A monthly note on what actually moves people.

Nike drops out of the S&P 100 this month after 18 years. Starbucks and Disney went down the same road and are clawing their way back. All three lost sight of the same thing: their product. Do you know yours?

Competent copy is free now. The one thing no machine can do, and most people can’t either, is feel what your donor feels.

Last year I talked about which words to cut. Then a machine got even better at it. Here’s what that leaves, and why it’s the only thing that ever mattered.