Matt Gray

Founder & CEO, Founder OS | Proven systems to grow a profitable audience with organic content.

Over the last decade, I’ve built 4 successful companies and a community of over 14 million people.

My mission is to inspire 100 million founders to live their dreams through proven systems.

I help entrepreneurs remove themselves from operations, grow on autopilot with content and an engaged audience, and automate core systems.

I’m the founder of Founder OS, Gray Enterprises, and Bitmaker (acq. General Assembly).

My portfolio:

→ I'm the founder & CEO of Founder OS, a community of 650 entrepreneurs
→ I’m the founder & CEO of Gray Enterprises with a community of over 14 million people
→ I teach the Founder OS Program to help entrepreneurs scale their online businesses to $1M+ revenue
→ I coach entrepreneurs that need help with marketing, sales, systems, community, and growth
→ I advise early-stage companies in AI, Education, Creator Economy, and SaaS verticals

My results:

→ 14M+ people community
→ 2.5M+ people following Founder OS
→ 2B content impressions annually 
→ 0 advertisements
→ 80%+ margins

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Founder & CEO

Founder OS helps you build a predictable lead engine with organic content & make $1M+ online.

I’ve hired 90+ high performers in the last 3 years.

Here are 8 rare traits I see in every high performer:

1. Grit

This one’s a non-negotiable. 

What is it?

• Ability to persist through obstacles
• Strength to bounce back from failure
• Tenacity to keep pushing, no matter the challenge

Hard work is common. 

Grit is rare.

2. Relentless Resourcefulness

Some people find a way no matter how “impossible” it seems.

They are innovative problem solvers.

They have the conviction that there's always a solution.

These are the people we want.

They’re like water.

They find a path around any obstacle.

3. Optimism

Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster.

Having optimistic people on your side is a massive mental boost.

Optimistic people don't see roadblocks; they see stepping stones to success.

Their energy is electrifying and infectious. 

A must-have when the going gets tough.

4. Constant Learning

The ROI on constant learners compounds.

In a fast-moving world, learning and adapting is essential.

These hires:

• Seek feedback
• Expand their skills
• Stay curious and hungry

Train them well, and they'll give you an infinite return on your investment.

5. Not Being an Asshole

It might sound simple, but it's vital.

I don’t care how smart, hardworking, or optimistic you are.

If you don’t:

• Show empathy
• Collaborate well
• Treat others with respect

I don’t want you on my team.

Period.

6. Fun to Be Around

I need people that I like spending time with.

Work can be intense. 

Having people who bring: 

• Positive energy
• A sense of humor
• A lightness to the office 

Makes a world of difference.

When we make work feel like play, we're unstoppable.

7. Growth Mindset 

This one is foundational.

I need someone who:

• Embraces challenges as growth opportunities
• Believes abilities and intelligence can be developed

People with a growth mindset get obsessed with the process.

Not fixated on the outcome.

8. Enjoys Responsibility

I need my team to take on responsibility.

I don’t want to chase people down.

If they:

• Take ownership of their work
• Care about doing a good job

We'll perform better.

And I’ll have way more breathing room and feel more at ease.

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Matt Gray 

How to design your dream life in 2026.

Take these steps:

“Luxury is feeling unrushed. It is designing a life that allows you to do what you want with high leverage, with many options, all while feeling unrushed.” 

- Tim Ferriss 

The power of lifestyle design: 

• Intentional action
• Unlocking your time 
• Finding what you enjoy

Step 1: Build a Habit of Reflection 

Learn to become keenly in tune with how your body feels. 

What words describe your feelings right now? 

• Flowing?
• At ease?
• Confused? 
• Exhausted? 

Begin to track how you feel and analyze why you might feel that way.

This builds a habit of constant reflection. 

You begin to understand: 

• What makes me feel good? bad? 
• What are the nuances of my good moods? my bad ones? 

When I started, I learned I was in a negative mood 70% of the time! 

That completely shocked me.

Step 2: Assume Control 

Repeat this message: 

"I am the root cause of my feelings." 

You are the one in control of your actions. You're never powerless to change how you feel. 

Sounds easy, but it's the most difficult step. 

We hate assuming responsibility for how we feel.

Hate your job? Who's forcing you to stay in the current one?

Feel frustrated with friends? Who's stopping you from communicating?

It may seem impossible. 

But taking small steps creates instant relief.

You reassume control and learn that you can fix any problems that come up.

Step 3: Create Your Ideal Future

Write answers to these prompts: 

• Do you prefer spontaneity or routine? 
• What kind of diet is important to you? 
• What does your ideal 24-hour-day look like? 
• Where do friends and family play a role in your ideal life?

More: 

• Are you pursuing FIRE? 
• Where is your dream location?
• Can you combine hobbies with work? 
• Do you want more hobbies/less? Which do you actually love? 
• Do you want to experiment with philosophies like downshifting, slow living or minimalism? 

Get to a granular level: 

• What does working out feel like? 
• What does working my job feel like?
• What does waking up feel like on an ideal day? 

Step 4: Take Action 

Synthesize all your answers to the past prompts. 

Instead of setting a written goal, create an image of your ideal future in your head. 

Whenever you need motivation, bring up that image to fill you with an unstoppable drive.

Then begin to reverse-engineer your better lifestyle. 
 
• Create a group of regular gym-goers 
• Set up a budget to help you hit FIRE 
• Make the purchases to improve your sleep stack
• Begin to incorporate mindfulness practices weekly, then daily 

Small steps, big goals.

—

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Life hacks I know at 36, I wish I knew at 19:

1. Learn Storytelling

Storytelling is the highest intangible ROI skill you can learn

Sales, hiring, marketing, it's all storytelling.

Start with basic storytelling frameworks (e.g. the Hero's Journey) and the 7 fundamental emotions.

And watch how listeners turn into believers.

2. Rethink Health

Everything changed for me when I came across Symbiotic Success:

Your health directly affects achievement, even if you can't see it.

Now I prioritize meditation, lifting weights and nutrition.

Success is a game of longevity and health is your competitive moat.

3. Work Like a Lion

Society has conditioned us to work like we're cows grazing.

Long hours. 
Low focus. 
Minimal output.

Instead, work less, but work like a hunting lion.

Sprint. Rest. Repeat.

4. Find Your Peak Energy State 

Optimal hours, environment, and work style differ for everyone.

Keep experimenting until you find your most productive state, when you don't have to fight yourself to get stuff done.

Once you find it, energy flows where your focus will be.

5. Learn to Communicate Concisely

Most people's emails and messages are full of fluff:

'Hope you're well!'
'I just wanted to ask...'
'Could we circle back on...'

Stop. 

Be concise and get to the point, your value increases with the effort your readers save.

6. Be Happy for Other People's Successes 

It's a positive-sum world out there; there are 22 million millionaires in the US alone. 

Recognize that one person's success isn't your failure and offer genuine congratulations.

Joy for others manifests future accolades for you.

7. Be Boring 

A lot of success comes from just saying no to cheap dopamine. 

And instead, focusing on the mundane:

• Maximizing sleep
• Guarding time for workouts
• Not eating out in favor of your nutritious diet

Boring's the secret the successful don’t want you to know.

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How to build a plan for 2026 you'll actually use:

1. Start With One Word

Not a paragraph. 

Not a mission statement.

One word that defines your year.

Mine for 2024 was "simplify."

Every decision ran through that filter.

Should I take this meeting? 
Does it simplify or complicate?

Should I launch this product? 
Does it align and simplify?

One word creates instant clarity.

2. Write Your Dream Outcome

People usully set goals.

I write the headline I want written about me on December 31st.

What do you want to have accomplished?
How do you want to feel?

This is your North Star.

3. Identify Your Top 3 Goals

One business growth goal.

One team goal.

One health goal.

More than three and you're lying to yourself about what matters.

4. Find Your One Metric

You need proof you're winning.

Choose one number that shows undeniable progress.

So you can track it.

For me, it's active community members.

5. Build Your Systems First

Here's where most plans die:

People focus on what they'll do.

I focus on what I'll build to make it automatic.

What will I delegate?
What will I automate?
What habit must I lock in?
What system must I create?

Systems beat willpower every single time.

6. Name Your People

Success isn't a solo sport.

Who's going to help you get there?

I write down specific names and roles:

• One mentor I'll lean on for guidance
• One teammate I'll empower to level up
• One accountability partner who'll call me out

Vague support systems fail. 

Specific people show up.

7. Define Your Non-Negotiables

What will you always do?
What will you never do?

What's your number one priority when everything's on fire?

These are your laws from now on.

For me: 

I will always protect my morning deep work. 
I will never compromise on team culture. 
My priority is solving our biggest constraint first.

8. Map Your Constraint

Most people try to do everything at once.

I identify the one bottleneck holding everything back.

Then I solve one constraint per month for the entire year.

January: Fix hiring process.

One focused constraint. 
One month. 
Then move to the next.

9. Schedule Quarterly Reviews

A plan without checkpoints is just hope.

Every 90 days, I ask three questions:

What worked?
What didn't?
What did I learn?

Then I adjust. 

The plan evolves because I do.

Build a plan for the person you actually are.

Make it so simple you can't ignore it.

Make it so focused you can't fail.

__

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How To Build A Plan For 2026:

I wasted my 20s building other people's dreams.

At 35, I finally built mine.

If you're reading this in your 30s or 40s thinking you're behind, this message could change everything.

The world celebrates 22-year-old founders, but here's what they don't tell you about starting "late."

8 advantages older founders have:

1. Self-Knowledge 

You don't need to "find yourself" - you know exactly who you are and what you want.

2. Battle-Tested Wisdom 

You know what doesn't work because you've tried it. 

That's worth 10 years of trial and error.

3. Real Resources 

Credit. 
Savings. 
Network. 
Reputation. 

While they're raising pre-seed, you're bootstrapping to profitability.

4. Content with Depth 

20-somethings share quotes. 

30+ founders share scars. 

Authenticity trumps energy every time.

5. Purpose-Driven Decisions 

You're building for legacy, not lifestyle. 

For your family and future. 

This depth of purpose drives better decisions.

6. Competitive Focus 

Your competition is still figuring out who they are. 

You're figuring out how to dominate.

7. Urgency as Fuel 

Time pressure creates decisive action. 

You can't waste 5 years "figuring it out." 

This urgency is your superpower.

8. Systems Thinking 

You know who you are, what you want, and you just need systems to get there.

The best founders start "late."

Vera Wang was 40. 

Colonel Sanders was 50. 

Ray Kroc founded McDonald's at 52.

Your time is now, not then.

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I'm 35. If You're in Your 30's Or 40's, Read This

Steve Jobs once said:

"The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller."

But most people don’t know how to tell a good story.

10 storytelling techniques to make you unstoppable in business and life:

1. Highlight The Problem

Jobs highlighted user frustrations with existing tech.

Identify your audience's pain points. 

Address them directly to build excitement for your solution. 

Make your audience nod along, thinking "Yes, that's exactly my issue!"

2. Build Anticipation

Jobs teased "3 revolutionary products" before revealing they were all one device, the iPhone. 

Create suspense. Make your audience crave what comes next. 

