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This week: AI as your secret strategist, why trust is the new moat, how to kill the billable hour, the #1 startup sin, taming micromanagers, and when purpose becomes poison. Plus, the fastest way to lose a deal in the first call. Giddyup!
🤖 AI: Strategy Partner, Not Sidekick
Mark Schaefer fed his entire digital footprint to a custom bot and asked for interview questions he'd never been asked. The result? Content so raw he called it his "most human" work yet. The shift is from using AI for speed to using it for pattern-breaking insight. Small firms now get McKinsey-level questions without McKinsey-level budgets.
Build the Frame First
AI amplifies whatever system you plug it into. If your positioning is fuzzy, the bot will deliver fuzzy. Document your strategy, personas, and message before you automate anything.
- LinkedIn commenter calls AI an "excellent pattern-matching machine" that spots angles we miss
- Another user role-played a cynical buyer with ChatGPT and sharpened his pitch in 20 minutes
- John Jantsch warns: undefined systems turn AI into chaos, not clarity
🤝 Trust: From Soft Skill to Pricing Power
Agency outsourcing just fell 26% in two years. The reason isn't budget cuts—it's trust bankruptcy. Owners are sick of vendors who can't tie campaigns to revenue. Cory Scheer flips the script: a Trust Proposition beats a Value Proposition when clients pay extra for certainty.
Big Idea
Trust isn't built in boardroom speeches. It's earned in the 47 tiny moments between emails, deadlines, and status pings. Nail those and you unlock the "Trust Premium."
- Jeff Mowatt runs meetings where teams swap stories about their favorite customers—compliments, not complaints
- Marc Gordon mails a classy physical gift after big wins; the tactile reminder outperforms any "thank-you" email
- Charles Green says the acid test is whether a client will hand over sensitive data—earned only through flawless micro-execution
đź’° Kill the Hourly Rate
Chris Do gets the question every week: "What's your hourly?" His answer: "I don't have one." Hourly billing punishes efficiency—the faster you get, the less you earn. Flip the conversation to outcomes. Jonathan Stark scopes after pricing: uncover value → set price → define scope that fits.
Scope Last, Not First
Trying to estimate hours in a sales call is a budget death sentence. Nail the value first, then scope to protect it.
- Creative pro replies to rate questions with: "I price on value—may I ask what success looks like to you?"
- Designer ditched hourly for fixed fees and doubled margins while clients got faster delivery
- Stark reader admits the switch is scary, but "you stop selling hours and start selling certainty"
⚠️ The Fatal Flaw: Idea Before Pain
Mark Schaefer sat through a founder's 60-minute pitch only to discover zero customer pain points. The fatal flaw: falling in love with an idea instead of a problem. Seth Godin doubles down—easy gigs attract crowds; hard problems build moats.
Big Idea
Your competitive edge isn't speed; it's the scar tissue earned solving problems others dodge.
- LinkedIn comment: "A business has customers; until then, you have a hobby"
- Jonathan Stark says the leap is the strategy—no hack replaces the risk of shipping
- Wil Reynolds watches junior staff level up when they finally trust their own judgment—growth compounds
đź‘Ą Micromanagers & Ghost Bosses
Micromanagers aren't evil; they're anxious. Dr. David Burkus prescribes radical transparency—feed them updates before they ask. Ghost bosses (perpetually absent) kill engagement just as fast. In a five-person shop, one bad style tanks the whole culture.
Diagnose Before You Discipline
Mistakes come from skills gaps or values gaps. Coach the first; confront the second. Mix them up and you lose people.
- Agency owner says proactive daily Slack updates cured a micromanager in two weeks
- Karl Sakas screens for "curiosity and continuous learning"—hires who level up without hand-holding
- Burkus reader runs blame-free post-mortems to separate slip-ups from systemic rot
🎯 When Purpose Becomes Poison
David C. Baker sees dev shops that lead with "we believe in your mission" circling the drain. Shared values open doors, but only deep expertise keeps them open. Non-profit-focused shops must pivot from "we build websites" to "we grow donor bases with AI-driven CRM mining."
Big Idea
Passion is a footnote; expertise is the headline. Clients pay for outcomes, not alignment.
- Non-profit agency owner rebranded from "websites for non-profits" to "fundraising engine builders" and tripled retainers
- Another founder specializes in the business model of a niche (B2B SaaS lead-gen) instead of the niche itself
- Yoram Solomon notes most startups fail because founders marry an idea before dating a customer problem
✍️ Your Writing Is the Product
Michael Katz says the goal isn't to sound smart—it's to make readers want more of you. Every email, proposal, and Slack message is a sample of your thinking. Ann Handley proves stories beat slides every time.
AI Freed Your Calendar—Use It to Write Better
Automated tasks buy you time for human follow-ups, sharper proposals, and voice that builds trust.
- Rand Fishkin live-edited SparkToro's homepage on LinkedIn—crowdsourced clarity beats committee copy
- Commenter praised Handley for turning a webinar invite into a party invitation—tone sells tickets
- Michael Katz warns: every send carries an unsubscribe risk—lead with value, not vanity
🎙️ Sound Bites
- The Long-Haul Leader with Chris Ducker: Patience, consistency, and self-care as growth levers
- Marketing That Connects and Converts: Talia Wolf on emotional targeting that moves the needle
- $1M AI Automation & Agents Advice: Nick Saraev's 5-hour masterclass on selling AI systems
The through-line: as tech commoditizes speed, the winners double-down on trust, clarity, and depth. Where are you placing your next human bet?
