Summary
Weekly Blake Stewart sync. Key topics: client account updates (Cape shutting down via acqui-hire, Kevin likely churning after ~2 weeks, Polar pausing after September), Megaphone acquisition vs. consolidation decision, operations issues (Calendly confirmation emails not firing), and growth priorities (Oceans event, Nel university outreach pivot, Hard Calls brand launch in 2-3 weeks).
Decisions
- Leaning toward holding Megaphone (not selling): SBA loan eligibility expands buyer pool next year, potentially 2-3x higher multiple
- Only risk of holding: continued lead gen
- Cap.E (Ben Gusberg) likely churning; downsell play: Casper + Eddie self-serve at $49/mo or full team at $200/mo
- Oceans event: in-person interest sign-up in tomorrow’s newsletter; Friday workshop, Friday dinner, Saturday optional social
- Nel university outreach: pivot to landing high-profile free slots first (MIT, Wharton, HBS, Stanford GSB, TED)
- Ben (Stanford GSB alum) to be tapped for Stanford intro
- ChatGPT faster/better than Claude for social images; Claude better for coding and web design
- See also: Megaphone: Hold (Don't Sell to ZKW) - Wait for SBA Eligibility
Action Items
- Michael: send newsletter tomorrow with in-person event interest sign-up (include Alumni Ventures ad, 3rd of 3 owed)
- Michael: fix Calendly confirmation email for discovery call bookings (coordinate with Rafael’s email automation)
- Michael: hit up Ben for Stanford GSB intro for Nel
- Michael: share new Hard Calls site with Blake (tag him on engineering thread)
Notable Details
- Polar: pausing after early September (end of 3-month term)
- Cape: being acqui-hired by an AI company; product abandoned; Ben may not stay on personally
- Kevin (Composer/Polar): likely churning after ~2 more weeks; renewal conversation coming
- Britton: first LinkedIn post underperforming vs. baseline; proactive LinkedIn engagement may matter less than X
- New brand “Hard Calls” launching in 2-3 weeks; Rye Valley staying in background
- Personal factor for Michael: planning to buy land and build a house; ongoing cash flow appealing alongside any lump sum
Transcript
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