Andrew Luxem

Writing

The Strategic Brief

Practitioner notes on growth systems, CRM, retention, measurement, operating playbooks, and applied AI. Each brief names the decision, shows the mechanism, and closes with a practical next step.

FeaturedOPERATING MODEL2026-06-26 · 2 min

Working Backwards Protects the Customer Promise From the Internal Plan

Working Backwards forces teams to prove the customer promise before they protect the internal plan.

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SeriesDaily systems checkA short operating brief tying growth work to constraints and evidence.SeriesThe week in systemsTen signals from the week that share a common operating thread.SeriesThe Growth Operating SystemHow customer evidence becomes a decision, a mechanism, and a closed review loop.SeriesPlaybooks, shipped as skillsOne operating problem, mechanism, failure check, and adoption test for each skill.
AllCRM systemsRetention & lifecycleApplied AIMeasurementOperating model

11 of 58 articles

2026-07-02
3 min
Customer Behavior Should Guide the Decision

Customer behavior is evidence, not decoration. Use it to define the decision, constrain the intervention, and judge what changed.

CRM SYSTEMS
2026-06-22
7 min
First-Party Data Strategy for Retention Teams

Third-party data is dying. Retention teams that build a first-party data infrastructure now will own the next decade of customer marketing.

CRM SYSTEMS
2026-05-25
7 min
How to Choose a CRM Stack Without Wasting a Quarter

Most CRM stack evaluations take too long, cost too much, and end with a decision based on the best demo instead of the best fit.

CRM SYSTEMS
2026-04-27
6 min
SMS Compliance Is Not Optional: What Marketers Need to Know

The TCPA has real teeth and carriers are getting more aggressive about filtering. Here's what every lifecycle marketer needs to understand about SMS compliance.

CRM SYSTEMS
2026-04-06
6 min
Email Deliverability Is a Revenue Problem, Not a Tech Problem

Deliverability failures don't show up in your ESP dashboard as lost revenue, but that's exactly what they are.

CRM SYSTEMS
2025-08-10
3 min
Marketing Automation Myths Debunked

Marketing automation is often misunderstood. Let's break down the most common myths and show how modern automation can boost both efficiency and authenticity.

CRM SYSTEMS
2025-08-10
3 min
MarTech Stack Essentials for Fast-Growing Teams

As your customer base and marketing ambitions expand, your MarTech stack must keep pace. Here are the must-have tools and principles that keep fast-growing teams agile, aligned, and ROI-focused.

CRM SYSTEMS
2025-08-10
3 min
Why Email Marketing Still Drives ROI

Email isn't dead. It's compounding. Here's why the inbox remains the workhorse behind sustainable, measurable growth.

CRM SYSTEMS
2025-08-03
2 min
Mastering Omnichannel Marketing: From Platforms to Personalization

Delivering a consistent customer experience across platforms takes more than technology. It takes trust, balance, and a human touch.

CRM SYSTEMS
2025-07-01
2 min
Balancing Automation and Authenticity: A Lesson from Big Dill Pickleball Co.

CRM is scaling fast with AI and automation, but human connection still drives loyalty. Here's how we kept it personal at Big Dill Pickleball Co.

CRM SYSTEMS
2025-06-30
3 min
Building a Strong CRM Framework: Lessons from the Field and Avoiding the Pitfalls

From Fortune 500 brands to tech innovators, the secret to sustained customer connection lies in a well-executed CRM strategy. Here's what I've learned.

CRM SYSTEMS

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