Saywhat

Software and a community to help people build their personal brands and businesses faster on LinkedIn.

Start your 7-day free trial here: https://saywhat[dot]ai/

Co-Founder

WMM Holdings

Owner

Level Up Newsletter

Join 14,800+ members of the Level Up Community - who get a weekly email from me on how to grow their businesses on LinkedIn.

Writer

Web3 Analytic

Marketing Analytics Platform.
Helped Web3 Companies Find and Understand Customers.
Grew to 6 figures annualized revenue in 4 months after launch.
Raised >$1m from a16z Crypto Startup School, Foundation Capital, NFX and Alchemy Ventures.

Built and tested 5 software products in the journey.

Co-Founder, Head of Strategy

Various DeFi Projects

Built and open-sourced two blockchain-based financial derivatives products.
Pivoted to solve a bigger problem.

Structured Products: https://github.com/pareto-xyz/pareto-theta-vault-whitepaper/blob/main/whitepaper.pdf
Options Exchange: https://github.com/pareto-xyz/pareto-order-book-whitepaper/blob/main/how_to_orderbook.pdf

Builder

Tutela.xyz

Helped Crypto users remain private.
Think haveibeenpwned.com for Ethereum users.

White Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.06811

Featured by...
crypto@stanford: https://www.stanfordcrypto.io/chats/tutela 
Golem foundation: https://golem.foundation/2022/02/07/interview-Tutela.html

Co-Creator

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

MBA Candidate

Botha-Chan Fellow

Bessemer Venture Partners

Founded in 1999, the InSITE Fellowship is a graduate leadership development program for aspiring leaders in the venture capital, entrepreneurship and technology spaces. Currently focusing on the SMB SaaS landscape on behalf of Bessemer Venture Partners.

InSITE Fellow

Vitruvian Partners

Top-ranked associate in my class.
Received post-MBA return offer.

Worked on a couple of investments in...

TransferWise (Apr ’19)
https://transferwise.com/

Sykes Holiday Cottages (Oct '19)
https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/

Associate

Goldman Sachs

Technology, Media & Telecoms Coverage

Led many small teams (>10 at times) to help companies buy other companies.

Learnt a lot about business strategy and how to be a leader - getting the best out of the team and helping them grow.

Investment Banking Associate

Consumer, Retail, Healthcare & Real Estate Coverage

Investment Banking Analyst

Create Authentic Content With AI (👇) | Helped >600 Entrepreneurs Build Personal Brands

Struggling to turn LinkedIn into real business growth? You’re not alone - most entrepreneurs are. 

In 18 months, I went from 3k to 395k followers, generated 320M+ views, and built a mid-6-figures bootstrapped business with zero CAC.

Now I help committed entrepreneurs & CXOs grow their businesses on LinkedIn.

Before posting on LinkedIn, I thought social media was a total waste of time. 

My journey: 

- 2015–2020: Investment Banking & Private Equity (Goldman Sachs, Vitruvian Partners) 
- 2020–2022: Business school - still convinced social media was all fluff 
- 2023: Built a VC-backed crypto startup and watched competitors skyrocket using social media 
- 2024: Started posting myself → grew from 3k to 395k followers (fastest-growing new LinkedIn account in the world), generated 300M+ views, built a 7-figure bootstrapped business with zero CAC (Saywhat[dot]ai) 

Since then, I’ve worked with 600+ entrepreneurs to grow their brands and businesses on LinkedIn. 

How I can help you: 

1️⃣ For solopreneurs, coaches, and consultants 

Check out Saywhat[dot]ai - our software platform & community helping 600+ entrepreneurs. 

Median user posting 5x/week sees +130% views in 90 days. 
Average user sees 800% more views in 90 days. 

For more case studies, check out the website.

2️⃣ For Founders/CXOs 

I’ll run and grow your LinkedIn end-to-end: strategy, content creation, and audience building to grow your business. 

I work exclusively with Series A+ startups or $10M+ ARR who are: 
- Committed to LinkedIn as a serious, long-term growth channel 
- Willing to invest significantly in brand building (not “testing the waters”) 

If that’s you, send me a DM to learn more.

3️⃣ For free weekly tips Subscribe to my Level Up Newsletter for LinkedIn growth tactics.

