John Cobb
@jcobb.pholus.co
Founder of @pholus.co. Helping leaders protect reputation, prevent failure, and regain momentum when conventional playbooks fall short.
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The Pholus Report | John Cobb | Substack
Your advisor hasn't kept operations running after debanking or managed a detention in Africa without bribes. I have. Crisis and governance strategy for emerging markets from someone who's operated the...
pholusreport.substack.com
Operating in emerging markets? Subscribe for field notes from places that don't make the brochure.
pholusreport.substack.com
pholusreport.substack.com
Investors respect exits more than promises. A clean exit beats an endless “growth story.”
December 4, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Investors respect exits more than promises. A clean exit beats an endless “growth story.”
The job isn’t to erase pressure. It’s to make pressure usable. Channel panic into decisive action.
December 4, 2025 at 3:38 AM
The job isn’t to erase pressure. It’s to make pressure usable. Channel panic into decisive action.
Liderar em mercados frágeis exige mais do que visão: exige disciplina quando tudo ao redor insiste no improviso.
December 3, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Liderar em mercados frágeis exige mais do que visão: exige disciplina quando tudo ao redor insiste no improviso.
Exit strategy isn’t about timing the peak. It’s about protecting downside when the unexpected hits.
December 3, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Exit strategy isn’t about timing the peak. It’s about protecting downside when the unexpected hits.
In Mozambique, formality matters. Titles, greetings, respect aren’t details, they’re the entry point to influence.
December 3, 2025 at 6:04 AM
In Mozambique, formality matters. Titles, greetings, respect aren’t details, they’re the entry point to influence.
You don’t need to solve their whole crisis in one talk. Just keep them from making it worse in the next hour.
December 3, 2025 at 3:38 AM
You don’t need to solve their whole crisis in one talk. Just keep them from making it worse in the next hour.
Governança séria é saber dizer não quando o “sim” é mais tentador.
December 2, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Governança séria é saber dizer não quando o “sim” é mais tentador.
Operating in emerging markets? Subscribe for field notes from places that don't make the brochure.
pholusreport.substack.com
pholusreport.substack.com
The Pholus Report | John Cobb | Substack
Your advisor hasn't kept operations running after debanking or managed a detention in Africa without bribes. I have. Crisis and governance strategy for emerging markets from someone who's operated the...
pholusreport.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Operating in emerging markets? Subscribe for field notes from places that don't make the brochure.
pholusreport.substack.com
pholusreport.substack.com
Most breakthroughs come after the hardest moments of restraint. Stay steady long enough to see the pattern shift.
December 2, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Most breakthroughs come after the hardest moments of restraint. Stay steady long enough to see the pattern shift.
Pressure reveals character. The choice is simple: break under it, or sharpen because of it.
December 2, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Pressure reveals character. The choice is simple: break under it, or sharpen because of it.
Buyers often overpay for businesses with strong customer acquisition engines. That’s marketing.
December 1, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Buyers often overpay for businesses with strong customer acquisition engines. That’s marketing.
Fraud is emotional because trust is broken. Calm is strategic because recovery is still possible.
December 1, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Fraud is emotional because trust is broken. Calm is strategic because recovery is still possible.
Marketing is proof of demand. Buyers pay premiums for proof.
December 1, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Marketing is proof of demand. Buyers pay premiums for proof.
Without an exit strategy, you’re gambling that conditions stay favorable. They rarely do.
December 1, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Without an exit strategy, you’re gambling that conditions stay favorable. They rarely do.
An exit strategy is a map. Without it, urgency will dictate your direction.
November 30, 2025 at 11:24 PM
An exit strategy is a map. Without it, urgency will dictate your direction.
The best exit strategies are written when no one thinks they’re needed.
November 30, 2025 at 3:17 PM
The best exit strategies are written when no one thinks they’re needed.
Every project here is touched by politics. Good advising balances neutrality with pragmatism.
November 29, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Every project here is touched by politics. Good advising balances neutrality with pragmatism.
Good exits are engineered. Bad exits are forced. Only one preserves reputation.
November 29, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Good exits are engineered. Bad exits are forced. Only one preserves reputation.
El marketing sólido eleva el valor de una empresa mucho antes de la venta.
November 29, 2025 at 2:08 AM
El marketing sólido eleva el valor de una empresa mucho antes de la venta.
Surprise visits are tools, not weapons. Use them to build accountability, not fear.
November 28, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Surprise visits are tools, not weapons. Use them to build accountability, not fear.
Exit planning clarifies who you’re really building for: buyers, heirs, or creditors.
November 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Exit planning clarifies who you’re really building for: buyers, heirs, or creditors.
Numbers told one story. The bank accounts told another. When “verified” statements mask cash disappearance, this is how leadership can still act fast. 🔗 www.pholus.co/the-ac...
November 28, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Numbers told one story. The bank accounts told another. When “verified” statements mask cash disappearance, this is how leadership can still act fast. 🔗 www.pholus.co/the-ac...
Good marketing is the cheapest way to add real equity before you sell.
November 28, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Good marketing is the cheapest way to add real equity before you sell.
When a founder spirals, don’t counter with logic alone. Match their urgency with calm clarity. Then show the next small step.
November 27, 2025 at 8:14 PM
When a founder spirals, don’t counter with logic alone. Match their urgency with calm clarity. Then show the next small step.
Founders confuse attachment with value. Exit strategy forces you to separate the two.
November 27, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Founders confuse attachment with value. Exit strategy forces you to separate the two.