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The GTM bets that shouldn't have worked, and did
One grew revenue 50x after half his team quit over the strategy. One brought in 50K signups in a single day with no paid budget. One generated 100M+ views from a stunt that took 50 hours to conceive. One asked every prospect to demo the product themselves instead of demoing it for them.
None of them followed the safe playbook. They treated GTM like an experiment, moved before they had proof, and made bets most founders would never get approved.
HubSpot for Startups documented all 6 stories in the free Bold Bets Playbook. The risks they took, why it was risky, and what it returned.
FROM THE DESK
Heat killed more Americans than any other weather event last year. Not hurricanes. Not tornadoes. Heat. And the most dangerous heat events aren't the record-breakers that make the news. They're the multi-day stretches in the mid-90s with high humidity where the house never fully cools down overnight and your body never fully recovers.
Here's what I've got this Sunday.
THE BRIEF
Heat Preparedness: The Emergency That Doesn't Look Like One
We covered winter heating in Issue 62. Summer cooling during a power outage is a different and often more dangerous challenge. You can add layers and burn fuel for warmth. Cooling a house without electricity is harder.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are the primary threats. Heat exhaustion (heavy sweating, weakness, nausea, dizziness) is the warning. Heat stroke (confusion, hot/dry skin, rapid heartbeat, body temperature above 103) is the emergency. The transition from one to the other can happen quickly, especially in elderly individuals, young children, and people on certain medications.
During a summer outage, your house becomes an oven. Without AC or fans, interior temperatures rise until they match or exceed outdoor conditions. In humid climates, the heat index (felt temperature) can be 10 to 20 degrees above the actual air temperature.
Active cooling without power is limited but possible. Battery-powered fans move air and facilitate evaporative cooling. Wet towels on the back of the neck and wrists cool blood near the surface. Spray bottles with cool water create manual evaporative cooling. In extreme heat, a wet sheet in front of a battery fan creates a basic swamp cooler effect.
Hydration is the foundation. Drink water before you feel thirsty. During heat, your body needs significantly more water than normal. Electrolyte supplements (Drip Drop, Liquid IV) replace sodium and potassium lost through sweat. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which increase dehydration.
Strategic cooling means spending time in the coolest part of your home (usually the basement or a ground-floor interior room). Block direct sunlight with blackout curtains or reflective window film. Open windows at night when temperatures drop and close them in the morning to trap cooler air.
Know your community's cooling centers. Libraries, community centers, and shopping malls often serve as cooling shelters during extreme heat events. If your home is dangerously hot during a prolonged outage, relocating to a cooled public space may be the safest option.
Check on vulnerable neighbors. Elderly individuals living alone are the highest-risk group during heat events. A daily check-in during extreme heat can be lifesaving.
ONE THING THIS WEEK
Put a battery-powered fan and a box of electrolyte packets with your emergency supplies.
A rechargeable fan ($15 to $30) and a box of electrolyte mix ($5 to $10) are your minimum summer outage supplies. They address the two most immediate heat risks: inability to cool down and dehydration.
ON THE RADAR
Heat Kills ~2,400 Americans Per Year — More Than Any Other Weather Event
CDC data shows 2,394 heat-related deaths in 2024 and 2,415 in 2023 — up from roughly 1,156 in 2020. Extreme heat is now the deadliest weather hazard in the U.S., surpassing hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding combined. The trend is moving in the wrong direction heading into summer.
Sources: NWS Weather Fatality Statistics
LESSON FROM: EJ SNYDER
EJ Snyder has survived extreme heat conditions on multiple Naked and Afraid episodes, including tropical environments where heat management was the primary survival challenge. His approach is disciplined: reduce activity during peak heat (10 AM to 4 PM), stay hydrated constantly, and create shade whenever possible.
Snyder's principle translates directly to home preparedness: during a summer outage, treat your home like a survival environment. Minimize physical exertion. Move to the coolest area. Drink water proactively, not reactively. And accept that comfort will be limited. The goal is safety, not comfort. When the power comes back, comfort returns. Your job in the meantime is to keep everyone's core temperature below dangerous levels.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Gunman Killed at White House Security Checkpoint — One Bystander Shot
A man approached the Secret Service checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on Saturday, pulled a pistol from a bag, and opened fire on officers. Secret Service returned fire and fatally shot the suspect, identified as Nasire Best, 21, who had a prior unlawful entry charge at the White House. A bystander was also struck in the exchange. President Trump was at the White House but was not impacted; the grounds lockdown was lifted within hours.
WHAT I'M TESTING
OPOLAR Rechargeable Clip-On Fan
This is a small, battery-powered fan with a clip mount that attaches to tables, bed frames, and shelves. It has a 5,200 mAh rechargeable battery that runs the fan for 6 to 24 hours depending on speed setting.
I've used it during two brief summer outages and during a camping trip. On medium speed, it moves enough air to make sleeping tolerable when the AC is off. It charges via USB, so it pairs with a power station or solar charger for indefinite use.
The clip mount is more useful than I expected. Clipping it to a headboard creates airflow while you sleep without taking up bedside space. About $20.
Budget alternative: A handheld battery fan ($5 to $8). Smaller, shorter battery life, but portable and functional. Better than no air movement at all.
OVERRATED / UNDERRATED
Overrated: Portable AC units for outage preparedness. They draw 1,000 to 1,500 watts, which exceeds most portable power stations and drains a generator quickly. A fan and strategic cooling techniques provide 80% of the relief at 5% of the power consumption.
Underrated: Blackout curtains. Blocking direct sunlight reduces indoor temperature by 5 to 10 degrees during summer. They cost $20 to $40 per window and work without power. Install them on south and west-facing windows for maximum effect.
THE LINK DUMP
CDC: Extreme Heat — Health guidance for heat-related illness prevention and response.
NWS: Heat Safety — National Weather Service heat safety resources and local heat advisories.
Ready.gov: Extreme Heat — Federal guidance on heat preparedness.
Grokipedia: Heat Stroke — Background on heat-related illness physiology and treatment.
GridStatus.io — Monitor grid stress during heat waves when demand peaks.
NEXT ISSUE
Bulk buying strategy. The math behind warehouse club purchases, what's actually cheaper in bulk, and how to avoid the common mistakes.
PS: The most vulnerable person on my street during a heat wave was an 82-year-old who lived alone with no AC backup. Neighbors checked on her when temperatures hit 95. It takes five minutes. It might matter more than everything else in this newsletter combined.
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