And get 120 free LinkedIn post ideas + my AI writing prompts here: https://levelupnewsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe

4️⃣ For a bit of motivation and some tactical business building advice - just give me a follow!

Excited to support you on your journey however I can!

Messy Career? Read this: 👇


When we look at our LinkedIn feed, 
Everyone's career looks perfect. 
A straight line to success.

But there is so much that we're all hiding:
• The failed projects. 
• The career U-turns. 
• The "what was I thinking?" moments.

Truth is, we're all figuring it out. 
And in 2025, that's just normal. 
Embracing it is even an advantage.

Why? 
Because the most interesting opportunities come from unexpected places. 
The skills you think are "irrelevant" today might be your edge tomorrow.

But we still: 
• Hide our failures 
• Delete old job titles 
• Pretend each move was "strategic"

Stop.

And remember: 
• Every pivot adds to your toolkit. 
• Every failure makes you stronger. 
• Every "mess" teaches you resilience.

The people winning right now aren't doing everything perfectly.

They're learning from every turn. 

They're building while others doubt. 

They're connecting the dots others miss.

Your messy career isn't a bug. 
It's a feature.

Own it.

One of my craziest career decisions? 
Posting on LinkedIn.

Want to do the same? 
Here are 120 post ideas to get started: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

♻️ Repost if you're proud of your non-linear path

P.S. What did your messiest career moment teach you? 
Share below 👇

Will McTighe

LinkedIn & B2B Marketing Whisperer | Helped 600+ Founders & Execs Build Influence

Most people are crippled by decisions.

They wait. 
They worry. 
They overthink.

I used to be one of them.

But the math is simple.
Fast decisions compound.

→ 10 decisions a day
→ 70 decisions a week
→ 3,640 decisions a year

While others spend a week making 1 decision:
→ Collecting more data
→ Seeking consensus
→ Avoiding risk
→ Missing opportunities

Speed beats perfection.
95% of the time.

Successful builders are in motion.

They don't wait for perfect information.
They don't require absolute certainty.
They don't fear being wrong.

They've built a decision framework that works:

1/ Identify which decisions are reversible
Most choices can be undone, modified, or adjusted. Only a small percent are truly permanent.

2/ Make reversible decisions quickly
These are doors you can walk back through. Make them fast and learn.

3/ Examine irreversible decisions carefully
These are one-way paths. Take your time, but still decide.

4/ Build a bias toward action
Movement creates momentum. Momentum creates success.

The business you want exists on the other side of decisive action.

Your success isn't determined by the perfection of each choice.
It's determined by your ability to keep moving forward.

Stop asking "What's the perfect choice?"
Start asking "What will I learn fastest by deciding now?"

One thing you can get started on tomorrow is posting on LinkedIn.
It’s the best thing I did for my career.

📌 Want to get started?
Here are 120 post ideas + my AI writing prompts: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

Start deciding today.
Start building tomorrow.

♻️ Repost this to help your network take action.

➕ Want more? Follow me Will McTighe

Image Credit: Justin Welsh

The $10M Solopreneur | Helping 100,000+ burned-out corporate professionals build six-figure, one-person online businesses.

Jobs are temporary. But skills?
They can never be taken away from you.

But most of us are too scared to start learning new ones.
Why? Because we get stuck in loops:

• "What if I look stupid?"
• "What if it doesn’t help me?"
• "What if I'm just wasting my time?"

We all have these thoughts sometimes.

But here's the irony:
Listening to them is the riskiest move of all.

Here's what the forward thinkers do instead:

1/ Build In Public.
→ Share your wins and lessons learned.
→ Document your problem-solving process.

2/ Create Opportunities, Don't Wait for Them.
→ Connect with people in your space.
→ Grab virtual coffees - zoom is amazing.

3/ Teach What You Know.
→ Share what you needed to know 2 years ago.
→ Help others avoid your mistakes.

4/ Make Your Work Visible.
→ Take on projects others can see.
→ Turn outcomes into content.

The harsh reality?
Your company has a backup plan for you.
Do you have a backup plan for them?

Remember: Your brand is the strongest backup plan.

