I’ve been chatting about strategic grind with the team lately.

Every business owner and team member has things in their day they don’t like doing. It’s part of work.

In this column, we’re going to discuss the kinds of work you don’t like doing – but still should do.

What Is the Grind?

The grind is all those tasks you do, projects you work on, and clients you work with that you don’t enjoy. As your business grows and matures, you’re aiming to minimise this, so you only do things you enjoy. But there will always be parts of your working day that are the grind.

What you need to work out is whether the grind is a waste of your time – or whether it’s strategic. If it’s strategic grind, you should do it. If it’s not strategic, you should try to avoid it unless you absolutely have to.

The Types of Strategic Grind Change Over Time

The types of strategic grind change based on how long you’ve been running your business. Let’s take some examples.

You decide you’re going to be a small business offering Service A. You get an opportunity to provide Service B – not part of what your business does, but the money might be good. Should you do it, or stick to your guns and only do Service A?

The first thing to think about: would you enjoy doing Service B? Because if you’d enjoy it, do it. Life is short. Do what you enjoy. Don’t fall for the rule that you should only do specifically what your business offers.

We live in a time of massive change. As a small business especially, your offering this year is likely to be wildly different to your offering next year and the year after. We’re constantly changing, responding, adapting, completely pivoting in some cases. Often, the way to work out whether we should pivot or offer something else is to take on something that’s not part of our core business.

So assuming it’s going to make you money – do it.

As your business grows, and you’ve got more cash in the bank, you can be more specific about what you say yes to. You’re in a much better place to consider opportunity cost: if I take this Service B work, even though I might enjoy it, is it a massive opportunity cost because I don’t have the time to do something more aligned with Service A?

But early on? If you enjoy it, take it. No brainer.

When You Don’t Enjoy It

Usually, though, you don’t enjoy Service B. Then the question is: is it strategic or not?

You might think – I’ve seen these people on Instagram telling me never to take on anything I don’t enjoy. Life should be great all the time.

That’s not true in my experience. I know lots of small business owners. I’ve been running my own small business for 15+ years. It’s rare that someone only does what they enjoy.

And I know this is the case because if you look at the people at the top of their game – famous celebrities, actors, athletes, musicians, CEOs – they are all doing things at times they don’t enjoy.

Do you think Chris Hemsworth enjoys doing all those promotional interviews? Answering the same questions, joining radio shows early in the morning to promote his latest film? Or the latest rock band on tour, doing all the interviews? Athletes being interviewed after every game, going on shows, building their profile, CEOs sitting through earnings calls when the economy is tough?

Most of the time, the answer is no. That is the grind for them. Why do they do it? Because it’s strategic grind. It lubricates the path to doing what they love – whether that’s starring in blockbuster movies, performing in arenas, going to the Olympics, or growing their busines.

Even the best of the best have to do it. Don’t assume it doesn’t apply to you.

Is It Strategic or Not?

So we come back to: is it strategic or not?

Let’s say you’re offered Service B work. You don’t enjoy it. Should you take it on?

If you’re early in your business, take it. You need the money. That’s end of story.

But if you’re more progressed, weigh it up. If there’s a strategic benefit – for example, doing this work opens the door to a lot more work with that company in line with Service A, or it opens you to a network of other potential clients who want Service A, or it blocks a competitor from disrupting a current client relationship – then these are all strategic reasons to do it. That becomes the strategic grind.

Structuring Your Life Around It

My final point is this: once you accept strategic grind, what do you do with the things that aren’t serving you or getting you to your core business?

Delegate them. Get rid of them altogether. You’re better off doing the strategic grind – work you don’t like but that moves you forward – while structuring your life to remove the other things you don’t like.

Not everything is strategic. The goal is to know the difference.

(Cross posted here.)

Level 1 stupidity is being totally uninformed. On big topics. Fuel prices, vaccines, One Nation, ICE, Iran, Trump, raw milk, etc. That’s the first level of stupid.

But the second level of stupid is when people who actually understand the issues – for example, experts in their fields, understanding the complexity of the world, informed on the issues – then berate the ignorant people telling them they’re stupid. Thinking that’s going to achieve anything. That approach is an informed level of stupid. We could call it high-intelligence stupidity.

Instead, what we need to do is listen to people, understand their problems, and gently educate them so they aren’t as ignorant. That takes time, which is why it’s often easier to call them stupid.

But studies have shown that if you take the time to sit down with someone, understand their problem – for example, they’re having trouble continuing to farm because of fuel prices – empathise with them, and then gently introduce what the wider issues are. The problem is complex. It’s driven by numerous factors, the Middle East, the local supply, the decisions of the past, the psychology of panic buying, and so much more. ‘Educating’ people on the wider considerations, but with kindness and compassion – that seems to be the only way we change minds.

So don’t be stupid when you’re talking to people who are stupid.

And, just to illustrate my own point, then there’s a third level of stupid.

This article for example. Calling people who call other people stupid, stupid, is stupid.

(Cross posted here.)

They are the blunt instrument of lazy organisers who have access to high-powered guests but don’t know what to do with them. 

So they organise a ‘panel’ and then insert an unprepared moderator to shotgun questions at intelligent panel members, but hold them to strict times that limit them to giving nothing more than fortune cookie wisdom sound bites.

Across everything: life, business, health, wealth, relationships…

I’ve even streamlined my work office, moving to a smaller, simpler office, removing a ton of stuff accumulated over the years.

For XEN, we’re making streamline our guiding theme. We’re applying this principle to our internal processes, our tech stack, our product and service offerings, and the engagements we have with clients.

Why Wait for AI to Force Streamlining?

Aside: One of the hidden inefficiency areas in most businesses is all the bureaucracy and outdated processes still being followed.

Whenever I see stories about how AI is reducing costs, I wonder how much of the impact is because it removes outdated processes. Often a by-product of getting rid of whole layers of people: the outdated processes go with them.

Why wait for AI to do this? Why not focus on identifying the outdated processes as soon as possible and streamlining operations?

Source: slide from our internal All Staff meeting at the start of the year

Streamlining Internal Processes

Part of our onboarding process with new team members is asking them to identify how we can improve the onboarding process. Every new person brings a perspective we miss internally (‘can’t see the wood for the trees’).

A few years ago it took us two weeks to bring a new person up to speed. The first two days were getting logins and accounts in place. Seems crazy in hindsight. Last month our latest addition to the team was up and running in 30 minutes, and working on billable work within three days. And we’re working to further improve this. These are the small improvements driving significant change time after time.

Tech Stack: Reducing Cognitive Load

Like many companies, we’re using lots of platforms, lots of subscriptions, and lots of jumping between the tools to do things.

It requires careful thinking in order to streamline tools – not only to streamline the individual platforms we use, but also within those platforms, streamline down to the features we get the most value from.

So it’s less about saving money, although it is a key benefit, it’s more about saving mental cycles, making sure the way we use these tools is efficient, focused, clear.

The Longevity Principle

Streamlining when it relates to a platform or tool is best considered with how long you think you’re going to use the platform within your tech stack. There are some tools that are probably short term, disposable. You’ll likely stop using them in a couple of months or replace them with something else. Streamlining them isn’t a good use of time.

But for tools that are foundational in your tech stack – for example, HubSpot is for us – they’re worth the time and thinking to continually streamline, because we know we’re going to be using the platform for many years to come. Putting in regular time to keep it organised and streamlined pays dividends in the future.

With HubSpot we’re spending time configuring all the agents and assistants to be useful. Plus we’re maintaining all the naming conventions of workflows, lists, reports, etc, so there’s no confusion for users.

Compare this to a tool like ChatGPT which we consider disposable. Chances are we won’t be using it a year from now, since we’ll be using other AI tools. We don’t spend much time keeping it organised, since the long-term payoff likely isn’t there.

Streamlining Social Channels

A simple action: we’re streamlining our social channels. We used to have X(Twitter), Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. channels for all our brands. We’re streamlining this down to one or two key channels for each, and we’re converting the rest into ‘signature profiles’.

It may seem inconsequential (after all, why don’t we just forget about them), but mentally it’s helpful because it encourages us to focus.

What this means is we update them to be a signature that essentially says we’re no longer using this channel, but if you want to follow us, it points to where we’re available. We do this by creating the final post there or updating the profile banner or profile image to indicate we’re no longer using the channel and where to find us instead.

