“You sound stupid when you use the word ‘_____________’ because you’re trying to sound smart.”
Mark Cuban
What goes in the blank?
For Mark Cuban, it’s “cohort” because “there’s no reason to ever use the word ‘cohort’ when you could use the word ‘group.’ A cohort is a group of people. Say ‘group.’ Always use the simpler word.”
For one of my former bosses, it was “breakthrough.” He would throw you out of the room if you used that word. Not physically throw you out, but he was a big guy and could if you didn’t exit on your own.
For me, it’s “disrupt” (and all its forms) because applies (as originally intended by Clayton Christensen) in only about 0.1% of the instances in which it’s used.
There are other candidates.
Lots of other candidates.
In fact, I would go so far as to propose the biggest buzzword of them all: INNOVATION.
“Innovation” does not make you sound smart.
Here is a very short list of the most commonly heard statements about innovation.
- Innovation is a priority.
- Innovation is key to our growth.
- We need to be more innovative.
- We want to build/are committed to building a culture of innovation
- Let’s innovate!
What do these statements even mean?
- It’s great that innovation is a priority and key to our growth. Hasn’t that always been the case? What is changing? How is that translating into action? What do you expect from me?
- Agree we should be more innovative. How? What does “more innovative” look like?
- Definitely want to be part of a culture of innovation. What does that mean? How is that different than our current culture? What changes? How do we make sure the changes stick?
- Sigh. Eye roll.
Saying what you mean makes you sound smart.
Always use the simpler word, and, in the case of innovation, there is always a simpler word or phrase. Consider:
- Grow revenue from our existing businesses
- Create new revenue streams
- Grow profit in our existing businesses
- Grow profit by launching new high-profit businesses
- Stay ahead of the competition
- Create a new category
- Launch a new product
- Better serve our current customers
- Serve new customers
- Update/extend our current products
- Increase the effectiveness of our marketing spend
- Revise our business model to reflect changing consumer and customer expectations
- Launch a low-cost and good-enough offering that appeals to non-consumers
You sound smart when you use the word(s) that most clearly, concisely, and unambiguously communicate your idea or intention. “Innovation” does not do that.
Saying “innovation” AND what you mean makes you sound wicked smaht
“Innovation” on its own is lazy. Simpler words and phrases aren’t nearly as sexy (I can’t imagine Fast Company coming out with “The World’s Best Companies at Creating New Revenue Streams” list).
But when you put them together – smart and sexy:
- Innovation is a priority. As a result, we are committing a minimum of $50M a year for the next five years to…
- Innovation is key to growth. As a result, we are doubling our investment in…
- We need to be more innovative. To achieve this, we are changing how we measure and incentivize executive performance to encourage long-term investments.
- We want to build a culture of innovation. As a first step in this process, we are making Kickbox available to any interested employee.
Let’s Innovate(Nope, don’t say this. It’s too cheesy)
Say what you mean.
If you don’t, people will think you don’t mean what you say.
What other words would you add to this rant?
With someone who has “Innovation” in my title (3 times…insert wide eye emoji), I get asked by those outside the field what that actually means. I also feel this is a result of 75% of all commercials and ads seemingly using a form of the word innovation, therefore watering down its significance to media jargon.
For the innovation culture piece that I help steward, our business has a core value called We Pursue What’s Next, and very little of our language around this value includes the “i” word.
With all of that said, I also don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water, so I really like your “Innovation AND…” phrasing (but now I feel I have to always use a New England accent). It uses the word but ties in the significant value and/or action that it drives toward.
Well said, my friend.
Love “Pursue What’s Next” because it’s so clear and rules out other things (like Improve What’s Now). I 100% hear you on all the commercials and ads that water down the term. There is one billboard in downtown Boston near the North End that makes me irrationally irritated with its use of “innovation” (even when I say it with a New England accent). Thanks for the fantastic perspective, Patrick!
I find many acronyms to be annoying. Such as CAC, TAM, SAM. I know they are necessary to save space in a deck but the entrepreneur should always speak all the words.
Acronyms! Great point, Andrew. Acronyms have the double curse of being both annoying and exclusive. I’ve witnessed lots of people use them as a weird sort of power play, a way to sound smart (because they know what the acronym means) and make you feel dumb (because you don’t). Yes, they’re a helpful short-hand in conversations and save spaces in decks, but they’re only useful if everyone knows what they mean. Which is why, like you wrote, it’s important and kind to speak all the words. Thanks, Andrew!
This is a ‘wicked smaht’ post. I’d suggest the more concrete language you offer makes you sound more relevant, an even better strategic goal than smart. Speaking in generalities (i.e. innovation) is an easy trap for those of us trained in proven innovation methodologies to fall into because we recognize that these processes are fungible across challenges and opportunities, the way math, reading, and writing might be. (fungible, btw, will also make you sound smart. Plus, it’s wicked fun to say:)
You make a great point that speaking in generalities is a trap. It’s easy to fall into because we know what we mean when we say something and assume everyone else knows, too. But as my Middle School Math teachers drilled into me, “You know what happens when you assume…” Fungible, however, is a perfect word because everyone knows what it means (right?), and it’s fun to say. Thanks for the thought-provoking comment, Judy!