You spent a year building a feature. Someone just replicated it in a day using AI.

This isn't hypothetical. Roei Samuel is watching it happen in real-time. As founder of Connected - a marketplace helping 5,700 fractionals work with scale-ups - he's spinning up products daily that took his team a year to build in 2020.

His conclusion? Unless you're building quantum computing or genuine deep tech, your technology moat is dead. AI killed it.

Here's what makes this different:

Roei isn't being dramatic. He built and sold a media company that scaled to 9 million monthly users, worked with the Premier League, NBA, and NFL, and joined the senior management team of a PLC at 26. He's seen what creates lasting value.

And his take is clear: product doesn't create defensibility anymore. Network effects do. When every feature can be replicated in weeks, the only moat is how your users create value for each other - and how hard that is to reproduce.

You'll learn:

Why AI just eliminated technology moats. What took a year to build in 2020 now takes a day. Your 10% optimization? It'll be copied in months. The only defensible businesses are built on network effects and brand—mechanisms competitors can't easily replicate.

What network effects actually mean. It's when one user's participation improves the experience for all users. Could be data (more users = better matching), could be multi-sided supply (Roei's fractionals average 3 roles each, solving the liquidity problem), could be customers becoming promoters.

How most businesses can access network effects. You don't need to be a marketplace. If you're good at turning customers into promoters—testimonials, LinkedIn posts, word-of-mouth - you're building network effects. The best businesses layer multiple mechanisms.

Why hiring full-time is becoming the last resort. Smart founders now think: (1) What can I automate? (2) What requires a fractional specialist? (3) Only then, do I need full-time? This isn't theory - startups on Connected average 3.7 fractionals each.

How to solve marketplace liquidity problems when starting. Don't try to build both sides simultaneously - it kills companies. Use SaaS-enabled networks: give one side free tools (dashboards, benchmarking) while you populate the other side. Roei did this launching Connected in the US.

Why you shouldn't scale until you nail cohort metrics. Don't worry about growth. Start with 150-200 users. Measure daily active usage, retention, behaviors that drive engagement. Roei invested in Lapse based purely on cohort analysis—they raised £8M seed, then £30M Series A from Greylock. Zero monetization. Just strong network effect metrics.

How to identify your specialty if going fractional. Lean into where you deliver tangible results fastest. Not what you're best at. Not what's most fun. Where can you prove ROI in 6 months? That's your first case study. That's how you build track record.

Why living out of alignment destroys everything. Roei's real mission isn't about fractional work - it's about helping people live authentically.

The reality check:

This isn't anti-product. Product still matters. But product alone won't save you when competitors can replicate features in weeks. Network effects create the compounding advantages that turn good products into defensible businesses.

If you're building a business in 2026 and you haven't thought about network effects, you're building on sand. AI just raised the stakes.

One action: Listen to the end for Roei's hiring sequence every founder should use immediately.

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"What do I do if my investors tell me to fire a bunch of my team?"

Alex sent this question to the Peer Effect Post Bag. And the answer from James Johnson and Freddie Birley cuts deeper than "evaluate your team."

This is Season 6, Episode 1 of Post Bag—where founders, CEOs, and leaders submit their hardest questions and get straight answers from two coaches who've worked with dozens of scale-ups. No fluff. No corporate speak. Just practical takes on the problems that keep you up at night.

Here's what makes this different:

The question seems straightforward: investors say fire people, what do you do? But James and Freddie immediately go two levels deeper.

First: Is your team actually the problem?

Second (and this is the one most founders miss): Why are you even asking this question?

The reality check:

This isn't about whether your team needs changes. That's the surface question. The deeper issue is: who controls your business? If you feel like your board does, you've already lost. They're there to enable and magnify you, not direct you.

Disagreements often come from fundamental misunderstandings. High stakes and exhaustion make founders defensive. And once you're defensive, you're reactive. Once you're reactive, you've given up control.

If you're asking "what do I do when investors tell me X," the real question is: why are you asking permission?

One action: Listen to the full episode for James and Freddie's complete framework on founder-board dynamics.

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You've got £250K in the bank. You're profitable. Everything looks fine.

Then your VAT bill hits and you're scrambling. Or a major client payment is 60 days late and suddenly you can't make payroll.

Marc Obrart has seen this exact scenario play out dozens of times. As co-founder of Fin House, he provides finance teams and CFOs to 50+ scale-ups. And the pattern he sees most often? Founders managing by their bank account instead of understanding the two stories every business tells.

Here's what makes this different:

Marc's not talking about hiring expensive CFOs or implementing complex ERP systems. He's talking about getting the basics right - and most founders don't have them in place.

