Jason Cohen
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asmartbear.com
Jason Cohen
@asmartbear.com
Keyword, buzzword, half-truth, adjective, hey look at me! (founder of two unicorns: http://WPEngine.com, http://SmartBear.com).

Writing for 18 years at: https://longform.asmartbear.com
Of course company culture is important, and following your values creates culture.

And you should measure things that you want to control or improve.

How do you measure culture or values?

Or maybe you can’t? The argument against is here:
Metrics that cannot even be measured in retrospect
Some of the most enticing, important metrics are impossible to measure, even after the fact. Here’s how to identify and avoid this trap.
longform.asmartbear.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:09 PM
“Don't pay attention to what everyone else is doing!”
“Instead, just be unique!”

This is a subtle, contradictory statement, because the definition of “unique” is in comparison to everyone else.

The right way to say it is to be as completely yourself as possible.

(1/3)
December 1, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The more social media you read, the less attention you have for long form (whether articles or books).

The more short videos you watch, the less attention you have for long videos and podcasts.

Be mindful if you're spending time wisely for all your waking hours.
December 1, 2025 at 5:47 AM
If you hire people, and then tell them how to do every little thing, then you're building an organization that will never be better than you, and never have better ideas.

Your job is to do exactly the opposite.
November 30, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Annual billing transforms your finances.

But. once you're at scale, "annual" is a net-negative, because you no longer value the cash-flow, but you permanently lack the revenue.

(Still worth it.)

Numbers in the article:
How annual pre-pay creates an infinite marketing budget
Dozens of founders have used this technique to transform the cash-flow of their businesses. Now it’s your turn.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:20 PM
As you age, you realize you're not "the best" at every role, but maybe only 2-3 out of 50.

For many roles, your mix of strengths and weaknesses make you downright bad at it.

Sometimes, we keep those roles anyway.

Bad for the company, and bad leadership.
November 30, 2025 at 3:20 PM
After high retention, the most powerful growth lever is NRR.

Almost all public SaaS companies are NRR ≥ 100%, with median ≥110%, because otherwise their Max MRR ceiling would be too low.

Not just VC-backed companies, also for solopreneurs.

See article for details:
Max MRR: Your growth ceiling
Your company will stop growing sooner than you think. The “Max MRR” metric predicts revenue plateaus based on churn and new revenue.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 30, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Great lines from a recent Ton Dobbe newsletter (link below):

Here’s what I see with most SaaS sales teams: They answer questions prospects aren’t asking.

“Here’s HOW our product works.”
“Here’s WHAT it can do.”
“Here’s why we’re BETTER than them.”

(1/3)
November 29, 2025 at 2:57 PM
I obsess over every detail. Every pixel, every word.

For overall throughput, this is a bad thing. But it’s a good thing for the end product being fully myself, unique, identifiable. (“Best” only in the eye of the beholder.)

Limit total “things”, so you can be excellent on each “thing”.
November 28, 2025 at 11:08 PM
You can’t charge $1 for delivering $1 of value.

Maybe you can charge $1 for $3, but with risk and overhead… probably not.

You need to deliver $10 for every $1.

P.S. You don’t define “value.” The customer does.
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
😂
November 28, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Prefer advice that challenges you to think, ask tough questions, and play to your strengths.

That's how you'll outsmart Survivor Bias, which plagues most advice:
Business Advice Plagued by Survivor Bias
Advice from “successful entrepreneurs” might be unreliable due to Survivor Bias. What’s real, and what’s random?
longform.asmartbear.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Your failed startup DOES define you.

It means you had the guts to try something, which means you're "a person who has the guts to try hard things,” which bodes well for the rest of your life.

Now, embody that person, and continue to do gutsy things!
November 28, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Healthy:

Getting something off your chest in a safe environment, without everyone trying to solve it.

Unhealthy:

Complaining, others chiming in and trying to fix someone else’s problem.

How to do it right:
Productive meeting activities: Leverage the team, empower the individual
Meetings are most productive when we create something that none of us could have created alone. Here are several ways to use meeting time wisely.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:22 PM
“We’re killing the competition!”

Is that a statement about you, or them?

Is that a statement about your customers, or some other company that neither you nor your customers are doing business with?

Stay focused on what matters most.
November 27, 2025 at 4:35 PM
If your home page and landing pages doesn’t use language that you and your customers actually use, why did you do that?

If you read it aloud and it’s awkward, why did you do that?

There 𝘢𝘳𝘦 legit reasons… but is that really why you did that?
November 26, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Make a product that people still buy for in a recession.

Downgrades are OK, but not cancels.

Because this means you’re solving a 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 problem, sufficiently.

And you’ll survive anything.
November 26, 2025 at 8:03 PM
If you’ve identified a real problem that real people actually want to spend real money to solve…

…but then you describe it using your own language instead of the language those customers use to describe it…

…even if their language is imprecise and even incorrect…

(1/2)
Disentangling the three languages: Customers, Product, Business
Stop talking past each other. Translate between the three “languages” of customer desires, product features, and business goals.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
When you turn down a lucrative deal because it doesn’t fit your vision or strategy, that’s not a missed opportunity.

That’s proof that you actually have a vision or strategy.

More like that:
The “errors” that mean you’re doing it right
Some things appear to be mistakes, but in fact should be celebrated as the expected outcomes of great decisions.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Be optimistic when acting; almost everything will fail, so you can’t let that stop you from trying.

But be pessimistic when deciding what to act on; you have to face reality and select the best idea, not the first idea or your favorite idea.
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM
It’s working “smarter” 𝘢𝘯𝘥 “harder.”

Or at least, working “smart” (i.e. good strategy and prioritization) and “hard” (enough hours, and efficiently).

You probably already work hard; here’s how to work smarter.
Ruthless prioritization while the dog pees on the floor
Because time is zero-sum, prioritization is mandatory. This is an index of purpose-built prioritization frameworks, and an overarching one to optimize your life.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Most angel investors don’t understand this:

It's not just about picking “the best,” it's about having access to the best companies in the first place.

Otherwise, even if you are the best at picking -- which you’re not -- it still doesn’t work out.
November 24, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Startup success is the dream, but founders often find burnout occurs at the peak of their success.

Early rewards are worth the pain, but this can change.

Success doesn't always mean fulfillment.
Finding Fulfillment
What creates a fulfilling existence? Exploration leads to a framework I’ve used for years for myself and the people around me. I hope it helps you too.
longform.asmartbear.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
If you’re just like everyone else (in your self-selected bubble), it is comfortable.

It might be the best thing too.

Still, the right sort of discomfort comes from growing, stretching, trying new ideas.

You don’t have to keep the ones that don’t fit.
November 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
A smart way to leverage social media is to sincerely ask for help and feedback.

A stupid way to waste time on social media is to ask generic questions you already know the answers to, for “engagement.”
November 24, 2025 at 2:11 PM