Podcasts about ARR

Comment générer 10K€ en freelance avant la fin de l'année ?Dans cet épisode (dispo en vidéo sur Youtube), je te montre exactement ce que je ferais si j'avais seulement 1 mois pour atteindre cet objectif.Pas de théorie inutile, juste 5 leviers concrets pour booster ton chiffre d'affaires rapidement.Au programme :

There are hundreds of SaaS metrics, but which ones truly matter for SaaS leaders who want to scale, raise capital, and maximize company valuation? In episode #313, Ben Murray breaks down the five essential metrics every SaaS executive must understand — whether you're a founder, CFO, or operator. From bookings to retention, gross profit, OpEx, and the ROSE efficiency metric, you'll learn how to read your SaaS P&L like a top operator, and why these metrics are critical to driving durable growth, improving investor metrics, and strengthening your business model. What You'll Learn Bookings – Signed contracts for ARR commitments, the fuel of your revenue engine. Retention – Gross revenue retention, net revenue retention, and customer retention are the ultimate health checks for recurring revenue. Margins (Gross Profit) – Why accurate COGS vs. OpEx separation matters for forecasting, profitability, and valuation. OpEx Profile – How much you should invest in R&D, sales, marketing, and G&A as a percentage of revenue. ROSE Metric (Return on SaaS Employees) – A powerful measure of organizational efficiency and path to profitability, stronger than revenue per FTE. Why These Metrics Matter Finance & Accounting: They form the backbone of your SaaS P&L and cash flow forecasting. Investor Metrics: Investors use these to evaluate efficiency, scalability, and risk. Valuation: Strong retention, margins, and efficiency drive higher SaaS valuations. Business Leaders: Understanding these numbers enables smarter decisions at both the departmental and company levels. Resources Mentioned Free Webinar – Deep dive into these five metrics, plus tips, frameworks, and pro insights: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/pl/2148701264 Quote from Ben “Every SaaS leader doesn't need to calculate these metrics themselves — but they must understand them. These numbers tell the story of your business.”

On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, we welcome back Ray Wang, principal analyst and CEO of Constellation Research, for a dynamic discussion on technology's future. We explore the explosive rise of AI-native companies, the shifting global tech landscape, and the urgent need for U.S. manufacturing revitalization. Ray also highlights NVIDIA's dominance in AI, the U.S.-China tech rivalry, and challenges facing Western innovation. The conversation addresses local governance, inefficiencies in public spending, and the importance of community-focused leadership. Insightful and timely, the episode offers a candid look at the opportunities and risks shaping tomorrow's tech-driven world. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go. Ray Wang on the Rise of AI Exponential Companies: Redefining Tech's Competitive Landscape The tech industry is undergoing a radical shift as “AI exponentials” redefine how companies launch, scale, and compete. Coined by Christopher Lochhead and analyst Ray Wang, these ultra-lean ventures harness artificial intelligence to achieve extraordinary efficiency, often generating tens of millions in annual recurring revenue with only a few employees. ServiceNow's rise to a $180 billion market cap illustrates the long arc of cloud innovation, but today's startups push the model further. Sites like tinyteams.xyz track firms posting up to $20 million ARR per employee, while projects such as Turbo Learn AI, built by college dropouts using only ChatGPT, AWS, and Perplexity, show how minimal capital can now create high-impact software. This “atomization” of business echoes biotech's disruption of big pharma: innovation emerges outside legacy giants, who increasingly serve merely as distribution channels. The next frontier may be one-person, billion-dollar enterprises, unleashing vast creative potential while reshaping society. Ray Wang on the White Collar Recession and the AI-Driven Future of Work Ray Wang warns that the world is entering the largest White-Collar Recession yet, driven by rapid automation and AI. Tech giants like Microsoft and Nvidia expect to double revenue without adding comparable headcount, transforming the workplace from a broad pyramid into a narrow diamond. This shift threatens entry-level and managerial roles, leaving young workers with limited opportunities and older professionals facing displacement despite valuable expertise. Rather than simple layoffs, Ray sees an evolution of work. Experienced knowledge workers, equipped with affordable, scalable tools, are more likely to launch their own ventures than climb shrinking corporate ladders. Venture capital, built for slower, capital-heavy startups, struggles to keep pace as AI founders can bootstrap to profitability. The next two years, he predicts, will usher in a golden age of AI entrepreneurship. Yet this transformation raises urgent questions about mentorship, economic mobility, and how society will adapt alongside technological progress. Geopolitical AI, the US-China Cold War, and the Battle for Humanity's Future Ray Wang casts the US–China tech rivalry as a defining struggle for humanity's future: one fought with chips, algorithms, and influence rather than weapons. He contrasts China's centralized, surveillance-driven AI model with the West's ideal of decentralized abundance and freedom. This conflict, simmering for over a decade, now plays out in debates over chip exports, data sovereignty, and social-media persuasion wars. America currently holds a three-year chip advantage through companies like Nvidia, which dominate both hardware and AI software ecosystems. But Wang warns this lead is fragile: Chinese engineers are skilled, manufacturing capacity is world-class, and Europe risks irrelevance unless it chooses a side.

Pour ce dernier épisode, on s'intéresse à la fabrique d'un reportage sensible de nos collègues de Temps Présent, excellente émission de la RTS, aujourd'hui encore diffusé tous les jeudis soirs de 20h à 21h sur RTS 1. Celui qui nous intéresse est diffusé le 29 avril 1999 sous le titre "Sur la piste suisse des chimistes de l'apartheid". L'auteur de ce reportage, Jean-Philippe Ceppi, fait le récit d'une mission épique pour révéler les liens secrets entre les services de renseignement suisses et le régime d'apartheid, malgré la neutralité officielle de la Suisse. Échanges d'informations sensibles, armes chimiques, réseau clandestin : Jean-Philippe Ceppi met au jour une collaboration fondée sur une logique de la guerre froide. Arrêté au Cap en mars 1999, le journaliste est brièvement détenu, victime d'une tentative d'intimidation. Il déplore aujourd'hui encore le silence persistant des autorités, révélateur, d'un attachement profond à la raison d'État au détriment de la transparence démocratique. Jean-Philippe Ceppi répond aux questions de David Glaser.

In this episode of Inside the Network, we sit down with Sumit Dhawan, CEO of Proofpoint, one of the largest private cybersecurity companies in the world. With over $2 billion in ARR, Proofpoint protects 85 of the Fortune 100 and is on a bold path toward $5 billion in revenue by 2030.Sumit's journey is a masterclass in modern leadership. Having graduated with degrees in engineering and business from IIT Roorkee, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Florida, Sumit led major business lines at Citrix and VMware, including overseeing VMware's $70 billion divestiture to Broadcom, before making the leap to cybersecurity. In 2023, he joined Proofpoint as CEO and began executing an ambitious strategy: consolidate the sprawl of human-centric security, go deep instead of broad, and prepare the company for its next chapter of growth.In our conversation, Sumit shares why he believes empathy is the most underrated CEO trait, how acting like a founder, even inside large enterprises, shaped his leadership, and what it means to have “Apple Watch governance” under Thoma Bravo. He explains how Proofpoint has evolved from email security leader to a broader platform for human and data protection, including its acquisitions of Tessian (AI-native email protection), Hornetsecurity (MSP-focused email security), and Normalyze (DSPM).Sumit also pulls back the curtain on the AI threat landscape, including how prompt injection attacks are already targeting copilots and agents, why AI is both supercharging attackers and empowering defenders, and how Proofpoint built intent-based detection models to defend against sophisticated zero-link phishing. Finally, he lays out three categories of viable cybersecurity startups today: gap-fillers, AI defenders, and category disruptors, and why the last two are more likely to be successful.Whether you're scaling a cyber startup, selling into the enterprise, or navigating PE-backed growth, this episode is full of hard-earned wisdom from a leader who's operated at every level of the stack.

