🗞️ In The News

• ✉️ ​Gmail has officially rolled out a “Manage Subscriptions” feature (AudienceBridge)

• 🦙 Meta Launches Llama 4 Suite (Meta)

• 🔁 The Subscription Economy is tipped to hit $900B by next year (MarketingMachine)

• ❎ Musks’s Xai buys X from Musk and magically it’s worth a $GAZZILLION (Mashable)

• 🤖 Fine Tunned LLM’s are our new CyberThreat Nightmare (VentureBeat)

🔗 Large On LinkedIn

• 📈 Still Reporting Link Clicks? How To Earn The CEO’s Respect - from Jason Miller (link)

• 🤜 🤛 Brand Strategy IS Business Strategy - from Saul Betmead de Chasteigner (link)

• 👿 The Cult of Content - from Sandra Macele (link)

💼 Case Studies: Case Closed

• ✍️ How Notion Grew to a $10B Company Without Ads (MarketerClub)

• 📈 How a B2B Product Firm Grew Leads By 500% (GrowthTribe)

• 🔬 The Science Behind Viral Content (InsideBe)

🧰 You Won’t Blame These Tools

• 📝 Notebooks.App - The AI Whiteboard Where Marketers Create Winning Content

• 📆 Tweek - Minimal Weekly Planner & To-Do List App

• 🧲 SubPage - The Simplest Way to Create Lead Magnets and Collect Leads

THE AVENGERS, BUT WITH A MIRO BOARD 🦸 

Let’s talk about what these archetypes actually mean—beyond the startup LinkedIn post with too many emojis.

The Hipster isn’t just your Canva queen or the one who insists the rebrand needs “room to breathe.” They’re the person who gives your brand a pulse. They’re not just about making things “look good”—they’re obsessed with why something feels good. They think in textures, tones, typefaces and timing. The best ones are cultural sponges: they notice micro-trends before they go macro, and they can smell inauthenticity like a truffle pig in a Balenciaga hoodie. They’ll agonise for three days over a font pairing—and they’re right to. Because great design isn’t decoration. It’s the delivery mode of the strategy. It’s emotion. It’s the glue between your audience and your message.

Think Jony Ive. He didn’t just design Apple’s products—he designed how you feel using them. Minimalism? Sure. But it wasn’t sterile. It was spiritual (just ask him). Every sound, every swipe, every tiny detail felt considered. The Hipster’s superpower is taste—but not the snobby, inaccessible kind. It’s the kind that builds brands people fall in love with. They bring humanity and a sense of the divine to what might otherwise be… marketing.

The Hacker is your behind-the-scenes miracle worker. Not the guy in the hoodie doing weird stuff with servers (though maybe that too)—the Hacker is the one who sees a broken onboarding funnel and rewires it over the weekend. They don’t see “marketing” and “engineering” as separate worlds—they see a big pile of problems waiting to be solved with elegant, efficient solutions. They build the tools. The dashboards. The data flows. They’re equal parts technical, curious, and allergic to manual work.

Take Josh Elman, for example. At Facebook, he led the creation of Facebook Connect, letting users sign into any site with their Facebook account. At LinkedIn, he helped build LinkedIn Jobs—plugging directly into one of the most lucrative use cases on the platform. That’s what a great Hacker does: spots behaviour, builds systems around it, and creates flywheels that grow themselves. They see what the technology allows your brand to be. They're not loud. They're not splashy. But they quietly multiply the effectiveness of every campaign you run and experience you deliver. Tenfold.

Then there’s the Hustler. Often miscast as just the “sales guy,” the Hustler is actually the gravitational centre of the team. They’re the operator, the glue, the human caffeine shot who takes half-baked ideas and gets them into the world. They know the market, they know your competitors, and they know how to motivate Karen from compliance to approve that campaign—today. Hustlers live in the messy middle of execution. They get their hands dirty, their inboxes full, and their calendars booked with WIP meetings and planning calls. They are the force that turns possibility into performance.

Sara Blakely is Hustler energy incarnate. She was selling faxing machines by day, cold-pitching Spanx by night, and demoing her product to Neiman Marcus in a bathroom stall. She didn’t wait for permission—she made the market. Hustlers like her aren’t just doers. They’re vision holders. They’re the ones who say, “I know this sounds nuts, but hear me out…”—and then make it happen before the rest of the team finishes their brainstorming.

Let’s be clear: all three of these types are incredibly valuable on their own. But together? That’s where the alchemy happens. Get the balance out of whack, and you’ve got problems too:

• Too many Hackers, and your brand is efficient but invisible.

• Too many Hipsters, and your decks look amazing but nothing ships.

• Too many Hustlers, and your campaigns are pure chaos with a dash of burnout.

But when these forces align? That’s when your marketing stops looking like “a campaign” and starts feeling like a movement.

And here’s the best part: they don’t have to be three different people. In smaller teams, one brilliant human might flex across all three roles (although be careful with flaming out). In larger teams, you build balance by hiring and empowering distinctly, then letting them collide (nicely) in the middle.

