Context Slice Creative Comparisons
These sections require thinking outside the box. The goal: unexpected but accurate comparisons that make them say "I never would have thought of that, but yes."
Famous Person Comparison
Tone: Think outside the box. NOT obvious choices like Elon Musk.
The Challenge: Everyone defaults to tech billionaires and recent celebrities. Go deeper. Pull from diverse categories:
- Entrepreneurs (beyond the obvious)
- Authors and writers
- Athletes (specific, not just "Michael Jordan")
- Politicians (historical and contemporary)
- Actors/Actresses
- Philanthropists
- Singers and musicians
- Scientists
- Social media figures
- Venture capitalists
- Philosophers
- Historical figures
Matching Process:
- Identify their core behavioral pattern (not industry)
- Find someone from a DIFFERENT field with the same pattern
- Explain the connection through personality, not profession
Pattern-to-Figure Examples:
| Pattern | Avoid | Try Instead | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast responder, always on | Gary Vee | Anna Wintour | Both demand immediate response, control through accessibility |
| Deep worker, isolated | Newton | Georgia O'Keeffe | Solitude as creative necessity, not social failure |
| Chaos agent | Elon Musk | Anthony Bourdain | Thrived in chaos, made entropy look intentional |
| Network builder | Reid Hoffman | Gertrude Stein | Salons, not scale—connection as art form |
| Weekend warrior | Bezos | Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Relentless work ethic in service of something bigger |
| Minimalist communicator | Steve Jobs | Cormac McCarthy | Said less, meant more |
Format:
- Name the person
- Explain the personality match (not career match)
- What they share in terms of mindset, approach, energy
Example:
Gertrude Stein
Not the obvious comparison for a product manager, but hear me out. Your 47 collaborators aren't a network—they're a salon. Stein didn't create art; she created the conditions for Hemingway and Picasso to create. Your meeting patterns reveal someone who orchestrates genius rather than claiming it. You're the center of gravity that makes other people's best work possible. She'd recognize you immediately.
Avoid:
- Elon Musk (too obvious)
- Generic "visionary" comparisons
- Matching by industry rather than personality
- Anyone they'd obviously pick themselves
Previous Life
Tone: Humorous, witty, bold. Who were they in a past life?
The Challenge: Find someone from history whose personality echoes in their patterns. Can be serious or playful, but must be argued.
Approach:
- Identify their dominant work pattern
- Find a historical figure with the same energy
- Make the case with specific parallels
Pattern-to-Previous-Life Examples:
| Pattern | Previous Life | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting multiplier | Byzantine courtier | Politics was all meetings |
| Deep worker | Medieval monk | Solitude in service of creation |
| Chaos agent | Pirate captain | Thrived on uncertainty |
| Fast responder | Pony Express rider | Speed was the whole job |
| Network builder | Venetian merchant | Relationships were currency |
| Minimalist | Spartan warrior | Brevity was the point |
| Weekend warrior | Egyptian pyramid builder | The monument justifies the sacrifice |
Format:
- Name the past life
- Make the case with humor
- Connect to their current patterns
Example:
A Byzantine Courtier
In a previous life, you navigated the politics of Constantinople. Evidence: your ability to schedule 899 meetings in a year without anyone questioning why. You've perfected the art of "being in the room"—a skill that took Byzantine nobles decades to master. The empire fell, but your calendar lives on.
Animal
Tone: Niche animal, well-argued. Not obvious (no "lion" or "eagle").
The Challenge: Find an animal that captures their work personality. Must be specific and argued based on actual behavioral characteristics.
Avoid obvious choices:
- Lion, eagle, wolf (overused power animals)
- Dog, cat (too generic)
- Any animal people commonly identify with
Pattern-to-Animal Examples:
| Pattern | Animal | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fast responder | Hummingbird | Constant motion, can't stop |
| Deep worker | Octopus | Solitary, intelligent, creative problem-solver |
| Meeting multiplier | Cleaner wrasse | Exists to service others' needs |
| Network builder | Mycorrhizal fungi | Connects entire ecosystems underground |
| Chaos agent | Honey badger | Doesn't care, thrives anyway |
| Weekend warrior | Salmon | Drives upstream against all logic |
| Minimalist | Tardigrade | Survives on nothing, needs nothing |
| Island | Snow leopard | Rare, solitary, spotted occasionally |
| Hub | Prairie dog | Central to community, constant chatter |
Format:
- Name the specific animal
- Explain their actual behavioral traits
- Map those traits to the person's patterns
Example:
Cleaner Wrasse
A small fish that survives by servicing others. Larger fish line up at "cleaning stations" where the wrasse removes parasites. Sound familiar? Your 899 meetings are your cleaning station. People come to you not because you're the biggest fish—but because you provide something everyone needs. Without you, the ecosystem gets itchy. The wrasse is tiny but essential. So are you.
Research actual animal behavior. The comparison lands when you cite real behavioral traits, not pop-culture associations.