Start building yours today: https://saywhat.ai/course/

P.S. What's your top tip to become irreplaceable? 👇

—

Quote Credit: Erica Williams Simon

—

♻️ Repost to help your network to be loyal to their growth.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

I just turned 33. Here are 19 career truths I wish I knew at the start of my career:


1/ Career paths are completely made up.
•  There is no right or wrong path, just your path.

2/ Most people spend years living someone else’s dream.
•  Define your success and work hard to achieve it.

3/ Get good at something, don’t follow your passion.
•  You don’t randomly ‘find’ your passion - you explore and improve.

4/ Trust isn’t about sharing your entire personal life.
•  It's about being consistently reliable, day after day.

5/ At the start you’re paid for your potential. But it expires fast.
•  Later, only your track record talks.

6/ Treat every job as an experiment.
•  The cost of experiment now is months, later it’s years.

7/ Taking a “stepping stone” job rarely works.
•  It just increases the chances you don't make the leap.

8/ You will feel like an imposter (sometimes).
•  It’s not a bad thing. It means you’re growing.

9/ If you don't communicate, people assume the worst. 
•  Silence gets filled with fears, not hopes.

10/ Everything takes longer than you think.
•  Double your timeline, then add six months.

11/ Being exceptional, requires doing exceptional things.
•  You can’t be different by doing the same thing as everyone else.

12/ You need a sponsor, not just a mentor.
•  Mentors guide you, sponsors fight for your promotions.

13/ Most “career emergencies” aren’t.
•  Take a breath before reacting, 99% can wait until tomorrow.

14/ Always network before you need it.
•  The best time to build relationships was yesterday.

15/ Your reputation starts on Day 1.
•  People remember how you handle small tasks.

16/ Good feedback hurts because it’s true.
•  Pay extra attention to the feedback that stings.

17/ If you hate the work, you’ll never master it.
•  Passion follows mastery, but you need baseline interest.

18/ Double down on strengths.
•  Find your natural strengths and lean into them.

19/ Don’t ignore your gut instinct.
•  Your gut feeling about a job is hardly ever wrong.

The most expensive career lessons are learned through experience. 
But the smartest people learn from others' experiences.

P.S. One thing I wish I started earlier?
Building my personal brand. 
It makes everything else 10x easier.

To help you do that, Chris Donnelly and I are hosting the Q3 State of LinkedIn™ webinar.

It's tomorrow Wednesday, October 15th at 5 pm UK time.

During the webinar, Chris and I will give you: 

- A full ~50-page data report (for free) 
- An in-depth analysis of what's changing
- Strategies you can take based on real data 
- A live Q&A to answer all your questions 

You can learn more and sign up here: 
https://lnkd.in/egj7TZRy

♻️ Repost to help your network avoid common career mistakes!

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

Helping Founders Grow Their Businesses on LinkedIn (👇) | Helped ​>600 Entrepreneurs Build Personal Brands

19 career truths I wish I knew before I started work

Most people have big ideas.
Almost nobody executes.

Why?
• they’re afraid to fail
• they’re scared of rejection
• they’re worried about looking stupid

So they overthink, overprepare and then look back with regret.

Embarrassment is part of all of our lives.
The more we’re willing to take, the bigger the reward.

Every big win in my life started with something embarrassing.

Goldman-Sachs started with 12-hour days in the library.
LinkedIn started with 45 posts that fell flat.
Saywhat started with hundreds of cold DMs.

The truth is that we all get scared, but how you respond to it defines who you are.

Oprah was fired from her first TV job…
…until she built a media empire.

Walt Disney was told he “lacked imagination”…
…until he built a $200B brand.

Stephen King was rejected 30 times…
…until Carrie became a bestseller.

They all felt embarrassed before they felt proud.

People will judge you no matter what, so it’s better to try and fail than not try at all.

Every version before the right one looks stupid.
That’s how progress works.

And the haters will laugh until it works.
Then they’ll ask how you did it.

My first 45 posts on LinkedIn? Completely cringe.
📌 But I pushed on. Here’s my playbook: https://saywhat.ai/course/

-

♻️ Repost to help your network overcome the fear of embarrassment.

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They'll Laugh Until It Works

Most people expect AI to read their mind. It's like asking a chef to cook "a nice dessert" without mentioning you hate chocolate.

Then they blame it when it fails.

