"Wouldn't it be Great if...?" is the Question of Our Time
We've run out of excuses to suppress curiosity
There was a time, not too long ago, when I'd get out of the shower, still dripping, and run to my desk in fear of forgetting the brilliant ideas that formed beneath the shampoo. I'd grab a pen and Post-It pad, jot down whatever I could remember, and put the sticky note on my monitor or my keyboard so I'd see it first thing in the morning. Then, in the morning, I'd look at my stroke of genius, and more often than not, I'd move the note aside - "just for now" - because I had serious work to do.
Months later, when I'd purge my desk of detritus, among the refuse would be dozens of sticky notes, long unstuck from wherever I'd put them, mostly forgotten, totally wasted.
Each of those notes started with a thought, an idea that likely began, "Wouldn't it be great if ...." Most faded away or perished because I didn't take the time to pursue them right away. Some just got blown off my desk by a breeze or vacuum cleaner exhaust, and some became convenient bookmarks.
I suppose it was inevitable when, a few months ago, my shower musings went a bit meta; as soon as the shampoo hit the scalp, I wondered, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a quick and painless way to explore my shower ideas or at least find out if they were worth pursuing?”
I repeated the question to myself for the rest of my rinse cycle and while I toweled off. I ran to my desk, still dripping, and instead of reaching for the pen and Post-Its, I clicked on the always-open tab for NotebookLM.
As it turns out, it would, indeed, be great.
The Curiosity Trigger
I tell the shower idea story because it’s true, but also because we are all too quick to dismiss those seemingly random ideas that pop up when we can’t possibly write them down (most often when we’re in the shower, washing dishes, or driving). But now, with AI and just a few extra minutes, we can lock in some of those ideas and allow them to take root rather than leave them to the whims of 3M adhesive power and competing desk clutter.
"Wouldn't it be great if..." is a trigger for curiosity—a verbal spark that should ignite exploration but, for most professionals, results in nothing but a spectacular misfire. We've become masters of the thought experiment without the experiment—brainstorming transformative ideas in meeting rooms (and showers) only to file them away in favor of what we've always done. It's as if we've collectively decided that the question itself is a frivolous distraction, and we’re better off sticking with what we know.
No wonder we’re frustrated and stressed out. But we have much less reason to be: the barriers that once made experimentation difficult—cost, technical complexity, time constraints—have largely evaporated. AI tools have democratized capabilities that were once the exclusive domain of specialized teams with deep pockets. The excuses—and the conventional wisdom to “stay in your lane”—no longer hold water.
While we congratulate ourselves for our strategic thinking, many communications teams are searching for breakthrough results using approaches that have already yielded their maximum potential. There's rich territory just beyond our comfort zone, waiting to be explored by those bold enough to venture there.
The Experimentation Paradox
Communications professionals live in a fascinating contradiction: we present ourselves as innovation catalysts while often being the most change-resistant function in the organization. We've mastered the art of appearing forward-thinking while maintaining a death grip on approaches that should have been retired years ago. Our professional vocabulary itself reveals this tension—"best practices," "proven approaches," "industry standards"—terms that sound reassuringly strategic but often function as shields against meaningful experimentation.
When was the last time you genuinely questioned whether the content formats, channels, and metrics you've relied on for years still serve their purpose? Most of us are far more comfortable refining existing approaches than reimagining them entirely.
In a recent episode of The Trending Communicator, Martin Waxman offers a particularly insightful diagnosis of our professional psychology when he notes that "PR people, we've always been a little bit more cautious than our marketing counterparts...we often let that skepticism pull back our curiosity." What begins as healthy professional caution can evolve into reflexive resistance. What once protected us from genuinely bad ideas now insulates us from potentially transformative ones.
The skepticism that helped us avoid fleeting trends has become the very quality preventing us from recognizing fundamental shifts. We've become exceptionally good at identifying reasons why new approaches might fail while overlooking mounting evidence that our traditional approaches are already failing.
