🚀 Is This a Sputnik Moment for the Black Country? 🍺

Terry, the landlord of The Royal Oak in Chapel Ash, pouring one of the last pints of Banks’s Mild in Wolverhampton before it disappears forever.

Over the weekend, two wildly different events got me thinking about how fast the world changes—and how business owners either adapt or get left behind.

AI Just Pulled the Rug Out from Under Silicon Valley 💻🌍

A Chinese AI start-up, Deepseek, launched a chatbot that became the most downloaded app on Apple’s Store. Sounds impressive, but here’s the kicker: they did it on a shoestring budget.

Meanwhile, NVIDIA—the AI chip giant—lost 17% of its stock value overnight, the biggest monetary loss in U.S. history. One day, you’re untouchable. The next, you’re reeling.

The Last Pint of Banks’s Mild at My Local 🍻💔

While Silicon Valley was in a tailspin, something closer to home hit hard—the very last pint of Banks’s Mild in Wolverhampton was poured at my local, The Royal Oak, Chapel Ash.

This isn’t just any pub. It’s where I go for a pint, where conversations flow, where stories get told. And now, the beer that’s been a part of that for decades? Gone. Along with Sunbeam and Old Empire, just another casualty of a shifting world.

One moment, it’s a staple of life. The next, it’s history.

When Your Business Model Collapses Overnight… 🔄

These two events might seem unrelated, but they scream the same truth:

🔹 Nothing is safe. Even the biggest names can be toppled overnight.
🔹 What worked yesterday won’t always work tomorrow. Change doesn’t care about tradition.
🔹 You can’t stop disruption—but you can decide how you respond.

So, what do you do when the world moves on without you?

The Only Sensible Response: Adapt or Die 💡

🚀 Take a breath. Change isn’t the enemy—stubbornness is.

🚀 Control the controllables. Markets shift, but your strategy, your customer focus, and your innovation. That’s in your hands.

🚀 Move fast but move smart. The ones who survive aren’t the biggest or strongest—they’re the most adaptable.

Your Turn: Have You Had a Sputnik Moment? 🤔

Maybe you remember the actual Sputnik moment. Maybe you’ve had to reinvent your business when the market pulled the rug from under you. Or maybe you’re just gutted about Banks’s Mild.

Whatever it is, let’s hear it. Drop your thoughts in the comments! 👇