Podcasts about Brex

Returning guest Bryan Power (Head of People, Nextdoor) talk about AI workplace adoption, contrasting executives who avoid AI as time-consuming with his dedicated approach of treating AI as teammates, scheduling one-on-ones with custom GPTs, and transforming workflows.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.KEEP UP WITH BRYAN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINBryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanpower/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:00) The Tinkerer vs. The Resisters(03:00) The AI Bubble and Workplace Resistance(05:00) Project Neighbor: Nextdoor's AI Initiative(07:00) Case Study: Building AI Training with ChatGPT(09:00) Mental Model Shift: AI as Teammate, Not Tool(10:00) Scheduling One-on-Ones with Custom GPTs(10:51) Ad Break - Athena & Planful Sponsors(14:01) Executive Offsite Planning: AI in Action(16:00) The Onboarding Problem: Context and Custom GPTs(18:00) Compensation GPT: Domain-Specific AI Applications(21:00) Output and Velocity: Gamma and Slide Creation(22:43) Ad Break - Metaview Sponsor(24:37) Optional or Essential: The Future of AI Adoption(26:00) The Mass Extinction Event for Knowledge Workers(30:00) Creating Permission to Tinker(32:00) Restructuring Executive Time for AI(34:00) Corporate Lingo Roast(44:08) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week, we chat with Ali Kriegsman! Ali is a writer, entrepreneur, and business strategist whose work lives at the intersection of brand building, storytelling, and sales. At just 24, she co-founded Bulletin, a retail technology company that reimagined how premium brands and retailers connect. Bulletin went on to be acquired by Emerald [NYSE:EEX], the largest B2B events company in the United States, in a $10 million deal.Since then, Ali has helped founders and companies raise more than $20 million in venture funding, secure profitable exits, and close major sponsorship and partnership deals. She's also the author of How to Build a Goddamn Empire, and her most recent fiction project, The Raise, which pushes the boundaries of traditional publishing by blending storytelling with cinematic, social, and direct-to-consumer elements to create an immersive brand experience.Ali has been recognized as a Forbes ‘30 Under 30' honoree and one of Fast Company's ‘Most Creative People in Business,' and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Refinery29, The Today Show, and more✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazersOpenPhone: openphone.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Ali Kriegsman: @alikriegs@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Katelin Holloway, Founding Partner of Seven Seven Six. Katelin argues HR professionals possess essential early-stage investing skills, and advocates their transition from support roles to decision-making positions through founder relationship-building strategies.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH KATELIN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINKatelin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelinholloway/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS: Seven Seven Six: http://sevensevensix.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:27) How HR "Found" Katelin: The Accidental Career Path(02:02) Pixar University: Learning from World-Class People Operations(03:16) Meeting Alexis Ohanian: The Reddit Turnaround Story(04:12) When Employees Refused to Wear Company Swag(04:43) Why Hard Challenges Build Deeper Professional Bonds(05:42) From Boardroom to Back Room: The VC Industry Problem(07:24) Why Early-Stage Investing IS People Work(08:52) The "Talent Partner" Problem: Wasted Potential in VC(09:40) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(12:03) The Marc Andreessen Challenge: Selection vs. Support(13:23) Platform Shifts Are Disrupting Venture Capital(14:07) Product and People First: 776's Different Approach(15:30) The Tactical Playbook: How to Break Into Venture(15:49) Build Founder Relationships, Not VC Relationships(16:22) The "How Can I Help?" Problem: Why Most VCs Fail Founders(17:39) From Advisor to Angel: Getting Equity Without Cash(18:28) The Golden Rule: Genuine Help Must Come First(20:06) Ed Catmull's 5-Year Rule: Knowing When to Leap(21:57) Why the Smartest People Never "Figure It Out"(22:26) Closing: Building the Future of Venture Capital This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Facebook is undermonetized, TikTok poses an existential threat to Amazon, and ChatGPT has probably already captured most of Google's high-value users. These are the opinions of today's guest, a venture capitalist deeply embedded in consumer networks and social product investing. In this episode, CJ chats with Turner Novak, the Founder and Managing Partner of Banana Capital, host of The Peel podcast, and a man who is known for his Twitter threads and podcast interviews as much as he is for his impressive portfolio. Turner breaks down the monetization models of some of the world's biggest platforms. Together, they discuss undervalued and overvalued business models, the long-term viability of subscription models, how platforms can identify and serve their highest-value users, and how to adapt acquisition strategies as AI reshapes the customer journey. Turner also reveals what excites him for future investments and the underestimated power of memes as a marketing tool.—LINKS:Turner Novak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovakTurner Novak on X (@TurnerNovak): https://x.com/TurnerNovakBanana Capital: https://www.bananacapital.vcThe Peel: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePeelPodthespl.it: CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:09) Sponsor – Rillet | Pulley | Brex(06:15) Turner's Embarrassing Accounting Story(08:10) How Turner Became an Accidental Influencer(09:02) Monetizing Content(12:22) How Turner Built His Media Platform(16:02) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(20:26) From Fantasy VC Portfolios to Podcasting(24:30) Turner's Main Business: Media Versus VC(25:42) Monetizing Premium Experiences on Social Products(30:27) Finding and Targeting High-Value Customers(32:27) Memes as a Tool for Marketing(36:10) Identifying High-Value Users and Opportunities(41:00) Why Pinterest Is Undermonetized(42:57) TikTok Versus Amazon for E-Commerce(46:30) Is ChatGPT Coming for Facebook and Google's Cash Flow(48:36) Facebook as an Undermonetized Business(54:24) The Long-Term Viability of Subscriptions(1:00:31) Customer Acquisition in a Platform-Dominated World(1:04:09) Paid Acquisition in the Era of AI(1:06:23) The Increasing Cost of CAC(1:08:59) What Turner Is Investing in Now(1:15:25) Doing Hard Things as a Moat(1:19:12) Wrap—SPONSORS:Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.#VentureCapital #BusinessModels #GoogleVsChatGPT #ConsumerNetworks #SocialCommerce This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

