The Contrarian Digest [Week 1]

The Contrarian Digest is my weekly pick of LinkedIn posts I couldn’t ignore. Smart ideas, bold perspectives, or conversations worth having.

No algorithms, no hype… Just real ideas worth your time.

Let’s dive in 👇

1️⃣ Startup Strategy (Bootstrapping) – Adam Robinson

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Paul Graham, Y Combinator‘s Pope, offers surprising advice: Stay small, bootstrap, and ignore VC hype. Surprising from a VC icon. Adam at Retention.com proves it works—rethink how to build.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: https://lnkd.in/eNUqyChH

2️⃣ 8 Mistakes Salespeople Make with Champions – Gal Aga

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Main contact = champion? Not so fast! Gal’s seen 100.000 deals (yes, really). Here’s why most AEs get this wrong, and how to fix it.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: https://lnkd.in/e2ZCu8CX

3️⃣ Specialization is for insects – Dan Koe

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Specialization? Overrated. Dan’s take on why chasing multiple passions is messy, hard, and totally worth it. Spoiler: it’s not what your career coach told you.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: https://lnkd.in/eignJJTs
💭𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: https://lnkd.in/enUsRZcM

4️⃣ When AI Becomes the Client (SEO Revolution) – Santosh Sharan

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: What if your next “client” isn’t human? Santosh breaks down why SEO is no longer about just pleasing Google. The rules have changed.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: https://lnkd.in/e4Exsdvf
💭𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: https://lnkd.in/eqbxfgje

5️⃣ 20 Ways to Say “NO” – Alex Brogan

A classic? Maybe. But more necessary than ever.

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Focus is a two-sided coin: It’s not just about what we choose to do, but often more about what we deliberately choose NOT to do.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: https://lnkd.in/eZQZMV-9

6️⃣ How OKRs Transformed My Marriage – Dan Murray-Serter 🧠

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Romance might be overrated. Think KPIs and OKRs are just for work? Dan used them to save his marriage… And it worked better than therapy! Here is why.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: https://lnkd.in/e7RR98A8

7️⃣ Building a Business in the Next 5 Years of Radical Societal Change – Gaetan Portaels

Okay, I self-induldged a bit. BUT, I believe it’s really worth your time.

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: My conversation with a 150M€ entrepreneur about the future of business. Here is what we see coming… and my no-BS advice for scaling (or starting) a business in the chaos ahead.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨:

– On Linkedin: https://lnkd.in/eB8MugCv
– On YouTube: https://youtu.be/MBvGY3hgJL0?
– Or simply on this website: CLICK HERE
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Which of these topics resonates with you the most?
Share your thoughts in the comments!

To your success,

Gaetan Portaels

Original publication date — February 17, 2025 (HERE)