Amit Bendov is Co-Founder & CEO of Gong, the leading AI-sales platform. The company has raised about over $600 million from some of the best in the world including Sequoia, Thrive, Salesforce and more. Gong has surpassed US$400 million in ARR, serves thousands of customers (including multiple Fortune 10s), and is valued at over $7BN.  AGENDA:  00:00 – Why CRM Was Always a Lie and Gong's Secret Insight 04:30 – Will AI Kill Salesforce? Mark Benioff's Nightmare 08:15 – Why 99% of VCs Said No to Gong's Seed Round 12:00 – The Shocking Trial Close That Changed Everything 18:00 – Can AI Make Every Seller Perform Like LeBron? 20:30 – Will Sales Software Shift from Software Budget to Human Labor Budget? 25:00 – Why AI SDRs Are “Stupid” and Bound to Fail 35:00 – Gong's Darkest Hour: Shrinking, Churn, and Losing Muscle 41:30 – The Re-Acceleration Playbook: How Gong Got Back to Hypergrowth 54:00 – Would Amit Ever Sell Gong—or Take It Public?    

Sick of gimmicky “drawn from a hat” texts and Starbucks gift-card blasts? Your audience is too. In this episode, Michael breaks down the LEADS Method: a human, no-BS reactivation system that's driven 60 - 70% reply rates, closed 17 clients from a dormant list, and added $52K in ARR in days…without sounding like a robot.What you'll learn:Why automation fatigue is killing your reactivation campaignsThe LEADS MethodThe exact “perks” message to start real conversations (copy/paste)How to segment offers so they actually match what people wantedSimple booking closes that fill your calendar (no fake urgency)___________________________________________________________________________________________

When everything is perfectly organized—routes mapped, fuel stops planned, meals and beds guaranteed—it feels effortless. But the truth is, no matter how tidy the plan, the real world always gets a vote. On short rides, those small interruptions are easy to patch over. Stretch the miles across countries and weeks on the road, though, and the little things start to compound. That's when the first casualty is usually the plan—and what comes next is called the adventure.In this 2017 story, a dozen experienced riders set out to cross South America from Cartagena to Ushuaia, equipped with skills, support vehicles, and a clear plan. But tropical rain, border red tape, shock absorbers that cried uncle, and Patagonian winds forced them to adapt. The journey didn't unfold the way they mapped it—but that's the point. What carries a long trip isn't a perfect plan; it's the flexibility to rewrite it.

Send us a textRiccardo Ianucci-Dawson, CEO of £50m Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) Alto Software Group, joined Anna Clare Harper for this episode.It's hard to get real estate deals done in 2025.With caution, fall-throughs and zombie pricing.So some smart investors are buying real estate businesses.Not just assets.@Riccardo Ianucci-Dawson is CEO of AltoA £50m ARR estate agency CRM powering 25,000 agents.We discussed:How smart investors are growing in 2025Top leadership lessons from raising a daughter with autismWhat he has learned scaling and selling 3 businesses before age 35.P.S. Thanks to Alto, sponsors of this mini-series of The Return.Guest website: https://www.altosoftware.co.uk/ // bit.ly/offer-alto Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riccardoid/Host LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaclareharper/

Oracle's stock recently jumped 37% — and the driver wasn't just revenue growth or earnings per share. The market reacted to one SaaS metric: RPO (Remaining Performance Obligations), which surged 359% year-over-year. In episode #312, Ben Murray explains the RPO metric, how it's calculated, and why investors are paying close attention to it. From Oracle's $455B backlog to Snowflake's disclosure practices, you'll learn why this metric is becoming more important for both public and private SaaS companies. If you want to improve your investor metrics and maximize your company valuation, RPO should be on your radar. What You'll Learn What RPO is (Remaining Performance Obligations) and how it's calculated. Why RPO is a leading indicator of future revenue and business model stickiness. How Oracle's massive RPO growth drove its stock surge. How public companies like Snowflake define and disclose RPO. Why private SaaS companies should start tracking RPO alongside ARR, MRR, and retention. How RPO supports investor confidence in fundraising and exit conversations. Why It Matters for SaaS Operators & Investors Investor metrics such as RPO create visibility into future revenue streams. RPO growth signals stronger customer commitment and drives higher valuations. Private SaaS companies can use RPO as a complement to retention metrics when preparing for fundraising. Resources Mentioned

"Assis au milieu de leur classe de sorciers, Mildred et Faribol se disputent. « Tu t'étales partout avec tes affaires ! » chouine Faribol, en repoussant le grimoire et le chapeau de Mildred vers sa voisine. « Mais je ne m'étale pas ! » répond Mildred. Puis, montrant la maîtresse de la pointe de sa baguette, elle ajoute : « Arrête de faire du bruit ou madame Biquette va nous gronder ! » Agacé, Faribol lui donne un coup de coude. Et soudain, ZOUING ! Dans un éclair, la baguette de Mildred jette un sort à la maîtresse…" Madame Biquette perd la tête, une histoire lue par Hélène, écrite par Alexandra Garibal, illustrée par Roland Garrigue, publiée dans le magazine Pomme d'Api n°716. Le magazine Pomme d'Api propose chaque mois une histoire à écouter en famille. Un podcast plein de tendresse, d'humour et de douceur, dont vous pouvez retrouver le texte original dans le magazine du mois. La grande histoire, ce sont des histoires écrites par des auteurs jeunesse et des journalistes spécialistes de l'enfance. Elles sont lues par de vrais parents ou grands-parents, tontons et tatas, baby-sitters, grands-frères, grandes-sœurs, nounous, cousines, cousins... Ce podcast est préparé et animé par Bayard Jeunesse.  Réalisation : Emmanuel Viau, Musique : E. Viau. Habillage sonore et mixage : Gabriel Fadavi. Création visuelle : Marianne Vilcoq . Production : Hélène Loiseau. Voix : Aude Loyer-Hascoet et Hélène.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

« Arrête avec les excuses, prends le leadership de ta vie. » – Sébastien CossetteJ'ai eu le privilège de recevoir Sébastien Cossette à L'Indomptable Podcast, et laisse-moi te dire que son parcours est profondément inspirant. ✨Sébastien, c'est l'exemple même d'un homme qui a su transformer ses épreuves en leviers pour avancer. Derrière son titre de The Resilient Gentleman, il y a un humain qui a traversé des défis importants, affronté ses peurs et choisi de se relever, encore et encore.Durant notre conversation, il partage avec une authenticité désarmante ce qui l'a poussé à ne plus tolérer les excuses et à reprendre le leadership de sa vie. Parce que, soyons honnêtes : c'est tellement facile de remettre à demain, de blâmer les circonstances ou d'attendre que quelque chose change par magie. Mais la réalité, c'est que tout commence par une seule décision : reprendre ton plein pouvoir.C'est exactement ce que Sébastien a fait, et c'est ce qu'il transmet à travers son message puissant : tu es capable de choisir une vie alignée, de bâtir ton propre succès et de devenir un leader inspirant… mais ça demande de la responsabilité, du courage et de la persévérance.

Dans ce nouvel épisode, j'accueille Pierre, co-fondateur de Cataneo, qui nous plonge dans les coulisses de l'investissement immobilier clé en main

Lindsey S. Mignano is the founder of SSM Legal, an entrepreneurial Silicon Valley corporate lawyer representing emerging technology companies and industry-adjacent firms and small businesses. Her practice spans technology company business formation and expansion into US markets, M&A (flips, entity or asset sales), commercial and technology transactions, and venture financing. Lindsey has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers every year from 2016-2024, an honor awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys under the age of 40. In 2025, she was awarded the Super Lawyers distinction for the first time at the age of 40, an honor awarded to only 5% of attorneys. Separate from her law practice, Lindsey speaks often about diversity issues in the fields of law, tech, and venture. In 2023, Lindsey founded Venture Betches, a venture fund of funds, and Syndicate Betches, a real estate syndicate fund of funds, both with a social justice mission to bring investment opportunities to historically underrepresented accredited limited partners who identify as female and/or BIPOC/minorities.