(Here’s a variation on the idea: my wife streamlined down her social channels, just to focus on writing. As part of the process she deleted almost all her Instagram posts, except for a few – essentially just leaving a signature of her work.)

Streamlined Service Offerings

We had various models such as on-demand, hourly engagements, subscriptions or retainers, project-based projects, packaged-up products. We’ve had quite a mix. What we’ve decided this year is to streamline that down.

XEN Consulting

On our XEN consulting side we are now mainly focused on an on-demand hourly rate. Clients buy a block of hours and we use them to provide strategy, planning, implementation, or training.

Previously we tried packaging these up (‘value pricing’) or putting them as part of a retainer, but we found this too hard to standardise. Every client wanted a different mix or needed a different set of focus for their outcomes. Packaging it didn’t provide a high-quality outcome for them, or if it did, it meant we were over-delivering.

By moving to on-demand only as our primary approach, we’ve ensured the client gets the best outcome and we get paid for the time we use.

The consideration: as we get faster at delivering, the clients get more for their dollar. They get higher value.

XEN Create

For our XEN Create brand, we used to offer a subscription plus a per-delivery option or an hourly option. We’ve streamlined this down to our design subscription and website projects based on a cost per page. This has provided the best flexibility for clients, allows them to understand the model well, and allows us to plan appropriately.

Streamlining Client Engagements

We’ve also extended this to our customer base. We’ve been fortunate in the last few years to work almost exclusively with good fit clients (compared to years ago when we had an unhelpful mix of bad fit ones as well). However, the work and engagement we had with some wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t streamlined. It didn’t facilitate them getting the best outcomes.

We’re in the process of streamlining those engagements now as well. In some cases it means reducing the quantity of work we’re doing with clients (removing the parts we aren’t expert at), in others it means being clearer about the outcomes we focus on.

By streamlining, we’re making sure the outcomes we provide for them are streamlined down to the ones where we’re experts, where we provide the most value, getting the best outcomes for clients. This might sound easy or obvious, but it’s a process of thinking we had to work through in order to arrive at the right mix.

I asked Claude to summarise all of the above, here’s what it gave me (pretty accurate I think):

Streamlining isn’t about doing less – it’s about doing what matters most, with clarity and focus.

(Cross posted here.)

We’re scrolling through our social feed and a post catches our eye. But it requires us to click in to thread to see the rest of it – so we skip over. We’re too impatient. On to the next one.

Now imagine we take that impatience and apply it to other areas of our life. We tend to put off things that require a tiny bit of extra effort – even small things like reading an email thoroughly so we can reply helpfully. And of course, it grows from there.

Remember when we used to happily watch 5, 10 or even 30 minute videos – because we’d learn, think and improve. But now even a 5 minute video feels onerous. We don’t have the patience to watch. Instead, we ask AI for the quick summary. We want the sound bite.

Expand this to books (yes, remember those), and the problem is much more obvious. We want a summary. We don’t have the patience to even read an entire book anymore.

In our daily work, this is causing problems. We put off (often using a ‘productivity tool’ to snooze till later) the items requiring careful thought, and attend to the low value busywork instead. Rushing off quick replies to emails, not paying attention in meetings, quickly summarising things, or needlessly expanding with AI.

We’ve lost the patience to do the hard work. Except it’s not hard work. It’s the usual work. The valuable work.

Move this into consulting, design, and creative work, and the problem is evident. We don’t put the effort or time into carefully thinking through business processes, or thinking through design and creative concepts. We outsource it all to AI, take whatever AI gives us, and plunk it into a reply or a deliverable.

This might sound negative, but it’s an opportunity. An opportunity for the people who can be disciplined enough to take the time to think things through – and reply, respond, create, carefully.

The challenge is working out the high-value items where this matters.

Caught up in an overwhelm of busy daily activities, it can be hard to isolate the tasks needing the careful thinking. That need the discipline. That need the attention. That need the patience.

Nuance is hard to capture via emails and written communication.

Often, nuance only comes out as part of a conversation – chatting through, discussing, highlighting taste.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

People from all walks of life. Young, old, ugly, beautiful, smart, dumb, rich, poor, short, tall…

Should it be a crime if you deliberately get in the way of someone trying to live their best life? Perhaps.

• Should we incentivise helping people lead their best lives?
• If so, how?
• How can I live my best life?
• How can I help others live their best life?

First step:

• Define what it means to live your best life.

In a conversation, the time taken to state your company mission is inversely proportional to the dishonesty of that mission.

Put another way: the quicker a company executive rushes to tell you their company mission, the more likely it is bullshit.

I was at an AI conference a few weeks back, and within the first minute the executive proudly informed us their mission was ‘to bring AGI to humanity’. You could almost hear the room collectively thinking: ‘bullshit’.

A more honest mission would have been: ‘to charge all humanity a subscription to access our AI’.

The skill of being an effective AI worker is having enough competency to catch errors. 

Anyone and everyone can use AI tools but an ever diminishing number of people know how to review and catch the errors. These people will be the biggest beneficiaries of AI.

And here’s the thing: the companies that are filled with people that know how to do this effectively will be the successful ones. This is true AI-first.

I see so much fortune cookie wisdom about how to be AI-first (eg ‘lean into it’, ’embrace the tools’, ‘initiate pilots’, etc). And then I see so much doomsayer venting about the dangers (eg hallucination, hackers scaling attacks, etc).

With so much AI slop being generated (both well intentioned and malicious), and the models being trained on the slop, the ability to fact check and error check are increasingly valuable.

It’s something we need to teach the kids from the earliest of ages. That’s the real path forward.

Think back to when Dropbox was launched – there was a product that was as close to perfect on release as anything I can remember. The stakes were high (ie never lose a file sync) and they delivered. They set a very high standard.

These days we tolerate sub-par tools every day. It’s just how our expectations have been anchored.

No real point to this post, just reminiscing perhaps…

It’s worth chatting about: to get a sense of what is useful, versus what’s noise.

I’ll cover a few cynical notes first, then highlight the good stuff.

For a more detailed discussion about the topic, see also my video here:

The Cynical View

I’ve seen a bunch of posts proclaiming that ‘Inbound is dead. Loop is the replacement.‘

And to be fair, the whole Inbound Marketing methodology has a lot of baggage.

But I think there’s a better way to position it:

• Inbound is about the external customer journey
• Loop is about the internal marketing process

Inbound marketing has always been about the customer’s journey – awareness, consideration, decision. Loop marketing, on the other hand, feels like an internal process. A playbook. A framework.

Helpful? Yes. A replacement? Not really.

When people say inbound is dead, what they really mean is that inbound has changed (or, perhaps even, is broken). And yes, it has. And is. The days of writing a top-of-funnel blog post, watching it rank, and sitting back while traffic rolls in are long gone. AI overviews and search shifts have disrupted that path.

But the customer journey hasn’t disappeared. Funnels are still helpful, even if they’re overly simplistic. People still move from problem-aware to solution-ready. So inbound isn’t dead. It’s just different. More on that in another post.

Why a loop?

This puzzles me a little.

We started with funnels. Then came the flywheel. Now we’ve got the loop.

Cynically, it feels like someone at HubSpot HQ decided they needed a shiny new model to meet go-to-market plans. A circle wasn’t fresh enough. Four simple steps weren’t enterprisey enough. So they twisted it into a loop, hoping it sounded sophisticated.

To me? It’s just confusing. It’s still four steps. Call it what it is. Why make it harder than it needs to be?

(Admittedly, I’m a simple guy, my little brain is already overwhelmed, I just need it in a simple, linear model. Unloop the loop please.)

AI everywhere (whether it belongs or not)

The other part that feels a little forced is the AI infusion.

Every step of the loop has AI sprinkled through it — sometimes meaningfully, sometimes not. It feels like someone in the room went, ‘Wait, we haven’t put AI in this step yet. Barry, can you cook up something AI-sounding for here?‘

The smart shift, I’ll admit, was moving away from AI for content creation (aka content slop via Content Remix) and into AI for personalisation. And ideally relevance at scale. That’s a far stronger use case. But right now, most of what’s on the website still has vaporware vibes – beta features, future promises, ‘sign up to be notified’, etc.

