Founder of StrategyBreakdowns.com

TLDR: Worked in strategy consulting → Joined strategy team at Atlassian → Started writing strategy case studies → People liked them, so I left my job and went full-timeCheck it out → StrategyBreakdowns.comWe partner with companies like Atlassian, Notion, Intercom, Hubspot, Miro, Vanta, Clay, Mixpanel, and Ahrefs to reach 110k+ tech decision-makers. Click here to explore sponsorships → passionfroot.me/strategybreakdowns

Tom Alder

Apple makes $1 billion+ per year selling adaptors:

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👉 P.S. If you enjoyed this post, you'll love my newsletter - a 3-minute breakdown of the strategy playbooks and growth hacks behind the world’s greatest companies.

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The average enterprise employee spends 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings.

That's almost a full work week. 
Every single month. 
Gone.

And yet - meetings aren't the problem. BAD meetings are the problem.

The best hybrid teams i've seen don't have fewer meetings. 
→ They have better workflows that make every interaction count.

I genuinely think something's shifted in how teams think about productivity.

It used to be about individual output - more hours, more tasks, more hustle.

Now it's about connection quality and output. How seamlessly can 50 people across 12 timezones actually collaborate without losing their minds?

The companies figuring this out are pulling ahead. The ones still optimising for "busy" are falling behind.

--

Zoom is running a free summit on exactly this: how to make collaboration seamless across teams, locations, and timezones.

Feb 24 (EMEA) / Feb 25 (APAC)

If you're leading digital transformation, IT, or workplace strategy at a large org - worth grabbing a spot.

Register here: → https://zm.me/49SCY8r

#ad in partnership with the legends Zoom

Jamming with Rob Hoffman, Lara Acosta, and Tyler Denk 🐝 about our plans for 2026:

A few topics we discussed -

1. The reality of building while traveling the world.
2. Why vlogging is coming back for founders.
3. The timeless psychology of waitlists.
4. The bootstrapped AI SaaS paradigm.
5. Solopreneurship vs small vs big teams.

Honestly so refreshing to get new perspectives on things I’m actively wrestling with.
Also funny to see how the same decisions / problems / strategies resurface in peculiar ways, in such different contexts.

Would highly recommend following what these folks are up to if you haven’t already!

Rob and Lara are building Kleo.
Tyler is building beehiiv.

Incredible businesses powering many of the world's top creators and founders.

Feeling inspired. Let's build.

Every company spent the last 20 years building customer support processes that make people want to hang up.

Press 1 for billing. 
Press 2 for support. 
Press 3 to scream into the void.

Then came the "AI upgrade" - which mostly just replaced the robotic menu with a robotic voice.

Same frustration, different wrapper.

Here's what's actually changing now:
ElevenLabs just shipped Expressive Mode in their Agents platform.

The demo is WILD (video below). 

The agents don't just listen to what you say. 
They detect HOW you say it.

Tone.
Pitch. 
Pacing. 
Humour.
Feelings.

And they respond with the right delivery - using cue cards like [reassuring], [apologetic], and [enthusiastic] to match the moment.

Frustrated caller? The agent shifts to calm de-escalation.
Excited prospect? It matches the energy.
Confused customer? It slows down.

Previously, agent emotion was shaped entirely through voice selection and system prompts. Static. One-size-fits-all.
Now it's dynamic and contextual. Across 70+ languages (up from 32).
The turn-taking is different too. Their new transcription model captures intent and emotional cues so the agent times responses more like a human would.
The result: customers feel helped, not processed.
That's the gap most people miss about voice AI. The technology was never the bottleneck.

The emotional intelligence was.

Link to try below 👇

#ad #ElevenAgentsPartner

Every AI tool you've used in the last 2 years has the same interface:

A text box with a blinking cursor.

Quarterzip threw it away entirely.

Instead of building another chat wrapper, they built an AI that watches your screen share and guides you visually - like having a colleague sit next to you and point at things.

No SDK installation. 
No browser extension. 
No IT approval ticket.

Just a picture-in-picture window that sees everything you see. Any tool, any tab, any workflow.

Picture this:
- You’re onboarding to a new tool
- You brace yourself for a barrage of forgettable tooltips and painful ‘educational’ flows
- Instead, you click ‘Start Onboarding’ and you’re prompted to share your screen
- You share, and you’re placed directly in the app, with a helpful AI assistant in the corner that sees everything you see
- It’s trained on the help docs, all past onboarding calls, and can guide you through the journey whilst answering any question you might have along the way

They launched a week ago. Already running hundreds of AI-powered onboarding sessions a day with Apollo and Grab.

And the growth loop is elegant - every person who gets onboarded through Quarterzip sees the brand sitting inside the PIP window.

Product usage drives distribution.

I broke down the full strategy in this week's newsletter (link in the comments)

On July 7th, 2025, I added another SaaS idea to the pile:
A Chrome extension. SimilarWeb for builders. Traffic, revenue signals, founder socials, ads - all in a sidebar you can trigger when you visit any company's website.

A 9-bullet sketch of something I'd personally use a dozen times a day, if it existed.

Nothing came of it. Got buried under many more (half-baked) ideas.

Fast-forward 6 months.
The Figma team reached out about a partnership.
They wanted me to try their new prompt-to-app AI tool, Figma Make.

I mulled over the angle for a while, then realised I had the perfect test case.
Could I take a 6-month-old idea that had never left the notes app and turn it into a fully interactive, clickable product prototype? Without writing a single line of code? Without opening a design tool?

