The Contrarian Digest [Week 4]

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 [4th Edition] 👇

1️⃣ The AI Productivity Paradox: What Happens to the 93%? – Dominique Levin

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Math doesn’t lie, does it? If AI multiplies productivity by 15x, are we just sugarcoating the uncomfortable conversation about what happens NEXT?

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eDrNaGwm
💭𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: The ultimate economic death spiral? – https://lnkd.in/eFuP-XaN

2️⃣ Navigating mass hysteria: the power of nuance – Oriane Cohen

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Ever been attacked for staying calm during chaos? There’s a reason why nuance becomes threatening when everyone else panics.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/epcWkzfP

3️⃣ Outbound: The Unsexy Necessity – Amanda Zhu

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: While everyone hunts for “magical growth hacks,” Amanda sent 2.000 cold emails to get to customer 100. The boring truth that actually builds companies.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eV2C-ZCQ

4️⃣ Monopoly by design: Owning what others ignore – Jon Davids

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: The $174M business “hiding” in gas stations proves you don’t always need innovation—just solve boring problems and serve markets everyone else ignores.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/e7v9Baqi

5️⃣ Knowledge Work: From “resume “to “Agent Portfolio” – Kieran Flanagan

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: In the future (tomorrow), resumes will be obsolete. Your professional value will be defined by the AI agents YOU build.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eeqyfYdV

6️⃣ Why EVERY hire must improve your average – Siqi Chen

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Most companies get worse as they grow. The counterintuitive secret? Rejecting “good enough” candidates even when it hurts.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/erBxvJNe

7️⃣ Will industry insiders own the next Trillion-Dollar companies? – Trace Cohen

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Could the “AI gold rush” be happening in the wrong direction? What if the most valuable companies might be those solving real industry problems instead of chasing AGI?

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eJd7CsZf
💭𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: The Meta-Layer (by AI, for AI) – https://lnkd.in/evHu4nSx

8️⃣ Where have our brains gone?! – Gaetan Portaels

Yes, I’m back in this edition. A little self-indulgent? Maybe. But there’s value too.

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: I believe we’re witnessing the first GENERALIZED “mass brain atrophy” in human history. Not from disease, but from willingly outsourcing ALL our thinking to machines.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ejFZxesD or simply 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 — March 10, 2025 (HERE)