People Are the Why

Solving Real Problems for Real People

The number one reason I went independent is to work with what I refer to as Real People, solving Real Problems.

This isn't to say that I didn't engage with "real people" in my corporate career - I've worked with many brilliant, kind people over the years and had the pleasure of staying in touch with many of them up to the current day. I have also had the opportunity to solve genuinely interesting problems at times that gave me a sense of satisfaction in my work, though relatively few were "real problems".

What I mean by Real People is this - clients who are looking for a personal relationship with a creative and technical partner to solve a problem. This is a special kind of relationship.

Non-negotiables here include candid communication, minimal bureaucracy, and a bias for action.

No hiding behind red tape, no by-the-book obedience to cryptic procedures locked away in a Confluence catacomb somewhere - just 1:1 relationships built around the human touch, with laser-focused attention aimed at solving the problem affecting the client as effectively as possible.

Cutting the noise and attacking what is actually affecting the client the most will achieve far more impact than focusing on the "right thing" first.

This is often where my team and I can add value almost immediately - by recognizing root causes and systematic issues that need to be addressed in order to resolve the more obvious issue the client is talking about. The stated problem is often just the tip of the iceberg visible above the water - our job is to discover the rest of the iceberg for the client, plan the best route together, and execute accordingly.

When the focus of the work is put on discovering and solving the Real Problems affecting our clients rather than building band-aid solutions, it becomes infinitely more satisfying for us, and ultimately serves our clients far better.

This is how we work at Blur. If this resonates with you, shoot me a note at [email protected] and we'll see what icebergs you have to overcome.