Arash Vakil
@arashvakil.bsky.social
10/10
They'll be led by people who know venture-backed snake oil from actual innovation.
Everyone else? They get acquired. Or become Harvard case studies on how established companies got disrupted by startups with 10x their execution speed.
They'll be led by people who know venture-backed snake oil from actual innovation.
Everyone else? They get acquired. Or become Harvard case studies on how established companies got disrupted by startups with 10x their execution speed.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
10/10
They'll be led by people who know venture-backed snake oil from actual innovation.
Everyone else? They get acquired. Or become Harvard case studies on how established companies got disrupted by startups with 10x their execution speed.
They'll be led by people who know venture-backed snake oil from actual innovation.
Everyone else? They get acquired. Or become Harvard case studies on how established companies got disrupted by startups with 10x their execution speed.
9/10
The uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear: You can't evaluate technology you don't understand.
And you definitely can't lead a transformation you haven't lived through yourself.
Companies dominating the next decade won't have the biggest AI budgets.
The uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear: You can't evaluate technology you don't understand.
And you definitely can't lead a transformation you haven't lived through yourself.
Companies dominating the next decade won't have the biggest AI budgets.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
9/10
The uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear: You can't evaluate technology you don't understand.
And you definitely can't lead a transformation you haven't lived through yourself.
Companies dominating the next decade won't have the biggest AI budgets.
The uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear: You can't evaluate technology you don't understand.
And you definitely can't lead a transformation you haven't lived through yourself.
Companies dominating the next decade won't have the biggest AI budgets.
8/10
Strategy #5: Curiosity over compliance
Teams that break through don't just "evaluate AI tools" - they obsess over them.
They tear apart model releases, reverse-engineer competitors, constantly ask "what if we tried this differently?"
Strategy #5: Curiosity over compliance
Teams that break through don't just "evaluate AI tools" - they obsess over them.
They tear apart model releases, reverse-engineer competitors, constantly ask "what if we tried this differently?"
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
8/10
Strategy #5: Curiosity over compliance
Teams that break through don't just "evaluate AI tools" - they obsess over them.
They tear apart model releases, reverse-engineer competitors, constantly ask "what if we tried this differently?"
Strategy #5: Curiosity over compliance
Teams that break through don't just "evaluate AI tools" - they obsess over them.
They tear apart model releases, reverse-engineer competitors, constantly ask "what if we tried this differently?"
7/10
Strategy #4: Build, don't brief
I've worked with teams to build weekend prototypes that destroy million-dollar "solutions."
Stop PowerPointing your AI strategy. Build working demos. The gap between vendor promises and reality becomes painfully clear.
Strategy #4: Build, don't brief
I've worked with teams to build weekend prototypes that destroy million-dollar "solutions."
Stop PowerPointing your AI strategy. Build working demos. The gap between vendor promises and reality becomes painfully clear.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
7/10
Strategy #4: Build, don't brief
I've worked with teams to build weekend prototypes that destroy million-dollar "solutions."
Stop PowerPointing your AI strategy. Build working demos. The gap between vendor promises and reality becomes painfully clear.
Strategy #4: Build, don't brief
I've worked with teams to build weekend prototypes that destroy million-dollar "solutions."
Stop PowerPointing your AI strategy. Build working demos. The gap between vendor promises and reality becomes painfully clear.
6/10
Strategy #3: Skills without silos
Your best PMs prototype with no-code tools. Top engineers understand conversion psychology. Designers grasp technical constraints.
When everyone speaks multiple languages, you ship solutions instead of compromises.
Strategy #3: Skills without silos
Your best PMs prototype with no-code tools. Top engineers understand conversion psychology. Designers grasp technical constraints.
When everyone speaks multiple languages, you ship solutions instead of compromises.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
6/10
Strategy #3: Skills without silos
Your best PMs prototype with no-code tools. Top engineers understand conversion psychology. Designers grasp technical constraints.
When everyone speaks multiple languages, you ship solutions instead of compromises.
Strategy #3: Skills without silos
Your best PMs prototype with no-code tools. Top engineers understand conversion psychology. Designers grasp technical constraints.
When everyone speaks multiple languages, you ship solutions instead of compromises.
5/10
Strategy #2: The reset question
Before any major AI investment, I ask: "If we launched this company today, how would we solve this?"
