Drafters, Editors and Critics

I’ve noticed that, generally speaking, people have one of three modes when it comes to working on ideas. These ideas could be anything but for the sake of clarity, assume I’m talking about some new initiative within a business. The three modes are Drafter, Editor and Critic. Finding the right person at the right stage of an idea’s life is key to its success.

Drafters love a blank whiteboard. They want to be there at the genesis of a project and help shape it from zero. They’re often, but not always, the ones suggesting the ideas in the first place. I call them drafters because they work to get ideas to a first draft. Edges will be rough and things might not flow perfectly but the core of things is there.

Editors shape things. They’re less comfortable starting from zero but aren’t afraid of rough ideas. They know how to take a first draft and work with Drafters to refine and improve ideas. They’re open to many iterations and revisions, sometimes beyond the patience of the the Drafter. Within the world of editors there are Copy Editors and Line Editors. Copy Editors, taking the analogy from the literary world are there to shape and edit the substance. Changes are large and structural. Line editors on the other hand are about details.

Critics know when something is good and when its not. They may not be well suited to building, especially at the early stages but their ability to judge is why they’re valuable. Typically a critic brings a wider perspective. They know the wider context and can articulate in detail why something is good or bad. They’re not just a rubber stamp, they provide the context and details around their judgement.

With this in mind its important to bring the right people to an idea at the right time.

Every idea starts with a blank page so having Drafters involved is critical. A room full of Critics will pass judgement too early and can block an idea before it gets started. Later, as the idea progresses the Drafters can become restless. They want to make big moves and can often get frustrated with the details. Feedback from a Critic can be too broad to be actionable by a Drafter.

While these roles exist, they’re not static. A person might be a Drafter in the context of marketing but a critic in the context of product. Each idea needs the right people, given the context, at the right stage of its development. Getting this right can be a shortcut to shipping more and shipping faster.