The Pulse [Signals]: Weekly Market Intelligence
Your weekly digest of hand-picked, high-impact perspectives from Beehiiv, Reddit, Medium and Substack, curated for SME resilience.
Wednesday 31st December 2025
[3 min read]
About Florido’s The Pulse [Signals]: every week, we cut through the noise to catch the real signals shaping the SME landscape. From founder forums to operator communities, we’re tuned into the conversations that actually move markets. After countless chats with clients and peers, one theme keeps surfacing: everyone wants a clean pulse on what matters now.
The Pulse [Signals] is that filter: four sharp insights a week, decoded through an SME‑first lens to help you spot shifts early and turn them into an advantage.
The Signals This Week
In 2026, the SME advantage isn’t just about having the latest technology; it’s about Orchestration.
1. Reddit Signal: Tactical Intelligence
Source: r/Business | “How we used Agentic AI to cut our Sales Ops by 40%” and more on Reddit
The Gist: A viral thread discussing the shift from "Chatbots" to "AI Agents." The breakthrough? Agents that autonomously handle back-office friction (e.g., chasing invoices, vendor reconciliation) rather than just talking to customers.
The [Pulse] Interpretation: In 2026, don’t look for AI that replaces people; look for AI that removes "Admin Debt." If your senior team is still manually reconciling reports, your "Growth Engine" leaks.
2. Medium Signal: Ethical Governance
Source: Medium | Akhilesh Yadav | “Shadow AI in the Workplace: Risks, Opportunities & How Companies Should Respond”
The Gist: A deep dive into the "Compliance Gap" in small teams. It highlights that "Shadow AI", unauthorised tool use, is a symptom of employees being hungry for better tools, but it creates massive data security risks if not sanctioned.
The [Pulse] Interpretation: This is the catalyst for a "No-Recourse AI Audit." You must know what tools are in play. Centralising these into a secure "Enterprise" license isn't a cost—it's a critical 2026 risk-mitigation strategy.
3. Beehiiv Signal: Market Trends
Source: Growth Unhinged by Kyle Poyar | “The New UX Era: Inside AI Prompt Journeys”
The Gist: A masterclass on how AI is replacing traditional software interfaces. It explains how companies like Canva and Notion are moving to "Intent-based" workflows where the software adapts to the user.
The [Pulse] Interpretation: SMEs can beat big brands here because your data structures are more agile. Use a Fractional CMO to implement AI-native customer journeys now while your competitors are still debating their 2025 legacy budgets.
4. Substack Signal: Macro Strategy
Source: Lenny’s Newsletter | “The State of the AI Workforce in 2026” The Gist: A massive survey showing that "AI Generalists", leaders who can prompt, manage, and audit AI, are now more valuable than specialised coders for the average SME.
The [Pulse] Interpretation: You don't need a full-time CTO to build an AI roadmap. You need a Fractional Leader who understands the business outcomes of the technology. The 2026 skills gap is actually a Leadership Gap.
Florido Recommends - This Week’s Strategic Action: The "1% Audit"
To stay ahead of these signals, perform a Workflow Audit when your office reopens in early January:
Identify the one workflow that consumes the most "senior time" (e.g., board reporting or client triage).
Ask: Could an "AI Agent" handle the data-gathering for 80% of this?
Execute: If yes, don't hire a permanent fix. Deploy a Fractional Expert for a 30-day sprint to automate it.
Stay tuned. Keep your finger on The Pulse.
Don't just react to the market. Anticipate it.