How to Write for Busy Readers: Why Less Is More with Todd Rogers
Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People
Guy Kawasaki
4.5 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 6 August 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if the secret to effective communication isn't adding more—but cutting ruthlessly? Harvard behavioral scientist Todd Rogers joins Guy to reveal the counterintuitive science behind writing that actually gets read. From his groundbreaking research on voter engagement to reducing student absenteeism, Todd has cracked the code on what makes busy people stop scrolling and start responding.
In this episode, you'll discover the six evidence-based principles that can transform your emails, presentations, and any written communication. Todd shares surprising findings from randomized experiments—like how deleting every other sentence can double donation rates, and why the most effective Obama fundraising email had just three lowercase letters as the subject line.
Whether you're crafting executive briefs, marketing copy, or just trying to get your team to actually read your messages, this conversation will revolutionize how you think about writing.
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Guy Kawasaki is on a mission to make you remarkable. His Remarkable People podcast features interviews with remarkable people such as Jane Goodall, Marc Benioff, Woz, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Bob Cialdini. Every episode will make you more remarkable.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We write in these complicated ways in part because that's how we were taught to write. |
| 0:03.5 | We will get assignments where it has to be at least a certain length in pages. |
| 0:07.5 | But now that you're a grown up, you don't get rewarded for length. |
| 0:10.8 | You get rewarded for effectiveness. |
| 0:13.2 | And length often works against you. |
| 0:15.5 | I think the part of it is just they're writing because that's how we're taught to write |
| 0:19.0 | and they're not really adding the |
| 0:21.2 | layer in of how would I adjust this for the reader, making it easier for readers? |
| 0:29.0 | Hello, my name is Guy Kawasaki. |
| 0:31.5 | You probably know that by now. |
| 0:33.5 | I am the host of the Remarkable People podcast, and you also probably know that we're on a mission to make you remarkable. |
| 0:41.1 | So we go all over the world trying to find remarkable people to give us their wisdom and their insight and inspiration. |
| 0:48.7 | And we found another really remarkable person. |
| 0:52.2 | His name is Todd Rogers. Now, before we started recording, we kind of shot |
| 0:59.2 | the bull a little bit, so I'm already in a really good mood. I've been looking forward to this |
| 1:05.4 | podcast because we're going to talk about effective writing. So I'm going to read you this bio of him and all his behavioral science and all that. |
| 1:14.6 | But man, he has written a great book about writing. |
| 1:18.6 | And let me tell you something. |
| 1:20.6 | As the host of this podcast, I need to prepare 52 times a year for a guest. |
| 1:26.6 | 50 out of the 52 times I'm reading a book to prepare. |
| 1:31.9 | And I got to tell you, I have read more nonfiction books than most people in the world. |
| 1:36.5 | And oh my God, I would like to give everybody a copy of your book, Todd. |
... |
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