The what versus why problem

Hello Readers 🥰

Welcome to today's edition, bringing the latest growth stories fresh to your inbox.

If your pal sent this to you, then subscribe to be the savviest marketer in the room😉

In Partnership with Motion

The Gap Between Making Ads and Winning With Them

Creative strategy looks different depending on where you sit. What a junior needs is not what a founder needs, and what a mid-career strategist needs is sharper still. 

Motion’s Creative Strategy Bootcamp is built to meet you there.

Over 8 live weeks, you learn directly from 15+ Creative Strategists working on brands like Calm, Harry's, Happy Mammoth, and more.

• If you’re breaking in, you’ll master the fundamentals most people skip: scroll-stopping hooks, scalable concepts, and using performance data to make confident decisions instead of guessing.
• If you’re mid-career, you’ll sharpen your edge by integrating AI systems like Andromeda into faster creative loops, clearer prioritization, and repeatable wins instead of reactive testing.
• If you’re a founder or leader, you’ll align your team around shared creative language, stronger frameworks, and a repeatable process that improves ad performance without bloating spend.

Everything comes together through live sessions, office hours, real ads, direct feedback, and hands-on execution that compounds each week.

It’s completely free, and registration closes March 17th.

Reserve your free spot now

📝 The What vs Why Trap

Many growth teams pride themselves on being data-driven. They run structured experiments, review performance metrics, and declare winners with confidence. But there is a hidden trap that quietly derails smart teams.

It is the confusion between what happened and why it happened.

Imagine a creative test where a new variation outperforms the control. The data clearly shows a higher return on ad spend. The team concludes that the specific change caused the lift and prepares to roll it out everywhere.

But here is the problem. The test only proves what happened. It does not prove why.

Steps to Avoid the What vs Why Trap:

1️⃣ Separate Outcomes From Explanations
A test result is an outcome. It tells you which variation won. It does not automatically validate the story you attach to it.

2️⃣ Treat Quantitative Data As Clues
A B test, funnel analysis, or cohort report highlights patterns. These patterns point to possible explanations. They are signals, not final answers.

3️⃣ Layer In Qualitative Research
To get closer to why, talk to customers. Run interviews. Send surveys. Ask open-ended questions. Human context fills the gap that numbers cannot.

4️⃣ Resist Overgeneralization
One winning test does not justify a full strategic pivot. Avoid turning a single data point into a sweeping belief about your market.

5️⃣ Build A Learning System
The strongest teams combine quantitative signals with qualitative insights. Over time, this layered approach compounds into real understanding.

The Takeaway
Wrong learning is worse than no learning at all. When teams mistake what for why, they compound errors in the wrong direction. Use experiments to uncover what is happening, then do the deeper work to understand why. Better questions lead to better decisions.

If You Had to Send Your Books Today, Could You?

Not next month. Not after “cleaning things up.” Today.

Most professionals and operators don’t neglect bookkeeping out of carelessness. They delay it because revenue feels steady and nothing seems urgent. Then a loan application, tax review, or financial decision demands clean records on short notice.

Catching up under pressure is expensive. It costs time, clarity, and sometimes money.

At MNH Advisory, they handle your ongoing monthly bookkeeping and record maintenance so your accounts are always reconciled and up to date. 

No scrambling. No reactive cleanups. Just consistent oversight that keeps everything aligned in the background.

They work quietly behind the scenes, so when your numbers are needed, they hold up.

If your records aren’t current this month, that’s the first place to start.

Book a free strategy call and review where things stand for you today!

📝 Create Original Music with AI

AI just expanded its creative toolkit. You can now generate original music tracks directly from a prompt, image, or video. Whether you want cinematic instrumentals, upbeat pop, ambient soundscapes, or custom songs with lyrics, the process is simple and fast.

Each track can run up to 30 seconds, making it perfect for social clips, ads, reels, trailers, or background audio. Instead of searching through stock libraries, you can now create something tailored exactly to your vision.

Steps to Create Music with AI:

1️⃣ Open the Web App
Visit the platform in your browser. The music feature is currently available on the web, with mobile support rolling out soon.

2️⃣ Select the Music Tool
Inside the tools section, choose the Music option. This activates the music generation interface, where you can control the direction of your track.

3️⃣ Describe Your Track
Write a detailed prompt describing the style, mood, instruments, tempo, and even lyrics if you want vocals. For example, you might request an energetic electronic track with motivational lyrics about resilience.

4️⃣ Upload Visual Inspiration
You can also upload a photo or short video. The system analyzes the visual input and generates music that matches the vibe, tone, and emotional feel of the content.

5️⃣ Generate and Download
Once your prompt or media is submitted, the AI produces a ready-to-use 30-second track. You can review it and generate variations until it fits your needs.

The Takeaway
AI music generation removes traditional barriers to audio production. You do not need studio equipment, composers, or complex software. With a clear idea and a simple prompt, you can create custom soundtracks in seconds and bring your content to life.

We'd love to hear your feedback on today's issue! Simply reply to this email and share your thoughts on how we can improve our content and format.

Have a great day, and we'll be back again with more such content 😍