What the hell do I want from our organization's newsletter?

A practical breakdown of why expert organization newsletters — think tanks, research centers, NGOs, and foundations — fail to deliver value. What goes…

May 12 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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The Guillermo. The Infrastructure Guy You Need To Make Knowledge Work.

On the role that sits between expertise and communication.

May 5 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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April 2026

Our Audience Can Handle Complexity. On Communicating Without Simplification.

Most communication strategies get it wrong: they simplify content instead of building the right infrastructure around it. This piece explores why…

Apr 28 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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Add Some Public to Your Discussion. Some thoughts on how to make the audience part of the conversation at your event

Let’s take a break from frameworks, infrastructures, and dissemination models.

Apr 21 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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Public Engagement Should Be Uncomfortable. Otherwise You're Just Clapping at Yourself in the Mirror.

Why honest feedback matters, how to build engagement systems that work even with difficult audiences, and how to manage the risks.

Apr 14 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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Building Platforms for the Full Lifecycle of Knowledge

A design perspective on how knowledge flows, engages people, and turns into action

Apr 7 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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March 2026

How Knowledge Systems Self-Seal

Exploring how expertise erodes across research, NGOs, policy, and advisory work — and how systems, incentives, and formats shape what we know, reinforce…

Mar 31 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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From Dumbledore to Gandalf: First Steps in Understanding What Makes Knowledge Work

You know, Dumbledore always annoyed me a bit.

Mar 24 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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February 2026

Good Enough Is Enough!

Let’s ship. Let’s screw up. Let’s improve and ship again.

Feb 24 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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Sweet Dreams of Learning for Small Teams

Why most education and leadership advice is built for a reality we don’t have

Feb 4 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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January 2026

A small team and a magical tool: a cosmic journey of hitchhikers through over-complexity

Exploring how small teams struggle with control, understanding, and integrating complex systems. Together with Douglas Adams

Jan 20 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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Borrowing from the Future

Why small teams keep running out of time, energy, and sanity, and don't perform

Jan 12 • Danil Lopatkin | Make It Work

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