10 steps to Misery
Note 031: The power of counter arguments...
Hey Crew,
Long time no speak!
Ive realised something - we spend all this time guiding each other towards success, with the disposition of optimism, paying it forward and helping each other - we have completely forgotten about the small minority amongst us - possibly even close friends spewing negative energy as you chase your dreams - those whacky pessimists!
Well, I have great news…
Next BBQ, or catch up, where they s&#t on your dreams, you don’t have to ignore, or even smile politely at that energy anymore - lets lean right in and see if that negative grass really is greener!
What follows, is my fail safe, 10-step process to ensure, nay, guarantee your misery and failure in your studio! Let’s go!
10 Step guide to guarantee misery in your pursuit of architectural success
1. Burn baby burn
Burn all personal and professional bridges. Put your own short term gain over any long term relationship, or potential long term relationship. Bam - compounding misery set in early!
2. You hear something?
Ignore all client, builder, and consultant phone calls. All of them.
3. Just pin it!
Mine pinterest for inspiration. This algorithmically generated ‘mood board’ swamp for non designers is great! Bonus points for bot accounts that AI generate second-order-derivation swamp material based on popular shares - individuality is for suckers!
4. Race to the bottom
Search and price match the cheapest drafties in your area - actually - go cheaper! To completely unhinge any unique value, you must become a replaceable, interchangeable, faceless commodity. You’re welcome.
5. Do or do not… there is no progress…
Under no circumstances should you invoice at all until you are completely finished your nebulously described ‘stage’. You don’t know when this is, only your client knows it when he/she feels it. Duh!
6. Focus (un)wisely
Forget this current, positive, optimistic, supportive community we are a part of here. Bye! Instead, only focus on the bitter, bitter past. It will be hard to cultivate this mindset frmo our current positive place - but fear not! Try and source out an unhappy, jaded, elder architect - then mirror their every move. If it worked for them…
7. BIM or bust
BIM model everything. To insane levels of detail.
8. Help never helped anyone
Never, ever seek help. Do everything yourself. Every single challenge you face is unique to you and you alone - no one else currently or in the past. Bonus - It is far better to be years late in delivery than to make the mistake of building a team. You got this!
9. What am I, an accountant?
Ensure you never, ever track realistic building costs. No OPCs. No QS engagement. No analysis of previous builds. Seat of your pants works best. The Block is probably accurate.
10. There’s another generation?
Do not give back under any circumstance. No teaching, no mentoring, no answering the phone from colleagues. Remember, those bitter old architects won’t be around for ever. Ensure you become bitter yourself, to repeat, and complete the cycle.
Well guys I should leave it there, but even tongue in cheek it makes my hair stand on end!!!
Like all design problems, sometimes we need to explore the extremities of boas and conventional wisdom in other dimensions of practice to unlock the gold!
* for those of you not hellbent on a life of misery, not happy to acquiesce to that negative, repressed BBQ character…. let us consider the counter points….
1. People, people, people
Burn Baby Burn
Long Term relationships are everything. Treat every brief interpersonal meeting as if it is forever.
2. Show up with intent
You hear something?
Answer the Phone. Turn up for the meeting. Even if you don’t want to. Especially if you don’t want to.
3. Set trends
Just pin it!
Be true to your own creative force.
Remember - your current design - yes that one you are ignoring while reading this right now with a beer / negroni / kombucha on a friday afternoon instead of issuing :) - will be built.
Then photographed.
Then sent out to the internet.
Which will set trends, feed into algorithms, show up on pinterest boards, prompt chat GPT generated slop… STOP.
It starts and ends with you and your originality.
4. Articulate value (1 of 1)
Race to the bottom
Explain your true value uniquely and clearly. Then it’s a clear “yes!”, or a “thank-you, but no”. (new readers - hi! - most posts here are on this subject - dig around!)
5. THE GOLDEN $ RULE
Do or do not… there is no progress….
Invoice on the 1st of the month.
Every month.
For every project.
No matter what.
6. Be the change
Focus (un)wisely
There is only 1 way to improve on this beautiful world, to combat sunavouriubng world currents in thought and action…. It’s you.
7. Protect your process
BIM or bust
Protect your process, and build fees and service offerings around your own unique personal golden creative process window.
8. You are not alone
Help never helped anyone
Nothing great was ever built alone. Everyone that has made it had guidance, wether they are uncomfortable to disclose it (most), or not - (very few - like me!) - and if you ask, they will be more than willing to guide, as they themselves have been guided.
9. Master costing. Architects as a species depend on it
What am I, an accountant?
***Warning: High horse moment coming***
You must be across costing what you design.
Project Management as a discipline began in the 80s, picked up steam in the 90s, and before you know it - Architects have had 1/3 of our design process - Contract Administration - (cost control on site is a design and relationship discipline) - particulate and outsourced to PMs.
We also need QS’s early. This is a big error.
Now that AI is encroaching on early ‘ideation’, drafties are racing to the bottom for DA / CDC services and international outsourcing is closing in on documentation…. there is not much left.
Become the Master Artchitect (Again). (i’ll do future notes on this)
10. Pay it forward
There’s another generation?
There is no point beyond passing it along. Pay it forward.
“Those who can’t do, teach” - is completely outdated.
Contemporary leadership and management theory is built around: Emergent Design Thinking, and 360º Leadership through teaching.
And there is only 1 category of thinkers, creators and doers I know of that is capable of all this…