The pipeline I came up with:
→ 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (raw idea, 9 bullet points) 
→ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 + 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 (interview to flesh it into a full PRD) 
→ 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 (PRD in, interactive prototype out)

One sitting later, I had my answer.
Here’s how it went down (link in the comments 👇)

The worst part of vibe coding isn't building the first version.

It's the edits.

You've got a working prototype. Something looks slightly off. The text is a touch too big. A card needs to move a little further right. The spacing between two elements is wrong.

So you prompt it.
"Make the heading slightly smaller."

It makes it smaller. 
Too small. 
You prompt again.

"Actually a bit bigger than that."

Back and forth. 4 prompts. Eating up credits each time. Two minutes of waiting. For a font size.

This is the part vibe coding we don't talk about.

Like everyone I’ve been trying all the vibe coding tools, and I noticed Bubble solves this in the obvious (yet uncommon) way:

You drag the element. 
You resize it with a handle. 
You click ‘font size’ and type a number. 

Done in 3 seconds.

The AI Agent handles the complex stuff - database structures, workflows, logic. The visual editor handles everything you'd describe to an AI with the words "slightly", "a bit", "just a little" - because those words should never need to go into a prompt.

A product design detail that just make sense when you try it.

Most newsletter sponsors get a terrible ROI.

All because they're advertising to the wrong readers.

Here's the thing about audience quality that most marketers miss:

1/ You need readers who make decisions.

This is the #1 mistake I see. Advertising to e.g. 1 million people containing 1k decision-makers, rather than 100k people containing 50k decision-makers.

71% of Strategy Breakdowns readers have meaningful influence over budget and procurement decisions at their company.

You need to get in front of the actual people who sign off on the tools, platforms, and services their teams use.

2/ Open rate is a proxy for trust.

Industry average open-rate is under 40%. Strategy Breakdowns sits at 55%, while earning the trust of 110,000 readers every week. Our sponsors inherit that trust.

3/ Niche is more efficient than broad.

A 110,000-person list of senior strategy and tech leaders doesn’t just contain *more* decision-makers than 500,000-person general business list - it is also costs less to advertise in. The signal-to-noise ratio is what makes our campaigns so efficient for sponsors looking to allocate their marketing budgets strategically.

4/ The seniority and industry breakdown matters.

- 30% Founder / C-level
- 20% VP / Director
- 40% Senior / Manager

Tech, consulting, and finance make up ~80% of our audience. I mean, these are literally the buyers.

5/ One ad isn't a campaign.

The sponsors who see the best results run 4 touchpoints minimum. Decision-makers don't act on first exposure, especially at this seniority level. (Honestly, when was the last time you saw a $100/mo tool for the first time and immediately pulled out a corporate card?) Plus, you need to test, learn, and iterate based on the data from each ad run.

6/ We treat it like a partnership (but actually).

Ad copy collaboration, custom AI tools we’ve built for partners, full 7-day and 14-day performance reports with 100% of the data we have available, ongoing input to optimise the campaign. Nearly every sponsor I work with (Atlassian, Vanta, Clay, Attio, Ahrefs, etc) comes back multiple times. 

Probably the thing I’m most proud of.

We have just 2 slots left before prices go up for Q2.

If your product is built for founders, PMs, engineers, or operators in tech - link to our full media kit in the comments 👇

How many DMs do you send per week on LinkedIn?

Eric has been named "CEO of the Year" at the 2019 Business Excellence Forum, one of the "Top 30 Entrepreneurs in the UK", 35 and under, by Startups Magazine, and among "Britain's Most Disruptive Entrepreneurs" by The Telegraph. His work has featured on over 7 major TV stations, in the Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. He has also appeared as a guest judge on The Apprentice.

Over the last 20 years Eric has advised Fortune 50 CEOs while at McKinsey & Company, helped build Skype’s multi-billion dollar success story, founded several companies, and helped scale over 100.

Eric has completed a coaching certification and apprenticeship with Professor BJ Fogg, who leads Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab. He also continues to research evidence-based studies in psychology, neuroscience, habit change, leadership, and peak performance.

Eric coaches and mentors CEOs and leaders throughout the world, helping them reach peak levels of performance, in both their businesses and lives. He draws from his world-class work experiences, cutting-edge research, and behavioral science from Stanford University - as well as the approaches and techniques used in the worlds of elite sports and the military - areas where peak performance is key.

Today Eric runs his own investment and advisory firm helping clients scale their companies, their leadership, and themselves. Over 100 companies have been advised and/or invested in to date, ranging from pre-revenue to multi-billion-dollar valuations, with 30 active portfolio companies. Sectors include AI, fintech, quantum computing, digital transformation, point-of-sale solutions, online home furnishings, hospitality tech, outsourced employment solutions, and cybersecurity to name a handful.

As a speaker, Eric is well-positioned to speak about peak performance, leadership, and company building. Over the years he has shared stages with Jesse Itzler, Lord Alan Sugar, Bear Grylls, Stedman Graham, Double Gold Olympic Champion Kelly Holmes, and Stephen M.R. Covey, to name a few.

Eric is also the author of the Amazon best-seller "The 3 Alarms" and is currently working on his next book with Dr. Christian Poensgen.

He also writes Peak Performance Insights - the newsletter that provides ultra-practical tips for business, leadership, and self-mastery.

Learn more at www.EricPartaker.com and join a growing community of over 235,000 people.

Eric Partaker

The CEO Coach | CEO of the Year '19 | McKinsey, Skype | Author | Follow for posts about business, leadership & self-mastery.

