The November edition of Ask Us Anything About LinkedIn brought the full crew back together – Alex, Didi, and Dari, joined by special guest Nikola Yanev – Fundraising Coach and Creator, for a deep dive into the startup world, VC behavior, and the shifting logic of LinkedIn’s algorithm. Between playful jabs about overused LinkedIn buzzwords and insights straight from the VC trenches, this episode unpacked what really works for founders trying to build visibility and credibility online.
LinkedIn for Founders: Build Before You Pitch
Nikola, known for his work with early-stage startups across Europe, didn’t waste time sugarcoating things. Your LinkedIn profile, he said, is your digital investor deck — and the first thing any VC checks before they even reply to your email. Outdated job titles, side hustles you forgot to hide, or missing company info can instantly kill credibility.
Alex pressed for timing: is there ever a perfect moment to start building your presence? Nikola smiled. “The best time was yesterday. The second best is today.” Founders shouldn’t wait for a funding round to get visible. The more consistent your voice, the more trust you build long before you need it.
He also admitted that posting “every now and then” doesn’t cut it. Visibility comes from rhythm, not randomness – ideally two or three posts per week that teach, share, or reflect. The magic, he added, isn’t in showing off achievements but in revealing the messy middle of building something real.
Founders vs. VCs: Different Hats, Same Human Game
As the conversation turned visual, Alex and Nikola pulled up a few example profiles. Gabriel, a founder who writes about daily startup lessons, uses his feed as a learning log. Nick, a YC-backed entrepreneur, shares glimpses from customer visits and small team wins. Same platform, same goal, different tone — one teaches, the other documents.
From there, the team looked at the investor side. Didi pointed out how Nico Rosberg, the ex–Formula 1 world champion turned venture capitalist, brings vulnerability into thought leadership – blending polish with small personal stories about discipline, travel, and even ice cream tastings. Jens Lapinski’s short “Angel Invest Coaching” videos make VC advice feel like a personal chat, while Chris from Playfair Ventures proves that text-only posts can still move people when they’re honest and consistent.
For Nikola, the takeaway was simple: “Founders and investors win the same way by sharing what they’re learning, not just what they’ve launched.”
Engagement Pods: The Illusion of Support
Halfway through the stream, Didi brought up the elephant in the feed – engagement pods. Those organized groups that like, comment, and share each other’s posts within minutes to game the algorithm.
“LinkedIn’s done being polite about it,” she warned. “They’re detecting artificial engagement, and when they do, your post doesn’t get boosted — it gets buried.”
Dari agreed but added a touch of realism. “Even if pods disappear, people will always find new ways to hack visibility. Humans are inventive and obsessed with shortcuts.”
Alex chimed in with a cooking metaphor that stuck: “I treat LinkedIn like my kitchen. I’m careful what I put in my kids’ food and I’m just as careful what I post here.” The point landed. Quality always beats manipulation.
360 Brew: A New Algorithm on the Horizon
Then came the tech talk. Alex explained the growing buzz around LinkedIn’s 360 Brew, a new AI-based recommendation model reportedly being tested behind the scenes. Built to personalize ranking and highlight domain expertise, it might finally push the platform back toward meaningful, trustworthy content.
“If you’re a founder, your posts, comments, and experience should all tell the same story,” Alex said. “Because soon, LinkedIn will know if you’re faking expertise.” The message was clear – authenticity isn’t optional anymore; it’s the algorithm’s new favorite.
The AI Ouroboros: When Tech Eats Its Own Tail
Picking up the conversation on AI and algorithms, Dari stepped in with a skeptical tone. “Yes, LinkedIn’s 360 Brew might fight spam and low-quality posts,” she said, “but let’s not forget – it’s still powered by AI.”
She referenced a recent MIT study showing that 95% of companies investing heavily in artificial intelligence over the past three years aren’t seeing real returns. “It’s starting to look like the setup for another bubble,” she warned.
Behind LinkedIn stands Microsoft and, as Dari pointed out, the ecosystem around AI is starting to resemble a loop. “It’s like that meme of a snake eating its own tail,” she said. “Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA – they’re all investing into each other, feeding the same cycle. At some point, something has to give.”
Her takeaway was sharp but fair: the AI race isn’t over, but the hype might be. “We keep hearing about smarter algorithms and better personalization,” she added, “but maybe what people really want back is trust, not automation.”
AI, Burnout and the Bubble Question
That opened the door for Nikola’s take on the AI bubble Dari had just raised. The hype might be fading, but it is a part of the natural tech cycle. “Every technology hits a hype peak before it matures – dot-coms, blockchain, fintech. AI will go through the same curve,” he said. For Nikola, AI is both “the best and worst thing” to happen to content creation. “It kills originality when you let it write for you, but it’s powerful when you use it to plan or structure your ideas. The trick is to keep the human in the loop.
Whether you’re pitching investors, fighting algorithms, or writing your next post, don’t just optimize – humanize.
Missed the live? You can catch the full recording on Spotify or YouTube, and join the crew again in December for another Ask Us Anything About LinkedIn.
