About A Smart Bear

A Smart Bear is a newsletter packed with hard-earned insights and candid stories from Jason Cohen, the founder of WP Engine and an inveterate entrepreneur. Tailored for startup founders, product builders, and curious minds, it delivers practical advice on startups, leadership, and growth in a way that’s refreshingly honest and relatable. Think of it as the unfiltered, straight-talking friend who cuts the fluff, gives you actionable ideas, and occasionally makes you laugh along the way—because running a business is hard enough without boring advice.

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Startup Wisdom: Hard-Earned Lessons for Sustainable Growth

The newsletter dives into candid, real-world experiences of building startups, offering readers invaluable takeaways on what works (and what doesn’t) when scaling a business. Jason Cohen’s unique perspective as a seasoned entrepreneur adds credibility and resonance to topics like avoiding costly mistakes, honing product-market fit, and managing growth challenges. Readers connect because it’s not just theory—it’s advice forged through personal triumphs and setbacks.

Leadership Without the Jargon: Strategies for Founders

A Smart Bear pulls back the curtain on effective leadership for startup founders, offering insights into decision-making, team dynamics, and navigating the complexities of running a business. Cohen’s advice is refreshingly direct, focusing on actionable routines and frameworks rather than cumbersome management theories. Entrepreneurs resonate with this theme because it balances empathy with practicality, making leadership feel attainable, not overwhelming.

Growth Strategies That Actually Deliver Results

From distribution hacks to pinpointing high-leverage growth strategies, the newsletter arms readers with proven techniques to help their businesses thrive. Unlike mainstream advice that often overpromises, Cohen threads his insights with grounded realism—guiding founders to identify scalable opportunities without wasting time or resources. It appeals because it’s not about “magic bullets,” but thoughtful experimentation and tangible outcomes.

Unfiltered Insights: The Emotional Side of Entrepreneurship

Cohen’s candid reflections on the psychological highs and lows of building a business hit a chord with readers. This theme addresses topics like overcoming imposter syndrome, handling failure, and remaining resilient amidst uncertainty. By shining a light on these oft-ignored struggles, the newsletter offers a sense of camaraderie for founders navigating this rollercoaster. Readers stay engaged because it’s raw, real, and deeply relatable.

Aspiring Startup Founders: Turning Ideas Into Actionable Blueprints

For those just starting their entrepreneurial journey, *A Smart Bear* offers something rare—authentic, unvarnished advice that skips the over-glamorized fairy tales of startup success. From the messy first steps to the growing pains of scaling, Jason Cohen’s anecdotes uncover the truths few dare to share. This transparency helps novice founders feel less isolated in their struggles while arming them with actionable wisdom to make smarter early choices. Think of it as your gritty survival guide—practical, relatable, and deeply insightful.

Seasoned Entrepreneurs: Unlocking Smarter Growth in a Noisy World

For veteran business owners grappling with the eternal tug-of-war between ambition and sustainability, this newsletter appeals to their desire for clarity over complexity. The emphasis on “growing smarter, not harder” is especially refreshing in a marketplace saturated with hustle-pushing hyperbole. By breaking down nuanced topics like prioritization and strategy refinement, *A Smart Bear* becomes a compass for those seeking balance, efficiency, and long-term impact. It cuts through the clutter, delivering insights that seasoned pros can immediately fold into their playbook.

Startup Investors and Mentors: Gaining Deeper Insights Into Founders’ Journeys

Investors and mentors often hunger for content that sharpens their ability to understand and support founders. *A Smart Bear* pulls back the curtain on the raw, unedited realities of entrepreneurship, providing a lens into the challenges, mistakes, and triumphs founders face daily. The “behind-the-scenes” reflections help mentors partner more authentically, while decision-making roadmaps offer a mechanism to guide entrepreneurs on their own terms. For anyone who works closely with startups, these perspectives are nothing short of invaluable.