March and spring is in the air. This week I caught up with Boris for a taco tuesday birthday celebration, reviewed over 500 design portfolios (hello, portfolio fatigue!), and found myself soaking up these longer daylight hours.

Here’s a few key threads I'm exploring right now:

• The AI copyright battle - this shapes the future of fair use - bigger than it looks.

• Consumer trends for 2025 are out - TikTok Shop is exploding (told ya!), stay in the know with what the kids are doing, and a few random food trends

• Builder Update - the future of work and what replaces CVs? Maybe this is it, or you can point me

• 5 killer links - offline dating pitch decks?!), and thoughts on system design and more

Let's jump in..

Featured

🔸 AI Copyright Battle

This feels substantial but it’s not getting much coverage. Meta faces legal trouble for torrenting pirated books to train AI while OpenAI and Google lobby for free access to copyrighted material. These cases could define AI's future as courts weigh innovation against creators' rights, with Zuckerberg scheduled to have 2 hearings over the coming weeks. I'm guessing this shapes the future of copyright law or fair use.

🔸 Consumer Trends 2025

Coefficient Capital dropped its latest report to wrap up 2024. As I’ve mentioned before, TikTok Shop is truly on fire. I was off the mark on alcohol trends, and there are some unexpected insights in the food sector.

In The Arena

Future of Work > What replaces CVs?

I can't shake this thought: whatever replaces the traditional CV is coming fast. Especially with this "vibe coding" renaissance we're witnessing across builder communities and those looking for work.

Last year, I interviewed 50+ professionals and ran several surveys on this topic before putting things on pause. IT was mostly senior “fractionals” but the pattern was clear: everyone needs to own their career trajectory - the up-training (unlearning to learn again), the networking, the work journey, the self promotion, and most importantly, their proof of work.

We're shifting from long work tenures and fancy titles to a world where people juggle multiple contracts simultaneously and need to showcase actual project outcomes. Resumes and LinkedIn profiles just don't cut it anymore - they lack the depth to demonstrate capabilities in this new landscape. The 500 design portfolios I reviewed this week reinforced that.

So last year I built my own system (a lightweight Notion + Super.so combo) to track my professional builder journey - a space to showcase the 50+ products I've built or co-created, detailed case studies, and personalized proposals. But I'm hitting limitations and need something more robust.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I'm exploring paid services or supporting another startup or builder's solution. The ideal platform I’m dreaming up would be a hybrid of Product Hunt x LinkedIn x Attio - something that enables customized portfolios with 1:1 sharing capabilities and possibly a communal space.

A decentralized career platform where you own your professional identity first, then selectively connect to the networks that matter to you.

Third-party professional networks like LinkedIn or job marketplaces like Upwork might still be your lead or revenue sources, but this new tool evolves with you throughout your entire career. Your circle first, broader communities next, then larger networks by choice - flipping the standard model upside down. You own your career, not the network. That means controlling your career goals, finding mission aligned projects, multiple revenue streams, side gigs, passion projects, business ventures, your squads, preferred collaborators, rev shares, learning path, and your entire audience. No 3rd party algos dictating your visibility, no walled gardens trapping your professional identity - just you controlling your professional story on your terms.

Are you with me? I went off there, but pushing this out into the internets. This is partly a request for help and partly a builder update. I see us eventually reaching there, but I can’t be the only one rethinking resumes and struggling to manage work. In the short term, I want to know:

• Builders - What systems and tools are you using to showcase your work?

• Do you know of any solutions that might fit the bill?

I'm curious about where we're collectively heading with this. If someone has built this, please hook it up!

The stakes feel high as we move toward more gig contract-based work arrangements. The tools we use to demonstrate value, build trust, and connect with like minded people need to evolve accordingly. What's your take? Where do you think we’re heading? If you share thoughts or feedback, I’ll include them in next weeks issue!

AI Marketing

The AI content and AI-GTM (go-to-market with AI) space is absolutely buzzing right now. I interviewed 5 founders last week to learn about their current processes (or lack thereof) to validate some new ideas. If you’re a founder, or run marketing in your startup and wanna chat ai gtm, hit reply.

More later

Office Hours - Let’s Connect

Looking to collab, co-market, or want to explore funding opportunities for something I'm working on? I’m currently taking on new clients and special projects. Whether you’re looking for a collaborator, need a hand on a specific task, or are interested in supporting a unique idea, let’s chat! Hit reply or schedule a time.

Other

🔸 Five Interesting Links

Sell Me this Pen

Online dating apps are out, offline pitch decks are in.

• She’s in love with a ChatGPT.. and even has sex with them/him/it? Real life Black Mirror from NYT [Link]

• Men suck at texting [Link]

• Surround yourself with top performers. New research finds that the people we sit near at work inevitably impact our day. They may brighten our mood or drive us crazy, directly affecting our performance whether we realize it or not. [Link]

Qs or Quotes Bouncing in My Brain

Design The Room

When it comes to presenting your idea or product, context matters.

Thinking in New Paradigms (Dancing With Systems)

Personal Camera Roll

Have a nice weekend

Bye for now

Kenny

P.S. If you want, there are 2 ways I can help you:

1. Need help with growth marketing, product, or anything in the messy 0 to 1 phase? Let's chat. >> Schedule a call with me.

2. Want an extra pair of eyes on your product or pitch deck?

Newsletter Vibecheck

How'd I do? Slam dunk or airball? Lmk your thoughts on this issue so I can level up future content.

About

Hi there! I help startups go from 0 to 1 with resources, consulting, advisory, and writing, spanning product, marketing, team formation, frontier technology, and the good life.

Prev helped 50+ startups and launched 20+ digital products. Although my perspective is universal, I mainly cover the frontier of North America and Southeast Asia.

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