Podcasts about alibaba

The 10 Minute Personal Brand Kickstart (FREE): https://the505podcast.courses/personalbrandkickstartWhat's up Rock Nation! Today we're joined by Robert Croak - the founder of Silly Bands and the mind behind one of the biggest consumer product phenomena of the last decade.Robert breaks down why speed beats perfection, how he bootstrapped a $100M+ brand by selling his car and keeping 100% equity, and the real lessons founders need to know about product-market fit, distribution, and timing. We also get into building wealth, avoiding lifestyle creep, and why now is the easiest time in history to build something massive.Check out Robert here:https://www.instagram.com/robertcroak/SUSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: https://the505podcast.ac-page.com/rock-reportKostas' Lightroom Presetshttps://www.kostasgarcia.com/store-1/p/kglightroompresetsgreeceCOP THE BFIGGY "ESSENTIALS" SFX PACK HERE: https://courses.the505podcast.com/BFIGGYSFXPACKTimestamps: 0:00 - Intro1:14 - The Truth About Product Success3:00 - Why You Shouldn't Over-Protect Your Idea5:30 - How Timing Made Silly Bandz Blow Up8:12 - Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital10:15 - How to Launch Physical Products in 202612:26 - Alibaba, Airsoft, and First Hustles14:35 - How He Built Wealth by 2418:09 - Focus vs. Multiple Streams of Income20:37 - Should You Bet Big on Real Estate?23:59 - Risking It All: Lessons Before Silly Bandz26:10 - Marketing Kids' Products the Right Way28:17 - Reviving Silly Bandz with TikTok30:08 - Scaling Chaos: Hiring 3,000+ in 12 Months33:52 - Retail Begged Us for Silly Bandz35:03 - DTC First, Retail Second36:45 - What Robert Looks for in Brands38:28 - How to Defend Against Copycats40:28 - The Video That Changed His Life43:40 - Why Robert Gives Everything Away44:51 - From Behind the Camera to Viral Creator47:44 - How to Be the First Millionaire in Your Family50:50 - Investing in Yourself (Without Going Broke)52:37 - The Credit Card Rule That Got Him Kicked Off a Tour54:15 - Real Mentorship in the Pre-Internet Era56:12 - Advice for Kids with Tough Upbringings58:26 – Post Pod DebriefIf you liked this episode please send it to a friend and take a screenshot for your story! And as always, we'd love to hear from you guys on what you'd like to hear us talk about or potential guests we should have on. DM US ON IG: (Our DM's are always open!) Bfiggy: https://www.instagram.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.instagram.com/kostasg95/ TikTok:Bfiggy: https://www.tiktok.com/bfiggy/ Kostas: https://www.tiktok.com/kostasgarcia/

If you've ever dreamed of launching a physical product—turning an idea into something tangible—you've probably noticed how overwhelming the process can feel. Manufacturing, sourcing, quality control, logistics, global suppliers…every step has layers most founders never see until they're already in trouble. In a world where disruptions happen daily and the global economy shifts without warning, the founders who succeed aren't just innovative—they're prepared. Today's guest, Kerim Kfuri, brings more than two decades of global supply chain expertise spanning technology, retail, spirits, sports equipment, and beyond. As Founder & CEO of The Atlas Network, he and his team help companies navigate the often-chaotic process of bringing products to market—handling everything from factory selection to QC, logistics, and end-to-end production. Kerim is also the author of Supply Chain Ups and Downs, creator of The Supply & Demand Show, and the first U.S.-based verified supplier and ambassador for Alibaba—giving him a uniquely global, modern perspective on how products really get made. In this episode, Kerim breaks down the mindset, knowledge, and strategies every founder needs before they ever produce a thing. The Hidden Challenges New Founders Overlook Kerim's path into supply chain didn't start in manufacturing—it began with years spent in finance, regulation, consulting, and entrepreneurship. But everything changed the first time he stepped into a factory in China and saw ideas becoming reality on the production line. From that point forward, one truth has shaped his entire philosophy: Most founders fail not because the idea is bad, but because they don't know what they don't know. The wrong supplier. No quality control. Assuming timelines will hold. Not understanding cultural expectations. Failing to anticipate disruptions. Kerim explains how founders can dramatically reduce risk by choosing vetted suppliers, putting "eyes and ears" on the ground, and building processes that protect them from expensive mistakes. Even seasoned brands struggle when entering new categories—so first-time founders need even more support. Successful product creation starts with education, clarity, and the right partners. AI, Disruption, and the Future of Product Development Global supply chain challenges aren't rare—they're constant. Weather, politics, tariffs, port closures, labor strikes, pandemics…founders can't avoid disruptions, but they can prepare for them. Kerim believes these moments of chaos often spark innovation. When materials change, or routes shift, companies are forced to rethink how products are made—and sometimes what emerges is stronger, smarter, or more profitable than before. He also shares how AI is reshaping the entire supply chain ecosystem: AI-powered sourcing tools that match founders to the right factory instantly Autonomous warehousing, trucking, and drone delivery Emissions-optimized shipping routes Instant business plans and market analyses generated from a single idea But with innovation comes caution. Kerim emphasizes that AI must be a tool—not a substitute for human wisdom, experience, and guardrails. At the center of it all is the mindset he teaches clients: a limitless mindset—one that looks for possibility, not restriction. Enjoy this episode with Kerim Kfuri… Soundbytes 08:18 – 08:26  "Sometimes it's in the face of chaos that we have true opportunity. It all comes from having the right mentality as you come into global supply chain." 14:37 – 14:49 "You have to be the cheerleader. You go to bed with your successes and your failures, and then get up the next day and do it again." Quotes "These disruptions aren't doomsday situations—you have to see the opportunity inside them." "You can't build a supply chain by guessing. Passion is great, but knowledge is what protects your business." "Entrepreneurship isn't for the faint of heart. You have to get up every day ready to fight for your idea." "If you scale too quickly, you risk diluting your service. Growth only works when it's intentional." Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://kerimkfuri.com/ LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerimkfuri/ Connect with brandiD Find out how top leaders are increasing their authority, impact, and income online. Listen to our private podcast, The Professional Presence Podcast: https://thebrandid.com/professional-presence-podcast Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Meta just made a multi-billion acquisition for AI agents.

I walk through Alibaba's new AI agent tool, Accio, and show how it helps you go from “what should I build?” to actual product concepts and supplier options. I demo how it spots rising trends, pulls specific product opportunities (with context like search and sales movement), and even generates early design concepts. Then I test it on a real research task and use that to spin up a “cozy gaming” keyboard concept aimed at Gen-Z women. I close by showing how Accio can vet suppliers and even draft a supplier outreach email so you can start the sourcing process faster. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:55 – Trend Spotting Demo 03:31 – Designing Products Demo 07:04 – Product Opportunity Pain Points Demo 10:10 – Supplier Search Demo 11:06 – Mechanical Keyboard Market Research and Pain Points 16:03 – Cozy Gaming Mechanical Keyboard For Gen Z Women 18:42 – Supplier Vetting + Due Diligence 22:00 – Supplier Outreach Key Points Accio compresses the e-commerce workflow: trends → product ideas → design concepts → supplier shortlists. The real leverage is pairing insights (ratings, negative tags, review pain) with concrete product recommendations. The “agent task” flow feels like a research assistant: it gathers sources, updates a plan, and synthesizes outputs. Accio can move from concept to execution by suggesting suppliers and drafting a structured inquiry email. You still need real diligence: call suppliers, vet claims, and start with small orders. Numbered Section Summaries Accio As An “Unfair Advantage” For E-Commerce I introduce Accio as an AI agent built around e-commerce workflows—idea generation, trend analysis, product concepts, and supplier sourcing. My core point is it reduces the friction that usually keeps me (a software person) from starting e-commerce. Trend Spotting That Goes Beyond Generic Charts Using a baby products example, I show that it's not just search/sales graphs—it surfaces specific product categories and differentiators (like smart features) plus recommendations you can validate elsewhere. Turning Pop Culture Into Product Concepts (With Caveats) I try a “Squid Game” prompt to generate product directions and visuals. I'm clear this isn't a “press button, print money” system, but it gets the creative juices flowing and connects ideas to sourcing. Finding Opportunities By Reading What Customers Hate In the senior dog pet supplies example, Accio highlights product opportunities and connects them to the underlying pain (accessibility, cognitive decline, weak ratings). I emphasize that the edge is insight—knowing why current products underperform. Supplier Discovery Without The Usual Alibaba Overwhelm I run a supplier prompt with constraints (OEM, private label, MOQ, certifications, reviews). The key is Accio structures what's normally chaotic and gives a shortlist you can actually act on. Agent Research: Mechanical Keyboard Pain Points, Ranked I test an agent task to find unmet pain points and cluster them by theme, with “proof” from reviews/forums/Q&A. The point isn't keyboards—it's showing how fast you can go from “trend” to “what to build” using structured research. From Pain Points To A Launchable Niche Concept (Cozy Gaming) I pivot from the research into a niche: mechanical keyboards for Gen Z women aligned with “cozy gaming.” Accio proposes brand directions, a flagship product concept, and early roadmap thinking. Reality Check: Sourcing, Verification, And Outreach I ask for trusted suppliers and get a short list plus technical verification prompts (finish, sound profile, color matching). Accio then drafts a supplier email and shows how the workflow can extend to sending inquiries—while I remind you to vet suppliers carefully and start small. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

Hey all, Happy new year! This is Alex, writing to you for the very fresh start of this year, it's 2026 already, can you believe it? There was no live stream today, I figured the cohosts deserve a break and honestly it was a very slow week. Even the chinese labs who don't really celebrate X-mas and new years didn't come out with a banger AFAIK. ThursdAI - AI moves fast, we're here to make sure you never miss a thing! Subscribe :) Tho I thought it was an incredible opportunity to finally post the Will Brow interview I recorded in November during the AI Engineer conference. Will is a researcher at Prime Intellect (big fans on WandB btw!) and is very known on X as a hot takes ML person, often going viral for tons of memes! Will is the creator and maintainer of the Verifiers library (Github) and his talk at AI Engineer was all about RL Environments (what they are, you can hear in the interview, I asked him!) TL;DR last week of 2025 in AIBesides this, my job here is to keep you up to date, and honestly this was very easy this week, as… almost nothing has happened, but here we go: Meta buys ManusThe year ended with 2 huge acquisitions / aquihires. First we got the news from Alex Wang that Meta has bought Manus.ai which is an agentic AI startup we covered back in March for an undisclosed amount (folks claim $2-3B) The most interesting thing here is that Manus is a Chinese company, and this deal requires very specific severance from Chinese operations.Jensen goes on a new years spending spree, Nvidia buys Groq (not GROK) for $20BGroq which we covered often here, and are great friends, is going to NVIDIA, in a… very interesting acqui-hire, which is a “non binding license” + most of Groq top employees apparently are going to NVIDIA. Jonathan Ross the CEO of Groq, was the co-creator of the TPU chips at Google before founding Groq, so this seems like a very strategic aquihire for NVIDIA! Congrats to our friends from Groq on this amazing news for the new year! Tencent open-sources HY-MT1.5 translation models with 1.8B edge-deployable and 7B cloud variants supporting 33 languages (X, HF, HF, GitHub)It seems that everyone's is trying to de-throne whisper and this latest attempt from Tencent is a interesting one. a 1.8B and 7B translation models with very interesting stats. Alibaba's Qwen-Image-2512 drops on New Year's Eve as strongest open-source text-to-image model, topping AI Arena with photorealistic humans and sharper textures (X, HF, Arxiv)Our friends in Tongyi decided to give is a new years present in the form of an updated Qwen-image, with much improved realismThat's it folks, this was a quick one, hopefully you all had an amazing new year celebration, and are gearing up to an eventful and crazy 2026. I wish you all happiness, excitement and energy to keep up with everything in the new year, and will make sure that we're here to keep you up to date as always! P.S - I got a little news of my own this yesterday, not related to AI. She said yes

