Ask Efri

How do I develop a distinctive point of view?

Efri · 1 min read

A distinctive point of view usually develops from repeated exposure to the same kind of problem, not from trying to manufacture hot takes.

Key points
  1. 1.
    Notice where your experience keeps disagreeing with standard advice
  2. 2.
    Your point of view becomes stronger when it has principles behind it
  3. 3.
    Do not force uniqueness for its own sake

Notice where your experience keeps disagreeing with standard advice. What do people in your industry oversimplify? What have you changed your mind about? Which trade-offs do you prioritize differently from other people?

Then ask why. “I hate discounts” is an opinion. “I avoid discounts because they train buyers to wait and often hide an offer problem” begins to reveal a point of view.

Your point of view becomes stronger when it has principles behind it. Those principles should survive more than one post.

Do not force uniqueness for its own sake. The goal is not to say something nobody has ever said. It is to make your reasoning recognizable enough that people can predict how you might approach a new problem.