John Hutton
@johnghutton
Followers
435
Following
292
Media
130
Statuses
1,620
Trapped in the idea maze | Building stuff | Advising startups & emerging CPG brands @ Google
Manhattan, NY
Joined February 2019
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
#Mchoice2024
• 515336 Tweets
#Mintawards2024
• 284293 Tweets
Ganesh Chaturthi
• 164634 Tweets
#TikTokShop99xENGLOT
• 80381 Tweets
ホームラン
• 65060 Tweets
SING ALONG WITH YOKO
• 31265 Tweets
MCHOICE X ML
• 27863 Tweets
GULF X MCHOICE
• 25881 Tweets
#ホロ0期生ライブ2024
• 23417 Tweets
ビッグラン
• 20244 Tweets
POOH MINT ROOKIE 2024
• 19285 Tweets
三千院帝
• 17991 Tweets
#withMUSIC
• 17154 Tweets
AN6 ALON TRACKLIST
• 14190 Tweets
ランウェイ
• 11984 Tweets
Last Seen Profiles
Pinned Tweet
Sphere is just getting started.
I worked with their team on the initial go to market strategy across Google and YouTube.
This is the type of client you move mountains for. We had to squeeze the initial consult in on a Friday night.
My colleague was dialing in from Spain at
This is inside the Sphere in Las Vegas.
This may be the most insane concert venue ever built
2K
30K
278K
0
0
18
@nikitabier
Every time I go to Hacker News I learn something new. Great way to grow the sales/marketing brain.
0
0
52
This takes building in public to another level.
If you haven’t read
@shl
’s book “The Minimalist Entrepreneur”, I highly recommend.
It pushed me to stop endlessly planning and start doing.
Since Q2 2019, Gumroad has grown from $4M in annual revenue to $22M in revenue, and from break even to making $10M in profit a year.
I’ve been documenting the journey with public board meetings you can watch on YouTube here–8 hours so far:
Each one is
52
116
1K
1
3
31
@Austen
The illusion shatters when you get a peek behind the curtain at a place like Google. You start to realize even the most innovative companies are slapped together and held up with tape.
2
1
24
@lifeofbi
Celebrity founders are great for an initial burst of PR, not for longterm sustainable growth.
Without a killer operating team these usually fail.
It would be interesting to see if the % of celebrity startups that fail aligns with the national standard.
I’d bet they fail at a
1
0
17
@paulg
Great example of second-order effects.
As a leader, if you can map even a handful of these, you’re ahead of the game.
0
0
14
I’m not in CX, but
@eliweisss
’s newsletter is becoming a must read.
Actually, I guess everyone in business is in CX.
Either way, this part about breaking policy for dramatic positive impact from today is 🙌
Important for Google employees.
Policies are made up! Be human.
0
2
8
@girdley
When customer service degrades, it usually is felt bit by bit vs all at once.
Why do you think that is?
Makes me think of the saying “death by a thousand cuts.”
I’m sure this isn’t an isolated incident with PE takeovers. More the norm.
3
1
11
@abacaj
AI agents quietly shaking their heads and laughing in the corner of the matrix as they watch humans take self-study corporate trainings filled with jargon.
0
1
11
Idea for a new
@businessbarista
segment:
Sunday Roast
A chance for solopreneurs to get feedback on their ideas and the narratives behind them.
Perfect exposure for
@storyarb
.
I’ll start with Palette Wine, a pop up concept I’ve been thinking about.
Market intro:
1
1
9
@agazdecki
When you find out Sundar is ex McKinsey, the state of Google internally starts to make a lot more sense.
0
0
11
PSA for founders running their own Google Ads campaigns…
If your campaign is not spending the full budget you allocated, 99% of the time it’s for one of two reasons:
1. There is not enough interest in the keywords you’re targeting.
2. Your target return on ad spend is too
2
0
10
@nikitabier
You need to make people care over and over and over again.
Nobody cares about good product on the surface, they only care if they’re told to care.
0
0
10
Lots of talk about LinkedIn engagement being better than X/twitter.
Meanwhile in the comment section:
Congrats!
Congrats.
Congrats John
Nice!
Nice work.
Good luck
Good luck.
Well deserved!
2
0
10
I’m a shameless fan of well designed physical print.
@futurecommerce
killed it with their book.
Worth a follow if you’re looking for aesthetic takes on e-commerce and the future of retail.
@philipjackson
my context when reading “The Multiplayer Brand” was train station.
2
1
9
@davidhoang
@brexHQ
The work
@Replit
has done to make coding more approachable to the general public, does not get enough love!