Martin isn’t alone. Trending Communicators from the frontlines are clear on the imperative for experimentation:
Mark Schaefer cuts through the conventional wisdom with refreshing candor: "Literally my entire career has been built on just experiments, just pushing it here, pushing it there." This isn't hyperbole—it's a career philosophy that has consistently placed him at the forefront of communication innovation. While many of us refine the same approaches we've used for years, Schaefer has used experimentation as his primary competitive advantage.
Pete Pachal highlights the transformative impact of AI when noting that it's "essentially altering what you might have done a couple of years ago." This isn't a gentle suggestion for incremental change; it's a recognition that the tools reshaping our profession require fundamentally new approaches. The carefully crafted playbook that served you well in 2022 might be rapidly losing relevance in today's landscape.
Danny Gaynor offers a particularly insightful observation when noting that "AI can validate our intuition as communicators." Consider the implications: the gut instincts that once differentiated seasoned professionals can now be enhanced, validated, or usefully challenged by data-driven intelligence. This doesn't replace human judgment—it augments it—but only for professionals willing to integrate these new capabilities.
Lisa Kaplan speaks with practical clarity: "I think it's table stakes to understand technology. It's automating the grunt work of our jobs." Her message is straightforward—time-consuming tasks that once filled your day can now be handled more efficiently through automation, freeing you for higher-value work. If you're still manually performing repetitive tasks that could be automated, you're missing opportunities for more strategic contributions.
The message seems pretty clear to me: adapt through meaningful experimentation or risk professional stagnation. And no, advocating for “AI integration” in meetings while you’ve stalled at using AI to edit your emails isn’t adaptation. It's professional theater that won't move the needle on results. The exciting opportunity before us isn't just survival—it's the chance to reinvent communications in ways that were previously impossible.
The Experimentation Spectrum: Where Do You Land?
Time for some self-assessment. Since everyone seems to love a good framework, I've created one—not to make you feel comfortable, but to help you understand your experimentation tolerance and what it means to your communications career. Consider it a professional development tool with, if I may be so bold, uncanny accuracy:
The Traditionalist: Still meticulously crafting press releases and polishing executive quotes while your competitors use AI-driven personalized content delivery systems, and audiences have moved to platforms and formats that demand entirely different approaches. You excel at what worked beautifully a decade ago but might be missing opportunities in channels where your audiences now spend their time. Growth path: Identify one new format or channel each week for purposeful experimentation.
The Toe-Dipper: Has dutifully signed up for ChatGPT and occasionally asks it to "make this better" but hasn't yet explored how AI might fundamentally change your content development process. Like someone who buys a digital sous vide cooker only to make your chicken breast more tender, you're using revolutionary tools for evolutionary results. Growth path: Dedicate an hour daily to testing how new tools might reshape your core workflows.
The Safe Experimenter: Follows clear guidelines for adopting new approaches but rarely questions the constraints themselves. You're making progress within carefully defined boundaries but might be missing breakthrough opportunities that lie just beyond them. You're innovating within the sandbox but never questioning whether you should be playing on the beach instead. Growth path: Regularly ask, "What if the constraints themselves are the problem?"
The Strategic Innovator: Designs purposeful experiments with clear metrics, embraces fast failure, and—crucially—challenges foundational assumptions rather than just refining tactics. Your experiments don't just aim to do the same things better but explore whether you should be doing different things entirely. Growth path: Build systematic processes to scale successes across your organization.
The Visionary Disruptor: Embodies Mark Schaefer's trinity of "grit, a little crazy and a lot of audacity." Creates content and approaches "so distinctive that AI can't duplicate it" because they emerge from uniquely human insight and creativity. You don't just experiment within existing paradigms—you periodically reinvent them. Growth path: Mentor others to build a culture of thoughtful experimentation.
Take a moment for honest self-reflection: Where do you fall on this spectrum? And perhaps more importantly—where would you like to be in 12 months? The path from wherever you are to wherever you want to be is paved with purposeful experimentation.
