Tamalpais Strategies
Tamalpais StrategiesTamstrat
Est. 2023 — Mill Valley, California

Counsel and tools, together.

Building narratives and technical architecture to help you move hearts, minds, and markets.

Fig 0.1 — THE JITTERBUG, AFTER R.B. FULLER: ONE LINKAGE, MANY FORMS. CENTER INVARIANT.
Fig 1.1 — The frisket, tympan and bed of a European hand printing press (Theodore Low De Vinne, The Invention of Printing)

§ 01 What we believe

Communications is the practice of making the implicit explicit, making what an organization knows and means visible and legible. People believe what they can see. The best work shows rather than tells, earns rather than insists, and puts people before paradigms.

The tools have always been simple: language, writing, images, gatherings. Code and intelligence just joined them. These tools deserve as much intention, as much judgement and discernment, as the stories themselves. Because otherwise, it has never been easier to be average.

We think the same judgment that helps you write the stories should help you build the tools. That's the practice here. The rest we'd rather show you.

§ 02 Practice areas

A — STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Senior counsel for the moments that get watched closely, from narrative and positioning, executive communications, crisis and issues, IPOs and the fights that follow them. Unlike most senior advisory services, we actually do the work, too.

B — COMMUNICATIONS CONTEXT ENGINEERING

AI systems, tools, and operations designed for communications teams by someone fluent in both worlds. We create real custom systems with your team that do real work, not decks about transformation.

One practice, two worlds.

The counsel decides what the tools should do. The tools give the counsel leverage a solo practice isn't supposed to have. Each half makes the other better.

Fig 3.1 — Compaq Portable, c. 1983 — the first computer I ever used (age two), and the first I programmed

§ 03 The architect

I'm Jim Prosser. I've spent over two decades in communications as a leader at some of the world's most closely-watched companies and organizations like Google, Twitter, and SoFi. You name it, I've done it: launched world-changing products, built challenger brands, scaled unicorns, IPOs, billion-dollar litigation, high-profile crises, government clashes, and more.

I've always been equally obsessed with both the substance and the systems of communications. And because I've always been the one who enjoys building the thing, not just being the one who advises on it.

§ 04 Person Familiar

Person Familiar is my (mostly) weekly newsletter about what's actually happening in tech communications and media, written for communications professionals.

All pieces at personfamiliar.com →
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Analysis, advice, and commentary direct in your inbox.

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Fig 4.1 — The teleprinter: dispatches delivered over the wire, parts lettered (a)–(k)

§ 05 Let's talk

I cap my practice at five clients at a time. Almost all of them arrive via referral. This means my availability for non-referral projects is narrow, but not zero. If you have an interesting challenge, a forthcoming major moment, or want to build new systems for communicating, send me a note.

If you're not sure you're a fit, write anyway. I'm always glad to answer questions or point you toward great people and resources.

info (at) tamstrat.com