And check out these words:

“a momentum-building system and fuel for unprecedented growth.”

Please. Sounds like content slop to me.

The Constructive View

Putting the cynicism aside…

Once you get past the naming, the forced AI, and the marketing slop… there’s actually a lot to like.

Consistency beats chaos

Whether you call it a loop, a playbook, or just ‘a process’, the simple act of getting a whole team aligned on a shared framework is a huge win.

Left to their own devices, marketers drift into chaos. One person is chasing TikTok, another is obsessed with SEO (ahem, I mean AEO), someone else is pouring budget into LinkedIn ads. Each has their own ‘best practice’ and together it’s a mess.

A framework gives everyone a consistent focus. It doesn’t even matter if it’s perfect. The real benefit is that it gets everyone on the same page. That alone makes loop marketing worthwhile.

The four steps are actually solid

Forget the ‘loop’ branding. Underneath, the four steps make sense.

Here’s how HubSpot explains it:

Here’s how I explain it:

• Express → Define the problem you uniquely solve and who you solve it for.
• Tailor → Decide how you’re going to say it — through content and personalisation.
• Amplify → Share it across the right channels, supported by smart distribution.
• Evolve → Analyse what worked, what didn’t, and continuously improve.

Pretty straightforward. But sometimes, straightforward is exactly what teams need.

Express: Data discipline at the start

I particularly like how the Express stage forces you to confront your data.

It’s tempting to skip straight to tactics – social posts, videos, campaigns. But if your CRM data is unreliable, none of those tactics will be informed. Chatting with clients and prospects, we hear them admitting, ‘We don’t have data confidence.‘ That’s a great place to start, because at least it’s honest.

Loop marketing reminds us that data integrity underpins everything else.

Tailor: Relevance at Scale

Personalisation, not just ‘content slop’.

The Tailor stage is where the AI fairy dust actually makes sense.

Not personalisation in the [insert personalisation token] sense, but in the Amazon-style sense: surfacing the right thing, at the right time, in the right format.

Recommendations that feel relevant. Content that matches what the person actually cares about.

That’s the shift from AI-created sludge to AI-driven relevance. And it’s a good one.

Amplify: Channel placement with smarter tools

The Amplify stage leans into HubSpot’s improved social and ad tools. It’s not just about publishing across channels — it’s about feeding intelligence back into the platforms.

For example, pushing HubSpot audiences into Meta or Google Ads so the ad networks themselves can optimise more effectively. That’s smart.

Evolve: Continuous improvement

Finally, the Evolve stage.

This isn’t about holding a retrospective, pretending you gained ‘insights’, and then moving on unchanged. It’s about continuous iteration: taking what worked and pushing it back into the system.

Note: you don’t necessarily need to push it back to step 1 (another confusing part of the loop imagery), often you are pushing back to channels (Amplify) or updating content (Tailor).

This is where AI can help again – not to create content, but to surface patterns. Instead of manually combing through reports, you can literally ask: ‘Of the customers we closed in the last three months, what did they have in common?‘ That’s potentially a big time saver.

Loop Marketing Design Framework

So far, so good. We’ve covered the four stages in a general, high level way.

What does it look like in practice?

We’ve put together a Loop Inspired Design Framework that we’re using ourselves and with clients:

We’ve attempted to guide marketing teams on what assets and activities apply at each stage.

• The blue tickboxes are related to strategy, data and implementation
• The purple tickboxes are related to design items and asset creation

Worth noting:

• We’ve put Data cleanup in all four steps – it’s a never ending process.
• We’ve put video in most steps – it’s currently the single best way to differentiate (especially in mid-large business scenarios)

You can access the Google doc for this from our XEN Create Loop Marketing Design Framework page here.

I walk through the framework in this video:

So, where does that leave us?

Loop marketing is not the replacement for inbound. It’s not the magic bullet.

But… it’s a useful framework.

It gets teams aligned. It promotes data discipline in from the start. It pushes for personalisation over content slop. And it builds in continuous iteration.

If you strip away the jargon, it’s just good marketing practice in four steps. And if HubSpot calling it a ‘loop’ is what gets teams to actually do it, then fine. I’ll play along.

My take?

Be cynical about the branding, but embrace the structure. Because consistency beats chaos, and continual evolution beats standing still.

Use a framework to guide you.

Additional reading/viewing:

• Loop Marketing overview on the HubSpot site
• HubSpot video explaining Loop Marketing
• Kipp Bodnar chatting through how the Loop playbook fixes marketing
• Loop Marketing Design Framework download

“I gave all my Apple wealth away because wealth and power are not what I live for. I have a lot of fun and happiness… Life to me was never about accomplishment, but about Happiness, which is Smiles minus Frowns.”

It’s an attitude that’s neither right nor wrong — but it’s right for him.

Woz is very wealthy by many standards. In my circle of friends, he’d be ultra-wealthy. In his circle of friends, he’s possibly right near the bottom.

But here’s the thing: in that same circle, his happiness is likely right at the top.

We tend to measure ourselves against those around us – income, possessions, influence.

Relative wealth can feel like a race you’re always behind in.

But relative happiness? That’s a race you can choose to win.

If you’ve been inside HubSpot lately, you’ve probably noticed the flood of new updates, betas, and product changes rolling in.

It can feel like every time you check the Product Updates page, there are dozens of new features — many of them marked ‘New to you’ — and it’s not always clear which ones are worth your attention. That’s a lot of clicking, scrolling, and head scratching just to figure out what matters to your day-to-day work.

We recently recorded a quick video about this very problem, and how we’re trying to help.

You can watch it here: Watch on YouTube.

In the video, we share how we’ve been tackling the overwhelm by curating updates into something a lot more manageable. We’ve made this available as a constantly updated course called ‘HubSpot Updates that Matter’ in our HubShots Community.

Instead of hundreds of items, we focus only on the handful that we think are genuinely useful — based on client conversations, real-world use, and what will actually move the needle.

We use a simple ‘traffic light’ system:

• Red – updates we recommend you jump on right away
• Amber – worth knowing about, but not urgent
• Green – low priority for most

Once an update is done and dusted, we move it into an archive so the list stays short and fresh. That way, you only see the updates that matter right now.

The point here isn’t to create more noise. It’s to cut through it.

Hope this helps.

I don’t have hard data, but I’d estimate that only 50% of clients portals we review have any of their ad platforms (Meta, LinkedIn, Google) connected.

[1] HubSpot Ads Tool benefits

For those clients who don’t have ads connected, we usually hear three main responses:

• “We don’t do paid ads” (OK, fair enough)
• “We didn’t know you could connect ads into HubSpot” (OK, so an opportunity)
• “We manage our ads on the ad platforms themselves” (OK, so a misunderstanding on the real value)

For the third item, there’s a basic misunderstanding of the value of connecting ads into HubSpot.

• It’s not about managing ads (we never manage our ads from HubSpot either, always on the ad platform).
• Instead, it’s about attribution reporting, tracking, seeing the whole customer journey and pushing back insights to the ad platforms.

[2] Lead Form Syncing

Of the 50% of portals that do have ads connected, we then find:

• Hardly any (perhaps only 20%) have Lead Syncing enabled (ie to pull down contacts from Lead Forms into HubSpot)
• Instead many clients have created elaborate Zapier zaps for importing Lead Form contacts from Facebook, LinkedIn and Google into HubSpot
• They didn’t know this could all be easily enabled with a single setting in HubSpot instead 

[3] Audiences

Of the 50% of portals that do have ads connected, we also find:

• Hardly any are pushing back contact lists back up as audiences to Facebook, etc (eg for inclusion, exclusion, lookalike audiences)
• Instead they are doing manual exports (privacy nightmare!), or additional convoluted Zapier zaps
• When they could be simply doing this from HubSpot (plus, it continuously syncs)

[4] Events

And finally, almost no one is pushing ad events up to the platforms (eg Google Ads).

• Events are really powerful because they close the loop back to the ad platform on a contact that came via ads.
• Plus you can set a dollar value so the ad platform knows how to calculate their value. Very powerful.

Time to skill up

• In episode 313 of HubShots, Ian and I go through all of this in detail.
• You can listen to the podcast (Spotify, Soundcloud or Apple podcasts), watch on YouTube, or read the in-depth show notes.
• We also have a complete course in our HubShots Community.

