Waves

Waves matter because they carry energy. And energy, as we know, can’t be created or destroyed, only harnessed and converted. It is finite.

Take a moment and let that sink in, because as energy is a resource, a wave is energy stored.

Let's take the actual sport of riding waves as an example.  A surfer doesn’t create waves; they wait for them, study them, and catch them at the right moment. The amount of energy it would take to make a wave is absurd. You can pick up a Wave Maker for $120,000 and it still wouldn’t match nature’s power.

The smarter approach is to observe because if you find even a small wave, it will take you farther than you could ever paddle on your own. 

The same principle applies to social media. What we call “trends” are just waves in a different ocean, energy already in motion. 

We learned this working with a streetwear brand whose audience loved Kanye. When he released a new album, that was a storm forming offshore. As songs leaked, we prepared content that matched the aesthetic and dropped it alongside each drop. The algorithm, hungry for that energy, pushed it out fast. The audience devoured it. Views spiked. Site traffic surged. We weren't manufacturing waves with paid ads, we simply rode the momentum.

We were literally riding sound waves.

So do this: study the ocean you’re in. Understand the patterns in your vertical. Waves might come as new product drops, emerging aesthetics, or cultural conversations. Whatever form they take, be ready, because you'll want to capture its energy. 

Don’t waste your time paddling.

If you want to move faster, learn to ride the wave.