On this week's One Decision In Brief, hosts Kate McCann and Sir Richard Dearlove, former MI6 Chief, examine the security risks posed by major Chinese companies like Alibaba. The hosts discuss a recent White House memo alleging that Alibaba provided tech support for Chinese military operations against countries, including the US. They explore what China's national security laws mean for data access and the dangers posed by its infrastructure control. They also discuss the UK's experience with Huawei and Europe's concern about commercial dependencies on China. The episode sheds light on the case of imprisoned Hong Kong Democracy activist and British national Jimmy Lai, raising questions about how the West should further engage with Beijing. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® Podcast. AI agents are your next customers. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ https://youtu.be/vEdq8rpBM3I In this data-rich keynote, Jay McBain deconstructs the tectonic shifts reshaping the $5.3 trillion global technology industry, arguing that we are entering a new 20-year cycle where traditional direct sales models are obsolete. McBain explains why 96% of the industry is now surrounded by partners and how successful companies must pivot from “flywheels and theory” to a granular strategy focused on the seven specific partners present in every deal. From the explosion of agentic AI and the $163 billion marketplace revolution to the specific mechanics of multiplier economics, this discussion provides a roadmap for navigating the “decade of the ecosystem” where influence, trust, and integration—not just product—determine winners and losers. Key Takeaways Half of today's Fortune 500 companies will likely vanish in the next 20 years due to the shift toward AI and ecosystem-led models. Every B2B deal now involves an average of seven trusted partners who influence the decision before a vendor even knows a deal exists. Microsoft has outpaced AWS growth for 26 consecutive quarters largely because of a superior partner-led geographic strategy. Marketplaces are projected to grow to $163 billion by 2030, with nearly 60% of deals involving partner funding or private offers. The “Multiplier Effect” is the new ROI, where partners can make up to $8.45 for every dollar of vendor product sold. Future dominance relies on five key pillars: Platform, Service Partnerships, Channel Partnerships, Alliances, and Go-to-Market orchestration. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Keywords: Jay McBain, Canalys, partner ecosystem, channel chief, agentic AI, marketplace growth, multiplier economics, B2B sales trends, tech industry forecast, service partnerships, strategic alliances, Microsoft vs AWS, distribution transformation, managed services growth, SaaS platforms, customer journey mapping, 28 moments of truth, future of reselling, technology spending 2025, ecosystem orchestration, partner multipliers. T Transcript: Jay McBain WORKFILE FOR TRANSCRIPT [00:00:00] Vince Menzione: Just up from, did you Puerto Rico last night? Puerto Rico, yes. Puerto Rico. He dodged the hurricane. Um, you all know him. Uh, let him introduce himself for those of you who don’t, but just thrilled to have on the stage, again, somebody who knows more about what’s going on in, in the, and has the pulse on this industry probably than just about anybody I know personally. [00:00:21] Vince Menzione: J Jay McBain. Jay, great to see you my friend. Alright, thank you. We have to come all the way. We live, we live uh, about 20 minutes from each other. We have to come all the way to Reston, Virginia to see each other, right? That’s right. Very good. Well, uh, that’s all over to you, sir. Thank you. [00:00:35] Jay McBain: Alright, well thank you so much. [00:00:36] Jay McBain: I went from 85 degrees yesterday to 45 today, but I was able to dodge that, uh, that hurricane, uh, that we kind of had to fly through the northern edge of, uh, wanna talk today about our industry, about the ultimate partner. I’m gonna try to frame up the ultimate partner as I walk through the data and the latest research that, uh, that we’ve been doing in the market. [00:00:56] Jay McBain: But I wanted to start here ’cause our industry moves in 20 year cycles, and if you look at the Fortune 500 and dial back 20 years from today, 52% of them no longer exist. As we step into the next 20 year AI era, half of the companies that we know and love today are not gonna exist. So we look at this, and by the way, if you’re not in the Fortune 500 and you don’t have deep pockets to buy your way outta problems, 71% of tech companies fail over the course of 10 years. [00:01:30] Jay McBain: Those are statistics from the US government. So I start to look at our industry and you know, you may look at the, you know, mainframe era from the sixties and seventies, mini computers, August the 12th, 1981, that first IBM, PC with Microsoft dos, version one, you know, triggered. A new 20 year era of client server. [00:01:51] Jay McBain: It was the time and I worked at IBM for 17 years, but there was a time where Bill Gates flew into Boca Raton, Florida and met with the IBM team and did that, you know, fancy licensing agreement. But after, you know, 20 years of being the most valuable company in the world and 13 years of antitrust and getting broken up, almost like at and TIBM almost didn’t make payroll. [00:02:14] Jay McBain: 13 years after meeting Bill Gates. Yeah, that’s how quickly things change in these eras. In 1999, a small company outta San Francisco called salesforce.com got its start. About 10 years later, Jeff Bezos asked a question in a boardroom, could we rent out our excess capacity and would other companies buy it? [00:02:35] Jay McBain: Which, you know, most people in the room laughed at ’em at the time. But it created a 20 year cloud era when our friends, our neighbors, our family. Saw Chachi PT for the first time in March of 2023. They saw the deep fakes, they saw the poetry, they saw the music. They came to us as tech people and said, did we just light up Skynet? [00:02:58] Jay McBain: And that consumer trend has triggered this next 20 years. I could walk through the richest people in the world through those trends. I could walk through the most valuable companies. It all aligns. ’cause by the way, Apple’s no longer at the top. Nvidia is at the top, Microsoft. Second, things change really quickly. [00:03:17] Jay McBain: So in that course of time, you start to look at our industry and as people are talking about a six and a half or $7 trillion build out of ai, that’s open AI and Microsoft numbers, that is bigger than our industry that’s taken over 50 years to build. This year, we’re gonna finish the year at $5.3 trillion. [00:03:36] Jay McBain: That’s from the smallest flower shop to the biggest bank. Biggest governments that Caresoft would, uh, serve biggest customer in the world is actually the federal government of the us. But you look at this pie chart and you look at the changes that we’re gonna go through over the next 20 years, there’s about a trillion dollars in hardware. [00:03:54] Jay McBain: There’s about a trillion dollars in software. If you look forward through all of the merging trends, quantum computing, humanoid robots, all the things that are coming that dollar to dollar software to hardware will continue to exist all the way through. We see services making up almost two thirds of this pie. [00:04:13] Jay McBain: Yesterday I was in a telco conference with at and t and Verizon and T-Mobile and some of the biggest wireless players and IT services, which happen to be growing faster than products. At the moment, there is more work to be done wrapping around the deal than the actual products that the customer is buying. [00:04:32] Jay McBain: So in an industry that’s growing at 7%. On top of the world economy that’s grown at 2.2. This is the fastest growing industry, and it will be at least for the next 10 years, if not 2070 0.1% of this entire $5 trillion gets transacted through partners. While what we’re talking to today about the ultimate partner, 96% of this industry is surrounded by partners in one way or another. [00:05:01] Jay McBain: They’re there before the deal. They’re there at the deal. They’re there after the deal. Two thirds of our industry is now subscription consumption based. So every 30 days forever, and a customer for life becomes everything. So if every deal in medium, mid-market, and higher has seven partners, according to McKinsey, who are those seven people trying to get into the deal? [00:05:25] Jay McBain: While there’s millions of companies that have come into tech over the last 10 to 20 years. Digital agencies, accountants, legal firms, everybody’s come in. The 250,000 SaaS companies, a million emerging tech companies, there’s a big fight to be one of those seven trusted people at the table. So millions of companies and tens of millions of people our competing for these slots. [00:05:49] Jay McBain: So one of the pieces of research I’m most proud of, uh, in my analyst career is this. And this took over two years to build. It’s a lot of logos. Not this PowerPoint slide, but the actual data. Thousands of people hours. Because guess what? When you look at partners from the top down, the top 1000 partners, by capability and capacity, not by resale. [00:06:15] Jay McBain: It’s not a ranking of CDW and insight and resale numbers. It is the surrounding. Consulting, design, architecture, implementations, integrations, managed services, all the pieces that’s gonna make the next 20 years run. So when you start to look at this, 98% of these companies are private, so very difficult to get to those numbers and, uh, a ton of research and help from AI and other things to get this. [00:06:41] Jay McBain: But this is it. And if you look at this list, there’s a thousand logos out of the million companies. There’s a thousand logos that drive two thirds of all tech services in the world. $1.07 trillion gets delivered by a thousand companies, but here’s where it gets fun. Those companies in the middle, in blue, the 30 of them deliver more tech services than the next 970. [00:07:08] Jay McBain: Combined the 970 combined in white deliver more tech services. Then the next million combined. So if you think we live in an 80 20 rule or maybe a 99, a 95 5 rule, or a 99 1 rule, we actually live in a 99.9 0.1 parallel principle. These companies spread around the world evenly split across the uh, different regions. [00:07:35] Jay McBain: South Africa, Latin America, they’re all over. They split. They split among types. All of the Venn diagram I just showed from GSIs to VARs to MSPs, to agencies and other types of companies. But this is a really rich list and it’s public. So every company in the world now, if you’re looking at Transactable data, if you’re looking at quantifiable data that you can go put your revenue numbers against, it represents 70 to 80% of every company in this room’s Tam. [00:08:08] Jay McBain: In one piece of research. So what do you do below that? How do you cover a million companies that you can’t afford to put a channel account manager? You can’t afford to write programs directly for well after the top down analysis and all the wallet share and you know exactly where the lowest hanging fruit is for most of your tam. [00:08:28] Jay McBain: The available markets. The obtainable markets. You gotta start from the community level grassroots up. So you need to ask the question for the million companies and the maybe a hundred thousand companies out there, partner companies that are surrounding your customer. These are the seven partners that surround your customer. [00:08:48] Jay McBain: What do they read, where do they go, and who do they follow? Interestingly enough, our industry globally equates to only a thousand watering holes, a thousand companies at the top, a thousand places at the bottom. 35% of this audience we’re talking. Millions of people here love events and there’s 352 of them like this one that they love to go to. [00:09:13] Jay McBain: They love the hallway chats, they love the hotel lobby bar, you know, in a time reminded by the pandemic. They love to be in person. It’s the number one way they’re influenced. So if you don’t have a solid event strategy and you don’t have a community team out giving out socks every week, your competitors might beat you. [00:09:31] Jay McBain: 12% of this audience loves podcasts. It’s the Joe Rogan effect of our industry. And while you know, you may not think the 121 podcasts out there are important, well, you’re missing 12% of your audience. It’s over a million people. If you’re not on a weekly podcast in one of these podcasts in the world, there’s still people that read one of the 106 magazines in the world. [00:09:55] Jay McBain: There are people that love peer groups, associations, they wanna be part of this. There’s 15 different ways people are influenced. And a solid grassroots strategy is how you make this happen. In the last 10 years, we’ve created a number of billionaires. Bottom up. They never had to go talk to la large enterprise. [00:10:15] Jay McBain: They never had to go build out a mid-market strategy. They just went and give away socks and new community marketing. And this has created, I could rip through a bunch of names that became unicorns just in the last couple of years, bottoms up. You go back to your board walking into next year, top down, bottom up. [00:10:34] Jay McBain: You’ve covered a hundred percent of your tam, and now you’ve covered it with names, faces, and places. You haven’t covered it with a flywheel or a theory. And for 44 years, we have gone to our board every fourth quarter with flywheels and theory. Trust me, partners are important. The channel is key to us. [00:10:57] Jay McBain: Well, let’s talk at the point of this granularity, and now we’re getting supported by technology 261 entrepreneurs. Many of them in the room actually here that are driving this ability to succeed with seven partners in every deal to exchange data to be able to exchange telemetry of these prospects to be able to see twice or three times in terms of pipeline of your target addressable market. [00:11:26] Jay McBain: All these ai, um, technologies, agentic technologies are coming into this. It’s all about data. It’s all about quantifiable names, faces, and places. Now none of us should be walking around with flywheels, so let’s flip the flywheels. No. Uh, so we also look at, and I sold PCs for 17 years and that was in the high times of 40% margins for partners. [00:11:55] Jay McBain: But one interesting thing when you study the p and l for broad base of partners around the world, it’s changed pretty significantly in this last 20 year era. What the cloud era did is dropped hardware from what used to be 84% plus the break fix and things that wrap around it of the p and l to now 16% of every partner in the world. [00:12:16] Jay McBain: 84% of their p and l is now software and services. And if you look at profitability, it’s worse. It’s actually 87% is profitability wise. They’ve completely shifted in terms of where they go. Now we look at other parts of our market. I could go through every part of the pie of the slide, but we’re watching each of the companies, and if you can see here, this is what we want to talk about in terms of ultimate partner. [00:12:43] Jay McBain: Microsoft has outgrown AWS for 26 straight quarters. They don’t have a better product. They don’t have a better price, they don’t have better promotion. It’s all place. And I’ll explain why you guess here in the light green line. Exactly. The day that Google went a hundred percent all in partner, every deal, even if a deal didn’t have a partner, one of the 4% of deals that didn’t have a partner, they injected a partner. [00:13:09] Jay McBain: You can see on the left side exactly where they did it. They got to the point of a hundred percent partner driven. Rebuilt their programs, rebuilt their marketplace. Their marketplace is actually larger than Microsoft’s, and they grew faster than Microsoft. A couple of those quarters. It is a partner driven future, and now I have Oracle, which I just walked by as I walked from the hotel. [00:13:31] Jay McBain: Oracle with their RPOs will start to join. Maybe the list of three hyperscalers becomes the list of four in future slides, but that’s a growth slide. Market share is different. AWS early and commanding lead. And it plays out, uh, plays out this way. But we’re at an interesting moment and I stood up six years ago talking about the decade of the ecosystem after we went through a decade of sales starting in 1999 when we all thought we were born to be salespeople. [00:14:02] Jay McBain: We managed territories with our gut. The sales tech stack would have it different, that sales was a science, and we ended the decade 2009, looking at sales very differently in 2009. I remember being at cocktail parties where CMOs would be joking around that 50% of their marketing dollars were wasted. They just didn’t know which 50%. [00:14:23] Jay McBain: And I’ll tell you, that was really funny. In 2009 till every 58-year-old CMO got replaced by a 38-year-old growth hacker who walked in with 15,348 SaaS companies in their MarTech and ad tech stack to solve the problem, every nickel of marketing by 2019 was tracked. Marketo, Eloqua, Pardot, HubSpot, driving this industry. [00:14:50] Jay McBain: Now, we stood up and said the 28 moments that come before a sale are pretty much all partner driven. In the best case scenario, a vendor might see four of the moments. They might come to your website, maybe they read an ebook, maybe they have a salesperson or a demo that comes in. That’s four outta 28 moments. [00:15:10] Jay McBain: The other 24 are done by partners. Yeah, in the worst case scenario and the majority scenario, you don’t see any of the moments. All 28 happen and you lose a deal without knowing there ever was a deal. So this is it. We need to partner in these moments and we need to inject partners into sales and marketing, like no time before, and this was the time to do it. [00:15:33] Jay McBain: And we got some feedback in the Salesforce state of sales report, which doesn’t involve any partnerships or, or. Channel Chiefs or anything else. This is 5,500 of the biggest CROs in the world that obviously use Salesforce. 89% of salespeople today use partners every day. For the 11% who don’t, 58% plan two within a year. [00:15:57] Jay McBain: If you add those two numbers together, that’s magically the 96% number. They recognize that every deal has partners in it. In 2024, last year, half of the salespeople in the world, every industry, every country. Miss their numbers. For the minority who made their numbers, 84 point percent pointed to partners as the reason why they made their numbers. [00:16:21] Jay McBain: It was the cheat code for sales, so that modern salesperson that knows how to orchestrate a deal, orchestrate the 28 moments with the seven partners and get to that final spot is the winning formula. HubSpot’s number in separate research was 84% in marketing. So we’re starting to see partners in here. We don’t have to shout from the mountaintops. [00:16:44] Jay McBain: These communities like ultimate Partner are working and we’re getting this to the highest levels in the board. And I’ll say that, you know, when 20 years from now half of the companies we know and love fail after we’re done writing the book and blaming the CEO for inventing the thing that ended up killing them, blaming the board for fiduciary responsibility and letting it happen. [00:17:06] Jay McBain: What are the other chapters of the book? And I think it’s all in one slide. We are in this platform economy and the. [00:17:31] Jay McBain: So your battery’s fine. Check, check, check, check. Alright, I’ll, I’ll just hold this in case, but the companies that execute on all five of these areas, well. Not only today become the trillion dollar valued companies, but they become the companies of tomorrow. These will be the fastest growing companies at every level. [00:17:50] Jay McBain: Not only running a platform business, but participating in other platforms. So this is how it breaks out, and there are people at very senior levels, at very big companies that have this now posted in the office of the CEO winning on integrations is everything. We just went through a demographic shift this year where 51% of our buyers are born after 1982. [00:18:15] Jay McBain: Millennials are the number one buyer of the $5 trillion. Their number one buying criteria is not service. Support your price, your brand reputation, it’s integrations. The buy a product, 80% is good as the next one if it works better in their environment. 79% of us won’t buy a car unless it has CarPlay or Android Auto. [00:18:34] Jay McBain: This is an integration world. The company with the most integrations win. Second, there are seven partners that surround the customer. Highly trusted partners. We’re talking, coaching the customer’s, kids soccer team, having a cottage together up at the lake. You know, best men, bate of honors at weddings type of relationships. [00:18:57] Jay McBain: You can’t maybe have all seven, but how does Microsoft beat AWS? They might have had two, three, or four of them saying nice things about them instead of the competition. Winning in service partnerships and channel partnerships changes by category. If you’re selling MarTech, only 10% of it today is resold, so you build more on service partnerships. [00:19:18] Jay McBain: If you’re in cybersecurity today, 91.6% of it is resold. Transacted through partners. So you build a lot of channel partnerships, plus the service partnerships, whatever the mix is in your category, you have to have two or three of those seven people. Saying nice things about you at every stage of the customer journey. [00:19:38] Jay McBain: Now move over to alliances. We have already built the platforms at the hyperscale level. We’ve built the platforms within SaaS, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, Marketo, NetSuite, HubSpot. Every buyer has a set of platforms that they buy. We’ve now built them in cybersecurity this year out of 6,500 as high as cyber companies, the top five are starting to separate. [00:20:02] Jay McBain: We built it in distribution, which I’ll show in a minute. We’re building it in Telco. This is a platform economy and alliances win and you have alliances with your competitors ’cause you compete in the morning, but you’re best friends by the afternoon. Winning in other platforms is just as important as driving your own. [00:20:20] Jay McBain: And probably the most important part of this is go to market. That sales, that marketing, the 28 moments, the every 30 days forever become all a partner strategy. So there’s still CEOs out there that believe platform is a UI or UX on a bunch of disparate products and things you’ve acquired. There’s still CFOs out there that Think platform is a pricing model, a bundle model of just getting everything under one, you know, subscription price or consumption price. [00:20:51] Jay McBain: And it’s not, platforms are synonymous with partnerships. This is the way forward and there’s no conversation around ai. That doesn’t involve Nvidia over there, an open AI over here and a hyperscaler over there and a SaaS company over here. The seven layer stack wins every single time, and the companies that get this will be the ones that survive this cycle. [00:21:16] Jay McBain: Now, flipping over to marketplaces. So we had written research that, um, about five years ago that marketplaces were going to grow at 82% compounded. Yeah, probably one of the most accurate predictions we ever made, because it happened, we, we predicted that, uh, we were gonna get up to about $85 billion. Well, now we’ve extended that to 2030, so we’re gonna get up to $163 billion, and the thing that we’re watching is in green. [00:21:46] Jay McBain: If 96% of these deals are partner assisted in some way, how is the economics of partnering going to work? We predicted that 50% of deals by 2027. Would be partner funded in some way. Private offers multi-partner offers distributor sellers of record, and now that extends to 59% by 2030, the most senior leader of the biggest marketplace AWS, just said to us they’re gonna probably make these numbers on their own. [00:22:14] Jay McBain: And he asked what their two competitors are doing. So he’s telling us that we under called this. Now when you look at each of the press releases, and this is the AWS Billion Dollar Club. Every one of the companies on the left have issued a press release that they’re in the billion dollar club. Some of them are in the multi-billions, but I want you to double click on this press release. [00:22:35] Jay McBain: I’m quoted in here somewhere, but as CrowdStrike is building the marketplace at 91% compounded, they’re almost doubling their revenue every single year. They’re growing the partner funding, in this case, distributor funding by 3548%. Almost triple digit growth in marketplace is translating into almost quadruple digit growth in funding. [00:23:01] Jay McBain: And you see that over and over again as, as Splunk hit three, uh, billion dollars. The same. Salesforce hit $2 billion on AWS in Ulti, 18 months. They joined in October 20, 23, and 18 months later, they’re already at $2 billion. But now you’re seeing at Salesforce, which by the way. Grew up to $40 billion in revenue direct, almost not a nickel in resell. [00:23:28] Jay McBain: Made it really difficult for VARs and managed service providers to work with Salesforce because they couldn’t understand how to add services to something they didn’t book the revenue for. While $40 billion companies now seeing 70% of their deals come through partners. So this is just the world that we’re in. [00:23:44] Jay McBain: It doesn’t matter who you are and what industry you’re in, this takes place. But now we’re starting to see for the first time. Partners join the billion dollar club. So you wonder about partnering and all this funding and everything that’s working through Now you’re seeing press releases and companies that are redoing their LinkedIn branding about joining this illustrious club without a product to sell and all the services that wrap around it. [00:24:10] Jay McBain: So the opening session on Microsoft was interesting because there’s been a number of changes that Microsoft has done just in the last 30 days. One is they cut distribution by two thirds going from 180 distributors to 62. They cut out any small partner lower than a thousand dollars, and that doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s over a hundred thousand partners that get deed tightening the long tail. [00:24:38] Jay McBain: They we’re the first to really put a global point system in place three years ago. They went to the new commerce experience. If you remember, all kinds of changes being led by. The biggest company for the channel. And so when we’re studying marketplaces, we’re not just studying the three hyperscalers, we’re studying what TD Cynic is doing with Stream One Ingram’s doing with Advant Advantage Aerosphere. [00:25:01] Jay McBain: Also, we’re watching what PAX eight, who by the way, is the 365 bestseller for Microsoft in the world. They are the cybersecurity leader for Microsoft in the world and the copilot. Leader in the world for Microsoft and Partner of the Year for Microsoft. So we’re watching what the cloud platforms are doing, watching what the Telco are doing, which is 25 cents out of every dollar, if you remember that pie chart, watching what the biggest resellers are converting themselves into. [00:25:30] Jay McBain: Vince just mentioned, you know, SHI in the changes there watching the managed services market and the leaders there, what they’re doing in terms of how this industry’s moving forward. By the way, managed services at $608 billion this year. Is one and a half times larger than the SaaS industry overall. [00:25:48] Jay McBain: It’s also one and a half times larger than all the hyperscalers combined. Oracle, Alibaba, IBM, all the way down. This is a massive market and it makes up 15 to 20 cents of every dollar