The Contrarian Digest [Week 10]

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 [10th Edition] 👇

1️⃣ How Spy Tactics Can Save Your Kids Online – Shawnee Delaney

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Want safer kids? Don’t raise “rule-followers.” Raise skeptics. A former spy explains teaching them to question everything might be their best defense online.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ewv_QaKD

2️⃣ Age: The Last Acceptable Arrogance – Shashank Sharma

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: When elders use age as a weapon against ideas, they’re not wise – just insecure. A sharp case for listening to the BOLD, not just the old.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eJrkspJW

⭐𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: Because it was hard to choose, also check out: “Anyone who tells you the formula of success is lying” – https://lnkd.in/eEJ6Uy7F

3️⃣ AI Mandates Don’t Change Incentives – Elias Torres

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Most teams aren’t using AI because most companies reward “safe” incompetence. Mandates won’t fix this – only fixing your broken incentives will.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/e-zkfwPh

💭𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: The Will-Skill Matrix (from Sol Rashidi,) and what to do about “LOW WILL” – https://lnkd.in/ewwT-332

4️⃣ The $40 Knowledge Worker (ft. Manus AI) – Andreas Horn

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Your team just shrank. Meet your new AI coworkers — faster, cheaper, and immune to burnout. The office you knew is over. But what’s left for humans to do?

🤔 Do I REALLY think we’re there yet? Not quite. But we’re close. And when we get there, it won’t be pretty.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/etmAt3kG

5️⃣ The Invisible Layoff Corporate Playbook – Usman Sheikh

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟:Layoffs just got sneakier, and more dangerous. No headlines, no severance, just death by a thousand cuts. Here’s how the stealth layoff playbook works (and how to beat it).

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ecvX3QZg

6️⃣ Stop Chasing Trends. Mine Your Weird – Alex M H Smith

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: What if REAL differentiation isn’t “built”, but revealed? Your real advantage was probably hiding in plain sight all along.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eaeDtRwJ

7️⃣ The Story They Fund – Justin Custer

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: Most stories get applause. Few get budgets. Your metrics tell a story. Make sure it’s one worth funding.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/ejzxCgRU

Speaking of “funding” and stories, in another category there is FUNDRAISING. Wanna learn how to do that? Chech out my article: CLICK HERE.

8️⃣ How to BUY, Not Build, a $70B Tech Giant – Walker Deibel

⚡𝐈𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟: He built a $70B empire (Constellation Software) WITHOUT hype, headlines, or exits. Here’s why Mark Leonard might be the most underrated CEO alive.

🗞️𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭: https://lnkd.in/eg4iET2D

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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 — April 21, 2025 (HERE)