Joe M-C 🧘‍♂️

I help creators activate flow state to build a fulfilling life & business (with minimal stress or effort)

If you're an Entrepreneur drowning in marketing tactics that drain your bank account with nothing to show for it, this'll be the most exciting message you'll ever read...

Hi, I'm Joe M-C, Founder of Creator Funnels.

After generating over $10,000,000 for clients using lead magnets, I've distilled everything into a dead-simple system that's changing how Entrepreneurs:

- Attract high-ticket clients
- Build an engaged email list 
- Scale with predictable systems

Creator Funnels is the world's first AI-Powered SaaS specifically built to launch lead magnet funnels

Without the need to hire expensive agencies or learn complex marketing systems that take years to master.

But all of this is meaningless without YOU actually trying it yourself…

So if you want to test-drive Creator Funnels, DM me saying 'FUNNEL' and I'll see if you're a fit. :) 

Your friend,
Joe M-C 🧙‍♂️

P.S Here are some recent results from Creator Funnels:

- Client booked 83 calls in 4 weeks after launching
- Another went from 9 calls in 8 months to 30 in just 2 week
- Recently generated over £27,000 for a client in just 4 weeks

What will Creator Funnels do for your business?

Paid Media Lead Generation Specialist

Joe M-C 🧙

I admit it, I lied in my last webinar.

I told people I got a client 47 leads in 5 days.

The real number was much, much higher.

But I knew no one would believe it.

Here's what I've learned:

I was getting genuinely insane numbers for clients.

Like... numbers that sound made up.

So I did what everyone does:

Put them EVERYWHERE.

Landing pages. Posts. Sales calls. Webinars.

"47 calls booked in 72 hours"
"€20k collected in 7 days"
"$38k added in 8 weeks"

And you know what happened?

People started tuning out.

Not because the results weren't real.

But because I sounded like every other agency bro screaming about "10x ROI" and "crushing it."

The more proof I showed, the less people believed me.

Ironic, right?

So I tried something different.

I started leading with education instead.

Teaching frameworks. Sharing the "how."

Letting people experience my thinking before seeing my receipts.

Not because I'm being modest.

Because the actual figures don't sound believable.

(Even though they are lol.)

Proof is table stakes now.

Everyone has screenshots.

Everyone has testimonials.

What actually stands out?

Being the person who teaches so well that people assume you must get results.

The flex isn't the flex anymore.

The education is. :)

I help Founders turn social traffic into an engaged email list and add 6-figure ARR through lead magnets & conversion funnels

Monday: Send Loom to 75k follower Creator.

Wednesday: Sign a £6,000 deal (here’s how):

Bit of backstory first:

- 5 years ago, I signed my 1st client
- I sent a 4-minute Loom on auditing their ads
- They signed a £5k contract & it changed my life

And the coolest part?

5 years later, I run the EXACT play for funnels.

(Granted, it’s got a bit better since haha.)

Last month, I rebuilt my £5k high-ticket programme and added a module about how to get clients within 72 hours with simple 3-minute Loom videos.

And for the next 72 hrs it's yours - 100% FREE.

Here’s how to get instant access:

1. Connect with me (if not already)
2. Comment below saying “LOOM”
3. I’ll DM you the link to grab it for free

Curious about what’s inside?

- A transcription breakdown of my script
- How to build your own Unique Mechanism
- My EXACT DM template I sent with the Loom
- How to use “Intent Matching” to hyper-personalise
- How I build warm outreach lists that get 87% reply rate

Plus loads more!

I PROMISE, if you literally:

- Follow this resource
- Send 10 RELEVANT Looms per day
- Your life & business will change FAST

Ready to sign 4-figgy deals with 3-min Looms?

1. Connect with me (if not already)
2. Comment below saying “LOOM”
3. I’ll DM you the link to grab it for free

🎁 P.S BONUS UPGRADE:

Hit ‘REPOST’ & I’ll ALSO send you my brand new (paid) 65-minute Masterclass called “Client Handraiser Method” 100% FREE as a thnx. 

First 50 only - you’ll also get priority delivery.

Good luck. ♥️

Random Sunday thought.

Here's what everyone does wrong when they go viral:

They never post it again.

One of my clients had a post absolutely blow up.

Thousands of impressions and new followers.

So what did she do?

She posted it again 6 months later.

Same hook. Same creative. Same everything.

It went viral again.

So she posted it again 6 months after that.

Viral again.

