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# Wisdom and words — Kelford Labs Daily
- URL: https://kelfordinc.com/wisdom-and-words-kelford-labs-daily/
- Published: 2025-05-26T10:22:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-27T13:14:57.000Z
- Description: And knowing the difference.
- Author: Joel Kelly
- Tags: Daily Labs, strategy, position, structure, decision, middle step

> “In any game that is at all complex, a game plan or strategy is vital for effective play. Roughly, a strategy is a prescription that tells us what to do as the game unfolds; it specifies a sequence of decisions.”  
>  
> — John H. Holland, Emergence

I haven’t talked about “strategy” as a distinct thing all that much lately. I’ve focused a lot more on [positioning](https://kelfordinc.com/the-process-of-positioning-kelford-labs-daily/) and focus, on [changing your marketing](https://kelfordinc.com/should-you-change-your-marketing-kelford-labs-weekly/), on [custom-making your messages](https://kelfordinc.com/custom-made-marketing-kelford-labs-weekly/).

But I really enjoyed how Holland talks about strategy in his book about emergent phenomena in complex systems.

**Strategy prescribes a sequence of *decisions*, not a set of *actions*.**

Or, as [I like to say](https://kelfordinc.com/what-does-strategy-mean/), it’s the *structure* to work *efficiently* to get what you *want*.

I spend a lot of time looking at how entrepreneurs buy and sell messaging services and I think strategy, in that sense, often gets missed by both parties.

The buyer can think that all they need is a set of messages, a sequence of words arranged in a pleasing and sensible order.

And the seller can think that all they need to do is supply those words and they’ll attract and retain clients.

But I think there’s a lot more to it than that.

**A messaging “strategy” can’t just be a set of messages. It’s got to be a way of *deciding* what message to deploy, when, where, and to whom.**

For example, how often do you encounter a business where the only way to engage with them or learn more is to book a call?

It ignores the [*distance*](https://kelfordinc.com/model-how-far-away-are-your-customers/) between the business and the customer. It deprives them of a “[middle step](https://kelfordinc.com/whats-your-middle-step-kelford-labs-daily/)” where they can get comfortable enough to buy.

At the end of the day, I think it’s incumbent on marketers to sell more than messages, but also the *wisdom* to know when, where, and how to deploy them.

So if your marketing needs better messages, don’t just buy (or use AI to generate) the words.

**Make sure you’re seeking out and acquiring the wisdom to use them well.**

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