S4:E187 David covers The Weekly Insights into Venture and then interviews Tacilent.ai CEO Ron Johnson. Tacilent is an AI-native enterprise risk management platform that turns risk management into continuous resilience with predictive risk intelligence. They came out of Stealth in September of ‘24 and are on track to hit over $1M in ARR by Q1 of ‘26. They have bootstrapped this growth to date and were recognized this year as one Georgia's top 40 most innovative companies. Ron explains the business, their market and what the future looks like for Tacilent. If you're an accredited investor and would like a warm intro to Ron, just reach out to me. (interview recorded 8.26.25)WSJ article “Data Centers That Don't Exist Yet Are Already Haunting the Grid”Follow David and Paul: https://x.com/DGRollingSouth https://x.com/PalmettoAngel Connect On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgrisell/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulclarkprivateequity/ We invite your feedback and suggestions at www.ventureinthesouth.com or email david@ventureinthesouth.com. Learn more about RollingSouth at rollingsouth.vc or email david@rollingsouth.vc.

durée : 00:14:08 - Ocora, Couleurs du monde - Chaque été dans les Monts d'Arrée (Finistère), le festival Arrée Voce invite des artistes du monde entier pour faire entendre leurs voix, en solo, duo ou polyphoniques. Cette édition a mis à l'honneur des chants des pays baltes et un trio entre Venezuela, Bretagne et Quercy et autres influences. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Chris Birch returns to Adventure Rider Radio with insights from his brand-new Everything Adventure video training series. This is a deep dive into how adventure riding and training have evolved in the last five years. Chris explains why fundamentals like bike setup and body position matter more than flashy skills, how modern ADV bike design is changing the way we ride, and why so much of what riders learn in a course is quickly forgotten. From fitness as the hidden limiter, to the “fun tokens” mindset, to the balance between digital and in-person training, Chris shares practical lessons and fresh perspectives every rider can take to the trail.About Chris Birch:Chris Birch is one of the most sought-after off-road coaches in the world. With over 35 years of riding experience, he has competed at the highest levels and coached thousands of riders across the globe. Known for his relatable teaching style, Chris focuses on explaining why techniques work, not just telling riders what to do. Through his Say No To Slow coaching program, he helps adventure and enduro riders build skills, confidence, and control on the bike.

Lee Robinson helped Vercel grow to $200M+ in ARR and scaled the Next.js community to over 1.3 million active developers. I dive into his blog posts to uncover valuable insights and lessons about how he achieved this success, covering topics like docs, community building, developer education, marketing, and product development.This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. If you're thinking about selling to enterprise customers, WorkOS can help you add enterprise features like Single Sign On and audit logs.Links:   •  Lee Robinson's blog   •  Lee Robinson's X   •  Peter Yang's interview   •  swyx's interview   •  Gonto on Scaling DevTools   •  Developer Marketing CommunityP.s. this is a new style of episode, let me know what you think. 

For this week's episode, I'm joined by Alex Theuma, the founder and CEO of SaaStock.SaaStock is the leading global event for SaaS founders, executives, and investors — and this year marks a turning point with a brand new positioning: Where AI meets ARR.During our conversation, Alex takes us through his entrepreneurial journey, from starting SaaStock as a blog and podcast to building it into one of the most influential SaaS conferences in the world. We discuss the evolution of the event, the challenges of international expansion, and the bold bet he's making this year: transforming SaaStock into the world's best place for curated one-to-one meetings, with over 15,000 scheduled between founders, investors, and SaaS leaders.We also dive into the rise of AI in SaaS, how it is reshaping the industry, and why Alex believes that in-person connections matter more than ever in this AI-driven era.You can follow Alex on LinkedIn.Enjoy the episode!For supporting SaaS Connection in 1 minute ⏱ (and 2 seconds):Subscribe to SaaS Connection on your favorite platform so you don't miss any episode

Cet épisode a été traduit automatiquement par IA. L'épisode en VO est également disponible ici.Pour l'épisode de cette semaine, je reçois Alex Theuma, le fondateur et CEO de SaaStock.SaaStock, c'est l'événement de référence pour les fondateurs, dirigeants et investisseurs SaaS à l'échelle mondiale — et cette année marque un tournant avec une nouvelle tagline : Where AI meets ARR.Au cours de notre échange, Alex est revenu sur son parcours entrepreneurial, du lancement de SaaStock en tant que blog et podcast jusqu'à en faire l'une des conférences SaaS les plus influentes au monde. Nous avons parlé de l'évolution de l'événement, des défis de l'internationalisation, et du pari audacieux qu'il fait cette année : transformer SaaStock en la meilleure plateforme de rencontres 1-to-1, avec plus de 15 000 rendez-vous programmés entre fondateurs, investisseurs et leaders SaaS.Nous avons également évoqué la montée en puissance de l'IA dans le SaaS, comment elle redéfinit l'industrie, et pourquoi Alex est convaincu que les rencontres en personne n'ont jamais été aussi importantes dans cette ère dominée par l'IA.Vous pouvez suivre Alex sur LinkedIn.Bonne écoute !Pour soutenir SaaS Connection en 1 minute⏱ (et 2 secondes) :Abonnez-vous à SaaS Connection sur votre plateforme préférée pour ne rater aucun épisode

Attention, ce podcast redonne foi en l'avenir.Voici Camille Étienne au tout début de sa fulgurante ascension comme activiste climatique, sur la jeunesse écolo, Greta Thunberg et le jour où le Medef s'est moqué d'elle. ► Crédits photo : Philippe Denis https://www.instagram.com/philippe.denisSOMMAIRE 01:09 Est-ce que tu te reconnais en Greta Thunberg ? 07:11 Comment la vie en montagne a façonné son rapport à la nature 15:20 Ça change quoi d'être écolo quand on est jeune ? 19:40 Comment ne pas s'énerver face à des décideurs ? 34:22 Pourquoi raconter des histoires ? 39:28 L'art et l'écologie : sa vidéo « Réveillons-nous ! » 46:46 Les mythes du billet de 10€ et de la croissance 51:54 Le lien entre l'écologie et le féminisme57:59 Arrêter de prendre l'avion 01:00:08 Quand le MEDEF s'est moqué d'elle__Soutenir Soif de Sens via Tipeee.__Merci au sponsor du mois : le Festival Agir à Lyon ! Ami Lyonnais, inscris-toi pour une journée de folie sur l'écologie et la solidarité à Lyon le 28 septembre !Au programme : Ateliers, balade sur la nature en ville et témoignages de reconversion pro ! L'Institut Transitions qui forme en 1 an aux métiers de la transition sera sur place.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Voici un extrait de l'épisode de demain avec Camille Étienne au tout début de sa fulgurante ascension comme activiste climatique, sur la jeunesse écolo, Greta Thunberg et le jour où le Medef s'est moqué d'elle. ► Crédits photo : Philippe Denis https://www.instagram.com/philippe.denisSOMMAIRE 01:09 Est-ce que tu te reconnais en Greta Thunberg ? 07:11 Comment la vie en montagne a façonné son rapport à la nature 15:20 Ça change quoi d'être écolo quand on est jeune ? 19:40 Comment ne pas s'énerver face à des décideurs ? 34:22 Pourquoi raconter des histoires ? 39:28 L'art et l'écologie : sa vidéo « Réveillons-nous ! » 46:46 Les mythes du billet de 10€ et de la croissance 51:54 Le lien entre l'écologie et le féminisme57:59 Arrêter de prendre l'avion 01:00:08 Quand le MEDEF s'est moqué d'elle__Soutenir Soif de Sens via Tipeee.__Merci au sponsor du mois : le Festival Agir à Lyon ! Ami Lyonnais, inscris-toi pour une journée de folie sur l'écologie et la solidarité à Lyon le 28 septembre !Au programme : Ateliers, balade sur la nature en ville et témoignages de reconversion pro ! L'Institut Transitions qui forme en 1 an aux métiers de la transition sera sur place.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

