
&lt;article class=&quot;newsletter&quot;&gt;
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    &lt;header class=&quot;newsletter-header&quot;&gt;
        &lt;h2 class=&quot;newsletter-title&quot;&gt;The Argonautic: 0018&lt;/h2&gt;
        &lt;time class=&quot;newsletter-date&quot;&gt;May 25, 2025&lt;/time&gt;
    &lt;/header&gt;
    &lt;div class=&quot;newsletter-content&quot;&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;This week: AI as your strategic thinking partner, marketing your expertise in a zero-click world, and building psychological safety in small firms. Plus why &amp;quot;Analog Intelligence&amp;quot; might be your secret weapon, and much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;AI as Your Strategic Co-Pilot&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What if AI could become your most trusted strategic advisor&lt;/strong&gt; instead of just automating tasks? Many professionals are now transforming AI from a simple time-saver into a powerful thinking partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This new approach involves prompting AI with core business questions, seeking feedback on strategies, and &lt;strong&gt;using it to uncover blind spots&lt;/strong&gt; in your thinking. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330233016457326592/&quot;&gt;John Jantsch highlights&lt;/a&gt; how this leads to deeper strategic thinking, while &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7329654309048987648/&quot;&gt;Yoram Solomon describes&lt;/a&gt; treating ChatGPT like a human collaborator during his writing process, valuing its &amp;quot;brutally honest feedback.&amp;quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330249502798344192/&quot;&gt;Sarah Greesonbach shared&lt;/a&gt; that AI now &amp;quot;sharpens and clarifies everything I do.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For solo operators and small firms, this means &lt;strong&gt;leveraging AI not just for efficiency but for high-level decision-making&lt;/strong&gt;—a virtual sparring partner to refine ideas. Of course, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://ducttapemarketing.com/ai-ethics-in-marketing/&quot;&gt;discussed on Duct Tape Marketing&lt;/a&gt;, strategy and responsibility must go hand-in-hand.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;AI&#39;s true power for small firms isn&#39;t task automation, but its potential as an accessible strategic partner to enhance thinking and decision-making.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Solo and small firm leaders often lack a dedicated sounding board. AI can fill that gap, offering a way to test ideas and get critical feedback—provided it&#39;s used thoughtfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331056360773599232/&quot;&gt;David Brock&lt;/a&gt; questions if we&#39;re outsourcing our thinking, urging users to engage LLMs as thought partners rather than answer machines.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://saracanaday.com/leaders-if-you-want-to-keep-your-edge-its-time-to-make-ai-your-strategic-partner/&quot;&gt;Sara Canaday&lt;/a&gt; emphasizes that AI can give leaders back space to think, lead, and connect.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7329612984719130624/&quot;&gt;Mark Lemley&lt;/a&gt; points out the increasing legal implications of AI interactions, noting &amp;quot;there&#39;s now a court-ordered record of all your interactions with chatGPT.&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Marketing &amp;amp; Sales That Connect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Is your expertise getting lost in a sea of hourly rates and generic marketing?&lt;/strong&gt; It might be time to rethink how you package, price, and promote your services as the digital landscape shifts beneath your feet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The way professional services are bought and sold is changing. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330721550473539585/&quot;&gt;Blair Enns argues&lt;/a&gt; &lt;strong&gt;it&#39;s time to productize services&lt;/strong&gt;, moving away from labor-based pricing models becoming obsolete with AI—while mastering the &amp;quot;Value Conversation&amp;quot; to avoid lazy selling. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331397201341890560/&quot;&gt;Jonathan Stark notes&lt;/a&gt; that switching from hourly billing to value pricing fundamentally improves client relationships by removing &amp;quot;meter running&amp;quot; anxiety.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For small firms, this clarity becomes especially crucial as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330472234509111297/&quot;&gt;Rand Fishkin discusses the &amp;quot;Zero Click Web&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; where platforms increasingly hoard traffic. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330372828136988672/&quot;&gt;Chris Do emphasizes&lt;/a&gt; that &lt;strong&gt;a stronger brand inherently means less hard selling&lt;/strong&gt;, creating a virtuous cycle of better-fit clients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Adapting your service packaging, pricing, and communication to clearly articulate unique value is crucial for standing out in a shifting digital environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Productizing services, adopting value-based pricing, and building a strong brand can create more predictable revenue, attract better-fit clients, and reduce reliance on increasingly fickle traffic sources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330242079974985728/&quot;&gt;Karl Sakas&lt;/a&gt; notes new opportunities for indie agencies as bigger clients choose to mix-and-match firms, favoring project-based models over retainers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331363242616786945/&quot;&gt;Michael Katz&lt;/a&gt; reminds us that professionals are &amp;quot;Judged By Our Judgement,&amp;quot; urging them not to fear expressing opinions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330946355483336704/&quot;&gt;Pamela Wilson&lt;/a&gt; highlights that &amp;quot;what makes sense to you internally often confuses your potential customers.&amp;quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Stronger Operations, Safer Teams&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Are you inadvertently stifling your firm&#39;s growth by fostering an environment where your team fears speaking up?