Unlearning Legacy Management: Amy Clark on Modern Leadership
What does it look like to unlearn old management skills? Amy Clark answers on The Peggy Smedley Show. Listen now. https://t.co/Mvktfvb2ax #IoT #sustainability #AI #digitaltransformation #PeggySmedley #podcast https://t.co/fAE6UuaxXf
Iran Rejects US Demands, Shows No Ceasefire Desperation
As per the WSJ, Iran rejects all U.S. demands and refuses to meet with American officials in Islamabad. This makes it clear that there were no negotiations and Iran wasn't desperate for a ceasefire.
Google AI Stitch Simplifies Shopify Product Page Creation
The New AI Stitch Just Made Shopify Product Pages 100x Easier WACTH HERE 👉 https://t.co/vUAAaBwz9R Google’s new AI Stitch is making Shopify page design faster, easier, and far more beginner-friendly. In this video, I show you how to use it to build...
Big Media Deals Reveal Hidden Undervalued Gems
the 9-figure acquisitions of The Free Press and TBPN tell you that: - yes, most media properties are overvalued and sinking - but also, some are way way undervalued bullish on the next gen
Use AI only Where Real Content Is Impossible
The AI creative debate is simpler than people make it: Use it where real content is impossible or impractical. A mattress brand that can't ship product to creators. AI fills that gap at a fraction of the cost, and we're seeing...
March Jobs Rise, Participation Dips; Fed Stays Patient
March jobs report is a mixed bag. Blockbuster +303K payroll growth shows strength, but a dip in labor force participation signals some underlying softness. The Fed will likely stay patient. JobsReport
CFOs Must Build AI Governance, Not Just Prompts
🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨 This month's Secret CFO Playbook will be the No BS Guide to AI for CFOs. Tomorrow I kick off a 4-part newsletter series getting deep into the CFO-grade issues in rolling out AI for finance. It's time to move...
AI Shifts From CIO to CEO, Board Strategy
Brian Bryson, Principal Analyst, Technology & Business at MIT Technology Review (@techreview) on the current state of autonomous business models and how AI is no longer just a CIO conversation — it’s a CEO, board, and operating model conversation. https://t.co/4sW1VVoeYl
AI‑Driven Roadmap: Blend Data, Feedback, and Bets
How do I plan a product roadmap in 2026? I haven't done it in a year as we've been firefighting I want to combine customer requests, insights from support, customer adoption data, fun stuff, and bets What's the playbook in 2026? Connect everything to...
FlexGen Expands Portfolio by Acquiring Clean Energy Services
FlexGen moves to expand offerings with acquisition of Clean Energy Services #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/gH2wMVbd2S
ISM Non‑Manufacturing PMI Forecast Signals Rate‑Risk, Short Bills Hedge
Macro: ISM Non‑Manufacturing PMI (exp 55.0) will set US growth/inflation tone. Key: new orders, employment, prices. Risk: hot print reprices rates. Trade: favor short bills to hedge duration. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Authentic Brand Values Drive Loyalty and Emotional Connection
Building a strong brand can enhance customer loyalty. Strengthen your brand identity by authentically communicating your values and mission, creating an emotional connection that resonates with your audience.
SoFi's Fintech Façade Hides Risky Unsecured Loan Engine
$SOFI's "fintech" mask hides a massive unsecured lending operation - Bank in disguise: lending ~90% of profits, NII >60% - Growth driven by risky unsecured loans in a saturated market - Aggressive accounting inflates earnings - Re-rate to bank multiples => 60%+ downside https://t.co/ZZ8DRGoMRM
US Labor Market Paradox: Low Demand, Shrinking Workforce
This is the Weirdest US Labor Market I’ve Ever Seen. Demand for labor is weak amid job destruction at federal & state governments, which should push up unemployment. But the supply of labor has plunged https://t.co/AyqHHkWDji Federal government jobs lowest since 1966. Hi...
Tech-Driven Cohesion: Keeping Small Teams United
My latest on building/maintaining small unit cohesion in our world of ubiquitous technology and connections.
Be the only Specialist, Not Just the Best
🧵 Doctors, don’t try to be the best. Become the only. “Best doctor” is crowded. Every clinic claims it. “Only doctor for this problem” is clear. No comparison. Pick one condition. Own it deeply. Be known for it. Patients don’t remember the best. They remember the specific. Are you just another...
AI-Generated Code Delivers 25x Productivity, QA Becomes Bottleneck
This week in our SaaS CEO masterminds, one stat blew my mind Multiple companies reported 50-100% of their production code is now AI-generated. One team rebuilt an entire platform in 2 months with 4 people...a project previously scoped at 1...