the customer spend. We’re watching that industry hit a trillion dollars by the end of the decade, and we’re watching 150 different marketplace development platforms, the distribution of our industry, which today is 70.1% indirect. [00:26:13] Jay McBain: We’re starting to see that number, uh, solidify in terms of marketplaces as well. Watching distributors go from that linear warehouse in a bank to this orchestration model, watching some of the biggest players as the world comes around, platforms, it tightens around the place. So Caresoft, uh, from from here is the sixth biggest distributor in the world. [00:26:40] Jay McBain: Just shows you how big the. You know, biggest client in the world is that they serve. But understand that we’re publishing the distributor 500 list, but it’ll be the same thing. That little group in blue in the middle today, you know, drives almost two thirds of the market. So what happens in all this next stage in terms of where the dollars change hands. [00:27:07] Jay McBain: And the economics of partnering themselves are going through the most radical shift that we’ve seen ever. So back to the nineties, and, and for those of you that have been channel chiefs and running programs, we went to work every day. You know, everything’s on fire. We’re trying to check hundred boxes, trying to make our program 10% better than our competitors. [00:27:30] Jay McBain: Hey, we gotta fix our deal registration program today, and our incentives are outta whack or training programs or. You know, not where they need to be. Our certification, you know, this was the life of, uh, of a channel chief. Everybody thought we were just out drinking in the Caribbean with our best partners, but we were under the weight of this. [00:27:49] Jay McBain: But something interesting has happened is that we turned around and put the customer at the middle of our programs to say that those 28 moments in green before the sale are really, really important. And the seven partners who participate are really important. Understanding. The customer’s gonna buy a seven layer stack. [00:28:09] Jay McBain: They’re gonna buy it With these seven partners, the procurement stage is much different. The growth of marketplaces, the growth of direct in some of these areas, and then long term every 30 days forever in a managed service, implementations, integrations, how you upsell, cross-sell, enrich a deal changes. So how would you build a program that’s wrapped around the customer instead of the vendor? [00:28:35] Jay McBain: And we’re starting to hear our partners shout back to us. These are global surveys, big numbers, but over half of our partners, regardless of type, are selling consulting to their customer. Over half are designing architecting deals. A third of them are trying to be system integrators showing up at those implementation integration moments. [00:28:55] Jay McBain: Two thirds of them are doing managed services, but the shocking one here is 44% of our partners, regardless of type, are coding. They’re building agents and they’re out helping their customer at that level. So this is the modern partner that says, don’t typecast me. You may have thought of me in your program. [00:29:14] Jay McBain: You might have me slotted as a var. Well, I do 3.2 things, and if I don’t get access to those resources, if you don’t walk me to that room, I’m not gonna do them with you. You may have me as a managed service provider that’s only in the morning. By the afternoon I’m coding, and by the next morning I’m implementing and consulting. [00:29:33] Jay McBain: So again, a partner’s not a partner. That Venn diagram is a very loose one now, as every partner on there is doing 3.2 different business models. And again, they’re telling us for 43 years, they said, I want more leads this year it changed. For the first time, I want to be recognized and incentivized as more than just a cash register for you. [00:29:57] Jay McBain: I want you to recognize when I’m consulting, when I’m designing, when you’re winning deals, because of my wonderful services, by the way, we asked the follow up question, well, where should we spend our money with you? And they overwhelmingly say, in the consulting stage, you win and lose deals. Not at moment 28. [00:30:18] Jay McBain: We’re not buying a pack of gum at the gas station. This is a considered purchase. You win deals from moment 12 through 16 and I’m gonna show you a picture of that later, and they say, you better be spending your money there, or you’re not gonna win your fair share or more than your fair share of deals. [00:30:36] Jay McBain: The shocking thing about this is that Microsoft, when they went to the point system, lifted two thirds of all the money, tens of billions of dollars, and put it post-sale, and we were all scratching our heads going. Well, if the partners are asking for it there, and it seems like to beat your biggest competitors, you want to win there. [00:30:54] Jay McBain: Why would you spend the money on renewal? Well, they went to Wall Street and Goldman Sachs and the people who lift trillions of dollars of pension funds and said, if we renew deals at 108%, we become a cash machine for you. And we think that’s more valuable than a company coming out with a new cell phone in September and selling a lot of them by Christmas every year. [00:31:18] Jay McBain: The industry. And by the way, wall Street responded, Microsoft has been more valuable than Apple since. So we talk in this now multiplier language, and these are reports that we write, uh, at AMIA at canals. But talking about the partner opportunity in that customer cycle, the $6 and 40 cents you can make for every dollar of consumption, or the $7 and 5 cents you can make the $8 and 45 cents you can make. [00:31:46] Jay McBain: There’s over 24 companies speaking at this level now, and guess what? It’s not just cloud or software companies. Hardware companies are starting to speak in this language, and on January 25th, Cisco, you know, probably second to Microsoft in terms of trust built with the channel globally is moving to a full point system. [00:32:09] Jay McBain: So these are the changes that happen fast. But your QBR with your partners now less about drinking beers at the hotel lobby bar and talking dollar by dollar where these opportunities are. So if you’re doing 3.2 of these things, let’s build out a, uh, a play where you can make $3 for every dollar that we make. [00:32:28] Jay McBain: And you make that profitably. You make it in sticky, highly retained business, and that’s the model. ’cause if you make $3 for every dollar. We make, you’re gonna win Partner of the year, and if you win partner of the year, that piece of glass that you win on stage, by the time you get back to your table, you’re gonna have three offers to buy your business. [00:32:51] Jay McBain: CDW just bought a w. S’s Partner of the Year. Insight bought Google’s eight time partner of the year. Presidio bought ServiceNow’s, partner of the year over and over and over again. So I’m at Octane, I’m at CrowdStrike, I’m at all these events in Vegas every week. I’m watching these partners of the year. [00:33:05] Jay McBain: And I’m watching as the big resellers. I’m watching as the GSIs and the m and a folks are surrounding their table after, and they’re selling their businesses for SaaS level valuations. Not the one-to-one service valuation. They’re getting multiples because this is the new future of our industry. This is platform economics. [00:33:25] Jay McBain: This is winning and platforms for partners. Now, like Vince, I spent 20 minutes without talking about ai, but we have to talk about ai. So the next 20 years as it plays out is gonna play out in phases. And the first thing you know to get it out of the way. The first two years since that March of 23, has been underwhelming, to say the least. [00:33:47] Jay McBain: It’s been disappointing. All the companies that should have won the biggest in AI have been the most disappointing. It’s underperformed the s and p by a considerable amount in terms of where we are. And it goes back to this. We always overestimate the first two years, but we underestimate the first 10. [00:34:07] Jay McBain: If you wanna be the point in time person and go look at that 1983 PC or the 1995 internet or that 2007 iPhone or that whatever point in time you wanna look at, or if you want to talk about hallucinations or where chat chip ET version five is version, as opposed to where it’s going to be as it improves every six months here on in. [00:34:30] Jay McBain: But the fact of the matter is, it’s been a consumer trend. Nvidia got to be the most valuable company in the world. OpenAI was the first company to 2 billion users, uh, in that amount of speed. It’s the fastest growing product ever in history, and it’s been a consumer win this trillions of dollars to get it thrown around in the press releases. [00:34:49] Jay McBain: They’re going out every day, you know, open ai, signing up somebody new or Nvidia, investing in somebody new almost every single day in hundreds of billions of dollars. It is all happening really on the consumer side. So we got a little bit worried and said, is that 96% of surround gonna work in ag agentic ai? [00:35:10] Jay McBain: So we went and asked, and the good news is 88% of end customers are using partners to work through their ag agentic strategy. Even though they’re moving slow, they’re actually using partners. But what’s interesting from a partner perspective, and this is new research that out till 2030. This is the number one services opportunity in the entire tech or telco industry. [00:35:34] Jay McBain: 35.3% compounded growth ending at $267 billion in services. Companies are rebuilding themselves, building out practices, and getting on this train and figuring out which vendors they should hook their caboose to as those trains leave the station. But it kind of plays out like this. So in the next three to five years, we’re in this generative, moving into agentic phase. [00:36:01] Jay McBain: Every partner thinks internally first, the sales and marketing. They’re thinking about their invoicing and billing. They’re thinking about their service tickets. They’re thinking about creating a business that’s 10% better than their competitors, taking that knowledge into their customers and drive in business. [00:36:17] Jay McBain: But we understand that ag agentic AI, as it’s going to play out is not a product. A couple of years ago, we thought maybe a copilot or an agent force or something was going to be the product that everybody needed to buy, and it’s not a product, it’s gonna show up as a feature. So you go back in the history of feature ads and it’s gonna show up in software. [00:36:38] Jay McBain: So if you’re calling in SMB, maybe you’re calling on a restaurant. The restaurant isn’t gonna call OpenAI or call Microsoft or call Nvidia directly. They’re running their restaurant. And they may have chosen a platform like Toast Square, Clover, whatever iPads people are running around with, runs on a platform that does everything in their business, does staffing, does food ordering, works with Uber Eats, does everything end to end? [00:37:08] Jay McBain: They’re gonna wait to one of those platforms, dries out agent AI for them, and can run the restaurant more effectively, less human capital and more consistently, but they wait for the SaaS platform as you get larger. A hundred, 150 people. You have vice presidents. Each of those vice presidents already have a SaaS stack. [00:37:28] Jay McBain: I talked about Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, et cetera. They’ve already built that seven layer model and in some cases it’s 70 layers. But the fact is, is they’re gonna wait for those SaaS layers to deliver ag agentic to them. So this is how it’s gonna play out for the next three and a half, three to five years. [00:37:45] Jay McBain: And partners are realizing that many of them were slow to pick up SaaS ’cause they didn’t resell it. Well now to win in this next three to half, three to five years, you’re gonna have to play in this environment. When you start looking out from here, the next generation, you know, kind of five through 15 years gets interesting in more of a physical sense. [00:38:06] Jay McBain: Where I was yesterday talking about every IOT device that now is internet access, starts to get access to large language models. Every little sensor, every camera, everything that’s out there starts to get smart. But there’s a point. The first trillionaire, I believe, will be created here. Elon’s already halfway there. [00:38:24] Jay McBain: Um, but when Bill Gates thought there was gonna be a PC in every home, and IBM thought they were gonna sell 10,000 to hobbyists, that created the richest person in the world for 20 years, there will be a humanoid in every home. There’s gonna be a point in time that you’re out having drinks with your friends, and somebody’s gonna say, the early adopter of your friends is gonna say. [00:38:46] Jay McBain: I haven’t done the dishes in six weeks. I haven’t done the laundry. I haven’t made my bed. I haven’t mowed the lawn. When they say that, you’re gonna say, well, how? And they’re gonna say, well, this year I didn’t buy a new car, but I went to the car dealership and I bought this. So we’re very close to the dexterity needed. [00:39:05] Jay McBain: We’ve got the large language models. Now. The chat, GPT version 10 by then is going to make an insane, and every house is gonna have one of the. [00:39:17] Jay McBain: This is the promise of ai. It’s not humanoid robots, it’s not agents. It’s this. 99% of the world’s business data has not been trained or tuned into models yet. Again, this is the slow moving business. If you want to think about the 99% of business data, every flight we’ve all taken in this room sits on a saber system that was put in place in 1964. [00:39:43] Jay McBain: Every banking transaction, we’ve all made, every withdrawal, every deposit sits on an IBM mainframe put in place in the sixties or seventies. 83% of this data sits in cold storage at the edge. It’s not ready to be moved. It’s not cleansed, it’s not, um, indexed. It’s not in any format or sitting on any infrastructure that a large language model will be able to gobble up the data. [00:40:10] Jay McBain: None of the workflows, none of the programming on top of that data is yet ready. So this is your 10 to 20 year arc of this era that chat bot today when they cancel your flight is cute. It’s empathetic, it feels bad for you, or at least it seems to, but it can’t do anything. It can’t book you the Marriott and get you an Uber and then a 5:00 AM flight the next morning. [00:40:34] Jay McBain: It can’t do any of that. But more importantly, it doesn’t know who you are. I’ve got 53 years of flights under my belt and they, I’m the person that get me within six hours of my kids and get me a one-way Hertz rental. You know, if there’s bad weather in Miami, get me to Tampa, get me a Hertz, I’m driving home, I’m gonna make it home. [00:40:56] Jay McBain: I’m not the 5:00 AM get me a hotel person. They would know that if they picked up the flights that I’ve taken in the past. Each of us are different. When you get access to the business data and you become ag agentic, everything changes. Every industry changes because of this around the customers. When you ask about this 35% growth, working on that data, working in traditional consulting and design and implementation, working in the $7 trillion of infrastructure, storage, compute, networking, that’s gonna be around, this is a massive opportunity. [00:41:30] Jay McBain: Services are gonna continue to outgrow products. Probably for the next five to 10 years because of this, and I’m gonna finish here. So we talked a lot about quantifying names, faces, places, and I think where we failed the most as ultimate partners is underneath the tam, which every one of our CEOs knows to the decimal point underneath the TAM that our board thinks they’re chasing. [00:41:59] Jay McBain: We’ve done a very poor job. Of talking about the available markets and obtainable markets underneath it, we, we’ve shown them theory. We’ve shown them a bunch of, you know, really smart stuff, and PowerPoint slides up the wazoo, but we’ve never quantified it for them. If they wanna win, if they want to get access, if they want to double their pipeline, triple their pipeline, if they wanna start winning more deals, if they wanna win deals that are three times larger, they close two times faster. [00:42:31] Jay McBain: And they renew 15% larger. They have to get into the available and obtainable markets. So just in the last couple weeks I spoke at Cribble, I spoke at Octane, I spoke at CrowdStrike Falcon. All three of those companies at the CEO level, main stage use those exact three numbers, three x, two x, 15%. That’s the language of platforms, and they’re investing millions and millions and millions of dollars on teams. [00:42:59] Jay McBain: To go build out the Sam Andal in name spaces and places. So you’ve heard me talk about these 28 moments a lot. They’re the ones that you spend when you buy a car. Some people spend one moment and they drive to the Cadillac dealership. ’cause Larry’s been, you know, taking care of the family for 50 years. [00:43:18] Jay McBain: Some people spend 50 moments like I do, watching every YouTube video and every, you know, thing on the internet. I clear the internet cover to cover. But the fact is, is every deal averages around these 28 moments. Your customer, there’s 13 members of the buying committee today. There’s seven partners and they’re buying seven things. [00:43:37] Jay McBain: There’s 27 things orchestrating inside these 28 moments. And where and how they all take place is a story of partnering. So a couple of years ago, canals. Latin for channel was acquired by amia, which is a part of Informa Tech Target, which is majority owned by Informa. All that being said, there’s hundreds of magazines that we have. [00:44:00] Jay McBain: There’s hundreds of events that we run. If somebody’s buying cybersecurity, they probably went to Black Hat or they probably went to GI Tech. One of these events we run, or one of the magazines. So we pick up these signals, these buyer intent signals as a company. Why did they wanna, um, buy a, uh, a Canals, which was a, you know, a small analyst firm around channels? [00:44:22] Jay McBain: They understood this as well. The 28 moments look a lot like this when marketers and salespeople are busy filling in the spots of every deal. And by the way, this is a real deal. AstraZeneca came in to spend millions of dollars on ASAP transformation, and you can start to see as the customer got smart. [00:44:45] Jay McBain: The eBooks, they read the podcasts, they listened to the events they went to. You start to see how this played out over the long term. But the thing we’ve never had in our industry is the light blue boxes. This deal was won and lost in December. In this particular case, NTT software won and Yash came in and sold the customer five projects. [00:45:07] Jay McBain: The millions of dollars that were going to be spent were solved here. The design and architecture work was all done here. A couple of ISVs You see in light blue came in right at the end, deal was closed in April. You see the six month cycle. But what if you could fill in every one of the 28 boxes in every single customer prospect that your sales and marketing team have? [00:45:30] Jay McBain: But here’s the brilliance of this. Those light blue boxes didn’t win the deals there. They won the deals months before that. So when NTT and Software one walked into this deal. They probably won the deal back in October and they had to go through the redlining. They had to go through the contracting, they had to go through all the stuff and the Gantt chart to get started. [00:45:54] Jay McBain: But while your CMO is getting all excited about somebody reading an ebook and triggering an MQL that the sales team doesn’t want, ’cause it’s not qualified, it’s not sales qualified, you walk in and say, no, no. This is a multimillion deal, dollar deal. It’s AstraZeneca. I know the five partners that are coming in in December to solidify the seven layers, and you’re walking in at the same time as the CMOs bragging about an ebook. [00:46:21] Jay McBain: This changes everything. If we could get to this level of data about every dollar of our tam, we not only outgrow our competitors, we become the platforms of the next generation. Partnering and ultimate partnering is all here. And this is what we’re doing in this room. This is what we’re doing over these couple of days, and this is what, uh, the mission that Vince is leading. [00:46:43] Jay McBain: Thank you so much. [00:46:47] Vince Menzione: Woo. Day in the house. Good to see you my friend. Good to see you. Oh, we’re gonna spend a couple minutes. Um, I’m put you in the second seat. We’re gonna put, we’re gonna make it sit fireside for a minute. Uh, that was intense. It was pretty incredible actually, Jay. And so I’m, I think I wanna open it up ’cause we only have a few minutes just to, any questions? [00:47:06] Vince Menzione: I’m sure people are just digesting. We already have one up here. See, [00:47:09] Question: Jay knows I’m [00:47:10] Vince Menzione: a question. I love it. We, I don’t think we have any I can grab a mic, a roving mic. I could be a roving mic person. Hold on. We can do this. This is not on. [00:47:25] Vince Menzione: Test, test. Yes it is. Yeah. [00:47:26] Question: Theresa Carriol dared me to ask a question and I say, you don’t have to dare me. You know, I’m going to Anyway. Um, so Jay, of the point of view that with all of the new AI players that strategic alliances is again having a moment, and I was curious your point of view on what you’re seeing around this emergence and trend of strategic alliances and strategic alliance management. [00:47:52] Question: As compared to channel management. And what are you seeing in terms of large vendors like AWS investing in that strategic alliance role versus that channel role training, enablement, measurement, all that good stuff? [00:48:06] Jay McBain: Yeah, it’s, it’s a great question. So when I told the story about toast at the restaurant or Square or Clover, they’re not call, they’re not gonna call open AI or Nvidia themselves either. [00:48:17] Jay McBain: When you look out at the 250,000 ISVs. That make up this AI stack, there is the layers that happen there. So the Alliance with AWS, the alliance they have with Microsoft or Google is going to be how they generate agent AI in their platforms. So when I talk about a seven layer stack, the average deal being seven layers, AI is gonna drive this to nine, and then 11, then probably 13. [00:48:44] Jay McBain: So in terms of how alliances work, I had it up there as one of the five core strategies, and I think it’s pretty even. You can have the best alliances in the world, but if the seven partners trusted by the customer don’t know what that alliance is and the benefits to the customer and never mention it, it’s all for Naugh. [00:49:00] Jay McBain: If you’re go-to market, you’re co-selling, your co-marketing strategies are not built around that alliance. It’s all for naught. If the integration and the co-innovation, the co-development, the all the co-creation work that’s done inside these alliances isn’t translated to customer outcomes, it’s all for naugh. [00:49:17] Jay McBain: These are all five parallel swim lanes. All five are absolutely critically needed. And I think they’re all five pretty equally weighted in terms of needing each other. Yes. To be successful in the era of platforms. Yeah. [00:49:32] Vince Menzione: And the problem is they’re all stove pipe today. If, if at all. Yeah. Maintained, right. [00:49:36] Vince Menzione: Alliances is an example. Channels and other example. They don’t talk to one another. Judge any, we’ve got a mic up here if anybody else has. Yep. We have some questions here, Jacqueline. [00:49:51] Question: So when we’re developing our channel programs, any advice on, you know, what’s the shift that we should make six months from now, a year from now? The historical has been bronze, silver, gold, right? And you’ve got your deal registration, but what’s the future look like? [00:50:05] Jay McBain: Yeah, so I mean, the programs are, are changing to, to the point where the customer should be in the middle and realizing the seven partners you need to win the deal. [00:50:15] Jay McBain: And depending on what category of product you’re in, security, how much you rely on resell, 91.6%. You know, the channel partners are gonna be critical where the customer spends the money. And if you’re adding friction to that process, you’re adding friction in terms of your growth. So you know, if you’re in cybersecurity, you have to have a pretty wide open reseller model. [00:50:39] Jay McBain: You have to have a wide open distribution model, and you have to make sure you’re there at that point of sale. While at the same time, considering the other six partners at moment 12 who are in either saying nice things about you or not, the customer might even be starting with you. ’cause there is actually one thing that I didn’t mention when I showed the 28 moments filled in. [00:51:00] Jay McBain: You’ll notice that the customer went to AWS twice direct. AWS lost the deal. Microsoft won the deal software. One is Microsoft’s biggest reseller in the world. They just acquired crayon. NTT who, who loves both had their Microsoft team go in. [00:51:18] Question: Mm. [00:51:19] Jay McBain: So I think that they went to AWS thinking it was A-W-S-S-A-P, you know, kind of starting this seven layer stack. [00:51:25] Jay McBain: I think they finished those, you know, critical moments in the middle looking at it. And then they went back to AWS kind of going probably WWTF. Yeah. What we thought was happening isn’t actually the outcome that was painted by our most trusted people. So, you know, to answer your question, listen to your partners. [00:51:43] Jay McBain: They want to be recognized for the other things they’re doing. You can’t be spending a hundred percent of the dollars at the point of sale. You gotta have a point of system that recognizes the point of sale, maybe even gold, silver, bronze, but recognizing that you’re paying for these other moments as well. [00:51:57] Jay McBain: Paying for alliances, paying for integrations and everything else, uh, in the cyber stack. And, um, you know, recognizing also the top 1000. So if I took your tam. And I overlaid those thousand logos. I would be walking into 2026 the best I could of showing my company logo by logo, where 80% of our TAM sits as wallet share, not by revenue. [00:52:25] Jay McBain: Remember, a million dollar partner is not a million dollar partner. One of them sells 1.2 million in our category. We should buy them a baseball cap and have ’em sit in the front row of our event. One of them sells $10 million and only sells our stuff if the customer asks. So my company should be looking at that $9 million opportunity and making sure my programs are writing the checks and my coverage. [00:52:48] Jay McBain: My capacity and capability planning is getting obsessed over that $9 million. My farmers can go over there, my hunters can go over here, and I should be submitting a list of a thousand sorted in descending order of opportunity. Of where my company can write program dollars into. [00:53:07] Vince Menzione: Great answer. All right. I, I do wanna be cognizant of time and the, all the other sessions we have. [00:53:14] Vince Menzione: So we’ll just take one other question if there are any here and if not, we’ll let I know. Jay, you’re gonna be mingling around for a little while before your flight. I’m [00:53:21] Jay McBain: here the whole day. [00:53:22] Vince Menzione: You, you’re the whole day. I see that Jay’s here the whole day. So if you have any other questions and, and, uh, sharing the deck is that. [00:53:29] Vince Menzione: Yep. Alright. We have permission to share the deck with the each of you as well. [00:53:34] Jay McBain: Alright, well thank you very much everyone. Jay. Great to have you.

