ToDon’tTimer vs Poised

Why? If you ask a creative person, the answer will always revolve around time. We simply need time to execute an idea (and do it well)—more time than we have. A process that takes you from idea to final product can take 3 weeks, but could just as well take 3 months, 3 days, or 3 years. You could even go through the process in 3 minutes: you sketch a few options, pick one, and ‘finalize’ it as much as you can in the short time you have left. The end result of such a 3-minute round could be a clear sketch or small mock-up, for instance. Use the ToDon’tTimer to sketch and test your ideas in a limited timeframe. Decide to add the idea to your ToDon’tList or to spend a bigger timeframe on it. –––– You can use the ToDon’tTimer for all your creative processes. The ToDon’tTimer is also an interesting addition to Don’t/Do This – Game. –––– The Circular Design Process This method requires you to work quickly and roughly, leaving out many details and forcing you to make essential choices. That is why those 3 minutes will tell you a great deal about the overall process: not just what the end product will look like, but also which pitfalls you might encounter along the way. Should the idea turn out not to work or be feasible, then you will only have spent 3 minutes on it, which leaves you plenty of time to start over and try out other possibilities. Of course, you can apply this principle in different timeframes, going from very short to longer rounds. After the first 3-minute round, you might have a number of sketches. After a round of 3 hours, you could have a sketch model. After 3 days you could have a number of prototypes and after 3 weeks you will have an end result without any stress. The great benefit of working in circles: after those first 3 minutes, you can already discuss the project with your client or teacher. And after a few days, you could have some prototypes to present. When you work in increasingly bigger circles, as it were, you have much more space to try out and test things. That way you discover what does and what doesn’t work. Each following round, you bring your experience from the previous round with you.

Rehearse the conversation before you have it. A difficult conversation with your manager. Asking for a raise. Replying to a loaded email. Negotiating rent. Setting a boundary with someone you care about. Poised is an AI conversation coach that lets you practice difficult conversations before they happen. Rehearse what you want to say, face realistic pushback, and get practical coaching on what worked and what to improve. Your first 3 sessions are free. PRACTICE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS Pick the conversation you are facing or describe it in your own words. Poised plays the other person: your manager, landlord, colleague, friend, or someone you need to have a difficult conversation with. They have their own reasons. They push back. They do not simply agree because you asked nicely. Choose how challenging the conversation should be, from cooperative to difficult, and practice until you feel ready for the real thing. When you finish, Poised gives you a detailed debrief: • What you did well • What you could improve • Your strongest moment • Better ways to phrase the parts that did not land • Practical coaching for the real conversation SMALL TALK & CONVERSATION PRACTICE Not every conversation is high-stakes. Practice small talk for a networking event, party, new colleague, stranger in a queue, or someone you have not seen in years. The other person is friendly but not effortless. You learn how to ask better questions, keep a conversation moving, build on what the other person gives you, and leave naturally. Build stronger conversation skills through practice instead of memorizing scripts. COACH — WHEN YOU NEED THE RIGHT WORDS Some difficult conversations happen in writing. Tell Poised what is happening and Coach helps you work out what to say. Get a ready-to-send draft plus coaching on: • What to say • What to avoid • Why the approach works Then make it warmer, firmer, or shorter with one tap until the message sounds like you, not a robot. Use Coach for difficult emails, salary conversations, negotiations, boundaries, sensitive personal messages, and the moments when you know what you mean but cannot find the right words. WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE POISED • Practice, not proofreading. Improve your communication skills, not just one sentence. • Realistic conversation practice. The other person can disagree, resist, question you, and push back. • Coaching that explains why. Understand what worked so you can use it again. • Work, money, and personal life. Practice conversations with managers, colleagues, landlords, friends, and people you care about. • Private by design. No account or login required, and your sessions stay on your device. YOUR FIRST 3 SESSIONS ARE FREE Try Practice and Coach without paying anything. After that, Poised Premium unlocks unlimited conversation practice, debriefs, and drafts. The annual plan includes a 3-day free trial. Stop rehearsing the difficult conversation in your head. Practice it with Poised first. Poised Premium is an auto-renewing subscription. The 3-day free trial applies to the annual plan. After the trial, the subscription renews at the listed price unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial. A monthly plan is also available. Manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Terms: https://mskerba.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://mskerba.com/poised/privacy/