Today on the More Cheese Less Whiskers Podcast, we have a special episode because I had the pleasure of catching up with my longtime friend and collaborator, Jesse Desjardins, in person as we celebrate our 25-year friendship and professional journey together.  We talk about how asking, 'What would I do if I only got paid if I delivered results?' helped us focus on achieving tangible results and navigating technological shifts and how we uncover the power of minimalism and the minimum effective dose in marketing success.  In part 1 here, we discuss his 12 favorite problems and how he leverages the VCR (Vision, Capabilities, Reach) formula to create unique experiences and stories in the work he now does. This is a great conversation as we share some insights and reminisce about our 25-year journey.   Summary 1. Jesse Desjardins and Dean Jackson celebrate their 25-year friendship and professional journey, discussing how their shared insights led to significant leaps in Jesse's career. 2. They emphasize the importance of focusing on results and navigating technological shifts by asking, "What would I do if I only got paid if I delivered results?" 3. The power of minimalism and the minimum effective dose in marketing success is discussed, highlighting the effectiveness of a short, 50-page book in capturing email addresses. 4. They explore user-first marketing, allowing for real-time testing of ideas and receiving feedback, and the importance of separating compelling from convincing in advertising. 5. Jesse's innovative approach to marketing combines education and user-generated content, positioning Tourism Australia as the "mayor of Australia" and creating the World's Biggest Social Media Team, outperforming other national tourism boards. 6. They discuss the importance of storytelling in marketing and how Jesse's 'You Suck at PowerPoint' Slideshare and other strategies have stood the test of time. 7. Jesse shares his approach to unlocking collective intelligence in his work, such as his speaking gig in Toronto and his work on the Neon project in Saudi Arabia. 8. The duo discusses the VCR formula (Vision, Capabilities, and Reach) in marketing, focusing on telling the story of a place like Wadi Ram and thinking differently to overcome skepticism. 9. They emphasize the importance of recognizing and utilizing available capabilities and assets to bring a vision to life, using examples of Kylie Jenner and local businesses taking advantage of their 15-mile radius. 10. Jesse and Dean explore the potential of collaboration between two parties to create something new, using the VCR formula to create unique market-maker opportunities.