Hardcore mode of entrepreneurship: "15 key-learnings" note I wrote years ago after having a rough few months at my company. Read the thread 🧵👇

Another win.

The Prussian Homage or Prussian Tribute was the formal investiture of Albert, Duke of Prussia (1490-1568), with his Duchy of Prussia as a fief of the Kingdom of Poland that took place on 10 April 1525 in the then capital of Kraków, Kingdom of Poland.

Poland, now

Poland leads the way.

In the end, Greenland will belong to Poland🇵🇱. The flag is already prepared. 🇬🇱🇵🇱 Next: Indonesia 🇮🇩

Only growth. 🇵🇱

Polish people, contrary to what politicians say, are actually quite strongly attached to European identity. Worth noting that all frontier (eastern) countries are.

Google rewards UGC Meanwhile, the giant has stirred things up in search again. Website owners will have to face new competition beyond AI Overviews. The company, through Liz Reid (VP of Google Search), announced that the search algorithm will now consider more “nonstandard” content, such as short videos, forum posts, and other user-generated content (UGC). As Reid explained to The Wall Street Journal, the changes stem from new habits among internet users – especially younger ones – who increasingly search for information on video platforms or forums rather than “traditional” websites. It’s unclear when the changes were introduced or how extensive they will be. What’s clear is that website publishers will have an even tougher time – at least in areas where UGC can pose real competition (probably not heavy industry). First they fought Google’s algorithm, then AI, and now they’ll battle TikTok as well. 📰 Search Engine Journal: searchenginejournal.com/goog…

AdAge: bots increasingly dangerous for brands Bots pose an image threat to brands – most of which are unaware of the risk. Fake or provocative content spread on social media by automated, bot accounts can harm companies’ reputations. The problem is growing with the development of artificial intelligence. Thanks to AI tools, “launching” an army of bots has become easier than ever before, warns AdAge. Examples include recent image problems faced by Cracker Barrel and American Eagle. The first faced a wave of criticism after changing its logo; the second – after a campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. According to an analysis by the company Cyabra, in both cases bots played a significant role in fueling negative emotions, accounting for, respectively, over 20% and 13–15% of comments under the brands’ social media posts. What can be done to minimize the reputational cost of such situations? The only universal solution is active social listening and quick response. Fires are easiest to extinguish at the spark stage.

Horizon Futures: events are virtualizing The pandemic is over, but it left a lasting inflationary mark. Among the sectors affected by sharp price increases during and after COVID was the events industry. As a result, former festival-goers are increasingly attending online instead of in person. According to the Horizon Futures report, 79% of consumers consider an event “worth its price” only when it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” while 69% of respondents who choose virtual events cite cost savings as the main reason. But it’s not just about money – respondents also point to the ability to multitask (64%) and convenience (61%). The “virtualization” of live events may affect marketing campaign results. 75% of adults attending live events notice brand presence at such events. Among millennials and Gen Z, the figure rises to 81%. However, marketing aimed at remote participants must take the medium’s limitations into account. Source: marketingdive.com/news/socia…

ChatGPT becomes a platform for apps The evolution of ChatGPT is accelerating. OpenAI is transforming its AI assistant into an access point for applications. The platform now allows users in selected locations to use resources from services such as Bookingcom, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Zillow, and – the latest addition – Spotify, all without leaving the chat. The company has also released an Apps SDK – a toolkit that enables developers to build their own conversational applications based on the open Model Context Protocol standard. Thanks to these new features, users can call on external tools directly in prompts – for example, by asking Spotify to create an ’80s-style party playlist. The “collaborating” programs return results inside the chat window, displaying, for instance, accommodation lists, maps, or presentations. For software creators, it’s an opportunity to reach the 800 million–plus user base of the world’s largest AI chat. For OpenAI – a chance to become the main hub for interacting with the internet. Source: news.designrush.com/openai-c…

OMG: trust in LLMs is growing GEO – generative engine optimization – is becoming an increasingly important part of the SEO mix. According to research by Omnicom Media Group (OMG), 44% of consumers trust products, services, and brands recommended by artificial intelligence. What’s more, faith in AI’s reliability is (likely) growing faster than AI’s reliability itself. The report shows that trust in Google’s AI Overviews has risen from 44% to 68% within a year, while trust in generative AI in search in general increased from 37% to 61%. Additionally, a large portion of users are ignoring traditional search results. According to OMG, as many as 65% of internet users rely on AI Overviews during queries, and 20% use that source exclusively, skipping standard results altogether. Quo vadis, SEO? Source: futureweek.com/44-percent-of…

Dawit Isaak Library censors Orwell Books are meant to be read. But there are exceptions. One of them is the Swedish edition of George Orwell’s canonical dystopia 1984. The edition prepared by the Dawit Isaak Library in Malmö and BBDO Nordics has a double spine – meaning it cannot be opened without using “force.” The goal of the campaign, titled The Bound Books Project (hint: “bound” sounds almost like “banned”), is to draw attention to the issue of censorship in an increasingly autocratic world. The project’s release coincided with Banned Books Week 2025 – an international event promoting the freedom to read. Organizers sent copies to several well-known authors, including Stephen King and Herta Müller. After brief struggles with the cover, the writers filed a complaint. Source: famouscampaigns.com/2025/10/…