Of course it won't do everything right without knowing more about you.

It needs to know your background, and how you think.

When you train it right, it starts thinking with you.

Here's how to train it properly:

1/ Turn On Memory
• Make ChatGPT remember what matters across chats.
• Tell it who you are, who you help, and what tone you prefer.

2/ Define Your Working Style
• Pick a tone that matches how you think - cynical, forward thinking, etc.
• Ask it to challenge your ideas or simplify complex ones.

3/ Set Up Custom Instructions
• Fill out your "About You" and "How to Respond" fields properly.
• That's how it stops sounding generic.

4/ Connect Your Tools
• Don't copy-paste everything into chats.
• Connect your Drive, Notion, and Slack and let AI pull what it needs.

5/ Build Your Workflow
• Have one 'project' for each client or task.
• Upload files, templates, and make it part of your daily process.

Most people give up because AI seems too hard.
"It's not for me."

But it's not about intelligence, it's about setup.

Remember: The more you use it, the smarter it gets.

📌 Want to use AI to build your personal brand?
Here's my free 8-day email course: https://lnkd.in/ga7QpS8v

♻️ Repost to help your network use AI properly.

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How to make ChatGPT do 80% of your work by Will McTighe

Spend 60 minutes to fix your LinkedIn today.

10x your results all year.

Most people overcomplicate LinkedIn:

• Starting from scratch every single time
• Publishing content without a clear strategy
• Creating content that speaks to everyone and no-one

No wonder it feels exhausting.

That's why they quit after 3 months - it's not sustainable.

I get it.

I used to think doing everything manually made me a hard worker.
I still struggle with that sometimes.

But in reality, not everything is a good use of your time.

LinkedIn isn't hard because the work is impossible.
It's hard because most people are doing it without leverage.

Here's how this 11 step workflow will help you build leverage:

• Spot the gaps that costs you opportunities
• Create reusable visual templates that look great
• Have 30 days of content ideas ready in minutes
• Mix awareness, trust, and sales posts

Build systems that become your foundation and go from there.

📌 Want my free playbook that made it happen for me?
Find it here: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost to help your network create a better system.

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How to fix your linkedin with AI by Will McTighe

Seven words from a teacher changed his entire future.

Big achievements rarely start with big plans.

They start with small moments that change how you see yourself.

Not a roadmap. 
Not a milestone.

Just someone who believed in you before you did.

A teacher once told a student, "You have a gift. Don't waste it."

She said it in passing, then moved on. For her, it was just another school day.

But for him - it wasn't.
He held onto those words for years. 

Through a messy early career he never forgot that sentence.
Every time he thought of settling, he'd remember her voice: 

"You have a gift. Don't waste it."

Years later, he started writing online. 
Small lessons he'd learned on his journey.

First a few people read them. 
Then ten turned into thousands.
Thousands turned into millions.

That student was me.
And the teacher was Daniele Harford-Fox.

That's the butterfly effect - a small action in one place creates massive change somewhere else.

You never know which conversation will stick. 
Which compliment someone will replay in their head for years. 
Which piece of encouragement becomes their North Star.

The words you say matter more than you know.

Once I started writing online, I went from 3,000 to >410,000 followers in 19 months.

📌 Here's the playbook I followed: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b 

♻️ Repost to change someone's life. 

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the butterfly effect by Will McTighe

Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future.

Most people think hard work is enough.

But it’s incredibly hard to outgrow an environment that caps your ceiling.

You can be doing everything right - working hard, learning, improving - yet still find yourself stuck.

Why? Because your environment shapes your ceiling.

You absorb the standards of the people around you without even realizing it.

Their pace becomes your pace. 
Their doubts become your doubts. 
And suddenly, “good enough” feels like progress.

I’ve been there.

And the shift didn’t happen because I worked harder.
It happened when I worked around smarter people.

In August, I spent a few weeks in London.
Working from Chris Donnelly’s office, with him and Nader Alnajjar.
Those few weeks pushed me way harder.

When you’re surrounded by top performers, your weaknesses become obvious and you start seeing how much more is possible.

Here’s how I did it:

1/ Find someone 2–3 steps ahead.
• Not ten - they should still remember your stage.
• Learn what they’re doing differently and why it works.