Founder & CEO

A private investment and advisory firm helping ambitious entrepreneurs scale their companies, their leadership, and themselves.

6 storytelling frameworks you need to know.

Most CEOs get storytelling wrong.

And it's costing them millions.

I've seen brilliant ideas die in boardrooms.
Watched potential investors check their phones.
Noticed employees' eyes glaze over during speeches.

Not because the ideas were bad.
But because the story wasn't there.

Here are 6 storytelling frameworks that change everything:

1) Simon Sinek's Golden Circle
↳ Don't start with what you do. Start with WHY you do it.
↳ Then explain HOW you do it differently.
↳ Only then share WHAT you actually offer.

When Airbnb pitches, they don't just say "we rent rooms."
They start with "we create belonging."

2) Minto's Pyramid Principle
↳ Hit them with your main point first.
↳ Support it with clear evidence.
↳ Add details only if they ask.

Your busy stakeholders will love you for this.
No more waiting until slide 20 for the punchline.

3) The Pixar Pitch
↳ "Once upon a time..." (set the scene)
↳ "Every day..." (show the problem)
↳ "Until one day..." (introduce your solution)
↳ "Because of that..." (share the impact)
↳ "Until finally..." (reveal the transformation)

This structure is pure magic for showing
your company's journey or vision.

4) StoryBrand Framework
↳ Your customer is Luke Skywalker
↳ You're Yoda, the guide
↳ Show them how to win

Stop making your company the hero. It's not about you.

5) What, So What, Now What
↳ State the facts clearly
↳ Explain why anyone should care
↳ Define the next steps

Perfect for turning quarterly reports from sleep aids
into action drivers.

6) ABT (And, But, Therefore)
↳ Set up what everyone agrees on
↳ Introduce the challenge
↳ Present your solution

When you need to be quick and compelling,
this is your go-to.

In today's world, the best story wins.

It wins the talent.
It wins the customers.
It wins the investment.

Your brilliance deserves a story that matches it.

Master these frameworks, and watch what happens to:

Your impact.
Your influence.
Your bottom line.

♻ Repost to help someone in your network.
Follow Eric Partaker for more on leadership.

—————

📌 Want the high-res version of the storytelling frameworks cheat sheet?

Subscribe to my FREE NEWSLETTER and I’ll send you the full PDF — plus one concise, highly actionable leadership insight every week to help you communicate with clarity and influence.

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I’ve never regretted being kind.
But I've regretted every time I wasn't.

Early in my career, I had a team member
who was struggling.

I could have written them off.
Instead, I sat down with them.

I asked what they needed. And really listened.
I gave honest feedback with compassion.
I showed them I believed in them.

6 months later, they became one of my top performers.

That's when I learn something important:
Kindness isn’t soft.
It’s strength in action.

Being kind means:

• Setting clear expectations
• Giving honest, respectful feedback
• Being fully present when your people need you

It means having your team’s back,
and trusting they’ll deliver.

Investing in their growth,
even when you know they may outgrow you.

The best leaders don’t lead with fear.
They lead with kindness.

And their teams show up
loyal, energized, engaged.

Bad leaders think kindness makes you weak.
Great leaders know it makes you magnetic.

People remember how you made them feel
on their hardest days.

They remember whether you stood up for them
when they weren’t in the room.

Never regret choosing kindness.
It always comes back. Multiplied.

📌 P.S. Want 100 cheat sheets & leadership resources?
Get them here for free: https://lnkd.in/esvJJ3yR

♻ Repost to inspire a leader in your network.
Follow Eric Partaker for more on kind leadership.

The day I stopped fearing smart people was the day my career took off.

I used to think I had to be the smartest one in the room.

I was wrong.

The best leaders aren't afraid to hire people smarter than them.

They welcome it.

Because true leadership isn't about knowing all the answers.

It's about building a team that finds better answers together.

When you work with people who think differently:

• They spot what you miss
• They know what you don't
• They push when you'd settle

Most leaders hire people who make them feel safe.

Who don't challenge their ideas.
Who think just like them.

But growth lives outside your comfort zone.

The real magic happens when you:

✅ Listen more than you speak
✅ Seek out different viewpoints
✅ Learn from those around you

Your success as a leader isn't measured by how smart you are.

It's measured by how smart your team becomes.

So next time you meet someone who intimidates you with their knowledge?

Hire them.

Because having access to people smarter than you isn't a threat.

It's the greatest blessing a leader could ask for.

♻ If this resonates, repost to inspire others.
And follow Eric Partaker for more on leadership.

Want PDFs of my 100+ leadership resources?
Get them here free: https://lnkd.in/eUR6jaGm

The strongest teams I know barely talk about being a team.

They're too busy having each other's backs.

Watch them work and you'll notice something special.

No one keeps score. Everyone just shows up.

For each other. Every single day.

Most people think great teams happen because of:

— Shared goals
— Clear processes  
— Regular meetings
— Team activities

But that's just the surface.

Real teams are built on something deeper.

1. Trust that runs both ways:

When someone says "I need help," others don't ask why.

They ask "What do you need?"

2. Respect that shows up daily:

Everyone's voice matters.

From the newest hire to the CEO.

Ideas win. Not titles.

3. Care that goes beyond work:

They know each other's kids' names.

They celebrate personal wins.

They show up during life's hard moments.

💡 How do the best leaders build this?
✓ Model vulnerability first
Share your own struggles. It gives others permission.

✓ Celebrate trust moments
When someone admits a mistake, thank them publicly.

✓ Create psychological safety
Make it safe to disagree, question, and innovate.

