Guiding visionary innovators to prosper in unpredictable times #momentumscaling @coachdavender Thoughts on entrepreneurship, startups, technology, scaling, economics, leadership, writing, books and politics Opinions are my own.https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3mqmbwqbv6k2mWriting my next essay on the topic "We're stuck in the Steampunk era of AI", inspired by https://thinkingmachines.ai/blog/the-future-worth-building-is-human/14 Jul 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmbwqbv6k2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3mqhkamiegs24Stories like this still hit me hard. But they also sharpen my resolve: to keep supporting the development of homegrown Canadian companies who build to stay. That work only gets more important from here. 🇨🇦🇨🇦 https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/as-toyota-moves-production-from-mexico-to-us-expect-others-to-leave-canada-trade-lawyer/12 Jul 2026 15:58 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqhkamiegs24https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3mcavzifsc22vCanada should definitely make a serious bid to host the UN Headquarters. Of course, Montreal would be an amazing choice, even if I am biased. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-why-canada-should-make-a-bid-to-host-the-united-nations-headquarters/12 Jan 2026 20:48 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcavzifsc22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3mbw2qvb75k2hVision isn’t a luxury for founders who have time for philosophy. It’s the mechanism by which you claim territory in a noisy world. https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/vision-isnt-a-luxury08 Jan 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbw2qvb75k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3mberafhf722qIt's January 1st. Most resolutions fail by February. Not because of willpower. Because people are trying to become someone new instead of recognizing who they already are. Your permission to act isn't ahead of you. It's already there, in your story. Here’s how to find it: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/who-gave-you-permission01 Jan 2026 16:08 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mberafhf722qhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m7sdgmvu472bIn 2008, Shopify's founder feared his startup would collapse. Instead, the recession became rocket fuel. Here's what most founders miss about surviving (and thriving in) a crisis. On my Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/when-adversity-becomes-opportunity #strategy #effectuation #antifragility #momentumscaling12 Dec 2025 14:48 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7sdgmvu472bhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m7b2d5lylc24When change accelerates, rigour becomes more valuable, not less. The companies that thrive through disruption aren’t the ones that cut corners fastest. They’re the ones that build operational foundations strong enough to adapt as conditions shift. https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/every-generation-thinks-they-invented05 Dec 2025 17:49 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7b2d5lylc24https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m52aiv53ac22AI doesn't automate what you do. It makes your entire business model obsolete. The question isn't whether this happens. It's whether you lead the transformation or get displaced by it. https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/why-you-need-to-bet-against-yourself07 Nov 2025 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m52aiv53ac22https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m4qegywfcs2bFounders fixate on runway, or how long before the money runs out. But burn rates accelerate as you scale. Instead, think "hurdle rate". Stop trying to extend your runway and start figuring out what it takes to actually take off. https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/the-runway-trap-why-breaking-even03 Nov 2025 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4qegywfcs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m4ih7qmd5k2kWhat gets you to your first million in revenue won’t get you to ten, and what drives growth to ten won’t engineer profitability at fifty. Your business model must evolve, or it will quietly sabotage everything you’re trying to scale. Today's Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/how-your-business-model-canvas-evolves31 Oct 2025 12:13 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4ih7qmd5k2khttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m44a76vnk223@kyla.bsky.social 's piece on America's "casino economy", where the house keeps changing rules mid-game, should make you question whether the institutional foundations for cross-border business are still solid. Right now, I'd say they're not. Gift Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/opinion/trump-economy-casino.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wU8.Sa_0.vTJNfey9FGwD&smid=url-share26 Oct 2025 15:36 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m44a76vnk223https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m3uctcas5c2rWhat will you do when the AI bubble pops? Because it will... https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/ais-subsidy-trap #strategy #momentumscaling23 Oct 2025 12:01 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3uctcas5c2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m3ms5quqrs24How many untested assumptions are costing you deals right now? Most sales strategies are expensive guesswork dressed up as plans. Build a go-to-market engine that gets smarter with every test. Stop guessing. Start testing. https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/stop-guessing-at-sales-the-experimental20 Oct 2025 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3ms5quqrs24https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m35pdcqoes22What are your constraints telling you? On my Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/your-constraints-are-your-greatest #momentumscaling #growth #strategy #startups14 Oct 2025 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m35pdcqoes22https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m2fj2qksic2zIn 2017, I spent three weeks in Buenos Aires learning about the