Starting Always Future Group has been one of the most energizing and humbling experiences of my career. After more than 20 years inside agencies I deeply admired—working alongside brilliant strategists, researchers, creatives, and innovators—I’m seeing this craft from a new vantage point. And from here, two truths stand out sharply.
First: the people who built the agencies I’ve been privileged to work inside deserve far more respect, appreciation, and gratitude than I ever gave them at the time. This is work. It’s exhilarating work, meaningful work—but still work. And to the many leaders, mentors, and colleagues who opened their doors and let me contribute to their vision: if any of you find your way to this post, thank you.
Second: the lesson that has shaped me most—across Design Thinking, innovation, research, and strategy—is this:
Iteration isn’t optional. It’s the heartbeat of progress.
Your First Vision is Never Your First Version!
When you create something—an idea, a message, a name, a concept, a product—there’s a natural instinct to protect it. You pour thought, craft, and emotion into it. You begin to identify with it. In can very quickly become your baby.
And then the feedback comes.
Someone points out the flaw you didn’t see.
Someone challenges the assumption you were convinced was sound.
Someone says, metaphorically, that your baby might be a bit… ugly.
It can sting.
It can make you defensive.
It can make you want to retreat into your corner and polish alone.
But here’s the truth learned from two decades of applying Design Thinking across some of the most complex client challenges:
Feedback is not a threat. It’s a tool. It’s not a setback. It’s a step forward. It’s not personal. It’s fuel. Iteration is what transforms an idea from promising to powerful. It’s the disciplined act of shaving away the excess, tightening what matters, and strengthening the parts that will carry the weight of the final solution.
The Shift: From Bracing for Feedback to Craving It
Something surprising happens once you truly internalize this mindset.
You stop fearing the critique—and start craving it.
You begin to see pointed feedback as an “attaboy” instead of a gut punch. You move quickly from “Why don’t they get it?” to “What did I miss?” You start seeking out the people who won’t spare your feelings, because those are the people who push the work toward greatness.
This is the agility that separates good teams from breakthrough teams.
It’s not about being unbothered.
It’s about being unattached—to your first draft, your favorite idea, your old assumptions, your ego.
Innovation Lives in the Problems, Not the Praise
The brightest minds I’ve worked with don’t spend time basking in what’s working.
They hunt for what isn’t.They lean into the tensions, the contradictions, the blind spots. They understand that the energy of innovation doesn’t come from celebrating what’s already right—it comes from wrestling with what’s still wrong.
This doesn’t mean dismissing the wins. It means not being distracted by them.
If There’s One Takeaway…
Feedback is fuel. Not criticism.
Iteration is momentum.
And the first version is never—ever—the final version.
As Always Future Group grows, this philosophy sits at the center of how we partner, create, and solve. The work deserves that level of humility, and the future demands that level of agility.
If you’re building something new—an idea, a brand, a product, a business—don’t fall in love with your first draft.
Fall in love with what it becomes. And hit us up here if you want this kind of partnership [email protected]
