📓Creativ Brief: The CEO Paradox
CEO Pay. Minecraft movie. Trump tariffs. More CEO musings.
Being a CEO is a paradox. Something I discovered in a recent interview I had with Authority Magazine, the largest executive publisher on Medium.
You are navigating a sea without a map or compass, but need to provide direction.
You must make decisions every day that do not have a clear correct answer.
You must sell a vision that may not exist in its entirety, assuming you can get there.
You must lead without always knowing the way, but trust you will find the right path.
Every choice is hard. That’s why I’m sprouting grey hairs as we speak.
As the business has grown, I see my role of CEO in three distinct buckets:
Define and lead the strategic direction of the company.
Establish and mentor our core leadership team.
Be the core spokesman to grow the firm.
Everything else is noise.
In the beginning I managed the work. As we’ve grown to 20 team members, I now manage the people who manage the work. My leadership philosophy is what I like to call servant leadership. I ask my team how I can help them, instead of micromanaging how I think they should operate.
3 Stories Dominating Media and Tech Headlines
Trump’s tariffs complicate the Switch 2 launch in the US. The previously announced price and preorders at $449 have been canceled to account for increased import tax levied via the Trump tariffs. Nintendo did not comment on the new price, but the 24% tariff on imported goods from Japan will likely increase Switch prices by 24%.
Why it matters: This is the first major U.S. product launch directly affecting consumers. Nintendo is directly laying the price increase at the feet of the current Presidential administration. Gamers can be an angry crew. Edit - in the time it took to put this brief together, Trump changed Japan’s tariff policy. Who knows what Nintendo will do now.
A Minecraft movie broke the record for largest domestic opening weekend for a video game movie. The movie dethroned the previous record holder, The Super Mario Bros Movie, with $301 million in global box office revenue. The film far exceeded expectations for Warner Bros picture.
Why it matters: Video game adaptations are no longer fridge culture, they are popular culture. Traditional media conglomerates have finally recognized the trend after multiple missing the boat. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix
Liberation day tariffs called off mere days after their announcement. The Chinese ‘reciprocal tariffs’ will remain in place, increasing to 125%. Stocks surged back today on the news. Goldman Sachs economists project a 45% chance of recession over the next 12 months.
Why it matters: Who knows. But the uncertainty is the point here. Businesses, consumers, and governments are disincentivized to make long-term investments when they do not know what to expect. The constant on-again and off-again policies create uncertainty. Buckle up for a bumpy market.
Creativ Spotlight - 1stAveMachine’s Digiday Take Over
1stAvemachine is sweeping Digiday’s nominations this year, including Best Advertisement with Urban Outfitters, Best Production Strategy with United airlines, and Most Innovative Studio.
Check out the full announcement and nominees here for Digiday’s Streaming & Video Awards!
Stat of the Week - Executive Pay Asymmetry
According to the Economic Policy Institute, public company CEO pay has soared 1,085% since 1978. The average worker saw their pay rise by 24% since 1978.
Compounding inflation from 1978 to 2024, according to the Federal Reserve, is roughly 348%, approximately a 4.5x rise in prices. This means the general public’s purchasing power has decreased over 300% since the 1970s.
Stated bluntly, the wealthiest citizens' purchasing power has tripled while the average citizen's purchasing power has shrunk by 3x. I believe this is the core cause for consumers’ consistent pessimism about the state of the economy and past government administrations. People feel their diminished buying power.
One Fun Thing - Minecraft Reenergizes Box Office
The family friendly escapism crushed box office expectations, proving a new path for video game and move collaboration. The movie was predicted to bring in $90 million and grossed almost $163 million worldwide. Family movie outings have come to dominate movie theaters as a good alternative for more expensive outings.