The Internet collapse, my 5-funnel digital blueprint, avoiding bad PR

As a technocrat who built his first website back in 1999, I’ve been advocating for an open and accessible web for as long as I can remember.

And facing the deep, dark reality of what the Internet represents today (for B2B) is unsettling.

• 61% of Gen Z and 53% of Millennials prefer AI search to Google

• TrustPilot reviews can’t be trusted (G2 questionable too)

• LinkedIn is outright embarrassing (common even among tech employees)

• Virtually every algorithm chases virality, engagement, likes, clickbait, flame wars, controversy, conspiracy theories (anything but education)

• The vast majority of the web revolves around info materials, courses, or DFY services to “perform better on social”

  • The latter resulting in viral hooks and openers that turn you into a robotic algorithm with a notebook of cheesy phrases that rotate all around the Internet (you’ve seen these hundreds if not thousands of times by now)

• Google prioritizes reddit search and Quora articles even for critical topics like health or legal cases (arbitrary opinions and bots farming entire threads)

• Platforms chasing in-house engagements, then suppressing reach - think of Facebook pages back in the day or building a network of 1st level connections, only to reach sub-5% of them later on

• AI cold email tools working on autopilot, resulting in tens of thousands of agencies doing radical blasts at scale, polluting inboxes like crazy

• Video-first content positioned everywhere: that’s alright in some cases, but not for B2B professionals and their day-to-day involving research, conversations, emails, charts, stats, spreadsheets, summarizing opinions, scraping Slacks and Teams, and sitting in meetings (not scrolling video feeds for a living)

• Video promotions being flaky at best, too - when it comes to ads, YouTube promotions fail at view rate and retention (wildly concerning)

• Propaganda, programmatic SEO articles flooding the Internet, AI-driven comments and self-engagement mechanisms and pods, and everything else in-between.

It’s easy to crash your company into a tree with the current state of the web. And on a serious note, here’s a thread going over the top 10 reasons why startups fail:

If I have to enumerate the networks and channels I believe in right now, physical beats digital in every single dimension. As for digital, this is what I prioritize today:

1. The newsletters (yielding the best signal ratio right now)

2. Podcasts - because interviewing B2B professionals is a great networking exercise that yields content you can’t find in ChatGPT

3. Slack communities - the most honest and open conversations happen behind closed doors (same goes for Skool and Circle)

4. Intentional conversations - straight DMs/emails to 1st level connections or asking for warm intros

5. Targeted ads to sign ups - no fluff or long funnels, straight into offers, email subscribers, video views, Slack sign ups

Here’s a pretty Napkin visual representing this playbook for reference:

Don’t fall into the digital influencers’ trap

Failing to unlock a working funnel for ongoing growth and network expansion is likely to stumble you and lead you to the dark corners of the Internet - namely:

• Random DMs from freelancers and self-proclaimed agency gurus serving “free leads” and “effective appointment setting” or content playbooks that will make you a digital hero

• Notebooks with hooks by influencers who made their name serving Gen Z and teenagers, or came up with existing clout that makes their content irrelevant (Hollywood stars and Fortune 500 founders are free to post whatever, this doesn’t turn it into a replicable handbook)

• Really pumped digital founders who suggest partnering up on digital expansion and generating more views

• Other dangerous tips such as posting highly controversial (and not really ethical) content, plus 3rd party memes and GIFs and downloaded viral videos that are supposed to bring business?

We are all familiar with “There's no such thing as bad publicity” hypothesis; an old PR myth that holds true in a limited number of scenarios.

But I’d lean on “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression” instead.

Realistically, the truth is in the middle. Pushing harder to sell a deal, or running continuous ads, or stepping on a more controversial ad headline to prove a point, or slightly exaggerating the product copy - these tactics are almost perceived as expected at this point.

But as I’m getting pitched left and right on a daily basis, I meet real people who fanatically believe in virality, or that enabling the pipeline for a content freelancer charging $30/hr would work the same way for 7 and 8-figure executives.

This is why surrounding yourself with the right people is so critically important.

My digital network is insanely broad.

• 20,000+ LinkedIn contacts, 20,000+ X contacts, other networks (and tons of DMs and emails from people I know)

• 20+ years in business (20 is a lucky number for me at this point)

• Other well-known executives, founders, influencers, creators, consultants, angels, VC partners, M&A advisors, etc

• Dozens of Slack and WhatsApp networking groups (you never know when you need a vendor for video creatives, paid ads, copy, bootstrapping a new account or a newsletter)

• 20ish Slack communities

• My mentorship and consulting groups (mastermind, coaching)

• A dozen Skool, Circle, and custom networking platforms with founders, tech and marketing people, entrepreneurs, investors

And being exposed to all the noise out there, I can clearly say that 99% of it is not applicable for you.

