It's interesting that Denning's approach can be analyzed using the "waterfall" principle. However, it seems that he writes more out of his internal problems than because of a business model.
His productivity is not related to planning, but rather to an irresistible need to express himself.
But thank you for this perspective. It would be interesting to see how a "waterfall" based not on "where to win," but on "where not to betray oneself," would look.
Hi Lintara- The framework isn’t a “waterfall” in the sense that you don’t fill in the “Winning Aspiration” and move through to the “Management Systems.”
It’s a set of five connected choices that support and reinforce each other.
And “Winning” is difficult as a concept. It doesn’t mean beating other people. It means being the best you can be to serve the people you’ve chosen to serve uniquely.
“Winning“ for Tim and Todd is completely different from any other creator. Their goal is to empower other people through writing.
I wonder what would happen if one didn't reach conclusions with vulnerability just once. Just stay there. Writing every day is not difficult. The difficulty is preventing the writing from becoming a commodity.
Thank you for your response, Mike. But to be honest, I wasn't talking about "waterfall" as a scheme that can be filled out correctly or incorrectly. I was trying to shift the focus: not on how to work better, but on how not to betray yourself, even if it's ineffective.
You read my words as a misapplication of the model and responded with a correction — as if the task was about correctness. But I wasn't discussing the structure, I was expressing doubt about the framework itself: perhaps what's working for Denning isn't "service" and "uniqueness," but the inability to remain silent, trauma, the need to speak, even if it's not inspiring.
Your formulation — "to be the best you can be to serve people" — again returns to normative ethics of efficiency. But I was writing about writing not as a service, but as holding yourself in existence. The response was polite, but you didn't hear me. It's not about contact, but about confirming your positio
´The partnership works because it solves the fundamental creator dilemma of trying to be both perfectly authentic and perfectly authoritativé - this was spot-on, I had not seen this before! 🙏
Thanks, Elisabeth - I don't know if Tim really needed additional credibility, given the number of views his racked up.
But Todd is a master facilitator with a low-key, laidback style, and he's largely responsible for their courses having such high quality and effectiveness.
I've learned a tremendous amount from both Tim and Todd, and continue to do so.
While part of their Mastermind, I had my own writing critiqued, and I regularly go back to and review those notes with every newsletter I write.
Thanks Mike for the kind write up.
Hi Tim – I can’t tell you how much it means to me for you to read and respond and be supportive of my writing. 🙏
You’ve truly made my day!
It's interesting that Denning's approach can be analyzed using the "waterfall" principle. However, it seems that he writes more out of his internal problems than because of a business model.
His productivity is not related to planning, but rather to an irresistible need to express himself.
But thank you for this perspective. It would be interesting to see how a "waterfall" based not on "where to win," but on "where not to betray oneself," would look.
Hi Lintara- The framework isn’t a “waterfall” in the sense that you don’t fill in the “Winning Aspiration” and move through to the “Management Systems.”
It’s a set of five connected choices that support and reinforce each other.
And “Winning” is difficult as a concept. It doesn’t mean beating other people. It means being the best you can be to serve the people you’ve chosen to serve uniquely.
“Winning“ for Tim and Todd is completely different from any other creator. Their goal is to empower other people through writing.
I wonder what would happen if one didn't reach conclusions with vulnerability just once. Just stay there. Writing every day is not difficult. The difficulty is preventing the writing from becoming a commodity.
Thank you for your response, Mike. But to be honest, I wasn't talking about "waterfall" as a scheme that can be filled out correctly or incorrectly. I was trying to shift the focus: not on how to work better, but on how not to betray yourself, even if it's ineffective.
You read my words as a misapplication of the model and responded with a correction — as if the task was about correctness. But I wasn't discussing the structure, I was expressing doubt about the framework itself: perhaps what's working for Denning isn't "service" and "uniqueness," but the inability to remain silent, trauma, the need to speak, even if it's not inspiring.
Your formulation — "to be the best you can be to serve people" — again returns to normative ethics of efficiency. But I was writing about writing not as a service, but as holding yourself in existence. The response was polite, but you didn't hear me. It's not about contact, but about confirming your positio
As someone who literally builds content systems, this article reads like a blueprint for a human algorithm.
Vulnerability = User Onboarding.
Contrarianism = Pattern Interrupt.
High Volume = Brute-Force SEO.
It's shockingly mechanical, and brilliant. Loved it!
Thanks, Mia!
Interestingly, Tim intentionally rejects any notion of SEO
He purely focuses on quantity and quality of content, about sharing key insights.
You could also flip Vulnerability & Contrarianism, but it's basically the same approach.
´The partnership works because it solves the fundamental creator dilemma of trying to be both perfectly authentic and perfectly authoritativé - this was spot-on, I had not seen this before! 🙏
Thanks, Elisabeth - I don't know if Tim really needed additional credibility, given the number of views his racked up.
But Todd is a master facilitator with a low-key, laidback style, and he's largely responsible for their courses having such high quality and effectiveness.
I've learned a tremendous amount from both Tim and Todd, and continue to do so.
While part of their Mastermind, I had my own writing critiqued, and I regularly go back to and review those notes with every newsletter I write.