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- the trojan horse, the void that talks back, and why incubation is cool
the trojan horse, the void that talks back, and why incubation is cool
on growing one thing through another, self-discovery as a founder, and the power of downtime
Laura Winberry
December 09, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes
In partnership with
gm and welcome to issue 47—thanks for being here. 🏴☠️
Wow. Instead of frantically cram-writing this issue in the moments before it goes out on Tuesday, I’m actually writing it two whole days before I hit send. Is a sea change in time management in the air? Doubt it, but this feels extra good right now so I’m sharing the groundbreaking news with you.
Last week I wrote about re-growing Frank Mouth (my small business), curbing overachiever tendencies (albeit briefly), supporting other people, and cleaning my own damn toilet.
This week and next I’m in New York (upstate and the city), and I’ve been thinking about a few things while also reading about them. I’ve also been re-listening to Kanye’s first studio album, The College Dropout, because it’s equal parts nostalgic and damn good. Ironically, it came out my second year of undergrad at Rutgers (right before I dropped out), and has remained salient ever since.
I miss old Kanye (and I’m sure he does too). RIP.
today’s ad is another one from beehiiv, the platform I use (and like) to send out Babe every week.
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k, back to Babe.
The things I’ve been thinking/reading about are 1. ways to double my small biz in 2026 that don’t involve paying for ads and 2. how this article from a Harvard Business School Executive Fellow (so fancy) talks about incubation, immersion, and integration—and then how this trifecta relates to problem-solution fit for the inOregon app. Oh, and how being a founder is really about self-reflection and discovery. That too.
Am I nerding out? Always. Am I loving it? Obvs.
Come nerd out (and love it?) with me.
“The same tools that can help us get to know our customers can also help us do the essential but often unspoken work of self-discovery, which is just as crucial for building companies that last.”
Sometimes the void talks back
Just when you think you're writing into the void, you get messages like these:
From my dearest Arielle (friend first, former grad school professor and manuscript editor second—surprise! I un-dropped out!): "You are so fucking brilliant. What a universe it is in which I get to know you, Jesus H. Christ. I love you like crazypants."
And from Matthew (we met at the bouldering gym and I kinda maybe had a crush on him, but now I just think he’s a cool human—all things my husband would think are cute in a non-patronizing way): "Hey!!!! I saw you at the gym the other day and I meant to say hi but I missed you so HI!!!!. Also, again just a friendly reminder, I really enjoy your newsletter. I get like 5-6 of these from varying sources at work and yours is consistently one I look forward to. I know projects like this can feel unfulfilling so just wanted you to know it's appreciated and brightens my day 😁"
These melt. my. heart.
Writing a newsletter or a book of poetry—or building anything public—can feel like shouting into a void… pretty much all of the time. And that’s ok, you know the deal. You send something out. You hope someone reads it. You wonder if it matters, or if it gives someone something in a meaningful way. You hope it does, to at least one person.
And then someone tells you it brightens their day. Or that you're "fucking brilliant." And you remember: oh right, people are actually reading this shit. People are actually here.
So if you're building something, or creating literally anything in public, and it feels like nobody's paying attention—just keep fucking going. The void talks back eventually. And when it does, it's worth every week you wondered if anyone was there to begin with.
The trojan horse strategy (or how one thing can grow another thing)
I've been thinking a lot about how to double Frank Mouth's revenue in 2026 without doing the things that haven't worked (Google Ads, you’re expensive and deliver terrible ROI) or the things I don't want to do (run a separate Instagram for my micro-agency—please dear satan, no).
So I asked Chat: What's the best way for me to get new clients at this point?
And Chat came back with something brilliant: Use inOregon as a Trojan Horse for client acquisition.
Here's the logic: Every time I visit a business, DM with an owner, ask for photos, or highlight a spot for the app, I'm accidentally qualifying leads who already trust my taste, my aesthetic, and my understanding of their audience.
The advice was simple: Add one line when messaging businesses about inOregon.
"PS — In my non–inOregon life, I run Frank Mouth: social + copy for Oregon brands. If you ever need support, I can send my quick deck."
This doesn't feel salesy because:
They already want to be featured in the app
They see my work and aesthetic
They know I understand consumers
And then, right on cue, the strategy proved itself in real-time.
I manage social for a local rug and home decor shop (I adore them). Over the holidays, I had a hunch to run an ad featuring the disconnect between their outdated sign (from previous owners and super expensive to replace) and their modern offerings and vibe—rugs, furniture, warmth, the whole aesthetic. Basically, the outside of the shop doesn’t currently match the inside, and I made a reel to address the disconnect. Then I turned it into an ad. And the ad performed well. But what really mattered was this comment:
"Woah! This is what is in there? I needed to see this."
Followed by: "I drive by all the time. I'll come in this week and say hi. Run more ads. This was wise."
The person who commented? She owns another blooming business in Bend.
Voila. Trojan horse activated.
My plan is to reach out to her the week after she visits the shop (there’s a balance between backing yourself and being too thirsty). Or wait to see if she inquires about Frank Mouth first. Either way, I've got a warm lead who's already seen my work, knows it converts, and trusts my instincts.
This is how you grow a service business without ads. You do good work. You let that work speak for itself. You position yourself where your ideal clients already are. And you stay ready for the moment they realize they need you.
Incubation, immersion, integration (and why this matters for founders)
I came across this First Round Review article by Jeanette Mellinger, a Harvard Business School Executive Fellow, and it sucked me right in.
She talks about three phases of discovery for founders: incubation, immersion, and integration. But what really hit me was this:
“Problem-solution fit is the intersection of who you are as a founder, a burning problem you're well-suited to solve, and a solution that tackles the problem well."
Wait. So this is about me?
Yes. Apparently, the silent first step isn't the problem or the solution—it's the founder.
"Before thinking about the problem, you've got to start with the founder."
This reframed everything. Because I've been so focused on validating the problem (do businesses need better discoverability?) and testing the solution (will this app work?) that I forgot to validate the most important variable: am I the right person to build this?
I’m biased, but the response I keep coming back to even when I try to think about it objectively is this: absolutely fucking yes. Because I love doing work that uplifts others—whether that's volunteering, my small biz, or inOregon. And because this shit energizes me.
If I know one thing in life, it’s to move in the directions which energize you most. Pivot towards the life force, not away from it. Something’s bound to come of you following your own internal cardinals and, regardless, you’ll most likely feel good more often than not along the way.
Links your algo won't surface
A Research Toolkit for the Discovery Phase — The First Round Review article I reference throughout. Jeanette Mellinger on incubation, immersion, integration, and why self-discovery is just as important as customer discovery.
The Power of Incubation — Scientific American on why your best ideas come when you're not actively working on them. Proof that downtime is more important than we think.
Tidbits from Nir Eyal — Little nuggets of insight and advice from Nir Eyal, who writes about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Something he calls “behavioral design.”
That's issue 47.
Thanks for being here for the mishmash and the heart-melt.
Until next week, with old Kanye energy.
xoxo,
lw
PS: Subscribe now if you're into this messy build-in-public energy. Miss the last issue? It’s right here. Also literally none of this is ever advice. I’m sharing what I learn through Babe, and perhaps you’ll learn from my mistakes. Hopefully, maybe, who knows, ily. Also if you’re not already, come hang with Babe on insta, Farcaster, and TBA 🟦.