Alex Morris has sent more than 200 issues of his newsletter Strat Scraps, typos, doodled monsters and all, and about 90 percent of his strategy business now comes through it. In this episode the brand strategist behind work for Hinge and Vice explains why polish kills momentum, and why sharing half-formed thoughts early makes you a better thinking partner.

Alex and Marc also talk about choosing conviction over chasing trends, the SaaS ad that promised a monster that does everything, cutting until it hurts, the one rule he holds for everything he publishes, why everyone has scraps worth keeping, and the power of being a regular somewhere.

You'll learn:

✅ Why polish kills momentum, and when it's time to slow down

✅ How sharing half-formed thoughts makes you a better thinking partner

✅ Why conviction resonates more than chasing audience trends

✅ How a clear North Star protects a brand from feature bloat

✅ Why the best strategy is what you leave out

✅ The one rule Alex sets for everything he publishes

✅ How to collect your scraps and connect ideas that don't seem related

💬 "Polish kills momentum."

Whether you're a creative who keeps polishing work no one sees or a business owner tempted to do everything for everyone, this conversation gives you permission to share sooner and focus harder.

Follow the show for more conversations on creativity, strategy, and doing your best work.

Hosted by Marc Scheff, gallery owner and transformational coach who works with accomplished people ready for their next chapter. He once spent three weeks in Prague with one goal, to become a regular somewhere, and by the end the bartenders at the Black Cat knew his name. marcscheff.com

Find Alex:

Newsletter: Strat Scraps (https://stratscraps.substack.com)

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Alex Morris

02:36 Strat Scraps and the Permission to Share

05:25 Why Polish Kills Momentum

07:55 Half-Formed Thoughts With Clients

10:03 Conviction Over Chasing Trends

13:36 The North Star and the Monster That Does Everything

15:46 Cut Until It Hurts

19:31 Walking Away From a Bad Tagline

22:39 His One Rule for Publishing

25:08 Everybody Has Scraps

28:55 The Power of Being a Regular

32:00 Where to Find Alex