His approach is simple: finance should be embedded in your business, not isolated in a dark corner. When finance is done right, you have access to forward-looking data that lets you make confident decisions about hiring, marketing spend, and growth.

You'll learn:

Why your bank balance is a terrible way to manage your business. It tells you where you are now, not where you're going. Founders look at £250K and think they're fine—then their VAT bill goes out in three days and they've forgotten to connect the dots.

The rolling 13-week cash flow framework and why this specific timeframe matters. In 13 weeks (roughly 3 months), you should know everything: new hires coming in, monthly payroll, payment terms from customers (30-90 days), supplier obligations. This is your Bible. If you don't have this, you're flying blind.

Why VAT catches founders out more than margins, profitability, or any other metric. It's a red herring—you're collecting it, sitting on it, and then suddenly you owe £150K and don't have the cash because you thought it was available. Ring-fence it. Track available cash separately.

The two stories your business tells: your profit story (management accounts) and your cash story (cash flow). These are completely different. You can be profitable and run out of cash. You can have cash and be unprofitable. Get your profit wrong, you have time to fix it. Get cash wrong, you're out of business in 30 days.

Why you probably don't need an ERP system or NetSuite. Most businesses can run on Xero with proper bookkeeping, controls, and forward-looking insights. Don't overcomplicate it.

How to know if your finance setup is useful. If you're skipping pages in your management pack, they shouldn't be there. If you don't understand something, it's not simple enough—and that's the finance team's fault, not yours.

Marc also shares his background as an FA-qualified football coach and how explaining tactics to 9-year-olds taught him to simplify finance for founders. The crossover is remarkable: clear, concise messaging that people can actually understand and act on.

The reality check:

This isn't about fancy systems or complicated models. It's about nailing the basics: up-to-date bookkeeping, a rolling 13-week cash flow, and understanding your 3-5 key KPIs (not 25). If you don't have these in place, you're managing by gut feel—and that's how businesses end up in trouble.

If you've been managing by your bank balance or avoiding your finance function because it feels too complicated, this episode shows you exactly what to fix.

One action: Listen to the end for Marc's single recommendation every founder should implement immediately.

Questions? Email hello@peereffect.com or find us on LinkedIn.

More from James:

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PR feels like an unquantifiable luxury when you're trying to hit profitability. But Harrison Duhr has helped hundreds of startups use media to drive actual business outcomes - fundraising, hiring top talent, and landing ideal customers.

As Head of North American Brand at London and Partners, Harrison's secured coverage in CNBC, Bloomberg, Fortune, and TechCrunch for startups scaling between the UK and US. But his approach completely flips the traditional PR playbook.

Here's what makes this different:

Harrison's not talking about press releases or chasing tier-one publications on day one. He's showing you how the PR landscape has fundamentally shifted - and why the independent media trend is where smart founders are focusing their energy now.

You'll learn:

Why Wall Street Journal coverage isn't the right first move (and what actually builds momentum)

The independent media opportunity that's wide open right now - and why journalist-turned-founders are your ideal partners

How to build PR relationships that tangibly support fundraising rounds, customer acquisition, and hiring

The one tactic that puts you in rooms with investors and ideal customers without any cold outreach

Why testing your narrative internally comes before pitching externally

The cultural nuance between pitching in New York vs. London that trips up most founders

The reality check: This isn't quick-win PR. Harrison built a Bloomberg partnership over 8 months. But those relationships compound - they drive business outcomes, not just vanity metrics.

If you've been treating PR as "nice to have," this episode shows you exactly how to make it drive revenue.

One action: Listen to the end for Harrison's single recommendation every founder should act on immediately.

Questions? Email hello@peereffect.com or find us on LinkedIn.

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After 9 conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders, three patterns emerged about scaling successfully.

In this Season 5 recap, I share the key lessons from conversations with founders like Mark Shepherd (Gathr), George Sullivan (Sole Supplier), and Gaurav Bhattacharya (Jeeva AI), plus insights from Darcy Martin (Outward VC) and Steve Duncan (C Studios).

The 3 patterns:

Pattern 1: Vulnerability is the unlock, not the weakness Mark launched a 10,000-member community with a LinkedIn post about mental health. Asim went from contemplating suicide to building mental health platform Plumm. Kate lost passion until she invested in personal development. The insight? Successful founders admit "I'm struggling" instead of projecting false certainty.

Pattern 2: Strategic resource allocation beats grinding George turned down VC investment knowing it would break him. Gaurav walked away from $2.5M ARR to pivot (now 300 customers in 9 months). Steve's Monday WIN list connects weekly tasks to annual goals. The insight? Real resilience is saying no strategically.