Don't give everything away at once. 

Leave them wanting more.

3. Show Don’t Tell

Jobs didn't just describe iPhone features. He demoed them live. 

Use visuals, demos, and storytelling to make concepts tangible. 

Let your audience experience your solution. 

Bring your ideas to life.

4. Use Strategic Repetition

"An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator" - Jobs repeated this to drive home the iPhone's 3-in-1 value.

Repeat your key message creatively, not robotically.

Make it stick. Make it memorable.

5. Connect To A Larger Vision

Jobs tied the iPhone to Apple's history of revolutionary products, changing its name from "Apple Computer" to "Apple."

Your offer should serve a bigger vision and mission that you share with your customers.

Show them the forest, not just the trees.

6. Make It Personal

"I didn't sleep a wink last night, I was so excited," Jobs shared. 

Vulnerability creates connection. Let your audience see the human behind the product.

Your authenticity is your secret sales weapon.

7. Close With Inspiration

Jobs ended with Wayne Gretzky's quote:

"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." 

Leave your audience inspired and motivated to take action. 

Give them a vision of the future they can't resist being part of.

8. Practice Relentlessly

Jobs rehearsed for hours, perfecting every detail.

Great storytelling looks effortless, but it's the result of deliberate practice.

Treat your presentations like an athlete treats training. 

Repetition breeds excellence.

9. Simplify Complex Ideas

Jobs made revolutionary tech accessible to everyone.

Your audience shouldn't need a PhD to understand your value proposition.

If you can’t explain your idea to a 5-year-old, simplify it until you can.

10. Create An Experience

Jobs didn't just launch a product. 

He crafted an unforgettable moment.

Turn your pitch into an immersive experience. 

Engage all senses.

Make your audience feel like they're part of something special.

__

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Sales are simple when you understand this secret: 

The moment you start selling, you've lost.

I used to be terrified of sales calls.

Now my team and I close without ever feeling like we're "selling."

Using a proven system I call “Pitch OS”.

I've taught this exact system to founders who went from struggling to book calls to closing 30-50% of their prospects.

Here's the 6-step sales system:

1. Lead With Curiosity

Most salespeople start by talking about themselves. 

Big mistake.

Instead, ask open-ended questions:

• "What are you looking to achieve?"
• "Tell me about your current situation"
• "What made you book this call today?"

Then shut up and listen. 

2. Clarify Their Challenges

You can’t help your prospect if you don’t truly understand their situation.

Some great follow-up questions I use:

• "Tell me more about that"
• "Why is that important to you?"
• "What impact does that have on your life?”

Care about what they say here.

The key is to dig deeper:

• "How long has this been an issue?"
• "What happens if this doesn't get solved?"

Their answers become your roadmap.

3. Co-Create Their Ideal Outcome

Once you understand their challenges, help them paint a picture of what success looks like:

• "What's the ultimate goal here?"
• "What would this allow you to do?"

This creates a vision they're emotionally invested in.

4. Contrast Cost of Inaction vs. Investment

Most people aren't afraid of the cost of your solution.

They're afraid of making a change.

Ask them: "If nothing changes, where will you be in 6 months?"

Help them see what inaction will cost them.

5. Present Your Solution As The Bridge

After successfully going through steps 1-4, I transition into the bridge:

"Based on what you've shared, I think I can help because of my experience in [solving their problem]. Here's how we'd get you to [their ideal outcome]."

I structure my solution around 3-4 clear pillars that directly address their challenges:

"The first thing we'll do is build out what I call [Pillar 1], which will solve [Challenge 1 they mentioned]."

Then, I’d go through each one in detail, following the same format. 

6. No Manipulation

I never use:

• Fake scarcity ("only 2 spots left!")
• False urgency ("price doubles tomorrow!")

Instead, I'm radically honest about what my solution can & cannot do.

Sales don't have to feel gross.

Remember: Trust is built before the call, not during it.

That's why my Content GPS makes sales effortless:

• Monthly workshops with immense value
• Weekly newsletter building a true relationship
• Daily content on social media solving real problems

By the time someone books a call, they're pre-sold on your expertise.

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Vlad Rozenberg

10 habits that will make you happier than 98% of people:

1. Take Care of Your Health

You only get one mind and one body.

Both must last you a lifetime.

Habits formed in your 20s and 30s will determine how you live in your 60s and 70s.

Take your health seriously.

Without it, you have nothing.

2. Give Sincere Appreciation

Practice gratitude daily.

It helps you keep things in perspective.

If you’re reading this, you probably have access to:

• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• Tech
• Internet

Appreciate it, then plan to seize the day.

3. Pay it Forward

Studies show random acts of kindness improve well-being.

You can practice paying it forward by:

• Holding the door for someone
• Picking up trash outside
• Giving a compliment

One simple action can alter the trajectory of your day.

4. Choose Optimism

Optimists encourage you to live out your dreams.

Pessimists tell you to stay as you are, never changing.

Pessimists often sound smart.

But in the long run, optimists are the ones who live a life they’re proud of.

5. Reduce Your Wants

It is not the man who has too little that is poor.

It is the man who craves more.

Happiness is not the result of external objects.

It is instead an internal sense of fulfillment.

Find your minimal lifestyle.

6. Don't Compare Yourself to Others

Comparison is the thief of joy.

There will always be someone:

• Who is healthier
• Who has more money
• Who's "living" a better life

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday.

If you are 1% better today, you’re winning.

7. Ignore the Nonessential

Shiny object syndrome kills motivation and growth.

It's commonplace today.

There is always a new opportunity or distraction available.

But in the long run, it will be those who can stay focused on what’s most important who will be most successful.

8. Constantly Read

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.

Anyone who doesn’t only lives one.

Books give you access to the:

• Thoughts
• Stories
• Philosophies

of those who came before you.

Don't navigate life without pre-existing playbooks.

9. Prioritize Growth

If you’re not growing, you’re dying.

There is no such thing as stagnant.

A 1% improvement in a day is a 3,700% improvement in a year.

Every morning ask yourself, “how can I improve today?”

10. Write Daily

Putting your thoughts on paper forces you to organize them.

If you lack understanding, it will expose gaps in your thinking.

This is valuable information, as you can now fill in these gaps.

Use writing to sharpen your thinking and increase your brainspace.

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Here's how to scale (without selling your soul):

1. The Faster You Grow, The More You Must Slow Down

Speed without systems creates chaos.

Slow down to speed up.

2. Scaling Chaos Doesn't Create Freedom, It Multiplies Pain

Fix the foundation before you scale the building.

3. What Got You Here Is Hustle, What Gets You There Is Harmony

Different stages require different strategies.

4. Build Systems, Not Stress

Systems eliminate the need for heroics.

5. If It Drains You, It Doesn't Scale

Energy is your currency. 

Spend it wisely.

6. Your Nervous System Is Your Operating System

If your body is in fight-or-flight, you can't think strategically.

7. Freedom Is The Ultimate KPI

Revenue is vanity. 

Freedom is the metric that matters.

8. Complexity Is Ego Wearing A Productivity Costume

Simple systems beat sophisticated chaos every time.

9. Simplicity Compounds Faster Than Speed

Elegant solutions outlast complicated hacks.

10. Don't Chase More. Design Less, But Better

More isn't the answer. 

Better is.

11. The Founder Who Can Relax Under Pressure Wins

Calm is a competitive advantage.

12. Stillness Is A Strategy, Not A Vacation

Your best ideas come in silence, not chaos.

13. You Don't Need More Time, You Need Fewer Decisions

Decision fatigue kills more companies than lack of effort.

14. Every System Is Designed To Protect Your Energy

Design your business around your wellbeing, not against it.

15. Energy Creates Clarity. Clarity Creates Systems. Systems Create Freedom

It all starts with managing your energy.

16. Work Should Feel Like A Creative Ritual, Not A Survival Drill

If you dread Mondays, something is broken.

17. Profit Means Nothing If Peace Is Missing

What's the point of wealth if you're too stressed to enjoy it?

18. The Goal Isn't To Escape Work, It's To Enjoy Building Again

Fall back in love with the process.

19. Burnout Is What Happens When Your Calendar Owns You

Take back control of your time.

20. True Leverage Is A Peaceful Mind Directing Powerful Systems

Calm + systems = unstoppable.

21. Automate The Repetitive. Delegate The Rest. Keep The Art

Your genius work can't be delegated. 

Everything else can.

22. Build In A Way Your Future Self Will Thank You For

Short-term wins that destroy long-term health aren't wins.

23. Don't Scale To Escape Your Life. Scale To Express Your Soul

Build something that reflects who you actually are.

24. The Real Exit Is Daily Freedom

 Founders are scaling the wrong things.

They're scaling revenue while sacrificing health.

But what if you could build a company that grows without consuming you?

That's what scaling without selling your soul looks like.

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Good habits are the new antidepressants.

If you're in a bad spot in your life, read this:

1. Remove Negative People

Negative energy is contagious.

It infects and saps your spirit.

I have a simple test, after meeting someone, do I:

Feel full of energy?
Feel drained?

To escape the darkness, cut out those who embody it.

2. Be Vulnerable

I used to think vulnerability made me weak, but vulnerability sparks all meaningful connections.

Be real and open your heart.

And diminish your stresses into collaborative problems to solve with your loved ones.

3. Grow Your Network

If you're in a conversation you find boring, the problem's not the other person; it's you.

Everyone has valuable expertise on something.

You just need to extract it.

Genuine interest is the catalyst to your circle expanding on autopilot.

4. Embrace Solitude

Loneliness ≠ solitude.

Solitude is an essential pillar to knowing yourself.

Cultivate it by doing something normally "social" alone, eat dinner, go to the park, or attend a movie.

It's your secret garden where self-discovery blooms.

5. Life Doesn't Owe You Anything

Nothing's free in life, you have to go out and win it.

Expecting something from the world is just plain ignorance.

And it's how you set yourself up for disappointment.

Life’s ledger balances action with reward, not wishes with handouts.

6. Never Feel Sorry for Yourself

Considering yourself a victim saps your sovereignty.

You've left your destiny down to the world's whims - vs grasping it yourself.

It's simple: if you've chosen the wrong road, go back and find the right one.

7. Don't Worry About What Others Think

Never seek others' approval.

Only your own.

Because, besides, no one cares as much as you think anyway - that's the beauty of the Spotlight Effect.

Focus on self-respect: it's the most rewarding respect of all.

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11 habits that will transform your life in 3 months:

1. Get Morning Sunlight

This is essential to get your body in great health.

It’s proven to:

• Release cortisol, priming your brain for focus
• Improve overall mood and emotional regulation
• Set a circadian rhythm, which will help you fall asleep at night

2. Hide Your Phone

Our attention is constantly pulled in a million directions.

Notifications from our phones are the most powerful distraction.

Turn on airplane mode, set aside 4 hours, and focus on deep work.

Your output will dramatically increase.

3. Take a Cold Shower

There’s no better way to feel alert and awake than a cold shower.

Forcing yourself to get in makes the rest of your day easier.

You’ll also get:

• A boost in metabolism
• An increase in dopamine
• Enhanced muscle recovery

4. Make Your Bed

Start your day with a win.