2/ Get in their physical space.
• Zoom doesn’t count. Help them as much as possible.
• Shadow them. Join their brainstorming sessions. Pay for proximity.

3/ Spot your biggest gaps.
• Don’t try to fix everything.
• Choose one or two areas that move the needle most.

4/ Execute within 24 hours.
• Don’t sit on learnings.
• Take one idea and turn it into action immediately.

5/ Share your progress publicly.
• Talk about what you’re learning and trying.
• It keeps you accountable and attracts better rooms.

Here’s the thing about changing your environment:
You don’t realize how much it’s holding you back until you completely change it.

If you want to grow faster, change your circle.
📌 One way to find a better circle? Start posting online.
Here’s free 8-day email course to get you started: https://lnkd.in/ga7QpS8v

-

♻️ Repost to help your network upgrade their circle.

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LinkedIn & B2B Social Media Whisperer | Helped 600+ Founders & Execs Build Influence

Your Circle Decides Your Ceiling

Most people think being “authentic” on LinkedIn means sharing your life story.
It doesn’t.

That’s why so many “personal” posts make these mistakes:
• They’re not useful
• They’re not relevant
• They’re painfully vulnerable

So what is the miss?
People write for themselves, not for the reader.

Every post has to serve the audience, even the personal ones.

Your story is your hook.
The value is the takeaway.

Ask yourself: does this help someone move faster, think sharper, or feel seen?
Do they feel inspired?
If not, it’s a diary entry.

Authenticity isn’t oversharing.
It’s a vehicle to build trust and help others learn your lessons.

Your lessons and stories are your knowledge.
Share them so others can win too.

📌 Want my playbook for winning on LinkedIn?
Get it every Sunday: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

♻️ Repost to help your network win on LinkedIn.

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How to write personal stories for LinkedIn

We analysed 318,842 LinkedIn posts in Q3 2025.

And LinkedIn has changed...

Here's what Chris Donnelly and I found:
Organic reach is down 65% from peak.
For years, it was easy to grow on LinkedIn. 

But in 2025, things are changing.

Companies have realized posting on LinkedIn is valuable.
Brands are spending more money on ads here.

It has harder than ever to grow.

Follower growth is down 20% since Q2 2025 for the average creator.
But the Top 1% are growing 157x faster.

Here’s what is actually working in Q3 2025:

1/ Carousels… but different.
❌ Purely educational carousels only 
✅ Storytelling carousels are outperforming

2/ Metrics that matter
❌ Obsessing over likes and comments.
✅ Also focus on saves and shares.

3/ Motivational Quotes
❌ Generic billboards.
✅ Quotes on brand-aligned backgrounds.

4/ Hooks
❌ Weak contrarian hooks.
✅ Personal story hooks perform best.

5/ Using Video
❌ Videos go viral. 
✅ Videos for building trust, showing humor and converting.

6/ Commenting
❌ "Comment on as many posts as possible" 
✅ Top 5% creators leave picture and personal story comments.

7/ Links
❌ "Avoid links in posts at all costs" 
✅ Posts with 3+ links get 236% better reach.

The key is to test everything. 
Then double down on what works for YOU.

The Q3 2025 algorithm is different. 
Time to adapt or get left behind.

And this is just scratching the surface... 
Chris and I have shared everything we've learned.

- A full ~54-page data report (for free) 
- An in-depth analysis of what's changing
- Strategies you can take based on real data 

📌 You can get the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gXiUSNr5

♻️ Repost to help others win on LinkedIn.

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Note: Not affiliated with LinkedIn

Stop doubting yourself. 
Growth happens when you do things you're not 'qualified' for.

The excuses all sound reasonable:
• "I don't have enough time right now." 
• "I'll wait until I have more experience." 
• "What if I look stupid? It could ruin my reputation"

We wait to feel confident before we take action.

But this misses the point:
You don't have confidence at the start! 
It's the result of doing so much work it would be unreasonable to not believe in yourself.

So next time doubt shows up, instead of letting it take control, do the opposite of what it wants.

Here are 3 things I do when self-doubt takes over:

1/ Start before you're ready

When I first started posting online, I had no idea what I was doing. I was laughed at and now nearly 2 years later, those haters ask me for help.