Build Unique Distribution Channels Competitors Can’t Copy
Your competitors are creating content. Your competitors are buying ads. Your competitors are hoping for attention. You should be building distribution channels they can’t replicate.
Manufacturing Jobs May Rise Slightly, Yale Predicts
I do think its important to note it would not be shocking if manufacturing employment moves higher over the year. It is hard to say because of downstream losses from higher input costs, but factories are being completed. The Yale...
Trump Pushes Higher Defense Spending Amid Slowing Growth
During the Clinton reign (1993-2001), US defense spending fell from 4.3% to 2.9% of GDP - while GDP SOARED at 4.0%/year. As the economy slumps to 2.1%/yr GDP growth, Trump proposes to increase the defense budget from ~3.0% to 5.0% of...
Chinese Government Bonds Stand Out as War Safe Haven
Chinese government bonds emerge as lone war haven. More on this in today's version of the Chartbook Top Links. https://t.co/jQYKfLr6kx
OpenAI's TBPN Acquisition Rooted in 1902 Anti‑capitalist Precedent
If you are wondering why @openai bought @tbpn, then you have to go back to 1902 to get an answer, from an unlikely and the least capitalistic of sources. My short and sweet column from last evening (tip @techmeme). https://t.co/OUAfFSYMS6
March Jobs Surge, yet Participation Drops, Fed Mixed Signal
March jobs blew past expectations (+303K!), but look closer. Prime-age worker participation fell & part-time work spiked. A mixed signal for the Fed. JobsReport
France Considers Targeted Fuel Aid Amid Iran War
France weighs targeted fuel aid as Iran war pushes up costs https://t.co/cq1BDGxOCP via @WHorobin https://t.co/XDxJyMTgxY
Seeking Buyer for World’s Largest Gardening Media Empire
Now that media businesses are being bought left right and center... Who wants to own the largest gardening media company in the world that also sells a ton of product in thousands of stores around the country and online? I can...
Egypt's Soaring Inflation Mirrors Excessive Money Supply Growth
Egypt’s inflation rate is 13.4%/yr. That’s above its inflation target of 3-7%/yr. Egypt’s money supply just came in at 16.9%/yr. That's ABOVE Hanke's Golden Growth Rate of 11.1-15.1%/yr, consistent with hitting its inflation target. THE INFLATION STORY = A MONEY SUPPLY STORY....
Passion Meets Purpose: The Core of Employee Engagement
Employee Engagement: A Confluence of Passion and Purpose - CX Journey™ https://t.co/kfuC7LPG52 #employeeexperience #employeeengagement https://t.co/TzUODthzwR
Commodity Funds Inflow Doubles, No Long‑Side Cap
A lot of folks saying funds are maxed out on the long side. You do know there is no magical area where it stops on either the long or short side with the funds. 👉 Net new capital into...
Value Selling Requires All Three Steps, Not Just Pain
Value selling comes down to 3 things: 1. Uncover a painful current state (one that's costing them money) 2. Co-create a desirable future state (build contrast between pain and possibility) 3. Showcase that YOUR product closes the delta between the two Most reps only do #1. The...
Story-Driven Welcome Emails Beat Discount Offers
I've audited 50+ ecom email flows. Here's the pattern: Welcome series with a 30% discount got low engagement. Welcome series that told the founder's story and solved a problem got 3x the open rate and 2x the clicks. Your discount...
Prioritize Big, Likely Deals Over Small, Uncertain Ones
Founders: Grade your pipeline weekly on two axes: 1. Deal size 2. Close probability Spend 80% of your time on the top right quadrant. Don't let small, uncertain deals steal focus from big, likely wins.
U.S. Jobs Shift Toward Generalists, Entrepreneurs, Rare Specialists
The U.S. labor market may start to look more like 1980s Japan -- generalists looking for ways to fill in the weaknesses of AI, small businesspeople striking out on their own, and a few specialists with valuable skills. https://t.co/wRA2yG2bYg
Buy McCormick to Capture M&A Premium Amid Consumer
Q1 saw rare consumer megadeals as firms seek scale to counter slowing growth, tariffs and shifting tastes. Risks: integration and regulatory hurdles. Trade insight: buy McCormick for M&A premium capture. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Europe's War Reluctance Grows Amid China Economic Ties
If Europe wouldn't assist in a war with a regime that every leader has condemned that has been left nearly powerless, there is little chance they would support a war against China where strong economic and supply chain dependancies exist
Revolut's Tiny Fine Masks Looming AML Supervision Costs
Revolut's 2025 profit: $2.3 billion. The Lithuanian AML fine: €3.5 million. Trivial relative to profit. But it may have just put Revolut at the top of AMLA's direct supervision list starting 2028. AMLA supervision isn't a fine. It's a permanent structural overhead. That changes...