She's now done this 4 times over 2 years.

And every single time it works.

Why?

  • Your audience has grown since then
  • New followers have never seen it
  • The post is already pre-validated

Most people think "everyone's already seen it."

They haven't.

Your audience is constantly changing.

New followers. New connections. New eyeballs.

So if your post goes viral?

Post it again in 3-6 months.

It'll probably go viral again.

Ya yeet. :)

Last week, a Founder said to me at a dinner for Illuminati members: "I've got 4 funnels I’m building right now!" My advice saved him 3 months:

"You don't need 4 funnels. You need 4 entry points to the SAME funnel."

His face changed lol.

Here's the thing most people get wrong:

They think each lead magnet needs its own:

 • Landing page flow
 • Email sequence
 • Backend offer

So they either build 4 separate funnels (nightmare)...

Or they get overwhelmed and build nothing.

Here's what I teach instead:

Different lead magnets attract different people at different awareness levels.

 • A case study attracts problem-aware prospects
 • A checklist attracts solution-aware prospects
 • A template attracts people ready to act

But they ALL feed into the same backend conversion system.

Same quiz bonus.
Same email course.
Same Easy Yes Offer.

One high-converting funnel.

Multiple entry points.

That's how you maximise conversions without losing your mind.

This is exactly what I help people build inside Funnel Alchemy.

And right now we're running a case study group - 44% off if you're willing to let us document your results, and give us feedback on version 3.0. 

DM me "FUNNEL" to apply. :)

Apps closing Thursday 29th Jan. 

And 3/5 slots taken.

Good luck. ❤️

I've signed 100k - 1.1 million follower Creators.

Here's how I find (and sign) whale clients:

Backstory: someone on my webinar recently asked how I've worked with some of the biggest and fastest-growing Creators on LinkedIn.

The truth?

Most didn't come through my "funnel."

I went hunting and brought them in myself.

Here's exactly how I do it:

(You might want to save this for later.)

1. Front-load free value:

I don't pitch. I fix. I send Looms breaking down something they're doing wrong and showing them how to improve it. This positions you as someone who delivers before they even consider working with you.

(Read to the end if you want FREE help with this.)

2. Show PROOF, not PROMISES:

Don't talk about what you'll do, talk about what you've already DONE. Show them the results you've achieved for others, specific outcomes you've driven, screenshots of wins. When they see evidence, they believe you can replicate it for them.

3. Don't wait for them to come to you:

I go hunting. At IRL events. Through cold email. Sending Looms. Wherever they are. Waiting for inbound is fine. But if you want to work with specific people? You need to make the first move.

4. Offer free work:

Five years in, I still do this. Even if it's just a 60-minute coaching call to demonstrate what I'm capable of. Free work isn't desperation. It's confidence. You're so certain you'll deliver value that you'll prove it before they pay.

5. Get to their 2nd in command:

Got this from Timothy Armoo new book. But I realised I'd accidentally done this to sign the biggest client of my life last year. The assistant. The business partner. The right-hand person. They're often the gatekeeper and the decision influencer. Win them over first, and the door opens.

Lazy founders hope whale clients come to them.

Smart ones go bring 'em in themselves. :)

— — —

Want my FULL Loom Outreach Resource?

(This covers how I do Method 1.)

Comment 'LOOM', and I'll send it to you for free.

(Must be connected.)

I recently saved a client 40+ hours p/month.

(Showed them this SIMPLE AI prompt:)

Most Founders struggle with AI content because:

 • It sounds mechanical
 • Feels copy-pasted
 • Lacks personality

(And mine used to as well!)

Last year, I spent 20+ hours on this prompt...

It's called "Clone Your Copy".

Here's exactly how it works:

Step 1: Build your bank:

 • Include social posts
 • Add interview transcripts
 • Any content that sounds like YOU

Step 2: Run the Clone Your Copy prompt:

  • Creates your personal writing guide
  • Maps your vocabulary patterns
  • Edit out what doesn't fit

Step 3: Feed it back to AI

  • Add your content idea
  • Share your guide with AI
  • Scale your content, keep your voice

Works like magicccccc.

👉 Want the EXACT prompt in question?

Added a direct link to the Google Doc in comments.

(You're probs sick of the comment giveaways lol.)

But feel free to drop a comment saying thnx. ❤️

I went from rarely closing to a 60% close rate.

Literally from ONE simple change:

I stopped niching by industry.

Started niching by situation.