✓ Protect the culture fiercely
Address toxic behavior immediately. No exceptions.

✓ Invest in relationships
Make time for real conversations, not just status updates.

The magic happens when your team stops thinking:

"What's in it for me?" and starts thinking:
 "How can I help?"

That shift changes everything.

Because when people truly care for each other, work stops feeling like work.

It feels like building something amazing with people who matter.

P.S. Think of the best team you've ever been part of. What made it special?

📌 P.S. Want 100 cheat sheets & leadership resources?
Get them here for free: https://lnkd.in/eb2BbK-9

♻ Repost to inspire a leader in your network.
Follow Eric Partaker for more on kind leadership.

Warren Buffett changed how I lead.

He broke almost every rule of modern business.
And outperformed everyone who followed them.

Not by chasing trends.
Not by being the loudest.
Not by playing short-term games.

He did it by

Thinking clearly.
Acting with integrity.
Staying patient when everyone else panicked.

I've studied his letters, his interviews, his decisions.

Not just the investing stuff.
The leadership stuff.
The character stuff.

And I kept coming back to the same themes.

I distilled them into 7 rules every CEO should live by.

1️⃣ Hire for character first.
2️⃣ Protect your reputation above all else.
3️⃣ Know what you don't know.
4️⃣ Say no more than you say yes.
5️⃣ Think longer than everyone around you.
6️⃣ Own your mistakes before anyone has to point them out.
7️⃣ Measure your life by impact, not income.

These aren't complex.
They're not trendy.
They're timeless.

The kind of wisdom that sounds simple
but takes a lifetime to master.

Buffett once said that integrity is the one trait
that makes intelligence and energy worth having.

Without it, the other two will destroy you.

That's not just a hiring rule.
That's a leadership rule.
That's a life rule.

Save this. Share it with your network.

Let's build a better world one leader at a time.


📣 Ambitious CEOs, listen up:

Our best offer ends this week. 
Save 20% on the April cohort of my
Founder & CEO Accelerator.
Lock it in now: https://lnkd.in/eRhpFGny

Want a preview first?

Join me for a free masterclass this week: 

How to Successfully Scale Your Company
& Become a World-Class Leader

Thursday, March 19th
10:00 AM ET / 3:00 PM UK

https://lnkd.in/eeYrzk2Q

♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network.

20 benefits of knowing personality types as a leader:

For your team

• Richer brainstorming sessions
• Smoother conflict resolution
• Personalized development
• Fewer misunderstandings
• Improved communication
• Creative problem-solving
• Stronger team cohesion
• Efficient work allocation
• Reduced stress levels
• Greater engagement

For you:

• Greater resilience
• More adaptability
• Stronger influence
• Enhanced empathy
• Deeper connections
• Heightened intuition
• Increased confidence
• Better self-awareness
• Clearer communication
• Sharper decision-making

Every great leader knows:

Understanding your team is the first step to success.

Why this matters?

It reveals how each team member:

➟ Thinks and processes information
➟ Interacts and communicates
➟ Responds to stress and conflict

Armed with this knowledge, you can:

➟ Tailor your leadership style
➟ Enhance team synergy
➟ Boost overall productivity

Save this sheet.
Share it with your team.
Use it as your daily reference.

P.S. Which personality model do you find most useful?

📌 Want a PDF of my Personality Types cheat sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
Get them free: https://lnkd.in/dQG7ttAs

♻️ Find this valuable? Repost to share it.
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12 Wake-Up Calls Every Leader Needs to Hear
(Yes, even the good ones.)

1. If your team is failing, look into the mirror.
You're not unlucky. You’re the problem.

2. If you can’t take criticism, you’re not fit to lead.
Leadership isn’t about being right. It’s about getting better.

3. Your title makes you a manager.
Your people make you a leader.
Never confuse the two.

4. Don’t preach teamwork and then play favorites.
Culture doesn’t die overnight. It dies with every
act of hypocrisy.

5. Still micromanaging?
Then you don’t trust your team.
And they won’t trust you either.

6. If you’re not developing your team,
you’re diminishing them.
It's time to step up—or step aside.

7. If your team's afraid to speak up, you've already failed.
Silence isn’t compliance. It’s a warning sign.

8. Accountability comes before credibility.
Own your mistakes. Out loud and in public.

9. Don’t just set the pace. Set the standard.
Excellence is contagious when it’s modeled,
not mandated.

10. Your team doesn’t work for you.
You work for them. Lead by serving.

11. If your actions don’t inspire, your words won’t matter.
People follow examples, not slogans.

12. A real leader takes the blame, and shares the fame.
No exceptions. No excuses.

Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a daily choice.

What will you choose?

P.S. Want 100+ cheat sheets & leadership resources?
Get them here for free: https://lnkd.in/eAZ5xAvv

♻ Repost to inspire someone in your network.
Follow Eric Partaker for more real talk on leadership.

Don’t underestimate the power of proximity.
Ambition is contagious.
So is mediocrity.

The people around you shape everything.

I've seen it in my own life and in the lives of the CEOs I coach.

The moment they changed their circle, everything shifted.

Their confidence. Their clarity. Their results.

4 signs your circle is holding you back:

1. They dismiss your goals.

When you share a big idea and the room goes quiet or skeptical, that's not protection. That's projection.

2. They celebrate comfort over growth.

If the people around you never challenge themselves, they won't encourage you to either.

3. You feel smaller after spending time with them.

Pay attention to how you feel after conversations. Energy doesn't lie.

