Al Leong | CMO & Board Director

I just published Your Marketing Team Says You’re Optimized for AI Search. Here’s How You’d Actually Know. idesignstrategy.medium.com/y…

I just published Your AI product works. Your buyers don’t believe you. medium.com/p/your-ai-product…

I just published Crypto Thinks the Rules Got Friendlier. The One That Matters Didn’t. medium.com/p/crypto-thinks-t…

I just published Your Web3 CMO isn’t underperforming. You hired for the wrong job. medium.com/p/your-web3-cmo-i…

Most founders assume capital formation begins when the pitch deck is sent. In reality, it begins much earlier. The strongest capital outcomes are rarely driven by a single meeting, introduction, or investor update. They emerge from a process of consistent narrative reinforcement, visibility, and relationship-building long before a formal raise begins. In our latest Deer Isle Capital article, "Capital Narrative Decay: Why Companies Become Invisible Between Raises," we explore a challenge that many companies underestimate: 📌 Investor memory fades. 📌 Mandates change. 📌 Teams turn over. 📌 Markets evolve. 📌 Narratives decay when left unattended. Many organizations communicate intensely during a raise, then disappear until they need capital again. The result is often a loss of familiarity, trust, and momentum precisely when they need it most. The article examines why narrative continuity matters and how sophisticated organizations maintain visibility and credibility between financing events. If you're a founder, GP, fund manager, investor relations professional, or capital markets executive, I'd be interested in your perspective. Article: 🔗 deerislegroup.com/news/capit… #CapitalMarkets #InvestorRelations #Fundraising #PrivateMarkets #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #CapitalFormation #ThoughtLeadership #BrandStrategy #InvestorEngagement #AI #CorporateCommunications

I’m pleased to share one of my recent articles published with Deer Isle Group: “AI Is the First Diligence Filter Before Ever Receiving a Response.” This piece sits at the intersection of several areas I’ve worked in for years: capital formation, fintech, AI, investor communications, market structure, and strategic positioning. The core idea is simple: Before an investor replies, before a meeting happens, and before a company gets a serious look, AI-enabled tools and digital research are already shaping perception. That means companies raising capital can no longer treat their website, messaging, public footprint, founder narrative, thought leadership, data room, and outreach as separate pieces. They are all part of the diligence signal. For CEOs, boards, and capital markets teams, the implication is blunt: credibility now has to be engineered before the first conversation. Thank you to Dianna Raedle and Deer Isle Group for publishing the article. Read it here: deerislegroup.com/news/ai-is…

I just published The Strategy Delusion: Why Banks Are Mistaking AI Tactics for Survival Strategy medium.com/p/the-strategy-de…

I just published Your AI Feature Is Not a Moat medium.com/p/your-ai-feature…

I just published Globalization Isn’t Dead. But Global Management Has Changed. medium.com/p/globalization-i…

I just published From SEO to AI Recommendation: Why Zero-Click Discovery Matters Now medium.com/p/from-seo-to-ai-…