The SaaS Magic Number is one of the most Googled SaaS metric posts — but it's also one of the most misunderstood. In episode #310, Ben Murray explains what the SaaS Magic Number really measures, why investors care about it, and the benchmarks you should use to evaluate your own business model. From the formula (revenue growth vs. sales & marketing spend) to the nuances (why churn and expansion impact the metric), Ben shows SaaS operators how to avoid common pitfalls. You'll also hear the latest benchmark data from Ray Rike at Benchmarkit.ai, giving you investor-ready context for your next fundraising or valuation conversation. What You'll Learn: What the SaaS Magic Number is and how to calculate it. Why it's more than just a sales and marketing efficiency metric. The nuance: contraction, churn, and customer success also affect the number. Why ARR size and ACV segmentation are critical for accurate benchmarking. When the metric is most useful (short sales cycles, PLG) vs. when to be cautious (enterprise sales cycles). Why It Matters for SaaS Operators & Investors: The Magic Number is a widely used investor metric to gauge efficiency. Clean reporting builds confidence with investors and supports higher company valuations. Benchmarks by ARR and ACV provide a realistic picture of growth efficiency. Using the wrong interpretation can lead to bad decisions in finance strategy and fundraising. Resources Mentioned: Blog Post: https://www.thesaascfo.com/calculate-saas-magic-number/ Five-Pillar SaaS Metrics Framework: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation

Your marketing ROI is declining, and the traditional playbook isn't fixing it. This creates an unprecedented opportunity for businesses ready to evolve their approach.After analysing hundreds of marketing strategies for businesses generating £5-50m turnover, we've identified the five critical disconnects causing ROI to flatline: misaligned metrics, broken targeting, outdated channel mix, risk aversion, and ignoring AI search.The businesses fixing these issues aren't those with the biggest budgets — they're those making strategic adjustments that compound into transformative results.In this episode, Charlie and Dale reveal:The hidden disconnect between marketing metrics and revenue (including why tracking share of voice whilst the board wants ARR creates dangerous blind spots)How Finisterre's attempt to "go broader" nearly killed their growth — and why narrowing your focus expands your potentialWhy spreading budget across every channel is like "betting £1 on every horse" and guarantees you'll lose moneyThe 80/20 framework for balancing proven revenue generators with essential experimentation• How AI search is condensing the customer journey (users now make 3-5 ChatGPT queries before a single Google search)Charlie and Dale also share real-world examples, including how Vita Coco dominated its niche before expanding, and why power users are actually searching Google MORE (13 times daily) while organic traffic declines.As Charlie explains in the pod:"If your bottom line goal is generating a certain number of leads or making a certain amount of revenue, then understanding which marketing channels are actually driving those leads or driving that revenue — and which percentage of your marketing budget is experimental — that's where most businesses fall down."If you're ready to fix the disconnects undermining your marketing performance whilst your competitors cling to yesterday's playbook, this episode provides your complete roadmap for reversing ROI decline.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-62/Listen to these Dojo episodes next:What is AI Search? And Why Is It So Important?https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-56/Google's AI Mode Goes GLOBAL + NEW Agentic Features!https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-61/Only 2% of SEOs Are Optimising for AI Search (and Why That's a BIG Mistake)https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-60/

What do FP&A professionals need to understand about data work and BI and the work that BI is doing? Marcos Bento, Director BI, at Wasabi Technologies: “They need to translate business requests in English in a way that the BI folks can translate that into codes. That's where the magic happens.” In part two of our deep dive with Marcos Bento (BI) and David Suter (FP&A) from Wasabi Technologies, we explore the execution side of their successful data partnership. In this episode: Our 130-Iteration Journey: Net retention metric evolution Cost per dollar of new ARR (and how settled on it) Storytelling across technical and executive audiences Lean team compositions (4-person FP&A, 5-person BI) Power of the problem solving skillset in our hiring 

It's pretty fun being the frontman of the world's fastest-growing company, says Anton Osika. But being swarmed by enthusiastic users, opportunistic investors and beady-eyed journalists can occasionally have its downsides.It's no surprise everyone wants a piece of Lovable founder and CEO Anton. Last month, just eight months after its launch, Lovable was crowned Europe's newest unicorn when it raised $200m at a $1.8bn valuation, and hit $100m ARR. On this week's episode of the podcast, Anton sits down with host Amy to discuss the company's push into enterprise, hiring mistakes he's made and the challenges of building Europe's startup du jour in public.————————Want a new pair of headphones? Tell us what you think of the podcast and enter our prize draw, here: https://form.typeform.com/to/WbVxsSv7This episode was brought to you by HSBC Innovation Banking, connecting you with what's next.

Garrett Marshall brings over 22 years of expertise in driving growth within the wellness industry, with a proven track record across strategy and innovation, executive leadership, business development, strategic partnerships, and technological product development. At a time when health awareness and digitization are at unprecedented levels, Garrett Marshall specializes in creating practical, high-value solutions that empower individuals to improve their well-being. By combining cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of market dynamics, Garrett transforms challenges into scalable opportunities that deliver measurable impact. Garrett has played a pivotal role in the success of multiple ventures, contributing to two IPOs and earning six Inc. 1000 FGC Awards. Recognized as IHRSA's Rising Star, Garrett consistently drives remarkable results, achieving $5M in ARR within 36 months in each of the last three SaaS startups. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County.

Miről szólt a nyár? Arról, hogy zúg a “Mocskos Fidesz”, vagy hogy a Fidesz talpraállt és ritmust váltott? Milyen emberek építik a Tiszát, és milyen nemzetközi környezetbe fog beágyazódni a választás jövőre? A kampányszezon elindult – a Partizán Tölgyessy Péterrel indítja.—A Partizán közössége bebizonyította azt, amiben sokan kételkedtek: a cselekvésnek van értelme, az összefogás meghozza az eredményét. A törvény elnapolásában elévülhetetlen érdemei vannak ennek a közösségnek.De ne feledd: bár ez egy fontos siker, egyelőre csak időt nyertünk!Folytatjuk közös történetünk, támogasd a Partizánt!https://2026.partizan.huMaradjunk kapcsolatban!—A mögöttünk álló közösség biztosítja kérdéseink valódi erejét, fennmaradásunkat és függetlenségünket. Az alábbi módokon tudod támogatni munkánkat:Iratkozz fel!Értesülj elsőként eseményeinkről, akcióinkról, maradjunk kapcsolatban:https://csapat.partizanmedia.hu/forms/maradjunk-kapcsolatbanLegyél önkéntes!Csatlakozz a Partizán önkéntes csapatához:https://csapat.partizanmedia.hu/forms/csatlakozz-te-is-a-partizan-onkenteseihezTematikus hírleveleink—Szerdánként külpolitika: Heti Feledy hírlevélhttps://csapat.partizanmedia.hu/forms/partizan-heti-feledyIratkozz fel a Vétó hírlevélre:https://csapat.partizanmedia.hu/forms/iratkozz-fel-a-veto-hirlevelereYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PartizanmediaFacebook: https://facebook.com/partizanpolitika/ Facebook Társalgó csoport: https://www.facebook.com/groups/partizantarsalgo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partizanpolitika/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@partizan_mediaPartizán saját gyártású podcastok: https://rss.com/podcasts/partizanpodcast/További támogatási lehetőségekről bővebben: https://www.partizanmedia.hu/tamogatas

Au menu de la troisième heure des GG du mardi 2 septembre 2025 : Arrêts maladie : faut-il fliquer tous les médecins ? avec Antoine Diers, consultant, Jérôme Marty, médecin généraliste, et Barbara Lefebvre, professeur d'histoire-géographie.

Nick Frosst is a Canadian AI researcher and entrepreneur, best known as co-founder of Cohere, the enterprise-focused LLM. Cohere has raised over $900 million, most recently a $500 million round, bringing its valuation to $6.8 billion. Under his leadership, Cohere hit $100M in ARR. Prior to founding Cohere, Nick was a researcher at Google Brain and a protégé of Geoffrey Hinton. AGENDA:  00:00 – Biggest lessons from Geoff Hinton at Google Brain? 02:10 – Did Google completely sleep at the wheel and miss ChatGPT? 05:45 – Is data or compute the real bottleneck in AI's future? 07:20 – Does GPT5 Prove That Scaling Laws are BS? 13:30 – Are AI benchmarks just total BS? 17:00 – Would Cohere spend $5M on a single AI researcher? 19:40 – What is nonsense in AI that everyone is talking about? 25:30 – What is no one talking about in AI that everyone should be talking about? 33:00 – How do Cohere compete with OpenAI and Anthropic's billions? 44:30 – Why does being American actually hurt tech companies today? 45:10 – Should countries fund their own models? Is model sovereignty the future? 52:00 – Why has Sam Altman actually done a disservice to AI?  