A Professional Pathology
Let's call the condition affecting many communications professionals what it is: experimentation hesitancy. The symptoms include enthusiastic discussions about innovation that rarely translate to action, animated head-bobbing during presentations about emerging technologies followed by business as usual, and the remarkable talent for repackaging conventional approaches as "strategic fundamentals."
The truth is, most of us aren't experimenting enough. I'm not experimenting enough. Our profession has tremendous untapped potential for innovation that remains largely unexplored. But unlike natural limitations, this innovation gap is entirely within our power to close.
Trending Communicators have prescribed treatment protocols that most of us studiously ignore:
Strategic Experimentation: Kami Huyse advocates for an "Experiment. Experimental mindset." Focus on specific problems that traditional approaches haven't solved rather than aimless exploration. Which persistent communication challenges in your organization would benefit most from fresh approaches?
Comfort with Ambiguity: Emily York emphasizes that "comfort with ambiguity...is going to be an increasingly important skill and agility." Experimentation requires psychological resilience to function effectively when outcomes aren't guaranteed. Are you deliberately building this muscle?
Engineer Early Wins: Mark Schaefer offers practical wisdom: "It's not cheating to create a goal that you know you can make. If you create some hurdles that you know you can make with this pilot, then you have a positive story to tell the leaders." Design experiments with achievable early milestones to build credibility for more ambitious exploration.
Data-Driven Validation: Danny Gaynor notes that AI can "provide that quantitative rationale for our recommendations." The best experiments are designed to measure specific outcomes, not just generate vague insights. Are yours?
Create the Distinctive: Mark Schaefer challenges communicators to create content "so distinctive that AI can't duplicate it." The most valuable experiments push toward uniquely human insights and creativity rather than competing with algorithms at their own game.
Your Experimentation Activation Plan
The compelling truth isn't that experimentation is simply beneficial—it's becoming essential for continued professional relevance. This isn't a casual suggestion to consider adjustments when convenient—it's an opportunity to proactively shape your career trajectory rather than having it shaped for you.
Here's your experimentation jumpstart kit:
Design a Genuinely Different Experiment: Identify a persistent communications challenge and create an approach that feels uncomfortably different from your usual tactics. If your experiment doesn't make you at least slightly nauseated, it's probably not pushing boundaries enough to yield breakthrough insights.
Engineer Early Wins: As Mark Schaefer advises: "It's not cheating to create a goal that you know you can make." Build experiments with attainable initial milestones to gain the organizational support needed for more ambitious phases. Strategic planning isn't cheating—it's how you make experimentation sustainable.
Document Everything Objectively: The difference between experimentation and random attempts is methodical documentation. Record failures with the same rigor as successes—they often contain the most valuable insights. Analyze why things worked or didn't work rather than simply celebrating wins and burying losses.
Make Experimentation Routine: Schedule regular experimentation as deliberately as you do your other business processes. Commit to a consistent cadence—monthly or quarterly—rather than waiting for the perfect moment. Experimentation that depends on "when we have time" rarely happens at all.
Experiment with What You Already Have
Here's a radical thought that most communicators miss entirely: Some of your most valuable experimental material is already sitting in your archives, gathering digital dust.
The typical communications approach treats content like disposable packaging—create it, use it, discard it, repeat. We operate content factories churning out endless new material while ignoring the goldmine of existing assets that could be reimagined, repurposed, and redeployed with far greater ROI than yet another "fresh" blog post saying essentially what we've said before.
AI tools like NotebookLM have fundamentally altered this equation (remember my shower story from many, many paragraphs ago?). They've transformed the economics and possibilities of content archaeology—the systematic excavation, analysis, and revitalization of your existing content assets. This isn't about recycling old ideas; it's about applying new intelligence to discover insights, patterns, and opportunities that weren't visible when the content was originally created.
Consider the possibilities:
Reimagination: That thought leadership series from 2019 contains kernels of insight that, viewed through today's market context, could spark an entirely new strategic narrative.
Cross-pollination: Your product marketing content, analyzed alongside your crisis communications, might reveal unexpected messaging synergies that neither team would discover independently.