It’s true I never finished the Python boot camp, but the value was immense.
0
0
8
@blader
I think the best path is:
-Early stage first, get exposure to a ton of roles and figure out what you like.
-Jump to FAANG or equivalent to see how the other side operates
-Then take the awareness of both models, apply the good and cut the bad at a startup or your own thing.
1
0
7
@benhylak
Every business is slapped together with tape.
At least startups are loosely held together. More flexibility.
Google for example is a giant ball of fossilized duct tape.
0
0
8
@GergelyOrosz
Agreed. You’ll always learn more from discussing with peers vs someone presenting slides.
I do mostly workshops instead of presentations with my team now.
0
0
5
@ashleymayer
Transition to Fall energy is so real.
I bet more deals are done during fall transition week than most others.
Definitely beats anything happening in the summer.
0
0
5
Listened to
@JoshuaKushner
on
@InvestLikeBest
and it gave me new hope for generalists, although it seems like there isn’t much interest in generalists on x/Twitter.
“Niche down” is the most common advice.
2
0
7
@theandreboso
The difference in paid growth strategies between the two groups is shocking.
Group one is performance heavy, looking for results within 2-3 weeks. Cares a lot about what competitors are doing.
Group 2 invests heavily in brand and differentiators first, sees crazy results later.
2
0
4
@IstvanicMarin
1. Are conversions being tracked
2. If so what are they tracking as primary
3. Cost per conversion
4. Cost per conversion as it relates to AOV
5. Cost per conversion as it relates to COGS
6. Full budget serving or capped
7. CVR
8. Brand and non-brand separation
9. CTR
1
0
6
@GergelyOrosz
This is part of the thesis for something I’m building.
There is a significant segment of Google talent that is just itching to work on something more thought provoking than ad optimizations.
Perks, gimmicks and RSUs just aren’t enough anymore.
Prestige only does so far.
0
0
7
@HamptonFounders
This is genius. Brands are tired of being sold to by seasoned execs and handed off to interns and junior associates.
0
0
7
@devahaz
True.
I’ll admit it’s amazing for a certain period of time, but it’s easy to drown in the kool aid.
I’ve seen some very entrepreneurial thinkers get lost in the corporate politics and level chasing at Google.
0
0
5
@businessbarista
NJ path can be a magical place under the right circumstances. If only they would catch up to MTA and use Apple Pay.
Great story. Morning Brew brings me back to my first city commutes. A time capsule.
0
0
6
I had a chance to listen to
@rabois
and
@andrewsilard
talk about scaling on Shopify and the future of DTC.
Info packed.
@Shopify
’s ecosystem is the place to build right now.
Saw
@openstore
was hiring for Head of B2B Growth, so I put together some ideas while listening.
1
0
6
@nikitabier
Most people think clicking quick apply on a hundred roles is going above and beyond to find a job.
Quality over quantity.
1
0
6
1
2
6
@girdley
Restaurant jobs should be a prerequisite for understanding humanity.
In a similar vein, you can learn all you need to know about someone by how they treat the wait staff.
0
0
6
@heyjoeyjustice
I’m a big believer in jumping from idea to idea and letting your creative mind wander.
You often make more progress, if you’re following interests.
It took me a long time to realize pages of notes and research do not equal doing the work.
Channeling
@SahilBloom
for a business psych deep dive on…
Sunburst work
A concept I’m coining in an effort to paint multi-interest procrastination in a more positive light.
It’s a flow state without artificial constraints.
An excuse to jump from topic to topic on a whim…
1
0
0
0
0
1
@NWischoff
Why do you think that is? Maybe the hyped founders feel over-validated and less hungry?
Having a chip on your shoulder is always a motivator.
1
0
4
@awilkinson
I’m a big believer in monetizing your current skills. It’s the fastest path to financial freedom.
Going this route gets you 3 things:
1. Capital for your “big swing” startup
2. Financial freedom away from corporate job
3. Experience as an operator
0
0
3
Amano Cafe’s Rocket Fuel is hands down the best west village coffee.
Not a bad work space either! Feels like teleporting to Italy.
0
0
5
Caught a few minutes of
@AWHutton
speaking for
@worldofwomennft
. It was super insightful.
I liked his take on focusing on entrepreneurial activities vs classic startup entrepreneurs. Think people writing books, launching a podcast, starting a community, growing an agency.
His
1
1
5
@blackbird_xyz
@a16zcrypto
@QEDInvestors
This is a really exciting example of a real life consumer application for crypto/NFTs.
The restaurant tech industry in NYC is popping off. Apps like Dorsia show there’s a huge appetite for disruption.
