Hi Reader

There’s a growing temptation to believe that scale is now mostly a tooling problem – more automation, more agents, more optimisation. But scratch beneath the surface and many of the constraints remain the same: clarity, trust, incentives, timing. What changes is the speed at which good and bad decisions now compound. This week’s reading offers a few useful reminders about where judgement still sits, even as the systems around it evolve.

Enjoy!

Here’s why you shouldn’t delegate everything to AI agents

The idea of the one-person, billion-dollar company is back in vogue, championed most recently by Sam Altman. This time, it’s powered by AI agents rather than spreadsheets and no-code tools. A recent Wired experiment puts that idea to the test. One founder replaces his entire team with autonomous AI “employees” – and quickly discovers that while delegation becomes effortless, management does not. Hallucinated progress reports, phantom meetings and runaway activity raise a more uncomfortable question: if scale has always been limited by trust and judgement rather than headcount, what changes when your workforce can talk, plan and lie at machine speed? Get the story here.

How to cut through on LinkedIn

Many business leaders still feel they are “doing LinkedIn right” – posting regularly, sharing advice, staying professional – but getting very little back. A new piece from Social Files gets to the heart of why. The argument is simple: as AI flattens the baseline quality of content, safe, inoffensive posts disappear into the noise. What cuts through now is a clearer point of view, expressed early and without over-polish. You don’t need to be provocative for the sake of it, but you do need to give people something to agree with – or push back on – if you want reach to turn into attention, and attention into opportunity. Find out more here.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s formula for building an organisation that keeps winning

I recently came across a Harvard Business Review piece that pulls the former Manchester United manager out of the touchline mythology and into something more useful for founders: how to build an organisation that outlasts a single great product cycle. The most interesting sections are not about motivation or “hairdryer” speeches, but about foundations, standards and control, plus his habit of rebuilding while still winning. It shows that durability is usually engineered: talent pipelines, clear expectations, fast decisions when culture slips and an ability to adapt without losing the thread of what the organisation is meant to be. Whether or not you’re a football fan it’s a fascinating read – check it out here.

What the world searched for in 2025

Google’s Year in Search 2025 is a useful barometer of what people were trying to make sense of this year. Across the interactive trends site a few patterns stand out: search interest spiked in cultural phenomena like the hit KPop Demon Hunters, major world events including the emergence of a new Pope, and breakthrough moments in artificial intelligence. People also increasingly asked conversational, curiosity-driven questions, with “Tell me about…” and “How do I…” queries hitting record levels. Those newsletter readers with teenage children will no doubt give a wry smile on hearing that “what’s the deal with 6-7?” was also one of the top hits. You can get granular with the Google data here – and if the ‘6-7’ query is confusing you, then The Guardian has a good explainer of the meme slang here.

Why a startup is trying to reclaim the Twitter brand

A curious legal challenge is unfolding around one of tech’s most recognisable brands. A small startup is attempting to persuade US trademark authorities that the Twitter name and related marks were effectively abandoned when Elon Musk rebranded the platform as X, opening the door for them to revive Twitter under a new service. X Corp is pushing back hard, arguing the brand was never relinquished and remains closely associated with the platform despite the name change. Beyond the courtroom drama, the story is a reminder that brand equity can outlive strategy shifts, and that names, symbols and cultural memory remain powerful assets long after products evolve or identities are rewritten. Get the story here.

The new dividing line in enterprise AI

Deloitte’s 17th Tech Trends annual report marks a clear inflection point for enterprise AI. The argument is not that organisations need more experimentation, but that the window for experimentation-only thinking is closing fast. The leaders pulling ahead are rebuilding how work gets done – redesigning processes for hybrid human and machine teams, rethinking infrastructure as AI workloads strain legacy cloud models and treating AI as an operating shift rather than a bolt-on tool. From AI agents and physical robotics to security and operating models, the report shows the gap widening between companies stuck automating yesterday’s workflows and those restructuring for measurable outcomes. Get the report here.

Why most buying decisions are made before customers start shopping

New research from WPP Media and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School is a reminder that much of what business owners obsess over happens too late in the decision cycle. Analysing 1.2 million purchase journeys across categories, the paper shows that 84% of purchases are effectively decided before people actively shop, shaped by long-term brand priming rather than last-minute persuasion. It also challenges the idea that reach and attention are interchangeable levers, arguing instead that influence depends on how receptive people are and which touchpoints they encounter in context. Ultimately, it finds that growth is less about squeezing more efficiency from the lower funnel and more about building durable bias and trust long before demand becomes visible. Read the research here.

When the browser starts organising the work for you

Google has launched an experimental browser called Disco that hints at a shift in how the web might be used day to day. Built on Chromium, its core idea is GenTabs – AI-generated, task-specific workspaces that sit alongside traditional tabs and are assembled on the fly using Gemini 3. Instead of juggling dozens of pages, the browser looks at what you are trying to do and builds a temporary tool – a trip planner, learning model or research view – while still linking back to the underlying sources. It is early and limited to a small Google Labs test, but the direction is clear: browsers are starting to absorb complexity rather than simply display it, becoming an active layer between intent and information. Find out more (including how to get on the waitlist) here.

AI prompt of the week: your agentic strategy team

AI agents are autonomous tools that can handle complete workflows on your behalf - from monitoring data and making decisions to taking actions and learning from results. Unlike simple automation, agents can adapt, problem-solve and work independently to achieve goals you set for them. For startups and small businesses, the right agents can multiply your team's capacity without multiplying headcount.

I'm running a [type of startup/business description]. I'm currently a team of [number] handling [key responsibilities].

Act as my AI strategy consultant and identify 3-5 specific AI agents that could be built to help automate or enhance different aspects of my business operations

For each agent, explain:

• What specific tasks it would handle
• What inputs it would need from me/my team
• What outputs or actions it would deliver
• Estimated time savings or efficiency gains
• Priority level (quick win vs. long-term investment)

Suggest which agent I should build first and why and outline any tools, platforms or technical requirements I'd need to get started.

An exit isn’t an ending – it’s a handover of intent

Selling to private equity or a strategic buyer isn’t just about who pays more. It’s about whether you want to stay in the engine room or step away, whether value is created through integration or acceleration and whether your upside is front-loaded or deferred. Founders who regret deals usually misunderstood this distinction, not the headline valuation.

Drop me a line

As always, thanks for reading The Growth Mindset. If you’re getting a little headspace over Christmas, I hope something here sparks a useful thought or two – and if you’re not, then at least a reminder that not every decision needs to be made at full speed. I’ll be back in your inbox on the 28th. Until then, have a wonderful Christmas.

Cheers!
Adam

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