PPPPushing Forward, Pulling Ahead (Four Ps #258)
Where Momentum Meets Friction, Things Get Interesting.
Progress doesn’t just happen. It’s pushed forward by bold ideas, pulled back by consequences, and often caught somewhere in between.
So what happens when confidence, conviction — and a little audacity — meet reality?
From a tongue-in-cheek LinkedIn post that hit a little too close to home…
to a polarizing ad tech juggernaut redefining (and possibly redlining) the rules...
or a political move so aggressively misguided it sent global markets reeling…
— it’s always a mix of push and pull.
And in the midst of it all? A quiet but powerful new protocol is changing how AI actually does things—because sometimes, pushing the right boundaries leads somewhere better.
THE PERSONAL: The Allure of LinkedIn-fluence
Last week, I made a joke post on LinkedIn for April Fool's Day that, while not true, felt like it could’ve been—especially to those who see me showing up day after day with videos, links, blog posts, musings, and more.
It was a total joke. Meant to be fun. And yet… the post exploded. Tens of thousands of impressions. Over a hundreds interactions. People laughed. People nodded. Some people were… genuinely concerned?
Adam Puchalsky even called me on my cell phone mid-day. Not even my parents do that.
And like most successful humor, the joke landed because it wasn’t entirely made up. Some people do want to be LinkedIn famous. Others want to cash in. And honestly? A few have figured out how to do both.
It's already happening. LinkedIn is the new influencer playground, not just for job updates or humblebrags anymore. It’s become a thing—especially among Gen Z, whose monthly usage jumped from 21.1M in 2024 to a projected 23.1M this year.
And where attention goes, brands follow. In January, Notion teamed up with 60+ LinkedIn influencers for a campaign* that reached over 2.5 million users. That’s not exactly small potatoes.
So yes, people ARE making money. But it’s not as easy as “post a tip, get a bag.” It takes strategy. Consistency. A voice. And, often, a vibe.
If being smart were enough, I’d be writing this from a yacht.
Because it’s not just about talent or deep industry wisdom (though that helps). The people thriving on LinkedIn have cracked a different kind of code:
Be useful. Be human. Be real.
Post consistently (but don’t be that person).
Say something. Don’t just rehash the same old takes.
Build community—not just followers.
The April Fool’s post was a wink to the content chaos out there, but also a reminder: this platform still has creative potential. That early, scrappy, sandbox energy we used to love? It’s still here—if you know where to look and how to show up.
Let’s not lose sight of what made all of this fun in the first place.
THE PROFESSIONAL: AppLovin - Machine or Myth?
In our office, few companies spark more lively debate than AppLovin. Some marvel at their growth. Others raise eyebrows at their data. But no one’s ignoring them. And that, in itself, is impressive.
Let’s be honest. AppLovin shouldn’t exist—not in this form. They operate in a space where most independent ad tech players have fizzled. Meta, Google, and Apple dominate the mobile ecosystem. DSPs and SSPs either died off or got swallowed whole. Which makes them a "unicorn" that truly broke the mold.
Because here they are. AppLovin built a real business, did it publicly, and kept growing—even as many assumed the game was already over. That’s not luck. That’s strategy.
What makes AppLovin so intriguing is their playbook. It's not revolutionary—it’s just ruthlessly effective. They acquired MAX, putting themselves in front of the unified auction shift. They built Lion Studios to gather data and train their models in-house. They scooped up MoPub from Twitter for a cool billion, eliminating a competitor and expanding their SDK footprint overnight. Build and buy. Now they want TikTok, too!
These weren’t flashy headlines at the time, but in hindsight? Masterful. They didn’t just build an ad tech company. They built leverage.
The AppLovin story (as they tell it) goes something like this: “We’ve cracked performance at scale in one of the toughest environments—app installs—and now we’re taking that muscle into CTV and beyond.” Also: “We don’t need our game studio anymore. That was just a training ground. We’re cleaner, leaner, and ready for our next act.” It’s a strong pitch. And with Meta and Google as their only real competition in this space? It’s no wonder investors have taken note.
But it's not always easy being on top. And not everyone’s buying it.
Just last month, AppLovin was hit with a short-seller report from Muddy Waters that sent its stock tumbling. Accusations flew. The company lawyered up. And the headlines rolled in.
But even before the drama, AppLovin was already a topic of conversation in our corner of the industry. Because for every person who loves them, there may be just as many who loathe them—a sizable (and vocal) crew of skeptics. Some call fraud. Others question the data. Many just can’t square the performance numbers with their own campaign results.
Then there’s the privacy crowd. The whispers about fingerprinting. The hints of attribution sleight-of-hand. The suggestion that AppLovin is walking right up to (or over) the edge of what Apple allows.
Welcome to mobile ad tech!
So... is it working? Honestly, I’m not sure. For a while, it clearly was. AppLovin drove major product discovery—especially among older consumers. Nearly 80% of their attributed purchases came from users over 55. And discovery surged during peak shopping periods like BFCM.
But since then, those numbers have slipped. Attribution is tapering off. Some brands have quietly stepped away.
Still, many are staying. And spending. Why?
Because, in many cases, the results are real. Or at least real enough to justify the investment.
And maybe my fanboy CFO colleague Rahul is right, and AppLovin is really that good. What if they’ve simply out-engineered the rest of us—and yes, also cut a few corners in the process?
It doesn’t have to be clean to be effective. And in this industry, “effective” tends to win.
At Genuin, we watch AppLovin closely. Not to copy, but to learn. Their mix of bold acquisitions, product focus, and relentless execution has reshaped expectations. They challenged conventional wisdom and came out ahead. That’s pretty inspiring.
But it’s also a reminder that growth isn’t just about big ideas. It’s about navigating complexity, making sharp moves, and—sometimes—living in the gray areas.
