Yes, LinkedIn Banned Artisan AI - But Now It's Back

Welcome back to “Weekly Opportunities.”

Today’s Recipes:

Hey there,

Remember those "Stop Hiring Humans" billboards that made waves in San Francisco? Well, the company behind them just learned an expensive lesson that could save you months of headaches.

What Actually Happened

Last week, Artisan AI - a Y Combinator-backed startup that builds AI sales agents completely disappeared from LinkedIn. Every post, every profile, every trace... gone. The message? "This post cannot be displayed."

The internet did what it does best: speculated wildly. Were their AI agents spamming people? Had they finally crossed the line with their provocative marketing?

The truth was simpler, but more important for anyone building in this space.

LinkedIn banned them for two reasons:

After two weeks of back-and-forth with LinkedIn's enforcement team (and removing every mention of LinkedIn from their site), they're now being reinstated.

Why This Matters to You

If You're a Creator or Freelancer:

The platforms you depend on are drawing hard lines around their data. That lead list you bought? That scraping tool you're using? They might work today, but Big Tech is watching - and they're not playing around.

The takeaway: Build your audience on owned channels (email lists, your own website) before someone pulls the rug out from under you.

If You're a Marketer:

AI tools are tempting. They promise to automate outreach, find perfect leads, and scale your efforts. But here's the catch: if your tools are using questionable data sources, you're one enforcement action away from losing everything.

The takeaway: Ask your vendors the uncomfortable questions. Where does your data come from? Are you compliant with platform terms of service? Get it in writing.

If You're Building a Startup:

Artisan's CEO said it best: "Every startup inevitably has some kind of thing that comes back to bite them from things they do early on."

Moving fast and breaking things? Sure. But some things will break back—harder.

The takeaway: Those terms of service you're skimming? They matter. That gray area you're operating in? It's not gray to the platforms, and they hold all the cards.

The Ironic Twist

Here's the kicker: once Artisan got banned, their lead flow actually increased. All that viral attention turned into business. Their CEO joked, "I wish we'd done it on purpose."

But would you bet your company on that outcome? Probably not.

What's Coming Next

LinkedIn launching their own AI hiring assistant isn't a coincidence. The platforms aren't just gatekeepers - they're becoming competitors. If you're building tools that rely on their data, you need a Plan B.

Artisan's already ahead of this, launching outbound calling features to diversify beyond LinkedIn. Smart move.

Your Action Items This Week

In Simple Terms

This isn't about Artisan AI being the villain. They're actually back on LinkedIn now. This is about understanding that in the age of AI, the old rules are being rewritten in real-time - and Big Tech is holding the pen.

You can either stay ahead of these changes or learn about them the hard way.

Your choice.

Further Reading:

What do you think? Hit reply and tell me: Are you worried about platform dependencies in your business? I read every response.

Stay sharp,

P.S. If this newsletter helped you dodge a bullet, forward it to a founder friend. They'll thank you later.