Metric Comparison

Subject: PageRank vs. Mentions: The AI Hype Cycle's Hidden Winners (Ins7ghts #147)

Forget the breathless headlines. This week’s PageRank data on AI companies is a shiny distraction. Everyone's chasing the same fleeting trends. What really matters is understanding foundational importance, not just who's screaming the loudest.

Our analysis of ~1,800 articles from this week (2026-W04) reveals a stark contrast between companies dominating the mention-count leaderboard (driven by PR and funding announcements) and those quietly building the infrastructure that everyone will rely on.

Here's the brutal truth: PageRank, a proxy for immediate buzz, is a lagging indicator. It tells you who's already won the attention game, not who's poised to dominate the future. Mentions are even worse – pure noise driven by marketing spend.

Instead, let's talk about Katz centrality. Think of it as the "plumbing" of the AI world. The companies with high Katz scores are the ones whose existence enables everyone else. They might not be sexy, but they're indispensable.

Consider this (hypothetical, for illustrative purposes):

HypedAI Inc. might be plastered all over TechCrunch, but DeepCore Labs is the one providing the fundamental algorithms and infrastructure that HypedAI (and countless others) depend on.

My Hot Take: The current AI hype cycle is creating a massive bubble around companies focusing on application-layer AI – chatbots, image generators, etc. – while neglecting the crucial infrastructure layer. This is a recipe for a painful correction. We're seeing echoes of the early 2000s dot-com boom, where Pets.com got all the attention while companies like Akamai quietly built the internet's backbone.

Specific Advice:

1. Look beyond the headlines. Don't be swayed by PageRank or mention counts alone. Dig deeper into the underlying technology and dependencies.
2. Identify the "picks and shovels" companies. Who's providing the essential tools and infrastructure that everyone needs? These are the companies with high Katz centrality.
3. Assess long-term viability. Is a company's success dependent on a single, fleeting trend, or are they building a sustainable competitive advantage based on foundational technology?

The future of AI isn't about who can generate the flashiest demo. It's about who can build the most robust and reliable infrastructure. Focus on the latter, and you'll be well-positioned to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of this rapidly evolving field.

– Yves Mulkers
Data Strategist | Ins7ghts

Subject: PageRank vs. Mentions: The AI Hype Cycle's Hidden Winners (Ins7ghts #147)

Forget the breathless headlines. This week’s PageRank data on AI companies is a shiny distraction. Everyone's chasing the next OpenAI, but the real story is in the picks and shovels.

You asked about divergence between hype and influence. It's not about who's getting the most mentions. It's about who's punching above their weight.

Look at this:

Notice anything? While everyone's busy drooling over the latest large language model, Excel is quietly becoming an AI front-end. 79 mentions this week, yes, but the stickiness is undeniable. PageRank is up, indicating real integration and usage.

And then there's Mark Carney. A 1200% jump in mentions, coupled with a 100% PageRank increase? That's not organic hype. That's strategic positioning. Someone's making a serious play to be seen as a thought leader in the AI-driven economic landscape. My bet? He's advising a fund quietly building an AI infrastructure play.

My Hot Take: The real money isn't in building the AI models. It's in deploying them. It's in the infrastructure, the tools, and the access. Look at Sequoia. They're not just investing; they're building an ecosystem.

The Noise: Don't be fooled by vanity metrics. High mention counts alone are meaningless. Tableau is a great example. Lots of chatter, but declining influence. They're not successfully pivoting to the AI era.

Your Action Item:

1. Stop chasing unicorns. Focus on companies enabling AI adoption. Think data integration, workflow automation, and AI-powered analytics tools.
2. Track PageRank, not just mentions. PageRank is a better indicator of sustained influence and integration.
3. Follow the money. Who's advising whom? Who's investing where? The answers will reveal the true power players in the AI revolution.

Until next week, keep digging.

\- Yves

Subject: PageRank vs. Mentions: The AI Hype Cycle's Hidden Winners (Ins7ghts #147) - Part 2

Forget the breathless headlines. This week’s PageRank data on AI companies is a shiny distraction. Everyone's chasin' valuations, not value.

And to answer your question directly: divergence between hype and influence is precisely where smart money should be looking.

Here's the contrarian take: The real AI revolution isn't happening in the companies plastered across TechCrunch. It's happening in the picks-and-shovels plays, the infrastructure, and the people quietly building the future.

Look at this week's data:

Excel? Yes, that Excel. While everyone's drooling over the latest AI-powered unicorn, the humble spreadsheet is quietly absorbing AI capabilities and becoming the de facto interface for a generation of data-savvy users. That's stickiness you can't buy with a billion-dollar marketing budget.

And notice the people. Altman and Hassabis are obvious, but Mark Carney? The former Governor of the Bank of England suddenly seeing a 1200% spike in mentions alongside a 100% PageRank jump? That screams a strategic play in AI regulation and policy. Smart investors are betting on the framework, not just the flashy tech.

My Hot Take: The "AI arms race" is a red herring. The real battle is for AI literacy. The companies and individuals empowering the masses to understand and use AI will be the long-term winners. Think beyond the models, and focus on the interface and the impact.

Investment Advice:

1. Look beyond the logos: Don't just chase the names you see on CNBC. Dig into the enabling technologies and the people shaping the infrastructure of AI.
2. Follow the regulatory signals: Keep a close eye on individuals like Mark Carney. Policy decisions will make or break entire sectors.
3. Bet on usability: Invest in companies making AI accessible to the average user. The easier it is to use, the wider the adoption, the bigger the payoff.

This week, the signal isn't in the noise. It's in the quiet hum of fundamental shifts. Don't get distracted by the hype.