You Don’t Need All The Answers. You Need The Right People

Collective knowledge outperforms isolated genius. 

It’s not just about the value of being seen, it’s about being in it together, learning in real time with other people, and discovering a deeper confidence when you’re part of a wider group trying to make sense of things too.

I have seen it myself and can explain how it works and help you build your side.

We have an abundane of data, opinion and instructions from others. At the same time, we need each other more than ever, not just for support, but to help us understand what’s around us.

In the past 18 months, I have realised that the learning doesn’t just happen from the person at the front of the room, it takes place around us. The contributions, the ideas, the side chats, the support, the shared notes and the follow-ups.

Our best sense-making comes from each other. 

Together, we create a system that interprets, challenges, and reframes what we encounter, that is not possible in isolation.

Community is essential for filtering truth, sparking creativity, and building trust. It serves as our collective brain, sounding board, and reality check.

Through years of building the YATM community, I know that belonging comes before breakthrough.

Let me clarify. Before someone books to come to an event, decides to subscribe, shares an insight or puts their hat in the ring to lead an event, there has to be a feeling this is a safe space. 

People need to recognise they are part of it. Community is not just about getting people on side, it’s nurturing a place where contribution feels natural rather than performative.

Feeling ready to step up isn’t about being the loudest or most aggressive in seeking attention, it’s about realising you’re already in the room. From that moment, people unlock something. They find their way of contributing. They add to the shared pot of knowledge in a way that’s entirely their own.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since I started YATM in 2013 is that while individual contributions are important, the momentum of the group takes things further.

The best work often starts as something small and personal, a blog post, a question, an experiment, but it only grows legs when people notice, contribute, build on it, and take it somewhere new.

No single person has to have all the answers. What matters is showing up and recognising that we co-create meaning together.

That’s why I don’t see the value in the lone expert or the perfectly packaged guru/know it all approach. What works is the kind of knowledge that develops through interaction. It’s messy, sometimes contradictory, but far more honest and far more useful.

Last week, we had a session, in YATM Club with YATM friend and marketing heavyweight, Mark Schaefer. The focus was on Mark’s latest book, Audacious and rather than it being a two-sided Q&A, everyone was invited to participate and contribute to the discussion, making it a collaborative event.

What happened was that the group shaped the session. We all pushed each other, challenged perspectives, and worked to understand the theme of being human in an AI driven world. In a nutshell, while it’s perfectly fine for everyone to follow AI trends and mimic each other, I recognise that it’s important to maintain our own perspectives and approaches (we just have creative ways to amplify today and I’m all for that).

When we managed to find our way through Covid, it started to galvanise this sense of connection to each other with YATM and finding these moments to benefit from it.

I have come to understand something important: the collective doesn’t just support people; it also strenghtens them.

This happens at every YATM Lunch Club, every Thursday newsletter reply, and every time someone shares a story they were nervous to give, only to be met with encouragement and not silence. The collective spirit inspires people to try again, explore different approaches, and view themselves not as imposters, but as valuable contributors.

What happens is that ideas and input comes together, it encourages longevity and relevance.

It’s great that we can broadcast and receive the applause and acknowledgement from people, but are they really part of what you’re doing? Can they help shape it? Is there room for their knowledge, not just your content?

A community that thrives on shared knowledge doesn’t act as an echo chamber. Instead, it invites people to disagree, to challenge, build new angles, make a step to something that feels new and take what’s been said and push it somewhere else. 

That’s the kind of space we’re trying to hold at YATM, a place where people feel ownership. When people can contribute, that’s how a collective approach works. You create something more valuable than what any one person could do alone. 

The best marketing today isn’t just about what you know or how well you can execute, it’s about how effectively you can open things up.

Can you turn a piece of writing into a conversation or presentation? Can you invite someone into your thought process, instead of waiting until it looks perfect? Can you host something that’s not about your own expertise, but about shared progress?

When you create these kinds of spaces, whether they’re events or just one-to-one encouragement, you unlock something new: you’re no longer reliant on your energy alone. Others carry the momentum with you.

That’s not just being efficient. It’s sustainable.

Here are some ideas to try out your side if you’d like to build a collective approach to your work.

You make the space that is easy for people to share perspectives, questions, and even uncertainties.

The goal isn’t just gathering answers, it’s building a culture where contribution is normal, welcomed, and celebrated. Over time, this collective effort builds confidence among everyone involved.

Perfection hinders participation. Create environments where people feel safe to test, prototype, and share work-in-progress thinking, not just finished outputs.

Today it’s easier to appear perfect than to embrace messiness.

Show your work. Instead of presenting only the end result, highlight the process, the iterations, and even the moments where you feel lost. This builds trust and makes learning visible. I only know this now by sharing what hasn’t worked whilst I was in the moment. The scrapbook approach to work and life will thank you, a little bit further down the line.

4. Celebrate Lightbulb Moments (Especially When They Come From Others)

When someone sparks a new idea or contributes, show genuine excitement. Highlight and build on it. This reinforces that the collective shapes the future, not just a few voices at the top. 

The culture shifts when people aren’t just audience members but they know they are active contributors. You have to make it easier for people to jump in, suggest and take small leadership moments. When someone agrees to lead a Lunch Club, other people help support the whole decision too.

Design spaces and moments where curiosity drives the agenda, it’s not just all about efficiency or expertise. The best collective knowledge cultures grow when it’s safe to wonder out loud. We now have Swapsies sessions in YATM Club, this come about through knowledge people have in creative disciplines.

We’re not trying to be the smartest voice in the room. We’re trying to be the space where smart thinking gets shared and sharpened.

And that means creating opportunities for people to learn in public, share imperfectly, and be surrounded by others doing the same. 

It’s not about being definitive. It’s about being open. When people feel part of something, they take more risks. And when they take more risks, everyone grows.

If there’s one thing I’d encourage you to do right now, whether you’re building a business, writing a newsletter, or just trying to figure out what work means to you, it’s this: don’t try to figure everything out on your own.

Make room for others to share their knowledge with you. Involve them in the process before you’ve completed your work. Share what you’re working through, not just what you’ve already mastered.

What we know together beats what we know alone.