Andy Raskin
Name the Shift from Old to New Game
Inspired by Andy Raskin episode
Andy Raskin's 'name the shift' framework works for product stories and for explaining to your toddler why the old rules changed.
Andy Raskin says every great narrative starts with naming the shift: the old game is over, there's a new game now. Salesforce did this perfectly with "software is dead, the cloud is here." You're not solving a problem—you're declaring the world changed.
Your toddler mastered the rules. Then they turned three and the entire legal system collapsed overnight. Milk in bed? That was the old regime. TV during dinner? Ancient history. From their perspective, you're just making up laws to torment them specifically.
So you name the shift. "You're bigger now, bedtime changed." "Your body learned new things, different rules." Will this stop the screaming? Absolutely not. But at least they understand you're not randomly cruel—you're responding to market conditions.
The old game is over. There's a new game. You're both playing it whether you like it or not.