And if you’d like to book in time with Ian and me to review your HubSpot portal to optimise your ads integration, you can book in a time here. 

Using AI to Test Product Ideas

We’re seeing more clients using AI to test product ideas. It’s fast, cheap, and offers instant feedback. But just like with most things AI-related, there’s a catch.

Below is a real example of a simple service idea we ran through several AI tools – not to sell you on the idea, but to show you what happens when different models respond to the exact same prompt. It’s a lesson in how easily we can be led down very different paths if we’re not asking the right questions – or worse, if we’re not thinking critically about the answers.

The Idea We Tested

A simple product concept: A service to vet HubSpot candidates for companies hiring internally.

Why? Because marketing managers often aren’t equipped to assess HubSpot-specific skills, and we’re occasionally asked to do it informally. So we wondered – should we turn it into a proper offering?

Then we ran it through 4 different AI models – using the same prompt. Here’s what happened.

What the AI Models Said

• Claude Sonnet
  • Thought it was a “strong concept” with a clear market need.
  • Gave pricing: $300–$500 per candidate, $3–8K monthly.
  • Suggested 90-minute technical interviews, rush options, and retainers.
  • Sensible structure, if slightly simplistic.
• Claude Opus
  • Same prompt, totally different response.
  • Estimated: $1,500–$3,500 per assessment.
  • Introduced “tiered” offerings and deeper dives.
  • Same idea, higher complexity, and cost.
• Perplexity
  • Brought in external references and current market tools.
  • More realistic: $600–$1,500 per assessment.
  • Gave bulk discount suggestions and source links.
  • A hybrid of Claude’s two personalities.
• Manis
  • Took 20+ minutes to respond with a 30-page report.
  • Included case studies, pricing models, service structure, add-ons, onboarding, and more.
  • Sounds impressive… but who’s reading 30 pages from a tool that didn’t ask you any clarifying questions?

The Gotchas (and Why This Matters)

• Same question, wildly different answers
  • If you’re relying on one model, you’re playing with fire. You’ll get something that ‘sounds right’ – but may not be right.
• False precision
  • The tools throw out specific numbers ($8K/month, $1,500/candidate) that sound authoritative, but they’re not sourced, validated, or contextually relevant.
• Overconfidence in output
  • AI doesn’t know your business. It can inspire, but it cannot think. Don’t let a 20-page PDF trick you into thinking it did.
• Bad questions = bad outcomes
  • A vague or general prompt leads to fluffy answers. Without context or constraints, AI fills in the blanks however it likes.
• Most users don’t question the output
  • They paste in a rough prompt, get an answer, and think, “Wow! That saved me an hour.” But did it? Or did it just lead them down a rabbit hole of noise?

A Quick Reminder

Don’t outsource your thinking!

Outsource research, inspiration, or exploration – but not the decisions.

The real value lies in how you interpret the AI’s answers. Take the best bits, ignore the noise, and refine the questions until you’re getting something useful. That’s the skill.

Next Steps

If you’re dabbling with AI to test ideas (as you should be!), here’s how to do it better:

• Use multiple models, not just ChatGPT. Compare answers, spot patterns, and notice inconsistencies.
• Refine your prompt. Include context, constraints, your goals, and what success looks like.
• Always review critically. Ask: Does this advice simplify or complicate things? Does it make sense for my stage, audience, and capability?
• Look beyond the hype. A flashy answer isn’t always a useful one. Focus on clarity, not volume.
• Bring in expert thinking before shipping or launching anything. Use AI to accelerate ideas, not replace sound judgment.

The Challenges Posed by Current Social Media Feeds

One of the most pressing issues in contemporary social channels, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, is the overwhelming presence of AI-generated content. This includes AI-generated posts, often following templates for viral engagement, and comments that also appear to be AI-generated. This proliferation of inauthentic content is causing users to become jaded.

Furthermore, beyond the AI ‘slop’, social feeds are often characterised by virtue signaling and humble bragging, contributing to a sense of playing a “game” that many individuals are growing tired of. The core problem is the lack of genuine, real connection and value in these feeds; instead, users often encounter AI-regurgitated content. This increasing pain point, particularly with AI acting as a ‘tipping point’, is pushing people to seek more authentic interactions.

The Re-emergence of Niche Communities

As the current social media experience becomes too painful due to inauthenticity and noise, a return to communities is anticipated. However, this will not be a return to just any community; people are actively seeking authenticity and real connection. The predicted solution involves a move towards communities that possess specific characteristics designed to counter the issues prevalent in broader social media.

A ‘good’ community in this evolving landscape is defined by several key requirements:

• Well-Moderated and Closed: To prevent external factors from affecting the community and to maintain a high signal-to-noise ratio, communities must be well-moderated and operate as closed groups. Communities left to ‘run wild’ are likely to fail, whereas those with careful attention to detail and strong moderation tend to succeed.
• Free from AI ‘Slop’: A crucial element is the complete absence of AI-generated content, engagement bait, and self-promotion.
• Provides High Value: The content shared within the community must be valuable and relevant to its members.
• Authentic Members: Members should be well-vetted, possess real-world experience, and avoid the promotion of content or courses without genuine, proven success.

An Example: The HubShots Community Approach

The principles outlined above are being applied in the development of the HubShots community, which has been under development for a couple of months. This community is built on the School platform and is designed with specific goals to ensure quality and authenticity.

Key features and goals of the HubShots community include:

• Small and Managed Membership: The aim is not to accrue thousands of members but rather to cultivate a group of a couple of hundred very key members. Currently, the community has 138 members, with a goal of reaching approximately 400 to 500 members maximum to maintain a “nice and comfortable, kind of cosy” environment. The focus is on quality over quantity to avoid the experience being ruined by excessive noise.
• Rigorous Vetting Process: Potential members are required to complete a questionnaire, and the team carefully vets them to ensure they are a good fit. This moderation helps maintain the community’s integrity and high standards.
• Structured Content and Engagement: The community includes a main “community tab” for updates and discussions, alongside a “classroom section”. The classroom hosts a growing number of courses, ranging from extensive lessons to short, sharp content, all designed to provide high value on specific topics, such as setting up HubSpot meetings effectively. This structure allows members to gain high-value content and engage with others on various topics.

The evolution of online interaction suggests that as individuals become increasingly jaded with the ‘AI slop’ and general noise on traditional social platforms, there will be a significant pushback towards these smaller, authentic, and high-value communities.

I’m the same, always closing the sidebar pop-out, dismissing the annoying notifications across the top, sending the announcement emails to spam, etc.

At least when they started rolling out the AI features, they were an optional paid upgrade.

I’m assuming hardly anyone upgraded to them.

So they forced them into the tools for everyone (no option to hide them).

And then due to this ‘significant added value’ increased the prices.

I just went through a bunch of my Google accounts, downgrading them to Starter where appropriate, and cancelling where possible.

I’d love to be a fly on the wall internally when they are checking adoption and cancel/downgrade telemetry. It’s such a frustrating and hostile period we are in with subscription models now.

The playbook seems to be:

• add AI features everywhere (that nobody wants or asks for)
• increase prices to reflect this ‘ added value’

I think there’s an opportunity for SaaS companies to promote a new ‘remove AI and save’ model. I’d certainly consider switching to a company that respected my choices and gave me options I actually wanted.

UPDATE: 27 October 2005 – so good to see the ACCC taking Microsoft to court for the way they implemented this ‘forced value’ onto customers.

(Spoiler: it was really good)

I prepared an update deck that I went through with the XEN team, covering the key insights, plus the good, the bad and the hype.

You can access the slide deck from here.

I’ve also added a lesson in our HubShots Skool Community here.

In the video I cover:

• Where HubSpot is headed (and how we can embrace/resist/respond)
• How Marketing is changing (SEO vs GEO, RevOps)
• AI (of course!) including Hype vs Reality, Agents, HubSpot Workspace
• Finally, I discuss the parts of HubSpots messaging I like, versus the guff I don’t

You can watch the recording here (warning: 33 mins!)

Did you attend? Would love to know your thoughts and takeaways.

I asked them what time they usually finished. Around 11:30pm.

Is this your second job? Yes, they turn up at the office block around 6:30pm most nights, after finishing their day job.

