"Every Person Needs One Friend Who Makes Them Smarter"

(2–3 minute read)

Hey Reader,

I'm working on a top-secret TV project that I can't wait to tell you about...yet!

Last week I got completely stuck on one scene.

I'd been staring at the same whiteboard for days, moving ideas around, convinced the answer had to be there somewhere.

Finally, I called one of my writer friends over. He looked at it for maybe thirty seconds.

"Why doesn't he just...?"

That was it. The whole scene unlocked.

Because he wasn't trapped inside my own thinking.

Everyone needs a friend like that.

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👥 THE FRIEND: Jim Henson & Frank Oz

Everyone remembers Kermit.

Everyone remembers Miss Piggy.

What a lot of people forget is that the Muppets weren't built by one genius. They were built by two friends who spent decades making each other better.

Jim Henson and Frank Oz worked together for more than thirty years, often relying on trust and improvisation more than perfect rehearsal. Henson would take a scene in one direction, Oz would unexpectedly elevate it, and together they'd create something neither would have found alone.

Frank Oz has called Henson one of the most generous collaborators he ever worked with...not because he had all the answers, but because he trusted other people's instincts enough to let go of control.

The best collaborators aren't always the smartest people in the room.

They're the people who make everyone else smarter.

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A quick word from the sponsor that keeps this newsletter free: The 1440. Unbiased news, what a concept ;)

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🛠️ THE FIX: Invite Them Before It's Finished

Most of us wait too long.

We polish. We overthink. We convince ourselves we'll ask for feedback once it's "ready."

But by then, we're defending our idea instead of improving it. I am the first to admit I've been guilty of this most of my life.

Your friends have the most value before you've fallen in love with Version 1.

This week, bring someone into the messy middle.

Try texting:

"I'm still figuring this out. Can I think out loud with you for ten minutes?"

Or:

"You're usually the person who sees what I'm missing. Mind taking a look?"

Don't just show your friends the finished product. Show them the rough draft.

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📊 QUICK POLL

Do you have a friend who makes your ideas better in real time?

🙌 Yes. And I don't use them enough.​

🎨 Yes. And we're constantly building things together.​

🤔 I usually keep unfinished ideas to myself.

👀 I think I'm still looking for that person.​

(Click to vote. I'll share the results next week.)

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🎬 THE RECO

Jim Henson Idea Man (Disney+)

A fascinating look at Jim Henson's life, creativity, and the relationships that helped shape his work...from Jane Henson to Frank Oz and the extraordinary team behind the Muppets. And Ron Howard directed it, that's usually enough to sell me.

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Until next Monday,

Matt Ritter​
​The Friendship Guy

“Friendship is the original life hack.”

🎧 Listen to The Buddy System on Audible​

⏩ Forward this to someone you wanna bounce an idea off of. They can join the Friendship Challenge here.