Use this momentum for the rest of the day.

A 1-minute practice sets the tone for the next 12 hours.

One small action serves as the trigger for a great day.

5. Review Your Goals

Set process goals over end goals.

Reading 10 pages a day is less intimidating than reading a 1000-page novel.

Running for 10 minutes is less intimidating than running a marathon.

Once you commit to strong daily habits, the end goal will take care of itself.

6. Upgrade Your Sleep

Your sleep defines your productivity:

• No screen 1 hour before bed 
• Stop drinking caffeine after noon
• Cut out naps and late-night snacks

7. Upgrade Your Nutrition

You are what you eat.

If you eat like shit, you’ll feel like shit.

• Cut out sugars 
• Cut out processed foods
• Eat easily-digestible foods (0 bloating)

8. Walk Without Technology

Our brain needs time away from constant stimulation.

Our mind needs time to:

• Rest
• Recharge
• Recalibrate ideas

Letting your mind wander is key in the idea-generation process.

9. Have To-Do’s Ready For When You Wake Up

Plan out your morning the night before.

Having a plan:

• Reduces anxiety 
• Promotes great sleep
• Gets you productive immediately the next day

Prevents distractions from disturbing your deep work periods.

10. Walk After Meals

Walking after eating is essential to keep your performance high throughout the day.

It is proven to:

• Aid in digestion
• Boost your metabolism
• Keep energy levels high

Just a 10-minute walk after every meal will kickstart these benefits.

11. Send a Nice Text

Human connections are the most valuable in life.

Nice texts make someone’s day.

But they also:

• Make you feel good
• Give you a reason to reconnect
• Allows you to disconnect from work

__

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Sid R

I used to be depressed, broke, and anxious. 

Now, I only work 4 hours per day and travel the world. 

10 habits that transformed my life:

1. Daily Deep Work

Dedicate the first few hours of your day to deep, focused work on your needle-moving work.

No phone, no social media, no distractions.

This is when your mind is freshest and most creative.

Protect this time at all costs.

2. The AED System

Automate, Eliminate, Delegate

Ruthlessly apply this system to every task.

• Automate repetitive tasks
• Eliminate unnecessary ones
• Delegate what does not require your unique skills

Your time is gold; start acting like it.

3. Quarterly Resets

Every quarter, take a step back, take a break, and reassess your goals, strategies, and habits.

What's working? What's not? Make adjustments.

Regular resets ensure that I stay aligned with my long-term vision and core values.

4. Focus on the 4 W of Work

Optimize the Who, What, Where, and When of your work:

• Who: Surround yourself with high-performers
• What: Focus on high-impact tasks
• Where: Create an optimal environment
• When: Leverage your natural energy

Small tweaks yield huge gains.

5. Sobriety

Eliminating alcohol was a game-changer for my productivity and clarity.

No hangovers, brain fog, or wasted time.

Sobriety allows you to operate at your peak consistently.

You need to be sober to change your life for the better.

6. No Agenda, No Meeting

With my team, if a meeting doesn't have a clear agenda and desired outcome, it doesn't happen.

Period.

This simple rule eliminates countless hours of pointless meetings.

Work matters, but most of your meetings don’t.

7. No Meetings in the Morning

Mornings are for deep work, not meetings.

Protect your peak creative hours.

Schedule meetings in the afternoon when your energy naturally dips.

Systemize your life.

8. Hell Yes or No

This is an extension of AED.

If an opportunity or request isn't a "Hell Yes!", it's a no.

Ruthlessly guard your time and attention.

Saying no to the mediocre allows you to say yes to the exceptional.

9. Personal Time/Energy Audit

Track how you spend your time for a week.

Categorize activities as energizing or draining.

Then, systematically eliminate or minimize the draining activities.

The time audit raises your hourly rate by thousands of dollars.

10. Daily Exercise

Those who prioritize fitness enjoy a life expectancy up to 7 years longer.

Your quality and duration of life is determined by your fitness habits.

Exercise is key to unlocking your full potential.

I don’t care if it sounds corny: health is wealth.

__

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If you want to give yourself a personal MBA, read these 10 books:

1. Zero to One 
by Peter Thiel 

Subject: Strategy and Positioning 

Lessons: 

• Last can be first 
• Rivalry causes us to copy the past 
• Progress comes from monopoly, not competition

2. Expert Secrets 
by Russel Brunson 

Subject: Marketing 

Lessons: 

• Maintain absolute certainty 
• The riches are in the niches 
• Convince with emotion first, then logic

3.$100M Offers 
by Alex Hormozi 

Subject: Sales 

Lessons: 

• Create grand slam offers 
• Find the starving crowd 
• The fundamental equation of value

4. Deep Work 
by Cal Newport 

Subject: Productivity 

Lessons: 

• Embrace boredom
• Create daily rituals 
• Find your work-style 
• Treat work like a craft

5. The War of Art 
by Steven Pressfield 

Subject: Unlocking Creativity 

Lessons: 

• Live your unlived life 
• Embrace and expect fears 
• Recognize resistance and love misery

6. Get Together 
by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto

Subject: Community

Lessons: 

• Attracting authentic community members 
• Developing community leaders

7. Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter 
by 50 Cent

(Highly recommend the audiobook - he narrates himself) 

Subject: Hustle 

Lessons: 
• Finding fearlessness
• Constructing your crew 
• The power of perception

8. Obviously Awesome 
by April Dunford 

Subject: Positioning 

Lessons: 
• Layering on trends 
• The 6 components of positioning 
• Mapping attributes and features to "value themes"

9. The Minimalist Entrepreneur 
by Sahil Lavingia 

Subject: Entrepreneurship 

Lessons: 
• Market by being you
• Build as little as possible 
• Sell to your first hundred customers

10. The Ride of a Lifetime 
by Robert Iger 

Subject: Leadership 

Lessons: 
• Pursue perfection 
• Learn to love exertion
• Lead with calm while encouraging risk

—

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Plenty of founders are using AI wrong.

They're treating it like a tool when it's actually a force multiplier.

I've spent the last year rebuilding my entire operation around AI.

Here are the 6 skills you need to dominate in the AI era:

1. Workflow Design

This is the foundation.

I built AI projects for every part of my business.

One for YouTube scripts. 
One for email sequences. 
One for sales frameworks.

My team gets 5X output because I designed the workflows that AI executes.

Most people ask AI random questions and wonder why they get random results.

Elite founders design repeatable workflows that AI amplifies.

2. Voice-to-Text

I save hundreds of hours a month by speaking my thoughts instead of typing them.

I voice-dump ideas for new offers.

I expand on YouTube scripts by talking through frameworks.

I capture way more detail than I ever could typing.

Voice-to-text isn't just faster. 

It's richer.

Your spoken thoughts contain nuance that typing never captures.

3. AI-Assisted Content Creation

My secret weapon: 

200+ documentation files loaded into my AI project.

My social team references them to conceptualize assets.

AI suggests the idea and copy.

The team designs the final product.

Result: 

7 posts a week. 
Zero AI-looking content. 
100% on brand.

AI handles the heavy lifting. Humans add the polish.

4. Loom AI SOPs

Record once. Never explain again.

I Loom my process. AI generates the transcript plus action items.

My team has the SOP forever.

90% of "Can you show me how to..." questions disappear overnight.

5. Sales Call Analysis

AI listens to my best sales calls.

It pulls the exact phrases that make people buy.

It tells me the top 5 objections and how I handled them.

I use that language everywhere: emails, scripts, landing pages.

40% conversion increase.

This is the closest thing to reading your customer's mind.

6. Data Dashboard

Every morning, 10 minutes.

AI shows me my biggest bottleneck.

It's like having a COO in my pocket.

I don't need to dig through spreadsheets or guess where the problem is.

The data tells me exactly where to focus.

Here's what most people miss:

AI doesn't replace your thinking.

It amplifies it.

You bring the strategy, the ideas, the stories, the voice.

AI brings the execution, the formatting, the multiplication.

Master these 6 skills and you'll operate at a level most founders can't touch.

The future doesn't belong to people who use AI.

It belongs to people who design systems that AI executes flawlessly.

—

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I built an AI clone trained on 16 years of my knowledge that handles 80% of my daily decisions.

Now I'm showing you exactly how to build your own.

Get the free 9-day Founder Clone email course here:  https://lnkd.in/eKuYDxtE

6 Skills For The New AI Era

If I could go back and tell 20-year-old Matt what actually matters, here's what I'd say:

1. Your Energy Is The True Currency

 Money compounds when your energy does

You can't build wealth if you're exhausted.

Protect your energy like your bank account depends on it. 

2. Discomfort Is The Tuition For Growth

Every time you feel resistance, you're at the edge of growth.

Lean into it.

3. Focus Is A Spiritual Act 

Every distraction is a prayer to mediocrity

What you give attention to grows.

Choose carefully.

4. Rest Is A Weapon, Not A Weakness

Recovery isn't optional. It's strategic.

The best performers rest intentionally.

5. The Version Of You That Got You Here Can't Take You There

Who you were yesterday won't build tomorrow.

Evolve or repeat.

6. Comparison Kills Creativity

Your only competition is the person you were yesterday.

Stay in your lane.

7. The Hardest Part Of Leadership Is Letting Go

Control is comfortable. Delegation is freedom.

Learn to trust your team.

8. The More You Chase, The Further They Run

Desperation repels. Confidence attracts.

Build yourself first.

9. You Don't Rise To Your Goals, You Fall To Your Systems

Goals are wishes. Systems are results.

Build better systems.

10. Wealth Is What Happens When Purpose Becomes Procedural

Money follows systems, not motivation.

Automate your path to wealth.

11. Clarity Is Violent

Real clarity requires cutting away everything that doesn't matter.

It's painful. It's necessary.

12. Repetition Isn't Boring, It's The Rhythm Of Mastery

Excellence is boring to build and exciting to witness.

Embrace the grind.

13. Your Content Is Your Consciousness Made Public

What you share reveals who you are.

Make it count.

14. If It Isn't Measured, It Isn't Mastered

You can't improve what you don't track.

Measure everything that matters.

15. You Can't Copy Conviction

Authenticity can't be faked or replicated.

Your uniqueness is your moat.

16. You Don't Find Purpose, You Design It

Purpose isn't discovered in a cave. It's built through action.

Start building.

17. The Future Belongs To Founders Who Can Write, Automate, And Hire Top Talent

These three skills create infinite leverage.

Master them.

18. You Can't Scale Chaos

Fix the foundation before you scale the building.

Systems beat hustle.

19. Every Environment Either Amplifies Or Destroys You

Your environment shapes you more than your willpower.

Design it intentionally.

20. Simplicity Is Genius

Complexity is ego. Simplicity is mastery.

The best solutions are the simplest ones.

__

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Mark Twain once said: 

"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."

Here’s how to find your ‘why’:

The catalyst for finding your why is a concept called Ikigai.

It’s a Japanese word that translates to "reason for being."

I came across it years ago when I was completely lost and didn’t know where to go.

This simple exercise transformed my life. 

