"It's pretty random"

Thanks?

“I read your newsletter.”

“Oh yeah? What do you think?”

“I like it. It’s… pretty random though.”

…Huh.

Was that a compliment? A critique?

I’ve been turning that line over in my head for a few weeks now. Because they’re not wrong, the Newsletter isn’t always neat or narrowly focused.

Some weeks it’s about marketing strategy. Some weeks it’s brand storytelling. Sometimes it’s a reflection on burnout, leadership, or just the weirdness of trying to build things online.

It is random.

But it’s not aimless.

There’s a reason this newsletter exists — and a reason I keep showing up to write it, even when the ideas are half-formed or the week’s been chaotic or I’m not sure if anyone will even read it.

So this week, I want to talk about why I write this thing. Why I’m okay with a little chaos. Why the randomness is actually part of the design.

At the heart of the Friday Growth Note is a belief:

You don’t need a big team, perfect timing, or a secret playbook to build something meaningful. You just need to start, pay attention, and keep going.

Every week, I write this for the marketers, operators, and builders who want to grow — not just their metrics, but their thinking. People knee-deep in doing the work, trying to figure out what actually moves the needle, what doesn’t, and what might next time. People navigating ambiguity and algorithm changes and that sneaky voice in your head that says, “Is this even working?”

I write the Growth Note for the curious. For the folks who want to understand how things grow, not just in theory, but in the messy, unpredictable wild. Sometimes the note is tactical. Sometimes it’s a mindset shift. Sometimes it’s a half-baked observation I’m still chewing on. But always, it’s real.

It’s not meant to be polished or perfectly themed — and yes, it is a little random.

That’s the point. Growth, like creativity, rarely follows a linear path. Neither does this newsletter.

But if you zoom out, there’s a throughline: keep showing up, stay curious, share what you’re learning, and try to be a little better than yesterday.

---

10 Beliefs That Shape the Growth Note

1. Small experiments > big assumptions

   Growth rarely comes from grand plans. It comes from testing, tweaking, and doing the work in public. The newsletter is one big experiment and that’s the fun of it.

2. Thinking out loud is underrated

   Writing helps clarify ideas. Sharing those ideas helps pressure-test them. This is a place for working things out — not just broadcasting things that are already done.

3. Curiosity is a growth skill

   The best growth marketers aren’t the ones who “know everything.” They’re the ones who keep asking better questions. This newsletter is built around that mindset.

4. Momentum beats motivation

   I don’t always feel inspired. But I do feel responsible to keep showing up. And once I start writing, things usually click. This is a practice, not a performance.

5. You’re allowed to evolve

   Some weeks I write about paid ads. Some weeks it’s brand building, founder marketing, or community. It changes because I change. So do you. That’s normal.

6. Connection > distribution

   I’d rather have 5,000 readers who get it than 50,000 who skim it. The Growth Note isn’t content for the algorithm. It’s for people doing real work.

7. The boring stuff matters

   Growth is often unsexy. Better onboarding. Faster load times. Cleaner copy. I love shining a light on the work that actually drives compounding results.

8. Takes aren’t helpful without context

   There are enough LinkedIn hot takes. I’m more interested in why something worked, when it didn’t, and what it looked like in the real world.

9. This is a long game

   I’m not trying to go viral. I’m trying to build trust. I hope this newsletter becomes something people look forward to, not just a flash in their inbox.

10. Growth isn’t just a job, it’s a lens

    It’s how we solve problems. How we think about leverage. How we get a little more efficient, a little more creative, a little more impactful. That’s what this is all about.

---

So yeah it’s a little random. But it’s intentional. It’s honest. And it’s mine.

Thanks for reading, for replying, and for making this more than just a one-way broadcast.

See you Friday.

– Adam