LEGO and Nike built a playground LEGO and Nike joined forces to build a playground in Shanghai. The project is unique because it was largely designed by children. Kids contributed ideas during the Build the Change workshops organized by LEGO China. In the execution phase, LEGO was supported by Nike, which has already built 42 playgrounds in China (aiming for 100) as part of its Move to Zero sustainability initiative. The result of their joint effort is a large, modular space inspired by a 2×3 LEGO brick. Joyful anarchy reigns on the playground. Children decide whether a given structure should serve as part of a made-up game, an obstacle, or a climbing wall. Long live imagination. Source: famouscampaigns.com/2025/09/…

Gen Alpha is having an increasing impact on commerce The future of commerce belongs to Alphas. The generation born between 2010 and 2024 counts about 2 billion people. According to the report Alpha Rising by the Acceleration Community of Companies (ACC), Alphas will soon become one of the most important consumer groups. Experts predict that by 2029, their economic impact will reach as much as $5.46 trillion. “They are now acting as a family CMO and they are curating family culture. They are telling the family what to eat, where they’re going on vacation, what car to drive, what they’re going to be cooking, what types of brands they want,” says Monica Chun, president of ACC. This picture of the young generation emerges from survey research. More than 70% of Alphas claim they help their relatives stay up to date with trends, and as many as 96% can convince their families to try out things they’ve seen online or with friends. The report also leaves no doubt that Alphas prioritize instant gratification. 84% of young people use apps, games, or loyalty programs just to avoid losing a reward or streak, 76% expect brands to include gamification elements such as points, badges, or bonuses, and 64% hope for discounts. Among Millennials and Gen Z — unthinkable. Source: marketingdive.com/news/gen-a…

Nothing human is alien to me – said the computer OpenAI has decided to soften its image with a series of very “human”, emotion-driven visuals in its latest video campaign, created together with a boutique agency. The only question is how much responsibility for the ad rested with humans — since ChatGPT is presented as a co-creator of these scripts. The timing of the campaign is quite specific, as it coincides with the launch of Sora 2 by OpenAI — a video generation engine that creates entire scenes based on text prompts. And it must be said, the progress made here is impressive. Should we expect the next OpenAI campaign to be fully generated by its own artificial intelligence? Why not? The model is already capable of suggesting scripts and characters, so the natural next step would be to take over the entire costly film production process — and deliver a finished result. Of course, costs are the least of concerns for companies developing AI. The same can’t be said for many other industries, where every penny spent on marketing matters. So, paradoxically, we can assume that OpenAI will “make ads with humans”, because research shows that, as homo sapiens, we tend to value such products more — while the less financially equipped segment of the market will rely on AI.

OpenAI launches a campaign for ChatGPT OpenAI has launched the first-ever brand campaign for ChatGPT. Instead of AI-generated fireworks, the brand showcases everyday situations where the chatbot can be genuinely helpful — from cooking and trip planning to creating workout schedules. The 30-second spots, shot on 35 mm film, are styled like final scenes of movies. Just after the “action” unfolds, user prompts and ChatGPT’s answers appear on screen, formatted as closing credits. ChatGPT co-created the campaign itself, assisting the Isle of Any agency with character development and script ideas. It’ll handle the sequel on its own. Source: news.designrush.com/openai-c…

AB InBev will sponsor Netflix AB InBev and Netflix have launched a partnership on an “unprecedented scale.” The deal stipulates that brands owned by the beer giant (including Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Corona) will become title sponsors of selected Netflix content and events worldwide. The partnership includes co-branded campaigns during major events streamed on the platform, such as Christmas NFL games, boxing galas, or the Women’s World Cup. Plans also cover product placement, limited edition packaging, and even joint products in the future. "AB InBev and Netflix are both unique in our scale – making the global reach of our partnership unprecedented", says Marcel Marcondes, CMO of AB InBev. “Our biggest hits don’t recognize borders. We needed a partner with the same scale and impact – one that operates globally but also understands the importance of showing up locally in meaningful ways,” added Netflix CMO Marian Lee. The big get even bigger. Source: hollywoodreporter.com/busine…

Marketers can’t keep up with consumers Marketers and consumers live in parallel worlds. At least that’s what a new Kantar Media Reactions report suggests. The study, covering more than 21,000 consumers from 30 countries and 1,000 industry representatives, shows a surprising divergence in social media preferences. The top five platforms where marketers most like to run campaigns are YouTube, Instagram, Google, Netflix, and Spotify. Meanwhile, consumers prefer to watch ads on Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, and Prime Video – in that exact order. According to AdAge, this is the first time in the history of the study that no platform appears in both top fives. One reason for this gap is the growing fragmentation of social media and advertising channels. Another likely factor is the increasing adaptation of marketing efforts to the specifics of each channel. Kantar’s data shows that audiences are becoming more open to ads. 57% of respondents said so – a 10 percent increase compared to last year. The key takeaway? For effectiveness, it’s worth breaking patterns and testing less “mainstream” channels and formats. Source: adage.com/media/aa-kantar-me…