Ikigai is the intersection of four crucial elements:

1. What you love
2. What you're good at
3. What the world needs
4. What you can be paid for

Finding this sweet spot is like unlocking your personal cheat code for success and happiness.

Here’s what mine looks like:

At the end of this exercise, you will find a few topics in the center of the diagram. 

This becomes your compass that guides you towards work that aligns with your values.

Follow this path and you will never have to work a day in your life. 

You’ll live "Every Day Retirement."

I speak from experience here. 

After discovering my Ikigai and aligning my business with it, everything changed. 

My audience exploded: 

• Twitter grew to 350K
• LinkedIn grew to 700K
• Newsletter subscribers grew to 137K 

Never underestimate the power of clarity.

After finding your purpose, internalize these 5 golden rules of Ikigai:

• Give thanks
• Follow your ikigai
• Reconnect with Nature
• Take it slow, enjoy the journey
• Surround yourself with positivity

Master these to live a calm and fulfilled life.

1. Take It Slow, Enjoy The Journey

Solutions come when we stop forcing them. 

Sooner or later, you realize you don’t need to be in such a rush.

The goal isn't just to get there. It's to have fun along the way.

You’re not in a race; you’re in a marathon.

2. Surround Yourself With Positivity

People are everything.

Recruit A-players who believe in your mission and learn from mentors 10 steps ahead of you. 

“You’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with” - Jim Rohn

Surround yourself with people who inspire you.

3. Reconnect With Nature

Take regular breaks in nature.

It resets your mind and provides fresh perspectives.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu

Embrace the fact that nature is your greatest mentor.

4. Give Thanks

Gratitude will show you that true fulfillment doesn't come from external sources but from self-awareness.

When I'm in a slump, being grateful always pulls me out of it by putting my problems in perspective.

It turns what I have into enough.

5. Follow Your Ikigai

You have just discovered what sets your soul on fire. 

When you align your business with your purpose, your energy becomes electric. 

Without it, I wouldn’t have reached my full potential. 

—

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How to build a 4-person team that creates 200+ pieces of content per month:

Most founders try to do content alone.

They burn out, get inconsistent, and give up.

Here's how I built a media machine:

1. The Solo Creator Problem

Doing content alone means:

• Tracking all metrics
• Managing all platforms
• Handling all distribution
• Creating every piece yourself

This doesn't scale.

2. The Media Team Framework

I don't create content. 

I design content systems.

Role 1: Content Strategist (Me)

• 4 hours per month
• Set overall direction
• Provide strategic input
• Create flagship content

Role 2: Content Editor

• Full-time role
• Maintain brand voice
• Ensure quality standards
• Transform raw ideas into polished content

Role 3: Visual Designer

• Part-time role
• Design video thumbnails
• Build presentation slides
• Create scroll-stopping graphics

Role 4: Distribution Manager

• Part-time role
• Manage content calendar
• Handle all platform posting
• Track performance metrics

3. The Content Multiplication System

I create 1 piece of flagship content per week.

My team transforms it into:

• 3 blog posts
• 1 newsletter
• 1 YouTube video
• 1 podcast episode
• 5 short-form videos
• 7 social media posts
• 10 micro-content pieces

Total: 28 pieces from 1 original.

3. The Hiring Strategy

Don't hire content creators. 

Hire content operators.

Content creators think in pieces. 

Content operators think in systems.

The Onboarding Process

Week 1: Voice Training

• Learn our frameworks
• Study my best content
• Practice writing in my style
• Get feedback on early attempts

Week 2: System Training

• Learn our workflows
• Understand our tools
• Practice content creation
• Get comfortable with processes

Week 3: Quality Control

• Refine approach
• Prove capability
• Create test content
• Receive detailed feedback

Week 4: Full Integration

• Hit production targets
• Maintain quality standards
• Take on full responsibilities
• Create content independently

The Results

Before (just me):

• Limited reach
• Constant stress
• 5 posts per week
• Inconsistent quality

After (team of 4):

• 10x reach
• Consistent quality
• Systemized process
• 200+ pieces per month

The Investment

Total team cost: $22,000/month 

Content revenue generated: $264,000/month 

ROI: 1,200%

—

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How To Scale With A Small Team

Dino Depasquale

Harsh truth I wish I knew at 18:

Getting a degree is a complete waste of time. 

I've built different businesses without ever needing mine.

Skip the degree and learn these 27 sentences instead:

1. A confused mind always says no. Clarity in your offer is non-negotiable.

2. The goal of marketing isn't to be clever; it's to be clear.

3. Your offer should be a painkiller, not a vitamin.

4. The riches are in the niches. Own your category. 

5. The most powerful marketing tactic? Word of mouth. 

6. Provide value with 0 expectations of anything in return.

7. Build your product after talking to customers, not before. 

8. People buy with emotion, then justify with logic.

9. Your customer's story is more powerful than yours.

10. Your brand is a promise. Your customer experience is the fulfillment of that promise.

11. Your business is a reflection of you. Evolve yourself to evolve your business.

12. Systems beat goals every time. Build a business that runs without you.

13. Sell the transformation, not the product.

14. Automate, delegate, or eliminate to buy back your time. 

15. Perfectionism is an illusion. Done is better than perfect.

16. Attention is the new oil, and your personal brand is the pipeline.

17. No agenda, no meeting. Eliminate pointless gatherings.

18. Implement the 80/20 rule to everything. Focus on what truly moves the needle.

19. Focus on being irreplaceable, not just profitable.

20. Build a business that serves you, not the other way around.

21. Embrace experimentation over perfectionism. Test, learn, iterate.

22. Listen more than you talk. 

23. Know your customers better than they know themselves. 

24. Make something people want.

25. Do things that are obvious. 

26. Fall in love with the problem, not your solution.

27. Love the customer. Don’t build a business around people you hate.

—

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Money without meaning is prison.

You have roughly 4,000 weeks if you're lucky.

You've already used a bunch of them working on things that don't matter.

Here's how to build a life you don't need to escape from in 2026:

Your Ikigai sits at the intersection of 4 things:

What you love. 
What you're great at. 
What the world needs. 
What you can be paid for.

Find that center, and every decision runs through it.

1. What You Love

What could you do for free?
What makes you lose track of time?
What would you build even if no one paid you?

That's your fuel.

Without it, you're just trading time for money.

And that's how you build a business that feels like a job.

2. What You're Great At

What comes easy to you that's hard for others?
What do people ask you for help with?

This is your unfair advantage.

It's not just what you can do. 

It's what you can do better than anyone else without even trying.

3. What The World Needs

What problems are you obsessed with solving?
What keeps your ideal client up at night?
What transformation do they desperately need?

If you can't answer this clearly, you don't have a business.

You have a hobby.

4. What You Can Be Paid For

What would someone invest $10K to learn from you?

If you can't answer that, you're not ready yet.

The center of these four circles is your North Star.

Every decision runs through this.

Should I take this client? Does it align with my Ikigai?

Should I launch this product? Does it serve my North Star?

Should I spend my time on this? Does it move me closer to the center?

When you're operating from your Ikigai, work doesn't feel like work.

You're not chasing someone else's definition of success.

You're not building a business that feels like a job.

You're building a life you actually want to live.

Here's the brutal truth:

You only get 4,000 weeks.

You've already spent a bunch of them chasing the wrong things.

Climbing ladders leaned against the wrong walls.

Building businesses that trapped you instead of freeing you.

Your Ikigai is how you make sure you don't stay trapped in a business that owns you.

2026 is the year you stop escaping your life and start building one you never want to leave.

Find your Ikigai. 
Let it guide every decision. 
Build from the center.

__

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Build A Life You Don't Need To Escape From

13 steps to build a $15k/month side hustle:

1. Ask Yourself: "What Topics Can I Help People Get Massive Clarity On?"

Start with what you already know.

Ask your friends and co-workers what you're an expert in.

You don't need to be the world's best. 

You just need to be ahead of your audience.

2. Distill Your Value

By helping someone achieve massive clarity, what are they able to achieve?

This is your value proposition.

If you can't articulate the transformation, neither can your customers.

3. Pick A Platform. Where Do The People That Need Your Help Reside?

LinkedIn is perfect for professionals looking for growth.

Fast algorithm. 
High intent audience.

Go where your customers already are.

4. Create Daily Content That Talks About The Clarity You Can Provide

Document what you know.

Share insights. 
Answer questions. 
Provide value daily.

Consistency beats perfection.

5. DM Every Account That Interacts With Your Content

Ask them what they do and what their goals are.

This isn't selling. It's connecting.

Build relationships before you need them.

6. If You Can Help Them With Their Goals, Ask Them If They'd Want To Jump On A 1:1 Call

Offer value first. Always.

Most people will say yes to a free consultation if you've already provided value.

7. Run A Consultation On Zoom

Afterward, reflect on:

• What exercises worked? 
• What were their major blockers? 
• What resources could I create to increase the value? 

Every consultation is market research.

8. Do 20 More Consultations To Understand

Pattern recognition beats guessing.

• What outcomes can I promise? (Better sales systems)
• Who is my target demographic? (Early stage leaders)

9. After Every Consultation, Add Each Member To A Group Chat 

Community is your moat.

Give people a place to connect with each other, not just you.

10. Start Creating Longer-Form Content

Show your work and build authority.

• Case studies of consultations
• Breakdowns of what processes you are teaching

11. Give Them The Option To Opt Into A Paid Community

• Weekly Q&A
• Daily standup
• Monthly goal check-ins

Free gets them in. 

Value keeps them paying.

12. Redirect Traffic From Your Content

Your content → New website → Stripe checkout → Calendly 1:1 link

Make it frictionless to buy.

13. As The Community Grows, Invest To Make It Stronger

• Coaches
• AI 1:1 match-making
• Community managers

Scale by adding leverage, not hours.

__

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Chris Donnelly

Founder (Business Acquired by Croud)

Founder | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing & AI

Cofounder of Searchable: 

An Autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer 
Analyse, fix, & scale your website to drive customers

Work out how to master AI Search here: searchable.com

The short life story 

I decided to skip the corporate job & start a digital marketing agency at 21. Here is the journey so far: 

Age 21: Bootstrapped Adjust Media at university making websites 
Age 22: Left Uni and rebranded to Verb Brands
Age 27: Acquired DBD Media Ltd, their 20 staff & expanded to digital marketing
Age 28: Won Bugatti & recognised as leading luxury agency
Age 30: Sell entirety of Verb Brands to Croud & LDC in an 8-figure deal
Age 31: Founded Lottie Org w/ Will Donnelly (Grow revenue to 8 figures, raise $35m & hire 100 people).
Age 32: Launch my Media, Education and Investment business
Age 33: Launched the Creator Accelerator and reached 8 figures in revenue
Age 34: Co Founded Searchable

It’s been a journey. 

Through Searchable.com I help founders and marketers to grow their organic traffic on auto pilot with our autonomous Seo and Aeo tool: searchable.com

Through my investment company, we support and invest into Entrepreneurs running incredible businesses, and with our experience as operators, help them scale. 

If you are a founder of a profitable and growing company with approximately $1m+ EBITDA, and you want to see if you can grow faster, reach out. 

