If you’re looking for easy answers or neat formulas, this newsletter isn’t for you.

But if you want a different vantage point, then join me as we wrestle with better questions so you can make sense of things in a gray world.

This is the only newsletter that gives you a straight line to deep thinking — without shortcutting the thinking.

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It’s not your imagination - the world is moving faster.

The speed of communication and change makes daily life overwhelming because we weren’t designed for this pace.

There are a lot of people who look at our situation and recast everything as a neatly defined problem that can be easily solved, as if everything were a matter of following the right formula or aligning an obvious set of inputs with outputs. Nuance becomes a liability because it takes time to navigate.

But you know that the messy, complex human reality will never fit in standardized formulas, nor be solved by silver bullets.

It all just shatters on impact with the real world which is mostly shades of gray.

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Questions are our secret weapon.

(First and foremost, “What’s the point?”)

Answers feel good but they’re definitive. What happens when the context doesn’t match, or things change, or the world doesn’t work as perfectly as it does in our minds and on our whiteboards?

Questions on the other hand shape what we see and we can ask them again and again. They can be used to gather, frame, or filter. Most importantly, they stimulate deeper understanding and allow you to decide for yourself.

As a subscriber, you can expect these posts from me.

• One Better Question: My weekly email that breaks down one question.

• Long-Form Essays: A deep dive into a larger question at the intersection of strategy, economics, and philosophy.

• Interviews: Conversations with curious minds when the opportunity arises.

My posts not only ask questions, but each piece will give you questions that you can use as you make sense of the world. By doing both, you save time — without shortcutting any of the thinking.

My commitment is to respect your time and intelligence. In light of this commitment, my publishing schedule for essays and interviews stays flexible. If I don’t have something that meets my standard for value, I don’t publish until I do.

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About Me

My name is Katie Burkhart.

And I can’t leave disorder alone.

I don’t mean dishes in the sink or clothes on the floor. I’m talking about behaviors that feel out of place, patterns that don’t line up, and other things that don’t make sense.

This kind of disorder itches my brain in the best way. It draws me in. It makes it so I can’t put the puzzle down until I connect all the pieces.

I’ve found the best way to scratch this particular itch is to ask questions because questions determine what you see.

I thrive on unraveling the knots that feel too tangled to touch but too important to leave.

I apply this compulsion to strategy at Point:Value, deep thinking at The Glaede, and my research, writing, and speaking at WTP.

I have delivered keynotes, talks, and workshops for curious teams and communities — including those at Babson and the Ascent Conference. I’ve also appeared on numerous podcasts like On Brand with Nick Westergaard, Leadovation with Dean Newlund, and Soloist Women with Rochelle Moulton. My work has been published in Entrepreneur, The Startup, UX Collective, and Social Media Examiner.

I’m a city dweller who walks everywhere I need to go. I thought the first day of school was the best day of the year. My grandparents still read this newsletter.

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What Readers Say

“I thought your false values post was terrific. But your [sic] discussion with Gurwinder pushed me over the edge. This, I thought, is a Substack I need to support.”

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“I'm picky about which newsletters I subscribe to. They must give me a new perspective. They must awe me — from creatively turning a phrase, to sharing something fun and different, to helping me see the world through a unique lens. Katie's newsletter hits the mark for me. Her writing is brilliant while remaining consumable. She takes an everyday topic and shifts it into an intellectual exploration that only the deeply curious can do. I look forward to seeing the wheels of Katie's mind manifest right before my eyes each week in my inbox.”

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“WTP often makes me think more deeply about topics I had already considered. Katie has a strong point of view and presents a compelling case, but she doesn't stop there. She provides historical and cultural context to the topic at hand, providing me with the information I need to reexamine the topic and reach my own conclusions. It's a rare gift.”

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Join the club (We have jackets.)

You’ve got several projects going at once. You also want to develop mutually fulfilling relationships, take care of yourself, contribute to the world around you and to a future you want to live in. You’re a reader, writer, maker, thinker, leader, builder — a multi-faceted and multi-focused human.

You understand two things can be true at the same time. You’re open to a broken clock being right twice a day. You find deep thinking fun.

Support WTP

WTP is a 100% reader-supported publication. It remains independent, ad-free, and intellectually honest thanks to the support of its paying members. If you’re a paid subscriber, thank you.

If you believe this kind of deep, nuanced, and quiet work is valuable, please consider becoming a supporting member. Your support doesn’t just get you access to members-only posts and the full WTP archive; it makes the entire project possible.

If you’re looking for another way to help, share a post with a friend. There’s no better way for people to discover this newsletter than packaged in your recommendation tied with the bow of your enthusiasm.

And if you need access to something that’s paywalled, email me at katie@askwtp.com.

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Connect Further

LinkedIn | Notes | katie@askwtp.com