4. They compete instead of collaborate.

The right people want to see you win. The wrong ones keep score.

Your environment is not a small detail. 
It's the foundation of your future.

So if you feel drained, doubted, or held back by the people closest to you...

It might be time to make a difficult but necessary shift.

You're not abandoning anyone.
You're choosing yourself.

♻️ Agree? Repost to inspire your network.

P.S. 📣 CEOs who want to scale, read this:

20% off on the April cohort of my
Founder & CEO Accelerator ends this week.
It's the best offer I've ever made.

Apply today: https://lnkd.in/ea2atbkg

Want a preview first?

Join me for a free masterclass this week:

How to Successfully Scale Your Company
& Become a World-Class Leader

Thursday, March 19th
10:00 AM ET / 3:00 PM UK

https://lnkd.in/etX8mBbR

You’ve heard of OKRs. You’ve tracked KPIs.

But do you know the CSFs that make them work?

Here’s the breakdown every CEO needs to know:

🎯 OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)

➟ Define bold goals
➟ Stretch teams with measurable outcomes
➟ Align everyone around what matters most

📊 KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

➟ Track ongoing performance
➟ Show if you’re on or off track
➟ Keep your business healthy day to day

🔑 CSFs (Critical Success Factors)

➟ Identify the must-win areas
➟ Focus resources where success depends most
➟ Form the foundation of your strategy

Think of it like this:

CSFs = What’s critical to succeed

OKRs = The goals you set to achieve it

KPIs = The metrics that show progress

The mistake most leaders make is using these tools in isolation.

The best leaders combine all 3.

Every company has KPIs.


Some have OKRs.

But only the great ones know their CSFs.

Because growth without focus is just noise.

P.S. Want a PDF of my OKRs, KPIs & CSFs cheat sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
Get them free here: https://lnkd.in/eAYRTxNz

♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network.
Follow Eric Partaker for more strategy insights.

When a 7-figure deal is on the line, what you say next matters.

Most CEOs lose deals they could’ve won. 

Not because the price was too high. 
Not because the product was wrong. 

But because they said the wrong thing (or nothing at all).

Negotiation isn’t just a skill. It’s a leadership tool. 
And every word matters.

So I built a negotiation cheat sheet for leaders who can’t afford to lose the room.

14 high-impact negotiation phrases. 

Plus, exactly what to say when you hear them used on you.

Here’s the list:

1. “We’re ready to move fast if the terms are right.” 
→ “Let’s define ‘right.’ What’s most important to you?”

2. “What does success look like to you?” 
→ “Great question. Let me walk you through our goals.”

3. “We’re exploring a few options right now.” 
→ “What would it take to move us to the top of your list?”

4. “Can you walk me through how you got to that number?” 
→ “Sure. Happy to explain our value step by step.”

5. “That number just doesn’t work for us.” 
→ “Help me understand what you need to make this work.”

6. “Let’s make sure we’re solving the right problem first.” 
→ “Totally agree. Let’s align on the real goal here.”

7. “That’s outside the scope of this agreement.” 
→ “Would you like a separate proposal for that?”

8. “We’d need a little more flexibility here.” 
→ “What kind of flexibility are you hoping for?”

9. “We’re looking for a long-term partner, not a short-term fix.” 
→ “So are we. What would that look like to you?”

10. “We’re happy to move forward if X is included.” 
→ “If we do that, can we close today?”

11. “We’ll need internal sign-off before we commit.” 
→ “Of course. What concerns do they usually raise?”

12. “That’s a great point. Let’s talk about how we could meet in the middle.” 
→ “I’m open. What would that look like to you?”

13. “That feels like a win-win to me.” 
→ “Agreed. Let’s write it up.”

14. “We’ll need that in writing before moving forward.” 
→ “Of course. I’ll send it over now.”

Save this. 
Share it with your team. 
Refer back before your next big conversation.

It'll help you:

Stay calm.
Gain leverage.
Lead with confidence.

P.S. Want a PDF of my Negotiation Phrases Cheat Sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
Get them free: https://lnkd.in/ef46JjFx

♻ Repost to help a CEO in your network.
Follow Eric Partaker for more on negotiation.

95% of companies are stuck in Chaos.
Only 4% make it to Optimization. 
Just 1% ever reach true Innovation.

Why?
Because most mistake activity for progress.

I see it all the time.

CEOs spinning their wheels in perpetual crisis mode.

"We'll implement AI next quarter."
"We need better dashboards."
"Let's automate everything."

Wrong.

You can't automate chaos.

The brutal truth?
Most companies try to skip stages.

They want the sexy stuff:

➟ AI
➟ Automation
➟ Predictive analytics

But if your foundation is broken, none of that matters.
You can’t build a skyscraper on quicksand.

Here's what actually happens in each stage:

Stage 1 - Chaos:
↳ You're firefighting daily.
↳ Every problem feels urgent.
↳ Your team is burned out from rework and constant pivots.

Stage 2 - Standardization:
↳ You create repeatable processes.
↳ Document everything.
↳ Train your people.
↳ Build the foundation.

Stage 3 - Optimization:
↳ Now you eliminate waste.
↳ Find bottlenecks.
↳ Perfect your systems through data and testing.

Stage 4 - Automation:
↳ Technology does the heavy lifting.
↳ But only because you've standardized first.

Stage 5 - Innovation:
↳ Operations become your competitive advantage.
↳ You're not just running a business.
↳ You're creating breakthroughs.

The companies that reach Stage 5?

They print money while their competitors drown in busywork.

