Clean your pipes

I almost didn’t send this week’s Storyletter.

We’re sitting in a bomb shelter.

But we keep going. That’s what we do.

This week also marks my first Inc.com article on why SaaS isn’t dead and where the real opportunity is for people like us.

Here it is:
👉 📰 Read

Let me know what you think.

In today’s Storyletter:

We measure what comes down at every stage.

100 leads.
5 interested.
2 closed.

If the numbers work, we’re happy.

But what if the problem isn’t the funnel?

A funnel sounds passive.
Things fall through it.

A pipeline is different.
A pipeline flows.

It’s connected.
It carries pressure.
If one section is blocked, the whole system feels it.

Most companies say they need better leads.
So they push marketing.
Or they push sales.

But they rarely check if the pipe is connected.

In one project, marketing delivered hundreds of qualified leads month after month. Closing rates were strong.

Then sales said they couldn’t handle the volume.

So we optimized creative.
More leads.
We improved automation.
More calls.

Still friction.

The real issue wasn’t traffic.
It wasn’t sales skill.

It was alignment.

The brand promised one thing.
Sales delivered another.
Customer experience felt like a third.

That’s not a funnel problem.
That’s a pipe leaking.

When we aligned how the brand talks, how sales sells, and how onboarding delivers, everything opened up.

We didn’t just get more leads.
We converted more of the right ones.

We’re on track to break sales records not because the funnel got wider, but because the pipeline got cleaner.

Ask yourself:

Where is your pipe leaking?
Where are two teams solving the same problem differently?
Where does the promise change along the way?

Funnels count.

Pipelines connect.

Growth comes from connection.

OK, I am officially addicted to vibe-coding.

I needed a website in my language. A landing page to promote my speaking and workshops.

Instead of paying someone, I decided to build it myself. So I did. It came out really nicely.

But how will people find it?

Let’s add an Ask Me Anything section.

If I reply to questions, I can promote long-tail content and drive traffic.

A few hours later, I had a full CMS. Pages per reply. Video added. Email marketing connected.

This would have been impossible for someone like me a couple of years ago. Even last year.

The site is connected to its own newsletter system that I created. Can I say built?

My second build, the cue card solution for speakers, is already live and was used during a competition in Mexico last week. I’m adding features and preparing to launch it everywhere.

Next is launching my new sprint platform. I’ll offer everything in two-week sprints.

What started as a landing page might become a full platform to run those sprints.

Great week.

Another workshop delivered, this time filmed for a speaker showreel.

We filmed 8 new shorts in my language. They’re the best we’ve ever made.

Sadly, the first attempt at a new ad campaign failed. Great engagement. Great comments. Zero leads.

I’m glad we tested it with a small budget.

I’ve been wondering whether I should start sharing more about my budget, content numbers, and real metrics.

Still thinking about it.

Every week, I collect things I enjoy online. This is my curated top three: playlists to work with, trailers, videos, or just fun stuff.

🎧 Music
This Storyletter was written while listening to “Back to 1984”
👉 🎧 Listen

🤖 Tin Man
This whole song and video of Data from Star Trek is AI, and it’s epic
👉 🤖 Watch

🎬 Ready or Not
An 8-minute sneak peek of this crazy movie
👉 🎬 View