“Do not mistake motion for progress”

Julie Zhuo shared a great reminder from her days at Meta: a poster of a rocking horse that said, “Do not mistake motion for progress.” Marketers fall into this trap all the time—spinning up campaigns, tweaking copy, posting daily—without stopping to ask if it’s actually moving the needle.

Why it works

• Motion feels productive but can hide the lack of results
• Progress is measurable, motion is just activity
• Simple visual (rocking horse) drives the point home instantly
• Forces focus on outcomes, not effort

Examples

• Teams stuck A/B testing designs with no lift in conversions
• Brands posting daily on social with zero engagement growth
• Marketers running endless “awareness” ads without tracking sales impact