Think:
✅ Toyota vs. failed car startups
✅ Amazon vs. traditional retail
✅ Netflix vs. Blockbuster

It’s not luck. It’s execution.

Here’s the kicker:

Skip a stage, and it all falls apart.

I’ve watched brilliant founders fail because they couldn’t execute.

I’ve seen average ideas dominate, because the operators were world-class.

Your next breakthrough isn’t a feature.
It’s mastering the stage you’re in.

Stop chasing shiny objects.
Start building operational excellence.

The companies that survive the next decade won't be the ones with the best ideas.

They'll be the ones that execute flawlessly.

Where is your company right now?
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Brutal truth:
Your "billion-dollar idea" might be worth millions.
(Or just thousands.)

➡️Master TAM, SAM, and SOM in 2 minutes.

Think of it like this:

TAM = Everyone on Earth who could buy pizza
SAM = People in cities where you can deliver
SOM = Houses you'll actually reach this year

Real examples that'll blow your mind:

Uber's journey:
• TAM: $5.7 trillion (all transportation)
• SAM: $1.5 trillion (legal rideshare cities) 
• SOM: $150 billion (their 5-year target)

Netflix's reality:
• TAM: $2.8 trillion (all entertainment)
• SAM: $500 billion (streaming-ready countries)
• SOM: $75 billion (450M subscribers)

Zoom's focus:
• TAM: $64 billion (all business tools)
• SAM: $25 billion (video-ready companies)
• SOM: $10 billion (enterprise clients)

Notice the pattern?

Each step gets smaller.
Each step gets more real.
Each step gets more achievable.

Why this matters to YOU:

✓ Investors need all three numbers
✓ TAM shows the dream
✓ SAM shows you're realistic 
✓ SOM shows you can execute

Common mistakes that kill startups:

❌ Using TAM for revenue projections
❌ Ignoring competition in SOM
❌ Making SAM too big
❌ Forgetting regulations

The reality check:
• Most startups capture 1-5% of SAM
• It takes 5-10 years
• Competition limits everyone
• Some customers never switch

But here's the secret:

Knowing your real SOM is a superpower.

It helps you:
→ Set honest goals
→ Raise the right funding
→ Hire the right team
→ Pick the right strategy

Start with SOM and work backwards.
Not the other way around.

Your "small" SOM might be perfect.
A $10M business changes lives.
A $100M business creates dynasties.

Stop chasing someone else's TAM.
Start building your SOM.

Save this breakdown.
Share it with a founder friend.
Use it in your next pitch.

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You’re not as objective as you think.

(Even the smartest CEOs fall for these mental traps.)

We all want to believe our decisions are rational.

But your brain is wired for shortcuts (not strategy).

These shortcuts are called cognitive biases.

They help you move fast, but they don’t always lead you in the right direction.

And in leadership, that can cost you.
In time, money, and momentum.

Here are 10 biases that quietly influence high-stakes decisions:

1. Overconfidence Bias
You think you know more than you do. And act before validating.

2. Confirmation Bias
You seek out data that agrees with your view — and ignore the rest.

3. Groupthink
You go with the team’s consensus, even when it doesn’t feel right.

4. Authority Bias
You trust “experts” without questioning their logic or evidence.

5. Anchoring Bias
You latch onto the first number or idea, and can’t let go.

6. Availability Bias
You overreact to what’s most vivid, not what’s most important.

7. Recency Bias
You put too much weight on the latest event (and miss the bigger picture).

8. Status Quo Bias
You stick with what's familiar, even if it's no longer working.

9. Sunk Cost Fallacy
You keep investing in a losing path, because you’ve already sunk so much into it.

10. Survivorship Bias
You study only the winners, and miss the lessons from those who failed.

These biases don’t make you a bad leader.
They make you human.

But awareness gives you leverage.

When you catch them in action, you give yourself a chance to

Pause
Reframe
And lead smarter

Here’s a simple question to ask before every big decision:

“What might I be missing?”

It’s not always about making perfect choices.
It’s about building the habit of clearer thinking.

Your best decisions start with better thinking.
And better thinking starts with seeing your blind spots.

P.S. Want a PDF of my Cognitive Biases cheat sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
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Taking money from the wrong investor
is worse than taking no money at all.

And most founders learn this too late.

➡️ ANGELS can save you or suffocate you.

The right angel opens every door in their network.
The wrong one texts you 47 times a week with "ideas."
They invested $50K but want to run your company.

Pick angels for their experience, not their checkbook.

➡️ VENTURE CAPITAL is rocket fuel.

Pour it on the wrong business and you'll explode.
They need 100x returns. Period.
Your profitable, steady growth company?
They'll push you to burn cash until you break.

Take VC money only if you're genuinely building a unicorn.
Otherwise, you're just their lottery ticket.

➡️ PRIVATE EQUITY doesn't care about your vision.

They care about EBITDA multiples and exit timing.
They'll load your business with debt,
cut your favorite projects,
and flip you to the highest bidder.

Perfect if you want out.
Soul-crushing if you want to build something lasting.

➡️ STRATEGIC INVESTORS play the long game.

But it's their game, not yours.
That Fortune 500 that "loves your product"?

They might love it enough to copy it.
Or restrict who else you can sell to.
Or veto your next big move because it conflicts
with their strategy.

The painful truth?

Wrong money compounds faster than no money.

The founder who bootstrapped for two extra years?
She still owns her company.

The one who took predatory venture terms?
He's an employee with equity.

The one who sold to private equity too early?
She watches strangers destroy what she built.

The one who took strategic money from a competitor?
He's locked in golden handcuffs.