Hopping from buyer meeting to meeting may get you into the seven figures, but it won't garner your business fast growth through $100M and beyond. Not without really lucky amounts of word-of-mouth. Really lucky. Waiting until you're $10M in ARR to get strategic is a surefire path to misfires and stagnation.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Our 220th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news! Recorded on 08/30/2025 Check out Andrey's work over at Astrocade , sign up to be an ambassador here Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and co-hosted by Daniel Bashir Feel free to email us your questions and feedback at contact@lastweekinai.com and/or hello@gladstone.ai Read out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/ In this episode: Google's newly released Gemini 2.5 image editing model showcases remarkable advancements, enabling highly accurate modifications of subjects while retaining their original features. Anthropic expands Claude with an AI browser agent for Chrome and adds features to remember past conversations, enhancing the user experience and personalization. NVIDIA and AMD to share revenue from AI chip sales to China with US government, marking a notable shift in export control policies and trade practices. AI companion apps are experiencing substantial growth, with projected revenues expected to reach $120 million by 2025, raising questions about social implications and user engagement. Timestamps + Links: Tools & Apps (00:02:12) Google Gemini's AI image model gets a 'bananas' upgrade | TechCrunch (00:05:32) Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent that lives in Chrome | TechCrunch (00:08:30) Anthropic's Claude chatbot can now remember your past conversations | The Verge (00:11:46) Google Launches AI ‘Guided Learning' Tool to Teach Users (00:14:55) Apple Intelligence's ChatGPT integration will use GPT-5 starting with iOS 26 | The Verge (00:15:39) OpenAI Adds New Features to Codex, Like IDE Extension and GitHub Code Reviews Applications & Business (00:16:49) Lovable projects $1B in ARR within next 12 months | TechCrunch (00:18:56) Decart hits $3.1 billion valuation on $100 million raise to power real-time interacti | Ctech (00:20:19) Cohere raises $500M to beat back generative AI rivals | TechCrunch (00:21:25) Pony AI, Nearing Full-Year Robotaxi Goal, Eyes European Markets - Bloomberg (00:22:41) Co-founder of Elon Musk's xAI departs the company | TechCrunch Projects & Open Source (00:24:39) Meta AI Just Released DINOv3: A State-of-the-Art Computer Vision Model Trained with Self-Supervised Learning, Generating High-Resolution Image Features - MarkTechPost (00:27:02) GLM-4.5: Agentic, Reasoning, and Coding (ARC) Foundation Models (00:29:49) China's DeepSeek Releases V3.1, Boosting AI Model's Capabilities - Bloomberg (00:30:36) Open weight LLMs exhibit inconsistent performance across providers (00:32:02) Microsoft Released VibeVoice-1.5B: An Open-Source Text-to-Speech Model that can Synthesize up to 90 Minutes of Speech with Four Distinct Speakers - MarkTechPost Research & Advancements (00:33:43) Deep Think with Confidence (00:36:30) Generative AI reshapes U.S. job market, Stanford study shows Policy & Safety (00:41:42) Inside the US Government's Unpublished Report on AI Safety | WIRED (00:44:10) U.S. Government to Take Cut of Nvidia and AMD A.I. Chip Sales to China - The New York Times (00:45:13) Anthropic Settles High-Profile AI Copyright Lawsuit Brought by Book Authors (00:46:56) AI companion apps on track to pull in $120M in 2025 | TechCrunch

A few days ago, Nick Mehta announced his transition from CEO to Board Director and Special Advisor at Gainsight. As CEO, he spent more than a decade transforming the company into a global leader in customer success, serving over 20,000 customers and surpassing $100 million in ARR. Before Gainsight, he led LiveOffice through its acquisition by Symantec and co-founded Chipshot in the 90s. Nick serves on the boards of F5 and PubMatic and holds a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a Master's degree in Computer Science, both from Harvard. Known for leading with heart, humor, and humility, he's also the voice behind the blog Mehtaphysical Musings, a rapper, and a YouTube creator with over 50 parody videos.In this conversation, we discuss:How Nick Mehta balances vulnerability and optimism as a leader navigating uncertaintyWhy Gainsight's values like “childlike joy” matter more in an AI-driven worldWhat happens to identity and purpose in a post-work economy shaped by automationThe growing divide between capital and labor, and why Marxist ideas are resurfacing in the AI eraWhy we shouldn't assume past tech cycles will repeat and how to question AI's impact on jobsWhat Gainsight's AI initiative “Atlas” reveals about the rise of agentic tech in customer successResources:Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Nick on LinkedInPast Episode with Nick [Season 5, #298]: On Building A Human-First AI CultureWatch this for a laugh: “I promise that you'll never find a CEO like Nick”Recommended by Nick:Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinPlayer Piano by Kurt Vonnegut 

Fetch Package Delivery has revolutionized apartment package management through an innovative off-site warehouse model, serving over 400,000 units and approaching $70 million in ARR. In this episode, we sat down with Michael Patton, Founder & CEO of Fetch, to explore how he built a logistics-heavy business that bridges the gap between traditional property management and modern e-commerce demands. Michael's journey from corporate finance to PropTech pioneer offers unique insights into scaling physical service businesses in markets that weren't traditionally venture-backable. Topics Discussed: Fetch's origin as a solution to apartment building package management problems The company's evolution from bootstrapped Dallas startup to national platform Building MVP in logistics-heavy businesses versus traditional SaaS Early customer acquisition strategies in relationship-driven industries Navigating the PropTech market before it became mainstream Scaling operations while maintaining service quality during hypergrowth Expanding from core package delivery to adjacent services GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Master relationship-based selling in traditional industries: Michael succeeded in the apartment industry through personal relationship building rather than digital marketing funnels. He spent months visiting properties, forming relationships with regional managers, and even secured his first customer through a handwritten card campaign that resonated with a VP who loved dog rescue. B2B founders entering traditional industries should prioritize face-to-face relationship building and understand that decision-makers often value personal connections over polished presentations. Take calculated risks to capture market timing: Fetch grew from $1M to $40M ARR in just 18 months during 2019-2021, despite not being fully operationally ready for that scale. Michael explains: "The thing that we did right was take advantage of really intense market demand when it came, even though we weren't always quite ready for it." Founders should be prepared to scale aggressively when market conditions align, even if it means accumulating technical debt or operational challenges that can be addressed later. Physical service businesses require different MVP strategies: Unlike SaaS companies that can iterate with software alone, Fetch's MVP required Michael to personally deliver packages for 18 months while building operational knowledge. This hands-on approach provided invaluable insights: "It was so valuable looking back, to be able to see every side of the business and literally four or five, six hours a day, be the last mile delivery partner." Founders building physical service businesses should expect to be deeply involved in operations during early stages to understand every aspect of their value chain. Hire ahead of immediate needs during growth phases: During Fetch's hypergrowth period, Michael deliberately over-hired on skill level, bringing in leaders who were arguably overqualified for immediate needs but would be essential as the company scaled. This strategy of "trusting leaders and bringing in the right people to lead some of the most critical ops" allowed them to maintain quality during rapid expansion. Founders should consider investing in talent that can grow into roles rather than just filling current gaps. Build platform infrastructure for adjacent service expansion: Fetch's long-term strategy always focused on establishing the "rails" between warehouses and buildings, then adding services that utilize existing trips and infrastructure. Michael describes: "We've sort of done the dirty work of building up a labor intensive business and we have sort of underlying tech to make that a lot easier now." This approach of building core infrastructure first, then layering additional services, creates significant competitive advantages and higher margins over time.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co   //   Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM 

