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In this edition, we’re turning assumptions on their head – from TikTok myths and AI hype to long-tenure job moves and the power of storytelling. Whether you're rethinking content strategy, navigating the next phase of your career or just wondering if 60 hours a week is the new normal (Sergey Brin certainly thinks so), there’s something here to challenge how you build, lead and communicate.

Let’s get into it. It’s a good one.

Enjoy!

Could longer videos be your growth hack?

Conventional TikTok wisdom says short, snappy videos reign supreme – but the data tells a different story. A deep dive into 1.1mn TikToks found that videos longer than a minute tend to rack up significantly more views and watch time than their shorter counterparts. While most creators still keep things brief (likely to avoid the pain of editing), TikTok’s algorithm appears to reward those who can hold attention for longer. Of course, length alone won’t save a dull video – great hooks, strong storytelling and engaging editing are still key. But if you’re already nailing the basics, it might be time to stop trimming and start testing longer formats. Get the report here.

YouTube’s start-up story

As the video sharing platform turns 20, a host of great insights have emerged about its humble beginnings. This Sequoia podcast, for example, reveals that “The founders actually launched the platform as a site for video dating. But after one week, not a single person had uploaded any videos. So they pivoted to promoting YouTube as a general-purpose video-sharing platform.”

YouTube’s early days weren’t just a story of viral videos – they were a masterclass in startup survival. Founders Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim built something groundbreaking while flying by the seat of their pants, navigating legal landmines, scaling at breakneck speed and making pivotal decisions that could have sunk them at any moment. From leveraging MySpace for distribution to hacking cloud hosting before AWS even existed, their experimental mindset is a playbook for every startup trying to punch above its weight. This Variety long read is another entertaining look at this meteoric rise.

In a related aside, Barb – the UK’s official TV ratings body – is set to measure YouTube viewing on TVs, making it the first joint-industry system in the world to track YouTube channels alongside traditional broadcasters.

Report reveals that AI is confidently wrong and frequently misleading

AI search tools are failing at the basics – finding accurate sources, respecting publisher rights and knowing when to admit they don’t have an answer. A new study from the Columbia Journalism Review tested eight AI search engines, including ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini, and found they responded incorrectly to over 60% of queries – often with total confidence. Even premium tools like Grok-3 Search and Perplexity Pro, while more capable than their free counterparts, were also more prone to making authoritative-sounding mistakes. Worse, some chatbots appeared to access content they shouldn’t have, ignoring publishers’ crawler preferences or paywalls. It’s a challenge I’ve also come across while doing research. AI seems so eager to please that it’ll simply fabricate facts, figures and quotes to suit your narrative – so check everything!

Why storytelling is every founder’s superpower

Many start-ups are battling tough odds – long roadmaps, sceptical investors and markets that barely exist yet. But the ones who break through don’t just have a great product; they have great stories. Storytelling isn’t fluff – it’s a force multiplier. It transforms complex ideas into movements, disarms disbelief and turns customers, hires and investors into true believers. The biggest tech successes, for example, aren’t just selling products, they’re selling a vision of the future. If you're building something groundbreaking, says Startups Magazine, the question isn’t if you should master storytelling – it’s whether you can afford not to.

Sergey Brin’s workweek recipe: just 60 hours and a dash of guilt

The Google co-founder has a simple plan for winning the AI arms race – work 60 hours a week, every week. In a leaked memo, he told Gemini employees that the "sweet spot" for productivity is almost 50% longer than the traditional workweek. Not only that, but anyone putting in “the bare minimum” is apparently a demoralising black hole of inefficiency. Brin stopped short of officially changing Google’s hybrid work policy, but with this level of enthusiasm for in-office hustle it’s clear that if you want to build AGI, you’d better be ready to live in the office.

Decoding marketing jargon

If you've ever nodded along in a marketing meeting while secretly wondering what the hell a "messaging house" is, you're not alone. Irene Triendl, founder of B2B marketing agency Say What? has put together a no-nonsense explainer for anyone who works with marketers – whether you're new to the field, a non-marketer navigating agency lingo or a seasoned pro who just wants a handy resource to point colleagues to. Clear, practical and occasionally irreverent, it’s the guide to marketing-speak you didn’t know you needed. Check it out here.

How to negotiate like you mean it

Negotiation isn’t just about asking for more – it’s about proving why you deserve it. Jasmine McCall turned a single salary conversation into a $54,000 sign-on bonus at Amazon, and then into a thriving business teaching others how to do the same. Her approach? Start negotiating before the offer, frame your impact in financial terms and always be ready to walk away. Companies won’t pay you what you’re worth – they’ll pay what you can justify. And as McCall learned, when you play it right, they somehow find the budget. CNBC has the story.

Ace the interview

Looking to hire top-tier talent or prep for your next big interview? Whether you're on the hiring side or in the hot seat, this guide is a simple way to separate the good from the great.

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Drop me a line

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back in your inbox next week with more insights, stories and things worth knowing. In the meantime, if you’ve spotted something brilliant, surprising or just plain rant-worthy in your corner of the business world, hit reply and share it with me.

Cheers!
Adam

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