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- G&A: Beyond the Hype: Today's Builders Are Moving Differently; The Sosh = David Sacks
G&A: Beyond the Hype: Today's Builders Are Moving Differently; The Sosh = David Sacks
The patterns underneath the headlines are telling a quieter story—one of consolidation, conviction, and capability.
Gia Cilento & Ronald Skelton
July 22, 2025
Overview
We’re in a cycle where headlines scream, but the real moves are being made in stillness. It’s not who’s raising the most, it’s who’s absorbing value, redirecting flow, and eliminating waste that’s quietly winning. This week, the landscape signals a maturing field. Less flash. More intention. More builders who understand timing as much as tactics.
AI is shifting from experimentation into backbone infrastructure across verticals—from healthcare to operations. M&A scrutiny is growing, but the sharpest firms are simply learning to move with nuance. It’s not about gaming the system. It’s about understanding how to build within it, then reshape the system from the inside out.
For founders and acquirers ready to exit clean, scale wisely, or align deeper, this week reinforces what you already know: pace, precision, and pattern recognition are your real assets. Let’s get into it.
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This Week's Signal
by Gia Cilento
PATTERNS OF STRATEGIC CONSOLIDATION
Navigating Dynamic Competition in Merger Control
Legal scrutiny is no longer focused solely on deal size—it’s now tied to impact, innovation, and evolving definitions of “competition.” This Q&A makes clear: dynamic competition is the new lens, especially in tech and healthcare. Founders must factor in not just who they’re merging with, but how that deal shapes access, pace, and pricing.
Read more…
Why Thousands of M&A Deals Are Avoiding Antitrust Scrutiny
Despite historic intentions, the antitrust system hasn’t caught up with modern deal mechanics. Many sub-threshold acquisitions are quietly reshaping entire industries. This piece unpacks the silent leverage: build small, buy precisely, avoid the spotlight—then control the infrastructure.
Read more…
How MSPs Win with Client Mergers
On the ground, MSPs are becoming the deal enablers—turning “IT cleanup” into a strategic advantage. Data, compliance, migration—all hidden layers that can kill momentum or build trust. If you’re not thinking about operational capacity during M&A, you’re behind.
Read more…
AI’S EMBEDDED INFRASTRUCTURE PHASE
How AI Is Helping Healthcare Startups Multiply
Companies like Hinge and Sword aren’t just adding AI, they’re rebuilding around it. More patients. Less burnout. Better triage. The AI layer isn’t flashy; it’s functional. And that’s the shift to watch.
Read more…
How AI Is Driving Small Business Growth Across Industries
This isn’t automation—it’s acceleration. The 38% of businesses already using AI are not just “keeping up,” they’re leapfrogging slower competitors. The article lays out where the biggest advantages are hiding—and who’s quietly capturing them.
Read more…
Business Growth Quality and AI
AI isn’t just technical. It’s cultural. Behavioral science, law, people systems—this article correctly flags that how we grow matters just as much as what we deploy. Founders building AI-infused companies without deep attention to people will eventually stall.
Read more…
CONVICTION-BASED OPERATING
Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf
A 72-hour, conviction-led deal. No committees. No paralysis. Scott Wu’s story isn’t just about buying Windsurf—it’s a blueprint for how clarity and alignment compress time. Real operators will see this not as a fluke, but a field guide.
Read more…
M&A Is Scary
This episode cuts deeper than most. It reframes M&A through the lens of empathy, culture, and misalignment—not just spreadsheets. Whether you’re buying, selling, or scaling into a new vertical, you need to understand what makes deals really succeed.
Read more…
M&A Diaries — Lucy Cohen: Scaling Smart
Ignore the loud markets. Listen to the quiet operators. Lucy Cohen’s strategy—acquiring overlooked firms, serving ignored customers—is working. And her voice cuts through with a kind of field-tested clarity most founders can feel in their bones.
Read more…
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Think you’re good at building trust and rapport with partners, clients or business owners? Put your knowledge and skills to the test take our quiz or upload a zoom call for Rapport Score analysis… http://app.rapportdojo.com
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🧩 In the News
AI Key to Business Growth in Changing Times
A corporate trainer’s perspective, but one that underscores what’s echoing across sectors: staying current with AI is now a baseline requirement, not a differentiator.
Read more…
13 ChatGPT Prompts That Could Help Grow Your Small Business
Not just gimmicks—these prompts are strategic frameworks for automation, decision-making, and content workflows. The early adopters are using them to free up time and widen capacity.
Read more…
Mystery Client Behind Scale AI’s Small Biz Program Revealed as Google
The data you share might not stay where you think it will. This article confirms the suspicions: Scale AI’s training program was backed by Google, raising flags about small business privacy and future training loops.
