Breaking through the noise

Of all the things I did and all the decisions I made over the past year of building FOREPLAI (now Sawtooth), nothing has been more controversial than our name.

I’ve questioned my wisdom, or lack thereof, more than anyone else. I know it complicates intros and first discussions.

However, I didn’t name it for myself, our team, partners, or investors.

I named it for the distracted masses.

Those who face the daily deluge of unimaginative marketing from thoroughly unremarkable companies. Each one is desperate for attention but fearful of standing out.

But I’ll be honest. I never really leaned into it.

And then I came across this post from Jason Bagley.

I read it often like a daily mantra, especially this part:

[P]eople only pay attention to and remember massive pattern disruptions.

The reason the best creative work always pushes to the very edge of madness is not to be ‘crazy’ or ‘risky.’

It’s because if your goal is to get noticed and remembered, pushing the work to the edge of madness is the logical, reasonable, smart thing to do.

The entire post is gold.

I can certainly justify my decision with logic: the name is unusual and unforgettable, it speaks to our unique differentiation, and it’s how we make money.

But here I am, leaning into it.

Because the only thing that matters, especially in such a cluttered and noisy market, is breaking through.

And once we have your attention, we can tell our story.