If you are not at that level yet, I produce resources to help you get there. 

I run a podcast called Wake Up, and produce content on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram for free.

Commercial enquiries for speaking or brand deals: enquiries@chris-donnelly.co.uk

Co-Founder

Found CRM by Lottie 

A cloud-based care home operation software, mapped and built specifically to the care and retirement industries unique customer journey and supports care homes with CRM, Occupancy, Administration and Finance

Found results in a higher conversion rate, better attribution of marketing spend, saved time and ultimately high occupancy.

Most people blindly use ChatGPT for everything.

The top 1% switch between AI tools: 

I've spent the last year testing every major AI tool.

And I can confidently say that ChatGPT can't do it all. 

Different tools excel at different tasks. 

ChatGPT is a great starting point. 
But Claude destroys it for coding and detailed analysis.
And if you're in the Google sphere, Gemini is the obvious choice. 

This cheat sheet will tell you when to use each one: 

🤖 ChatGPT

What it is: 
↳ An all-round generative model for text, vision, audio, etc.

When to use it: 
- You need versatile output, including writing, coding, image, browsing.
- You want access to plugins, memory, and browsing features.
- Ideal for creative workflows and automation tasks.

Use cases: 
✅ Turn a Notion doc into a polished guide.
✅ Summarise your competitor’s homepage.
✅ Auto-generate outreach emails.

Pros: 
👍 Fast, intuitive, multimodal.
👍 Massive custom GPT ecosystem.
👍 Built-in browsing and memory features.

Cons: 
👎 Free tier = old model (4o).
👎 Still prone to incorrect responses.
👎 Still needs human judgement.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤖 Gemini

What it is: 
↳ Google’s response to GPT. Fully wired into Gmail, Docs, and Search.

When to use it: 
- You live inside Google Workspace.
- You need true multimodal input/output.
- You work with long documents, images, audio, and video together.

Use cases: 
✅ Summarising email threads + attachments.
✅ Creating drafts with chart/image content.
✅ Multimodal research and design workflows.

Pros: 
👍 Deep integration with Google apps.
👍 Handles multi-modal content better.
👍 Great for team collaboration + async prep.

Cons:
👎 Advanced capabilities stuck behind paywall.
👎 Still polishing general chat UX.
👎 Most powerful within the Google ecosystem.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤖 Claude

What it is: 
↳ Anthropic’s answer to high-context reasoning and ethics.

When to use it: 
- For legal, policy, or research output.
- When context depth (200k+ tokens) matters.
- When accuracy and defensibility are non-negotiable.

Use cases: 
✅ Digest a 90-page legal agreement and highlight risks.
✅ Break a research-heavy article into social posts.
✅ Drop in a long script and get code back.

Pros: 
👍 Superior handling of long documents.
👍 Strong accuracy in technical domains.
👍 Writes with a more conversational tone.

Cons:
👎 Doesn’t generate images or audio.
👎 Can be overly conservative in style.
👎 Lacks “quick idea” speed compared to ChatGPT.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

TL;DR:

Don't rely on ChatGPT for everything. 
It's a great tool, but not the only one worth using.  

P.S.

We built Searchable to help your business show up in all of these.

Get your business found in AI Search

If you're interested, check us out, and get started for free:
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

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4. Subscribe to: https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

Co Founder of Searchable.com | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing, Personal Brand & AI

This 2026 LinkedIn Bible is the roadmap to 1M+ followers.

Grab it here for FREE: https://lnkd.in/eVggUbAm

You can either view LinkedIn like a content creation chore, 
Or, like so many successful founders, as part of your business strategy. 

I decided to go all in on LinkedIn 2 years ago,  
And the results have been unbelievable. 

Literally 1000s of warm leads and an entire 8-fig business since then.

All because I built systems that turned LinkedIn into a primary revenue driver.

And now, I'm giving you my complete framework.

This is everything you need to transform LinkedIn into a lead gen machine.

Inside, you'll learn:

✅ The 4 highest-performing post types for lead generation
✅ How to set your 2026 "why" and align content to business outcomes
✅ How to identify your ICP and what content actually resonates with them
✅ The 30/30/30/10 engagement rule that builds genuine relationships at scale
✅ The deplatforming strategy that protects you from algorithm changes forever
✅ Lead magnet to email segmentation flows that move people towards your offer
✅ How to create a community feel in your comments that drives deeper connection
✅ Content repurposing systems for Instagram that multiply your reach with minimal effort

You don't need a content team or years of trial and error.

You need the right positioning, post strategy, and engagement system.

When you grab The 2026 LinkedIn Bible, 
You'll also receive an invite to Lead Generation Live.

It's a free 4-hour masterclass, 
With some of the most respected entrepreneurs in the world:

- Daniel Priestley (Entrepreneur and author of "Key Person of Influence")
- Nathan Barry (Founder of Kit)
- Sara Davies MBE (Founder of Crafter's Companion and Dragon's Den investor)
- Eric Partaker (CEO Coach of the Year with 1.1M LinkedIn followers)

We're covering exactly how to turn attention into actual business growth in 2026.

But I advise you to act quickly.

We're limiting live attendance to 15,000 people, 
And we expect this to go quickly due to the size of our guests' audiences. 

If you can, join us on January 15th from 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm GMT !

If you're ready to turn LinkedIn into a lead generation machine in 2026...

Join here for FREE: https://lnkd.in/eK9phsw8

♻️ Repost to help your network make real progress on LinkedIn in 2026.

P.S Spaces are also flying for "The Creator Accelerator by Chris Donnelly", and when you join Lead Generation LIVE you'll get a one-time offer to join us.

We analysed over 1m LinkedIn posts in 2025...

This is absolutely everything you need to know for 2026: 

Unfortunately for us all, the algorithm did not take a holiday...
And the LinkedIn "game" has changed yet again. 
 
That's why Will McTighe and I spent hours studying the latest data. 
 
So this year can be your best one yet on the platform. 

I'm still seeing the same old practices:  

Bland hook structures, over-relying on motivational quotes, 
And sticking to safe, but irrelevant topics...

If you want to see real growth, you need to know the new rules. 

LinkedIn users want more value and substance than ever before. 

Here’s what will actually win in 2026: 

1. How to build a brand
❌ Go broad for maximum growth. 
✅ Become an authority in your niche. 

2. Text hooks
❌ Generic contrarian hooks.
✅ Proof of work, authority and personal story hooks perform best.

3. Comments that count
❌ “Get as many comments as possible.”
✅ Comments from authority figures have the most impact. 

4. How to go viral
❌ Top 1% posts would get 455x the reach of average posts.
✅ A Top 1% viral post gets ~80% less reach than 12 months ago 

(But you can still grow your business and following...) 

5. Carousels are still king
❌ Purely educational carousels preferred. 
✅ Contrast and storytelling carousels are outperforming.

6. Emojis
❌ A tell-tale sign of AI.
✅ Improve readability.

7. Lead magnets
❌ Just playbooks and step-by-step guides.
✅ Top lead magnets are often GPTs.

8. Questions?
❌ Every post must end with a question. 
✅ Only include genuine questions.  

9. Video
❌ Videos get insane reach. 
✅ Videos are for product demos and building trust.

10. Single images
❌ Generic motivational billboards.
✅ Surprising pictures OR authority pictures.

11. Hashtags
Shock horror, nothing's changed here. 
They're still useless.

It's possible to grow a large LinkedIn following quickly. 

The top 1% of creators are growing by 1,000+ followers per week.

But you need to know how to play the game. 

That's why we've created this 50+ page report. 

It's your rulebook to succeed on LinkedIn in 2026. 

To get access, simply: 

1. Like this post ✅
2. Share it with your network ♻️
3. Join the Saywhat & Creator Accelerator Webinar on January 8th 5:30 pm GMT 🖥️ 

Will and I will break down the playbook step by step and give you: 

- The full ~50-page data report
- Our in-depth analysis of what's changing
- Actionable strategies based on real data
- A live Q&A for your specific questions

Learn more and sign up here: 
https://lnkd.in/ecXxBGTN

♻️ Repost to help others master LinkedIn in 2026. 
Follow Chris Donnelly for more growth strategies like this.

2025 LinkedIn vs 2026 LinkedIn

Successful one-person businesses will be more possible than ever in 2026.

These 6 simple steps will get you there:

If you're feeling stuck, want real financial security, or simply want more time to focus on what matters...

A one-person business is the answer.

It is the key to financial and time freedom.
But you have to be willing to put in the work.

These 6 steps are your roadmap:

1️⃣ Start with leverage and a rising tide

First, come up with an actually good idea.

Ask yourself the questions laid out in the sheet below.

Plus how you can use AI to your advantage here... ↓

2️⃣ Build for AI search and human trust at the same time

In 2026, discovery happens in two places: AI answers and human feeds.

You need both.

What this actually means:

- Your website becomes a source machine AI can understand and cite
- Your personal brand becomes the trust layer machines reference
- Your content answers customer questions clearly

3️⃣ Create one high-margin product that rides the trend

Now anchor your product to the rising tide you identified.

The strongest one-person models in 2026:

- Cohorts or memberships
- Newsletters with paid tiers
- Digital products
- Software or tools
- Templates or frameworks

Check out the sheet for guidance on how to pressure test demand before you build... ↓

4️⃣ Build your marketing funnel (not just content)

Forget complex funnels. In 2026, it's three stages:

Awareness: Make the right people aware you exist

Consideration: Help people decide if you're right for them

Conversion: Turn trust into revenue

5️⃣ Use AI to buy back time

Use it to:

✅ Draft, edit, and repurpose content
✅ Answer repeated customer questions
✅ Analyse what's working and what isn't
✅ Support onboarding, delivery, and support

Don't use it to:

❌ Replace judgement
❌ Hide weak thinking
❌ Scale something that hasn't been proven

6️⃣ Optimise based on your goals

The goal of a one-person business in 2026 isn't "more".

It's to live a simpler, more fulfilling life.

That means:

- Fewer products
- Fewer platforms
- Clear metrics that make sense
- Systems that compound quietly
- A business that works without constant urgency

I've built multiple 8-figure businesses by following these exact principles.

And now I teach others the playbook to do the same.

If you're serious about building leverage in 2026, 
You need to be visible where your customers are searching.

That's why we built Searchable. 

It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that analyses, fixes, 
And scales your website to drive customers. 

Learn more and get started for free here: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

----

📌 If you want a high-res PDF of this sheet:

1. Follow Chris Donnelly.
2. Like the post.
3. Repost to your network.
4. Subscribe to: https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

This funnel powers multimillion-dollar businesses. 

And now I'm giving it to you completely free:

It's the same one I used to build multiple 7-and 8-figure businesses. 