Good investors multiply your momentum.
Bad ones create friction you'll fight forever.

Know the difference before you sign.
Your future self depends on it.

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Your business is underperforming for 7 reasons.

(Most CEOs only see 3 of them.)

Every high-performance company runs on 7 engines:

SHARED VALUES - The Mission Engine
↳ The core beliefs everyone shares
↳ Guides choices without asking
↳ Skip this? Teams pull apart

STRATEGY - The Direction Engine
↳ Your plan to beat the competition
↳ Shows what matters most
↳ Get it wrong? Everyone's confused

STRUCTURE - The Organization Engine
↳ Clear roles and decision rights
↳ Makes things fast or slow
↳ Mess up? Everything stalls

SYSTEMS - The Process Engine
↳ Your step-by-step playbooks
↳ Makes success repeatable
↳ Skip this? Start from zero daily

STYLE - The Leadership Engine
↳ What leaders do, not what they say
↳ Creates the real culture
↳ Fake it? Teams know

STAFF - The Talent Engine
↳ Right people in right seats
↳ All rowing the same way
↳ Wrong fit? Nothing works

SKILLS - The Capability Engine
↳ The abilities that matter
↳ Built by doing, not reading
↳ Don't have them? You lose

The pattern never changes:

🟢 Great companies align all 7
🟡 Stuck companies fix only 3-4
🔴 Failing companies ignore 5+ 

Key truths:

✓ Fix one, affect all others
✓ Small gaps become big problems
✓ Most leaders can't see the whole picture
✓ The "soft" stuff breaks you

Big mistakes leaders make:

❌ Think new org charts fix culture
❌ Believe good strategy beats bad execution
❌ Hope computer systems replace leadership
❌ Assume people learn skills alone

When all 7 parts work together:

✅ Decisions happen 10x faster.
✅ Teams stop fighting each other.
✅ Growth becomes automatic.

And best of all? 

Your business stops feeling like separate pieces 
and starts working like one machine.

So, stop fixing only what you like.
Start fixing the whole system.

P.S. Want a PDF of my McKinsey 7S Model Cheat Sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
Get them free here: https://lnkd.in/erv4hqb7

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The #1 leadership mistake killing your team's potential
(I learned this one the hard way)...

Trying to control everything yourself.

For years, I thought being a "strong leader" meant
having all the answers and making all the decisions.

I was wrong.

What finally transformed my leadership?

Realizing that true power comes from serving your team,
not controlling them.

Let me share what this looks like in practice:

1. Start with Trust

➟ Don't just delegate tasks. Delegate authority.
➟ Give your team real ownership.
➟ When someone brings you a problem, resist solving it.
Instead, ask: "What do you think we should do?"

2. Create Safety for Ideas

➟ Make it clear there are no "stupid questions."
➟ When someone shares an idea, even if it's not perfect,
respond with "Tell me more about that..."
➟ Watch how this unleashes creativity.

3. Invest in Your Team's Growth

➟ Spend 30 minutes each week with every team member.
➟ Not to check on work, but to understand them better.
➟ Then open doors for them to learn and grow.

4. Drop the Mask

➟ Share your own challenges and mistakes.
➟ When leaders show vulnerability, it gives others
permission to be human too.
➟ This is how you build real trust.

5. Listen Differently


➟ Next time someone's talking, notice your urge
to interrupt or give advice.
➟ Practice staying silent an extra 10 seconds.
➟ You'll be amazed what people share in that space.

6. Empower Decisions

➟ Start small. Pick one decision you'd normally make.
➟ Hand it over completely to your team.
➟ Support their choice, even if it's different
from what you'd do.

The magic real happens when you:

✅ Stop being the hero
✅ Start being the guide
✅ Make it safe to fail and learn
✅ Focus on removing their obstacles
✅ Celebrate others' success louder than your own

Remember:

Your job isn't to be the smartest person in the room.

Your job is to create an environment where smart people
can do their best work.

This shift isn't easy. But it's worth it.

Because when you truly serve your team,
they'll take your organization places
you never could've reached alone.

What's one way you could step back today
to let your team step up?

P.S. Want a PDF of my Servant Leader sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
Get them free here: https://lnkd.in/ekv-8gDu

♻ Repost to inspire more servant leaders.
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Great leaders have more than one gear.
The best ones know when to shift.

Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s situational.

7 styles to keep in your toolkit (and when to use them):

1. Visionary — set the direction.
Use when the team needs clarity or the market’s shifting.

2. Coach — develop people.
Use with new hires, new roles, or rising leaders.

3. Pacesetter — raise the bar by modeling it.
Use for high-stakes execution or short sprints.

4. Servant Leader — remove blockers.
Use when work is stuck or morale dips.

5. Decisive Leader — make fast calls.
Use in crises or when delay is costly.

6. Transformer — drive change to grow.
Use when strategy needs to shift to scale.

7. Collaborator — pull the best ideas from the room.
Use for complex, cross-functional work.

How to choose, fast:

Skill Level
New team → Coach
Seasoned pros → Collaborator or Pacesetter

Urgency
High → Decisive
Low → Coach or Collaborator

Risk
Irreversible → Slow down
Reversible → Move fast

The power move isn’t picking a favorite.
It’s shifting on purpose.

What works in one moment may flop in the next.

The strongest leaders flex. Constantly.

Every team is different.
And even the same team needs different things at different times:

A new hire might need close coaching.
A senior expert might need freedom.

A stressed team might need rest.
A high-performing team might need stretch goals.