Action builds confidence, not the other way around.

2/ Lower the stakes

I've posted >500 LinkedIn posts - I've had more flops than most but I just try to make the next better than the last.

Stop treating every next step like it's the performance of your life - treat it like practice instead.

3/ Surround yourself with doers

I've built a small circle of entrepreneurs I talk to regularly - Nader Alnajjar, Chris Donnelly, Peter Shallard. 

Confidence really is contagious, so make it a point to be around people who are actually doing the work.

Confidence doesn't show up first. 
It follows the work you put in.

Take the risk. 
Apply for the job. 
Start your side hustle - now is the time.

Want to surround yourself with doers?
Find your own tribe by posting online: 
📌 Here's my playbook: https://lnkd.in/ga7QpS8v

♻️ Repost to help your network overcome self-doubt.

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Helping founders build leverage through AI and Personal Brand | Founder of LeverBrands

Founder | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing & AI

The Shrink for Entrepreneurs | Founder of Commit Action: World's #1 Accountability Coaching. Follow for evidence-based business psychology & productivity tactics.

What if I Fail Vs. What If I Don't by Will McTighe

RIP PowerPoint.
It's nearly 2026. Use this instead:

Most people waste hours every week doing things that look productive.
I am sometimes at fault for doing this, too.

Think about it, we’ve all:
• Taken notes that no one read
• Made decks no one cared about
• Copy and pasted data between tools because “it’s faster”

Busy work feels safe - it gives the illusion of progress.

You think automating these tasks takes hours - “It’s just quicker if I do it myself.”

That used to be me.

Then, last week, I built an AI workflow that turns meeting notes into ready-to-share slides in under 10 minutes.

Here’s the step-by-step playbook:

Step 1: Open zapier(.)com(/)apps → Search for Gamma
• This is where you’ll set up the automation.

Step 2: Tell Gamma where to pull content from.
• Pick from the 8,000 tools like Notion, Fireflies, and Google Sheets here: https://lnkd.in/gYjv_Gnx

Example: Fireflies(.).ai → Gamma (to turn meeting notes into decks).

Step 3: Choose when it runs.
• Set it up like: “New meeting summary → Create presentation.”

Step 4: Connect both apps and test.
• Link both tools up to Zapier.

Step 5: Decide what goes into your slides
• Decide whether you want timestamps, speaker names, or summaries.

Step 6: Turn On the Workflow
• This links your workspace, no manual upload or copy-pasting needed.

Step 7: Go Live
• Now every time a new meeting ends → Gamma auto-generates your slides.
• Pick one task you can automate this week.

That’s how you buy back your time - for the work that actually matters.

📌 Want to create an AI Agents that automates decks after every meeting?

Try Gamma x Zapier yourself - no coding needed.

♻️ Share this with your network save time at work.

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#gammapartner #zapierpartner

How to create presentations on autopilot by Will McTighe

Potential doesn't die fast. 

It just slowly fades.

Most people don't quit, they just lower their standards so slowly, they don't notice.

Drop a frog in boiling water?
It jumps out immediately.

Heat the water slowly?
It stays until it's too late.

This isn't about frogs, it's about us.

Most things that destroy careers don't happen overnight.

They happen slowly:
• You stop speaking up in meetings
• You start missing small deadlines
• You tell yourself "It's just this once"
• You don't lower your standards overnight

You do it quietly.
One skipped workout at a time.
One postponed difficult conversation at a time.
One "I'll do it tomorrow" at a time.

You rarely notice while it's happening because the work still gets done, the emails still go out and you're still showing up.

But you stop challenging yourself and cutting corners becomes your new normal.

And by the time you notice, the damage is done.

But you can catch it early.

Stop right now and ask:
Where are you settling in your life?

Fix one today:
• Go to bed on time tonight
• Have that conversation you've been avoiding
• Take on the project that scares you

Small actions break the pattern.
Before you're stuck in lukewarm water.

One small action that changed my career?
Posting online.
Here's your free playbook: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost to help your network catch it early.

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The boiling frog trap by will mctighe

Bad prompting gives you useless slop.

Great prompting can save you 10 hours each week.

I used to get frustrated with AI.
Bland outputs. Generic advice. Useless drafts.

