This Adam Grant quote lives rent-free in my head [WRAP 183]

Hey Reader, there’s a question that’s been nagging me for several months: am I giving my work the effort it deserves, or am I just checking boxes?

Here’s why I’m thinking it this weekend. Tuesday morning, I'll be sitting in a Minneapolis studio—the same one that produced the On Being podcast—hosting the HeyCreator Summit. Could I run this virtual event from my home studio in Florida? Absolutely. Would anyone notice? Probably not.

But that's exactly the point.

When something truly matters, you don't ask "what's the minimum I need to do?" You ask "what would going all the way look like?" I could have easily set up my laptop, grabbed decent lighting, and called it a day. Most people would never know the difference.

Instead, I'm flying across the country because I've got Darrell Vesterfelt, Justin Moore, and Shawn Blanc coming in to join me live. We're treating this like the major event it deserves to be.

The summit is totally free, and like I said it is being livestreamed so you can watch at home (or on small screen of your office computer). Just click here to save your spot and say hi in the chat!

💡 One Big Idea: Judged by Peaks, Not Sums

Sahil Bloom recently shared something Adam Grant told him that stopped me in my tracks: "You're judged by your peaks, not your sums."

Think about that. It's not about your sheer output. It's about the quality of what you produce when you truly commit. It's a power law—your best work creates exponentially more impact than everything else combined.

This hit me hard because I've been wrestling with my own evolution as a creator. For years, I've been thinking about three stages:

The Practitioner: The side-hustler creating consistently, closing the gap between vision and skill (as Ira Glass called it).

The Professional: Making full-time money but still focused on volume—on sums rather than peaks.

The Kingpin: Creating legacy work. The stuff that gets you talked about, recommended, and followed. Still consistent, but that consistency becomes the downstream output of creating truly exceptional work.

I'm a professional, but I'm still playing the sums game. The kingpin knows something I'm just starting to understand: One great piece is worth more than ten just-okay pieces.

🤔 The Tricky Part

Here's what makes this shift so difficult: You still need to practice. You can't just decide to create peaks. But there's a difference between practicing to check a box and practicing with the intention of excellence.

It's about practicing faster and better, pushing yourself to create something great rather than something good enough.

That's why I'm flying to Minneapolis. Not because the summit needs it, but because I need it. I need to prove to myself—and to everyone trusting me with their time—that I'm willing to go all the way.

When you have speakers like Sam Vander Wielen, Ed Latimore, Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Jamie Rawsthorne, Chenell Basilio, Amanda Nativad, and Nat Eliason sharing their best strategies, you don't phone it in. You rise to meet them.

🫵🏻 Your Turn

So here's my challenge to you: What project are you working on right now where you're settling for "good enough"? What would it look like to go all the way?

Maybe it's that presentation you're giving next week. That article you've been drafting. That product you're launching. Whatever it is, ask yourself: Am I working on a sum or a peak?

The HeyCreator Summit goes live Tuesday morning, and this is one of the questions we'll be exploring. Not just how to create content, but how to create the kind of work that matters. The kind that becomes your legacy.

Join us, and let's figure out together what "kingpin (or queenpin!) content" really means, and how to make the mindset shift from practitioner to pro to the creator you're meant to be.

Because in the end, going all the way isn't about the flight to Minneapolis or the fancy studio. It's about refusing to settle when something matters.

Are you ready to go all the way?

See you Tuesday,

Matt “Delta Diamond” Ragland

P.S. I've started sending daily emails on productivity and getting things done. The feedback has been great, but some have asked to ONLY receive the WRAP.
​If you only want to get the Weekend WRAP email, click here.