They work hard. But they are ‘just cleaners’. Nobody really takes much notice of how hard they work.

It struck that they are the chief entropy fighters in our day. Combatting the chaos that continues on, starting small each morning and growing enormous if left uncontained.

Thank you for your important work.

But, tough as it is, I’ve been trying to attend a few in-person events lately and ‘network’ with people.

A quick note:

Our head designer created two simple images for me:

• An overview image with a QR code that I use as my iPhone wallpaper (easy to share my details with people)
• A ‘digital business card’ image that I can easily share (eg tapping my phone with another iPhone)

In case they are useful ideas for you, here’s how they look:

Here’s how it looks on my lock screen:

And here’s the digital business card:

Networking DJ

On another topic… who, in their brilliance, decided that the best thing to have at a networking event, is loud music?

“OK folks, we recommend you spend the next hour chatting with peers, getting to know them better. To help, we’re now going to play really loud music so you have to shout and repeat yourself. You’re welcome.”

It was at a Health Hub (healthcare in Australia is wonderful), very modern and new. You know the kind, where you get confused using touch panels to call the elevator.

Went up to the floor, walked the beautiful corridors, and entered the specialist’s rooms. Expensive, modern finishings, amazing view, the hand sanitiser was premium and scented.

The receptionist was professional and polite, and notified us we’d begin the new patient process shortly.

An impressive experience so far.

And then… she handed my wife a clipboard and pen, with a photocopied two sided form to fill out by hand.

Which my wife filled out over the next few minutes. Handed it back, and we watched as the receptionist pecked away at her keyboard for another few minutes entering the information into their system.

It struck me as so odd. A modern facility, impressive in many ways, and yet still stuck with outdated, inefficient (and probably error-prone) processes for the most basic of functions.

I’m currently spending this month thinking about the disruption AI is going to have on my business, and yet here we are with premium medical facilities not even knowing how to digitally transform the simplest point.

Every year, usually in May, I take four weeks off to clear my head, read, learn, and think about the business – where it’s headed and where I want it to head.

I try do this in May, but I was sick in early April and I’ve only now fully recovered and caught up on things. So, this week I’m starting to clear my schedule, clear my mind, and open my thinking around what the year ahead holds.

This year is more important than any other year I’ve done this because AI is so prevalent in people’s minds and business processes. Even if the technical capability doesn’t match some of the wild use cases being touted yet, people’s perception is that it can – and perception is more important in many ways, because people change their behaviour based on perception.

For those of us who work in consulting or knowledge work, this is crucial to understand and plan for.

There are three main areas I’m going to focus on over the next couple of weeks as I think through what this means for our businesses:

[1] Internal – How we use AI

First is how we use AI internally. I don’t think that’s a huge challenge. Most of us are already using it, and it’s about accelerating processes. There’s talk about replacing people with AI – that’s not a likelihood for us in a small business or for many other small businesses. It should be helping us accelerate what we already do well. 

[2] External – Clients replacing us with AI

Second is looking externally at what our clients do and what they use us for, thinking through what they are going to use instead of us, where AI will be part of their process compared to where they might have spoken with us previously.

Again, perception here is the key issue. Even if AI doesn’t provide as good a service, the perception from many clients is it does, creating a huge threat to us. We’re noticing this in some industries more than others. For physical product-based businesses—pumps, mechanics, mining, automotive, construction—it’s less of a case. But in software and knowledge worker industries, we’re noticing people will happily turn to ChatGPT versus setting up a strategy call with us, regardless of results. It’s the perception they feel, and that’s a threat.

[3] Eternal – Clients needing us to solve new problems

Third is examining the opportunities for us. This is a shifting of problems to solve. Items two and three are about focusing on the problems to solve for clients. Some problems we solve now, they will use AI for, but there will be new problems we can provide solutions for – a big opportunity for us.

That’s what I’ll be looking at over the next couple of weeks: getting more clarity about our plan, what things we need to change/remove in our offerings, what new things we need to offer, and ensuring we lead by example internally by making all our processes efficient.

Luxury

When I mentioned to a friend I was taking time off to do this, he said it was great that I had the luxury of being in a position where I could spend time doing something like this.

But I see it differently: I don’t have the luxury of not doing this. This is an imperative for all businesses this year.

Introduction: Setting the Stage – The Age-Old Question

Welcome to this comprehensive guide based on the insightful discussion from HubShots episode 312, “Should You Build Your Website on HubSpot?”. In this guide, we aim to answer a question that frequently arises for businesses of all sizes: is HubSpot the right platform to build your website?.

Just like the classic SEO conundrum of “how long will it take to rank?”, the answer to the HubSpot website question is often, “it depends”. This guide will delve into the various factors to consider, drawing on our extensive experience, having collectively built hundreds of websites on platforms like WordPress before exclusively switching to HubSpot around four to five years ago.

Instead of immediately diving into features and technical specifications, we’ll start by exploring different scenarios to help you determine if HubSpot aligns with your specific needs. We’ll then cover crucial aspects such as pricing, usability, reporting, SEO, and much more, providing a balanced comparison primarily with WordPress, a common alternative.

Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and insights to make an informed decision about whether HubSpot’s Content Hub is the right foundation for your online presence. For those seeking even more granular detail, we encourage you to explore the in-depth Content Hub breakdown available as a download mentioned in the original episode.

Chapter 1: Understanding Your Scenario: The Most Important First Step

Before even considering features or technical aspects, the most critical step is to define your scenario. What kind of website do you need? What are your primary goals and objectives? Thinking through these questions will lay the groundwork for a sound decision.

• Marketing and Sales Sites: A Great Fit For marketing sites focused on lead generation, landing pages, microsites, and conference sites, HubSpot is often a perfect fit. Similarly, for sales sites designed to guide prospects through the customer journey, facilitating meeting bookings, providing collateral, and engaging with sales representatives, HubSpot offers a fantastic platform.
• E-commerce Stores: Not the Right Place If your primary need is an e-commerce store, HubSpot’s Content Hub is generally not the recommended solution. Instead, platforms like WooCommerce (often used with WordPress) or, increasingly, Shopify are better suited for this purpose. HubSpot does offer excellent integrations with Shopify, allowing you to connect your marketing and sales efforts with your e-commerce platform.
• Learning Management Systems (LMS): Better Alternatives Exist While it might be possible to build aspects of a learning management system (LMS) on HubSpot, dedicated platforms like Teachable or Kajabi are usually a better choice due to their specialized features.
• Community Sites: Look Elsewhere For building thriving community sites, HubSpot is not the ideal platform. Purpose-built platforms like Circle or Skool (the platform HubShots uses for their own community) offer the specific functionalities required for community engagement.
• Membership Sites: Possible, but Consider Options Building membership sites is feasible on HubSpot, but depending on your specific requirements, other platforms might offer a more tailored solution.
• Large Websites (1000+ Pages): Proceed with Caution For huge websites with more than a thousand static webpages (excluding blog posts, which HubSpot handles well), HubSpot might become overwhelming to manage. Large organizations with tens of thousands of pages often rely on enterprise content management systems, and HubSpot may not be the most suitable fit in such cases.

In summary, identifying your primary website scenario is the crucial first step in determining if HubSpot is the right platform for you.

Chapter 2: The Cost and Pricing Landscape: HubSpot vs. WordPress

Cost is invariably a significant factor in any website platform decision. It’s important to look beyond the initial price tag and consider the total cost of ownership.

