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Graham Douglas Thinks 'Small' to Fuel Big Growth at Gus
Keep your eye on the prize and don't sweat the details
“We never set out to build a big agency,” says Graham Douglas, who co-founded and serves as ECD at indie hot shop Gus in NYC. “We worked at those places and learned a ton, but we also saw the value of being small. You can be flexible, shape shift and say yes to the most exciting opportunities. We’d much rather do more with fewer, better people than grow as quickly as possible and hope something comes out the other side.”
“Only work with excellent people who aren’t assholes. That’s a narrow target, and it gets harder to protect as you scale. It’s one of the main reasons we’re deliberately small. And right now, as clients build stables of thinkers and agencies they like, being small is a huge competitive advantage.”
Douglas has served as a creative leader at agencies across the U.S. and Europe including Droga5, 180 and Publicis. On the client side, he’s helped build brands like Vimeo, Google and Spotify.
We spent a few minutes with Graham to learn more about his background, inspirations and the advantages of having a small and nimble agency.
What would you tell your younger self if he could see you now?
Being uncomfortable is when inspiration strikes, so don’t rush it. Making time to be bored will pay off.
What’s one thing people misunderstand about your role?
People think being a founder means having one big job. In reality, you have every job in the business. But the common thread across all of them is strategy. Whether I’m thinking about the brand, the business, the team or the next problem we need to solve, my job is to understand what we’re trying to achieve and bring the right people together to solve it. The goal is always to make something great that moves the business forward. If we’re just making the brand look good, we haven’t done our job. The best work solves a real business problem and gives people a reason to care.
Was there an “a-ha” moment that made you realize what you wanted to do?
I was a saxophone player and musician for most of my young life, but then I got into a really competitive jazz program [in college], looked around at people who were actually great musicians and thought, “Uh-oh, I’m fucked.” At the same time, I was taking a big, lecture-style intro-to-advertising class to satisfy a communications credit, and I really liked it. This turned into a communications design and advertising degree.
What’s the last great book, article or video you consumed?
The transcript of a commencement address by David Foster Wallace called “This is Water.” It’s a simple story that opens on two young fish who swim past an older fish. The older fish says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” Later, one young fish asks the other, “What the hell is water?” It’s such a poignant reminder that, so often, we ignore the big picture, the obvious things that make all the difference. And as someone that makes a habit of chasing the insights hiding in plain sight, I always think back to “What the hell is water?”
What’s the best podcast for smarter thinking?
I’m obsessed with this podcast Acquired. It’s a series of very deep dives into amazing companies. On the surface, it sounds like a boring business podcast, but it’s the exact opposite. If anything, it’s a great reminder that every successful company is defined by a series of big, ambitious, occasionally crazy ideas that fundamentally changed a category or created one writ large. I’m still waiting on the phone call about the Gus episode. I’m sure it’s on the list.
What’s overrated in marketing right now?
Brand-name schools or agencies. Some of the best creatives I know come from outside the industry, so we’re short-changing ourselves by hiring “sure things” from inside the walls we know. We’ve lost our ability to take bets on people. We need to keep looking for folks with a different perspective, raw talent and a genuine appetite to be coached and mentored.
Diversity of opinion in the room should be a critical part of the infrastructure of what we do, and I’m doing my damndest to reinstate it.
Who changed the trajectory of your career, and what did they teach you?
I had a boss, William Gelner, who let me have real ownership very early on in my career. He gave me big, gnarly occasions to rise to, and the ability to see the work through when I did. That’s jet fuel for a young creative with something to prove. To this day, we try to do exactly the same thing here at Gus. To give everyone, regardless of their title or level of experience, the same opportunity to absolutely obliterate a brief.
You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry. What’s your hot take?
This is an industry going through monumental change, so clinging to the old way of doing things—thinking that bigger is better, more people means more value, big-name agencies are a safer choice—is the wrong instinct. Do the opposite of that. Be radically yourself, work with the best people you can find, say yes to the work that excites you. There’s a real opportunity right now for people willing to stop keeping up appearances and build for the new ways of doing, rather than the ones that are disappearing.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