#281 CRO | Matt is joined by Haley Carpenter, founder of Chirpy, a conversion rate optimization agency. Haley has nearly a decade of CRO experience across agency, SaaS, and eCommerce, and she's known for helping brands use research and testing to make smarter marketing decisions.Matt and Haley cover:Why CRO isn't just A/B testing, and how research should guide every optimization effortHow to approach CRO when you don't have massive website traffic, including scrappy testing methods and toolsThe role of messaging, value props, and social proof in driving higher conversions (and where B2B often lags behind DTC)By the end, you'll have a clearer picture of how to approach CRO as a system, not just a set of tests.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (02:09) - – Who is Haley Carpenter (03:09) - – What CRO really means (06:09) - – Research vs. testing explained (10:09) - – Where to start CRO on a website (13:09) - – Testing with limited traffic (17:09) - – Using data for smarter decisions (20:09) - – Building a culture of testing (24:09) - – How to report CRO results (29:09) - – Scrappy tools: Clarity & Hotjar (34:54) - – What B2B can learn from DTC (38:54) - – Why messaging matters more than features (42:54) - – The power of social proof (48:54) - – Common blockers to CRO success (50:54) - – A surprising test result (+7% sales) (52:54) - – Vanity metrics vs. real business outcomes (56:54) - – Closing thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

AGENDA: [00:05] Musk's $1 Trillion Pay Package: The Breakdown? [00:15] Scale, Windsurf: Are Founders Just Mercenaries Chasing Cash Today? [00:21] Ramp at $1B ARR, Brex at $700M — Is AI Causing All Boats To Rise? [00:26] Sierra at $100M ARR Worth $10B — Bubble or Brilliant Bet? [00:30] Kleiner Perkins Invests $100M into Anthropic at $183BN… WTF? [00:36] $10B in OpenAI Secondaries — What Happens When 1,000 New Millionaires Hit SF? [00:40] Anthropic Pays $1.5B to Authors — Fair Deal or Pure Piracy? [00:44] Why Did ASML Just Invest into Mistral at $14BN? [00:52] Atlassian Buys the Browser Company for $610M — Genius Move or Panic Buy? [01:18] IRL CEO Arrested for Fraud: Is More To Come?  

