# Why formulaic thinking fails us - with Lottie Unwin, Founder of Up World, Brand Hackers and Up Talent

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/marketing-careers-uncovered-6472278/why-formulaic-thinking-fails-us-with-lottie-unwin-founder-of-up-world-brand-hackers-and-up-talent
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/marketing-careers-uncovered-6472278/why-formulaic-thinking-fails-us-with-lottie-unwin-founder-of-up-world-brand-hackers-and-up-talent.md
Podcast: [Marketing Careers Uncovered](https://stenobird.com/podcast/marketing-careers-uncovered-6472278)
Published: 2026-03-24T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dave-heywood4/episodes/Why-formulaic-thinking-fails-us---with-Lottie-Unwin--Founder-of-Up-World--Brand-Hackers-and-Up-Talent-e3gscr2
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/10cb6cb5c/podcast/play/117371170/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-23%2F420623089-44100-2-67d0d55b852.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/marketing-careers-uncovered-6472278/episodes/why-formulaic-thinking-fails-us-with-lottie-unwin-founder-of-up-world-brand-hackers-and-up-talent
Duration seconds: 1171

## Resource

Is your marketing approach a roadmap or a straightjacket? We’ve all been there. You spend weeks (and way too much mental energy) on a shiny strategy deck, following the textbooks approaches to the letter, only to find the business has moved on or the budget simply doesn't exist. In this episode, I’m joined by Lottie Unwin. She’s a self-confessed marketing geek who did the P&G rounds and took all the notes. But then she had to sell popcorn at a startup and the formulas fell apart. We talk about: The formula failure: Why 'Reach and Frequency' is a luxury many of us can't afford, and what to do instead. Climbing the mountain: Why focusing on 'Pitch One' is more important than the summit when you’re just trying to stay alive. Following the money: Why being 'best mates with the CFO' and knowing your runway is the only way to earn a seat at the table. The levers to understand: My own reflection on why two 'identical' businesses on paper require completely different playbooks. Subscribe to get the Extended Cut - where we go deeper on managing leadership friction, how to interrogate a P&L, how you can network effectively from Day 1, and why your next campaign might actually need to be a hiring drive.

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