Max Bernstein

Understanding the Cynefin Framework

The Cynefin framework, created by David Snowden (Cynefin is Welsh for "place"), helps us understand where we are in terms of business complexity.

For the past century, marketing and sales operated in clear or complicated domains where direct response tactics worked because we could analyze, categorize, and expect... See more

Instead, de Mello is suggesting that true happiness and completeness can only come from waking up to the fact that we are already complete - we've just been trained not to see it.

This is where his distinction between spirituality and psychology becomes clear. Psychology, as he sees it, often works at the level of managing and improving our existing patterns - helping us function better within our conditioning. Spirituality, as he defines it, is about waking up from the conditioning itself.

Let me show you the four levels that separate content creators from category leaders:

Level 1: The Knowledge Trap

You're creating solid content—guides, posts, tutorials. But here's the uncomfortable truth: AI can now generate this content in seconds. Knowledge sharing alone won't set you apart

Level 2: The Experience Edge

This is where differentiatio... See more

AI is no longer an unfair advantage - it's table stakes.

Because most of our suffering comes from unconscious patterns of reaction. We get angry without realizing we're angry, feel afraid without recognizing the fear, act from conditioning without seeing we're conditioned. Each time we bring awareness to these patterns, they begin to lose their automatic quality.

Let's address something important: prompt engineering isn't what many marketers claim it is. If you see a sales page from a newly minted "AI expert," be skeptical.

True prompt engineering involves developers using language and code for symbolic manipulation of large language models - it's far above most marketers' pay grades. We’re talking the use ... See more

Next time anxiety arises, try this experiment. Instead of immediately trying to get rid of it, get curious about it. Notice where you feel it in your body. Watch how your thoughts respond to it. Observe if you're resisting it or trying to make it go away. You're not trying to change anything - you're just watching what's already happening with inte... See more