Leadership isn’t about fitting a mold.
It’s about reading the moment, and adjusting your style to match it.

That’s what great leaders do.


They don’t just lead.
They master the shift.

P.S. Want a PDF of my 7 Leadership Styles cheat sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
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How often do you check your strategy?

If it’s only once a year, here’s a better way:

A 90-day loop that keeps your team ahead.

Even the smartest teams struggle when:

➟ Plans are set once a year,
but markets shift monthly

➟ Everyone’s “aligned” at the retreat…
then silos return by Monday

➟ Goals look great on paper,
but execution gets lost in daily fires

➟ Strategy decks gather dust
while competitors move faster

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

The good news? There’s a better way.

Strategy doesn’t have to be a once-a-year event.

It can be a loop—a rhythm—that drives growth every 90 days.

Here’s the simple system:

1️⃣ Assess – Face reality. Gather insights from customers, teams, and data.

2️⃣ Define – Pick 3 battles. Not 30. Just 3 you can win.

3️⃣ Plan – Stack resources. Put your best people on the biggest opportunities.

4️⃣ Execute – Work with speed and discipline. Track weekly, not yearly.

5️⃣ Measure – Celebrate wins. Learn fast. Apply insights to the next cycle.

That’s it. Then loop back.
Quarter after quarter.

Because real growth doesn’t come from a once-a-year strategy retreat.

It comes from building a leadership rhythm that:

✔ Adapts faster than markets change
✔ Keeps your team focused
✔ Executes with consistency
✔ Improves every cycle

Save this loop. Share it with your team.
Run it Monday morning.

Your competition is still waiting for January.
You could be three loops ahead.

Want my Strategy Loop Cheat Sheet + 100 more leadership resources?
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You don't need to raise your prices to grow revenue.

Most CEOs default to price increases when they
want to boost the top line.

But that's not always the right move.

There are 5 proven ways to increase revenue
without touching your pricing at all.

Let me walk you through each one:

🔍 1. Focus on Your Best Customers
➟ Not all customers bring the same value.
➟ Best-fit clients close faster and churn less.
➟ The right focus improves win rates.

Try this: Define your top customer profile.
Reallocate pipeline effort toward that segment.
Watch your close rates climb.

🎯 2. Fix Your Sales Conversion
➟ Many leads never become customers.
➟ Small improvements create immediate revenue.
➟ Better conversion lowers acquisition costs.

Try this: Audit your last 20 lost deals.
Find the #1 reason they stalled. Fix that first.

🔒 3. Increase Customer Retention
➟ A 5% retention increase can boost profit 25–95%.
➟ Loyal clients create steady, predictable revenue.
➟ Retention strengthens long-term growth.

Try this: Identify the main reason customers leave.
Fix one churn driver this quarter. Just one. Start there.

📈 4. Grow Existing Accounts
➟ Upsells have 3–5× higher close rates than new deals.
➟ Trust already exists between buyer and seller.
➟ Account growth compounds without new acquisition cost.

Try this: Review your top 20 customers.
Identify one additional need you can solve.
Have that conversation this week.

🔄 5. Build a Referral Engine
➟ Referrals close faster than cold prospects.
➟ Referred customers have higher lifetime value.
➟ Word-of-mouth scales without ad spend.

Try this: Ask your 10 happiest clients for one intro.
Make it part of your process, not an afterthought.

Here's what changes when you apply all 5:

✅ Revenue grows without price resistance
✅ Growth becomes more predictable
✅ Customer lifetime value goes up
✅ Acquisition costs go down

Start with the one area where you're leaving
the most money on the table.

Then work your way through the rest.

Which of these five would make the biggest
difference in your business right now?

📣 Ready to become a world-class CEO?

The April cohort of my Founder & CEO Accelerator
is now 20% off. But not for long.
Special offer closes this week.
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90% of strategic plans fail.

Not because the ideas are bad.
But because they're built backwards.

Most CEOs start with tactics and actions.
Then wonder why nothing connects.

Here's what the best know:

Strategy isn't a pyramid you climb.
It's one you build from the top down.

Start here:

1. Vision (Your "Why")
↳ Paint the future you want to create 
↳ Make it bold enough to inspire
↳ Keep it clear enough to follow

2. Mission (Your "What")
↳ Not just what you do
↳ But who you serve and why it matters
↳ Keep it focused and meaningful

3. Core Values (Your "How")
↳ Choose principles that guide decisions
↳ Pick values you'll actually live by
↳ Make them memorable and meaningful

4. Strategic Priorities
↳ Focus on 2-5 key areas only
↳ Choose what moves the needle
↳ Say no to everything else

5. Long-Term Goals
↳ Set specific 3-5 year targets
↳ Make them measurable
↳ Keep them ambitious but achievable

6. Initiatives
↳ Design programs that matter
↳ Create projects with purpose
↳ Connect everything back to vision

7. Strategies 
↳ Choose approaches that fit your culture
↳ Keep them flexible but focused
↳ Make sure they connect to your goals

8. Tactics 
↳ Pick methods that your team can master
↳ Choose tools that scale with you
↳ Test small, then expand what works

9. Action Plan 
↳ Break big goals into small steps
↳ Set clear owners and deadlines
↳ Create weekly check-in rhythms

The truth is:

Great strategy isn't about perfect plans.
It's about clear direction.

Start at the top.
Build down with purpose.
Watch your vision come alive.

What’s your favorite way to build a strategic plan? 

P.S. Want a PDF of my Pyramid of Strategy cheat sheet?
Get it free: https://lnkd.in/eVqMFi2j

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