Hello, GrowthHackers!

Welcome to your daily unfair advantage.

Every morning, we cut through the noise to bring you sharp insights, fast news, and fresh sparks to light up your brain and fuel your hustle. From scrappy hacks to big tech moves, AI shifts to culture flips this is your intel to stay ahead, move fast, and break boring.

Think of it as your growth-fueled espresso shot.
Short. Smart. Addictive.

Let's dive in.👇

Quick Hits

X tests AI labeling to combat the rise of generated content
(AI labeling AI is peak 2026)
Instagram emphasizes Reels in new design update
(If it doesn't move, it doesn't convert)
OpenAI and Google reveal competing visions for AI ads
(Whoever controls AI responses controls revenue)

The Growth joke of the day

Why did the marketer study AI labeling updates?
Because if you can't rank organically, at least don't get labeled as "generated."

What's New in Growth Hacking/Growth Marketing?

Strategies

Invisible Engagement: Why Likes Don't Matter
If your brand's social posts feel quieter than they used to: fewer likes, fewer public comments, you're not alone. That doesn't necessarily mean people stopped paying attention. It often means they've shifted how they engage.
HubSpot supercharges its media engine by buying Starter Story
By acquiring the profitable, YouTube-first entrepreneur brand, HubSpot is expanding its audience machine and doubling down on media as a demand generation strategy.
How to Optimize Your Content for LLMs With Semrush
Semrush research shows that AI systems cite content more often when it reads clearly, proves credibility, and is easy to extract.That's because LLMs (large language models) don't rank pages like traditional search engines.
Canva acquires startups working on animation and marketing
On Monday, creative suite maker Canva announced the dual acquisition of startups Cavalry, which works on animation, and Mango AI, which works on improving ad performance.
Ex-Apple team launches Acme Weather, a new take on weather forecasting
The team recently announced the launch of their new app, Acme Weather, which they claim offers a better and more reliable forecast than the one they had at Dark Sky.
OpenAI calls in the consultants for its enterprise push
OpenAI announced on Monday the "Frontier Alliances," a signal that the AI lab is willing to try different approaches to get enterprises to meaningfully adopt its technology.
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People

Bill Gurley says that right now, the worst thing you can do for your career is play it safe
For nearly three decades, Bill Gurley has been one of the most influential voices in Silicon Valley a general partner at Benchmark whose early bets on companies like Uber, Zillow, and Stitch Fix helped define what modern venture capital looks like.

Did you hear?
The GrowthHackers New Podcast is live!🎙️

From Ideas to Impact: Building a Community platform

A Founder's Journey in Microscope

In this episode, we sit down with Jack, the 22-year-old founder of ARK-STEM — the global community and marketplace built by STEM lovers, for STEM lovers.

ARK-STEM is a dedicated platform where makers, engineers, and innovators can share projects, collaborate, sell inventions, and preserve what they build in a way that's deeper and more enduring than fleeting social posts or video snippets.

Jack opens up about his journey from a young tinkerer to launching a platform that bridges community, creativity, and commerce.

Are you ready?

Listen our 2nd episode!

What's New in Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI safety leader says 'world is in peril' and quits to study poetry
An AI safety researcher has quit US firm Anthropic with a cryptic warning that the "world is in peril". In his resignation letter shared on X, Mrinank Sharma told the firm he was leaving amid concerns about AI, bioweapons and the state of the wider world.
Why automating a broken workflow with AI is a trap
Optimizing tasks and ignoring the system, automates waste.
This framework lets you map friction and unlock real productivity gains.

Meet America's Newest $1B Unicorn

A US startup just hit a $1 billion private valuation, joining billion-dollar private companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and ByteDance. Unlike those other unicorns, you can invest.

Over 40,000 people already have. So have industry giants like General Motors and POSCO.

Why all the interest? EnergyX's patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That's a big deal, as demand for lithium is expected to 5X current production levels by 2040. Today, they're moving toward commercial production, tapping into 100,000+ acres of lithium deposits in Chile, a potential $1.1B annual revenue opportunity at projected market prices.

Right now, you can invest at this pivotal growth stage for $11/share. But only through February 26. Become an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the deadline.

Invest in EnergyX Today

_{This is a paid advertisement for EnergyX Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at}_{invest.energyx.com}_{. Under Regulation A, a company may change its share price by up to 20% without requalifying the offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.}