Distinctly human
The language gap
Have you ever noticed how a dog will stare intently at you, seemingly trying to communicate?
While animals can express needs, emotions, and even learn complex commands, there's something profound in what they don't do – they never ask questions.
Decades of research into animal communication, from primates using sign language to dolphins' sophisticated sonar interactions, have yielded remarkable discoveries about animal intelligence. Yet not once has any species been observed asking a genuine question: the fundamental tool of inquiry that humans begin using before they can even form complete sentences.
This is a major capability gap that illuminates three distinct human traits that drive our species' extraordinary impact.
First, our creative capacity. This extends beyond problem-solving to problem-finding. We don't just respond to what's in front of us; we imagine what could be and ask how to get there. This is the essence of strategic thinking.
Second, humans are uniquely facilitative. Our ability to ask questions doesn't just serve our own curiosity – it draws out insights from others, coordinates complex activities, and builds collective knowledge. This is a multiplier effect that turns individual capabilities into organisational excellence.
Third, our capacity for ideation isn't constrained by what’s in front of us. Through questioning, we generate novel concepts, challenge assumptions, and envision entirely new possibilities. This is why human innovation has hockey-stick acceleration, while animal behaviour is static.
Question: Are you fostering an environment where questioning is as valued as answering?
Copy nobody
As a teenager, my bedroom was festooned with posters of the usual stuff: cars, Kim Wilde (look her up if you’ve never heard of her), and a cat hanging off a branch with a thought bubble saying “Oh shit” (I know, hilarious, right?).
They’re an embarrassment to me as I recollect them today, with one exception. One was of the car routinely touted as ‘the most beautiful of the 20th century’, the E-Type Jaguar.
Jaguar broke all sorts of conventions with that car: it was the most aerodynamic, technologically advanced supercar of its day for a fraction of the price of an Aston Martin or Ferrari. Now, 65 years later, they’re planning on doing it again. Take a look at this teaser, released this week:
“But there’s no car in this video!” I hear you say.
Wait. Let me explain.
Jaguar today is owned by the JLR conglomerate, which also makes Land Rover and Range Rover. As recently as 2019, JLR made a loss on every one of its 660,000 cars sold, despite those cars selling for an average of $100,000. So, what did they do?
They undertook a strategic pivot that said this: “Sell half as many cars”. That’s right. Last year, they sold just 300,000, at an average price of $150,000. This ability to get customers to pay stratospheric prices for luxury off-road cars was genius. They now make close to $40,000 profit on each car.
Back to Jaguar.
They’re not just going to reduce the number of Jaguars sold; they’re going to stop selling them altogether. Not forever, but for the next year or so, until the car that the ad above is released in 2026.
So, the car itself might well be drawn on a fresh sheet of paper, but the strategic discipline shown (go way upmarket, shrink revenues, grow profit) is equally dramatic.
Question: In what ways do you ‘copy nobody’ and forge your own path?
Crumpled
Next week I’ll almost be on a plane again. This time to visit pre-Christmas New York. With my wife and 15yo son, we’ll take in an NBA game, eat both upmarket (the world’s second-best sushi) and down (the world’s best hot dogs), and go ice skating in Central Park.
We travel a lot, both for work and pleasure, and our luggage shows it. So, this week, I went suitcase shopping and ended up at my favourite luggage store, Crumpler.
It’s a proudly Melbourne institution that started hand-making those across-the-shoulder bike messenger bags. They turned those into very hip laptop carriers, and eventually expanded out into ‘real’ luggage.
When I picked up my suitcases, I learned of Crumpler’s clever offer, that benefits both customer and Crumpler. The sale assistant said, “We’ll replace or repair it for as long as you own it. There’s one exception: if the damage is caused by an airline”.
She added this though: if that happens, I should come back to them, and they’ll help me make a claim against the airline, facilitating the whole process. She said they’ve got nearly a 100% success rate.
Now, why would they do this?
Because for each instance of this, they get an extra sale. Think about it. I’ve already paid. They then get the airline to pay. Again. There’s no guarantee that I’d pay out of my pocket for a replacement, and they don’t want to just give me one. But the airlines have damaged luggage policies, and Crumpler know how to play that game, far better than I do.
Whoever thought of this was a genius.
Question: What creative ways can you use to both keep customers happy and increase sales?
I’ll be here again next week, and then after that, I’ll bring back the Summer Edition of 5MSM, featuring some of the most popular segments from the past few years.
As always, let me know you’re out there, and reading, by clicking the heart. Or, better, drop me a line, and let me know what you’ve enjoyed or achieved in 2025.
See you next Friday,
Andrew
Great insights as usual. But not sure you should be embarrassed about having a Kim Wilde poster 🤣
Loved every bit of this one Andrew. Travel well - and I know which luggage I'll be buying next trip!