Today's guest is Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com is a global B2B marketplace connecting small and mid-sized businesses with manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. Kuo joins Emerj Editorial Director Matthew DeMello for an exclusive interview following his keynote address at this year's CoCreate event in Las Vegas to discuss how agentic AI is lowering barriers to global sourcing, transforming procurement workflows, and reshaping how organizations of all sizes move from product idea to execution. Kuo also breaks down the practical efficiencies emerging from AI-driven automation—from reducing manual supplier communication to streamlining global transactions and trade assurance—and explains where enterprises are already seeing measurable ROI through faster cycle times, expanded sourcing options, and increased operational resilience. You can read an article analysis of today's conversation, originally published on Emerj.com, here. Want to share your AI adoption story with executive peers? Click emerj.com/expert2 for more information and to be a potential future guest on the 'AI in Business' podcast! If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show! Watch Matt and Kuo's conversation on our new YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@EmerjAIResearch.

 In this episode of The Negotiation Podcast, host Todd Embley is joined by Richard Kimber, an Australian and Hong Kong–admitted lawyer who has helped more than 400 companies enter and operate in the Chinese market.Richard brings decades of experience advising international businesses across sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, healthcare, technology, sports, and education. His work spans China market entry, international trade, strategic alliances and joint ventures, IP licensing, and compliance—making him a trusted advisor for brands navigating the complexities of doing business in China.The conversation focuses on the realities of manufacturing and sourcing in China today: what has changed, what remains misunderstood, and how brands can protect themselves while still capturing the advantages of China's manufacturing ecosystem.Discussion PointsRichard's personal journey into China and how his legal career evolved alongside China's opening and globalizationThe types of companies and industries he most commonly supports todayThe most common challenges foreign brands face when manufacturing or sourcing in China—and how