Then finally, I took a look in the mirror - it wasn't the AI.
I wasn't being clear enough.

I've tested hundreds of prompts.

This framework works well for me:

1/ Expert Identity
• Don't just tell it what to do. Tell it who it is.
• A persona beats a job title every time.

2/ Task
• What are you trying to achieve and the timeframe.
• Be clear about the constraints. That's where the good stuff comes from.

3/ Structure
• Don't ask for vague "ideas."
• How many points. What to focus on. What format.

4/ Non-Negotiables
• Say what not to include.
• One strong filter can save you 50 lines of cleanup.

5/ Explanations
• Give it a lens. What matters most. How to make trade-offs.
• That's where the good stuff lives.

6/ Success Checklist
• Tell it when to stop.
• Set clear finish lines so the output is usable - not endless.

7/ Context Dump
• Where you are right now.
• Revenue, offer, platform, bottlenecks.

It's often about writing clearer, not longer prompts.

Don't want to write prompts from scratch?
Ask AI to build one using this framework. 
Just paste the 7 steps and describe what you need.

Save this. Use it next time.

📌 Want a high-res PDF of this?
Get it here: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b

♻️ Repost to help your network win with AI.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

People won’t understand your decisions.

They'll call you names.
Idealistic, cringe, selfish.

• Working a 9-5? “Don’t have any ambition.”
• Building a business? “Wasting your time.”
• Posting online? “That's so cringe.”

No matter what you do, people will judge.
They’ll laugh.
They’ll call it a phase.

And that makes us scared.

Scared of feeling stupid.
Scared of failing in public.
Scared of making embarrassing mistakes.

And frankly, those fears are real.

Your first startup might flop.
Your posts will get ignored.
Your ideas will sound ridiculous.

But here’s the thing:
It’s only cringe till it works.

The people you admire weren’t fearless.
They just did it anyway.

They were okay being laughed at today,
So they could be respected tomorrow.

Chasing your dream will make you look selfish.
But ignoring it will make you feel stuck.

So write the post.
Pitch the idea.
Take the leap.

The same people who call it ‘cringe’ today will call it ‘brave’ tomorrow.”

- 

Someone suggested staging an intervention on me when I started posting online.

“His posts are intolerable,” that’s what they said.

I kept going anyway.
And in 20 months I went from 3000 to 415k followers.

📌 Here’s the playbook I followed: https://lnkd.in/ga7QpS8v

-

♻️ Repost to help your network take the leap anyway.

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The most dangerous word in life:

'Soon.'

I'll start soon.
I'll launch soon.
I'll post soon.

We overcomplicate everything.

Convincing ourselves that we need a big plan before we take the first step.

• Designing logos instead of testing ideas.
• Waiting for a studio before filming one video.
• Creating a strategy document before writing a single post.

All of this is a distraction from our biggest blocker:

Fear.

But as soon as you start you build momentum.
And that creates clarity.

Every big outcome starts with small, unglamorous steps.

Want to write a book?
Start with a page.

Want to get in shape?
Start with a walk.

Want to save money?
Start with dinner at home.

The point isn't to have it all figured out.
It's to move, so the path reveals itself.

Start small. Adjust fast.
And keep moving.

📌 Want to build a personal brand?
Start with posting daily.
Here's my 0 -> 400k playbook: https://saywhat.ai/course/

♻️ Repost to help your network overcome their fears.

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Momentum comes from smaller steps by Will McTighe

We analysed 318,842 LinkedIn posts in Q3 2025.

And LinkedIn has changed…

Here's what Chris Donnelly and I found:

Most people are still playing by the old rules. They’re:
• Posting purely educational carousels.
• Hoping their “7 top tips” will get reach.
• Using the same “It’s not X, it’s Y” hooks.

For years, growing on LinkedIn was simple, consistency was enough.

But now, more people are catching on.
They’re posting more.

Brands are pouring ad budgets into the platform.
And the feed is more competitive than ever.

Here’s what’s actually winning in Q3 2025:

1/ Carousels… but different.
❌ Purely educational carousels only
✅ Storytelling carousels are outperforming

2/ Metrics that matter
❌ Obsessing over likes and comments.
✅ Also focus on saves and shares.