Here's the full breakdown: 

1️⃣ Awareness: Get discovered by people and AI

Online Location

- Founder-led social content. LinkedIn, X, YouTube
- AI search results. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI
- Broad top-of-funnel SEO content

KPIs

- Impressions
- AI mentions and citations
- Organic traffic growth

Strategy

- Publish founder-led POV content to earn attention
- Optimise content for AEO and GEO + Google (SEO)
- Create broad content AI can surface and summarise

2️⃣ Consideration: Educate and nurture that audience

Online Location

- Educational social posts and cheat sheets
- How-to and comparison blog content
- Community platforms. Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn comments

KPIs

- Scroll depth
- Returning visitors
- Product or demo page views

Strategy

- Build mid-funnel SEO content (comparison pages, buyer guides)
- Use gated content (guides, webinars to capture emails)
- Engage in communities AI scrapes (Reddit, Quora)

3️⃣ Intent: Capture high-intent signals

Online Location

- Bottom-funnel SEO. Pricing, reviews, alternatives
- Interactive tools. Calculators, quizzes
- Branded search results + referral traffic

KPIs

- Demo requests
- Form completions
- Branded search growth

Strategy

- Optimise BOF pages for Google and AI citations
- Use interactive tools to surface buying intent
- Showcase proof with structured data

4️⃣ Conversion: Turn intent into revenue

Online Location

- Conversion-focused landing pages
- Email sequences
- Social DMs and follow-ups

KPIs

- Conversion rate
- Revenue per lead
- Card abandonment rate

Strategy 

- Personalise CTAs using behaviour signals
- Test AI-generated page variants
- Layer urgency, e.g. time-bound offers

5️⃣ Loyalty: Compound trust and growth

Online Location

- Email (upsell flows)
- Community platforms (Discord)
- Help centres and support hubs

KPIs

- Retention rate
- Repeat purchase rate
- Referrals

Strategy 

- Build loyalty loops with personalised rewards
- Use AI internally for predictive churn alerts
- Encourage community-led growth with referrals & UGC

Using this funnel, we built:

- The Creator Accelerator to 600+ founders across 5 cohorts
- Lever Brands into a content production engine serving clients globally
- Searchable to $83K MRR in 1 month

This is the most scalable, cost-efficient growth engine out there. 

And the same one we teach through The Creator Accelerator by Chris Donnelly. 

It's doable for any founder willing to dedicate the time and energy. 

Cohort 6 starts January 19th.

But be aware, we are down to our last few spots ! 

Click here to secure your spot: 
https://lnkd.in/eybF9QQG

Early applicants will get access to exclusive resources worth over $2500. 

♻️ Repost to help your network build smarter in 2026.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on building businesses that scale.

There's a good chance your prompts are rubbish.

It's 2026. Let's fix that together:

Lots of you have been using ChatGPT, and AI in general, for a few years now.

For most, it's treated like a Google replacement or a simple problem-solver.
And as a result, the outputs aren't as sophisticated as they could be.

Take these examples to see what the difference between bad, good, and great is:

❌ Bad Prompt

Write a viral LinkedIn post about entrepreneurship.

Why it's bad: it's far too vague to produce anything of value.

✅ Good Prompt

Write 5 LinkedIn posts aimed at founders building real businesses.
I’ll pick the strongest one, explain why it worked, then you’ll rewrite 5 more using that feedback.

Why it's better: it is more specific and allows for iteration and improvements.

✅ ✅ Great Prompt

Role
Act as a founder who has built and sold £10m+ businesses and writes for other founders.

Task
Here are 5 LinkedIn posts I’ve written that performed well: [PASTE POSTS].

Analyse why they worked, then write 5 new posts for founders running £1m+ businesses.

Format
• Short pattern breakdown
• 5 hook-first posts

Constraints
• Founder-first
• No generic motivation
• One clear point per post

Stop when
• Patterns are identified
• 5 posts are written

Context: [INSERT DUMP]

Why it's great: it's clear, detailed, and importantly, uses negative prompting for what not to do.

The last one follows a format my team and I swear by.

1. Role 👤
2. Task 📕
3. Format 📄
4. Warnings ⚠️
5. Reasoning 🧠
6. Stop Conditions 🛑
7. Context Dump 🗑️

It saves us all so much time and brainspace (arguably more important).

Like everything with AI... do not let it replace your thinking.
With each output, be critical about the quality and reprompt as and when necessary.

But not using AI for the sake of "authenticity" just isn't an option in 2026.

How are you getting on with AI? Using it often?
I'm curious to hear in the comments. ⬇️

My new business Searchable helps businesses appear inside these LLMs that you prompt.

If you're a business owner or marketer interested in gaining more visibility for your business...

Learn more and claim your 14-day free trial here:
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to help your network get better at prompting.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more guidance on leveraging AI.

Bad Prompts vs Good Prompts vs Great Prompts

This LinkedIn Coach GPT is trained on 300K+ posts. 

And I'm giving it away for FREE ↓

Consistency and strategy are everything when it comes to LinkedIn. 

After receiving hundreds of messages asking for help in these areas,
I built the 2026 LinkedIn Content Coach. 

The team and I have spent years figuring out what actually works on LinkedIn.

And we put all of that knowledge into this single tool.

It's trained on 300,000+ posts and took 50+ hours to build. 

The GPT is trained to help you with 4 core functions:

✅ Plan your 2026 strategy: 
Get a clear roadmap tailored to your goals and audience

✅ Generate 100+ content ideas: 
Never stare at a blank screen again

✅ Rank your posts: 
Get honest feedback on any draft before you hit publish

✅ Audit your strategy: 
Get specific recommendations to improve reach, engagement, and conversions

It uses proven formats and frameworks that actually perform:

→ Strategy planning based on your business goals
→ Feedback that improves your content before it goes live
→ Post analysis that tells you what's working and what's not
→ Idea generation trained on high-performing content patterns

Only 1% of people post on LinkedIn.

And fewer than that have a real strategy behind what they publish.

There is a huge opportunity here for anyone who starts now.

If you can produce good content with a clear strategy, the benefits are massive.

And this GPT makes it easier than ever.

So stop wasting time guessing what to post next, 
And get a coach that helps you improve your content in seconds.

It has strategy planning, idea generation, post ranking,
And the exact frameworks that drive real business results.

You'll also get an invite to a Free LinkedIn Algorithm Report 2026 Webinar, 
Hosted by myself and the brilliant Will McTighe. 

We analysed 329,504 LinkedIn posts from all of 2025 to see what's really working.  

On the call, you'll learn:

✓ Exactly what changed in the algorithm since Q3 2025
✓ The huge opportunity opening up in certain niches
✓ The four hook patterns that are making people stand out
✓ The two video formats that actually help grow your business
✓ The comments that actually help your reach
✓ 15+ practical tips you can use in your content tomorrow

♻️ Repost this to help your network level up on LinkedIn. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more tools and strategies like this.

UPDATE: Due to the volume of comments I am sharing the GPT here !
https://lnkd.in/eph4f4dQ

The last 365 days have seen more changes than the last two decades. 

I predict 2026 will follow suit.

Here are my 2026 predictions for AI, marketing, and business:

1. ChatGPT traffic won’t beat Google on volume. But it will rival it on conversions. People won’t “search” for products. They’ll ask ChatGPT what to buy.

2. Vibe coding will die and demand for expert engineers will rise. AI can speed things up, but it can’t replace thinking. Businesses will realise they still need experts to guide it. Genuinely, if you thought you built slack in a weekend, you do not understand Slack. 

3. AI won’t feel impressive anymore. People will see through it. What matters is how AI augments human workflows. Copycat, vibe-coded apps won’t last.

4. SaaS and agents will blur into one category. Every SaaS will add agentic features. Every agent will need SaaS fundamentals. Those that don’t adapt won’t survive.

5. Analog businesses will surge. In-person events, film cameras, magazines. These become status signals as people crave craftsmanship and real connection.

6. Specialised, vertical AI models will drive innovation. Real innovation will come from vertical models in regulated sectors like healthcare, finance, and public safety.

7. AI-powered education will disrupt traditional learning. Parents who adapt will use AI as a coach to build personalised learning around skills that actually matter.

8. Widened gap between "leaders" and "laggards". AI-mature companies will win through better decisions, better foundational data, and stronger customer experience.

9. The dead internet theory becomes visible in 2026. Bots already dominate traffic. Expect more gated spaces, stronger identity checks, and friction to prove you’re human.

10. Hybrid creator-media models will rise in popularity. Editorial standards, recurring formats, and diversified revenue like memberships, courses, and SaaS.

11. Long-form video will dominate socials in 2026. People are tired of short-form junk. Long-form builds trust and depth at scale.

(Here's hoping.)

12. Platforms like Substack will keep growing. Especially for thinkers who layer written content with audio and video.

13. We’re entering a zero-trust era. Content supply is infinite. Knowing what’s real won’t be obvious. Verification and authentication will matter.

14. The quiet winners will focus on basics. Clean data, good tracking, and deep customer understanding, while others chase shiny AI tools.

15. Multimodality won’t be the priority yet. Investment stays focused on reasoning and coding, the foundations of strong models.

What's one prediction you have for 2026?
Let me know in the comments.

If prediction #1 comes true, and I believe it will, 
Your business needs to be visible in AI search.

That's why we built Searchable.

Learn more and get started for free: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to share these insights with your audience.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more business building insights.

My 2026 Predictions by Chris Donnelly

2025: The year of AI-powered mediocre businesses.

2026: The silent winners will focus on the foundations.

AI has been a massive shift in business. We all know that.

There are countless very young companies that rocketed to 8-figure+ ARR.

But, as you will see, lots of these same businesses will collapse.

Because clever AI usage was their only competitive advantage, and it isn't anymore.

My prediction for 2026:
The businesses that will win will focus on the basics.

Clean data, better tracking, and simply understanding what the customer wants.

That all begins with how your operations are looking.
Are you a well-run business that has scalable foundations?

That's what I've created this sheet for.

It's the guide you need to achieve Operational Excellence:

Start with a clear focus.
Without focus, you won't find progress.
Define your goals, remove any distractions, and align on outcomes.

Then, move on to building your systems.
This is ultimately what makes execution repeatable.
Document core workflows, turn actions into playbooks, and define ownership.

Next comes automation.
This is where clever use of AI comes in to scale with leverage.
Remove manual steps, automate repetitive work, and reduce human error.

Then layer in measurement.
Visibility is what creates control in a business.
Track what drives growth, make performance visible, and compare vs targets.

Only then can you continuously improve.
Progress happens through iteration of processes.
Review weekly, double down on what works, and build feedback loops.

In any of the businesses I've scaled to 8-figures of annual revenue, I've sworn by these foundational pillars.

Focus (pardon the pun) on building them in order, and go from there.

Which stage are you at with your business?
I want to hear it in the comments. 

The next step is building an outstanding product.

And the step after that... is getting eyes on your business.

That's what I've helped businesses with for 15+ years and the latest iteration of that is Searchable.

It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that will:
Analyse, fix, and scale your website to drive customers. 

It's only been 30 days since launch, but we've had 1000s of customers get results already.

Learn more and get started for free here:
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to help your audience nail the business fundamentals.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more business-building guidance.

SEO has changed. It's now adapt or get left behind.

When was the last time you Googled anything?

ChatGPT is now the go-to source for millions of people.

And that's where your brand needs to show up to stay visible. 

SEO in 2026 isn't about ranking on Google alone.

It's about also being mentioned in ChatGPT answers and AI overviews. 

