Sometimes I say things that make people angry. Things like… |
"Visionary and integrator are fake job titles." |
"Annual planning is stupid." |
"Most company mission and vision statements are just entrepreneurial arts and crafts." |
…just to name a few. |
I've gotten hate mail over these beliefs. I've had people unsubscribe. I've had some very creative insults in my comment section. |
But I say them anyway, because: |
I genuinely believe them, and… If I didn't, you wouldn't be reading this right now.
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Most founders never do this. Most brands never do this. Heck, most so-called "influencers" never do this. |
They post tips.
They share "insights."
They say things that are technically true, but completely forgettable…safe content that sounds like it could've come from anyone in their industry. |
And then they wonder why they're not standing out…why their messages and ideas just aren't "breaking through." |
Spoiler: If it could've come from anyone...it might as well have come from no one. |
What's the alternative? |
I call them Unique Points of View, and you need at least three if you want your brand to stand out from the noise. |
Here's how to find them. |
Step 1: Let AI do the mining |
Open Claude, ChatGPT, or whatever tool you use and type: |
"What are the top 10 commonly held beliefs or best practices in [your industry]?" |
…and you'll get a list of things everybody in your space takes for granted. |
If you're a personal trainer, you'll see stuff like: |
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If you own an HVAC company, you'll see: |
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If you're a bookkeeper or accountant, you'll see: |
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Now go through the list one by one. |
Step 2: Flip the ones that make you twitch |
Some of those "best practices" will feel right. Skip those. |
But a few of them...your gut will say, "Well, actually..." |
That twitch? That seed of doubt? That's a Unique Point of View trying to get out. |
Flip it. Invert it. Take the "obvious" truth and turn it upside down. For example… |
For the personal trainer: |
❌ "Track your macros" becomes...
✅ "Tracking macros is stupid." |
❌ "Sweat every day" becomes...
✅ "Rest days are more important than lift days." |
For the HVAC company: |
❌ "Regular maintenance prevents breakdowns" becomes...
✅ "Maintenance contracts are a scam." |
❌ "Energy-efficient upgrades pay for themselves" becomes...
✅ "High-efficiency upgrades COST you more than they save." |
For the bookkeeper and accountant: |
❌ "Maximize your deductions" becomes...
✅ "Stop chasing deductions." |
❌ "Monthly financials are the gold standard" becomes...
✅ "Cash in the bank is all that matters." |
See the pattern? |
Each one is specific.
Each one challenges a widely held belief.
Each one attracts a certain kind of person and repels another. |
That's the point. |
I did this exercise myself. The "Visionary and integrator" concept is a sacred cow in my world. Everybody talks about it like it's gospel. But in my experience, it creates more dysfunction than it solves...so I said it out loud. |
Some people got angry, but a lot more people said… |
"Finally...someone said it." |
Those are my people, and now they know I exist. |
But let me be clear: the goal isn't to be controversial or rage-bait just for the sake of being controversial. You have to actually believe it, or it won't work. |
Step 3: Pick 3 and ride them for 90 days |
I have a list of 10 unique points of view, but you don't need 10… you need three. |
Three hills you're willing to die on. Three positions that a certain kind of prospect will hear and think, "That's my person." |
Then build your content around those three things. |
Every video, every post, every email for the next 90 days should connect back to one of your three unique points of view. |
This is the difference between a content calendar and a content strategy. |
And here's the test: if your content doesn't make at least a few people uncomfortable...if nobody pushes back, nobody argues, nobody unsubscribes... |
...it's not actually a unique point of view. It's just noise. |
⚡️ Action Step: Open ChatGPT or Claude right now and type: "What are the top 10 commonly held beliefs or best practices in [your industry]?" Go through the list, and invert the ones that make you twitch. Write down three. Post one this week. |
Give it a shot and let me know how it works… |
-Ryan |
Ryan Deiss
Co-Founder and CEO, The Scalable Company |
P.S. I'm looking for 5 business owners who want to work 1-on-1 with my team and me to install a custom "operating system" so your business can scale and so you can exit the day-to-day. Click here for the details. |
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