control
"That's what makes people connect. That's what makes them trust her. Not because she's perfect, but because she's honest."
"Honesty doesn't drive market share," I said. "Strategic positioning drives market share."
"You're wrong," Eli said, and it was the first time he'd directly contradicted me without immediately offering an alternative framework. "Honesty does drive market share. Because when people feel seen and understood, they build loyalty. That's how brand advocacy starts. Not with perfection. With recognition."
I wanted to argue that the data didn't support this, but I was starting to understand that I couldn't win arguments with Eli by citing data if the data was measuring the wrong