Get the blend right, and your team won’t just deliver marketing. They’ll deliver magic.

WHO EXACTLY AM I LOOKING FOR? 🔍️ 

Let’s break down what each of these archetypes really brings to a marketing team—not just in theory, but in the day-to-day scrums, brand builds, and launch-day chaos where the work actually happens.

The Hipster: The Taste-Maker and Meaning-Shaper
Hipsters lead with instinct—but don’t mistake that for guesswork. Their creative gut is backed by a mental Pinterest board of everything that’s culturally relevant, emotionally resonant, and visually electric. They know what’s “hot” before it’s trending and can tell you exactly why your ad looks like it was made by a sleep-deprived intern from 2012.

Their strength? They humanise your brand. Hipsters bring the nuance, the narrative, the need-to-zoom-in level detail that makes audiences feel something. And in a world where everyone’s got the same tech stack and AI-generated blog posts, feeling something is the advantage.

The challenge? Sometimes they fall in love with the work. Like, deeply. They’ll argue for three hours about kerning or why your new campaign must be shot in 16mm. They’re allergic to “just ship it.” This means you need to protect their process—but also know when to cut them off after the seventh mood board.

Key takeaway: Let them lead the vibe—but pair them with someone who actually hits “publish.”

⤵️ 

The Hacker: The Quiet Genius in the Corner Who Already Fixed It
Hackers are your in-house technical Swiss Army knives. Give them a week and they’ll automate the report you’ve been manually pulling for six months. Give them a problem, and they’ll build a tool. They don’t just work faster—they work smarter, and they help everyone else do the same.

Their strength is in systematising success. They take what’s working and make it scale. They bring logic to the chaos. Campaign flopping? They’ll A/B test it. Website bounce rate climbing? They’ve already launched a heatmap and patched the UX.

The challenge? They can sometimes get lost in the weeds—or build for the sake of building. When you're working with a Hacker, you’ll need to help them zoom out. Remind them it’s not just about the tech—it’s about the person on the other side of the screen.

Key takeaway: Trust them to engineer the machine—but make sure they’re building for people, not perfection.

⤵️ 

The Hustler: The Human Engine Room Who Won’t Stop Until It’s Done (and Then Does More)
Hustlers are the momentum. They don’t wait for briefs—they chase outcomes. They spot opportunities, set meetings, pitch ideas, and somehow find the missing budget line to get it done. They’re half-operator, half-salesperson, all fuel.

Their strength is their drive. They rally teams, charm stakeholders, and keep things moving when others stall. They’re the ones who follow up, follow through, and occasionally follow too hard. But hey, stuff gets done.

The challenge? They can burn hot. Sometimes too hot. In their quest to move fast and win big, they can wear people down or skip the steps that make the work sustainable. They also have a sixth sense for shiny objects, which is great… until it’s not.

Key takeaway: Channel their energy—but give them bumpers so they don’t take the whole campaign into the gutter.

When you understand these archetypes—and start spotting them in your team—you get more than just harmony. You get marketing that hits harder, works smarter, and connects deeper.

HOW TO BUILD THE DREAM TEAM 🤝 

So how do you use this framework to build (or fine-tune) your own marketing dream team?

Start by doing a simple audit. Who’s obsessing over your previous social posts tone like it’s a giving them a migraine? Who built a custom referral reward program in Google Sheets because “it should’nt cost that much”? Who’s already got 15 browser tabs open chasing the perfect distribution partner for our next campaign?

Chances are, your team already contains elements of each archetype. You just might not be naming it—or nurturing it—properly.

Next, look beyond job titles. Most marketers are multi-hyphenates now anyway. A great strategist might have the instincts of a hipster but the execution style of a hustler. A paid media specialist could secretly be a hacker in disguise, writing Python scripts to optimise ad spend. Don’t get distracted by what’s on the org chart—look at how people actually behave.

And if you want a cheat code to spotting the archetypes? Look at their side projects.

The Hipster’s got a wedding invitation design business on Etsy. The Hacker’s built a browser extension to help them hoover-up links for reposting on LinkedIn. The Hustler runs a virtual fitness community on the side and already has three partnerships lined up.

These projects aren’t distractions—they’re signals. They reveal what someone really lights up about. What they obsess over. Where they shine when nobody’s watching. If someone spends their free time building, designing, closing, or tinkering—that’s not a red flag. That’s a bat signal.

Great marketing leaders don’t just tolerate side hustles. They pay attention to them. Because a team member who pours love and energy into their personal work is usually the same one who’ll bring that spark into your brand—if they’re given the permission and freedom to.

So what do you do with this?

• Recruit for entrepreneurial spirit: Ask about passion projects in interviews. You’ll learn more about how someone solves problems or expresses creativity through what they do on weekends than from any polished CV bullet point.

• Create space to cross-train: Let the Hipster try a no-code automation tool. Ask the Hacker to lead a creative sprint. Encourage the Hustler to shadow a brand workshop. Not because they need to do each other’s jobs—but because empathy is the ultimate performance enhancer.

