John Cobb
@jcobb.pholus.co
Founder of @pholus.co. Helping leaders protect reputation, prevent failure, and regain momentum when conventional playbooks fall short.
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South Africa Opens, Zimbabwe Closes, Mozambique Restricts: SADC Integration Is Breaking
Three neighboring countries just announced opposite economic policies within 48 hours. Your regional strategy is now obsolete.
open.substack.com
If you have SADC exposure, now is the time to reevaluate your position.
No conselho, a pergunta mais poderosa é: “O que estamos fingindo que não vemos?”
December 28, 2025 at 3:17 PM
No conselho, a pergunta mais poderosa é: “O que estamos fingindo que não vemos?”
A founder off the rails rarely needs more data. They need someone steady enough to absorb the chaos without adding to it.
December 27, 2025 at 11:24 PM
A founder off the rails rarely needs more data. They need someone steady enough to absorb the chaos without adding to it.
Sometimes your “competitor” is a cousin with a side hustle undercutting you. GTM must address informal competition you can’t sue out of existence.
December 27, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Sometimes your “competitor” is a cousin with a side hustle undercutting you. GTM must address informal competition you can’t sue out of existence.
Keep surprise visits calm. Panic distorts the evidence you came to see.
December 27, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Keep surprise visits calm. Panic distorts the evidence you came to see.
Calming a founder isn’t therapy. It’s containment. Keep the fire from spreading until they regain control.
December 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Calming a founder isn’t therapy. It’s containment. Keep the fire from spreading until they regain control.
Leadership isn’t about avoiding storms. It’s about being the one people anchor to when the waves rise.
December 26, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Leadership isn’t about avoiding storms. It’s about being the one people anchor to when the waves rise.
Emerging markets reward speed to cash. Long pilots and endless “awareness” campaigns are graveyards. Sell, get paid, prove, then scale.
December 26, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Emerging markets reward speed to cash. Long pilots and endless “awareness” campaigns are graveyards. Sell, get paid, prove, then scale.
Your first marketing channel in many markets? Word of mouth amplified by WhatsApp groups. Simple, cheap, fast, and brutally honest.
December 26, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Your first marketing channel in many markets? Word of mouth amplified by WhatsApp groups. Simple, cheap, fast, and brutally honest.
Good marketing signals professionalism. Sloppy branding signals risk.
December 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Good marketing signals professionalism. Sloppy branding signals risk.
El verdadero prestigio se gana enfrentando crisis sin disfrazar la realidad.
December 25, 2025 at 3:17 PM
El verdadero prestigio se gana enfrentando crisis sin disfrazar la realidad.
It starts with missed calls and recycled reports. By the time leadership notices, brand control is gone. Here’s how to spot drift before it costs you. 🔗 www.pholus.co/how-to...
December 25, 2025 at 6:04 AM
It starts with missed calls and recycled reports. By the time leadership notices, brand control is gone. Here’s how to spot drift before it costs you. 🔗 www.pholus.co/how-to...
In emerging economies, strategy looks like survival. The GTM winners are those who accept messy realities and build around them, not against them.
December 25, 2025 at 3:38 AM
In emerging economies, strategy looks like survival. The GTM winners are those who accept messy realities and build around them, not against them.
La política puede distorsionar mercados. El consejo debe leer esas señales a tiempo.
December 24, 2025 at 8:14 PM
La política puede distorsionar mercados. El consejo debe leer esas señales a tiempo.
Marketing creates competitive tension. The more visible your demand, the higher your price.
December 24, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Marketing creates competitive tension. The more visible your demand, the higher your price.
Founders often spiral in private before exploding in public. Early check-ins prevent blowups.
December 24, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Founders often spiral in private before exploding in public. Early check-ins prevent blowups.
Advising in Peru means balancing optimism with realism. Every boom carries the memory of a bust.
December 24, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Advising in Peru means balancing optimism with realism. Every boom carries the memory of a bust.
Sometimes unrest is just noise. Sometimes it’s the first tremor of an insurgency. The difference lies in the signal pattern. Here’s how we read it: 🔗 www.pholus.co/the-ea...
December 23, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Sometimes unrest is just noise. Sometimes it’s the first tremor of an insurgency. The difference lies in the signal pattern. Here’s how we read it: 🔗 www.pholus.co/the-ea...
Most due diligence frameworks assume the world is orderly. Frontier markets aren’t. Here’s why conventional checks can increase your risk exposure. 🔗 www.pholus.co/why-yo...
December 23, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Most due diligence frameworks assume the world is orderly. Frontier markets aren’t. Here’s why conventional checks can increase your risk exposure. 🔗 www.pholus.co/why-yo...
A killing tied to staff shakes trust instantly. Leadership must steady the narrative fast.
December 23, 2025 at 10:50 AM
A killing tied to staff shakes trust instantly. Leadership must steady the narrative fast.
Copying Western GTM strategies into emerging markets is like fitting a square peg in a round hole. Informal networks, politics, and cash cycles matter more than pitch decks.
December 22, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Copying Western GTM strategies into emerging markets is like fitting a square peg in a round hole. Informal networks, politics, and cash cycles matter more than pitch decks.
Exit isn’t failure. It’s a choice to lock in value before erosion begins.
December 22, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Exit isn’t failure. It’s a choice to lock in value before erosion begins.
Founders crash when pressure breaks their mental loop. The fix isn’t a lecture. It’s a reset. A walk, a breath, a reframing.
December 22, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Founders crash when pressure breaks their mental loop. The fix isn’t a lecture. It’s a reset. A walk, a breath, a reframing.
If you have SADC exposure, now is the time to reevaluate your position.
South Africa Opens, Zimbabwe Closes, Mozambique Restricts: SADC Integration Is Breaking
Three neighboring countries just announced opposite economic policies within 48 hours. Your regional strategy is now obsolete.
open.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
If you have SADC exposure, now is the time to reevaluate your position.
Fraud thrives in chaos. If you blow up, you help the fraudster. If you stay steady, you control the timeline.
December 22, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Fraud thrives in chaos. If you blow up, you help the fraudster. If you stay steady, you control the timeline.
In emerging markets, “go to market” isn’t about funnels or playbooks. It’s about finding who actually has cash in hand this month, and structuring around that reality.
December 21, 2025 at 11:24 PM
In emerging markets, “go to market” isn’t about funnels or playbooks. It’s about finding who actually has cash in hand this month, and structuring around that reality.