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Iain Roberts, Airbnb's Global Head of Employee Experience and discuss his transition from IDEO designer to Airbnb's CHRO, exploring how design thinking principles reshape organizational structure, collaborative leadership, and workplace policies in opposition to traditional HR practices.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH IAIN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINIain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsiainNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Airbnb: http://airbnb.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:08) "Everything Needs to be Designed" Philosophy(02:48) Founder Mode: Leadership Through Collaboration(05:50) The One Roadmap Strategy(08:04) Prototyping Human Experiences(12:14) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(14:42) Live and Work Anywhere: The Contrarian Bet(18:12) Talent Strategy & Future of Work(20:19) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Is it too soon to leverage agentic automation to drive AI transformation, streamline workflows, and boost productivity in finance? And how do you calculate the ROI of AI? Today's guest runs a high-functioning finance team at a company that's at the forefront of AI, where bonuses are tied to AI adoption. In this episode, CJ interviews Hitesh Ramani, Deputy CFO and Chief Accounting Officer at UiPath. After sharing wisdom from his years at Deloitte on the “muscle memory” that a company needs pre-IPO and mistakes to avoid after going public, he explains how his company is using its own technology to transform the finance function. He breaks down the difference between agents, robots, and workflows, describing what each does and how they interact. The conversation covers what it's like to manage org charts that include humans and AI agents, how to hire for the future of tech-savvy finance teams, and UiPath's vision for near-autonomous finance operations. Hitesh also reveals real-world AI use cases inside UiPath and offers lessons learned on embracing AI as a powerful productivity partner while maintaining trust and governance.—LINKS:LINKS:Hitesh Ramani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitesh-ramani-a4a78118/UiPath: https://www.uipath.comMeghan Curtin McKenna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-curtin-mckenna-%F0%9F%94%A5-66a5022b/ FIF Collective: https://www.fifcollective.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:04) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(06:19) Going Public Versus Being Public(09:50) The Need for a Company-Wide Operating Rhythm Pre-IPO(12:30) Top Mistakes To Avoid Before Going Public(16:01) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet(20:06) Common Foot Faults After Going Public(23:57) Robots Versus Agents(30:17) RPA Versus AI(31:09) Agents & Workflows(34:05) Accountability: Outsourcing Your Agency(39:46) How To Measure ROI on AI(45:06) Scaling With Robots & Agents(48:15) Budgeting for People and Automation(50:41) High-Impact Versus Low-Impact Ideas in AI Implementation(53:36) Hiring & Developing Tech-Savvy Finance Talent(57:36) Build Versus Buy & Building an Autonomous Workflow(1:00:15) The Future of Autonomous Finance(1:01:14) Use Cases for AI at UiPath(1:03:18) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(1:04:25) Advice to Younger Self(1:05:58) Finance Software Stack and the Future of In-House Systems(1:10:14) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.#AutonomousFinance #IPOJourney #AIinFinance #FutureOfFinance #AIAdoption This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

#281 Growth | In this episode, Dave is joined by Chris Walker, CEO of Passetto, and a prominent voice on LinkedIn, where he has been pushing the boundaries of B2B marketing for years. Chris shares actionable insights and tactics on social media strategy, what has changed in marketing over the last five years, and how to build effective feedback loops and flywheels.Dave and Chris also cover:The future of GTM and the evolving role of the CMOWhy sustainable growth is the only path forwardThe transformative role AI will play in B2B marketingTimestamps(00:53) - - Intro to Chris Walker (03:49) - - Managing different perspectives on social media (08:21) - - The ROI of podcasts and social media engagement (13:44) - - Why real-time feedback loops are valuable (19:19) - - Shifting from "growth at all costs" to sustainable growth (25:09) - - Rethinking marketing measurement and ROI (33:04) - - Splitting marketing teams: strategy vs. pipeline creation (40:09) - - How AI is reshaping B2B marketing teams (48:14) - - Chris's approach to creativity and focus (52:59) - - Predictions for the future of B2B marketing (54:37) - - Outro Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