Most people niche like this:

 • "I help coaches"
 • "I help agencies"
 • "I help SaaS founders"

That's an industry niche.

The problem? Your messaging speaks to a job title. Not a problem they're living right now.

My niche:

"B2B Founders posting content on social media without a proper backend funnel."

I don't care if you sell a high-ticket hairdressing course, Meta Ads to dentists, or coaching for executives.

If you're posting content without a backend funnel? I can help.

This changes everything about your marketing:

Your lead magnets become magnetic.

Instead of "10 Tips for Coaches"...

You create "How to Turn Your LinkedIn Content Into Booked Calls (Without a Funnel)."

One speaks to an industry.

The other speaks to a situation they're stuck in RIGHT NOW.

Your funnel converts higher because every email, every page, every offer feels custom-built.

Because it is.

The situation IS the qualification.

When someone matches it, they already need what you have.

Stop niching by industry.

Start niching by situation.

Not sure what situation to niche into?

I made a Deep Avatar Research prompt that helps you figure it out.

🔗 Grab it free here: https://lnkd.in/ewjPXkgK

♻️ Repost to help a friend.

I used to stress about "running out of content ideas."

Then I realised something stupid simple:

One Lead Magnet = 3 months of posts.

Here's how it works:

Take any core idea from your Lead Magnet.

Let's say it's "The Early Access Method" - a way to validate offers before building them.

Now run it through 5 different angles:

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝟭: 𝗛𝗼𝘄-𝗧𝗼
"How I validate ideas before building them..."

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝟮: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀
"This method generated 350+ leads from 2 posts..."

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝟯: 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲
"The biggest mistake I see: building before validating..."

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝟰: 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
"I spent weeks building things nobody wanted. Then I..."

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝟱: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻
"Stop building Lead Magnets. Do this instead..."

Same lesson. Five different posts. Five different hooks.

And here's the thing most people miss:

Your audience isn't seeing every post you publish.

The person who saw your Monday post is NOT the same person seeing your Friday post.

So when you think you're being "repetitive"?

You're actually just being consistent.

If your Lead Magnet has 5 sections?

That's 25+ posts waiting to be written.

You will literally never run out of content.

Stop staring at a blank screen.

Start mining what you've already created. :)

♻️ Repost if this helped a friend who's stuck on content ideas.

I've promoted the same lead magnet for 12 months.

Here's why it still books me calls & signs clients:

Most people post about their lead magnet once or twice...

Then get scared of being "that guy."

So they stop.

One of my mentors, Matt Barker, did the opposite.

Same lead magnet. Every post. 2-3 months straight.

He absolutely crushed it.

Scaled his subscribers massively.

And he spoke publicly about how just consistently adding a link to his playbook inside his content was the high leverage move.

Here's the thing:

New people follow you every day.

New people see your content every day.

The person who saw your post Monday is not the same person seeing it Friday.

You think you're being annoying.

You're not.

You're being consistent.

— — — 

And if you don’t have a lead mag yet?

Here’s a FREE Course to help you:

https://lnkd.in/esHNstZG

WARNING: You might book a call w/ me (if you’re qualified).

But I guess you’ll just have to wait and see hehehe. ;)

Most Creators know they need a “funnel”.

But 99% don’t know the 7 components:

Miss one? You lose the sale.

Here they are:

𝟭. 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻

They need to feel a problem worth solving.

Not surface level. Real pain that keeps them up at night.

𝟮. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲

They need to see a better future.

What does life look like AFTER they buy?

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲

Your product is the bridge from pain → desire.

If they don't see you as the path, they'll find another one.

𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁

The cost of NOT buying needs to feel greater than the cost of buying.

What happens if they do nothing?

𝟱. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲

What they get needs to feel worth way more than what they pay.

Stack it. Show it. Make it obvious.

𝟲. 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁

They need to doubt they can do it alone.

If they think "I'll just figure it out myself" - you've lost them.

𝟳. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁

They need to trust YOU.

This is the glue that holds everything together.

—

♻️ Repost to help someone fix their funnel.

The 7 Funnel Components

My client drove $80,000 from this 1 post type.

Here's the 7-part formula she used:

I call it the "Handraiser Post."

The concept is simple: You post about a free resource, people comment to get it, you DM them the link, they enter your funnel.

(Like a viral giveaway - but designed to get CLIENTS.)

Here's the structure we used:

𝟭. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗸
Start with your experience, results, or time invested.
"I spent 3 years building funnels for clients. I put everything into this..."

