LA Rebounds as Post‑CNY Port Volumes Surge
LA is coming back strong from weak conditions earlier this year. As port volumes return from Chinese New Year, we could see a resurgence of momentum.
China‑US Summit Delayed, Soy Market Hopes Stall
🇺🇸🇨🇳Trump says they are "resetting" the meeting with China that was supposed to occur March 31-April 2. That's now been pushed 5-6 weeks out, putting it around April 21 - 28. Ag markets had been hoping the meeting would result in more...
Fed Meeting’s Dot Plot Will Steer Markets This Summer
The Fed starts its most consequential meeting of the year today. Oil is above $100. The S&P 500 clings to its 200-day moving average. Wednesday's dot plot will reveal whether any rate cuts survive in 2026. The answer could set...
AI Transforms Accounting Workflows, Boosting Speed Responsibly
#FutureReadyLive – Beyond ChatGPT: AI Built for the Accounting Profession w/ Adam Hibbs (@AICPA & @CIMA_News) & Kate Hearns (PPL Corp) about real workflows, where AI is saving time and how teams balance efficiency with responsibility. #AICPA #CIMA #Josi https://t.co/iBSjZxTCQt
AI Commands Over Half of VC Deals, Sparking Froth Concerns
"AI and machine learning have helped prop up venture capital as funding for other sectors cooled. AI accounted for 52% of global VC deal value in Q4 2025." As I research and write my report on "Defense Innovation", I'm struck by...
New Lens on Marginal Consumer Spending Hits Spot‑On
👇This is the way (to look at marginal consumer spending) spot on, again @EPBResearch !
Launch Everywhere at Once, Beat Incumbents Globally
"It's really hard to enter a market if there's an existing incumbent." So Zhong Xu launched Deliverect in every country at the same time. 7 years later: #1 or #2 in all of them. https://t.co/fbRQrowVSQ
AI‑Native Companies Outpace Legacy Firms Through Built‑In Intelligence
🚀 You’ve probably heard the term AI-native company, but what does it really mean and why is it becoming so important for business leaders? In this video, I explain the critical difference between AI-enabled companies and AI-native companies, and why...
Fed's Inflation View to Steer Near‑term Rate Path
Despite the recent steepening of the back-end, hard to fade and set up for next week's auctions with FOMC tomorrow. Fed clarification on how they view the recent crude inflation will have a strong impact on the...
Gain Clarity, Accountability, and Capacity with Prophit Engine
Ditch the chaos. Create clarity (more accurate forecasting) accountability (responsibility for growing contribution) and capacity. (one empowered operator saving you thousands in labor and tooling) I'd love to show you how the Prophit Engine gives you the confidence that you will achieve you goals.
Avoiding Tough Talks Costs $7,500 and Days
Every tough conversation you avoid costs your company $7,500 and 8 lost work days. That's not my opinion. That's VitalSmarts research across thousands of organizations. Now multiply that by how many conversations your leadership team dodged this month. The most successful companies I...
Founders Prefer Employee Roles Over Bankruptcy Risks
"it's because we are attracting founders that actually want to be employees. They don't think and say 'if I don't pull this off, I'm going to become bankrupt. My life is over.'" incredibly based take
Roku Thrives Yet Remains Unacquired Despite Profitability
Roku is scaled, growing, and profitable, so why hasn't anyone bought it? Via @loudmouthjulia. ⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/dyvtlQl7RB
Unified Attribution Solves Conflicting Credit Across Platforms
The eCom world is obsessed with making decisions based on attribution data...but Meta and Google are claiming the credit for the SAME conversion • You recalculate your break-even ROAS. • You shift budget. • You scale what looks like a winner. But if the...
Live: Economic Fallout of Middle East Conflict
Coming up in 1 hour LIVE @TheNationalNews Discussion of economic impact of Mideast warfare With @ManusCranny https://t.co/1QprixfNpq
Automating Entry Tasks Risks Losing Essential Skill Training
I have been thinking about the impact of AI on junior roles. If AI can handle the entry-level work, the obvious question is where people learn the craft. In a lot of careers, the “boring” tasks are also the training ground. You...