On Episode 227, the conversation with New York lyricist Shah Leezy continues as we dig deeper into the mind, philosophy, and creative foundation behind his music. In this second installment, Shah expands on the themes that define his artistry — spirituality, cultural identity, loyalty, discipline, and the philosophy that shapes his worldview and writing.We explore the stories behind projects like Mohammad Speaks!, ALI BABA!, Shiraz, The London Tape, and the creative evolution leading to his latest album LUNACy! with producer Ezekiel Jordan. Shah breaks down how faith, life experiences, and cultural influence shape his voice, visual direction, and the narratives he brings to hip hop.The conversation also dives into his philosophical interests (including the use of Alan Watts samples), the responsibility of being an independent artist, the reality of being a Middle Eastern MC in today's hip hop landscape, and how he balances artistic integrity with ambition.This is Shah Leezy unfiltered — reflective, sharp, grounded, and intentional.

VOV1 - AI được dự báo sẽ “kích hoạt” cạnh tranh nước lớn trong năm 2026”. Đó là nhận định của giới phân tích khi dự báo về viễn cảnh năm 2026.Nhận định vừa nêu được đưa ra khi giới phân tích nhìn lại những diễn biến trong năm 2025, khi AI trở thành “Vũ khí giúp tăng vị thế của các quốc gia” và khiến cuộc chạy đua giữa các cường quốc, đặc biệt là Mỹ- Trung trở nên gay gắt.Việc tập đoàn Nvidia (Mỹ) rót hàng tỷ USD đầu AI vào châu Âu; sự vươn lên mạnh mẽ của các doanh nghiệp Trung Quốc, tiêu biểu như Moore Threads, Cambricon, Huawei và Alibaba, đặc biệt là sự ra mắt  trí tuệ nhân tạo “made in China” mang tên DeepSeek gây sốc toàn cầu…báo hiệu một chu kỳ cạnh tranh mới, sâu rộng và mang tính chiến lược. Chúng ta sẽ cùng biên tập viên Hồ Điệp nhìn lại cuộc đua trí tuệ nhân tạo AI trong năm 2025 và đến với một số dự báo trong năm 2026.

Send us a textWelcome to Safe Dividend Investing's Podcast # 254, on December 20th of 2025.  My name is Ian Duncan MacDonald, and I am an author of six investment books. I continue to  working away on my latest book which will be called “Achieving Financial Independence Safely. 200 NYSE Stocks - Analyzed and Scored”. I am now down to the editing and formatting. However, I did add a new chapter to recognize the tremendous impact that AI stocks are having upon the stock market. I have anticipated that the readers of the new book would question why nothing on AI stocks would have appeared in the book.I found it interesting in researching this new chapter on AI stocks how similar an  impact it has had upon the population was to when electricity was first introduced in the late eighteen hundreds. The same fears were there about a technology that you might not be able to control. My books are not get-rich-quick books. They are about taking a little time to carefully seek out financially strong companies with long histories of paying ever rising high  dividends accompanied by rising share prices. Diversification and patience win out in investing. The objective is achieving that steady, reliable income that results in financial independence for the rest of your life. My plan is to release this new book at a greatly reduced price for ten days. If you wish to be informed of this preliminary release date, please email me at imacd@informus.ca.Please, visit my website www.informus.ca if you wish to learn more about me and my writing.Ian Duncan MacDonald Author and Commercial Risk Consultant,President of Informus Inc 2 Vista Humber Drive Toronto, Ontario Canada, M9P 3R7 Toronto Telephone - 416-245-4994 New York Telephone - 929-800-2397 imacd@informus.ca

Alors que la justice française doit se prononcer sur une possible suspension de Shein, le débat sur les marketplaces low-cost s'intensifie en Europe. Pendant ce temps, sur un autre continent, le e-commerce suit une trajectoire bien différente. En Afrique, un acteur s'impose comme le leader du secteur: Jumia, souvent qualifié d'« Amazon africain ». Contrairement aux marchés européens, déjà matures et fortement concurrentiels, le e-commerce africain demeure un secteur en phase de structuration. Dans de nombreux pays, acheter en ligne n'est pas encore un réflexe généralisé. Les obstacles sont concrets : absence d'adresses officielles dans certaines villes, infrastructures logistiques insuffisantes, réseaux de distribution fragmentés. Pourtant, le marché affiche une dynamique impressionnante. Le commerce en ligne en Afrique progresse à un rythme compris entre 12 % et 14 % par an, bien supérieur à celui observé en Europe ou en Amérique du Nord. En 2025, il devrait représenter près de 280 milliards de dollars. Cette croissance est portée par une population jeune, majoritairement urbaine, largement équipée en smartphones et de plus en plus connectée à Internet. Mais sur le terrain, le développement du e-commerce reste prudent, contraint par les réalités économiques et logistiques. Jumia, l'ambition d'un Amazon africain C'est dans ce contexte que Jumia a vu le jour en 2012. La plateforme s'est donné pour mission de révolutionner les habitudes de consommation de plus d'un milliard d'Africains, avec une ambition claire : créer un Amazon ou un Alibaba adapté au continent. Séduits par le slogan « 100 % Afrique, 100 % Internet », les investisseurs internationaux ont injecté près de 800 millions de dollars avant l'entrée en Bourse de l'entreprise à New York, en 2019. Mais l'euphorie est de courte durée. Dès son introduction en Bourse, le cours de l'action chute. Dans le même temps, Jumia poursuit une expansion rapide, s'implantant jusqu'à 14 pays. Une stratégie qui se révèle trop coûteuse. Les pertes s'accumulent, la logistique peine à suivre et le modèle montre ses limites. L'entreprise est alors contrainte de revoir en profondeur sa stratégie et son périmètre d'activité. Recentrage stratégique et concurrence accrue Aujourd'hui, Jumia existe toujours, mais sous une forme plus resserrée. La plateforme a réduit la voilure et concentre désormais ses activités dans neuf pays, qui représentent néanmoins près de 60 % du PIB africain. Pour s'adapter aux spécificités locales, elle a développé des solutions sur mesure : points de retrait dans les villages et les quartiers périphériques, recours au paiement à la livraison pour rassurer des consommateurs encore méfiants à l'égard du paiement en ligne, multiplication des partenariats régionaux et internationaux pour mieux gérer les stocks et limiter les ruptures. Ce repositionnement intervient dans un contexte de concurrence accrue. L'Américain Amazon et les plateformes chinoises Temu ou Shein s'intéressent elles aussi au marché africain. Mais ces acteurs avancent prudemment, confrontés à des réalités qu'ils maîtrisent encore imparfaitement. Amazon, par exemple, s'est implanté en Égypte puis en Afrique du Sud, deux des marchés les plus mûrs du continent. La force de Jumia réside aujourd'hui dans sa connaissance fine du terrain et dans la fidélité d'une clientèle locale. L'entreprise affiche un objectif clair : atteindre la rentabilité d'ici à 2027. Selon plusieurs cabinets spécialisés, ses chances d'y parvenir sont désormais estimées à 70 %, contre une probabilité quasi nulle il y a encore quelques années. D'autres plateformes, comme Konga au Nigeria ou Takealot en Afrique du Sud, tentent elles aussi de tirer leur épingle du jeu à plus petite échelle. En Afrique, le succès du e-commerce ne passe pas par le copier-coller des modèles occidentaux, mais par une adaptation constante aux réalités locales.

Welcome to AI Unraveled (December 18, 2025): Your daily strategic briefing on the business impact of artificial intelligence.Today on the AI Daily News Rundown, the numbers are getting astronomical. We break down reports that OpenAI is seeking $100 billion in funding at a staggering $750 billion valuation, while Amazon is reportedly discussing a $10 billion investment into the ChatGPT maker—a potential massive pivot from their Anthropic strategy.We also cover the official launch of the ChatGPT App Store, Google's lightning-fast Gemini 3 Flash, and China's advancement on its national AI "Manhattan Project." Plus, we look at new tools from Alibaba, Meta, and xAI, and discuss why Stanford experts are calling 2026 the "Year of Reckoning."Listen at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-daily-news-rundown-the-trillion-dollar-race/id1684415169?i=1000741881593Key Topics:

In der heutigen Folge sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Anja Ettel und Philipp Vetter über den Broadcom-Abwärtsstrudel, China-Euphorie bei Nvidia und ein Kursfeuerwerk in der Hanf-Branche. Außerdem geht es um Oracle, AMD, ASML, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Siemens Energy, TSMC, Alibaba, Lululemon, Adidas, Puma, Hensoldt, Rheinmetall, Renk, Tilray Brands, Canopy Growth, SNDL, Porsche, VW, Mercedes, BMW, Suzuki, Geely, BYD, Xiaomi, Tesla, iShares Core MSCI World ETF (WKN: A0RPWH) und Amundi All Country World ETF (WKN: LYX00C). Karstens Artikel zum Netto-Effekt findet ihr hier: https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/plus693d3cd64e06e0d53ab670f4/steuern-2026-familien-jubeln-singles-zahlen-drauf-das-bleibt-den-deutschen-vom-brutto.html Die aktuelle "Alles auf Aktien"-Umfrage findet Ihr unter: https://www.umfrageonline.com/c/mh9uebwm Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter.[ Hier bei WELT.](https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html.) [Hier] (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6zxjyJpTMunyYCY6F7vHK1?si=8f6cTnkEQnmSrlMU8Vo6uQ) findest Du die Samstagsfolgen Klassiker-Playlist auf Spotify! Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? [**Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte!**](https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien) Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html

Philips durfde ruim twee jaar geen overnames te doen. Alle tijd en geld ging op aan de slaapapneu-affaire. Maar die tijd is voorbij: het bedrijf lijft de Amerikaanse start-up Spectrawave in. Geen gigantisch bedrijf, met zo'n 70 medewerkers, maar toch: gaat Philips nog meer op overnamejacht? Dat bespreken we deze aflevering. Daarin vertellen we je ook over Nvdia. Sinds de chipmaker groen licht heeft van de VS om de op-een-na-beste AI-chips aan China te leveren, stromen de bestellingen binnen. Klein detail: China wil die chips helemaal niet hebben. Duiken we ook nog op het SpaceX van Elon Musk. Vorige week lekte al uit dat er een beursgang aankomt en vandaag lijkt dat weer een stapje zekerder. En je hoort over het bedrijf achter de robotstofzuiger Roomba: dat is ter ziele gegaan. Te gast is Nico Inberg van De Aandeelhouder, die het hele verhaal rond OCI en Orascom alvast aanwijst als 'scam van het jaar'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover YouTube TV launching genre-based plans, expanding its sports streaming push, and increasing ads on Shorts. We also cover Pinterest buying tvScientific to expand performance ads to CTV, and Meta reportedly using Alibaba's Qwen in its ‘Avocado' model.