𝟮. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲
Tell them you're giving something valuable away FREE.
"For the next 72 hours, I'm giving it away - 100% free."

𝟯. 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗧𝗔
Some people are already sold. Let them raise their hand NOW.
"Comment 'FUNNEL' below and I'll DM you the link."

𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝗲𝘁
Be specific about what's inside.
Not "a guide" - but "the exact 5-step process I used to book 47 calls in a week."

𝟱. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲
Talk about the time, money, or effort that went into creating it.
"This took me 6 months and thousands of pounds to figure out."

𝟲. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗧𝗔
Repeat the call-to-action at the end.
Same as the first one. People need to see it twice.

𝟳. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 (𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹)
Offer a bonus for reposting.
"Repost this and I'll also send you [BONUS]."

Comments are losing value in the algorithm.

Reposts are still gold.

That's it. 7 elements. One post. Endless leads.

You don't need to go viral.

20-30 comments from ideal clients is enough to start closing deals.

Save this. Use it. Thank me later. :)

— — —

P.S This client came through my programme, Funnel Alchemy.

And right now we're running a case study group - 44% off if you're willing to let us document your results, and give us feedback on version 3.0. 

DM me "FUNNEL" to apply. :)

Apps closing Thursday 29th Jan. 

Just 1 cheeky spot left hehe.

Good luck. ❤️

Fractional CIO | IT Strategy for High-Stakes M&A | Faster M&A, Smoother Exits | De-risking IT & unlocking value | Author

Most technology integrations miss their synergy targets. Not because the technology is wrong, but because the right leadership wasn't in place early enough.

That's where I come in.

I'm an Interim / Fractional CIO specialising in Transformation & Resilience. I work with CEOs and boards of multi-site, acquisition-led businesses, typically PE-backed, 500–10,000 employees, to turn technology from a source of risk into a source of value.

When integration timelines slip, cyber posture is unclear, or the estate has grown faster than the team can manage, I step in to stabilise delivery, simplify complexity, and build a roadmap the board can trust.
Recent engagement:

VetPartners (BC Partners-backed, £1B revenue, 14,000 staff, 9 countries). Built the Group IT Strategy from scratch. Created acquisition integration blueprints. Accelerated new practice onboarding by 30%. Simultaneously ran IT operations for 540 UK practices.

Career outcomes:

£700M+ M&A technology integration across the platform and bolt-on acquisitions
£15M+ annual EBITDA contribution through operational excellence and cost optimisation
Technology leadership across automotive retail, consumer goods, and veterinary services

Clients call me when:

→ Integration is off-track, and synergies are at risk
→ The board wants cyber confidence before exit, audit, or due diligence
→ Technology is a red flag in the data room
→ They need senior leadership fast—without permanent headcount

I also serve as NED (Digital & Technology) at Age UK, and I've published on AI governance, IT leadership, and board-level technology strategy.

Available for select interim and fractional mandates.

Let's talk: DJ@Starkhorn.co.uk

Daniel J. Jacobs

The AI didn’t fail. It did exactly what we asked, just not what we meant.
We built an agent that ran flawlessly… until everything around it started quietly breaking.

 If you're leading AI deployments or planning to, this reflection might save you some heartache.

👇 Read it here: Reflections on Agentic AI, Human Trust, and the Space 

Between Promise and Reality

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned deploying AI in the real world?

Interim / Fractional CIO (Transformation & Resilience) | Board-level clarity on Technology (Risk • Cost • Delivery) | Multi-site & acquisition-led businesses | M&A integration • Cyber resilience • Operating model

View newsletter: Digital Disruption Digest

The system did what we asked. It just didn’t do what we meant, and we didn’t realise the difference until something subtle broke. Reflections on Agent

Open article: The AI didn’t fail. It did exactly what we asked — just not what we meant. by Daniel J. Jacobs • 7 min read

The AI didn’t fail. It did exactly what we asked — just not what we meant.

“We won’t fix the legacy stack, it’s too complex and too expensive. Let’s add AI and show progress.”

That move can create a short-term win.

The short-term gain

➡️ Nicer dashboards and “insight” layers
➡️ A quick story for the board: “We’re doing AI”
➡️ Lower upfront disruption than a proper rebuild
➡️ Faster cycle times in a few workflows (support, sales ops, reporting)

It feels like momentum because some metrics will move.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 (𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭)

If the core systems are brittle, AI becomes a high-gloss layer sitting on low-trust data and fragile processes.