Stop Using Stale Scripts: Modern Playbook Boosts Replies
Most prospecting advice sounds good until; You try to use it. Then it falls flat. Same recycled scripts. Same tactics your prospects have already learned to ignore. Meanwhile, response rates drop, calls go unanswered, and your pipeline starts to feel more...
Former Hollywood Workers Flood Me for Business Deals
In the past 6 months, I’ve had more calls from ex-Hollywood workers than ent other group looking for help to buy a business to gain an income.
Choose Your Team, Customers, Partners—Make Hard Work Worthwhile
Owning and building your own business is extremely hard. The benefit, you get to pick: - your customers - your partners - your team members - the location You spend 2,000 (likely more) hours a year working, optimize for who you do it...
AI-Powered Keyword Research & Competitor Insights via SEO API
- Keyword research connecting to (SEO TOOL) API - Competitor's and market analysis - Trending topics - pSEO with AI
March Jobs Look Strong, but Core Hiring Weak
March jobs came in at 178K. Headline looks like a blowout. It will likely be interpreted as such. Payrolls: Too Hot. UE at 4.3%: Just Right. Worth noting: 32K of those jobs were striking workers at Kaiser and Starbucks coming back...
Hidden Fees Destroy Trust; Price for Partnership
Hidden costs and punitive #fees are trust killers. Algorithm-driven revenue might help Q4, but it erodes long-term #loyalty. Here's how to price for partnership > What the fees customers hate reveal about your pricing strategy @MarTechIsMktg https://t.co/DN9n1Tqk8r #cx #marketing https://t.co/4CgwdPqOvn
Databricks' $1M Challenge Signals Strategic Lock‑In
Databricks just opened a $1M startup challenge for B2B companies building on their platform. Prize money follows ecosystem bets. When a platform offers $1M in prizes, it's not charity. It's lock-in with upside. Know where the gravity is.
Cut AI Team Delays: End Re‑explanations, Silos, Bottlenecks
Why does work still take too long when your team is using AI? I measured 11 weeks to find out. 9,426 messages analyzed. The re-explanation loop costs 2-3 hours per complex task. Knowledge silos break coordination. Sync bottlenecks limit what's possible. I'm showing...
Meta Ads Hit Record Low Performance, No Outage
I'm not one to talk ad performance on Meta but yesterday may have been the worst performance day I've seen on Meta in a long time that wasn't involving an outage. Confirmed now with multiple others.
Acquisitions Often Driven by Ego, Not Strategy
What if the OpenAI-buying-TBPN deal is not a signal of anything but just the egos involved, similar to CBS buying The Free Press? Because-they-can sometimes is the simplest, best and the real explanation.
Fuel Crisis Pushes Indonesia Toward Perilous Policy Trade‑offs
A terrific piece from my #CarnegieAsia teammate @sdjaffrey on how the fuel crisis is forcing politically perilous trade-offs in Indonesia. As conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel costs across Asia, Indonesia faces difficult policy trade-offs over subsidies, inflation,...
Target 150bp Yield Spread Over Market Cap
How private equity firms analyze deals: Most important metrics: 1. Stabilized cap rate (yield): Since we focus on value add, the entry cap doesn’t matter much, as long as we can service our debt The stabilized yield matters because it shows the intrinsic...
Stop Hiding Behind Branded Search; Focus on BOFU Revenue
So many content teams are still HIDING behind branded search while spoon feeding misinformation to their executives about traffic. Look, traffic is up! Umm, how bout no? Exclude branded queries and filter out pages like careers, about us, news, press,...
Iran's Oil Revenues Surge Amid US‑Israeli Conflict
I spoke with @MarioNawfal on Iran's free cash flow benefits from the US-Israeli war on Iran: "Who's benefited economically from the war? It's Iran. Because they're exporting more oil than they were before. The price is a lot higher & the...
Intense Team Collaboration Fuels Deal Sourcing
A month ago, I asked a GP of a $180mm AUM fund who has done 16 acquisitions how they find attractive $1-5mm EBITDA cash-flow businesses: "I truly believe our secret sauce is sourcing. If you asked us to pinpoint the one...