The Unstuckifier
A practical guide for leaders who know exactly what to do. And aren't doing it.
You've shipped harder things than this. You've led bigger rooms, solved messier problems. And yet right now you cannot write this email. You cannot start this deck. You cannot make this decision.
You're just... sitting there.
This isn't laziness. It isn't a sign you've hit your ceiling. It's a gap between what you can do and what you're actually doing.
It has a cause. Which means it has a fix.
Most execution problems aren't strategy problems. Something specific has seized up.
And when a leader gets stuck, the organisation fragments. Debates fill the vacuum. Teams hedge. Strategy blurs. What feels like a personal problem isn't.
Here's how to fix it:
Every time you get stuck, one of three things has dropped to zero — Clarity, Energy, or Commitment. If any one drops to zero, the others can't compensate.
Name which one it is. Pick the tool. Move.
Then keep moving.
A look inside:
By Richard Russell: Former Google and Amazon product leader, now coaching founders and senior leaders at Series A–C companies.
"I'll be using it. Looks really strong"
"The framing really lands — especially that trying harder isn't the answer anymore, and that you need all three factors to be non-zero, not perfect."
- Former Group Product Manager, Google
"Wow, it's really inspiring"
"I LOVE it - it's so easy to read, so obviously workable, and your diagrams are perfect — they stick in the mind and explain the issue accurately, and are funny into the bargain!"
- My Mum
Sixteen tools you can use today. Free.
32 pages,
4500 words,
20 mins to read.
Just want the cheat sheet?
All 16 tools on one page.