Send us a textSo the whole Bravo community is in a tizzy because Bronwyn Newport has separated from Todd Bradley, but wait until you hear what I discovered in court documents going back years that changes everything about what we've been watching on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. I'm revealing the real timeline of their relationship and why I believe she needed him for casting in the first place, plus the shocking reason the separation was announced NOW of all times. We're also diving into Lisa Barlow's swollen ankles that had fans worried - she finally explains what's really going on with her health on Jeff Lewis' show, and I'm sharing major behind-the-scenes tea about why the entire RHOSLC cast actually feels about Lisa that will completely change how you watch the show. Then we get into the Greece trip S6 Ep 17 drama where Heather Gay tries to shut down the Cartier watch fight in the most Heather way possible, Whitney Rose nearly falls off a mountain, and Meredith Marks faces an ambush dinner that reveals what might be the REAL reason Whitney and Heather have formed this alliance against her - and it connects back to the Alibaba tea that was spilled about Whitney's business. You won't believe which housewife might have actually been behind leaking that information and how they manipulated the narrative. Plus I'm breaking down Mary Cosby calling out Meredith for her disengaged behavior and whether this is Meredith's new strategy to avoid being pinned down on camera. THEN we transition into Miss Universe chaos Part 2 with Princess Sammy where we learn that both Anne Jakrajutatip and Raul Rocha Cantú have FLED their countries, there are 13 arrest warrants issued, and I'm revealing the money laundering schemes involving everything from skincare to water bottles. Sammy answers YOUR QUESTIONS. Will Princess Sammy BUY IT?! Sammy exposes which Miss Universe winner had guns held to her head and received death threats throughout her reign, the Miss USA scandals involving Crystal Stewart and Layla Rose, and why Sammy believes Anne might end up as a fish taco. We also get into 50 Cent's "Diddy: The Reckoning" docuseries and my theory about how 50 Cent got that privileged attorney footage - could Daphne Joy be involved? Plus we discuss the Trump/Epstein connection theories, what Epstein really said about Trump in those Michael Wolff recordings, whether Bill Barr baited Epstein back to the US, and why the prosecution struggled with Cassie's testimony in the Diddy case. Full episode only available at Dishing Drama Dana Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DishingDramaWithDanaWilkeySupport the showDana is on Cameo!Follow Dana: @Wilkey_Dana$25,000 Song - Apple Music$25,000 Song - SpotifyTo support the show and listen to full episodes, become a member on PatreonTo send Dana information, show requests and sponsorships reach out to our new email: dishingdramadana@gmail.comDana's YouTube Channel

How do you transform a simple vision into a brand that attracts opportunities and solves real problems? Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief turned media mogul, is here to share the blueprint with every aspiring entrepreneur and keynote speaker. In this episode, he shares his transformational journey from media insider to personal brand powerhouse. While serving as an editor, Jason realized that he wasn't just the guy behind the magazine; he was an authority waiting to be discovered. This realization sparked a career reinvention, where he redefined his personal brand and built a media company that empowers others.  Jason now advises top entrepreneurs and speaks globally, showing how the right mindset and strategic thinking can unlock endless opportunities. From embracing your "5% character" to understanding the importance of building your own media, Jason shares valuable lessons on how to build a personal brand that stands out in a crowded digital landscape. "The most successful people are the most adaptable. They develop a unique personal relationship with change that enables them to grow, build, and thrive while everything else swirls around them. " ~ Jason Feifer In This Episode: - Meet Jason Feifer - From media insider to building a personal brand - Cold pitching lessons from pitching the media - Understanding AI's role in media and business - What the most successful people do differently - Jason's theory of experience and "one thing" concept - Building a scalable keynote and product-market fit - AI's impact on the future of personal branding and social media - Final advice on building a strong personal brand and business - Where to find Jason online About Jason Feifer: Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, a startup advisor, keynote speaker, and a widely recognized authority on business and communications. Jason regularly speaks for the world's greatest companies and organizations, and has given keynotes for Google, Clorox, Pfizer, Microsoft, Alibaba, Crocs, and more.  He's also the co-founder of CPG Fast Track, a private network for early-stage consumer packaged goods founders. He writes a newsletter called One Thing Better, and co-hosts the podcast Help Wanted with best-selling money expert Nicole Lapin. LinkedIn named him a “Top Voice in Entrepreneurship“. Website: https://www.jasonfeifer.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyfeifer/  Newsletter: https://www.jasonfeifer.com/newsletter/            Where to find me: IG: https://www.instagram.com/jen_gottlieb/    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jen_gottlieb     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jenleahgottlieb    Website: https://jengottlieb.com/    My business: https://www.superconnectormedia.com/     YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jen_gottlieb

Emerging markets are changing fast. Old economy sectors like banks and energy no longer define the space. Instead, growth is being driven by internet platforms, tech enabled consumer companies, and new economy business models reshaping how investors approach EM exposure. In this Lead-Lag Deep Dive, Melanie Schaffer sits down with Brendan Ahern, Chief Investment Officer at KraneShares, to break down how this transformation is unfolding and what investors need to understand about both broad EM strategies and single stock levered ETFs.Ahern explains the mechanics of daily leveraged ETFs, why fundamentals for companies like Alibaba, Mercado Libre, Pinduoduo, JD and others may be misunderstood, and how concentrated growth exposure differs from traditional EM allocations. He also discusses how investors should think about volatility, sizing, and the macro factors that create both opportunity and risk across emerging markets.In this episode:- How single stock levered ETFs actually work and why daily resets matter- Why EM fundamentals are shifting toward internet platforms and tech enabled services- The temptation and the risk in overweighting individual EM growth names- How KWEB and KEMQ isolate growth that broad EM indices miss- How to size and risk adjust aggressive EM exposures inside a diversified portfolioLead-Lag Live brings you inside conversations with the financial thinkers who shape markets. Subscribe for interviews that go deeper than the noise.#LeadLagLive #EmergingMarkets #Stocks #Investing #TechGrowth #ETFStrategies #MarketOutlook #Finance #MacroTrendsStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Support the show

Direkt zur Spryker & Alibaba Integration: https://spryker.com/alibaba Spryker Finanzierungsrunde: www.spryker.com In dieser Folge führen wir ein ausführliches Gespräch mit Kuo Zhang, dem Präsidenten von Alibaba.com, und erkunden die komplexen Abläufe und das transformative Potenzial der Plattform. Als weltweit führende B2B-Plattform gibt Zhang Einblicke in deren Umfang, die über 50 Millionen Käufer und 200.000 Lieferanten bedient. Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 1999 und Zhangs Einstieg im Jahr 2017 hat die Plattform bedeutende Verbesserungen erfahren und sich von einem traditionellen Modell zu einem Modell gewandelt, das zunehmend KI-Technologien nutzt und damit die Art und Weise, wie Unternehmen weltweit Produkte beschaffen, grundlegend verändert hat. Zhang geht näher auf die Käuferdemografie der Plattform ein und stellt fest, dass die Mehrheit von außerhalb Chinas stammt, wobei ein erheblicher Anteil aus den USA und Europa kommt. Die Käufer reichen von großen Einzelhändlern bis hin zu kleineren Unternehmen, die nach einzigartigen Produkten suchen, was ein vielfältiges Ökosystem zeigt, das verschiedene Branchen umfasst. Das Gespräch kommt auch auf die beeindruckende Transaktionssumme von Alibaba.com in Höhe von über 60 Milliarden US-Dollar in diesem Jahr zu sprechen und erklärt, dass dies den Bruttowarenwert (GMV) darstellt und das Potenzial für noch höhere Einzelhandelswerte hervorhebt, wenn man die Wiederverkaufsmargen berücksichtigt. Zur Accio App: www.accio.com Partner in der Folge: https://linktr.ee/kassenzone Community: https://kassenzone.de/discord Feedback zum Podcast? Mail an alex@kassenzone.de Disclaimer: https://www.kassenzone.de/disclaimer/ Kassenzone” wird vermarktet von Podstars by OMR. Du möchtest in “Kassenzone” werben? Dann https://podstars.de/kontakt/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=shownotes_kassenzone Alexander Graf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergraf/ https://twitter.com/supergraf Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KassenzoneDe/ Blog: https://www.kassenzone.de/ E-Commerce Buch 2019: https://amzn.eu/d/5Adc1ZH Plattformbuch 2024: https://amzn.eu/d/1tAk82E

Sales during China's largest online shopping festival, Singles' Day, jumped almost 18% from a year earlier, but the pace of growth slowed as bargain hunters opted for more affordable deals. Consumers have been tightening their belts, spending cautiously due to a prolonged slump in the property market, lagging wages, and high unemployment among the young Chinese who usually would be most likely to splurge on online purchases. Chinese retail data provider Syntun said that the estimated combined sales value for this year's online retail bonanza, the country's equivalent to Black Friday and Cyber Monday when e-commerce giants offer deep discounts, reached almost 1.7 trillion yuan ($238 billion). The almost 18% increase in sales was just over half the nearly 27% increase in 2024, when sales totaled 1.44 trillion yuan. Syntun noted that the comparison was not direct, since this year's festival was roughly a week longer. Analysts said that was partly to help prop up sales for the e-commerce companies at a time of softer demand. “This year's Singles' Day should be viewed as a positive signal for China's consumer economy,” said Jacob Cooke, CEO of the consultancy WPIC Marketing + Technologies. “The longer sales window means year-on-year comparisons are imperfect, but the underlying indicators—strong participation, high engagement, and broad category strength—show that consumers are still spending,” Cooke said. E-commerce giant Alibaba launched Singles' Day in 2009 as a one-day sales event on November 11, a celebration for singles since it is known in Chinese as “Double 11.” Consultancy Bain & Company said in a recent report that Singles' Day's “once-stellar growth” has been maturing over the past several years. Increasing sales beyond current high levels may be tough, partly because of the sluggish economic climate, it said. Still, JD.com, one of China's biggest e-commerce platforms, said its turnover reached a record high, with a nearly 60% jump in the number of orders and a 40% increase in the number of shoppers. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

It's a magnet for side hustlers around Europe. The CoCreate event was held this November in London, the first time it's come to Europe. It's an event run by Alibaba.com, a global online marketplace for b2b wholesale trade. Small businesses use it to source in bulk products from manufacturers and trading companies to then sell to consumers themselves. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba Group founded by Jack Ma in China in 1999. Alibaba.com now connects 50 million buyers with 200,000 global suppliers, many of them based in China. At CoCreate there are suppliers showing off their wares, including everything from robot vacuum cleaners to skincare products and fashion items. Dougal Shaw spoke to the entrepreneurs who flocked to this event before catching up with Kuo Zhang, the president of Alibaba.com, to find out how small companies can access global supply chains, with AI making the task increasingly sophisticated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Professor Lizhi Liu, we shift from the origins of China's e-commerce boom to the competitive dynamics shaping its present—and its future.Lizhi breaks down how major platforms like Taobao/Tmall, JD, and Pinduoduo have shaped institutional innovation through intense competition, and what their strategies reveal about China's digital governance model. We discuss the globalization of Chinese platforms, the role of mega-shopping festivals like Singles' Day, and the evolution of social commerce as short-video platforms transform product discovery and purchasing behavior.We also explore how China's digital ecosystem may evolve over the next decade—and the one key lesson Lizhi hopes global audiences take away from her book.Listeners interested in cross-border commerce, platform governance, or the future of China's digital market will find this second installment packed with insights.Discussion Points (Part 2):How platform competition among Alibaba, JD, and Pinduoduo shaped China's e-commerce institutionsChina's growing presence in global e-commerce and the rise of cross-border sellersSingles' Day as a political-economic phenomenon, and whether these mega-festivals still matterThe evolution and significance of social commerce in ChinaPredictions for the next stage of China's e-commerce developmentThe key takeaway Lizhi hopes readers remember from From Click to Boom

SoftBank is doubling down on artificial intelligence with a $30 billion commitment to OpenAI and ambitious plans for Stargate – even as risks mount. After a 200% surge earlier this year, shares tumbled 40% in November when Google’s Gemini 3.0 gained traction, threatening ChatGPT’s dominant position in the AI race. Credit stress is rising, with CDS widening to nearly 300 basis points as funding concerns build. Investors and creditors are increasingly uneasy as OpenAI now accounts for about 20% of SoftBank’s net assets, turning what was once seen as a bold growth play into a potential source of concentrated risk. Bloomberg Intelligence equity analyst Kirk Boodry and credit analyst Sharon Chen join John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. Together they unpack SoftBank’s AI ambitions, its reliance on margin loans and the implications of circular financing. They also weigh up Masayoshi Son’s track record – spectacular wins such as Alibaba and painful failures like WeWork – against his latest AI gamble.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Die Aktienfutures tendieren am Mittwoch vor der wichtigen Fed-Sitzung seitwärts. Die Märkte erwarten mit rund 90 % Wahrscheinlichkeit eine dritte Zinssenkung in Folge um 25 Basispunkte – doch der Offenmarktausschuss bleibt gespalten. Einige Mitglieder warnen vor zu hoher Inflation, andere fürchten eine weitere Abkühlung des Arbeitsmarkts. Auch die Lohnentwicklung verläuft schwächer: erwartet werden nur +0,8 % statt zuvor +0,9 %. Der Nasdaq konnte zuletzt leicht zulegen, während der Dow minimal im Minus schloss. Auffällig ist die Sektorrotation: Der Russell 2000 erreichte ein neues Intraday-Allzeithoch – kleinere Unternehmen profitieren besonders von sinkenden Zinsen. Strategen rechnen mit einer breiteren Marktteilnahme und besseren Wachstumsbedingungen bis 2026. Unterdessen startet Trump die finalen Interviews für den neuen Fed-Vorsitz. Auf der Liste stehen u. a. Kevin Warsh und Kevin Hassett – eine Entscheidung könnte in Kürze fallen. Ein Podcast - featured by Handelsblatt. +++ Alle Rabattcodes und Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/wallstreet_podcast +++ +++ Hinweis zur Werbeplatzierung von Meta: https://backend.ad-alliance.de/fileadmin/Transparency_Notice/Meta_DMAJ_TTPA_Transparency_Notice_-_Ad_Alliance_approved.pdf +++ Der Podcast wird vermarktet durch die Ad Alliance. Die allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien der Ad Alliance finden Sie unter https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html Die Ad Alliance verarbeitet im Zusammenhang mit dem Angebot die Podcasts-Daten. Wenn Sie der automatischen Übermittlung der Daten widersprechen wollen, klicken Sie hier: https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html Impressum: https://www.360wallstreet.de/impressum