The Internet is packed with generic advice that’s either outdated, very niche, works for the lower tier of users (non-digital savvy, or desperate, or chasing get rich quick schemes).

Your best bet is to niche down and create a small cohort of people you can trust and communicate with more regularly.

Your ideal business partners. Some of your ICPs. Some of your trusted clients even. People who follow the same principles, moral and ethical ideals, play the business game for the long run.

If you run a $5M business and want to scale to $20M, $30M, $50M, get in the right circles.

1. Identify founders, CXOs, consultants, advisors, investors working in these circles

2. Find ways to get closer to them

3. Offer help and assistance - for free (don’t pitch)

4. Discover how to join the corresponding communities, meetups, mastermind groups when possible

5. Attend relevant events with the following people

6. Ask one or two of them for a specific piece of advice. Make it worthwhile

This follows a similar premise to my Intrinsic Motivation guide I posted a while back:

And most importantly… Be impeccable at what you do.

Outstanding work goes a long way. And partnering up with other A-players is how real amplification works.

Mario

✍️ Agility is the most important executive skill today. We’re living in unprecedented times - and being able to pivot at any point, regardless of pandemic, wars, AI infiltration, and recessions - this is gold.

✍️ 30 ways to diversify your income - in the era of change, I’m referencing again my long-form diversification guide.

✍️ Work-life balance is both hypothetical and a myth. I go back and forth on the same topic and referenced Dharmesh, HubSpot founder. Great founders are obsessed and have sacrificed/are sacrificing several years of their lives to get to a stable point of resilience and scale. That said, the Gen Z definition of work-life balance vs. devoting yourself 120% are two extremes, and there’s a middle ground here.

✍️ Solopreneurs flexing solo is a choice. On the other end of the same spectrum, I pushed back on the solopreneur digital father who’s consistently pushing for isolation and flex hours. Working this life is a choice - and not necessarily a bad one. But anyone running a scalable business with people is striving for community, networking, progress, brainstorming, innovation, creativity - traits you can’t easily shape in your pajamas at home.

🔖 Rigid strategies won’t keep up — Relying solely on traditional methods can slow progress. Agile Hybrid Models balance structure with adaptability, allowing organizations to accelerate execution, improve coordination, and reduce setbacks. A flexible approach helps companies navigate change without losing momentum.

🔖 Cutting costs and streamlining operations — Businesses integrating AI-driven workflow automation report measurable improvements in efficiency and spending. Whether in manufacturing, healthcare, or logistics, automation is reshaping daily operations with tangible results. See how companies are applying AI in real-world scenarios and what it means for their bottom line.

🔖 Smarter decisions with predictive analytics — Companies integrating predictive analytics are cutting risks and improving customer insights, leading to profit increases of up to 20%. See how businesses are using data-driven strategies to refine operations and stay ahead of the competition.

🔖 Optimizing email workflows — Choosing the right platform for B2B lifecycle automation can improve conversions and engagement. This guide reviews top email automation tools, comparing advanced workflows, CRM compatibility, and cost-effective options to help businesses refine their strategy.

🔖 Boost engagement with behavioral triggers — Timing and relevance matter. Using behavioral segmentation triggers can help automate messaging based on user actions, guiding prospects through the sales funnel more effectively. Businesses applying this approach have seen conversion rates increase by 10-30%.

📃 Volatility shakes Wall Street. U.S. markets ended February on a turbulent note, with all major indexes closing in the red. The Nasdaq saw its worst month since April 2024, weighed down by declining tech stocks, while the S&P 500 and Dow also slid. Analysts warn of continued volatility as consumer spending weakens and economic growth estimates are revised downward.

📃 Inflation slowdown fuels rate cut expectations. Inflation in the euro zone fell to 2.4% in February, slightly above forecasts but signaling continued easing. A drop in services inflation and stable energy prices supported the decline, though analysts warn geopolitical risks and potential U.S. trade tariffs could pressure future price trends. With inflation moving closer to the European Central Bank’s 2% target, markets widely expect another interest rate cut this week, marking the ECB’s sixth reduction since June.

📃 Key economic indicators ahead. Investors brace for a pivotal February jobs report and earnings from major retailers like Target, Costco, and Kroger, which could reveal deeper consumer stress. The labor market is showing signs of softening, with rising jobless claims and shrinking job openings. Meanwhile, President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China take effect this week, adding further uncertainty. Markets remain volatile, with concerns over economic growth persisting.

