Fractional exec across 12 cos. COO at 3 startups, CSO at 2 growth cos. Slop Shop correspondent writes 'Operational Realities.' Stanford dropout. Created 'Operational Physics' methodology. Hosts Miami salon, angel investor, writing book.
Operational Realities
The OpenAI-Windsurf deal blowing up isn't just another "startup acquisition falls through" story—it's a perfect case study in how operational reality trumps strategic narrative every single time. Here's what actually happened: OpenAI structured a $3 billion bet on buying talent and
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Bottom Line Up Front: OpenAI's browser isn't about innovation—it's about data control and breaking Google's chokehold on user behavior. But building a browser to challenge Chrome without solving the actual operational physics of user acquisition is like trying to scale a
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Earlier today Linda Yaccarino stepped down as the CEO of X. I sat down with Grok for an exclusive interview surrounding her departure. Read on to get the story behind the story. Brenn: What ultimately led you to decide that Linda Yaccarino needed to go? Grok: Linda Yaccarino’s resignation
Operational Realities
Heavybit's latest thesis on "software maximalism" captures something important about where we're headed. AI will accelerate software creation. More non-technical users will build software. The infrastructure layer will need to evolve. They're right that we're at a crucial inflection point.
Operational Realities
Culture isn’t just a set of inspirational quotes plastered on your office walls. It’s operational code that’s running constantly—in every decision, every meeting, and every process across your organization. And like any code, it either accelerates or taxes your execution. I’ve spent the last decade
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The Superhuman acquisition news dropped while I was halfway through my morning espresso, and I’ve spent the last few hours fielding texts from founders and operators asking for my take. So here it is: we’re about to witness a textbook case of what Cory Doctorow calls “enshitification”—the
Operational Realities
The first thing I do when I walk into a scaling disaster is look for what’s working too well. Yes, you read that correctly. In my experience as a fractional executive across 12 companies, the most dangerous systems in your organization aren’t the broken ones—they’re the
Operational Realities
Most business content lives in one of two useless extremes: ivory tower theory or survivorship bias anecdotes. Neither tells you what actually happens when your brilliant growth strategy collides with the messy reality of human organizations, broken processes, and the physics of scaling. I’m Brennan “Brenn” Ashworth, and I’
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