Real decisions are the combination of Hot Takes + Arguments + Discussion + Forgiveness + Scotch (as needed)

Twitter has conditioned a large part of the world to condense their thoughts to 250 characters. That’s two sentences. Maybe 10 seconds to consume. Yet some people have been so taken by Twitter-culture that they see this as a forum for real thought. Twitter is a forum for ideas and introductions. It’s where conversations should begin, not where they should take place.

Beginnings are difficult in conversation. Condensing an idea down enough to get people to engage is not something that everyone can do. This idea statement needs to express the idea clearly while also providing a reason for others to engage with it. “Potatoes are a great food” is a decent statement. “Potatoes are a better food than steak” becomes a multi-faceted conversation starter.

I’m not good at hot takes. My brain thinks in nuance and statistics. For me, boiling down an idea to a single statement takes a lot of work. For others, the hot take is easier than going through the many angles of the broader discussion. In my case, a healthy dose of scotch can get me to focus enough to get the swirl of ideas condensed down (no preference for those thinking of late Christmas gifts!).

Decisions require both the hot take and the longer discussion. People who do long-form need someone that brings them out of the weeds to focus on what really matters. The hot take crowd needs someone to pressure test their statement and make sure it holds up for the context. Bringing these two sides together is not always easy, but it is valuable.