In the 1960s, legendary London recording engineer Joe Meek coined a phrase that has comforted — and frustrated — generations of producers: “If it sounds right, it is right.†(By implication, if it doesn't, keep working.)
Strip that idea of its audio-specific context and Meek was making a broader point: In experiential fields, when something feels right, it has already succeeded.
Yet business and organizational leaders routinely skip the most important question when launching a product, service or campaign: Does this feel right?
That omission is understandable. How do you square intuition with being “data-driven� Focus groups help, but creators who consistently get it right tend to follow a few deeper principles — five, in particular.
1. Remember Stated vs. Revealed Preference
Psychologists tell us that people have two kinds of preferences: what they say they like, and what their behavior reveals. Both matter — but for different reasons.
Budgets and calendars are moral documents. They reveal what people truly value. Time, money and attention don't lie.
What people say they like, meanwhile, points toward aspiration. It's who they want to become and how they want to be thought of. People eat burgers and fries because they enjoy them — but they'll tell you they love kale salads because that's who they're trying to be.
Smart brands understand and incorporate both.
2. Don't Overthink It
Creativity is not rational. That is, creative decisions are largely based on intuition. We don't always know why X is the correct choice — we simply sense that it is.
Over the past two weeks, I've seen 30 bands across multiple countries. Several of them — thousands of miles apart — covered the same song: Suicide Silence's early single, “Unanswered.â€
I asked Malaysia's Centipede and Sri Lanka's Annihilation Planet Earth the same question: Why this song? The answer was identical: It felt right.
These are talented bands who could cover any song they want, or play their excellent originals. But their instincts said, “This is the way to go,†and they followed that. Judging from the audience response in both cases, it was the right move.
Artists know to trust the process. If it feels right, it is right. Go with it.
3. Make Sure Your Gut and the Prototypes Agree
In the creative realm, few things are as helpful as prototyping. You have an idea — now find a way to see it, hear it or experience it in the real world. This can provide tremendous clarity.Â
My organization, Good Loud Media, is partnered with an educational outreach in Madagascar called LVXX-Hazavana, which serves the needs of young people in remote and rural communities there. We are in the process of launching an apparel line featuring the work of celebrated Malagasy street artists such as Thomas Auvain, Ponk and K.R Skyd.
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
Recently, my colleague and I reviewed mockups of denim jackets. Two designs worked. Two didn't. Neither of us could say exactly why — but we both knew: this doesn't feel right.
Critically, neither of us could have predicted that outcome before seeing a prototype. Intuition is a wild and untamed place, and prototyping provides a low-risk way to test it.
4. Shoot for ‘The Same, but Different'
Ideas that feel right are familiar — and new.
I recently saw The Slipping Chairs, a high-end cover band in Colombo, Sri Lanka. These are skilled, professional players who can crush four-hour sets featuring note-for-note covers of songs from any top 40 chart.
But the thing that really felt right was their totally reimagined cover of Michael Jackson's “Billie Jean.†(Consider what might happen if Teddy Swims performed a bluesy, almost mournful version of the song.)
It felt right because it was familiar — I knew the song immediately — but it also required engagement. I had to lean in. Something new and interesting was happening.
There's a famous quote in the film industry: “Give me the same thing, but different.†This remains excellent advice for anyone in creative or culture-driven industries.
5. Strip Away Sentimentality
Work that truly feels right doesn't need additional context or emotional framing — it stands on its own.
My friend and colleague Sudanese film director Faiz Hassan recently completed a short film on the refugee experience. When I shared it with audiences in Sub-Saharan Africa, I intentionally offered very little context or explanation. The film needed to stand on its own merits.
One viewer, who leads a Sudanese NGO, said it plainly: “This film captures what it is like to be a refugee. This is my personal experience.â€
That's the gold standard — recognition, not sympathy. It simply felt right.
For leaders, the question becomes: how can you share work-in-progress in a way that invites unvarnished responses?
Final Thoughts
That response — this is my experience — is the through line here. People respond when creative work reflects their lived reality.
So ask yourself: Does your brand give voice to a real community? Does it make people feel seen? Does it feel right?
You can't pay underground metal bands around the world to cover your song. But if your work resonates deeply enough — if it feels right — you won't have to. People will recognize it. They'll share it. And they'll declare — without being asked — that it is right.