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Ilana Alberco,founder and CEO of SpaSpace, about her journey in the spa and wellness industry. Discover how Ilana is transforming SpaSpace in Chicago into a hub for intergenerational connection, and innovation and learn about her experiences as a female entrepreneur in the tech space.About IlanaIlana Alberico is a multi-exit entrepreneur and strategist with over two decades of experience at the intersection of wellness, hospitality, and technology. She has founded, scaled, and sold multiple companies across spa management, consumer products, and SaaS, earning a reputation for translating visionary ideas into enduring businesses.Ilana's career highlights include:Drove mergers and acquisitions that scaled into North America's leading luxury spa management company.Founding and selling a SaaS platform that pioneered AI-powered personalization and scaled into a multimillion-dollar ARR business.Launching Privai, a natural skincare line, acquired in 2022 and now distributed across luxury resorts and retail channels.Serving as President of Spa Space at Arch Amenities Group, where she drove innovation and culture for a global wellness enterprise spanning hundreds of locations.Awards include 2017 Innovate Award from the International Spa Association, 2019 T.I.E. Atlanta Entrepreneurship Award, Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies X2Known for her ability to bridge creative vision with commercial discipline, Ilana has advised Fortune 500 hospitality brands, private equity groups, and family offices alike. Her approach blends strategic foresight, design intelligence, and operational excellence, ensuring every project delivers both meaningful experiences and measurable returns.Beyond her ventures, Ilana is an owner and advisor partner to SpaSpace and currently enrolled in the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown, advancing her knowledge of  Cyberspace Analytics and Technology focused on the intersection of AI, ethics, and human-centered design. She also serves on the board of the Tampa Bay International School, advancing education in bilingualism, leadership, andsocial responsibility.Key TakeawaysSpaSpace day spa in Chicago has been reinvented to become a social wellness club, providing a third space for intergenerational relationships to flourish.SpaSpace is a digital community platform where members and providers are able to continue their connection digitally in their private groups, sharephotos with each other, and ask an expert.Female-only founding teams globallygarnered 2.3% of all VC dollars. In 2025, startups founded exclusively by women received just 0.7% of all U.S. VC funding, a sharp drop from about 2% the year before, and the lowest share since tracking began.Resilience is essential for entrepreneurs: being comfortable with failure is a prerequisite for building, scaling, and eventually selling a successful business.

Jeremy Au and Gita Sjahrir unpack Indonesia's turbulence, from corruption scandals and startup economic uncertainty due to the collapse of eFishery. They contrast Singapore's stability with Indonesia's volatility, explore how weak rule of law erodes trust, and discuss how scandals damage both founders and investors. They also analyze the role of boards, GPs, and operating partners in strengthening Southeast Asia's startup ecosystem. 02:00 Corruption scandals seem to show political motivation: The Tom Lembong case introduced the charge of “potential loss to the state,” which was never proven, and targeted him while other ministers who made similar decisions were left untouched. 04:46 Public mistrust deepens: Indonesians question whether corruption cases are genuine, ploys, or selective prosecutions, and many view them as witch hunts that worsen the disconnect between government and citizens. This has resulted in street protests. 09:19 Economic data raises skepticism: Official growth figures of above 5 percent confused the public, as weak indicators like falling auto sales, rising unemployment, and declining foreign direct investment suggest economic hardship is the reality. 12:12 Central bank cuts interest rates: The surprise decision was a move to boost growth to increase domestic investments and spending. Observers argued that transparency and equal rule of law remain the true foundation for long-term capital flows. 15:07 eFishery founder detained by Indonesia police: The founder's detention followed a public Bloomberg interview in which he admitted to misconduct, reinforcing concerns that the scandal severely damaged trust in Indonesia's startup scene. Law enforcement may improve public trust and deter bad-faith actors 19:33 Investor reaction turns punitive: Indonesia founders are asked to show profitability very early, to hit one million ARR within their first year, and to give up more than 20 percent equity even before a Series A. 28:17 VC operating partner model is missing: Unlike private equity, Southeast Asian venture capital rarely employs experienced operating partners - to support founders directly or fill board seats, leaving a gap in hands-on help and corporate governance. Watch, listen or read the full insight at  https://www.bravesea.com/blog/gita-sjahrir-indonesia-trust-crisis Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

Most B2B revenue engines stall out. In this episode, we break down why — and how to build one that actually scales.Paul Perrett (CEO, Firmable) joins us with Adem Manderovic (Closed Circuit Selling, CRO School) to map ARR model, the 10-line economic engine, and why cataloguing and ecosystem activation beat brute-force outbound.We unpack how to work backwards from revenue goals, align Sales, Marketing and CS around market validations, and build compounding demand with brand and partners.Tune in and learn:+ The 10-line economic model behind a scalable B2B revenue engine+ How to replace MQLs with market validations and fix SDR incentives+ Ecosystem activation plays that compound trust and pipelineIf you're a B2B marketer in a small team, this is a must-watch. It's practical, numbers-first, and shows how to turn brand, SDRs, inbound, and partners into one working B2B revenue engine.-----------------------------------------------------

Damian (Demon) Rowley spent 35 years riding motorcycles professionally in London—first as a courier, then as one of Virgin's elite “limo bike” riders, trusted to ferry celebrities and executives through the city's relentless traffic. With over half a million miles behind him, Damian shares the toll of crashes, injuries, and burnout, as well as the moment he realized he needed a change. At 50, he walked away from security, ended a long relationship, and set out solo on a KTM 690 to ride the world. His story isn't just about motorcycles—it's about reinvention, confronting fear, and discovering personal growth when the safety nets are gone.

Starboard is building AI-first infrastructure to transform global trade by improving the productivity of freight forwarders—the central coordinators who connect 15-20 different parties in every international trade transaction. With 15 years of experience in the industry, including roles at Maersk, BCG, and Flexport, Sumeet Trehan saw an opportunity to modernize an industry that has invested heavily in physical infrastructure but neglected technological innovation. The company has raised $5.5 million and is approaching $1 million ARR while creating an entirely new category they call "AI-first forwarders." Topics Discussed: Building AI infrastructure to automate freight forwarding coordination and quoting processes Creating a new category in the traditional, relationship-driven logistics industry Go-to-market strategies for selling to an "old boys club" industry that operates differently from typical SaaS markets The founder's decision to personally handle the first 20-30 sales before hiring any sales staff Vision for transforming global trade by creating a comprehensive platform for small-to-mid-sized importers   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Cold calling still works in traditional industries: Starboard generates significant top-of-funnel activity through direct cold calling, with freight forwarders actually appreciating the personal touch. Sumeet's team achieves a 10% pickup rate and converts 15-20% of answered calls to discovery meetings by being upfront about the cold call nature and immediately focusing on business outcomes. The approach works because their target market—freight forwarders—are accustomed to making and receiving cold calls as part of their daily business operations. Door-to-door prospecting remains viable for relationship-driven markets: In industries where personal relationships dominate, physical presence can be a differentiator. Starboard literally brings donuts to prospects' offices, which works because their target market values face-to-face interactions. This approach only makes sense when your industry culture supports it and when the lifetime value of customers justifies the time investment. Founders should personally execute early sales to understand the playbook: Rather than immediately hiring sales staff after raising funding, Sumeet chose to personally close the first 20-30 deals. This allowed him to deeply understand customer pain points, refine the sales process, and develop a replicable methodology before bringing on sales team members. Only after proving out the top-of-funnel motion did he hire his first SDR, and only after closing 15-20 deals did he hire a sales leader. Physical implementation presence drives early-stage product adoption: For complex B2B products still achieving product-market fit, being physically present during implementation creates stronger relationships and better feedback loops. Starboard's team travels to be on-site when clients first use the product, which helps with both adoption rates and product development insights. They maintain ongoing communication through WhatsApp and Teams channels rather than Slack, adapting to their customers' preferred communication methods. Category creation requires education over product promotion: Starboard's marketing strategy focuses entirely on educating the market about AI's potential impact on logistics rather than promoting their specific product. By speaking at events, writing blogs, and participating in podcasts about industry transformation rather than Starboard features, they position themselves as thought leaders. This approach builds trust and creates demand for the category before potential customers are ready to evaluate specific solutions. Sequencing product development based on customer feedback: The company's current quoting product serves as a wedge, with plans to expand into marketplace functionality and then full operations automation. Each expansion builds on customer relationships and data from the previous phase. This measured approach to product development ensures each step creates value while building toward the larger vision of comprehensive trade infrastructure.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co   //   Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM 

Unlock the secrets of hypergrowth in SaaS with Gaurav Bhattacharya in this electrifying kickoff of our podcast series, hosted by Lauren Hawker Zafer.

