Off-Menu

The AI psyop no one is talking about

Most startups think of brand like a design project. We treat it as a growth exercise. Today I'm relaunching Off-Menu around that idea, w/ programs for the moments that matter most: repositioning, category creation, GTM. Narrative *and* design, for opinionated founders.

I joined my long time friend @ViableBen on the Supra Insider podcast to talk about my latest brand thinking at Off-Menu. AI has made it easier than ever to build products, yet harder than ever to get people to care. If your product works, 10 competitors will copy you within a month. The old playbook doesn't work anymore. So how do you stand out? It all starts with an ownable POV. In this conversation, we discussed: - Why Anthropic's Keep Thinking campaign is a masterclass in positioning - The "enemy question" I ask clients: if your brand had an enemy, who would it be? - Why most rebrands fail: visual makeover without moving anything forward - Why strong point of view is the antidote to slop - How I'm building AI tools that turn brand strategy into practical inputs Link to the full episode in the replies.

POV is the only uncopyable thing left on the internet.

Differentiation comes from using your brand story as a creative filter to find unexpected visual references, not just picking what's aesthetically trendy.

I never went to design school. I can’t kern type. I don’t push pixels. But I shape the story, guide the work, and help brands say something. So… am I a Creative Director? Turns out, I’m not alone. I wrote about “lowercase” creative directors and how they’re quietly redefining the role. Featuring some of the best: @emilyheyward of @redantler, @daniellelaroy of @goodside_studio, and @rionharmon of @dayjobstudios .

Can you really hire a designer from 4 screenshots?

Stop confusing 'going viral' with 'building a business.' @cluely raised $15M by embracing every marketing trick that makes VCs horny—controversy, virality, founder personality. But they forgot one tiny detail: their product actually needs people to trust them. Especially one that listens in to all of your calls. Finally wrote about the cheating app and why attention is often the enemy of trust (and what to do instead).

“$200K for brand work? That's insane.” Said the founder who just raised $10M and can't explain what his company does in one sentence. I finally wrote the piece I've been sitting on for months. It covers: → Real ROI at each stage ($30K → $3M+) → Why emergency brand work costs 10x more → What you're buying vs. what you think you're buying For everyone who's ever asked “what does a brand actually cost” this one is for you.

Three years into running Off-Menu, and I still don’t know how to introduce myself at dinner parties. “I run a brand strategy and design studio” sounds sterile. “I help companies figure out who they are” sounds like I offer corporate therapy. “I work at the intersection of art and technology” is my go-to after two drinks. The truth? It’s all messier than I expected. The highs have been real. The lows have been quiet. The clarity has come slowly—through burnt-out leads, misaligned projects, moments of flow, and clients who got it. I wrote something honest about what I’ve learned (and what I’m still figuring out) after three years building Off-Menu: * Why brand isn’t something you sell * Why running a studio is like running a fund * Why conviction (not creativity) is what you’re really selling * And what it means to evolve without losing your soul If you're building something of your own—or just trying to make your work matter more—I hope it resonates. Full post in the replies 👇

Lean startup is for product, not brand