the messaging curse you didn't know you had

Hey, hey Reader,

Rush Week, 2004.

No TikTok. No outfit hauls. No synchronized dancing.

Just a bunch of nervous college girls in denim skirts and UGG boots, clutching their Coach wristlets and sweating through triple-popped collars and Juicy Couture perfume.

Anxiously wondering….Did I make the cut?

Back then, sorority rush didn’t include curated online personas or viral “fit checks.”

But one thing, one quote really remained constant (& was the IT sisterhood saying):

"From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it."

This quote gnawed at me as I read Emma Stratton’s Make It Punchy.

Because once you get on the inside of an EdTech product, you’re screwed.

You lose the ability to see it through fresh eyes.

You know the product. Its features. Its strengths. Its brilliance.

But try explaining it to someone who knows nothing about it? Suddenly, you’re speaking another language.

Emma Stratton calls this The Curse of Knowledge, and she’s right. The more we learn, the more we forget what it was like to be a beginner, that Shoshin mindset.

When I started freelancing, I had a million questions:
❓ What does copywriting actually mean?
❓ What’s a value prop?
❓Why is everyone so obsessed with scales?

Now, those answers feel second nature.

But when you’re marketing an EdTech product to school admins and educators, forgetting to step back is a fatal flaw. That’s when messaging gets clunky, overly jargon-aited, and just… misses.

But, if you know you have the Curse of Knowledge, you can break free from it.

Here’s how:

Do market research consistently.

Not once. Not quarterly. Weekly. Stay sharp by constantly tuning into your audience’s words and challenges.

Talk to your all-star customers.

The ones who actually buy. Their insights will keep your messaging fresh and relevant.

Share your messaging with a total outsider.

Before you hit publish, run your copy by someone completely outside of EdTech (even better, speak it): your partner, your neighbor, or even a friend who isn’t in marketing. If they don’t get it, your audience won’t either.

If you need help with this, consider me your Shoshin-sherpa.

Hit reply and we can chat about your messaging.