#30: Pattern interrupt

Three tech resources all non-profits should know about

Pass It On is a bi-weekly newsletter bringing the tech and non-profit sectors closer together through knowledge sharing, written and edited by Lauren Crichton.

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We’re trying a new format this week!

I’m calling it a pattern interrupt, but really it’s an algorithm interrupt. Here’s how it works:

Every few months, I’ll share some of my favourite resources from within and around the techsphere. These resources won’t necessarily be about technology per se, but tech industry folks will have either created them or shared them online. And by sharing them here, all of Pass It On’s non-profit readers can benefit from them too. Perhaps some of you will have stumbled upon them already, but chances are, the media algorithms will have decided they aren’t relevant to you. So this is my attempt to hack the system. Because what I’m sharing below is relevant for anyone who’s trying to run a successful team, set clear goals, and build a community. Swap out a few pieces of industry-specific jargon, and the learnings are universal. At least, I hope they are. If they aren’t, I trust that you’ll tell me.

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#1 Rigorous thinking, no lazy thinking - by Wes Kao

When someone in your team comes to you with an idea, how do you respond? According to startup founder Wes Kao, you shouldn’t be responding with the answer; you should be responding with critical questions. Not only does this approach create a safe space for your team to keep coming up with ideas, it also increases the quality of those ideas in the long run. 

“You either spend the time upfront to train your team well, or you take a few hours every day to correct their work forever. In most cases, training your team to think rigorously eventually takes a load off your plate, so everyone can produce more and better quality work.”

In addition to explaining the benefits, Wes provides a great list of critical questions to keep in your back pocket.

➡️ Dig into the article 

#2 Crash course in marketing goal setting - by MKT1

How do you balance long-term and short-term goals? Are the goals you’re setting measurable? Tech or non-profit, marketing or fundraising, we all need to set meaningful goals. This guide, written by esteemed startup marketers Emily Kramer and Kathleen Estreich, can help you do just that. My favourite goal-setting tip of theirs is to consider and balance four types of goals: metrics goals, project goals, experiment goals, and operational goals. I’ve been using this framework with my team since late last year; it's made things clearer and helped us focus.

➡️ Read the guide

#3 Building in public - with the Paynter Jacket Co founders

Building in public is about telling your organisation's story in real-time and involving your audience in your decision-making. It might sound daunting, but when done authentically, building in public can lead to extraordinary results. That's exactly what's happened for Paynter Jacket Co, a two-person clothing brand that produces limited-edition, sustainably-made jackets four times a year. Thanks to their honest and collaborative approach, every batch sells out in minutes. Here’s a snippet from a recent marketing email:

“Our plan this year is to scale in quality and ideas, not in numbers. If we make less jackets than we did last year, that’s fine. What we’d like to do is to keep improving what we’re making.

As for the jacket we'll be releasing, there’ll be new designs as well as two of the styles you ask for the most (hint: one them is cord).”

While Paynter isn't a tech company, they have strategically leveraged digital channels to build an incredibly loyal and passionate community. And the best thing about it is (because Paynter builds in the open), they're happy to tell you all about it!

➡️ Listen to the podcast interview

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So tell me, non-profit readers, have you seen any of these resources before? Reply to this email or:

And tech readers, what about you? If you’ve got great resources to share, let me know. I’d love to include them in future interrupts.

Thanks as always for reading,

Lauren