Dear hustlers, founders, operators and visionaries,

As the year draws to a close, we are looking back to the most valued insights, learnings and advice that have emerged throughout our publications and have been viewed and listened by you. A big thank you to all of you for embarking on this journey with us! 2025 has been a lot of fun, and we look forward to 2026 together with you. Until then: Follow the Gradient and stay tuned.

🫶🏼 Melanie & Christian

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The ideas that sparked the most debate

The most clicked Food for Thought articles

• GEO over SEO?

• Forget 9 to 5, 996 is the new startup standard

• Is it too late to pivot into a career in AI?

• The 996 counterview

• Why is your LinkedIn reach down?

The practical questions you kept coming back to

The most viewed Smart Hacks

• The 20 lessons I wish I'd known back in my 20s

• How five questions lead to your ICP

• The board deck template you’ve been missing

• How to run performance reviews

• How to reach PMF faster

The shifts you kept preparing for

The most read One Good Reads

• Vibe coding is changing the way investors think about founders

• Opinion: Move fast and make things: the new career mantra

• How to Build a Career That Thrives Alongside AI

• Companies Are Desperately Seeking ‘Storytellers’

• Climbing the wrong hill

The conversations you shared when things got real

The most listened Podcast Episodes this year

• The Hidden Cost of Success: Burnout, Mental Health & Building a Life That Works – with Adrian Locher

• Scaling Without Breaking: Hard Lessons from Kai Eberhardt, CEO & Co-founder of Healthtech Oviva

• The VC Trap, Failure Myths & The Power of Bootstrapping with Lea von Bidder

• EU Inc and Europe’s Next Moonshots | Andreas Klinger, Founder of Prototype Capital

• The Ultimate Growth Unlock - Frontify Founder and CEO Roger Dudler on building brands and culture

Final words — take what you need

The five Visuals & Quotes that you shared the most

Stay connected and spread the word! If you found this newsletter insightful, why not share it with your network? Thanks for reading, and we look forward to bringing you even more insights in the next edition!