Same dream. Different blueprint.
I ran a creative agency for 14 years.
Clients came to us because we had process, polish, and a team that could scale with them.
But if I were starting today, I’m not sure I’d build an agency the same way.
Not because the work is less valuable-but because the way value is delivered has changed.
Getting from zero to one is faster than ever. A single person with the right AI-assisted tools can design, ship, and test ideas in days-not months.
When I think about the extended discovery phases, the wireframes, the polished decks we used to send-it’s harder to justify that cycle now.
You can build something simple, put it into the world, and start collecting real feedback almost instantly.
That doesn’t make agencies irrelevant. But it does make the old model harder to defend.
The margin, the speed, the iteration loops-all favor a different kind of business now.
Smaller. Tighter. Less human overhead. More systems thinking.
If I were starting today, I’d focus less on building a team-and more on building a system that could adapt, learn, and ship faster than the competition.
That’s where the leverage is and where we’re heading.
– Matt (@mattdowney)
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MOST INTERESTING
What I learned at Figma
Robert Bye’s reflections on his time at Figma emphasize the importance of developing strong product sense, including customer-centric thinking, collab culture, and iterative learning. [By Bye]
The age of abundance
Tom Blomfield argues that AI-driven coding agents have crossed a threshold, forcing a rethink of software engineering’s future. [Tom Blomfield]
Productivity by Sam Altman
In this oldie but goodie, Sam Altman emphasizes the significance of choosing the right work, cultivating independent thought, and surrounding oneself with positive, driven individuals. [Sam’s Blog]
TOP RESOURCES
Easy file transfers with Droppable
Droppableis a native macOS app designed for creatives to send large files (up to 2TB) directly from the desktop. [Droppable]
Lovable 2.0
New features include a savvy chat agent, multiplayer workspaces, and built-in security scanning-helping to streamline app development, enhance collaboration, and improve security within the Lovable platform. [Lovable]
Perfektta by Displaay Type Foundry
Available in 8 weights with italics and variable fonts, this font’s blend of mechanical precision and humanistic quirks make it a perfect choice for editorial and branding use. [Perfektta]
What’s TRENDING
The Always-On Economy
Sequoia Capital’s article explores how AI is transitioning industries into continuous, 24/7 operations by eliminating temporal constraints. [Sequoia]
What i’d do as a college freshman in 2025
Murat Demirbas offers pragmatic advice for college freshmen in 2025, emphasizing foundational skills and adaptability in the evolving tech landscape. [Murat Demirbas]
OpenAI, Windsurf, and the future of work
OpenAI is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire Windsurf (formerly Codeium) for approximately $3 billion, marking its largest acquisition to date. OpenAI wants to develop the platform beyond a coding tool-making it a general-purpose AI workspace. [Subtle]
My stack
These are the tools that help me run my business every day. I happily pay for each of them-they’re worth every penny. I hope you find them useful, too.
- Beehiiv → How I send this newsletter every week. 10/10 would recommend.
- Brain.fm → How I kickstart my productivity and find flow-state.
- Figma → How I quickly go from idea to design to product.
- Mercury → The best business banking I’ve ever used.
- Screen Studio → How I record engaging videos.
- Typefully → How I post content to my socials.
- Kick → My bookkeeping on auto-pilot.
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks for reading today’s issue. If you have any ideas for what you’d like me to cover in future issues, just hit reply and let me know.
And if you found today’s newsletter useful, please share it with your friends!
Matt Downey
Founder, Digital Native
@mattdowney