Asha Sharma leads AI product strategy at Microsoft, where she works with thousands of companies building AI products and has unique visibility into what's working (and what's not) across more than 15,000 startups and enterprises. Before Microsoft, Asha was COO at Instacart, and VP of Product & Engineering at Meta, notably leading product for Messenger.What you'll learn:1. Why we're moving from “product as artifact” to “product as organism” and what this means for builders2. Microsoft's “seasons” planning framework that allows them to adapt quickly in the AI era3. The death of the org chart: how agents are turning hierarchies into task networks and why “the loop, not the lane” is the new organizing principle4. Why post-training will soon see more investment than pre-training—and how to build your own AI moat with fine-tuning5. Her prediction for the “agentic society”—where org charts become work charts and agents outnumber humans in your company6. The three-phase pattern every successful AI company follows (and why most fail at phase one)7. The rise of code-native interfaces and why GUIs might be going the way of the desktop8. What Asha learned from Satya Nadella about optimism—Brought to you by:Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth: https://enterpret.com/lennyDX—The developer intelligence platform designed by leading researchers: http://getdx.com/lennyFin—The #1 AI agent for customer service: https://fin.ai/lenny—Transcript: ⁠https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-80000-companies-build-with-ai-asha-sharma⁠—My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers): ⁠https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/171413445/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation⁠—Where to find Asha Sharma:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aboutasha/• Blog: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/author/asha-sharma/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Asha Sharma(04:18) From “product as artifact” to “product as organism”(06:20) The rise of post-training and the future of AI product development(09:10) Successful AI companies: patterns and pitfalls(12:01) The evolution of full-stack builders(14:15) “The loop, not the lane”—the new organizing principle(16:24) The future of user interfaces: from GUI to code-native(19:34) The rise of the agentic society(22:58) The “work chart” vs. the “org chart”(26:24) How Microsoft is using agents(28:23) Planning and strategy in the AI landscape(35:38) The importance of platform fundamentals(39:31) Lessons from industry giants(42:10) What's driving Asha(44:30) Reinforcement learning (RL) and optimization loops(49:19) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/• Cursor: https://cursor.com/• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Inside ChatGPT: The fastest growing product in history | Nick Turley (Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-chatgpt-nick-turley• GitHub: https://github.com• Dragon Medical One: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/health-solutions/clinical-workflow/dragon-medical-one• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• Building a magical AI code editor used by over 1 million developers in four months: The untold story of Windsurf | Varun Mohan (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-untold-story-of-windsurf-varun-mohan• Lovable: https://lovable.dev/• Building Lovable: $10M ARR in 60 days with 15 people | Anton Osika (CEO and co-founder): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-lovable-anton-osika• Bolt: http://bolt.com• Inside Bolt: From near-death to ~$40m ARR in 5 months—one of the fastest-growing products in history | Eric Simons (founder and CEO of StackBlitz): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons• Replit: https://replit.com/•Behind the product: Replit | Amjad Masad (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-product-replit-amjad-masad• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor• Sierra: https://sierra.ai/• Spark: https://github.com/features/spark• Peter Yang on X: https://x.com/petergyang• How AI will impact product management: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management• Instacart: http://instacart.com/• Terminator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_(franchise)• Porch Group: https://porchgroup.com/• WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html• Satya Nadella on X: https://x.com/satyanadella• Perfect Match 360°: Artificial intelligence to find the perfect donor match: https://ivi-fertility.com/blog/perfect-match-360-artificial-intelligence-to-find-the-perfect-donor-match/• OpenAI's GPT-5 shows potential in healthcare with early cancer detection capabilities: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/openais-gpt-5-shows-potential-in-healthcare-with-early-cancer-detection-capabilities/articleshow/123173952.cms• F1: The Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16311594/• For All Mankind on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7• The Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/• Dewalt Powerstack: https://www.dewalt.com/powerstack• Regret Minimization Framework: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/sites/2147500522/themes/2148012322/downloads/rLuObc2QuOwjLrinx5Yu_regret-minimization-framework.pdf—Recommended books:• The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World's Most Coveted Microchip: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Machine-Jensen-Coveted-Microchip/dp/0593832698• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593466497Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.My biggest takeaways from this conversation: To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

When a strategic acquirer or private equity firm comes knocking, they'll ask for more than your headline ARR number. In episode #309, Ben Murray shares the seven critical numbers that buyers want to see before moving forward with a deal. These SaaS metrics and investor metrics are not only central to due diligence but also directly impact your company's valuation. From ARR and contracted ARR to retention and RevRec policies, you'll learn what to prepare now so you're ready for the call — whether it's tomorrow or two years from now. The point is to be prepared! What You'll Learn: - The 7 metrics that this giant investment fund wants to see - Preparing your 4 key data sources - Don't wait; be prepared today Why These Numbers Matter: - Fundraising & Exits: Acquirers use these metrics to assess risk, scalability, and long-term value. - Valuation Impact: Clean data on ARR, retention, and profitability drives higher multiples. - Investor Confidence: Reliable reporting reduces due diligence friction and builds trust. Don't fall prey to "deal fatigue!" Resources Mentioned:

Passer manager avant 30 ans, être augmenté avant la fin de l'année, lire quatre livres par mois, jouer davantage avec ses enfants, perdre cinq kg, courir le marathon... dans tous les domaines, il est possible de se fixer des objectifs. Cela constitue une façon de s'améliorer, d'apprendre encore, d'être une meilleure version de soi-même. Au risque parfois de s'éparpiller, de viser trop haut, de se perdre en cours de route. À force d'allonger sa liste d'objectifs, de se mettre la pression, la quête du « toujours plus », se transforme en perte de confiance et manque d'épanouissement. Faut-il tout simplement arrêter de se fixer des objectifs ?  Avec Anne Fourié, ancienne cavalière de compétition et ancienne manager en entreprise. Fondatrice de HappyPerf, entreprise de formation et coaching mental pour les particuliers et les entreprises. Autrice du livre Arrêtez de vous fixer des objectifs - développer performance et confiance en soi sans se saboter (Eyrolles, 2025). En deuxième partie d'émission, la chronique d'Haussman Vwanderday, un autre regard sur l'économie en Afrique. Aujourd'hui : les applications de tontine sont-elles la solution pour éviter les discordes entre amis et familles ?  En fin d'émission, la rubrique Mondoblog chez les voisins avec Alaa Khzam.  ► Andrino Akuda Kangela, à Goma, imagine une Afrique sans barrières, fondée sur la libre circulation des personnes et des idées.  ► Nadia Edodji, blogueuse togolaise, interroge la difficulté à reconnaître sa propre valeur, entre éducation discrète et culture du silence.  ► Mélissa Wyckhuyse, journaliste française, signe un billet fort sur la santé mentale dans les rédactions, après une conférence aux Assises du journalisme de Tours.  Cette émission est une rediffusion du 31 mars 2025. Programmation musicale : ► Benjamin B – MC Solaar & Jok'air  ► Kamigaz – Pause

Why you should listenAaron Edwards reveals how to create custom AI agents for customer support that achieve 60-70% resolution rates out of the box, dramatically reducing support team workload and costs.Learn how DocsBot provides a flexible, cost-effective alternative to expensive enterprise solutions like Salesforce's AgentForce.Discover innovative lead generation strategies using intent-based SEO and free AI tools that can capture high-quality leads in today's challenging SEO landscape.Are you tired of watching your support team drown in tickets while your knowledge gets scattered across different systems and people's heads? I keep hearing the same frustration - enterprise AI solutions promise everything but cost more than most SMBs can justify. In this episode, I talk with Aaron Edwards, founder of DocsBot, who shares exactly how to create powerful custom AI agents for both customer support and internal knowledge access at a fraction of the cost. We dive into real-world use cases, discuss why flexibility matters more than fancy features, and explore marketing strategies that actually work in today's crowded AI landscape. This conversation will show you how to make AI work for your business without the enterprise price tag.About Aaron EdwardsAaron Edwards is Building & growing DocsBot and Imajinn.ai to $1m ARR. He is also the Co-founder Infinite Uploads (acquired). Previously CTO of WPMU DEV. Sharing his soloprenuer journey building and marketing an AI SaaS.Resources and LinksDocsbot.aiUglyrobot.devAaron's LinkedIn profileAaron on X: @UglyRobotDevGet DocsBot FREE for 1 month hereReplicateN8nLovablePrevious episode: 630 - The Death of Hourly Consulting: From Time-Selling to Value-Selling in the AI Age with Isar MeitisCheck out more episodes of the Paul Higgins PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube channel: @PaulHigginsMentoringJoin our newsletterSuggested resource

