When Fast Isn’t Fast Enough
Signals in the Noise – Edition 01
Over five editions of 5 Big Futures, I outlined the forces reshaping our industry — structurally, creatively, and economically.
This series takes a different approach. Signals in the Noise is built for real-time relevance, with one clear signal each week. The aim is to keep things grounded and actionable, because the ground is not just shifting, it’s accelerating. If you’re still working at last quarter’s pace, you’re already behind.
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The Signal
Speed is no longer the advantage. It is the baseline.
Everyone talks about moving faster, but that is no longer the story. The real shift is compression. Workflows that used to move step by step — from pitch to approval to release — now collapse into a single window, where ideation, decision, and delivery often happen at the same time.
At MTV, we thought we were pushing boundaries when we edited digital-first regional cutdowns of award shows in under six hours. Today the expectation is to turn content while the moment is still unfolding. The same pressure applies in television, where overnight cuts or same-day promo edits are now expected. The tools can do it, and the teams can too. What slows it down are approval chains that still feel built for 1999. Six sign-offs for one promo. Three meetings to approve a lower-third. By the time it clears, the conversation is over.
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Why It Matters
Trends don’t wait around. They peak and disappear in less than two days. Audiences no longer want the recap, they want to be part of the moment as it happens. In digital, that means posting while the feed is still hot. In television, it means cuts and promos that land within hours, not days. The audience doesn’t distinguish between platforms — they measure you against the speed of the fastest feed. The technology is ready to meet that demand, but the way many organizations work is not. Every extra round of consensus costs more than time — it costs relevance.
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Real-World Example
Last year, I watched a global launch crawl through wave after wave of brand, legal, and platform reviews. By the time it finally went live, the conversation it was meant to ride had already passed. I’ve seen the same pattern inside broadcast: promos still in approval while the episode is already on air. The work itself was strong and the creative was thoughtful, but the moment had moved on.
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What to Do Now
Shorten the chain — give fewer people the right to say yes
Prototype publicly — publish, then adjust
Time-box decisions — if the moment passes, reframe and release the next day
If your workflow moves slower than the moment, the problem is not talent or budget. The problem is structure.
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Next Week
Small teams are winning big, not because they move faster, but because they are built for compression. That is the next signal.
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That is the signal. The rest is noise.