Great agencies are like ducks

This came out of a short and insightful interview with Ana Andjelic:

Better than branding is constantly updating the agency process, effectively making all previous iterations obsolete. Something like software updates: v5, v6 and so on. People can leave, but can take only the old software version with them. No one wants to be the person with the old software. No one wants to miss out on being the first one to test new software, either. So people stay.

It’s an amazing definition of what ultimately sets great agencies apart. Sure, it’s about talented people, solid client relationships and great work, but a clear process is what balances that scale in a sustainable way and helps avoid burnout.

Similar to what Malcolm Gladwell called a ‘structure of spontaneity’, agencies need to be able to define clear frameworks for thinking and doing that are solid enough to optimise for a unified direction, but flexible enough to avoid formulaic thinking. The simplicity of great work often comes from getting everything else that comes before it sorted out.

In that sense, great agencies are like ducks: delivering great work on the surface, while developing great people and process to paddle like mad underneath.