Read more…
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🎧 In the Pods
Featuring Original Reviews by Ron Skelton and Team
M&A Is Scary
Host: Business is Scary
Guest: Solo reflection
This episode dismantles the myth of M&A as purely strategic. It’s human. It’s risky. And it often fails due to misaligned values, culture mismatches, and false urgency.
Watch Here
Read Ronald’s Review
Cognition CEO Scott Wu on Acquiring Windsurf
Host: The Short Take
Guest: Scott Wu
Conviction. Speed. Alignment. Scott Wu breaks down the Windsurf deal in real-time and delivers a compelling model for fast, smart acquisition in the AI space.
Watch Here
Read Ronald’s Review
How Heico’s Stock Compounded by 22% Since 1990
Host: We Study Billionaires
Guest: Clay Fink
Heico’s quiet dominance shows the long-game of niche excellence. Over 100 acquisitions. Near-total market share. No flash—just precise, sustained performance.
Watch Here
Read Ronald’s Review
M&A Diaries – Lucy Cohen
Host: M&A Diaries
Guest: Lucy Cohen
Raw, grounded, real. Lucy Cohen breaks down her acquisition strategy at Mazuma and offers a rare look at how underdog founders scale smart and serve the overlooked.
Watch Here
Read Ronald’s Review
Founders don’t always know what’s changing until someone sends them the signal. If this issue brought clarity, share it with someone who needs it.
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The Sosh
Who to follow this week: David Sacks
David Sacks – Operating Capitalist & Strategic Systems Thinker
David Sacks brings founder-grade insight to venture capital. As a former PayPal exec and current partner at Craft Ventures, his content regularly dissects business models, incentive alignment, and category-defining moves with clarity.
His voice matters right now because he’s not chasing hype, he’s explaining how capital, operations, and timing come together when done right.
Follow David Sacks → David Sacks on X
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Featured Events
SMB Acquisitions Entrepreneurs (buying / Selling of businesses) Networking - 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EDT - Event by Ronald Skelton
This is a business networking event, not a presentation. You will be asked to introduce yourself, tell us about what type of business you'd like to buy, grow, or sell, and what help, if any, you need. The objective is to build teams, share ideas and resources, and help each other succeed. Check it out…
The Future of Work - September 2-5, 2025 - 46th Annual Training Event, The Hilton Orlando, Orlando, FL
For over four decades, America’s SBDC has hosted its annual professional development event for its business advisors and SBDC network professionals. This national event brings together over a thousand SBDC professionals and around fifty sponsors and exhibitors for learning, networking, and engagement. Check it out…
2025 Leadership In Dealmaking Summit - September 16 & 17, 2025 – New York, NY
Featuring: International M&A thought leadership sessions, M&A Connects Networking and One-on-One Meetings, 16th Annual International M&A Awards, and 16th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards. Check it out…
3rd Annual M&A Summit - 2025 - September 17, 2025 - JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
From broad perspectives on deal-making to insightful tips on exiting a business, attendees gained a wealth of knowledge. Want in? Don’t miss our 2025 Summit. Check it out…
Start Or Grow Your Dream Business - October 15th & 16th, 2025 - Las Vegas Convention Center & April 29th & 30th, 2026 - Miami Beach Convention Center
For over 20 years, The Business Show has been providing a platform for entrepreneurs looking to start a business or SMBs looking to grow and develop their business, the show has helped thousands of business owners. Whether you're looking to start a business or are currently running a small business, you will find all the advice and guidance you need to take your business to the next level! Check it out…
The Power of the Unpredictable - November 5-6, 2025 - Jacob Javits Convention Center
Since 2004, the World Business Forum New York gathers thousands of senior executives to learn from a program of world-class business thought leaders. Check it out…
2025 Future of Dealmaking Summit - November 18 & 19, 2025 – New York, NY
Featuring: Financing, restructuring, and M&A thought leadership sessions, M&A Connects Networking and One-on-One Meetings, and the 24th Annual M&A Advisor Awards. Check it out…
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🔭 Strategic Throughline
This week’s undercurrent is conviction. Fast deals rooted in clarity. AI as quiet backbone. Acquisitions focused on long-term capability, not valuation games. The founders who will thrive now are the ones who can see beyond narrative—and move with grounded intent.
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If this week’s signal sharpened your lens, send it to a founder, buyer, or advisor who’s ready for the next elevation. The future isn’t hidden. It’s just structured for those who can see it.
Questions, sponsorships, or topics you want us to explore? Reach out:
Gia Cilento on LinkedIn
Ronald Skelton on LinkedIn
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