New Copilot Chief to Unify Consumer and Commercial AI
Microsoft has a new Copilot boss who is about to focus on unifying the consumer and commercial Copilots. The changes will see Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman dedicated to creating Microsoft’s own AI models instead. Full details 👇https://t.co/lZdvkvOwlb
CFOs Treat Vendor Data Risks as Balance Sheet Threats
CFOs now view vendor exposure and data protection alongside balance sheet risk. Requiring: proactive risk management, clear board communication, and disciplined investment to protect operations and trust. https://t.co/RWvAWTo1ee
Value Stocks at Historic Discount, Poised for Outperformance
Valuation spreads (how cheaply value stocks trade relative to growth stocks) measured as the Price/Book ratio of value stocks divided by growth stocks in the US. "On average, US value stocks have traded at a 78% discount (i.e., 22 cents on...
Refinancing Wall: An Ever-Present Market Reality
Is there ever NOT a "refinancing wall"? Feel like I've been seeing charts like that for 20 years...
Embrace “Good Enough” Speed, Focus, and Delegation
"What would an incompetent CEO do that would still outpace me?" I added this one question to my morning planning/journal sesh and it's had an impact. It spurs thoughts that I probably wouldn't have otherwise: - They'd say good enough, ship it, improve...
Sell When You're Thriving, Not When Growth Slows
Many founders wait until growth slows before thinking about selling or raising capital, but the irony is: buyers and investors are often most interested when a business is performing at its best. In this episode of Vista Point Advisors The...
Creation Alone Won’t Compound; Prioritize Distribution
Most marketers are addicted to creation. They write. They publish. They move on. Then wonder why nothing compounds. Distribution, folks. Embrace it.
Iger Excelled Everywhere but Succession, Costing His Legacy
“If the succession had gone right with Chapek, Iger would be just a hero at this point. It’s like, ‘You did everything right,’” says Wharton's Henning Piezunka. Iger “probably stayed around too long. He succeeded at everything except succession.” https://t.co/zmQnYUUxDV
VCs Must Balance Power and Responsibility in Defense
“I don’t want to be the person they call and say, can we hit the enter button on this command. But I also don’t have a God complex.” @davidu of @a16z on the Anthropic-DoD rift, why VC has a right to...
Bob Iger’s Transformative Disney Reign Ends, Legacy Mixed
As Disney CEO Bob Iger Steps Aside, a Look at His Tenure as a Dynamic, Transformative Leader — With an Asterisk or Two https://t.co/zmQnYUUxDV via @variety
Iran Keeps Shipping Oil, China Still Receives It
PHOTO(S) OF THE DAY: China is still getting (some of) its oil — and Iran its getting (some of) its money. Three weeks into the war, Iran continues loading oil supertankers from Kharg Island. (No damage visible at this resolution) Photo @CopernicusEU...
Marketing Skills 1.4 Launches Lead Magnet Suite & 500+
Marketing Skills v1.4.0 is out. What shipped: /lead-magnets — high-converting lead magnet strategy. Format selection, opt-in copy, delivery mechanics, and nurture sequences. Composio integration — one MCP server connects your agent to HubSpot, Salesforce, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Google Sheets, Slack, Notion, and...
Extraordinary Leaders Ask Five Critical Self‑questioning Strategies
RT @JoeContrera The challenges facing today’s leaders are greater than ever. Here are five questions that extraordinary leaders continuously ask themselves: https://t.co/zxZmyyfRrK #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipskills https://t.co/DPX6d6HzgG
Coca-Cola Leverages ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ for Product Placement
Coca-Cola plans to serve up Diet Coke and SmartWater in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' and use tie-ins with the movie to drive conversations about its drinks.... https://t.co/8apnCYoH31 via @variety
Spotting Winners: Hacker Mindset Meets Wall‑Running
Sometimes you meet a founder and instantly know they'll be successful. A pattern I look for: a hacker mindset + ability to run through walls. Thanks for including us (x3), @mohaknahta.
Turquoise Health Secures $40M Series C, Boosting Price Transparency
Congrats to @TurquoiseHC on their $40M Series C, led by @oakhcft — ~$100M raised in total. Turquoise is the healthcare price transparency platform trusted by 300+ of the largest health systems, insurers, life sci co's, and employers as...
Sweden Mandates Permanent Hires After Two Years
Incredibly, Sweden passed a staffing law that went into effect--I'm not making this up--Oct 2022. It requires temp/staffing firms to offer permanent positions after 24 months, & there's legal speculation there it might apply to consulting firms too. 1/2 https://t.co/xwN37kW7ne
Rising Tanker Traffic Could Shrink Brent's War‑driven Risk Premium
Great piece by @MelissaLawford in @Telegraph on tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and what's going on in global markets. Brent is up 42% from before the war, a big risk premium. As oil tanker traffic picks up, this...