Here's the new playbook:

(See the carousel for more details ↓) 

Step 1: Audit Your Current Visibility
↳ Test where you appear across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini.

Action: Run identical prompts across major AI systems and record the results. 

Step 2: Fix Technical Foundations
↳ Implement schema markup, clean up your sitemap, and verify crawlability.

Action: Run your domain through Searchable and identify gaps.

Step 3: Optimise Existing Content
↳ Add FAQs, conversational headers, and language people use with AI.

Action: Rewrite the pages with the most traffic but lowest conversions. 

Step 4: Build Conversation Authority
↳ Create original research and unique data that AI references.

Action: Create a simple industry dataset and publish the insights. 

Step 5: Create AI-Optimised Content
↳ Use Q&A formats, add structured data, and cover topics in depth.

Action: Produce deep, structured topic pages that answer intent.

Step 6: Establish Entity Signals
↳ Secure citations in authoritative sources AI systems trust.

Action: Submit your brand to trusted directories and databases. 

Step 7: Monitor & Scale
↳ Identify content that works and optimise based on visibility data.

Action: Create a weekly tracking sheet and prioritise pages to optimise. 

This is the biggest shift in consumer behaviour in the last two decades.

Your customers have a personal assistant that lives in their pocket.

And if it's not mentioning you, it's recommending your competitors. 

Businesses that establish authority now will dominate the next decade.

Have you started optimising for AI search? 
Comment down below where you're at. 

We built Searchable to solve this exact problem. 

An Autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that will:
Analyse and optimise your site for AI search automatically.

Check us out and get started for free:
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

And we're hiring. 

If you are an elite-level design engineer, software engineer, or GTM specialist...

Apply via our website above or put a comment below to put yourself forward or get me in touch with the right person.

♻️ Repost to help your network prepare for the future of search. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on business growth in the age of AI.

The New 2026 SEO Playbook

Happy Christmas ! 2026 is just 1 week away.

Get a head start and steal these 6 frameworks:

A lot of folks simply don't plan at all.
Even some of those that do, don't prepare properly

Honestly, planning and preparation are essential for achieving anything meaningful. 

Not just for founders, but for anyone who has ambition. 

I was able to build multiple successful businesses because of meticulous planning. 

If you want to set goals and achieve your targets in 2026, 
These 6 frameworks will serve you well: 

1. SMART Goals

The classic framework for turning vague ideas into actionable targets.

Why it's useful:
You walk away with a target you can track, measure, and genuinely achieve.

2. GROW Model

A coaching-style model that turns ambitions into actionable steps.

Why it's useful:
It pushes you to confront your reality and choose the next step.

3. Harvard Model

A simple 5-step approach to help you follow through.

Why it's useful:
It ties goals to your identity and makes progress feel achievable.

4. Tim Ferriss Fear-Setting Model

A system for tackling the goals you've avoided because of fear.

Why it's useful:
It removes the emotional fog that stops people from making progress. 

5. OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)

A fast-moving framework used by world-class teams to stay focused.

Why it's useful:
OKRs force you to define success in numbers. 

6. WOOP Model

A mindset and planning tool that pairs ambition with realism.

Why it's useful:
It builds resilience and keeps you consistent over time.

Preparation distinguishes the people who make and achieve benchmarks...
 
From those who give up on their goals in February. 

Too many founders are fired up in January and depleted by Spring.  

Choose a different path. 

What's your biggest goal for 2026? 
Share it below in the comments. 

Pick one of these frameworks today and apply it to your biggest goal. 
Make 2026 the year you actually follow through on your plans. 

If you want more strategies for building the life you want, 
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Step By Step.

200k+ entrepreneurs use it to turn goals into outcomes:
https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb

♻️ Repost this to help your network start off 2026 on the right foot.  
And follow @Chris Donnelly for more lessons and frameworks like this. 

Ps Today is our son Zac's first Christmas ! 

So excited to spend this time with family. 
Have a great Christmas everyone !

Great to be featured in Forbes talking about LinkedIn.

I’ve been on here for 3 years and reached 1.2m followers...

And I'm always excited to show others how powerful this platform can be. 

Being a LinkedIn creator is a rollercoaster.

There are massive opportunities to earn visibility and generate leads. 

But the algorithm is famously unpredictable. 

And now with the new algorithm, 360 Brew, things are changing once again. 

This isn't "the death of old tactics" as some might claim.
LinkedIn has always been evolving, and we've adapted.

But the principles I touch on in this article will remain true for some time. 

Here's what I told Forbes: 

✅ Your profile signals your authority. 

The algorithm reads your profile to verify your authority. 
Make sure it's as clear as possible. 

✅ Saves are the metric that matters

Bookmarks tell LinkedIn your content is worth coming back to. 
Write posts that would make someone hit that save button. 

✅ Consistency beats timing

As I told Forbes, there has never been a golden hour.  
Make a schedule and be consistent.  

✅ Consider your content formats

Steer away from polls and focus on better-performing formats. 
Shorter, engaging carousels will increase completion rates. 

The nature of how we generate leads on LinkedIn has shifted.

We've gone from gaming the algorithm with hashtags and hiding links, 
To building real authority and creating content worth saving.

2026 can be the year you stop posting more and start earning more.

We've seen 100s of founders do it, and there's no reason you can't be next. 

And now is the perfect time to start ! 

To help with that...

I'm hosting Lead Generation Live on January 15th at 12:30 pm GMT. 

A 4-hour free live event focused on lead generation featuring:

✅ Nathan Barry: Founder of Kit ($50M ARR)
✅ Daniel Priestley: Author of "Key Person of Influence"
✅ Eric Partaker: Built an 8-figure business working 2 days a week
✅ Sara Davies MBE: Founder of Crafter's Companion and a Dragon's Den investor

This isn't a passive webinar where you sit and listen. 

You'll be doing the work in real time, 
And you'll walk away with frameworks you can start using right away. 

So, clear your schedule, find a quiet spot, and we'll see you there:
https://lnkd.in/eqqNdpkP 

And if you want to read the full Forbes article, click here: 
https://lnkd.in/eqztxNzM

♻️ Repost for other founders in your network. 
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on building your audience and business.

Building a startup is harder than most people can imagine.

15 lessons in the order I learned them:

I've built and sold multiple 8-figure businesses.

Each one taught me something the previous one couldn't.

Here's what nobody tells you:

1. Product comes before everything else

If you build something mediocre and market it well, you'll just burn cash on churn.
If you build something people love, they'll become your product champions.

2. Your network will carry you forward

I haven't built any of my businesses alone.
Every business I've scaled came from relationships built years before I needed them.

3. Founder-led personal brand is distribution

3M+ followers didn't happen to me overnight.
But when we launched Searchable, we had distribution to the exact people who needed it.

4. Speed is a competitive advantage

We hit $75K MRR in 20 days because we moved fast.
Ship, test, learn, iterate. No endless planning cycles.

5. Focus on pre-validated markets

We didn't invent AEO. We studied what was already working, took the best parts, and made it 10x better.
You don't have to completely reinvent the wheel to succeed.

6. Give away value for free

High-value free content is the best sales tool you have.
It gains trust at scale, and if done correctly, can convert highly.

7. Build in public before you launch

We started a waitlist in September before we had a product.
By launch, we had 10,000 people ready to use it.

8. Listen to the first 100 users obsessively

We gave beta access to 100 people in exchange for daily feedback.
Product-market fit doesn't happen by accident.

9. Revenue doesn't mean profit

I've watched founders hit £1M revenue and realise they're losing £50K a month.
Unit economics matter more than top-line growth.

10. Being a founder means being a recruiter

You'll spend more time hiring and managing people than building product.
Learn to spot high performers fast and don't waste time on the poor ones.

11. AI is insurmountable leverage

AI should remove friction. The goal is not to replace judgement.
Use it to draft, analyse, and support.

12. Decision fatigue is real

You'll make more decisions in a week than most people make in a month.
Get comfortable with mental exhaustion and find your recharge moments. 

13. Delegation feels like losing control

But if you don't delegate, you become the bottleneck.
Your job is to play the orchestra, not every instrument.

14. Most advice won't apply to you

Everyone has an opinion on what you should do.
Take it with a pinch of salt and trust your data.

15. No one will care as much as you do

You're in the game more deeply than anyone else.
And that's exactly how it should be.

I'm currently deep into the start-up build phase at Searchable.

We're building the best agentic tool available to help businesses win in AI Search.

Learn more and get started for free here: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to share these lessons with other founders in your network.

So, Google clearly isn't dead.

But who's winning 'the traffic war'?

Two years ago, this wasn't even a question.

Google dominated with billions of monthly visits across all search engines.

ChatGPT didn't exist as a consumer product.

Today, the landscape looks completely different.

Search Engines: 92.24B Monthly Visits

1. Google - 82.3B
2. Bing - 3.4B
3. Yandex - 2.8B
4. Baidu - 1.9B
5. DuckDuckGo - 1.84B

Chatbots: 7.99B Monthly Visits

1. ChatGPT - 5.8B
2. Gemini - 1.35B
3. DeepSeek - 339.8M
4. Grok - 234.4M
5. Perplexity - 189M

That's nearly 8 billion visits to chatbots every single month.

And it's growing exponentially.

Two years ago, that number was zero.
Now it's approaching 10% of total search engine traffic.

But here's what matters more than the numbers: buyer intent.

For Search Engines

Strengths:
✅ Users indicate intent strongly via keyword choice.
✅ Trusted as dependable sources for product research.

Limitations:
❌ Zero-click results and AI summaries reduce clicks to actual websites, making intent harder to measure.
❌ Fragmented intent across multiple sessions and platforms.

For Chatbots

Strengths:
✅ Conversational context captures qualitative intent cues (questions, preferences).
✅ Can influence intent by recommending products and providing personalised guidance.

Limitations:
❌ Consumer trust and familiarity are lower compared to search engines as primary purchase research tools
❌ Measurement models for purchase intent through chatbot conversations are still evolving

Here's what this means for your business:

If you're only visible in Google, you're missing 8 billion monthly opportunities to be discovered.

The businesses that win in 2026 will be visible in both places.

That's why we built Searchable.  

It's an autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that analyses, fixes, 
And scales your website to drive customers. 

You can't afford to be invisible where your customers are looking.

Learn more and get started for free: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost if you're preparing for the future of search.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on AI search and business growth.

We launched Searchable 21 days ago.

The growth we've experienced blows my mind...

✅ 8,500 sign-ups in 15 days
✅ Hundreds of paying customers in 15 days
✅ ~$75K MRR in 21 days
✅ 20 demo requests from serious companies every day
✅ Global brands leaving incumbent players to join us

I'm not going to lie, it's been insane. 

This was my calendar before we started optimising the demo flow ! 

Every team member is jumping on demo's right now and the reception is amazing. 

As a Co Founder, especially, getting close to customers, hearing their thoughts is so important. 

Our conversion rate from demo to trial is 75%... 
The market is moving faster than I've ever seen.

AI search is one of the biggest consumer shifts we've ever experienced. 

People are finding products, booking services, and making buying decisions all in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

And businesses are finally realising that this shift is inevitable.