• The Myth of “Free” WordPress While WordPress itself is open-source and free to use, it requires hosting to run. Think of hosting like renting a house – you need a reliable place with good infrastructure. Quality WordPress hosting, whether managed or dedicated, can range from $50 to $500 per month or even more, depending on traffic and storage needs. Investing in good hosting is crucial for performance, security, and stability.
• HubSpot Content Hub Pricing Tiers To build a website on HubSpot, you need to utilize Content Hub, which offers three main pricing models: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise.
• Starter: An Affordable Entry Point The Starter version of Content Hub begins at $15 US per month. This tier allows you to build functional marketing or sales websites, and surprisingly, even some medium-sized businesses successfully operate their entire website on Content Hub Starter. At this lower end, HubSpot’s all-in-one offering can be more cost-effective than factoring in good WordPress hosting alone.
• Professional: The Middle Ground Challenge Content Hub Professional is priced around $450 US per month. This is where some businesses might experience “sticker shock” when comparing it to the cost of WordPress hosting. However, it’s crucial to remember that Content Hub Professional includes more than just website hosting; it offers a range of integrated marketing tools that can save time and effort. Combining Content Hub Professional with Marketing Hub Pro in the Marketing Plus pack can make this tier more affordable and valuable.
• Enterprise: Value at the High End Content Hub Enterprise can go up to $1,500 US per month. Interestingly, businesses considering enterprise-level website systems often find this price competitive, as other similar platforms can cost significantly more.
• Additional Costs: Themes, Plugins, and Developers Both WordPress and HubSpot have potential for additional costs beyond the platform fee.
  • WordPress: You might need to purchase themes (ranging from $50 to thousands of dollars) and plugins (from $10 to $200+ annually per plugin) to extend functionality. Customization often requires developer costs. Furthermore, hidden costs can accumulate with annual fees for page builders, form builders, cookie management systems, and sliders. Failing to renew these can lead to security vulnerabilities and lack of updates.
  • HubSpot: Similar to WordPress, you can purchase themes (from around $200 to $1,500) and occasionally modules. However, well-built premium themes like Clean and Power (used by Ian and Craig) often include a wide range of features and regularly receive updates, potentially reducing the need for additional module purchases or custom development for common functionalities like accessibility updates. It’s important to choose themes wisely, ensuring they are properly integrated with HubSpot and actively maintained. Free themes in the HubSpot marketplace can sometimes lack flexibility and offer a less optimal user experience.
• HubSpot’s Built-In Value: Avoiding Hidden Fees A significant advantage of HubSpot is that many essential tools, such as a page builder, form builder, cookie management, and even A/B testing (in higher tiers), are built directly into the platform. This eliminates the need for multiple paid plugins and the associated management and renewal hassles often encountered with WordPress.

When evaluating the cost, consider not just the platform fee but also the expenses related to hosting, themes, plugins, development, and the time spent managing these various components.

Chapter 3: Usability and Management: A Tale of Two Systems

Ease of use and ongoing management are crucial factors, especially for marketing teams who may not have dedicated IT support.

• HubSpot’s Intuitive Page Builder: Consistency Across Platforms HubSpot’s drag-and-drop page builder is highly praised for its intuitiveness and user-friendly experience. This consistent builder is used not only for website pages but also for emails and other areas within HubSpot, creating a unified workflow. While older HubSpot templates might have been less flexible and relied on custom coding, the current page builder offers a much more modern and efficient experience. Investing in well-designed themes further enhances the page builder’s capabilities.
• The Evolution of HubSpot’s Design Tools It’s important to note that HubSpot’s design tools have evolved significantly over time. Users who had experience with HubSpot’s earlier versions might find the current page builder and theme ecosystem to be a vastly improved experience.
• The Importance of Quality Themes in HubSpot Choosing a well-supported and feature-rich theme (like Clean or Power) in HubSpot is essential for maximizing usability and flexibility. Free themes, while offering a starting point, can often be limited in functionality and customization options, potentially leading to frustration. Investing in a premium theme can save significant time and effort in the long run. It’s crucial to check a theme’s features, number of templates and modules, management within HubSpot, and update history before purchasing.
• WordPress Management: Hosting and Plugins Managing a WordPress site involves keeping the core software, themes, and numerous plugins up to date. While managed WordPress hosting can handle some of these updates, plugin conflicts and security vulnerabilities can still arise.
• HubSpot’s Hands-Off Management and Security A key advantage of HubSpot is that the security and management of the core system are handled entirely by HubSpot. This includes updates, security hardening, and performance optimization, even at the Starter and free tiers. This significantly reduces the administrative burden compared to WordPress, where these aspects are the website owner’s responsibility.

HubSpot offers a more streamlined and managed experience, particularly appealing to teams without dedicated technical resources, while WordPress provides greater control but requires more active management.

Chapter 4: Functionality and Customization: Flexibility vs. Ease of Use

The ability to customize and extend website functionality is a crucial consideration.

• WordPress: Highly Customizable WordPress is renowned for its high level of customizability. Its vast ecosystem of themes and plugins allows for extensive modifications and the addition of virtually any feature imaginable. You can build custom themes and engage in custom coding to achieve highly specific requirements.
• HubSpot: Powerful with the Right Approach While HubSpot might initially seem more restrictive compared to the open nature of WordPress, well-built themes like Clean and Power offer significant customization capabilities within the platform’s framework. The drag-and-drop builder, with its reusable modules and sections, empowers marketing managers to make updates and build pages quickly without needing developer intervention. HubSpot prioritizes speed to market and ease of use for website management.
• Design Limitations: Understanding Platform Capabilities vs. Implementation In terms of design, virtually anything achievable on other platforms can also be done on HubSpot. The front-end design is driven by HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which are accessible across different platforms. Perceived limitations often stem from the skills of the developers implementing the design or budget constraints rather than inherent platform restrictions. More complex design flourishes might require custom development on any platform, including HubSpot.
• Key HubSpot Functionality: A/B Testing and Personalization A significant advantage of HubSpot, particularly at the Professional tier and above, is the native integration of powerful marketing functionalities like A/B testing and personalization. These features, which often require plugins in WordPress, are built directly into HubSpot, allowing for sophisticated optimization and tailored user experiences.

WordPress offers unparalleled flexibility and control over customization through its open architecture and extensive plugin ecosystem, while HubSpot provides a robust and user-friendly environment with key marketing functionalities built-in, especially when utilizing well-designed themes.

Chapter 5: SEO and Performance: Driving Traffic and User Experience

Search engine optimization (SEO) and website performance are critical for online visibility and user satisfaction.

• HubSpot’s SEO Tools: Robust and User-Friendly HubSpot’s built-in SEO tools are generally considered very good and often meet the needs of most marketing managers. While advanced WordPress SEO plugins like Rank Math or Yoast SEO might offer a few more niche features, HubSpot covers the essential aspects effectively. Many users find HubSpot’s SEO tools to be world-class and well-integrated within the platform.
• WordPress SEO: Advanced Tools Available WordPress benefits from a wide array of powerful SEO plugins that offer extensive control and advanced features.
• The Speed and Performance Debate: Beyond the Platform Website speed and performance are influenced by various factors beyond the underlying platform. Heavy site functionality, complex interactions, and the use of numerous third-party scripts (like those embedded through Google Tag Manager) can significantly impact loading times on both WordPress and HubSpot. A real-world example highlighted that a perceived performance issue on a HubSpot site was actually due to the extensive use of tracking scripts in Google Tag Manager, not the HubSpot platform itself. Optimizing these external factors is crucial for achieving good performance regardless of the CMS.
• The Impact of Third-Party Scripts (e.g., Google Tag Manager) As demonstrated by the HubShots example, the number and implementation of third-party tracking scripts can have a substantial impact on website performance. Regularly auditing and optimizing these scripts is essential.
• Native Performance Features in HubSpot HubSpot natively handles aspects like content delivery networks (CDN) and caching, relieving users from the need to manage these separately.
• WordPress Performance: Relying on Hosting, CDN, and Plugins Achieving optimal performance on WordPress often requires configuring CDNs, implementing caching mechanisms (usually through plugins), and choosing a high-performance hosting provider.

Both HubSpot and WordPress can achieve good SEO and performance. HubSpot offers built-in tools and handles many performance aspects natively, while WordPress requires more manual configuration and reliance on plugins and hosting choices.

Chapter 6: Reporting and Analytics: Understanding Your Website Data

Understanding website traffic and user behavior is essential for making informed decisions.

• HubSpot’s Built-In Analytics: Convenience and Integration HubSpot includes built-in analytics that track website traffic, conversions, and marketing performance. This data is integrated with the CRM and other HubSpot tools, providing a holistic view of your marketing and sales efforts. Because HubSpot hosts the website, it can inherently track page views without relying solely on tracking scripts. While high-level traffic data is readily available, it’s important to note that users blocking cookies may not be fully tracked.
• WordPress Analytics: Dependence on External Tools WordPress itself does not have built-in analytics. Users typically need to integrate with Google Analytics or use analytics plugins to track website performance. While some plugins might offer basic analytics within the WordPress dashboard, comprehensive analysis usually requires navigating external platforms.
• Cookie Blocking Considerations It’s important to recognize that cookie blocking can affect the accuracy of analytics data on both HubSpot and WordPress.

