13 May 2019
This week's additions focus on leadership, marketing, and finance, with new digests from StoryBrand With Donald Miller, Y Combinator, and Ahrefs. Highlights include Presenting a polished plan gives others nothing to contribute to People instinctively resist ideas handed to them witho… Branding is a luxury — only worth pursuing above $250k revenue.
Showing 9 digests for 13 May 2019.
How to Sell an Idea to Your Team
StoryBrand With Donald Miller
May 17, 2019
Communication
9
Management
7
Marketing vs branding: why most companies get the balance wrong
StoryBrand With Donald Miller
May 16, 2019
Branding
9
Vision & mission
5
Branding is a luxury — only worth pursuing above $250k revenue.
Marketing means telling people what to buy and why; branding is feeling.
Spend 80% on marketing, 20% on branding — or you'll go under.
When to apply to Y Combinator: the only two things that matter
Y Combinator
May 16, 2019
Vision & mission
7
Fundraising & VC
7
No traction or revenue needed — just a team and an idea.
25–50% of YC batches are funded at the idea-only stage.
Rejection isn't final; more progress and reapplying works.
Content marketing
YouTube
Content Marketing Strategy That Drives Leads and Sales
Ahrefs
May 15, 2019
Content marketing
10
SEO
8
Conversion rate optimisation
6
Score every keyword 0–3 for business value before creating anything.
Pages rank for hundreds of keywords — optimise for the best variant.
Expert quotes and podcast pitches earn influencer shares for free.
People, not technology, are the real key to digital transformation
Bill Gallagher
May 15, 2019
Culture building
9
Long-term planning
6
Management
5
87% expect disruption; only 44% believe their company is doing enough
Employees who aren't given skill development are 15x more likely to leave
Best digital companies focus on culture and learning, not technology
How to turn your brand into a movement by defining a villain
StoryBrand With Donald Miller
May 15, 2019
People unify around a shared enemy faster than a shared product.
Name your villain with one sentence: 'What X does to our customers isn't right.'
The villain is the root cause of customer problems, not the symptom.
Content marketing
YouTube
How creators can monetize podcasts and newsletters directly
Y Combinator
May 15, 2019
Content marketing
9
Funnels
7
Pricing strategy
6
10,000 fans at $5/month beats ad revenue at any niche scale
Podcast download metrics are the new banner-ad impressions — overpriced and unreliable
Consistency is the single reliable predictor of newsletter success
Starting a business with a friend: how to do it right
StoryBrand With Donald Miller
May 14, 2019
Delegation
9
Contracts & agreements
8
Equity & cap tables
7
Long friendships reveal character flaws before you're locked in together
Vaguer agreements — not the friendship — destroy co-founder relationships
Benchmark equity splits against real investors to remove personal bias
How to be a great team player: help others win
StoryBrand With Donald Miller
May 13, 2019
Communication
9
Identity & self-belief
6
Shift from 'what do I need?' to 'how can my teammate win?'
One small act of help per week builds a standout reputation.
Two steps: define the win, then contribute time or expertise.