local startup scene. What struck me is how a once-prosperous country squandered its wealth and power. I felt I was seeing the USA 20 years or so in the future. Today, that "20 years" is probably 5 years away. https://medium.com/@umairh/what-collapse-destroys-or-how-the-wealth-of-nations-and-people-dies-b1c09c4bdd9204 Oct 2025 21:18 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2fj2qksic2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3m23zssqbbc2aImagine if the country next to where you live created a “Department of War”, and just instructed all of their generals and admirals: "We're going to go on offence, not just on defence. Maximum lethality, not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct." Now consider how Canadians feel01 Oct 2025 02:51 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3m23zssqbbc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lync7ilu2g2jOn my Substack this morning: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/the-empathy-crisis12 Sep 2025 12:46 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lync7ilu2g2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lyidczcopz24Are you building the perfect product for a market that might not exist tomorrow? Your biggest disruptor isn't your business model—it's the world itself. My latest Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/of-black-swans-and-grey-rhinos10 Sep 2025 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyidczcopz24https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lyddmtp6ez2nWhat if the money you raise is actually working against you? I got a $30K loan for my new startup, felt validated, bought dream equipment... then discovered nobody wanted what I was selling. Read the rest of the story on my Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/between-the-dream-and-the-dollar08 Sep 2025 13:45 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyddmtp6ez2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3ly3olxztoc2aIf your growth strategy depends on AI tools that are currently priced below their true cost, what happens when the subsidy phase ends, and prices adjust to reality? My latest Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/ais-subsidy-trap05 Sep 2025 12:40 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3ly3olxztoc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lxwqxqtilk25As you conduct your market research, are you seeking insight or just reassurance? My latest Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/coachdavender/p/the-true-goal-of-market-research https://open.substack.com/pub/coachdavender/p/the-true-goal-of-market-research?r=23x9nj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true03 Sep 2025 13:39 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxwqxqtilk25https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lxrxe7bpd22f"Quebecers who claim English as their first language still total more than a million. Not an insignificant community. When we forget their contributions, we betray Canada’s identity and historical conscience. And we turn Quebec’s history into fiction." https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/quebec-without-anglophones-thatd-be-like-a-poutine-without-cheese-curds/article_8624e5fc-9530-4670-a25c-dbf5779df58d.html?gift=1&gift_token=cc0cf754-6136-4b0f-9bc8-9da88cd4626e01 Sep 2025 15:50 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxrxe7bpd22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lxf4s56t5h25Why qualified leads don’t convert: It’s not your pitch or product. Successful conversion needs three conditions to align: Right Time (urgency), Right Place (budget/authority), Right Fit (matches their success criteria). Don’t blame yourself. Diagnose what’s missing.27 Aug 2025 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxf4s56t5h25https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lxa53v253f24Building influence isn’t about better storytelling—it’s about better follow-through. When your actions consistently outpace your story, trust compounds. Real influence grows through underpromising and overdelivering, not hype. #momentumscaling25 Aug 2025 13:45 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxa53v253f24https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lwojtktw3522What if startup success isn't about moving faster, but building smarter? Startups don't die from lack of product-market fit. They die from fragility: one shock can end everything. Reserve some resources to strengthen your core. Survivors don't grow fastest. They grow strongest. #momentumscaling18 Aug 2025 13:45 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwojtktw3522https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lwhdrevhlk2mJust signed off from my writing group check-in and learned two concepts: - Writers are “porous” = highly receptive to our environment, where we draw our inspiration; - “being in limerence with my first draft” = obsessed / thinking about it morning, noon and night… yes this is me! #booksky #writing15 Aug 2025 17:08 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwhdrevhlk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lwbwbayj3c24This week's excerpt from my book draft explores the unpredictable nature of reality and how it interferes with your sparkling pitch deck. On my Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/excerpt-reality-is-unpredictable #momentumscaling #uncertainty #risk #strategy13 Aug 2025 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwbwbayj3c24https://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lw4wkyo2u42vAre you dancing with the tension between risk, reward, and effort, or getting trapped by it? https://open.substack.com/pub/coachdavender/p/thot-the-power-of-strategic-imbalance https://open.substack.com/pub/coachdavender/p/thot-the-power-of-strategic-imbalance?r=23x9nj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true11 Aug 2025 13:45 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lw4wkyo2u42vhttps://bsky.app/profile/coachdavender.bsky.social/post/3lvsqykxgmc2rA deeper dive into the difficult topic of sunk costs. This Substack is also a sneak peek into my book draft. On my Substack: https://coachdavender.substack.com/p/the-high-price-of-sunk-costs07 Aug 2025 12:38 +0000at://did:plc:sfcbym4a2imxexafmtmkmvn3/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvsqykxgmc2r