HubSpot offers a more integrated and convenient analytics experience within its platform, while WordPress relies on external tools for website data analysis.

Chapter 7: Security and Hosting: A Critical Foundation

Website security and reliable hosting are non-negotiable for any online presence.

• HubSpot’s Fully Managed Security and Hosting HubSpot provides fully managed security with a dedicated security team, including 24/7 monitoring and the provision of SSL certificates. This eliminates the need for website owners to worry about these critical aspects. HubSpot boasts a high reliability score for its website hosting, with minimal downtime experienced over the years. Crucially, you never experience downtime due to plugin conflicts as you might on WordPress. This robust security and hosting infrastructure is available even at the Starter tier.
• SSL Certificates: Hassle-Free with HubSpot HubSpot automatically provides and manages SSL certificates for websites hosted on its platform, eliminating a common technical hurdle and potential point of failure often encountered with WordPress.
• WordPress Security and Hosting: A Shared Responsibility With WordPress, security is a shared responsibility between the website owner, the hosting provider, and the plugin developers. While good managed WordPress hosts often provide security features and may offer SSL certificates, it’s still up to the website owner to keep the core software, themes, and plugins updated and to choose secure and reputable plugins. Expired security certificates can lead to website access issues without timely renewal.
• Service Level Agreements and Reliability Reputable WordPress hosting providers often offer service level agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing a certain level of uptime. While HubSpot doesn’t explicitly state an SLA for website hosting, it has demonstrated very high reliability in practice.
• The Problem of Plugin Conflicts in WordPress A common cause of website downtime on WordPress is conflicts arising from plugin updates or incompatibilities. This issue is non-existent on HubSpot due to its closed and managed ecosystem.

HubSpot offers a significant advantage in terms of security and hosting by providing a fully managed environment, reducing the burden and potential risks associated with self-hosted WordPress.

Chapter 8: Integrations and Plugins: Extending Functionality

The ability to connect your website with other essential tools is vital for business operations.

• HubSpot’s Integration Ecosystem and API HubSpot has a robust ecosystem of native integrations with numerous third-party applications. For functionalities not covered by native integrations, HubSpot’s API allows for custom connections to be built.
• WordPress’s Extensive Plugin Library WordPress boasts an incredibly vast library of plugins that can extend its functionality in countless ways. This provides immense flexibility in integrating with various services.
• Missing Native Integrations in HubSpot (e.g., Instagram Feed) While HubSpot has many integrations, there can be instances where a specific native integration is missing. A common example mentioned is the lack of a direct, out-of-the-box Instagram feed integration. In such cases, workarounds or third-party tools might be necessary.
• HubSpot’s Built-In CRM, Marketing Tools, and Payment Options A key strength of HubSpot is the tight integration of its website platform with its CRM, marketing tools, and even payment options. This seamless integration streamlines workflows and provides a unified view of customer interactions.
• WordPress Integrations via Plugins WordPress readily integrates with CRM systems (including HubSpot), marketing automation platforms, payment gateways (like Stripe and WooCommerce), and various other services through its plugin ecosystem.

Both platforms offer extensive integration capabilities. HubSpot provides seamless integration within its own ecosystem and a growing number of native third-party connections, while WordPress relies heavily on its vast plugin library for integrations.

Chapter 9: Support: Getting the Help You Need

Reliable support can be a lifesaver when encountering technical issues.

• HubSpot’s Multi-Channel Support (Email, Chat, Phone) HubSpot offers email and in-app chat support for Starter plan users. Professional and Enterprise users also benefit from phone support and more readily available chat support. Phone support is often highly responsive, with quick call-back times. This direct access to support can be invaluable when facing critical issues.
• WordPress Support: Varied and Dependent on Hosting and Plugins Support for WordPress can vary significantly. Managed hosting providers often offer chat support for hosting-related issues. However, issues related to specific themes or plugins usually require reaching out to the theme or plugin developer, or engaging a developer directly. If a plugin breaks your site, your hosting provider will likely not be responsible for fixing it.
• The Client Support Advantage of HubSpot A significant benefit of HubSpot’s support model is its direct accessibility for end-users. If a client makes a change in HubSpot and encounters an issue, they can directly contact HubSpot support for assistance. With WordPress, clients often end up contacting their agency for support, who then might need to troubleshoot plugin issues or contact the hosting provider, adding an extra layer of complexity.
• Centralized Support with HubSpot’s All-in-One Platform If you are using HubSpot for sales, marketing, service, and your website, you have a single point of contact for support across all these functions, simplifying the process of getting help.

HubSpot offers a more centralized and readily accessible support system, particularly beneficial for non-technical users, while WordPress support is more fragmented and dependent on the specific component causing the issue.

Chapter 10: Migration: Moving Your Website

The process of moving an existing website to a new platform is an important consideration.

• The General Process of Website Migration Regardless of the platforms involved, migrating a website typically involves moving content, SEO elements, and potentially rebuilding design elements.
• Blog Content Migration: Generally Straightforward Migrating blog content from various platforms into HubSpot is generally feasible.
• Page and SEO Element Migration: Requires Rebuilding Moving static pages, landing pages, and SEO-specific configurations often requires rebuilding or manually copying elements between platforms. A direct “lift and shift” of an entire website between fundamentally different platforms is rarely seamless.
• Content Staging in HubSpot: A Powerful Feature HubSpot’s content staging environment is a significant advantage during website redesigns or migrations. It allows you to build and preview new pages or sections in a separate environment before publishing them live, offering granular control over the deployment process. This feature is often more complex to implement on other platforms like WordPress, where a full staging site is typically required.
• Rethinking Website Architecture During Migration Often, a website migration is coupled with a website refresh, involving changes to design and site architecture due to evolving business needs. In such cases, a simple content migration is less of a focus than strategically rebuilding the site on the new platform.

Website migration, while possible between most platforms, often involves more than just a simple transfer of data, particularly for design-heavy sites. HubSpot’s content staging feature offers a significant advantage for managing the rebuilding and deployment process.

Chapter 11: Scalability and Future Growth: Planning for Expansion

The chosen website platform should support your business’s future growth.

• HubSpot’s Integrated CRM for Scalability HubSpot’s strength lies in its integrated CRM, which seamlessly connects your website, marketing efforts, sales activities, and customer service. This all-in-one approach fosters scalability by streamlining business processes and providing a unified view of your customer interactions.
• Potential Customization Restrictions in HubSpot While generally not a major issue, some highly specific customizations might feel more restrictive in HubSpot compared to the open flexibility of WordPress. However, this is usually only a concern when trying to force HubSpot into scenarios where it’s not the ideal fit.
• HubSpot’s Fit for Specific Scenarios HubSpot’s scalability is most evident within its intended scenarios, such as marketing and sales-focused websites that leverage its CRM and integrated tools.
• “Lock-in” Concerns: Understanding the HubSpot Ecosystem A common concern about HubSpot is the potential for “lock-in” since the website and other business functions reside within the HubSpot ecosystem. Unlike WordPress, where you can move your website to different hosting providers, a HubSpot website remains on HubSpot’s infrastructure. However, your content remains yours and can be exported. Think of it like a managed hotel experience – you can’t take the hotel room with you, but everything you need is provided. Whether this is a bug or a feature depends on your perspective – the convenience of an all-in-one platform versus the flexibility of independent components.
• The Future of Migration: The Role of AI Looking ahead, advancements in AI-powered tools are likely to simplify website migration between platforms, potentially mitigating “lock-in” concerns. Tools that can replicate website designs and content across different systems are already emerging and are expected to improve.
• Rethinking Your Website During Growth As your business grows and evolves, website refreshes and platform evaluations are common, making the idea of a simple “lift and shift” less relevant than strategically rebuilding on the most suitable platform.

HubSpot’s integrated platform offers strong scalability for businesses that align with its core functionalities, while WordPress provides greater platform portability but requires managing the interconnected components independently.