Most legacy approaches crumble under that lens. Thriving companies rebuild assumptions instead of bolting AI onto old processes.
Strategy #2: The reset question
Before any major AI investment, I ask: "If we launched this company today, how would we solve this?"
Most legacy approaches crumble under that lens. Thriving companies rebuild assumptions instead of bolting AI onto old processes.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
5/10
Strategy #2: The reset question
Before any major AI investment, I ask: "If we launched this company today, how would we solve this?"
Most legacy approaches crumble under that lens. Thriving companies rebuild assumptions instead of bolting AI onto old processes.
Strategy #2: The reset question
Before any major AI investment, I ask: "If we launched this company today, how would we solve this?"
Most legacy approaches crumble under that lens. Thriving companies rebuild assumptions instead of bolting AI onto old processes.
4/10
Strategy #1: Two-velocity organization
Velocity squads ship AI features every other week. Platform crews build infrastructure to scale those innovations.
When competition launches breakthrough capabilities biweekly, quarterly roadmaps are basically death certificates.
Strategy #1: Two-velocity organization
Velocity squads ship AI features every other week. Platform crews build infrastructure to scale those innovations.
When competition launches breakthrough capabilities biweekly, quarterly roadmaps are basically death certificates.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
4/10
Strategy #1: Two-velocity organization
Velocity squads ship AI features every other week. Platform crews build infrastructure to scale those innovations.
When competition launches breakthrough capabilities biweekly, quarterly roadmaps are basically death certificates.
Strategy #1: Two-velocity organization
Velocity squads ship AI features every other week. Platform crews build infrastructure to scale those innovations.
When competition launches breakthrough capabilities biweekly, quarterly roadmaps are basically death certificates.
3/10
After 20 years scaling products from startups to 50M+ DAUs and $500MM+ ARR, the pattern's pretty obvious:
The executives actually winning? They can spot the BS because they've built the real thing.
They work with people who've been in the trenches.
After 20 years scaling products from startups to 50M+ DAUs and $500MM+ ARR, the pattern's pretty obvious:
The executives actually winning? They can spot the BS because they've built the real thing.
They work with people who've been in the trenches.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
3/10
After 20 years scaling products from startups to 50M+ DAUs and $500MM+ ARR, the pattern's pretty obvious:
The executives actually winning? They can spot the BS because they've built the real thing.
They work with people who've been in the trenches.
After 20 years scaling products from startups to 50M+ DAUs and $500MM+ ARR, the pattern's pretty obvious:
The executives actually winning? They can spot the BS because they've built the real thing.
They work with people who've been in the trenches.
2/10
Last month, I watched a CEO approve a "revolutionary personalization platform" that would've nuked their unit economics.
How'd I know? Because I'd already stress-tested that tool on platforms with millions of DAUs.
Overpriced junk with a Silicon Valley bow.
Last month, I watched a CEO approve a "revolutionary personalization platform" that would've nuked their unit economics.
How'd I know? Because I'd already stress-tested that tool on platforms with millions of DAUs.
Overpriced junk with a Silicon Valley bow.
September 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM
2/10
Last month, I watched a CEO approve a "revolutionary personalization platform" that would've nuked their unit economics.
How'd I know? Because I'd already stress-tested that tool on platforms with millions of DAUs.
Overpriced junk with a Silicon Valley bow.
Last month, I watched a CEO approve a "revolutionary personalization platform" that would've nuked their unit economics.
How'd I know? Because I'd already stress-tested that tool on platforms with millions of DAUs.
Overpriced junk with a Silicon Valley bow.
Because while you're crafting the perfect slide deck, someone else is solving the actual problem.
What have you built lately?
What have you built lately?
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Because while you're crafting the perfect slide deck, someone else is solving the actual problem.
What have you built lately?
What have you built lately?
Your move: Build something this week.
Automate a workflow
Ship a micro-tool
Create a working demo
Automate a workflow
Ship a micro-tool
Create a working demo
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Your move: Build something this week.
Automate a workflow
Ship a micro-tool
Create a working demo
Automate a workflow
Ship a micro-tool
Create a working demo
Ideas that used to take quarters now take days.
The gap between conception and execution has collapsed faster than Meta's stock price after earnings.
The gap between conception and execution has collapsed faster than Meta's stock price after earnings.
