The 5 Bets I'm Making in 2026

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Hey friend,

I started this newsletter back in January 2025.

And over the last 12 months, I've watched something weird happen in the content world...

Everyone's saying the same things, using the same templates, following the same "experts."

Nobody trusts anything anymore.

They've been burned by too many courses that promised the moon and delivered dust.

They're drowning in AI-written content that sounds smart but says nothing.

And most creators are so obsessed with going viral that they've forgotten what actually builds a business.

Generic posts. Empty promises. Copy-paste strategies.

When everything sounds identical, nobody pays attention.

Your content gets ignored. Your list stays small. Your bank account stays the same.

That's what happens when you blend in.

The people who actually win in 2026? They're doing the opposite.

They're showing up as themselves instead of copying what worked for someone else.

They're building businesses on substance, not just social proof.

So I spent this last week going through everything from my first year.

What brought in revenue. What was just noise. What I'm keeping. What I'm burning.

And I narrowed it down to 5 principles I'm living by in 2026.

Not because they sound good in a tweet.

But because they're the only things that actually grew my business.

Here they are:

1/ Stories over tactics

I'm done with the "5 steps to X" posts.

Here's what I learned in 2025: Nobody remembers your bullet points.

They remember how you made them feel.

They remember the story about your first failed launch, not the "framework" you packaged it in.

So in 2026, every single thing I write starts with a story.

Not because it's trendy. Because it's the only thing that cuts through.

If I can't make someone stop scrolling and actually give a damn, I'm not hitting send.

Stories create connection. Connection creates sales.

Everything else is just background noise.

2/ Own the inbox, not just the feed

I learned this the hard way in 2025.

I spent months building my LinkedIn audience. Posted every day. Got decent engagement.

Then the algorithm changed overnight and my reach got cut by 60%.

Meanwhile, my email list? Completely unaffected.

Every person who opted in still gets my emails. No algorithm. No surprises.

That's when I realized: social media is borrowed attention.

Your email list is owned attention.

So in 2026, I'm treating every email like it's the most important piece of content I create.

Because it is.

3/ Better beats more (even when it's scary)

I thought I had to show up every single day to "make it."

Turns out, that's garbage advice.

In 2025, I published 6 days a week without fail.

But here's what happened: My best results came from the 20% of content where I actually had something worth saying.

The other 80%? Just filling space.

So in 2026, I'm cutting the filler.

If I don't have a story, insight, or lesson that changes how someone thinks, I'm not sending it.

I'd rather post 3 incredible content a week than 7 forgettable ones.

Memorable compounds. Mediocre gets deleted.

4/ Share lessons, not just wins

"Building in public" exploded in 2024.

Everyone started posting their revenue numbers and "look how far I've come" threads.

But most of it felt like bragging, not teaching.

In 2026, I'm still sharing my journey.

But only the parts that actually help someone avoid a mistake or make a better decision.

No vanity metrics. No fake vulnerability. No "I made $100K and here's my vague advice."

Just: "Here's what I tried, here's what happened, here's what I'd do differently."

Because people don't care about your success.

They care about whether your success can shortcut their struggle.

5/ Think before you create (or you'll burn out)

This is the one I keep forgetting.

I spent most of 2025 grinding.

Wake up. Open laptop. Create content. Repeat until exhausted.

But my best work didn't come from the grind.

It came from the 20-minute walk where I wasn't trying to "be productive."

It came from the conversation with a friend that sparked an idea.

It came from stepping away and letting my brain breathe.

So in 2026, I'm protecting white space like it's sacred.

No meetings before 10 AM. No work on Sundays. Actual breaks where I'm not "optimizing."

Because ideas don't come from hustling harder.

They come from giving yourself room to think.

These aren't sexy.

They're not the newest "growth hack" everyone's talking about.

They're just the things that worked when everything else felt like noise.

And honestly? They're the opposite of what most people are teaching.

So here's what I want to know:

What's ONE principle you're committing to in 2026?

Not a tactic. Not a tool. Not a "10x growth strategy."

A principle. Something you'll filter every decision through.

Reply and tell me.

I read every response.

Talk soon,

Stephen

P.S. - A client I worked with last quarter was posting 15 times a week and getting nowhere. We cut it to 4 posts a week, focused only on stories with lessons, and his DMs tripled. Sometimes less is the entire strategy.

Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays

Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.

Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.

Learn more.

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