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What’s driving real decisions right now isn’t the headline hype – it’s the undercurrents. Quiet influencers inside buying teams. Early signals from anxious consumers. A browser that skips your website entirely. This week, we’re looking at what senior leaders can’t afford to ignore. Let’s dive in.

Enjoy!

The rise of the hidden influencer

Most B2B playbooks still fixate on the final decision-maker. But Edelman and LinkedIn’s latest research points elsewhere: to the hidden buyers who shape purchasing decisions from the wings. These internal influencers rarely meet with sales – yet 95% say strong thought leadership makes them more receptive to outreach. And 79% say it boosts their likelihood to champion a vendor during an RFP. In other words, challenger brands can win more deals not by shouting louder, but by publishing better ideas – ones that surprise, reframe and resonate with the silent majority. Find out more here.

OpenAI is coming for your clicks

OpenAI is preparing to launch its own web browser – a product with embedded AI agents designed to handle tasks without ever leaving the interface. For users, it promises speed and simplicity. For everyone else, it’s another step towards zero-click search. Already, 60% of Google queries end without a website visit. That figure is only going to rise. For businesses, it means that your content, product and story may now be surfaced – or rewritten – by someone else’s model. Start thinking now about how and where you show up in the AI layer. Reuters has the story.

Promoting yourself isn’t optional – it’s the job

Many founders avoid self-promotion because it feels cringeworthy. But as consultant Richard Millington argues, that discomfort often comes from doing it badly. Trying to win attention on LinkedIn isn’t the same as earning trust. His advice: treat promotion like a serious part of the work. Run campaigns, not content mills. Share credible research, not just opinions. Focus on helping real people solve real problems. Above all, speak to clients the way they actually buy – through relevance, track record and consistent delivery. Serious work deserves to be found – and that takes strategy, not self-consciousness. Read his take here.

The AI skills gap is already here

A new report from The Adaptavist Group, based on 4,000 knowledge workers across four countries, highlights a growing divide in how AI is used – and who benefits. Those earning over £100k are twice as likely to receive 20+ hours of AI training compared with those on lower salaries. They also report higher job satisfaction, greater confidence and up to 11 hours saved each week. The gender gap is stark too: women, especially early in their careers, receive significantly less training than men. Small business employees also lag behind enterprise peers. As AI becomes a standard part of knowledge work, this is no longer a question of adoption – it’s one of access. Without broad investment in training, companies risk creating digital haves and have-nots inside their own workforce. Check out the report here.

When retirement becomes a fallback, not a milestone

A growing number of late-career workers in the US are leaving the workforce not by choice, but by circumstance. New data shows that workers in their 50s and early 60s are increasingly being pushed out of corporate roles – and not returning. Many can’t find jobs that match their experience or pay grade and instead shift to part-time roles, freelance work or early (often financially unstable) retirement. The line between career and retirement is blurring, not because of freedom or flexibility – but because the system still struggles to value older workers. And while those interviewed for this MSN story appear to have planned well for their unexpected retirement, it’s a salutary lesson that we should all be prepped for a career pivot – whether working for yourself or for an organisation.

A boost for tech outside the M25

The UK government has launched the Regional Tech Booster, a £1mn fund aimed at helping scale-ups based outside London in clusters such as Scotland, the North East and South Yorkshire. The initiative offers mentoring, investment support and skills workshops to fuel local growth and founder development. It’s a signal that policymakers are finally recognising the strategic value of tech innovation beyond the capital – and backing it with targeted support. How far £1mn goes to helping boost those regions is questionable but, hey, it’s a start. Get the story here.

When every swipe is a spin of the wheel

In a fascinating essay in the London Review of Books, William Davies likens TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed to a slot machine – unpredictably rewarding, emotionally charged and increasingly political. But this is more than a media critique. It’s also a wake-up call for anyone building an audience or brand online. On consumer platforms like TikTok and Reels, algorithms reward volatility over authority. That might not necessarily be where your clients are – but it is redefining how attention is won, lost, and recycled. That means playing smarter: your credibility still matters, but so does your ability to adapt to short-form, high-frequency engagement cycles. Read Davies’s think piece here.

The CFO at the kitchen table

A new study calls women the "canaries in the economic coal mine" – and business leaders should take note. Women control 70% of household spending and are shifting into recession-prep mode well ahead of official forecasts. Nearly half are switching to lower-cost brands, delaying major purchases and entering “low buy” mode. The lesson here is twofold: this is the real signal for demand-side stress, and it’s a huge design opportunity. Whether you're building in fintech, grocery or consumer apps, the bar is higher. Today’s customer doesn’t just want value – they want agency, visibility and tools that make them feel in control – from automated price comparison to AI deal hunting. Get the lowdown here.

AI prompt of the week: scenario planning

Most startup founders build one financial model: the version where everything goes right. This one stress-tests your runway across three scenarios.

Act as an experienced CFO helping me build a 3-scenario financial model for my [stage] startup in [industry]. My base assumptions: [current MRR/ARR], [monthly burn rate], [key growth metrics], and [runway]. Create models for:

1. Base Case: Current assumptions over 18 months
2. Optimistic (+20%): Best-case revenue/growth scenarios
3. Pessimistic (-20%): Worst-case scenarios with cost reduction strategies

For each scenario, show:

Monthly cash burn and runway

Time to key milestones

Funding requirements and timing

Include sensitivity analysis: Which three assumptions most impact runway if changed by 20%?

What early warning indicators should trigger scenario shifts?

Provide trigger points: Specific metrics that signal we're tracking toward each scenario, plus recommended actions for each.

Context: [Brief description of business model, team size, last funding round, key cost drivers]

Perfect the art of problem-solving

From design thinking to the OODA loop, this guide breaks down the most effective frameworks for tackling complex challenges – whether you're firefighting daily issues or planning long-term strategy.

Drop me a line

If one of this week’s stories got under your skin – or into your head – then do let me know. No pressure to be profound. A good link, a fresh take or even strong disagreement will do just fine. Back in seven days with more insights – including an interesting story I’ve just spotted about ‘ghost jobs’. I’ll dig into that now and share next Sunday.

Cheers!
Adam

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