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Ideas that used to take quarters now take days.
The gap between conception and execution has collapsed faster than Meta's stock price after earnings.
The gap between conception and execution has collapsed faster than Meta's stock price after earnings.
The great bifurcation is here: Builders vs. talkers.
The builders are hiring. The talkers are getting fired.
The builders are hiring. The talkers are getting fired.
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The great bifurcation is here: Builders vs. talkers.
The builders are hiring. The talkers are getting fired.
The builders are hiring. The talkers are getting fired.
Plus, you bypass that passive-aggressive engineer who gatekeeps your ideas because they "don't align with the technical roadmap"
(Translation: they think your idea sucks)
(Translation: they think your idea sucks)
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Plus, you bypass that passive-aggressive engineer who gatekeeps your ideas because they "don't align with the technical roadmap"
(Translation: they think your idea sucks)
(Translation: they think your idea sucks)
Here's what I tell my students and teams I collaborate with:
Learn Cursor, v0, Lovable, Claude Code.
These AI tools let you ship actual working solutions without computer science debt.
Learn Cursor, v0, Lovable, Claude Code.
These AI tools let you ship actual working solutions without computer science debt.
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Here's what I tell my students and teams I collaborate with:
Learn Cursor, v0, Lovable, Claude Code.
These AI tools let you ship actual working solutions without computer science debt.
Learn Cursor, v0, Lovable, Claude Code.
These AI tools let you ship actual working solutions without computer science debt.
The harsh truth: Your "strategic thinking" is worthless without execution.
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The harsh truth: Your "strategic thinking" is worthless without execution.
This disease spreads beyond product management:
Marketing directors who can't build landing pages
UX designers shipping Figma files like it's 2015
Consultants recommending solutions they couldn't build
Marketing directors who can't build landing pages
UX designers shipping Figma files like it's 2015
Consultants recommending solutions they couldn't build
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
This disease spreads beyond product management:
Marketing directors who can't build landing pages
UX designers shipping Figma files like it's 2015
Consultants recommending solutions they couldn't build
Marketing directors who can't build landing pages
UX designers shipping Figma files like it's 2015
Consultants recommending solutions they couldn't build
The math is ugly:
→ Build working prototype: 3 days
→ Schedule alignment meeting: 3 weeks
→ Earn respect from your team: Build something that works
→ Build working prototype: 3 days
→ Schedule alignment meeting: 3 weeks
→ Earn respect from your team: Build something that works
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The math is ugly:
→ Build working prototype: 3 days
→ Schedule alignment meeting: 3 weeks
→ Earn respect from your team: Build something that works
→ Build working prototype: 3 days
→ Schedule alignment meeting: 3 weeks
→ Earn respect from your team: Build something that works
I've scaled products to millions of DAUs and the pattern is clear:
Engineers consistently destroy "strategic thinkers" because they see what's possible while MBAs obsess over McKinsey frameworks.
Engineers consistently destroy "strategic thinkers" because they see what's possible while MBAs obsess over McKinsey frameworks.
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
I've scaled products to millions of DAUs and the pattern is clear:
Engineers consistently destroy "strategic thinkers" because they see what's possible while MBAs obsess over McKinsey frameworks.
Engineers consistently destroy "strategic thinkers" because they see what's possible while MBAs obsess over McKinsey frameworks.
The business-industrial complex sold us a lie: that talking equals progress.
It doesn't. It's economic Darwinism in action.
It doesn't. It's economic Darwinism in action.
August 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The business-industrial complex sold us a lie: that talking equals progress.
It doesn't. It's economic Darwinism in action.
It doesn't. It's economic Darwinism in action.
The bottom line: You can't just build cool products anymore. You need to build businesses that capture fair value for the outcomes you create.
Growth AND monetization. Not growth now, money later.
What's the dumbest pricing mistake you've seen?
Growth AND monetization. Not growth now, money later.
What's the dumbest pricing mistake you've seen?
July 28, 2025 at 5:49 PM
The bottom line: You can't just build cool products anymore. You need to build businesses that capture fair value for the outcomes you create.
Growth AND monetization. Not growth now, money later.
What's the dumbest pricing mistake you've seen?
Growth AND monetization. Not growth now, money later.
What's the dumbest pricing mistake you've seen?