THE WAKE YOU LEAVE BEHIND
“make art for the audience. your wake is immortal.”
The Lesson
Bill Keane (Family Circus creator) gave me this advice when Dilbert was struggling: 'Don't make your art for yourself. Make it for the audience.' Whatever made me a cartoonist made me different from the audience-so making art for myself wasn't commercial. The moment I reframed it as making art for others, Dilbert took off. Bill has passed, but his wake continues forever-like a ship's wake that permanently stirs the ocean. His impact on me was enormous. My sharing his advice extends that wake. How much impact do you have? Think of the ship. Think of Bill Keane.
Real-World Example
A founder obsesses over product features they personally love. Sales stall. A mentor says: 'Build for your customers, not yourself.' They switch focus to customer problems. Usage explodes. Years later, they pass that advice to another founder. The original mentor's wake extends through time-each person who succeeds and shares the lesson stirs the ocean further.
Watch Scott explain this lesson
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