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Time to undefault this newsletter

Right, let’s have an honest conversation.

It’s Matt here. Some of you have been with me since the early podcast days (thanks for sticking around all this time). Others are brand new. Either way, welcome!

Here’s what’s been nagging at me: most newsletters in our space are stuffed with fluffy tips you’ll never use. And honestly? That helps no one.

So, I’m undefaulting this one.

Here’s what you’ll get each week:

• Stories from the trenches. What’s actually happening inside our businesses (warts and all).

• Real case studies with real numbers.  Actual outcomes, not vanity metrics.

• Insights from the podcast. The conversations with founders that don’t always make the final cut.

• Practical tools. Stuff you can use this week, not frameworks to gather digital dust.

Because whether you’re thinking about selling in six months or scaling for six years, the principle’s the same: your business should work without you constantly propping it up. That’s what makes it valuable.

This Week’s eCommerce Podcast →

Why Summer Slumps Aren’t Inevitable

Ever wondered why we just accept that summer means slower sales?

I've been thinking about this a lot since recording this week's episode. Most eCommerce businesses plan for failure during summer months - reducing marketing spend, operating with skeleton crews, delaying product launches until September.

But here's what stopped me in my tracks...

The Problem: We create self-fulfilling prophecies by collectively expecting summer slumps.

Whilst most UK businesses planned for decline this summer, one of our teams grew by 19% during what should have been the slowest period. Not through revolutionary tactics or massive budgets - simply by refusing to accept industry assumptions without question.

The Reality Check: In Baltic states, eCommerce spending increases by 15% during summer months. These aren't warmer countries - they just refuse to accept summer as a write-off period.

The Hidden Truth: 70% of consumers make summer purchases in March, April, and May. Only 19% wait until June. By the time we recognise summer slumps, we've missed the planning window entirely.

One Fascinating Insight: Mobile browsing increases during summer, yet most businesses reduce optimisation efforts precisely when mobile traffic peaks. Talk about missed opportunities.

Try This Week: Audit your summer assumptions. Write down everything your business considers "normal" about summer trading. Then ask "why" repeatedly until you reach assumptions that might not be based on facts - just "the way it's always been done."

The biggest opportunities often hide inside assumptions everyone accepts without question.

Grab my free Challenge the Default Grid below. 

This framework has helped me identify opportunities I'd been blind to for years. Sometimes the solution isn't working harder - it's questioning whether the problem is actually inevitable.

What assumptions are you ready to challenge?

Freebie of the Month →

A systematic framework for questioning business assumptions that feel like "just how things work." This 20-minute exercise helps you identify hidden constraints limiting your growth and discover alternatives you haven't considered.

Got an eCommerce business with stories worth sharing?

Come be my guest on the eCommerce Podcast, where I chat with founders about the wins, the disasters, and everything in between. Your story could be the one that helps another founder grow smarter (or avoid your mistakes). 

Until next time,

Make your business more valuable whether you plan to sell or scale.