And you have the team to bring it mainstream.
Good stuff!
0
0
4
@justingordon212
There are a lot of growth agencies out there that charge startups insane percentages of ad spend.
Can be detrimental early on.
Seems like
@shoelace
is the real deal though from what I’ve seen/heard.
I like their approach.
@CoryDobbin
(CEO) is a great follow too.
2
1
5
@gokulr
Founders should start investing in their in-house agencies much sooner. I’m sure this will become the norm.
Less outsourcing, more team and capability building.
The forward thinking leadership teams will recognize this as a worthy investment vs the hamster wheel of agencies.
1
0
5
@Karanjassar
@iamshackelford
Agree. Passing it off to an agency too early is a sure sign you don’t know what you’re doing nor have any interest in learning.
Marketing is business growth pure and simple.
The platforms have gotten to the point where you can test some things yourself. Focus on the basics.
1
0
3
Scammy performance marketers saying they’ve managed millions in spend but forgetting to mention the .01% margin, get me every time.
When you see people touting the spend they’ve managed, don’t forget to ask questions.
Not all ad spend is created equal.
2
0
5
@paulbz
In my experience, when people get stuck on something, they think hopping on a call is doing the work.
It often exacerbates the situation.
Happens a lot at Google. Colleagues unsure of what to do next, so they just schedule a call to appear like they’re making progress.
1
1
5
@thejustinwelsh
A lot of people are afraid of repercussions from their employer. Those non-compete agreements are rough.
Especially strict for FAANG employees. Although there are grey areas.
If you’re willing to take a bit of risk, it’s worth it.
0
0
5
@cpgwire
This group is a sneaky hit machine. They have a few more brands under their belt. I’m not sure exactly how their company is structured, but they have a good pulse on traditional OTC products that are ready for disruption.
1
0
4
@thepatwalls
“Don’t you think it’s too risky?”
Not recognizing they could get fired from their job at any second.
1
0
3
@Suhail
The shift to GA4 is mind boggling to me.
Although it fits with the trend of “let’s just do something new for the sake of doing something new, so I can get promoted” that I see in Google’s biz org.
Why break something that’s used by 70% of the 10,000 most popular sites?
1
0
4
The amount of times I’ve been on a call where a top tier agency doesn’t know the following about their client is shocking:
-Media Mix
-Budget
-Timeline
-Business goals
-Marketing KPIs
-Audience
What are agencies doing on exploratory calls?
Are they even having them?
1
0
4
@dklineii
Giving employees ownership over certain parts of the business goes a long way.
My immediate team at Google operates as a C-suite, each with their own title and responsibilities outside of their core roles. They love it.
I’d imagine applying this thinking to their own
2
0
3
An interesting side effect of a successful Google search campaign that a lot of founders don’t prepare for…
Too many qualified leads.
You might roll your eyes, but before getting started with performance campaigns, scope the industry.
Too many good leads can cripple a sales
1
0
3
@jayjen_x
Takes a lot to leave a place like Meta. Most of my colleagues at Google would never dream of leaving regardless of how miserable they are.
1
0
5
@ecom_con
Most growth marketers miss the mark on 2) comparing to other initiatives at similair stages in the funnel.
Clients will turn off 1 week old campaigns after comparing to a Facebook campaign that’s been running for 2 years.
Agencies usually follow suit without questioning it.
1
0
4
@ahistoryinart
Reminds me of Hemingway’s “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”.
Perfectly captures a mood.
“This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted. The light is very good…”
I’d imagine a painting of the scene looks a lot like this.
1
0
4
@APompliano
Has to be the former SpaceX guys building a solar shield for Earth by selling liquid oxygen from the moon.
I think it’s called Ethos.
0
0
3
Last week I saw one of the best pre-launch landing page designs in recent memory.
Keep in mind I’ve seen thousands per year at Google.
It immediately sold me on working with the client. For free.
Think about that.
Your website is everything pre-launch. Don’t neglect it!
0
0
4
@mbertulli
Amazing for ecomm, horrible for lead gen.
There are certain pockets where that doesn’t apply, but for the most part that’s what I’ve seen.
It also performs better than old school shopping campaigns.
Just be wary of over indexing on brand.
0
0
3
Blank Street Coffee getting over $60m in funding to put automatic coffee machines in awkwardly sized + lifeless retail locations, feels like a ZIRP phenomenon.
I’ve never seen a customer inside.
1
0
4
@zachmstuck
Brands are obsessed with best practices when they work with us.
Every brand is different.
Best practices are a good starting point, but you’re right.
