Hiring thinkers; blogs persist; agents bedevil recruiters: Newsletter 8 October 2025
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Hiring thinkers; blogs persist; agents bedevil recruiters: Newsletter 8 October 2025

Newsletter 118: How to contribute to great ideas. Plus, blogs outlast social media, AI remembers and regurgitates, three people to follow, and three books to read. Breaking new ground together Have you ever wondered how consultants generate new content and new ideas? Let me tell you a story. If you are a consultant, workshop leader,…

Modern thought leaders; the decline of thinking; search as entertainment: Newsletter 1 October 2025
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Modern thought leaders; the decline of thinking; search as entertainment: Newsletter 1 October 2025

Newsletter 113. Principles for principled thought leadership. Plus, the value of “time under tension,” endless PR, three people to follow and three books to read. The thought leader’s pledge Nineteen years ago, my soon-to-be coauthor Charlene Li told me that our objective was to become “thought leaders.” That sounded pretty cool. I wasn’t much of…

A career in writing; Greenleaf & Amplify acquired; Trump’s lawsuit rejected: Newsletter 24 September 2025
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A career in writing; Greenleaf & Amplify acquired; Trump’s lawsuit rejected: Newsletter 24 September 2025

Newsletter 112. Finding your “thing” — the part of your job that you can happily and profitably do for decades. Plus, big news for hybrid publishing, new AI surveys, three people to follow, and three books to read. My thing is writing. Do you know yours? I first got hired as a professional writer in…

Feeding the beast; ChatGPT users revealed; how not to write: Newsletter 17 September 2025
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Feeding the beast; ChatGPT users revealed; how not to write: Newsletter 17 September 2025

Newsletter 111. Think twice about recycling your outrage. Plus, not sounding like an AI, how consultants stand out, three people to follow and three books to read. Welcome to the machine You had a busy week. I know. You posted on social media, and I saw it. You’re hurting, like all of us, and I…

Speaking to the dead; AI projects defended; BookTok influencers: Newsletter 10 September 2025
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Speaking to the dead; AI projects defended; BookTok influencers: Newsletter 10 September 2025

Newsletter 110. Dead people I once knew are still making me smarter — and kinder. Plus, debunking the MIT study about failed AI projects, the Anthropic piracy settlement on hold, three people to follow, and three books to read. I see dead people I’m older than most of you. Retirement age (but I’m not retiring)….

Your career portfolio; self-publishing lessons; Cloudflare saves the Web: Newsletter 3 September 2025
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Your career portfolio; self-publishing lessons; Cloudflare saves the Web: Newsletter 3 September 2025

Newsletter 109. Building your career portfolio one fascinating project at a time. Plus, no more Lego custom orders, the problems with the federal design studio, three people to follow, three books to read, and one last chance to tell us about how much you love or hate AI. Making growth your portfolio objective You should…

Optimized for inspiration; Anthropic settlement; audiobook explosion: Newsletter 27 August 2025
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Optimized for inspiration; Anthropic settlement; audiobook explosion: Newsletter 27 August 2025

Newsletter 108. Forget driving traffic — drive thinking instead. Plus disturbing AI-generated children’s books, Claude admits it’s a ripoff, three people to follow and three books to read. Ideas > algorithms Did anyone read what you wrote last week? The answer depends on algorithms. Algorithms determined whether it was visible in their email or social…

Restless Gen Z; Virtual supermodel; Super Agers ripoffs: Newsletter 20 August 2025
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Restless Gen Z; Virtual supermodel; Super Agers ripoffs: Newsletter 20 August 2025

Newsletter 107: How young adults got a raw deal, preparing for the writing trek, sign onto the Anthropic lawsuit, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and another chance to make your voice heard. Spare a thought for Generation Z I’m a Baby Boomer. Very few of my followers are in Gen Z….

Writers choose pain; Open-source infrastructure; Remembering Shel Israel: Newsletter 13 August 2025
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Writers choose pain; Open-source infrastructure; Remembering Shel Israel: Newsletter 13 August 2025

Newsletter 106: Writing incurs pain, but it’s up to you which pain to suffer and when. Plus, a new survey on AI and the Writing Profession, Bookshop.org surges, three people to follow, and three books to read. Writing? Choose your pain. Writing, like anything else that requires effort and growth, involves pain. The good news…