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Adam J. Graham

Serial entrepreneur with 25+ years & 2 exits. Led a publicly traded company to £250M+ valuation. I share the strategies that actually work for scaling businesses & developing leaders. 10,000+ founders read my weekly insights on growth, M&A, and building winning cultures.

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The surprising truth about customer buying decisions | The Growth Mindset

Hi Reader Welcome to The Growth Mindset. This week ranges from how customers choose what to buy, to why some of the best-looking deals fall apart at the last minute, to what AI is quietly changing in careers and reputation. I hope somewhere in the mix there’s something that earns its place in your next conversation or decision. Enjoy! Most purchases are decided before people start shopping A new analysis from WPP Media and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School suggests that most buying...

Hi Reader Welcome to The Growth Mindset. It’s one of those weeks where the mood music of business feels slightly out of tune: markets jolted by a sci‑fi scenario, voters and communities starting to push back on AI’s physical footprint and founders wondering if they’re already behind the curve. In the middle of all that, the real work hasn’t changed much – building products people value, making thoughtful hiring decisions and finding ways to lead without burning out. Enjoy! The sci-fi post...

Hi Reader Welcome to The Growth Mindset, five minutes of essential, or occasionally quirky, insights for anyone building or scaling a business. Each week I share a handful of things I’ve bookmarked because they made me think more clearly or differently about work and decisions. Some are big shifts, some are small adjustments. All are useful in their own way. Enjoy! The rise of the always-on co-pilot The big tech news this week was that Peter Steinberger, the developer behind OpenClaw, has...

Hi Reader Welcome to The Growth Mindset. Each week I share a handful of ideas worth thinking about if you build, run or invest in companies – delving into the patterns beneath the headlines. And a particular welcome if you’re reading this on LinkedIn. I’ve just opened up that channel and was genuinely surprised – and grateful – to see how many of you chose to subscribe there. Whether this lands in your inbox or your feed, the aim is the same: practical thinking for people building, backing or...

Hi Reader If you’re new here, welcome. Each Sunday this lands in your inbox with a selection of things I’ve noticed and bookmarked during the week – stories that say something useful about how work, technology and business are playing out. No hot takes, no hype cycle chasing. Just material that’s worth your time if you build, run or think seriously about businesses. Enjoy! AI growth creates ‘new-collar’ jobs Amid the familiar claims that AI is hollowing out entry-level work, LinkedIn’s latest...

Hi Reader Welcome back. This week’s mix examines moments where assumptions get tested and reality asserts itself – in technology, culture, pricing, power and decision-making. Some of these stories are smart, some unsettling, some funny. All of them reward your attention. Take what’s useful, skim what isn’t and pass on anything that makes you pause. Enjoy! Why good judgment matters more than ever in the AI era A fascinating Platformer article outlines how AI has become a tool for hoaxers. It...

Hi Reader This edition contains several variations on the same story: “in theory, this should work”. In practice, as is often the case in business (and in life generally) it turns out to be slower, messier or more revealing than expected. But as a successful founder once said to me: if launching a business was easy, everyone would be doing it. Enjoy! Is AI actually being used at work? After years of spending, pilots and promises, new data suggests something more awkward is happening inside...

Hi Reader January can feel oddly suspended for businesses, particularly smaller ones. Decisions meant to be settled in December drift on, budgets hesitate and the post-Christmas lull hangs around longer than anyone planned. Earlier in my career, that inertia used to feel unsettling. Now I’ve seen the pattern often enough to trust it. By the end of the month, momentum returns quickly and inboxes fill almost overnight. For the moment, there’s still space to read, think and look a little ahead...

Hi Reader As the year gets underway, the gap between intention and execution starts to show. Tools are in place, plans are written and the pressure shifts from deciding what to do to making things work in practice. I hope that you're all busy, thriving and ready to turn ideas into reality in 2026. The insights below reflect how that shift plays out across work, technology and decision-making. Enjoy! The pressure points founders will hit next A16Z’s Big Ideas 2026 series is useful because it...

Hi Reader Welcome to the first Growth Mindset of 2026. The start of the year often brings a sharper focus on how work, technology and organisations are operating. The insights below look at hiring, dealmaking, writing, security and everyday systems through that lens, using specific examples rather than broad claims. Each stands on its own, but together they reflect the kinds of practical questions leaders, founders and teams are dealing with right now. Enjoy! Who trains the next generation...