The reason the big dogs are where they are is because they identified something other brands weren’t doing and capitalized.
0
0
2
@sophiaamoruso
@vimcal
@TobyForTabs
@todoist
@NotionHQ
@getfincent
@BrowseAI
@WokeloAi
@builtwith
@Similarweb
@attio
@JoinCartHopper
is something I’m excited about.
Great for following your favorite creator’s and influencer’s shopping habits.
I can’t keep my chrome tabs straight.
Super excited for
@KingMumboJumbo
and team on the big launch.
I’ve been keeping up with the progress at
@JoinCartHopper
for some time now.
As someone that sees dozens of product launches per month, their tech is something to admire.
Some personal use cases I’m excited by:
1
1
3
1
0
3
Founders.
You need a strong product and measurement foundation before scaling on paid growth channels like Google.
If you want to grow like some of the best "blitzscalers" and have a chance to do it profitably, here are 10 must haves:
1
0
4
Even the companies that say they don’t spend on paid ads, spend an obscene amount on paid ads.
Often the case with paid search. Maybe founders don’t lump it in with the rest of paid?
And I’m talking about the most vocal detractors of advertising.
They’re ALL doing it.
0
0
4
@tranhelen
You basically have to sell your soul and drink the kool aid if you want to get to L6 at Google.
Unless you’re coming from outside.
0
0
4
@jackson_llk
@daniel_nguyenx
@boringmarketer
@gregisenberg
is also a great follow.
Boringmarketer is part of his holdco portfolio I’m pretty sure.
Read this if you want to build cash-flowing internet companies. Full-time or part-time.
These busineses aren’t depending on giving ad dollars to Mark Zuckerberg.
These types of companies don’t necessarily need VC.
Idea
#1
- The playbook for building a company in 2023:
- Short
54
147
2K
1
0
4
@typesfast
I’m not sure what’s next for Flexport, but it sounds super exciting.
My running theory is you got so energized working with founders at
@foundersfund
, you just had to get back in the mix.
Builders will build.
0
0
4
@HamptonFounders
Landing one of these must be the ultimate win.
Too bad you can’t cold pitch an IPO.
0
0
1
@KDimitratos
Love this.
And if you want to be an excellent CEO, don’t hire yes-people at any position.
1
0
4
@jhong
Most of the early team has been replaced by McKinsey parrots.
There are still pockets of unbelievable talent. Especially on the engineering side of the biz.
But the culture is different.
The more I hear about Stripe, the more I think they’re carrying the torch.
0
0
3
@Abir_CPA
Agencies are going to require VC level due diligence to be competitive in the next few years.
If you’re an agency working with CPG brands and you aren’t well versed in distribution, margins, shelf space, etc. you will provide an inferior service.
Deeper work. Fewer clients.
1
0
2
0
0
4
@rickyshq
I’ll say
@pondererco
has an excellent brand.
I love the minimal clean design coupled with the messaging of a very specific solution.
Newsletter design is a mostly untouched space. I applaud you for identifying it.
AND I’m someone that’s not looking to get something from you!
3
1
4
@agazdecki
It’s tough to know where to start.
When I’m working on something new I’ll:
- Give it a name
- Make a logo in
@canva
- Write the company story in long form
Extra work, but it makes it feel real.
This is contrary to a lot of the bare minimum launch advice out there.
1
0
4
@pitdesi
Not any old car wash… a Buc-ee’s.
Still need an unbiased decision on Buc-ee’s vs Wawa.
3
0
4
@AndyTheGiant
Affiliate crap just like this is flooding the ad platforms. Not just the clickbaity Outbrains and Taboolas of the world.
Search arb and scammy VSLs make up a huge portion of Google and Meta ad revenue. It’s wild. Far worse than I thought at Google.
0
0
1
@michaelmiraflor
CMOs need to be able to tell a story with data as much as emotion. Building narratives with data doesn’t come naturally for creatives, nor should it. It’s important to surround yourself with the right advisors.
The best CMOs I’ve worked with were obsessed with biz outcomes.
0
0
4
@mbrandolph
People don’t talk about this enough.
It’s all hustle, grind, isolate, WFH, digital nomad, etc.
Rarely will you see talk about prioritizing your most important relationships.
I wouldn’t accomplish anything without my GF’s support.
I’ve had the rare privilege of also seeing
1
0
5
CPG Head of Marketing last week:
“There’s no way you can perfectly track an impression from here to a sale over there. A lot of people say they have the miracle link.”
If an agency says they have a new way to track online ads to offline sales… they don’t.
Run ads with
0
0
4