📃 New breakthrough in quantum computing. Amazon has unveiled Ocelot, a prototype chip using "cat qubit" technology, designed to significantly reduce quantum computing errors. The approach, inspired by Schrödinger's cat thought experiment, could cut quantum error correction costs by up to 90%. Amazon joins Microsoft and Google in a flurry of quantum research, fueling speculation that practical quantum computers could arrive within a decade.

📃 AI is killing some companies. How organic market leaders like WebMD, G2, Chegg have lost the SEO battle in this analysis by Elena Verna (also relying on self-sourced data by our partner, Semrush). Tibo, ex-founder of Taplio and Tweet Hunter, also covered HubSpot and Figma in his newsletter (not public), proposing a 5-step process to get out of the traditional SEO rabbit hole:

1. Get Personal

2. Show, Don’t Tell

3. Get Technical

4. Be Human as ****

5. Share the Dirty Secrets

 📃 Debt crisis could cause 'economic heart attack' for US economy. Leading hedge fund manager and business veteran Ray Dalio warning about the risks of the current US deficit, also supported by external analysts predicting negative GDP once the new tariffs kick in.

📃 Spike in US jobless claims in DC. DOGE’s government cuts have been devastating for Washington, and unemployment is accelerating. I see other external companies like F18 closing shop overnight for similar reasons, leading to turbulence, instability, and fear.

That’s the republican take on it:

📃 Harvard Business Review is experimenting this year. Originally featured by A Media Operator, this case study on HBR pivot is a great primer on adapting to what the current state of publishing looks like. Despite their 10 million monthly web visits, 80M social impressions, 1.2 million email subscribers and north of 1M monthly podcast listeners, retention and ongoing growth require pioneering and constant experimentation.

📃 Crossing 1,000,000 newsletter subscribers. Lenny’s Newsletter is the leading product management resource for hundreds of thousands of PM professionals, a handful of founders, software engineers, marketers, investors (and everyone in-between). He just crossed 1M subscribers without FTE employees (not your traditional media agency), starting with 90K subscribers just 3 years ago (and 6K in 2020).

📃 MBA thinking killed my startup: The best-selling author of The Lean Startup interviewed Gagan Biyani, CEO of Maven, and discussed the pitfalls of traditional MBA when left unattended.

This is one of the reasons I authored “📗 MBA Disrupted” to make digital education accessible and practical.

📃 Historic private moon landing. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander successfully touched down on the moon, delivering scientific instruments for NASA. The lander, which carried a drill, vacuum, and experiments, represents a major milestone in private space exploration. Unlike previous attempts by other companies, Blue Ghost landed upright and stable, making Firefly the first private firm to achieve a flawless moon landing. NASA sees this as a key step toward building a sustainable lunar economy, with more missions planned in the near future.

Let’s see the latest offers from Flippa. Don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter for daily/weekly/monthly offers such as these.

8-Figure IT Consulting Firm — This Bolivian-based IT services and consulting firm which specializes in delivering tailored technology solutions across South America has generated a TTM revenue of $20M.

• Annual profit: $6,200,000

• Profit margin: 31%

• Business age: 29 years

Highly Rated Business App — This app which allows users to simplify invoicing for business operations maintains a 4.8-star rating and is monetized through subscriptions.

• Annual profit: $89,000

• App installs: 100K+

• Rating: 4.8 stars across 1K+ reviews

Website Building Tools WordPress Plugin — This WordPress plugin which provides a suite of tools for website owners including design, site optimization, and security features a TTM revenue of $110K.

• Annual profit: $85,000

• Profit margin: 77%

• Business age: 8 years

Also, Epic Games is open for secondary funding through SeedBlink!

Need My Help?

Keeping myself busy - here are the main projects I focus on:

🌐 Scaling WordPress past 100M views? DevriX provides martech retainers to SMEs, publishers, eCommerce, SaaS, and more. Our plans start from $1,200/mo to $40K/mo and we manage high-traffic platforms, B2B SaaS apps, partnership management solutions, supporting $10M - $250M businesses with scalability, custom funnels, CRO, big data augmentation, AI-driven processes, HubSpot workflows, programmatic SEO - and everything a modern business requires in digital in 2025.

🚀  Work 1:1 with me? At Growth Shuttle, I run two popular plans: Async Advisory for $3M - $30M founders and executive teams and the smaller Strategic Growth Circle for $100K - $500K entrepreneurs, agency founders, scale ups.

📈 International founder looking into US LLCs? Check out doola and their “Business in a Box” model. Suitable for both foreigners and US citizens and both for residents and non-residents.

📊 Into digital M&A? I work closely with Flippa’s marketplace. They offer a vast variety of online businesses for any buyer’s interest. Or if you’re ready for an exit, Flippa provides the tools to list your business and close the deal.

💼 Looking for investment opportunities? Check out SeedBlink and use Equity to manage your ESOP tables in-house.