Episode 88: What happens inside OpenAI when Google drops a game-changing AI model? Matt Wolfe ((https://x.com/mreflow) and Maria Gharib (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maria-gharib-091779b9) break it down. This episode unpacks OpenAI's unprecedented “Code Red,” the real reason Sam Altman hit the panic button, and how Google's Gemini 3 and Nano Banana Pro could threaten OpenAI's dominance. The hosts debate which next-gen AI models are actually smarter (Claude Opus 4.5, Gemini 3, GPT-5.1, and more), why some tools are getting dumber, and how Google's full-stack advantage is shifting the AI power balance. Plus: a rapid-fire review of explosive new AI tools for video, the rise of creative AI (and AI “slop”), surprising advances in wearable tech, and a bit of fun at Sam Altman's expense. Check out The Next Wave YouTube Channel if you want to see Matt and Nathan on screen: https://lnk.to/thenextwavepd — Show Notes: (00:00) AI Wars: Models, Tools, Power (05:59) AI Innovation Race (08:43) OpenAI's Google Challenge (12:15) Claude's Context Window Explained (14:12) Claude vs. ChatGPT: AI Preferences (17:13) Anthropic vs. OpenAI Philosophy (21:51) AI and Content Slop Concerns (24:46) AI Generative Audio's Uncanny Gap (28:07) Runway Gen 4.5 Dominates Preferences (30:41) AI Model Announcement Rivalry (35:00 Alibaba's AI Evolution (37:19) Heavy Glasses and Social Concerns (40:03) AI Advancements: December Launches (42:27) "Like, Subscribe, See You Soon — Mentions: Sam Altman: https://blog.samaltman.com/ Google Gemini 3: https://aistudio.google.com/models/gemini-3 Nano Banana Pro: https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ Claude Opus 4.5: https://www.anthropic.com/claude/opus ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/ Runway Gen 4.5: https://runwayml.com/research/introducing-runway-gen-4.5 Kling: https://klingai.com/global/ Midjourney: https://www.midjourney.com/home Get the guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/tnw — Check Out Matt's Stuff: • Future Tools - https://futuretools.beehiiv.com/ • Blog - https://www.mattwolfe.com/ • YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@mreflow — Check Out Nathan's Stuff: Newsletter: https://news.lore.com/ Blog - https://lore.com/ The Next Wave is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Production by Darren Clarke // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, joins Charlie and Ted for a deep dive into the future of immersive entertainment, arguing that in an age of infinite AI-generated digital content, "physical reality is the only place novelty still exists." From Meow Wolf's origins as a scrappy art collective dumpster-diving for materials in Santa Fe to becoming a global location-based entertainment juggernaut with new sites planned for Los Angeles and New York, Vince reveals the philosophy behind building "maximalist" worlds that don't just tell stories but allow audiences to inhabit them.In the news segment, Charlie and Ted discuss Netflix's $83B acquisition of Warner Bros (HBO/IP assets only), Meta cutting 30% of Reality Labs to fund AI while poaching Apple's top designer, and the looming battle for 2026 as Android XR prepares to launch.Vince breaks down Meow Wolf's evolution from static walkthrough experiences to "animated spatial storytelling" where environments and characters respond to user actions—a vision of "XR RPGs" (Extended Reality Role Playing Games) that bridge the gap between video games and theme parks. He explains why the "monoculture" of Game of Thrones is gone forever, why Netflix's acquisition power signals the end of traditional scarcity models, and why the future of storytelling isn't on a screen—it's cross-reality, persistent, and physically grounded.Guest HighlightsOrigins of the Multiverse: How a Santa Fe art collective turned a bowling alley into the "House of Eternal Return" with George R.R. Martin as landlord.The "Cross-Reality" Future: Why physical locations alone aren't enough—Meow Wolf is building a "mechanically connected transmedia universe" where your actions in the park affect your digital profile and vice versa.Hollywood 2.0: New LA location takes over a movie theater to "honor cinema" while deconstructing it into spatial storytelling.Novelty Theory: "I don't care about photorealistic AI gorillas anymore." Why digital content has zero value and physical presence is the new premium.Questing & Agency: New "XR RPG" mechanics in Dallas/Houston allow visitors to level up, solve puzzles, and impact the world—gamifying reality without headsets.News HighlightsNetflix acquires Warner Bros assets ($83B)—Streaming wars end with tech giants vacuuming up legacy IP; theaters face the "nail in the coffin."Meta cuts 30% of Reality Labs—Pivot to AI funding while hiring Apple's former design chief signals a shift from brute-force VR to refined wearables.Android XR & Samsung 2026—Google and Samsung prepare to challenge Vision Pro with a new ecosystem launch next year.Alibaba launches Quark AI Glasses—China enters the smart glasses race with multimodal AI assistants.Subscribe for weekly insider perspectives from veterans who aren't afraid to challenge Big Tech. New episodes every Tuesday. Watch full episodes on YouTube. Thanks to our sponsor Zappar!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Download Porter Here: https://app.adjust.com/1vq8o2nqGuest Suggestion Form: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/bnaeY3FpoFU9ZjA47⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: This video is intended solely for educational purposes and opinions shared by the guest are her personal views. We do not intent to defame or harm any person/ brand/ product/ country/ profession mentioned in the video. Our goal is to provide information to help audience make informed choices. The media used in this video are solely for informational purposes and belongs to their respective owners.Order 'Build, Don't Talk' (in English) here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/eCfijRu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order 'Build Don't Talk' (in Hindi) here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/4wZISO0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Our Whatsapp Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaokF5x0bIdi3Qn9ef2J⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe To Our Other YouTube Channels:-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@rajshamaniclips⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@RajShamani.Shorts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

El hombre que lloró por vender sus acciones En diciembre de 2025, uno de los inversores más poderosos del planeta confesó algo que ningún manual de finanzas te enseña: que había llorado mientras vendía. No era un novato asustado. Era Masayoshi Son, el fundador de SoftBank, un hombre que ha ganado y perdido más dinero que el PIB de muchos países pequeños. Un visionario que apostó por Alibaba cuando nadie sabía qué era Alibaba, y que ahora controla un imperio tecnológico que mueve billones. Y sin embargo, ahí estaba, en un escenario en Tokio, admitiendo públicamente que las lágrimas le corrían por la cara mientras firmaba la orden de venta. ¿Por qué? Porque a veces, en los mercados y en la vida, las decisiones correctas son las que más duelen. Porque el coste de oportunidad no es solo un concepto académico: es ese nudo en el estómago cuando sabes que estás renunciando a algo que amas para perseguir algo que necesitas. Lo fascinante no es que llorara. Lo fascinante es por qué tuvo que hacerlo, qué estaba comprando con ese dinero, y qué nos dice eso sobre el momento exacto que estamos viviendo en los mercados. Esta semana, en el podcast, exploramos esta historia y muchas otras que definen el presente —y probablemente el futuro— de tu dinero. Hay fusiones que parecen sacadas de una novela de ciencia ficción. Hay empresas que valían cero hace tres años y ahora mueven mercados enteros. Hay una guerra silenciosa por el control del silicio que decidirá quién domina la próxima década. Y hay, creedme, una historia sobre cartas de Pokémon que ilustra algo profundo sobre la naturaleza humana y los precios. No voy a contar más aquí. Solo diré esto: Son lloró porque entendió algo que la mayoría de inversores tarda décadas en comprender. Y cuando lo escuches, probablemente tú también lo entiendas. El episodio ya está disponible. Dale al play. Actualidad Semanal +D — Donde las finanzas se cuentan como historias, porque eso es lo que son.

This week on Unsupervised Learning, Jacob Effron is joined by Jordan Schneider, host of China Talk, who challenges widespread assumptions about US-China AI competition. China's AI development is driven by private capital and market competition—not central government planning—with companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba, and ByteDance operating more like Silicon Valley startups than state projects. The critical bottleneck is compute: the West maintains a 10-15x advantage in advanced chips, and US export controls implemented one month before ChatGPT created a structural edge favoring America for years. Chinese companies aggressively open-source models from strategic necessity—they couldn't establish a quality gap justifying paid access like OpenAI. Jordan explains why the "Goldilocks strategy" of controlled chip dependency fails, why expert consensus opposes selling advanced semiconductors to China despite Nvidia's lobbying, and how Taiwan's invasion risk is driven more by domestic politics than AGI scenarios. China's real advantage may emerge in robotics manufacturing at scale, where they're already deploying while the US debates strategy. Inside the Politburo's AI Study Session: https://www.chinatalk.media/p/xi-takes-an-ai-masterclassSubmit your questions to Jacob here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vHBYv0bTT_EgFWTjbKnLr_sn3pZnFmcFGWYVTltKEco/edit (0:00) Intro(1:45) The Chinese AI Ecosystem: Pre and Post ChatGPT(3:45) Government Influence and Private Sector Dynamics(6:40) Venture Funding and Major Players(8:36) Talent and International Collaboration(11:25) Open Source Models and Market Dynamics(15:24) What Role Does The Chinese Government Play?(31:17) US-China AI Policy and Strategic Competition(36:18) The Argument for Selling AI Accelerators(37:02) Risks of Not Selling to China(43:34) Technological Constraints and Huawei's Challenges(51:18) US-China Relations and Taiwan(1:02:46) Quickfire With your co-hosts: @jacobeffron - Partner at Redpoint, Former PM Flatiron Health @patrickachase - Partner at Redpoint, Former ML Engineer LinkedIn @ericabrescia - Former COO Github, Founder Bitnami (acq'd by VMWare) @jordan_segall - Partner at Redpoint

In this episode of TechMagic, hosts Cathy Hackl and Lee Kebler explore how the future of AI is being shaped through hardware innovation happening around the world. They break down breakthroughs in autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots, and spatial computing, highlighting why hardware ownership now determines who controls data, training models, and long-term AI power. Cathy shares insights from her travels across Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while the hosts examine China's accelerating hardware ecosystem, Gen Alpha's rejection of “AI slop,” and the shift toward vision-action models. It's a fast, global look at where AI is really advancing, and why it matters.Come for the tech and stay for the magic!Key Discussion Topics: [00:00] Intro[00:23] Saudi Arabia and Qatar are booming in tech and entertainment.[00:04:00] Formula One tech highlights the Abu Dhabi Championship showdown.[00:07:13] Autonomous racing vs. human drivers shows motorsports' future.[00:10:23] NVIDIA's AlphaMoor offers open-source vision-language models.[00:14:23] Women often prefer autonomous vehicles to human drivers.[00:20:44] Owning hardware means owning data: the AI supremacy principle.[00:22:19] Global hardware innovations from Alibaba, Huawei, and ByteDance are under the radar.[00:26:51] "Human-authored" labels reveal widespread AI fatigue.[00:30:05] Gen Alpha rejects AI content, demanding authentic creations.[00:33:55] Copyright issues arise when sampling AI-generated music.[00:37:03] Cathy's Middle East speaking tour and CES 2025 lineup updates.[00:39:33] Holiday spending is shifting to experiences over products.[00:42:14] Book picks: the future of storytelling and understanding people.[00:44:49] Gaming culture highlights: Dungeon Crawler Carl, FNAF 2, and Stranger Things.[00:46:34] Key takeaways: physical AI, hardware ownership, and authentic human connection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first installment of our two-part conversation with Professor Lizhi Liu, Todd sits down with one of the leading scholars shaping global understanding of China's digital economy. Lizhi's award-winning book, From Click to Boom, explores how political institutions and digital platforms co-evolved to fuel the world's most sophisticated e-commerce ecosystem.In this episode, Lizhi walks us through her academic journey, what sparked her interest in the political economy of tech, and the research that shaped her landmark book. She explains the scale and speed of China's e-commerce boom, the institutional innovations that enabled it—from digital payments to logistics networks—and the profound social transformations that followed. We also take a deep dive into the rise of “Taobao Villages,” exploring how rural communities leveraged online commerce to reshape livelihoods and migration patterns.Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of how China built the most advanced e-commerce market in the world—and why similar growth hasn't taken place in Western economies.Discussion Points (Part 1):Lizhi's academic background and path into studying the political economy of Chinese techWhat led to the research behind From Click to BoomThe global scale of China's e-commerce market and how it compares to the WestFoundational institutions that unlocked China's e-commerce growth: payments, logistics, governance mechanismsBroader social and economic impacts of digital commerce, including rural revitalizationThe rise and significance of Taobao Villages

What does it take to build a top-performing growth equity firm in a market defined by hype cycles, capital oversupply, and shifting investor expectations?In this episode, host Linnea Jungnelius sits down with Brian Neider, Managing Partner at Lead Edge Capital, a $5B global growth equity firm behind category-defining companies like Toast, Spotify, Alibaba, and Duo Security. As one of the original builders of Lead Edge, Brian has spent two decades refining one of the most disciplined investing models in the industry — a framework rooted in focus, consistency, and an unrivaled network of 700+ operator LPs.From staying “militantly” true to your strike zone, to navigating the aftermath of the 2020–2021 capital cycle, to separating real AI traction from experimental noise, Brian breaks down what great investors and great firms do differently. For growth equity investors, founders, and anyone responsible for capital allocation, this conversation reveals why discipline compounds, how strategy integrity drives DPI, and what it truly means to build a fund that becomes a company.What You'll Learn:• Why staying in your strike zone is the most underrated competitive advantage in growth equity.• How Lead Edge built a network of 700 operator LPs and activates them.• How to evaluate companies in the post–“growth at all costs” era.• What gross retention tells you that topline growth never will in regard to AI hype.• Why exit pathways must be defined upfront.• Urgency, clarity, and the ability to adapt without drifting are the best traits CEOs and teams can have.Timecodes:00:00 Intro00:18 Guest Introduction: Brian Neider, Lead Edge Capital04:00 From “Grow at All Costs” to Profitable Growth05:32 Lead Edge 8: The Metrics That Matter08:30 LP Priorities: DPI, TVPI, and IRR10:48 Why DPI Is Critical in Today's Market11:58 Exit Strategy Design: Defining Paths Upfront13:58 Disposition Committee: The Overlooked Advantage16:00 Filtering AI Hype: Experimental Spend vs. Real Retention20:12 The Bucket Analogy: Understanding AI Churn23:00 Founding Lead Edge: Building the LP Network Differently26:10 Scaling the Firm: From All-Hands to Specialization30:20 Activating the LP Network: How It Works in Practice33:40 The LP Flywheel: Sourcing, Diligence, and Portfolio Support36:00 Value Creation Capabilities: GTM, HR, and AI Support38:12 What Great CEOs Do: Urgency, Adaptability, Action41:54 Designing Effective Boards: Functional + Industry Balance44:30 Building Executive Teams: The Power of a Rigorous Hiring Process46:06 What's Next: The Future of Lead Edge & Market Opportunities51:58 Lightning Round: Personal ReflectionsResources:Brian Neider: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-neider-7774041/Linnea Jungnelius:LinkedIn: https://⁠www.linkedin.com/in/linneajungnelius ⁠X: ⁠https://x.com/itslinnea⁠Explore the Podcast:Spotify: ⁠https://acertitu.de/brian-neider-spotify-podcastApple Podcasts: ⁠https://acertitu.de/brian-neider-apple-podcast⁠Blog: ⁠https://acertitu.de/brian-neider-blog⁠Found Value?

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss the out-of-home advertising (OOH) industry reporting 4.4% growth in Q3, Australia making streamer content quotas law, and China's AI governance framework winning backing from researchers at DeepSeek and Alibaba.