• Pair opposites and watch the sparks fly: Hustlers help Hipsters ship. Hackers help Hustlers scale. Hipsters help Hackers remember that people, not just systems, are the end users. Don’t silo them—collide them.

• Protect the mix: This isn't about finding unicorns who can do it all. It’s about balance. Over-index on one archetype and the team starts tipping: too much Hacker, and your marketing is efficient but cold; too much Hustler, and it’s all go-go-go with no grounding; too much Hipster, and it’s gorgeous but floating in space.

• Watch out for burnout in hybrids: Especially in lean teams, one person can often plays all three roles—and might be quietly drowning. Give them air. Build support. Share the load.

Ultimately, the Hipster, Hacker and Hustler model isn’t about putting people in boxes. It’s about unlocking them.

When you name and nurture these strengths—especially the ones that show up off-the-clock—you don’t just build better marketers. You build a team that knows how to move fast, stay human, and actually like working together.

IT’S NOT A ZODIAC SIGN 🔮 

Now before someone in the back raises their hand and says, “But people are more complex than this!”—I agree. Entirely. The Hipster-Hacker-Hustler model is not a BuzzFeed quiz. It’s not saying you’re only one of these things or that great teams must always be neatly divided into these three roles like a house at Hogwarts.

What it is—when used wisely—is a tool. A useful lens to look at how work gets done, what kinds of energy drive progress, and where your team might be underpowered or over-indexed.

Still, let’s address the three most common critiques that pop up anytime someone hears about this framework.

Critique 1: “People are more than archetypes.”
They absolutely are. Everyone is. But just like we talk about creative vs analytical thinkers, or generalists vs specialists, the value isn’t in the box—it’s in the signal. This model helps identify what kind of value someone brings, and where they naturally shine. It’s not a limitation—it’s a lens. And a flexible one.

Critique 2: “But what if someone is all three?”
Even better. Some of the most high-impact marketers are hybrid operators who blend the taste of a Hipster, the build-it brain of a Hacker, and the tenacity of a Hustler. But here’s the catch: doing all three well is exhausting. These people are rare—and often overwhelmed. Just because they can do it all doesn’t mean they should. The point isn’t to be a unicorn. The point is to build a team that works like one.

Critique 3: “It sounds like startup fluff.”
Fair. It did originate in the startup world where everything is named like a cartoon character. But just because something comes from tech bros doesn’t mean it isn’t useful.

This framework maps incredibly well onto creative and brilliant marketing teams—especially those navigating complexity, speed, and constrained resources. You don’t have to wear skinny jeans and drink mushroom coffee to find it helpful.

And yes, there are nuances. Some people might not fit the archetypes neatly. Some teams may require other roles too—the Strategist, the Analyst, the Handler (hi, ops team, we see you). But the Hipster-Hacker-Hustler trio is a foundation. A strong one. Build from it, remix it, evolve it. But don’t dismiss it just because it’s catchy.

Ultimately, this model doesn’t replace nuance—it creates a shared language. Something to help you spot gaps, play to strengths, and appreciate the weird, wonderful brilliance your team already has. And frankly, any framework that gets you thinking about your team as a team, not just a group of job descriptions, is already doing something right.

NO ONE ARCHETYPE SAVES THE CAMPAIGN. THE TEAM DOES ✊ 

Marketing has never been more complex, crowded or creatively demanding. You’re juggling growth targets, brand consistency, endless tech platforms, and a boss who still thinks “going viral” is a strategy. In the middle of all that chaos, you need more than just people with the right job titles. You need chemistry. You need contrast. You need… the trio.

The Hipster gives your work meaning and emotion. The Hacker makes it scale and stick. The Hustler pushes it out the door and into the world. Together, they don’t just make marketing—they make movement.

You’ve now got a framework for spotting these archetypes, empowering them, and balancing your team across them. You know why side projects matter, why hybrids need protecting, and why this isn’t just about fun labels—but about unlocking people’s best work.

So here’s your next move:
Look at your team. Ask yourself—not who fits which box—but where the energy is coming from. Who’s driving the feel? Who’s engineering the system? Who’s getting it done? Where’s the gap? And what kind of person—or permission—would fill it?

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about building a team that works like an organism, not an org chart. That flexes, adapts, creates, and delivers.

So…
Which archetype does your team need to lean into next?

And more importantly—are you giving them the space to lead?

If you enjoyed this edition, please forward it to a friend who’s looking to level-up their marketing team - they’ll love you for it (and I will too) ⏭️ 💌

PS. When you’re ready here’s how I can help you:

1. Fractional CXO services: Need a top strategic product, marketing and digital transformation mind to grow your brand, but don’t want the hefty price tag? Fractional CXO services allow you to start growing revenue, before your grow your people costs. Limited slots available.

2. Events and Conference Host: Don’t get the guy who last week was MC’ing a carpet industry conference. If you’re in marketing, CX or digital I can help make your conference a memorable delight for your attendees.

Troy Muir | The Ladder