Pattern 3: Peer learning accelerates growth Mark built his business around genuine peer connections. Darcy helped one founder get their first US enterprise client through a single introduction. The insight? No one scaled alone - everyone mentioned coaches, mentors, or peer groups.

Here's the thing: These patterns work together. You can't access peer learning without vulnerability. You can't allocate resources without outside perspective. You can't be vulnerable without psychological safety.

Your challenge: Pick one pattern and do one thing this week - have one honest conversation, create your Monday WIN list, or make three specific asks to your network.

Season 6 launches in 2026. Subscribe so you don't miss it.

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LinkedIn feels noisier than ever. AI posts, surface-level expertise, endless scroll. So is it still worth your time as a founder?

James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle the question: should you still be posting on LinkedIn in 2025, or is there a better way to build your personal brand?

The honest answer: It depends on what you're trying to achieve.

Are you building for speaking opportunities? Attracting clients? Hiring talent? Or just holding yourself accountable to write? The strategy changes completely based on intention - and most founders skip this step.

What you'll learn:

• Why the more you use LinkedIn, the worse it feels
• The exact question to ask before spending another hour on social media
• How to know if LinkedIn is right for your goals (or if you're wasting time)
• The 80/90% delegation model that cuts your time from 10 hours to 1 hour/week
• Alternative ways to build personal brand without LinkedIn
• Why committing to one strategy beats trying 500 things at once

Key insight: Personal brand ≠ LinkedIn. If you've decided it's right, commit fully. But if you're doing it because "everyone says you should" - pause.

More from James:

Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

Your VCs have hidden value beyond capital. Most founders never ask for it.

D'Arcy Martin has been Head of Platform at Outward VC for six years. She's watched hundreds of funding rounds close. And there's one pattern she sees: founders who treat VCs like a bank account versus founders who extract every ounce of value.

The difference? They ask.

In today's episode, I'm joined by D'Arcy Martin, who sits at the intersection of founders, LPs, and portfolio companies at Outward VC. Her job is connecting dots most founders don't even know exist. LP introductions that become your biggest clients. Portfolio partnerships that unlock new markets. Co-investor networks that solve your hardest problems.

But here's the thing: if you don't ask, you don't get.

The hidden benefits we unpack:

• Why you should reference-check your VCs before signing (and how to do it)
• What value adds beyond capital: sector expertise, LP networks, portfolio ecosystems
• Why VCs are startups too (and what their fundraising journey means for you)
• How to build your dream funding round (and which specialisms to prioritise)
• Why some founders get way more attention than others
• The "Christmas list" strategy: What to ask for right now

D'Arcy shares the story of one founder who sat down for a catch-up, shared they were selling to similar customers as another portfolio company, and D'Arcy connected them. Today they're doing a joint partnership and it's one of their first enterprise clients in the US.

👆 If you've raised capital (or you're about to), and you want to know how to extract way more than just money from your investors, this conversation shows you exactly what to ask for.

About D'Arcy Martin

D'Arcy Martin is Head of Platform at Outward VC, where she's been for six years – almost from the fund's first close. Starting during a graduate rotation programme at a bank that was a founding LP, Darcy convinced the team to let her stay beyond the three-month rotation. She's tried every role in the fund and built what "platform" means at Outward from the ground up.

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"You're in it together, then you're on a pedestal, then you're a statue."

In this Post Bag episode, James and Freddie Birley tackle one of the most honest questions we've received: Why does success often feel more isolating than the early startup days?

From sitting in rubbish pubs with your first team believing in the vision, to suddenly being on a pedestal where everyone expects you to have all the answers, to becoming a "company relic" that new hires have never even met - the journey of scaling can be lonely.

But here's what makes this conversation different: we don't just acknowledge the loneliness; they show you why it's normal, why it sometimes serves you, and most importantly, how to fill that deficit in your life.

Together we unpack:

• Why early-stage camaraderie is so powerful (and why it can't last forever)
• The three stages of founder isolation: in it together → on a pedestal → becoming a statue
• Why your team can't be your friends at a certain scale (and that's okay)
• How projections and expectations create distance even when you're surrounded by people
• The trap of trying to "get back" to your old life vs creating a new one
• Why vulnerability is required to build new connections (even when it's uncomfortable)
• Practical strategies for re-cultivating connection outside your business

👆 If you've ever felt like you've scaled yourself into isolation, or you're five years in and realizing you've lost touch with everyone outside your business - this conversation will help you see it differently.

More from James:

Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com