&lt;/strong&gt; True operational strength comes from more than efficient processes—it&#39;s rooted in your team&#39;s culture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A critical, often overlooked component is psychological safety. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331666224872923140/&quot;&gt;Dr. David Burkus highlights research from Google&#39;s Project Aristotle&lt;/a&gt;, which found that &lt;strong&gt;psychological safety—where team members feel secure to speak up and take risks—is the top predictor of high-performing teams&lt;/strong&gt;, outranking individual talent or collective IQ. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330579632632614912/&quot;&gt;Burkus warns&lt;/a&gt; that when employees stop sharing ideas, innovation dies and problems escalate into crises.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For consultancies and agencies, where innovation is core to their offering, this means shifting focus from &amp;quot;getting the most out of people&amp;quot; to, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://seths.blog/2025/05/how-do-i-get-the-most-of-out-my-people/&quot;&gt;Seth Godin suggests&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;creating the conditions for our people to get to where they&#39;re heading.&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330655921041264641/&quot;&gt;Sara Canaday points out&lt;/a&gt; that many &amp;quot;best practices&amp;quot; are simply outdated, urging leaders to forge new paths rather than follow old rules.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Building a resilient and innovative small firm requires strategic focus on psychological safety and willingness to challenge outdated operational norms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In service firms, your people are your primary asset. An environment where they feel safe to contribute fully will lead to better client solutions, higher retention, and greater adaptability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7332124162871697408/&quot;&gt;Katie Robbert&lt;/a&gt; describes herself as a &amp;quot;people whisperer&amp;quot; who helps teams work through human problems to meet purpose and develop process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://punctuation.com/adapting-to-a-modern-workforce/&quot;&gt;David C. Baker&lt;/a&gt; reflects on how the sources of burnout have shifted, suggesting a continual need to adapt management styles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331414939791769600/&quot;&gt;Lisa Nirell&lt;/a&gt; observes that a significant realization for many executives is &amp;quot;the importance of letting go of the past&amp;quot; to fuel healthy experimentation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;The Analog Advantage in a Digital World&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Could the key to your next professional breakthrough lie in something surprisingly... analog?&lt;/strong&gt; How do you ensure your work aligns with what truly drives you, beyond just the bottom line?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Personal growth for service firm leaders isn&#39;t just about business skills—it&#39;s about self-awareness and intentionality. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7332046585360523264/&quot;&gt;John Jantsch&#39;s conversation with Suzy Welch&lt;/a&gt; emphasizes &lt;strong&gt;actionable steps like identifying core values, recognizing true aptitudes, and understanding economically viable interests&lt;/strong&gt;. This internal work is complemented by how we engage with the world. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330958506587533312/&quot;&gt;Ann Handley makes a compelling case for &amp;quot;Analog Intelligence,&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; advocating for practices like thinking by hand and disconnecting from screens to deepen focus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For solo practitioners whose personal brand is intrinsically linked to business success, this alignment is vital. &lt;a href=&quot;https://seths.blog/2025/05/theyre-not-paying-me-enough-to-care/&quot;&gt;Seth Godin challenges the sentiment &amp;quot;They&#39;re not paying me enough to care,&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; suggesting that &lt;strong&gt;spending your days not caring is a tragedy in itself&lt;/strong&gt;. This implies that finding work you genuinely care about is essential for fulfillment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout big-idea&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;BIG IDEA&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sustainable success for small firm leaders hinges on continuous personal development that prioritizes authentic purpose, mindful engagement, and unwavering self-trust.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;callout&quot;&gt;
&lt;h4&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Running a small professional service firm can be all-consuming. Investing in self-reflection, finding congruent ways to work, and cultivating practices that renew energy can prevent burnout and lead to more meaningful work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Comment insights:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331413263190040577/&quot;&gt;Yoram Solomon&lt;/a&gt; states, &amp;quot;receptivity to real feedback...goes up 76% when you trust the person giving it,&amp;quot; highlighting the role of trust in all interactions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331553376700166145/&quot;&gt;Natasha Raina&lt;/a&gt; asks, &amp;quot;What&#39;s the cost of 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 right now?&amp;quot; underscoring the often underestimated ROI of self-investment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7331212027840946176/&quot;&gt;Jorgie Sandoval&lt;/a&gt; notes, &amp;quot;your perceived flaws are not flaws. They are your advantage,&amp;quot; offering a reminder about authenticity&#39;s power.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Sound Bites&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;🎙️ &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7330623400014458882/&quot;&gt;David Edelman on the &amp;quot;People Solve Problems Podcast&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt;: Companies proactively using customer information achieve significantly faster growth than their competitors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

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