Chapter 12: Final Thoughts and Recommendations: Making the Right Choice

Drawing on the insights from HubShots, here’s a summary of when you might choose HubSpot or another platform like WordPress:

Choose HubSpot if:

• Your primary need is for marketing sites or sales sites.
• You desire ease of use and a consistent user experience.
• You value built-in tools for marketing, sales, and service.
• Security and hosting are a priority that you prefer to have managed.
• CRM integration is crucial for your business processes.
• You want an all-in-one platform for your online presence and customer interactions.
• You want to avoid the hassle of managing hosting, updates, and plugin compatibility issues.
• Your marketing team has limited IT support and needs a tool that “just works”.

Choose WordPress if:

• You require maximum flexibility and customization options.
• You want full control over every aspect of your website and its integrations.
• You have a team of WordPress experts in-house who can manage hosting, security, and development.
• You need to easily integrate a full-fledged e-commerce store using WooCommerce.
• You have a significant number of existing blog comments that you want to retain seamlessly (migration to HubSpot can be challenging in this regard).

Ultimately, the best platform depends on your specific scenario, technical expertise, resources, and long-term goals. Carefully consider these factors and weigh the pros and cons of each platform to make an informed decision that will best serve your business needs.

Conclusion: Your Path to Choosing the Right Platform

Selecting the right platform for your website is a critical decision with long-term implications. By understanding your specific needs, evaluating the costs and benefits of platforms like HubSpot and WordPress, and considering factors such as usability, functionality, support, and scalability, you can confidently choose the foundation that will best support your online success. Remember to explore the additional resources mentioned, such as the in-depth Content Hub guide and the HubShots community, for even more detailed information.

Resources:

• HubShots Episode 307 (Content Hub Deep Dive)
• HubShots Episode 312
• HubShots Community
• HubShots Daily Tip Sign-up

Partly because we need to (there’s too many decisions to make daily) and partly because we’re lazy.

Sometimes we outsource our thinking and mistakenly think we’re embracing the so-called ‘Wisdom of the Crowd‘.

A quick example.

Two Asian noodle places are located nearby. One has a big queue outside and the other has no queue at all. People will join the one with the queue because they think (I assume) they’ll get better food – believing the crowd knows best. They outsource their thinking.

I’m trying to test this ‘wisdom’ when I can.

For example, picking the option with no queue. My thinking is that if they’re terrible, they probably won’t survive anyway. More often than not, they are pretty good. Service is prompt, the food is fresh, and they haven’t run out of anything.

Sometimes, once I’m finished and leaving, I see people still waiting in the queue at the first place before I even went into mine.

I wonder if they ever test their assumptions. Or are there other reasons (a new dish not available anywhere else, a recent review, etc)?

To be fair, I’ve sometimes chosen the no queue option and had a bad meal. But then again, I’ve also waited in queues to end up with a bad meal.

Google reviews tell a mixed story as well. I’ve seen queues for places with low scores (often people complaining about the wait ironically), and high scoring places have no queue, and empty inside.

And what if one of the reviewers is actually a chef, compared to all the consumers. There’s no easy way to highlight the actual experts.

It seems the signals are hard to interpret most of the time.

And it’s not just food of course, my point is about life in general really.

I’m trying to challenge my own habits of outsourcing my thinking, and instead test and measure more.

Especially in important areas.

Blindly waiting for food when we don’t need to, isn’t too much of an impact.

But what about in matters of health, or career choices, or who we vote for… some areas are better served with real thinking and not outsourcing to the crowds.

We’re told we need to ‘make a stand’, ‘take a side’, cause division, etc because ‘if everyone agrees with us then no one agrees with us’ (and other cliches)… so we need to make a claim that interrupts people. That, we’re told, is how we can capture attention. We call this ‘creating cut through’.

The idea itself isn’t terrible in itself (there’s truth to it for sure), but sadly it’s been so extrapolated and misinterpreted that we now find ourselves in a sea of rage bait, misinformation and contrived controversy.

Instead of sharing a thought where we might have differences of opinion politely debated, the approach these days is to alienate and then spotlight those who are alienated.

Cut through and novelty go together of course. We naturally want new things.

We want novel ideas no matter how silly they are.

For example, there will be podcasts full of health misinformation detailing the benefits of raw milk and the dangers of seed oils when we all know health is about sleeping well, not smoking, eating nutrient-rich foods, exercising regularly, lifting heavy weights, and surrounding ourselves with a quality social circle of friends.

But that’s not novel. That’s not interesting. Everyone knows that, so there’s no cut through.

Instead, we have to resort to controversial topics. And the last resort of the desperate attempt to cut through is to label posts “unpopular opinion” or “hot take” as if that will somehow make up for first order ‘thinking’.

The ideas that cut though are rarely foundational. Amidst the noise of cut through attempts there are occasional high impact items (ie signal), so we still need to be open to them. But finding the right mix is a skill in itself, and what really separates the well informed from the highly opinionated.

Yet at the end of the day wishing I had got so much more done.

Nothing sharp, just a dull ache by the end of the day.

I realised (by accident) that it was the height of my standing desk.

I’d bumped the height switch a few days prior and the height had gone from 84 up to 85. And in the following days the shoulder pain started.

I took it back down to 84 (ie 1cm lower), and the pain stopped after a day or so.

It’s perhaps surprising that such a simple thing as the height of your desk can make such an impact. But in hindsight it makes total sense. It affects the way your hands rest on the table, and how they interact when typing. And it moves the impact up your arm until it has no where else to go but to hit your shoulder and lower neck.

Lesson learned.

Definition:

Any new feature—no matter how basic or specific to a particular area—which is talked about breathlessly on social media as if it’s going to unlock some amazing new level of productivity or performance.

Usually accompanied by at least one fire emoji.

Ideally, if it is in beta, that makes it more of a game changer.

Bonus: if it’s a private beta, then it’s even more of a game changer (because as we all know, controlled access to a feature is inversely proportional to game changing-ness).

The Game Changer Criteria Checklist:

• Is it new?
• Is it in beta?
• Is it in private beta?
• Is it very specific to a particular area that not many people will relate to?
• Is it hard to understand at first?
• Is it something you haven’t actually used yourself but have only seen the release notes for?

Add a point for each.

For each point, you are allowed to include an additional fire emoji in your over excited social post about it.

If you score more than 3 points you are also allowed to refer to it as an ‘insane update’.

I pay for the Premium (Super) version.

But I cancelled this week.

Not because I don’t use it.

Not because I’m replacing it with another tool or ChatGPT.

I cancelled it because I’m sick of so much upsell.

The bottom set of icons used to give me access to different features. Now two of the six are just for upsells.

I’m fine with upsells if I’m a free or trial user. But when I’m paying $129 a year, I expect a little more respect.

See ya Duo.

Reporting Slop is all the reports that get created simply because AI suggested them as a good idea for your business, your department, your clients…

First, let’s take a step back though.

I think we’ve all had that experience in our careers where we’re asked to create a report (or to continue preparing a report) for the business that seems like busywork. No one seems to know why the report is needed or what value it provides, other than “we’ve always prepared it each week/month/quarter, we need to keep preparing it…”

Instead of killing the report, we look for ways to automate it. When it’s automated we don’t mind that it continues on because it’s just noise in the background – it’s not wasting our time anymore. Sometimes this is miscategorised as efficiency (lol), but it’s really just noise.

We can all live with that I guess.

But along comes AI, and now the problem scales.

Previously, the people asking for reports (eg managers, clients, other departments) had actually thought about they needed.

Now people don’t even think. They just ask ChatGPT what reports they should create – and blindly take the ‘advice’ as if it were good.

We’re starting to see these requests come in: “Can you create these six reports in HubSpot please” and they list off a bunch of reports. The list is a mix of:

• already existing out of the box reports (ie easy to provide), combined with
• confusing report requests that make no sense (ie waste of time).

When we drill deeper and ask them why they need the report, they’ll unashamedly (and often proudly) state “I asked ChatGPT and this is what ChatGPT said were the reports I needed to create for running my business/department.”

We’ve outsourced our thinking and don’t even bother to sanity check the ‘insights’ we get back.

I’m not quite sure how to respond to this…

It’s great if you sell reporting tools, especially based on a consumption model, but it’s not great if you’ve got to waste time building (and maintaining) these reports for your business (or team or client) when deep down you know they’re providing zero value.

This is reporting slop and you should probably prepare for a deluge of it.