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AUGUST 16, 2026


You Don't Need a Yes to Help


Every week my inbox fills with book ideas, startup demos, and mentoring requests. Since I can't address them all, I used to think that meant just ignoring them. That changed the moment I realized that the person reaching out isn't always chasing just a yes. They also want to know someone heard them. A short reply, a little encouragement, a rejection with kindness. You can't always do it, but when you do it's a short time commitment for you but perhaps deeply meaningful for someone else. #Leade

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How It All Started

A Short Backstory Of This Blog

This is a blog about non-obvious ideas. Originally launched on the Typepad platform in 2005 as the Influential Marketing blog, the stories at first focused mainly on digital marketing while Rohit worked at Ogilvy Advertising. In 2015 Rohit officially rebranded to the Non-Obvious Insights Blog and published his WSJ bestseller Non-Obvious. For the past twenty one years, this blog has coined new terms, introduced future marketing practices and inspired the next generation of non-obvious thinkers and marketers.

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