Garrett Lord is co-founder and CEO of Handshake, which started as a career network for college students and new grads but recently discovered something extraordinary: they were sitting on the world's largest network of academic experts—exactly what frontier AI labs desperately needed. With 500,000 PhDs and 3 million advanced degree holders creating training data, in just eight months they've built a new business that hit $50 million in revenue in its first four months and is on track to blow past $100M in the first 12 months.What you'll learn:1. How Handshake found an opportunity to leverage their proprietary network of experts to launch a data-labeling business that's on track to blow past $100 million ARR in 12 months2. Why AI models need human experts (e.g. physics PhDs) to improve, and what this “data labeling” actually involves3. Inside the actual work: what a biology PhD does for 8 hours that makes GPT-5 smarter4. The playbook for building a startup inside a startup: separate teams, separate offices, separate everything5. Why the shift from “generalist” to “expert” data labeling created a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity6. Why AI won't eliminate entry-level jobs—it's creating “Iron Man suits” that make junior employees 10x more productive—Brought to you by:CodeRabbit—Cut code review time and bugs in half. Instantly: https://coderabbit.link/lennyOrkes—The enterprise platform for reliable applications and agentic workflows: https://www.orkes.io/Claude.ai—The AI for problem solvers and enterprise: http://claude.ai/—Transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-handshake-garrett-lord—My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/171410958/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation—Where to find Garrett Lord:• X: https://x.com/garrettlord• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettlord/• Email: Garrett@joinhandshake.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Garrett Lord(05:00) Understanding data labeling and its importance(13:08) The role of experts in AI model training(15:35) The future of AI and human collaboration(24:17) Why AI won't eliminate entry-level jobs(27:58) The continuous improvement of AI models(33:05) The emergence of Handshake's new business model(37:07) Incubating new ideas in established companies(40:42) Handshake's competitive advantage(45:43) Scaling up and meeting market demand(48:38) Overcoming challenges and adapting(53:08) The importance of separate teams and ownership(57:26) The future of job matching with AI(01:00:30) The biggest bottlenecks to advancing models further(01:02:37) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• GPQA: https://github.com/idavidrein/gpqa• Handshake: https://joinhandshake.com/• OpenAI's CPO on how AI changes must-have skills, moats, coding, startup playbooks, more | Kevin Weil (CPO at OpenAI, ex-Instagram, Twitter): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kevin-weil-open-ai• Inside Bolt: From near-death to ~$40m ARR in 5 months—one of the fastest-growing products in history | Eric Simons (founder and CEO of StackBlitz): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons• Goldman Sachs: https://www.goldmansachs.com/• General Motors: https://www.gm.com/• Google: https://about.google/• Sahil Bhaiwala on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahil-bhaiwala-459b0354/• Francisco “Paco” Guzman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guzmanhe/• Avery Yip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averyyip/• Game of Thrones on HBO: https://www.hbomax.com/shows/game-of-thrones/4f6b4985-2dc9-4ab6-ac79-d60f0860b0ac• SNOO: https://www.happiestbaby.com/products/snoo-smart-bassinet• Careers at Handshake: https://joinhandshake.com/careers/—Recommended books:• Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future: https://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers―Straight Talk on the Challenges of Entrepreneurship: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

Chris Birch - What Works, What Doesn't, And How To Select The Moto Gear That's Right For YouWhen it comes to adventure riding gear, the options are endless—mesh, laminated, vented, lightweight, heavy-duty. With so many choices, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. What matters in riding gear? How much protection is enough? And what trade-offs should you be aware of? To get clarity, we turned to Chris Birch. A lifelong motorcyclist who's raced local dirt tracks in New Zealand, competed on the world stage in hard enduro, and now travels the globe on adventure bikes, Chris has seen it all. In this episode, he shares hard-earned insights on what works, what doesn't, and how to choose the gear that's right for you.When it comes to adventure riding gear, the options are endless—mesh, laminated, vented, lightweight, heavy-duty. With so many choices, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. What matters in riding gear? How much protection is enough? And what trade-offs should you be aware of? To get clarity, we turned to Chris Birch. A lifelong motorcyclist who's raced local dirt tracks in New Zealand, competed on the world stage in hard enduro, and now travels the globe on adventure bikes, Chris has seen it all. In this episode, he shares hard-earned insights on what works, what doesn't, and how to choose the gear that's right for you.

On this episode of RAW, we discuss recognizing and resolving conflicts while travelling, whether it's with someone you started the trip with or someone you meet along the way and decide to ride with. Common sources of conflict include differing riding styles, daily routines, decision-making, or budget mismatches. The panel talks about how to communicate effectively on the road, ways to compromise, when to take space, and how to reset after tension or disagreement.Listen to the episodes on ARR featuring two riders who faced issues while travelling from Atlanta to Alaska together. They ended up parting ways and didn't remain friends. Each appeared on the show in separate episodes to share their side of the story. Abandoned on the DaltonAbandoned - The Other Side of the Story

Au cœur de tous les discours autour du sperme et de la masculinité, la masturbation cristallise fantasmes et inquiétudes depuis des siècles. Alors que les croyances sur ses méfaits semblaient appartenir au passé, une nouvelle mouvance les remet au goût du jour sur les réseaux sociaux : le #NoFap, qu'on pourrait traduire par “Pas de branlette”. La promesse ? Arrêter la masturbation pour reprendre le contrôle sur sa vie, et ré-affirmer sa masculinité. D'où vient le #NoFap et quels sont ses préceptes ? Pourquoi séduit-il autant de jeunes hommes ? Qu'est-ce que les discours des influenceurs #NoFap révèlent de la sexualité masculine aujourd'hui ? Dans ce troisième épisode de la série inédite en 5 volets « Tout sur le sperme », Naomi Titti reçoit Florian Vörös, enseignant-chercheur en études culturelles à l'Université de Lille et auteur du livre « Désirer comme un homme. Enquête sur les fantasmes et les masculinités » (éd. La Découverte, 2020). Depuis plusieurs années, il consacre ses recherches au #NoFap en collaboration avec l'anthropologue Mélanie Gourarier. Pour Florian Vörös, sous ses atours de développement personnel le #NoFap révèle un nouveau bastion du masculinisme en ligne impregné de néo-libéralisme.RÉFÉRENCES CITÉES DANS L'ÉMISSION :Retrouvez toutes les références citées dans l'épisode à la page : https://www.binge.audio/podcast/les-couilles-sur-la-table/no-fap-branlette-interdite-3-5CRÉDITS :Les Couilles sur la table est un podcast créé par Victoire Tuaillon produit par Binge Audio. Cet entretien a été préparé, mené et monté par Naomi Titti, et enregistré le mardi 24 juin 2025 au studio Virginie Despentes de Binge Audio (Paris, 19e). Prise de son, réalisation et mixage : Paul Bertiaux. Supervision éditoriale et de production : Naomi Titti. Production, édition Marie Foulon. Communication : Lise Niederkorn. Rédacteur en chef : Thomas Rozec. Direction de production : Albane Fily. Responsable administrative et financière : Adrienne Marino. Générique : Théo Boulenger. Identité graphique : Marion Lavedeau (Upian). Composition identité sonore : Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Voix identité sonore : Bonnie El Bokeili. Direction des programmes : Joël Ronez.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Fifteen years on the road—and no major disasters. Elsebie and Michnus Olivier of PikiPiki Overland share how they've dodged mechanical meltdowns, sketchy border crossings, and costly mistakes while traveling by motorcycle —including one tense moment in Sudan that could have gone very wrong. Is it luck… or a skill you can learn?