Why BuzzFeed and Vice failed: build an audience, sell your own product

Neil Patel July 10, 2023

• Ad-dependent media can't compete with Google and Meta on margins.
• Media is the distribution channel — own the product you sell into it.
• A small high-value niche beats millions of low-monetisation followers.

Seven AI copilot opportunities hiding in plain sight for SaaS founders

TK Kader July 9, 2023

• History predicts AI winners: build for whoever bought most in SaaS 1.0.
• Seven executive roles — CEO to CHRO — each need an AI-native copilot.
• Same idea, different segment = different product, different billion-dollar company.

Embracing Output Over Hours | A Paradigm Shift for COOs

Cameron Herold July 2, 2023

How to avoid cargo culting other startups

Y Combinator June 30, 2023

• Copying Google's office culture won't make you Google
• Founders now copy unicorns with no revenue or proven model
• Start with what users want — not fundraising announcements

VERO: building a subscription social network with no ads or algorithms

GaryVee June 29, 2023

• Creators reach 100% of followers — no algorithmic suppression
• VERO acquired a stock exchange so users earn platform equity
• Subscription and ad-supported social will coexist, not compete

No-code SaaS platform risk: four threats founders must understand

Rob Walling June 25, 2023

• No-code lock-in means a price hike forces a full rebuild
• Platforms can change your UI overnight with no override
• No-code tools are startups — consolidation will kill many

How Gaston Glock built a billion-dollar gun company from zero

Founders June 19, 2023

• Zero firearms experience became Glock's biggest design advantage
• 65%+ gross margins from radical simplicity and computer-controlled manufacturing
• Free media controversy and law enforcement giveaways drove mass civilian demand

How Instagram made $660M in 24 hours selling blue checkmarks

Neil Patel June 17, 2023

• 44 million badges sold in one day at $15/month each
• Status is a product — scarcity made the checkmark worth buying
• Copying at greater scale beats the first mover every time

Mobile gaming's freemium economy: how the business model works

Business Breakdowns June 14, 2023

• Only 5% of players pay — and one whale funds everyone else
• ATT broke mobile's growth engine and forced a portfolio rethink
• App stores extract 30% from games while exempting most other apps

How to use partnerships to access resources you don't own

KeyPersonOfInfluence June 4, 2023

• Advisory board of three PhDs for £12k beats a £90k degree
• Structuring deals is the only thing that unlocks partnerships
• Brand, product, distribution: partner for each instead of building all

How generosity and value-giving build lasting tech companies

Y Combinator May 30, 2023

• Fear of consulting early stops founders learning what customers actually need.
• Linux, Google, Excel all succeeded by giving more value than they charged.
• Give value upfront in outreach — before asking for a single minute.

Five components of a SaaS go-to-market strategy

TK Kader May 21, 2023

• Sending 1,000 emails without strategy still yields zero pipeline.
• 50 ICP leads → 5 opportunities → 1 customer: know the math before you start.
• Consistent 'Broadway show' beats random channel-hopping every time.

Three fatal mistakes when scaling a SaaS business

TK Kader May 14, 2023

• What got you to $1M ARR won't get you to $10M.
• Churn silently cancels growth if there's no success machine.
• Referrals compound only when all flywheel stages work together.

Five principles for becoming oversubscribed in business

KeyPersonOfInfluence May 9, 2023

• Profit goes to oversubscribed businesses, not the hardest-working ones.
• Collect signals of interest before asking for sales — waiting lists beat pitches.
• Run three simultaneous campaigns: 7-11-4 online, quarterly spotlight, weekly LAPS.

Micro SaaS vs traditional SaaS: how to pick the right model from the start

TK Kader May 7, 2023

• Market size — not your idea — determines whether to go micro or traditional SaaS.
• Micro SaaS caps near $1M ARR; traditional SaaS requires $20K+ deals and salespeople.
• Start micro regardless: most billion-dollar SaaS categories began as small tools.