Conflating the two lets companies pat themselves on the back—“Look at us, we’re innovating!”—when in reality it’s about risk tolerance and conviction. I often hear, “we need big innovation,” but the same voices dismiss anything without a near-term TAM or revenue path. That’s why teams in those companies default to incremental optimization while the innovation theater rolls on.
I really like your perspective on iteration versus innovation. While you haven’t mentioned this explicitly, I can read it from your essay. One humble addition I’d offer is that innovation is never just about products, features, or functions. True innovation lies in creating a new business model—a new way of capturing, delivering, and monetizing value. New features or tech in an old business model may be interesting, but they don’t change the game in the long run, as your competitors get mostly the same access to talent and technology.
Before you see the innovation it’s critical to get clarity on the iteration.
Bad Bunny, Substack’s Bari Weiss, and the B2B LinkedIn Secret Everyone Will Copy on Substack that is not Innovation.
AI fakes can trend, but they can’t rule — experience, creativity, and human connection still run the game. Is LinkedIn and Substack real or fake news?
Hollywood has a new star, and she isn’t human. Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress, is the latest attempt to bottle influence and scale charisma on autopilot. Meanwhile, in the real world of business, music, and culture, stars like Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar are proving that marketing machines can amplify creative voices but experience and originality can’t be faked. If you’re still chasing formulas and algorithms, you’re already behind. Beware the audience + income, online money models, and influencer authority playbooks when you’ve got a real skill, a B2B business, or want lasting success that you actually own. That’s true for trusted advisors, agency owners, and healthcare providers.
The Algorithm’s New Idol
Hollywood’s investors and their executive team’s newest obsession isn’t even human. Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress built by Dutch scientist Van der Velden, is already being whispered about like the next Scarlett Johansson — all audience cash machine, zero on-set drama, infinite scalability. She can’t deliver a baby, create a real shopping experience, or bring new ideas into the world of form.
This isn’t just a Hollywood story — it’s old thinking. Every trusted advisor, HVAC company owner, and B2B marketer still clutching old systems and stale playbooks should take note. The world just changed again. Who wins, thrives, or even stays relevant depends on seeing what’s happening before the next train of history flattens the tracks. The future isn’t anchored in AI; it’s driven by people willing to leap ahead of the AI curve now.
Conflating the two lets companies pat themselves on the back—“Look at us, we’re innovating!”—when in reality it’s about risk tolerance and conviction. I often hear, “we need big innovation,” but the same voices dismiss anything without a near-term TAM or revenue path. That’s why teams in those companies default to incremental optimization while the innovation theater rolls on.
Grüezi Guy
I really like your perspective on iteration versus innovation. While you haven’t mentioned this explicitly, I can read it from your essay. One humble addition I’d offer is that innovation is never just about products, features, or functions. True innovation lies in creating a new business model—a new way of capturing, delivering, and monetizing value. New features or tech in an old business model may be interesting, but they don’t change the game in the long run, as your competitors get mostly the same access to talent and technology.
Before you see the innovation it’s critical to get clarity on the iteration.
Bad Bunny, Substack’s Bari Weiss, and the B2B LinkedIn Secret Everyone Will Copy on Substack that is not Innovation.
AI fakes can trend, but they can’t rule — experience, creativity, and human connection still run the game. Is LinkedIn and Substack real or fake news?
Hollywood has a new star, and she isn’t human. Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress, is the latest attempt to bottle influence and scale charisma on autopilot. Meanwhile, in the real world of business, music, and culture, stars like Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar are proving that marketing machines can amplify creative voices but experience and originality can’t be faked. If you’re still chasing formulas and algorithms, you’re already behind. Beware the audience + income, online money models, and influencer authority playbooks when you’ve got a real skill, a B2B business, or want lasting success that you actually own. That’s true for trusted advisors, agency owners, and healthcare providers.
The Algorithm’s New Idol
Hollywood’s investors and their executive team’s newest obsession isn’t even human. Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress built by Dutch scientist Van der Velden, is already being whispered about like the next Scarlett Johansson — all audience cash machine, zero on-set drama, infinite scalability. She can’t deliver a baby, create a real shopping experience, or bring new ideas into the world of form.
This isn’t just a Hollywood story — it’s old thinking. Every trusted advisor, HVAC company owner, and B2B marketer still clutching old systems and stale playbooks should take note. The world just changed again. Who wins, thrives, or even stays relevant depends on seeing what’s happening before the next train of history flattens the tracks. The future isn’t anchored in AI; it’s driven by people willing to leap ahead of the AI curve now.
Thanks Guy.
Love it!