The companies that adapt now will dominate the next decade of search.
The ones that wait will be left wondering where their customers went. 

We're just getting started.

Follow along as we build more in public.

If you are looking to try the tool, send me a message. 

Enterprise businesses and agencies are creating custom plans with us daily !

After years of trial and error, The Lead Gen Blueprint is here. 

It's generated our team millions and you can steal it for FREE ↓

Comment "BLUEPRINT" and I'll personally send it to you.

You can post every day and still have an empty inbox.
Likes and followers don’t automatically turn into leads.

That’s why my team and I spent months building a proper lead gen machine.

It turns:
Attention → conversations → qualified leads → paying clients.

We’ve used it to generate thousands of leads and millions in revenue.

Then we packaged the whole thing into one playbook.

Inside you’ll find:

✅ Landing page structures converting at 60%+
✅ A 7-day quick-start to get this live fast
✅ Newsletter strategies that turn readers into buyers over time
✅ Nurture sequences that build trust and fill your pipeline automatically
✅ A warm DM system for starting real conversations without sounding salesy
✅ Lead magnets that turn cold followers into engaged subscribers
✅ The 5 post types that bring qualified prospects, not vanity metrics
✅ How to turn your LinkedIn profile into a lead-capturing landing page

The best founders aren’t posting for the sake of it.
They run systems that convert attention into revenue.

This blueprint sets you up for long-term results on LinkedIn
And gives you the frameworks, templates, and playbooks to make it work.

As a bonus, if you claim the playbook, you will be invited to Lead Generation Live !

A 5-hour free live event focused on lead generation featuring:

✅ Daniel Priestley: Author of "Key Person of Influence"
✅ Nathan Barry: Founder of Kit 
✅ Sara Davies MBE: Founder of Crafter's Companion and a Dragon's Den investor
✅ Eric Partaker: Built an 8-figure business working 2 days a week

It will be on January 15th from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm GMT. 
It's completely free and online, so you can join from anywhere. 

Comment “BLUEPRINT” and I’ll send the link.

♻️ Repost to help founders turn content into customers.
Follow Chris Donnelly for more on building systems that scale.

2025 was the year I shipped faster than ever before. 

In 2026, you can achieve the same using these 9 rules:

2021: Sold my agency for £25M and thought I'd figured it out.
2025: Built Searchable to $83k MRR in 1 month. 

I got here using these 9 rules. 

Steal them:

1. If you're overthinking..
↳ Ship the MVP and learn from real users.

We started a waitlist, and 10k joined before we had a product. 
Waiting for perfection means losing to someone who shipped today.

2. If you want product-market fit...
↳ Give 100 people beta access and listen obsessively.

We gave 100 people early access to Searchable, and 50 brought their friends. 
PMF is built through iteration.

3. If growth is slow...
↳ Work on your product, it isn't good enough yet.

Marketing can't save a mediocre product. 
If you build something people love, they'll tell others. 

4. If you're burning out...
↳ Focus on work and tasks that lead to compound growth.

Build systems, create content, automate processes. 
Your job is to work on things that get easier over time, not harder.

5. If customers aren't converting...
↳ Deliver value upfront for free.

Our free visibility report converts at 20% to paid customers. 
Give people a reason to trust you before you ask them to pay.

6. If nobody knows you exist...
↳ Build your personal brand before you need it.

I spent years building 1M+ followers. 
When we launched Searchable, attention, trust, and distribution were covered. 

7. If competitors are ahead...
↳ Study what works and make it 10x better.

We didn't invent AEO, we studied existing tools and built something better. 
Innovation means finding what's validated and improving it dramatically.

8. If you're stuck on strategy...
↳ Talk to 10 customers, and the answer will reveal itself.

Your customers will tell you what to build if you listen. 
Stop guessing and start asking.

9. If you think you need more resources... 
You need better leverage.

Better systems and focus > More people or budget. 
Focus on leveraging what you have, not creating more volume. 

Short rules can have a massive impact when you actually execute.

2025 was the year I realised you don't need a perfect plan.
You just need to move fast and fix things as you go.

Every business problem is an execution problem.

We're using these principles to build Searchable, 
The best tool for AI Search analytics and actions.

Check it out here and get started for free: 
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

What's one hard and fast business rule you're taking into 2026?
Share it in the comments. 

♻️ Repost to help your network start 2026 with clarity.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on building businesses better.

To kick off the New Year, I've made a 30-Day SEO Plan for 2026.

The most comprehensive one available on LinkedIn:

There's no doubt about it, Google traffic still matters massively.
It dwarfs AI Search traffic 12 to 1.

We understand this at Searchable and still consider it a key visibility factor alongside AEO and GEO.

Therefore, you need a plan to optimise your website for it.

Otherwise, you're ignorantly missing out on thousands of opportunities to attract and land customers.

Use this to kickstart your 2026 with increased traffic and business:
(Please check out the carousel for detailed and implementable guidance)

Days 1-2: Baseline & Visibility Audit
Before you touch anything, get visibility.

Days 3-4: Intent Mapping
Stop guessing keywords and map intent instead.

Days 5-6: Topic Clusters & Page Roles
Decide what each page exists to do.

Days 7-8: Technical Hygiene (The Unsexy Stuff)
Fix this early or nothing works, basically.

Days 9-10: Speed, UX & Mobile Reality
Fast sites always win over slow ones. Always!

Days 11-12: Search Visibility Tracking
What you don't see, you can't fix, after all.

Days 13-14: On-Page Structure For AI
This is where most sites fall down...

Days 15-16: Schema & Entity Signals
Help machines understand you first.

Days 17-19: Content Upgrade Sprint
Don't publish more, fix what exists first.

Days 20-21: Internal Linking That Makes Sense
Links are your page's logic.

Days 22-23: Founder-Led Authority Content
Use this time to create a content strategy and plan.

Days 24-25: Strengthen Trust & Retrieval Signals
This is about helping search engines and AI trust and retrieve your content.

Days 26-27: Consolidate Authority Where It Matters
This is about making your site the obvious source on a topic.

Days 28-29: Fix What's Underperforming
Be ruthless and get rid of anything not working.

Day 30: Lock The System
This will be your new operating system.

There's no need to see SEO as an overwhelming headache.

In just 30 days, you can create a system to appear in traditional and AI search.

Just treat it as one day at a time for compounding growth for your business!

However... if this does seem all too much, I have a solution:

It's a little business called Searchable.

An autonomous SEO & AEO Growth Engineer that will:
Analyse, fix, and scale your website to drive customers. 

If you want increased visibility on your business,
Try out a 14-day free trial here: https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

♻️ Repost to help your network optimise their SEO.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more SEO tips and tricks.

30 Day SEO Plan by Chris Donnelly

Happy New Year! To bring in the new year, I'm sharing my 2026 goals.

They are more ambitious than ever...

In the last couple weeks, I've spent time slowing down.

Spending time with my baby boy, wonderful wife, and wider family,
But also simply reflecting on the year gone.

What went well, what didn't, what I need to double down on, and what needs changing.

I spoke about what I achieved (and didn't achieve) a couple days ago here.

But now I want to publicly hold myself accountable and set my goals:


1️⃣ First and foremost, I want to take Searchable to another level, quite frankly.

I want Searchable to be the biggest company in what I'm terming "AEO Engineering."

We want to build the best AEO workflow for marketing teams globally.

2️⃣ Secondly, I want to finish writing my book. Last year I signed a seven-figure deal with Hay House for a book to be published in September 2026.

I've been busy, naturally. But this year, I'd really like to make this a priority.

I want to teach everyone to find a new kind of wealth via my story so far but also with super actionable and valuable frameworks I've used.

3️⃣ Thirdly, simply, I want to become even better at outsourcing and delegating.

I want to work as hard as I want in any given moment, whilst also being able to spend time with my family as much as I want.

It's all about defining what success looks like for you and designing your life around that.

4️⃣ Finally, I want to keep up my exercise habits. 4-5 times per week minimum.

In 2025, I had a BAD knee injury, so I've been really focused on trying to be healthy.

I'm the leanest I've ever been and I feel really good, and so I just want to keep that up as a priority.

There are other goals, of course, relating to my other businesses (LeverBrands & The Creator Accelerator by Chris Donnelly)...

I'll keep those to myself for now. Exciting things coming for both !

But, I'll leave you with this: goal-setting is the foundation of success.

In order to achieve brilliant things, you need clarity on where you're headed.

And it's not enough to just set them. You need to monitor progress over time and understand what success looks like with definable metrics.

So, what are your goals?
Hold yourself accountable in the comments ⬇️

Happy 2026 folks, I hope it is an epic one for you !

P.S. Be a legend and help me achieve goal no. 1 by signing up to a free trial with Searchable 😉

Get 14 days for free here: https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

I've posted on LinkedIn every day for 3 years. 

You can still grow, but the tactics have changed: 

The LinkedIn algorithm has changed every year.  

2024: Algorithm favoured virality. 
One post could get you 1m views and 5K followers overnight.

2025: The platform shifted. 
Virality dropped, and niche domination took centre stage. 

2026: Growth is harder but more valuable. 
1,000 people who actually buy from you > millions of followers. 

It's still the best platform to grow and monetise an audience. 

But the strategy has completely changed again. 

Here's how to master LinkedIn in 2026:

(See the cheat sheet for the full playbook 👇) 

1. Know Your North Star

This is why you're posting in the first place.
Example: Generate more leads, drive up revenue, free up your time.

2. Know Your ICP

Who are you helping?
Write down their common frustrations and how you solve them.

3. Know Your Content Pillars

Define 5-7 content pillars you can talk about consistently.
This keeps your content focused and builds authority in specific areas.

4. Turn Your Profile Into A Landing Page

Your profile needs to convert visitors into leads. 
Optimise everything from your profile picture to your featured section. 

5. Commenting & Relationship Building

Create a list of 10-20 people in your space.
Engage to create a community of relevant audience members.

6. Understand Your Content Funnel

Take your audience on a journey from Awareness to Conversion. 

7. Content Ideation

→ Use tools like SayWhat to find relevant posts by keywords
→ Create lists of leading creators to model
→ Pull ideas from Instagram, X, Pinterest

8. Content Writing & Design

Pair excellent writing with incredible visuals.

9. Tracking & Testing

Test new ideas, see what performs, and lean into winners.

This is the exact system we teach inside The Creator Accelerator.

Cohort 6 is closing in less than a day !

So, if you're on the fence, this is your sign to take the leap.  
We've helped 600+ founders across 5 cohorts earn millions through content.
 
And there's no reason you can't be next.  
 
If you want 2026 to be the year you finally grow and monetise your audience... 

Grab one of the last spots now 👇
  
https://lnkd.in/eybF9QQG

Applicants will get $2500 of exclusive resources, but you have to act now !  

♻️ Repost to help founders in your network master LinkedIn in 2026.
And follow Chris Donnelly for more on building businesses through content.

taplio

The Battle

Matt Gray

Chris Donnelly

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMatt Gray's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChris Donnelly's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Matt Gray

Chris Donnelly

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Matt Gray's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChris Donnelly's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMatt Gray's LinkedIn Performance