Pattern discovery: Five years of quarterly reports, fed into the right analytical framework, might reveal narrative threads and thematic evolution that could inform your next strategic pivot.
Knowledge maps: Your entire content corpus, properly analyzed, can generate comprehensive knowledge maps that expose gaps, redundancies, and untapped opportunities in your communications strategy.
The most underutilized resource in most communications departments isn't budget, talent, or technology—it's the intellectual equity already generated but never fully leveraged. AI now makes mining this resource not just possible but (after a short learning curve, some testing, and optimization) relatively effortless.
This approach doesn't merely make you more efficient (though it certainly does that). It fundamentally enables more ambitious experimentation because it reduces the perceived cost of innovation. When you can quickly analyze and repurpose what you've already created, you're free to take bigger swings with your new initiatives. The sunk cost of all that previous content creation suddenly becomes an asset rather than a write-off.
Would you rather be a content factory worker or a digital archaeologist? The difference might determine whether your communications function is seen as a strategic asset or a cost center.
(In case you missed it, I wrote about my own walk down the digital archaeology path—how I used NotebookLM to mine my podcast archives to create something entirely new. Check out the case study We Need to Talk About NotebookLM).
Choose Your Camp
It's easy to read something like this, nod in agreement, perhaps share it on LinkedIn with a thoughtful comment about "embracing innovation" (in fact, please go and do that right now, you know how much I appreciate you), and then return to our comfortable routines without changing our approach. The gravitational pull of "what we've always done" isn't just strong—it's woven into the organizational fabric of most communications functions.
But what if today was different? What if this was the inflection point where you decided that meaningful experimentation wasn't just for industry celebrities with personal brands strong enough to survive public failure, but for pragmatic communications professionals with quarterly goals, stakeholder expectations, and ambitions for genuine impact?
Trending Communicator Jim O'Leary frames this moment of choice brilliantly when he observes:
"…People typically fall into [different camps] when they think about the future of our profession. And one of those camps is… defined by fear...There's fear of where things are going. There's fear of what AI is going to do. There's fear of the complexity of the world we're living in and what that means for people and companies and brands and those who work for all of them. Then there's another camp...and the defining characteristic of that is more around excitement...excitement for what, you know, the machines and the robots are going to help enable versus take over... It's excitement about the increasing importance of communications and corporate affairs in the mix...And my one piece of advice to everybody is...Be in the excitement camp."
Next Time You Ask, “Wouldn’t It Be Great If?”
"Wouldn't it be great if" doesn't require funding or access to bleeding-edge technology. It requires the courage to question professional certainties, the humility to risk occasional failure, and the curiosity to test whether what we've always believed is actually true or merely organizational mythology we've inherited.
So here's my challenge: Before you close this newsletter (and give yourself a loving pat on the back for making it all the way to the end), identify one foundational communications certainty you've never questioned—then design an experiment specifically to test it. Your professional growth doesn't just benefit from this kind of experimental thinking—it may increasingly depend on it.
The future of communications belongs to those who see change not as a threat but as the most exciting professional opportunity of our time. Which camp will you choose?
Notes
This post is roughly 70% AI-generated. Here’s how I did it:
I used Google NotebookLM to first pressure test the idea of experimentation based on a holistic review of The Trending Communicator podcast, then pull together quotes and insights from multiple podcast guests.
I used the Project I had already set up in Claude to draft newsletter content and gave it the outputs I had just generated on NotebookLM. I instructed Claude to use my recent posts as a style guide and then prompted it to draft the article you see above. I went through 19 iterations, adjusting prompts, adding reference content, and editing within Claude’s environment along the way
I cut and pasted the text into Substack, edited the copy further, added in the hyperlinks, and then generated the hero image using Midjourney.
Are you repurposing and reimagining your content with NotebookLM or other AI tools? Do you want to learn how? Drop a comment below or hit me up on LinkedIn. And don't forget to subscribe to The Trending Communicator podcast for more insights on navigating this wild, AI-powered world.