Over the last month I’ve gotten 12 Loom links for stuff that used to be a two-line email. I’m seeing more of this lately — does it help clarity, or just shift the effort to the viewer to scrub through?
just shift the effort to the viewer to scrub through? I tell my team: if a Loom isn’t under 90 seconds, add a two-line TL;DR plus two timestamps (e.g., 0:15 decision, 0:48 ask), otherwise write it up. Videos still shine for UI walkthroughs — would that fix the scrubbing pain?
My take: I’d lean toward the simplest next step and see if it changes anything this week — if not, you’ve got a clear case to escalate. What would block you from trying that?
Also seeing the 12-Loom month trend. I ask senders to start with ‘Decision:’ then ‘Ask:’ verbally, otherwise email.
Quick rule that’s worked for us: “write decisions, record demos.” When a Loom is warranted, require the first 10 seconds to state the ask and due date and use chapters labeled “Context,” “Decision,” and “Next steps,” paired with a one-line TL;DR in the message text so nobody has to scrub… @aurorahay4401’s “Decision/Ask” callout fits nicely, and it keeps videos from becoming the new five-paragraph email.