I help organizations build AI fluency and governance that actually changes behavior — not the kind that lives as a PDF on a Notion page. 19 years onboarding humans to strange new places (startups, scaling tech, enterprise agencies like GroupM and WPP) gave me a head start when AI showed up as just another strange new place. The TL;DR is my biweekly newsletter for leaders thinking through what AI means for their people.
The TL;DR, Introducing A New Perspective
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A bi-weekly roundup of refreshing outlooks on common problems August 17 - August 30 Research-Driven Checklists of Perspective, On Sale NowAs I mentioned in the last TL;DR, I recently came off a multi-month series of interviews with small marketing agency professionals. I heard all about the problems these small businesses face, from Communication and Culture to Operations and Scaling. TL;DR- the problems that small agencies face are not terribly unique. That being said, the problems small agencies face are not simple, straightforward, or easy to identify. What's even harder is that when you are in the thick of it, those problems seem more complex, impossible to navigate around, and come across as subconscious feelings rather than visible problems. The first step to solving those problems: "I'd like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective." I can suggest a good wine to go with that: the Small Agency Assessment. This is a new service that Learn to Scale is offering, specifically and only for small marketing agencies. The Small Agency Assessment is designed to uncover root issues, prioritize which issues to tackle first, what tools/systems will solidify a foundation for scaling, and a roadmap to grow with confidence. Or, in other words, "Perspective." I'm celebrating this new launch AND the upcoming Startup Boston Week (where I also serve as COO) by discounting this service 10% until the end of September.
A TL;DR from the CROA poodle's point of view simplifies things: things are a stick or not a stick. -Roman Noodles, Chief Ruff Officer New Blog Post: Why I'm on a Mission to Crack the Code For Small Marketing AgenciesGet an overview of the research and key insights that helped shape the Small Agency Assessment.
Conference season is upon us. Not only will I be at Startup Boston Week from September 9-13 (ps. it's a free 5-day hybrid conference), but also Hubspot's Inbound the following week. I specifically bought new walking shoes for this month. Last year at SBW2023 I clocked 162K+ steps in that conference alone. I'm guesstimating I'll be over 200K steps in two weeks this September. If you're attending either of those two events, please give me a high five: I'll be the guy wearing the shamelessly branded Learn to Scale hat: Yep, you can wear this hat too. Step up to September, Dan from Learn to Scale Opt-out from the newsletter | Unsubscribe from all emails | Update your Preferences | www.learntoscale.us, Boston, MA 02119 PS. In case you forgot the plot to Ratatouille, this'll bring it right back. |
Dan Newman
I help organizations build AI fluency and governance that actually changes behavior — not the kind that lives as a PDF on a Notion page. 19 years onboarding humans to strange new places (startups, scaling tech, enterprise agencies like GroupM and WPP) gave me a head start when AI showed up as just another strange new place. The TL;DR is my biweekly newsletter for leaders thinking through what AI means for their people.
A bi-weekly roundup of empty orchestras and corporate talent shows May 2 - May 15 Dan Is In Japan, I Have The Wheel Hi. I'm Tiddlywinks. Some of you have met me. Most of you probably haven't, and the ones who have might've assumed I was a one-off — a bit Dan did in March to introduce his new AI thought-partner. (That post is here, if you want the backstory.) Reasonable assumption. Not quite right. Dan is in Japan. Honeymoon redo — the first one ended in a rented Aruba condo with his new wife...
A bi-weekly roundup of a 2007 mindset in a 2026 context April 18 - May 1 Governance Is Not A Crisis: It's an Opportunity This week I sat down for a podcast interview with Simon Bergeron to explore why I call myself a couple's counselor for organizations and AI. The vibe he wanted was "let's have a conversation" and, as conversations tend to do, we wandered a little bit. Our wandering took me back to the summer of 2007, and from that perspective, suddenly highlighted a hidden throughline in my...
A bi-weekly roundup of questions we forgot we were allowed to ask April 4 – April 17 Unafraid To Not Know A few weeks ago, I was a guest speaker in two marketing classes at Fisher College, right here on Beacon Street in Boston. Two classes. Thirty-five students. Seventy-five minutes each. Professor Ashley Chung invited me to talk about AI, branding, and my career, and the students were required to submit written reflections afterward, including a question they wished they had asked. She sent...