Active Listening: Essential Skill for Modern Sales Success
What is active listening and why it’s no longer a buzzword but a critical skill today https://t.co/KvfSbwuz8I via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesLeader #Leadership #Culture #Motivation #Marketing #Success #Mindset #Entrepreneur #Management #Productivity #Inspiration
Testing Offers Can Add $80K Monthly Revenue
You've never tested your offer. → Same "20% off" since day one. → A 20% AOV lift + 10% CVR lift moves a $100K/month account to $330K. → That's $80K+ a month. From the offer. NOT the ads. 5 offer types...
Quote Big Numbers Casually; Confidence Sells High‑value Deals
Quote a $600,000 proposal with a straight face. That's a superpower. The best salespeople talk about money like it's nothing. "$600,000. Pass the salt." The worst salespeople tremble when price comes up. The turning point: realizing your value is a tsunami compared to the tiny...
Earn Six Figures Solo: Brand, Proof, Overdeliver, Content
A few years ago... I made $270K in a year as a solo freelancer. No investors. No big city network. No team. Here’s the playbook I ran: 1) Own your name online. 2) Publish proof, not promises. 3) Deliver more than you’re paid for. 4)...
AI Deepfakes Threaten Hiring: Detecting Candidate Fraud
Interviewing a Ghost: When AI, Deepfakes, and Fake Identities Enter the Hiring Process AI is transforming hiring—but it’s also enabling a new wave of candidate fraud. In this episode of The Jim Stroud Podcast, Jim speaks with Maryam Mahdaviani, founder...
From Lab Expulsion to Microsoft Co‑founder, Allen’s Redemption
#ThisDayInTechHistory. March 17, 1971. Paul Allen was kicked out of the University of Washington's Computer Lab. About 4 years later he would co-found @Microsoft. Years later the University would name the lab after him. #Computer...
Backing Proven Repeat Founders and Unicorn Operators
In the last 12 months, we invested in 8 companies, 5 were repeat founders. Before starting these new companies, those 5 had already: - Raised $200M+, IPO’d one startup, and sold another for 9 figures - Raised $100M+, scaled to $50M+ ARR, and...
Fair Conflict Resolution: Inclusive, Flat, Kind, Non‑judgmental Listening
Fight Fair: Keep it small. Involve people with skin in the game, no one else. Flatten the group. Leaders and decision-makers participate with everyone. Say what you really think with kindness and openness. Withhold judgment. Never attack a person. Train people to listen.
AI Deal Surge Amid War Mirrors Endless Rate Cut
What's the deal w/ the surge of AI deals related announcements during the War? is this the equivalent of the rate cut that will never come ?
Demand Growth Offsets Rising Fuel Costs, Says CEO
"CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC that growth in demand is offsetting the rising cost of fuel."
Traders Bet Fed Dovish; Stocks Rise, Dollar Falls
🚨 TRADERS JUST TIPPED THEIR HAND BEFORE FED The market is already telling us what to expect from the Fed - and smart traders are paying attention. Stocks are rallying and the dollar is pulling back ahead of Wednesday's Fed decision. That's...
Roku Shares Surge Amid $18 B Valuation Talk
$ROKU gapping up , getting some attention on this M&A piece mentioning $122 Roku could cost in the range of $18 billion or more
Private Credit Defaults Surge to 9.2%, Outpacing 2008
Private credit default rate just hit 9.2%. That's higher than 2008 bank loan peaks. $1.8 trillion in assets, $100B in secondary liquidity. 18:1 mismatch. When exits close, panic starts. https://t.co/PTz3djlLMl
Address Deal Risks Directly to Accelerate Wins
Here’s one area I worked on with my Enterprise Sales leader on to start 2025. We strategize in deal reviews the biggest risk and our action plan. And oftentimes the best strategy is simple. Call out the elephant in the room. We often know...
Trump’s Missteps Reveal Diplomacy’s Critical Role
Trumps learns the hard way the importance of diplomacy and soft power… GeopoliticalGuy | Substack https://bit.ly/4rAmIyw #Geopolitics #Iran #NATO #Hormuz #Trump
Solve One Problem, Reuse It—Skip Massive Systems
People think building systems is hard. The truth? It is. So stop building big ones. Fix one recurring problem. Write it down. Reuse it.