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Medieval cartographers had a problem: They didn't know what they didn't know. When drawing maps of unexplored territories, they faced a choice. Leave the edges blank—admitting ignorance—or fill them with speculation and myth.

Most chose myth. This is how "Here be dragons" ended up on maps. Not because mapmakers had evidence of dragons, but because empty space felt more dangerous than fictional monsters.

Okay, so the phrase actually appeared on only one known historical map (that we know of), but the principle was everywhere: fill the unknown with something, anything, rather than admit you don't know.

You’ve probably seen this in marketing. Some firms claim to know every market condition, every consumer behavior, every competitive threat. They come armed with charts, graphs, and airtight explanations. It feels impressive. It sounds comprehensive. It may also be bullshit.

The problem isn't necessarily that marketers are lying. It’s that they believe their own maps. They forget those maps' speculation.

After more than 26 years in this business, at CINQ we know the truth: the map has more blank spaces than anyone wants to admit. The best agencies are comfortable with those blanks. They’ll say "we need to test this" instead of "consumers always do this." They’ll admit when they’re entering uncharted territory.

But some clients don't want to hear that. They want certainty. They want the dragons mapped out, even if the dragons don't exist.

The secret: focus on building good ships rather than perfect maps.

Your brand doesn’t need partners who claim to know where every dragon lurks. You need partners brave enough to sail into blank spaces with you.

The edge of the world is usually the most interesting place to explore. See you in the empty spaces.

Want to explore with us? Give us a call.