THE PRACTICAL: You Down with MCP?
During my weekly check-in with our CTO this week, a session I fondly dub "Tech Simplified for Matt," he introduced me to a term that's been making waves: MCP.
I assumed it was some sort of Marvel Comic planet... but it's really "Model Context Protocol."
Intrigued, I delved deeper to understand why MCP is soooo hot right now.
At its core, MCP is an open standard designed to streamline how applications provide context to Large Language Models (LLMs).
What does that mean for the simpler folk...? It's basically a common set of rules that helps apps and AI talk to each other more easily. Imagine it like a universal power adapter you take on a work trip for all your devices plug in, no matter what country you're in. MCP does the same thing, but for AI. It helps the AI connect to different tools and data without needing a special setup every time. Super handy, super simple.
So... why does this matter? As the AI landscape changes by the minute, the ability for models to access real-time, relevant data is pretty key. Traditional methods often involve bespoke solutions, leading to increased development time and potential security vulnerabilities.
MCP addresses these challenges by offering:
Standardized Connections: A unified protocol that eliminates the need for multiple custom integrations.
Enhanced Security: Built-in authentication mechanisms and support for privacy-preserving computations.
Flexibility: Compatibility with multiple programming languages and operating systems.
And talk about worlds evolving AND colliding, MCP's versatility shines across both Web2 and Web3 platforms:
Web2: Companies like Zapier have embraced MCP to connect AI assistants directly to over 7,000 apps. This integration transforms AI from mere conversational agents to functional tools capable of tasks like sending messages, managing data, and scheduling events.
Web3: Platforms such as Heurist leverage MCP to enable AI agents to perform blockchain tasks, including moving funds to high-yield vaults. This integration facilitates seamless interactions within decentralized ecosystems.
The fact that I'm even dedicated one of the Four Ps to this should make you stop and think. This is as nerdy as I get, and I know not everyone will care.
But as AI continues to permeate various sectors, the need for efficient, secure, and standardized integration methods is so so important. MCP stands out the best of the current promising solutions, bridging the gap between AI models and the vast array of tools and data sources they rely upon.
Ultimately this is not just a technical standard; it's a transformative approach to how AI interacts with the world, paving the way for more better, faster, cheaper, and more amazing applications.
THE POLITICAL: A Gaping, Self-Inflicted Wound
Unlike most economic meltdowns that take time to simmer, this one boiled over in about 12 hours.
But anyone with a brain could have seen it coming a mile - or 3 months - away.
President Trump’s sweeping announcement of new tariffs, branded as “Liberation Day,” hit with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He called it a declaration of “economic independence.” Economists and global leaders? They called it something else: a disaster.
To recap: Trump invoked national emergency powers to slap a 10% blanket tariff on all imports to the U.S., with even higher penalties for countries like China and the EU: 34% and 20%, respectively. The move was pitched as a heroic effort to level the playing field. In reality, it may have just flipped the table entirely.
Within hours of the Rose Garden speech, global markets nosedived. Dow futures fell over 900 points. The next day saw the biggest drop in the stock marketing in half a decade. And companies from Apple to Walmart began watching their stock prices sink like anvils. Supply chains, already delicate, were effectively thrown into chaos.
And here’s where it gets really telling.
Look at the media coverage in those crucial first hours.
On CNN? Wall-to-wall headlines about a looming trade war. Charts ablaze with red. Economists sounding alarm bells. You couldn’t miss it.
Over at Fox News? Crickets. A soft feature on presidential golf habits. A sidebar on gas stove regulations. Not a single peep about the seismic shift happening to the global economy.
It’s the kind of willful ignorance that should disqualify anyone from having a microphone in times like these. Because this wasn’t just an unforced error—it was a full-court press in the wrong direction.
And unlike recessions caused by global financial systems or pandemics or energy crises, this one has a clearly defined point of origin: a podium in the White House Rose Garden, flanked by flag-draped fanfare and a big grin.
Trump’s justification? He claims we’ve been “taken advantage of” by our trading partners for years, and that these tariffs are the only way to restore balance. Except… they’re not reciprocal. They’re random. They’re targeted not just at adversaries but long-standing allies. And the actual economic logic behind them is about as sturdy as a straw house in a hurricane.
Let’s be clear: tariffs are taxes. And these taxes hit American businesses first. Importers, manufacturers, food retailers, you name it. When the cost of goods goes up, it doesn’t hurt “them,” it hurts us.
It hits our wallets at the grocery store, in home goods aisles, at the gas pump.
Grocers are nervous. Tech companies are panicking. Everyone from the Food Industry Association to multinational supply chain experts is waving red flags. And what’s the administration’s response? “Let’s see where this goes.”
Spoiler: we already know where it’s going. Straight into a tit-for-tat trade war.
China, the EU, South Korea, Japan, Mexico... none are taking this quietly. Several have already announced retaliation plans. Canada’s Prime Minister called the tariffs “a fundamental threat to global trade.” Switzerland is “evaluating next steps.” Everyone is readying their counterpunch.
And yet, somehow, Trump is painting this as a patriotic stand. A line in the sand. A gutsy move to reclaim American dominance. But it’s not dominance. It’s delusion.
You can’t bring back manufacturing by nuking supply chains.
You can’t help American families by driving up costs.
And you definitely don’t protect the economy by ignoring the very real global backlash already in motion.
This isn’t “economic independence.” It’s economic sabotage, wrapped in a flag and delivered with a smirk.
At a time when inflation is still high, global instability is rising, and consumer confidence is wobbly, this was the exact opposite of what we needed.
Liberation Day? More like Recession Eve.
PPPPopular PPPPosts:
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For PPPParents:
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Just how shady is DOGE? Even shadier than you think - Wired
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