You end up with:

➡️ Automation of mess (you scale inconsistency, not performance)
➡️ Rising change cost (each “quick win” increases architectural debt)
➡️ Hidden operational risk (every new model relies on unstable integrations)
➡️ A strategy trap (it looks modern, so the real modernisation never happens)
➡️ AI outputs nobody trusts (because the underlying data is wrong or incomplete)

AI on broken foundations doesn’t transform the business; it amplifies whatever the business already is.

𝐀 𝐂𝐄𝐎-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭

Don’t ask, “Where can we deploy AI?”

Ask, “Where do we have clean ownership, stable data, and a repeatable process so AI can compound value instead of compounding risk?”

𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛:

If a process can’t be measured, governed, and explained without AI… Adding AI won’t fix it. It will just make it faster and harder to debug.

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Where in your business is AI used to modernise, and what would fixing the foundation unlock instead?

Kicking off 2026 with renewed energy and big goals, but what I’m hearing from leadership teams isn’t “new year, new me”.

It’s urgency.

After months of planning in 2025, 2026 is shaping up as the year of decisive execution. The “nice-to-have” transformation work is becoming “must-have” modernisation, and the question has changed:

𝐍𝐨𝐭: “Should we modernise?”
𝐁𝐮𝐭: “How fast can we move without breaking what already works?”

The companies that win this year will treat technology as a strategic lever, not a support function:

➔ IT optimisation as a weapon, not a cost centre
➔ M&A integration as value creation, not operational admin
➔ Cybersecurity as business enablement, not just risk management

If 2026 is the year you’re aiming to reduce complexity, strengthen resilience, or become acquisition-ready, I’m happy to compare notes.

What’s your biggest technology challenge heading into 2026?

#ITStrategy #DigitalTransformation #Cybersecurity #BusinessGrowth #2026Goals

New IT strategy question for 2026:
How fast can you change your mind—without breaking the business?

That confession will sound familiar to anyone who has watched organisations cycle through enthusiasm and quiet disappointment. Project NANDA’s prelimi

Open article: New IT strategy question for 2026:
How fast can you change your mind—without breaking the business? by Daniel J. Jacobs • 7 min read

70% of digital transformations fall short. It's not because the technology fails, but rather because the operating model remains unchanged. (McKinsey/BCG)

After years spent guiding transformations and saving millions across PE-backed businesses, one truth is impossible to ignore:

“Technology rarely breaks a transformation.
Behaviour, capability, and ownership do.”

Because if the organisation doesn’t change how it works, the tooling becomes nothing more than expensive wallpaper.

Here’s how this destroys EBITDA:

𝟏. 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞

If leaders don’t change how they work, new systems become old habits wrapped in a new interface.

Commercial impact:
→ £300k–£700k in unrealised value for a mid-market portfolio company.

𝟐. 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

You can’t scale with a workforce that doesn’t believe in the new system—or lacks the skills to use it.

The hard truth:

- 60% of work can be automated
- 70% of teams fear the capability gap
- 80% of leaders mistake resistance for stubbornness (instead of upskilling)

Commercial impact:
→ 10–15% rise in operating costs (often £500k+ annually)

𝟑. 𝐙𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

When nobody owns decisions, transformations collapse under their own weight:

- No clear accountabilities
- No single owner for platforms
- No clarity on “who delivers what, by when”

Commercial impact:
→ £5M–£10M wiped off the exit valuation due to poor execution discipline

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛:

Spend your first 30 days on:
✓ Shifting behaviour
✓ Upskilling teams and rebuilding capability
✓ Establishing clear ownership and decision rights

When behaviour, capability, and ownership move in tandem, PE-backed companies typically see a 1–4% annual improvement in EBITDA.

Because successful transformations were never about technology —
They’re about disciplined execution.

Repost ♻️ if you’re tired of seeing transformations fail for the same avoidable reasons.

P.S. CIOs, which mistake (1–3) do you see most often in the field?

Early in my career, I measured myself by how much I was needed.

Every escalation that landed on my desk felt like proof I was valuable.
Every decision that required my sign-off confirmed I was essential.

Then I took two weeks off. And the wheels came off.

Not because my team wasn’t capable.
Because I’d built a system that required me to function. I’d confused being needed with being effective.

That was a hard lesson. And it shows up fast in boardrooms and due diligence.

