While I Was Writing Today’s Signal // Noise:

Anna Ash sounds like someone you’d trade secrets with over some whiskey shots, close the bar down next to, and walk home half-hammered with. God damn she’s good.

From sound to signal—let’s get this baby rolling with what’s on my mind…

One big idea, insight, or take - grounded in the real work, not theory.

Over the last two weeks, we’ve talked about getting crystal clear on who your community is for (and who it’s not) — and then designing it so the value doesn’t live and die with you.

There’s one last piece to the puzzle (well, more than one, but at least one more I’ll mention now): your price point will quietly decide the format you must deliver.

It’s one of the biggest mismatches I see. A community charges four figures and delivers… a Circle group.

Or someone charges $300/year and then blows their entire budget on a super luxe retreat.

Both can really mess up your business, just in different ways.

At The Motley Fool, we had a $10K+ product called MF One. The core value was special access to our CEO’s personal portfolio and wealth management services — but we knew that wasn’t enough to build the kind of deep, sticky relationships that justified the price.

Twice a year, we hosted intimate in-person events. High-touch, carefully curated, designed for members to connect as much with each other as with our team.

It wasn’t optional — at that price point, IRL had to be baked in.

The Baby Bathwater Institute is in a similar price range - and it’s known for immersive, founder-only gatherings that blend business, adventure, and an authentic ethos. For $10K+, you’re not just paying for access to people — you’re paying for the experience of being with them in unique, memorable environments.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have communities like SaaStock Founder Membership or Ramen Club for SaaS and bootstrapped founders. These run a few hundred bucks a year. They’re packed with relevant content, peer access, and digital platforms — but they keep the IRL component limited.

At that price, convenience, access, and online value are the draw.

Here are the 3 broad tiers:

If your format doesn’t match your fee, members are gonna know it.

The fix isn’t complicated — it’s about aligning what you deliver with what your members expect at the price they’re paying.

When you get that right, the product and the price reinforce each other.

Dispatches from the field - lessons, stories, interviews, experiments.

Back in my first corporate job, our Controller, Amy, could’ve waved me off when I was struggling with a 200-page accrual report.

Instead, she put down her menthol cigs, pulled up my chair, rolled through it line by line, and taught me how to think through the problems. That night burned in a simple truth I’ve carried since: the moment you can’t do the work yourself, you’re leading with title instead of credibility.

Hope you enjoy the story & part 2 of the Operators Guide to Leadership.

Smart reads, sharp tools, or internet gems.

Doesn’t feel entirely accurate (no Rogan? no MFM?). But, still some new ones I haven’t heard yet. Worth a skim if you’re feed is feeling old and you need a lil’ boost!

Before you fire off another lifeless update or "what we learned this quarter" post — try writing something people actually want to read. This 7-point storytelling structure is a cheat code for making your stuff hit harder.

This isn’t just about sneakers — it’s about moments. First dunks, backyard games, the pair you begged your parents for. This list hits the nostalgia nerve hard if you grew up in the 80’s or 90’s.

GQ dropped their full Jordan ranking — and yes, I’ve got opinions. (#4 is the best, fight me.)

What's the most overpriced product - or community - you've ever bought into? No (serious) judgement. We've all dropped $499 on something that was a google doc & a prayer. 

Have a good weekend you animals. 

Jordan

P.S. Wanna work on something? Got a pod or content idea? → Email me | Need 30–60 min of advice? → Book here | Want a coach in your corner? → More info