The 5 things you need to know before the stock market opens today: the CME temporarily halted trading for futures, foreign exchanges, and commodities due to a data center issue, the SEC is investigating Jefferies's relationship with a bankrupt auto parts maker, Alibaba has begun selling its AI smart glasses in China, Apple is challenging India's antitrust penalty law, and Disney's ‘Zootopia 2' clocked the biggest opening day in China for any Hollywood animated film.  Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

00:00 Intro00:57 Hong Kong Fire Death Toll Hits 83, Hundreds Missing03:49 Pentagon: Alibaba Shares U.S. Data w/ Chinese Army04:26 Alibaba's AI Tools Pose Threat to U.S. Nat'l Security06:17 Alibaba Closely Linked to Chinese Military07:20 Any Chinese Company Could Threaten U.S. Safety08:40 China's Data Advantage: Why It's Dangerous10:06 How China Uses AI to Pinpoint America's Weak Spots12:30 How Chinese Technology Establishes Long-Term Control14:42 Copley: CCP Has ‘Reached the Terminal Stage'16:35 China at a Breaking Point: History Repeats?20:59 Prestige vs. Force: Why Credibility Matters

- In a support document spotted by 9to5Google, Google notes free users can currently generate two images daily, down from three per day previously. The company wrote: "Image generation and editing is in high demand. Limits may change frequently and will reset daily." -The agency's director, John Squires, said in a notice obtained by Reuters that the USPTO deems genAI to be "analogous" to other tools that inventors might use in their process, including lab equipment, software and research databases. Squires wrote: "AI systems, including generative AI and other computational models, are instruments used by human inventors. They may provide services and generate ideas, but they remain tools used by the human inventor who conceived the claimed invention." -Alibaba's Quark AI glasses are now available for purchase in China. The company has released three variants of the flagship S1 model and three of the more affordable G1 model. They both connect to Alibaba's newly launched App, powered by the company's own AI tech, for AI assistance through voice commands and touch controls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the BBC World Service: Shares in Alibaba rose after the Chinese e-commerce company reported a 34% increase in revenue for its cloud computing division, as well as triple-digit increases in sales for its AI-related products. Then, in energy news, Iranian authorities plan to scrap generous subsidies for gas, and refiners in India rush to secure Russian oil imports ahead of a U.S. deadline. Plus, more international students turn to Bulgaria to complete their medical degrees.

From the BBC World Service: Shares in Alibaba rose after the Chinese e-commerce company reported a 34% increase in revenue for its cloud computing division, as well as triple-digit increases in sales for its AI-related products. Then, in energy news, Iranian authorities plan to scrap generous subsidies for gas, and refiners in India rush to secure Russian oil imports ahead of a U.S. deadline. Plus, more international students turn to Bulgaria to complete their medical degrees.

In this episode of The Negotiation, host Todd Embley sits down with Elysia Guo, a rising voice in China's influencer economy and an entrepreneur who has built a unique career at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and digital influence.Elysia shares her journey from a strategy consultant to becoming a full-time content creator and brand collaborator, offering an inside look into China's fast-moving social marketing landscape. She discusses how she built her online presence, what brands look for when working with influencers, and what differentiates China's major social platforms such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat.The conversation also explores the latest lifestyle and consumer trends shaping spending behavior among Chinese Gen Z and millennials, as well as actionable advice for international brands aiming to make an impact in China's complex and competitive digital space.Discussion Points:·       Elysia's career journey from consulting to entrepreneurship and influencer marketing·       The current job market for young professionals in China·       How influencers like Elysia collaborate with brands and what they look for in partnerships·       The most effective marketing strategies for brands in China's digital ecosystem·       Differences between major platforms: Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat·       Why Xiaohongshu stands out as a hub for product discovery and brand storytelling·       Emerging lifestyle and consumption trends among Chinese consumers·       Advice for international brands entering or expanding in China

Stocks are up two straight days following Monday's tech-led rally bolstered by Alphabet and Broadcom. PPI and retail sales data loom along with Best Buy and Alibaba results.Important DisclosuresThis material is intended for general informational purposes only. This should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The investment strategies mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decisions.The Schwab Center for Financial Research is a division of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.All names and market data shown above are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.Past performance is no guarantee of future results.Diversification and rebalancing strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets.Indexes are unmanaged, do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses and cannot be invested in directly. For more information on indexes, please see schwab.com/indexdefinitions.The policy analysis provided by the Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party.Fixed income securities are subject to increased loss of principal during periods of rising interest rates. Fixed income investments are subject to various other risks including changes in credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications, and other factors.All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market, economic or political conditions. Data contained herein from third party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.Investing involves risk, including loss of principal, and for some products and strategies, loss of more than your initial investment.The Schwab Center for Financial Research is a division of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.Apple Podcasts and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.Google Podcasts and the Google Podcasts logo are trademarks of Google LLC.Spotify and the Spotify logo are registered trademarks of Spotify AB.(0130-1125) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Negociar con proveedores chinos es un arte que combina análisis, estrategia y mucha disciplina. Para Andrés Bellón, experto en importaciones, mentor y fundador de ITG en Colombia, todo comienza con entender el ecosistema donde se juega la partida. Él lo resume con claridad: "Alibaba es una de las plataformas principales para tener al alcance las diferentes fábricas de China y con la que puedes comunicarte con proveedores, pero no es la única". También menciona Temu, pensada para consumidores finales, y las ferias presenciales, como la de Cantón, donde conviven iluminación, tecnología, hogar, belleza y accesorios. La magnitud del mercado también habla por sí sola: "Hoy hay más de 60 millones de fábricas en China y tenemos posibilidad de elegir para ahorrar más dinero". Esa amplitud exige método. En ITG nunca se quedan con el primer proveedor que encuentran: "Siempre elegimos de 10 a 15 proveedores para verificar qué es lo que cada uno ofrece". El paso siguiente es la comparación, porque China puede ofrecer productos con tecnología muy elevada, pero la ecuación siempre debe incluir a quién se lo vas a vender. Elegir bien es un análisis comercial tanto como técnico. Para Andrés, la verificación es un principio irrenunciable: "Para verificar los proveedores tenemos que visitar las fábricas, ver la producción de los productos y testear la calidad". Esto no solo evita sorpresas: permite evaluar garantías, procesos y la capacidad real de respuesta ante problemas. "Siempre vamos un paso adelante antes de comprar y les consultamos cómo solucionan cualquier tipo de problema que pueda surgir", remarca nuestro invitado. Todo se aclara por adelantado. Una comunicación transparente es la base para proteger el capital y tener control de cada orden. Sin embargo, el contexto actual complica el juego. "Actualmente en China hay mucha variedad de calidades y eso dificulta la negociación", afirma Andrés. Cuando no se verifica en persona, la información visual puede engañar: "Si no verificas la producción personalmente, los proveedores te mandan las fotos y los videos, cargas los productos, llegan a tu país y ahí tienes el dolor de cabeza". Aunque es un negocio cada vez más accesible, proteger el patrimonio se vuelve más desafiante. "Cualquiera compra y trae productos, pero no siempre son de calidad", advierte nuestro experto. Los precios, además, nunca son absolutos: "Los precios van a depender de la calidad del producto". Por eso Andrés tiene una regla clara: "Si hago negocios con China a partir de los 5 mil dólares, yo verifico con la fábrica personalmente. Si es menos de eso, tomo el riesgo de comprar sin verificar". Y siempre negocia con una alternativa en mano: "Siempre me gusta negociar con un segundo proveedor, porque ahí tienes una opción válida". Su experiencia le dejó también límites muy precisos: "No compro productos reacondicionados, sino siempre nuevos, porque he tenido una mala experiencia porque los productos vinieron fallados". Mientras tanto, China avanza. "Se viene una revolución tecnológica impresionante y hay una gran oportunidad para los empresarios que queramos hacer una inversión en esas nuevas tecnologías", destaca nuestro invitado. El que esté preparado para identificar tendencias podrá adelantarse a la competencia. Para quienes están por importar por primera vez, Andrés es enfático: "Les aconsejo que busquen un acompañamiento empresarial de alguien que ya ha vivido esa experiencia y que los acompañe desde la compra hasta que llega a su bodega, porque sino se meten en una ruleta en la que pueden ganar o perder". La guía correcta, dice, protege el capital al 100%. Sin un foco claro ni una estructura de negocio, el riesgo se dispara y "terminas perdiendo dinero". Y recuerda un punto crucial para Latinoamérica: "En los países latinos hay mucho contrabando y para que lleguen los productos a su país deben tener cuidado". En el mundo de las importaciones, negociar no es solo hablar de precios: es tomar decisiones informadas, anticiparse a los riesgos y moverse con un plan. Para Andrés, esa es la única forma de convertir una oportunidad global en un negocio real y sostenible. Sitio web: andresbellon.com Youtube: Importaciones Andrés Bellón TikTok: @andresbellon Instagram: @andresbellon X: @AndresBellon

In this episode of Lead-Lag Live, Michael Gayed talks with Henry Greene from KraneShares about how recent changes in US–China trade incentives are improving the outlook for China's tech sector and why it matters for investors.They discuss the rise of AI in China — including DeepSeek and Alibaba's Qwen models — and how letting companies train AI on their own data could boost cloud adoption. Henry also explains China's push into robotics and how it fits alongside US leadership in chips and software.To bring it back to portfolios, Henry breaks down why KWEB tends to react strongly to policy headlines, how KLIP uses that volatility to generate monthly income, and simple ways to combine the two depending on your goals.In this episode:• What's changing in US–China trade• China's growing AI ecosystem• Why enterprise fine-tuning matters• How robotics and chips fit into the story• How KWEB behaves during policy shifts• How KLIP turns volatility into incomeLead-Lag Live brings you real conversations with the people shaping global markets. Subscribe for more insights that cut through the noise.#KWEB #KLIP #ChinaTech #AIinChina #EmergingMarkets #Investing #KraneShares #MarketInsightsStart your adventure with TableTalk Friday: A D&D Podcast at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgB6B-mAeWlPM9KzGJ2O4cU0-m5lO0lkr&si=W_-jLsiREjyAIgEsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75YJ921WGQqUtwxRT71UQB?si=4R6kaAYOTtO2V Sign up to The Lead-Lag Report on Substack and get 30% off the annual subscription today by visiting http://theleadlag.report/leadlaglive. Support the show

Shares of Alibaba rallying today after the Chinese tech giant announced its updated consumer chatbot has reached 10 million downloads just a week after launch. We dig into why Alibaba and Google's end-to-end advantage is boosting confidence in their AI strategies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With increased AI Adoption, is the most valuable skill for a modern marketer empathy with customers, or is it successfully prompting? Contentful, in partnership with Atlantic Insights, The Atlantic's marketing research division, recently conducted a study of over 425 marketing decision makers including 103 CMOs. This study, “When Machines Make Marketers More Human,” challenges the notion that AI will replace many marketing functions and instead demonstrates how AI can amplify marketers' effectiveness, creativity and impact. Today, we're going to talk about how AI is reshaping the very definition of a modern marketer. We'll explore the shift from simply automating tasks to augmenting human creativity, the rise of the ‘full stack' marketer, and what skills are becoming non-negotiable in an AI-driven world.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Elizabeth Maxson, CMO at Contentful. About Elizabeth Maxson Elizabeth Maxson is the Chief Marketing Officer of Contentful, a content management platform trusted by more than 4,200 companies around the world. Elizabeth brings nearly two decades of integrated marketing leadership to the role and is focused on driving marketing strategies that leverage AI and personalization to help brands deliver personalized and scalable content to their audiences. Prior to Contentful, Elizabeth served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Tableau, a Salesforce company, where she led go-to-market strategy, drove end-to-end marketing initiatives, and spearheaded strategic technology partnerships, launching critical relationships with industry giants such as AWS, Google, Alibaba, Apple, and many others. In addition to her role at Tableau, Elizabeth has also served as the Head of Marketing at Quip, another Salesforce acquisition. She holds a BAA in Facility Management and Marketing from Central Michigan University. ,Yes,This will be completed shortly Elizabeth Maxson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emaxson/ Resources Contentful: contentful.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Contentful, in partnership with Atlantic Insights, The Atlantic's marketing research division, conducted a new study, When Machines Make Marketers More Human, challenging the notion that AI will replace many marketing functions and instead demonstrates how AI can amplify marketers' effectiveness, creativity and impact. They surveyed 425 marketing decision makers, including 103 CMOs, across industries, company sizes, and regions to show how forward-thinking marketing leaders are incorporating AI into their critical infrastructure. Get the report hereConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com  The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

BestPodcastintheMetaverse.com Canary Cry News Talk #892 - 11.17.2025 - Recorded Live to 1s and 0s Deconstructing World Events from a Biblical Worldview Declaring Jesus as Lord amidst the Fifth Generation War! CageRattlerCoffee.com SD/TC email Ike for discount https://CanaryCry.Support   Send address and shirt size updates to canarycrysupplydrop@gmail.com   Join the Canary Cry Roundtable This Episode was Produced By:   Executive Producers LX Protocol BARON of the Berrean Protocol*** Sir Jamey Not the Lanister***   Producers of TREASURE (CanaryCry.Support) Christy S, Heather M, Cage Rattler Coffee, Rod   Producers of TIME Timestampers: Jade Bouncerson, Morgan E Clankoniphius Links: JAM   NEPHILIM UPDATE 10:12 Tim Alberino on Glenn Beck   ELON/BEAST SYSTEM 11:52 Post: Elon says Optimus will solve poverty and provide "Universal High Income for all" (X)    AI/BEZOS 16:10 Jeff Bezos reportedly returns to the trenches as co-CEO of new AI startup, Project Prometheus   MEXICO/RIOTS 36:17 Gen Z Riots in mexico "Mostly Peaceful" CLIP: "SMALL" Protest CLIP: Mexican Riot Police CLIP: Mexican Riot Police do it different → Ryan Grim suddenly suspects fake youth movements (X)   CLIP: Mexican senator calls out Sheinbaum for Narco State on national TV (FOX) → More notes from Fox report (X) Clip: US MIlitary Buildup around Venezuela CNN Claims UK stopped intelligence sharing with US for Carco Boats The SUN Claims UK DID NOT stop sharing Intel (The Sun)   AI 1:42:18 Peter Thiel and Softbank sell NVIDIA (MSN/Money) "The Big Short" Guy "Closes up shop" after shorting NVIDIA → Clip: World's Highest IQ guy crazy price prediction for BTC (X) Inside the Bitcoin apocalypse Jim Cramer BUY BTC Oct 22 BTC began decline on Oct 28   CRYPTO/AI 2:13:15 Alibaba cross-border arm plans AI subs and stablecoin-like payments with JPMorgan (CNBC) JPMorgan Rolls Out JPM Coin Leveraging Coinbase's Base: Report (Coindesk) Note: Jim Cramer says BUY Alibaba!   V4V 2:24:41 Podcasting Market Worth USD 114 Billion by 2030 as Connected-TV, Voice Assistants, and Regional Audience Growth Gain Momentum, Reports Mordor Intelligence (Yahoo/Mordor)   EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS TALENT/TIME END 2:59:54

President Trump signs a funding bill that reopens the government after the longest shutdown in history, economic data not collected during the shutdown may never be released, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in January in the President's challenge to Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Alibaba is retooling artificial intelligence apps to be more like ChatGPT, and the end of the line for the penny after more than two centuries.  Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.