When investors assess a business, they’re not only looking at EBITDA.
They’re quietly asking: what happens if this person leaves?

If the honest answer is “things slow down” or “decisions stall”, that risk gets priced in, even if performance looks fine today.

The harsh reality for technology leaders is that being indispensable isn’t a sign of strength; it's a sign of vulnerability masked as importance.

The shift that changed how I lead:

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, “How do we perform when I’m here?”
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, “How do we perform when I’m not?”

Design decision rights so choices don’t bottleneck.
Build operating rhythms that run without you in the room.
Create clarity so your team doesn’t need to check with you; they already know.

That’s operational maturity: not a leader holding things together, but a system that doesn’t need holding.

What’s one thing you’ve deliberately built to work without you?

PE firms don’t buy technology.
They buy better EBITDA.

This is the non-negotiable truth of Private Equity.

Most CIOs still believe PE wants:
• New platforms
• AI implementation
• Modern tech stacks
• Big transformation programmes

This is “technology theatre”.

After delivering £1.5M in savings across multiple PE-backed businesses in 10+ countries, one pattern is consistent: 𝐏𝐄 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬.

Here's the brutal truth. PE partners aren't interested in shiny tech. They need commercial clarity.

They priorities:

𝟏. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Reducing operational cost through vendor optimisation, licence rationalisation, and system consolidation.

𝟐: 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Eliminating technical and vendor debt (including the £500k penalties and £3M true-ups we routinely uncover) that can erode exit value.

𝟑. 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲:
Building a simple, scalable platform that guarantees growth. Allows the next buyer to pay a higher multiple (as seen in the 10x outcome achieved for one of our clients).

This requires the CIO to become the Chief Value Officer.

Every transformational decision (from renewing a Salesforce contract to integrating a new acquisition) must be tied around its direct commercial outcome— otherwise it's noise.

P.S. What is the single biggest "tech for optics" investment you’ve seen that failed to deliver a measurable EBITDA-level return? Comment ↓

AI in growth planning has moved from experiment to operating system. Five evidence-backed patterns, and what actually changes in your next planning cycle

The shift isn't about faster spreadsheets. It's about fundamentally rethinking how organisations sense, decide, and adapt. Something quiet but profoun

Open article: 5 Ways AI Is Reshaping Growth Planning in 2026 by Daniel J. Jacobs • 5 min read

5 Ways AI Is Reshaping Growth Planning in 2026

Your M&A integration strategy should do one thing above all: protect EBITDA.

Most integrations fail because leaders start with systems rather than commercial reality.

They obsess over:
- Buying new tools
- Implementing platforms
- Rebuilding CRMs
- Chasing “transformation theatre.”
- Forcing teams to adapt before they’re ready

And the consequences are predictable.
Here’s how EBITDA leaks when leaders ignore commercial reality:

𝟏. 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
Misaligned teams delay integration by 30–60 days, resulting in £500k+ in EBITDA leakage.

𝟐. 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
Each delay increases deal costs by 10–15%, often adding £500k–£1M in extra operating spend.

𝟑. 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬:
A 60–90-day delay can reduce valuation by 0.5x–1.2x EBITA multiples, wiping £5M–£12M from the exit story of a mid-market portfolio company.

And once EBITDA leaks, you almost never get it back.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬:
Protecting EBITDA is unrelated to technology.

It begins with stabilising people, contracts, and processes in the first 90 days (long before systems are touched).

Because if teams aren’t aligned, contracts aren’t secured, and processes aren’t controlled, the exit clock is already ticking. Every month of delay permanently erodes value.

This is why the best CIOs ruthlessly remove duplication, noise, and complexity.
They lead with clarity, disciplined sequencing, and clean commercial execution.

The result?

𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 £𝟐𝟓𝟎𝐤–£𝟓𝟎𝟎𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟗𝟎 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 (as we’ve seen repeatedly across multiple PE-backed businesses).

Commercial stability comes first.
Systems come last.

Repost ♻️ if you’re tired of watching the same integration failures repeated across the industry.

P.S. What’s the most expensive integration mistake you’ve seen CIOs make? Comment below ↓

Alt text for the Image: M&A Integration Strategy Fix

Most execs don’t realise it… 
Every time employees use public AI tools for sensitive work, they could be training their competitors’ systems.

After Samsung’s $100M wake-up call, and seeing similar risks across industries. I built a framework to help leaders turn AI governance into a competitive edge.

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eDRYMFFt

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