3/ Motivational Quotes
❌ Generic billboards.
✅ Quotes on brand-aligned backgrounds.

4/ Hooks
❌ Weak contrarian hooks.
✅ Personal story and authority hooks perform best.

5/ Using Video
❌ Videos go viral.
✅ Videos for building trust, showing humor, and converting.

6/ Commenting
❌ “Comment on as many posts as possible.”
✅ Top 5% creators leave picture and personal story comments.

7/ Links
❌ “Avoid links in posts at all costs.”
✅ Posts with 3+ links get 236% better reach.

The key is to test everything.
Then double down on what actually works for you.

The algorithm isn’t punishing you.
It’s protecting your audience from boring content.

So don’t fight the change.
Use it.
Start by fixing one thing this week.

Chris and I have shared everything we've learned.
• A full ~54-page data report (for free)
• An in-depth analysis of what's changing
• Strategies you can take based on real data

📌 You can get the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gXiUSNr5

♻️ Repost to help others win on LinkedIn.

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

Note: Not affiliated with LinkedIn

Old vs. New LinkedIn By Will McTighe

6 reasons why smart people get ghosted before interviews
(And what they should do instead)

I’ve seen hundreds of talented people passed over for opportunities.
For people with less experience than them.

And people just assume:
• “They got lucky.”
• “They must know someone.”
• “Recruiters just ghost everyone these days.”

The truth is:
People don’t get ghosted because they’re unqualified.
They get ghosted because they’re forgettable.

Here’s what the top 1% do differently 👇

1/ They wait and just wait
• They apply and assume silence = rejection
• Email the hiring manager
(Use the template in the first comment!)

2/ They don’t ask for help
• Your network is more powerful than you think.
• Reach out, ask for a chat, share what you’re learning

3/ They fail the “Why You” Test
• “Results-driven team player” doesn’t mean anything.
• They need: What did you do → How → Results.

4/ They use the same resume everywhere
• Recruiters can tell when it’s copy-pasted
• Tailor each one using tools like Teal's AI Resume Builder

5/ They list tasks, not impact
• “Handled 30+ clients monthly” > “Handled operations”
• Add data, numbers, scale - it builds instant trust

6/ They don’t track their progress
• Missed follow-ups = missed opportunities
• Use Teal’s Job Application Manager to stay on top of it

Job hunting can feel hard.
But that doesn’t mean you’re underqualified.

You just need a better system.
Start today.

Use tools like Teal to make your effort visible.

Try it yourself today for free here: https://lnkd.in/gwnQkN4q

—

♻️ Share this with someone job hunting

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#tealpartner

Teal

6 reasons smart people get ghosted before a job interview

The best education I ever got didn't come from a classroom. It came from watching my mum reinvent herself at 45:

This week, she was visiting from the UK. Saying goodbye reminded me why she's been my greatest teacher.

Here are 4 lessons she's taught me:

1/ Reinvention is about courage, not age

My mum went back to university at 45 and did a degree in fine art. Then became a community arts worker. She showed me that whatever voice tells you "it's too late" is BS. 

The only thing standing between you and a new chapter is the decision to write it.

2/ Curiosity makes people like you

She's one of the most curious people I've ever met. Question after question. Not because she's nosy, but because she genuinely wants to understand. 

This week alone, she asked our Uber driver about his favorite local spots, quizzed a barista about coffee origins, and spent 10 minutes learning about a stranger's dog. 

Curiosity is infectious. It makes people feel seen and valued.

3/ Learn to disagree and talk about emotions

For much of my childhood, it was just the two of us at home. Both had to pull our weight - she walked our dog in the morning, I did evening. We fought with each other, but learned how to talk about emotions in that process. 

Later in life, I realized I was lucky to get practice talking about emotions - many don't. 

I also learned to be an adult as a teenager. Another great gift.

4/ Energy is a mindset

She's nearly 70 and is one of the most active people I've met. This visit? Non-stop exploration: art galleries, walking tours, making friends with strangers (and dogs) on the street. Age doesn't define how you live life. Your attitude does.

Goodbyes are hard. 

But watching her live reminds me that many of the best lessons aren't taught - they're shown.

⬇️ Let me know a lesson your parents taught you. 

♻️ Repost to tell parents out there we appreciate you!

➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

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