The person who writes down the thing has tremendous power. One of the ways you find the up-and-comers at a tech company is just like, “Okay who wrote down the plan?”That doesn’t mean that they came up with everything, that doesn’t mean that they had all the ideas, but they actually have the energy and the motivation and the skill to be able to communicate in a written form.” – Marc Andreessen
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When I stepped into a new team a few years back, I sat down with each person, eager to learn more about their roles and explore ways I could contribute. Everyone was helpful – they generously shared useful insights, valuable links, and snippets of past project emails.
Yet, one person stood out. When I sat down with him, he handed me a monster 8-page document detailing his strategic approach to our products and clients – a magnum opus reminding me of the legendary Amazon 6-pager, weaving together context, scope, constraints, alternatives, and strategy into a masterpiece.
What was truly impressive is that he wasn’t a product manager or planner; he operated in sales, and nothing in his job description said that he had to write something like this. However, by doing so, he transcended the common stereotype of salespeople being all fluff with no substance.
Within the team, he quickly assumed the role of an expert. Whenever questions arose, someone would direct me to a section in his document. I found myself referring back to it over and over again. He was building cultural capital – without even being in the room.
He positioned himself apart from the team not because he was the smartest or the best at his job; the entire team boasted equal competence, helpfulness, and responsibility. What set him apart was his ability to craft a compelling story.
He took the effort to weave together the team’s collective knowledge into a cohesive narrative. He took on the painful task of thinking, filtering, organizing, and communicating this narrative—the lens that shaped our worldview. It wasn’t merely about knowing that “This product has Feature X and Feature Y,” but about fighting for Feature X over Feature Y, arguing that it aligned more closely with our clients’ goals.
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People don’t write a lot these days. Yes, we create slides, send off emails, and engage in rapid-fire chat discussions. Yet, genuine writing is so rare because it’s demanding. You’ve got to do this over and above your day-to-day work. You’ve got to carve out several hours (or weeks) to think through all the random pieces of information. And there’s no guarantee that your manager would even appreciate you for it.
But those who DO take the time to write have tremendous power.
Consider transformative pieces such as Marc Andreesen’s Software is Eating the World, Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans, or even Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Work Week. Most of the trends in these essays were already happening. But by stringing them together in a coherent narrative, these authors revolutionized the way we think, and positioned themselves as THE foremost experts in the trends.
We may never be able to craft earth-shattering thought leadership pieces like these, but the path to influence lies in writing. Start small: Volunteer to take down the notes of your next meeting. Summarize your projects in a newsletter. Send out a weekly email celebrating your team’s achievements.
And because this is something so few people are willing to do, those who embark on it will inevitably stand out.
Start writing, and see what happens next.
