KNOWING WHEN TO SAY YES-NO

At the beginning of any creative career, there’s one simple strategy:

Say yes.

Yes to small projects.
Yes to unfamiliar briefs.
Yes to tight timelines, new industries, and opportunities that don’t look perfect on paper.

Unless something clearly goes against your values or isn’t viable financially, the early stage is about one thing: momentum.

Because when you’re starting out, you’re not just doing the work. You’re building:

• experience

• relationships

• a portfolio

• your reputation

• your understanding of what you’re actually good at

At Fat Mango, in the early days, we said yes to almost everything that came our way. Every project was a chance to learn, meet new collaborators, and prove what we could do.

And that phase mattered.

When growth changes the equation

As a team grows, the strategy naturally shifts.

With a bigger crew, more experience, and a stronger body of work, the question is no longer just:

“Can we do this?”

It becomes:

“Should we do this?”

Because every project takes time, energy, and creative bandwidth. And those resources aren’t unlimited.

At this stage, selection becomes important — not just for the business, but for the team.

We look for projects that:

• excite the team creatively

• challenge us to grow

• allow us to really sink our teeth into the work

• come from clients who trust the process

The importance of shared vision

One of the biggest factors today isn’t just the brief — it’s the alignment.

The best projects happen when:

• the client believes in the creative process

• they have a clear vision or ambition

• they’re open to collaboration

• they want to make something meaningful, not just something functional

When both sides care about the outcome, the energy changes. The process becomes smoother, the work becomes stronger, and the partnership often lasts longer.

The creative–commercial balance

Running a studio is always a balancing act.

On one side:

• creative ambition

• passion projects

• work that pushes the team

On the other:

• business sustainability

• team stability

• long-term client relationships

Both matter.

Saying yes to everything forever isn’t sustainable.
But saying no to everything that isn’t “perfect” isn’t realistic either.

The goal is to find the middle ground — projects that make sense commercially, while still keeping the creative energy alive.

The long-term mindset

Early in your career, saying yes helps you grow.

Later on, learning when to be selective helps you stay motivated, protect your team’s energy, and build a stronger creative direction.

Because growth isn’t just about doing more work.

It’s about doing the right work — with the right people — at the right stage of your journey.