation ← this is where you want to be 💡
Most marketers NEVER make it past tactical innovation because they’re too busy:
Copying viral templates
Following tactic-focused newsletters
Chasing trends instead of understanding why they work
It’s not about your level, years of experience, or whether you’re in a leadership role. It’s about always looking for ideas (instead of tactics).
Your $250k promotion lives in this one question 🔑
The secret to finding breakthrough marketing ideas is simple...
Stop asking HOW and start asking WHY:
💌 Instead of asking tactical questions like: “How should we do our email marketing?” → Ask idea questions like: “Why would someone actually want to hear from us?”
👤 Instead of: “How do we make customers talk about us on social?” → Ask: “Why do people share things with friends?”
🧑💻 Instead of: “How do we get more signups?” → Ask: “Why would someone take a chance on something new?”
A lesson from billion-dollar companies 🦄
I noticed this extremely simple pattern while interviewing marketers from companies like MongoDB, Duolingo, and Figma.
The most successful marketers didn’t start with HOW to do marketing.
They started with WHY ↓
Each “why” led to an idea that spawned dozens of successful tactics.
You’re already ahead of 99% of marketers 💎
Don’t worry - you’re on the right track. You’re reading this newsletter because you hunt for ideas, not just tactics.
That’s what the top 1% of marketers do.
Look at previous ideas we’ve explored together:
⚙️ How mini-tools beat free trials for lead generation
🏆 Why praise-led marketing creates viral growth
🫨 How to engineer ‘holy sh*t’ moments that sell
📸 Why screenshot marketing triggers curiosity
🐔 How reverse psychology sells more than direct asks
💌 Why love letters beat testimonials
The gap between $80k and $250k is not about working harder. It’s about focusing on marketing ideas. And you’re on the right path.
See you next week ✌️
Tom
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