In this episode of Redefining Energy Tech Michael Barnard sat down with Lyle Trytten, who many in the industry know as the nickel nerd. He has spent decades working in mining and mineral processing and has become a trusted voice for organizations like Natural Resources Canada and the International Energy Agency. Our conversation turned to the techno-economic realities of seabed mining, a topic made timely by American executive orders on resource leasing and the ongoing debates around the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific.Lyle laid out the three categories of undersea mineralization that matter: manganese-rich crusts closer to shore, sulfide deposits around black smokers, and the polymetallic nodules that dominate the abyssal plains. It is those nodules that attract the most attention, given their mix of manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt and iron. The percentages matter here. Manganese makes up 20 to 30% of nodules, feeding a steel market of about 20 million tons annually. Copper mirrors manganese in demand at similar volumes. Nickel sits above copper in value, with nodules carrying over 1% grades. Cobalt is the prize, worth two and a half times nickel and largely controlled today by the Democratic Republic of Congo with annual output of 250,000 to 300,000 tons. Compared to terrestrial deposits, those grades are very competitive, often better than what current copper and nickel mines deliver onshore.Of course, the challenge is not what lies within the nodules but where they are. Four kilometers down is a different game than an open pit in Chile. Lyle framed it with a simple multiplier: one times for onshore, ten times for offshore, a hundred times underwater, and a thousand times when you hit the seabed. The Clarion Clipperton Zone lies thousands of kilometers from shore, making costs and logistics daunting. Even compared to offshore oil, with rigs like Deepwater Horizon working at 1.5 kilometers depth, this is an order of magnitude harder. That reality explains why seabed mining remains more a promise than a practice.We also dug into the credibility problem the sector faces. The history of mining is littered with scams, from Bre-X to pump-and-dump juniors, which is why Canada now requires transparent disclosures under NI 43-101. Without strict governance and independent validation, seabed mining risks repeating those mistakes. The resource base is not the issue. Just as with oil, the minerals are there. The question is whether reserves—economically viable, technically accessible deposits—will come online in time to meet surging demand, especially for copper, which looks tight in the next 15 years.Substitutability plays a role too. Aluminum can stand in for copper in transmission lines. Stainless steel has shifted chemistries in response to nickel price spikes. Battery makers tweak their chemistries—NMC ratios change with market conditions, and lithium iron phosphate has taken half the electric vehicle market without using nickel, manganese, or cobalt at all. Recycling will matter increasingly, but with service lives of decades for stainless and 20 years for batteries, secondary supply will not relieve near-term shortages. Companies like Redwood Materials and Moment Energy are building the bridge to a circular system, but the lag time is real.The conversation left me with a clear takeaway. Seabed mining is not an easy fix. The minerals are there in attractive grades, but the depth, cost, and governance challenges are immense. At the same time, demand for copper, nickel, and cobalt will keep rising, and prices will eventually force new sources to market. The industry has opportunities in recycling, substitution, and responsible development, but the old habits of hype and over-promising will have to be broken if it is to have a role in the critical minerals future.

Welcome to the very first episode of Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!In our very first episode, our host, Erica Wenger sets the stage for what's ahead — redefining what it means to be a trailblazer and introducing the bold, unconventional voices you'll hear on this show.This is the starting point for conversations with contrarian tech leaders who challenge the norm, break barriers, and build in unexpected ways.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.Gusto: gusto.com/trailblazersOpenPhone: openphone.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

#280 Strategy | In this episode, Dave is joined by Gurdeep Dhillon, CMO of Contentstack. Gurdeep has built an impressive career leading marketing at some of the biggest names in enterprise software, from SAP to Adobe, Marketo to Zoura. Now at Content Stack, he's challenging conventional B2B marketing wisdom in rethinking how enterprise companies should approach demand generation and brand building. In this conversation, Dave and Gurdeep dive deep into why marketing is ultimately a game of memory and reputation, not just lead generation.Dave and Gurdeep cover:The role of Demand Gen in 2025 (and what's changed)Why Brand and Reputation should be prioritized over Lead GenerationProven strategies to create urgency and close sales deals in enterprise marketsA glimpse into ContentStack's team structure and how they plan for growthTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Gurdeep (06:51) - - Brand and Audience Marketing (08:03) - - How the Role of Demand Gen is Changing (12:13) - - Brand and Reputation > Lead Generation (17:03) - - How Contentstack is Doing Demand Gen (19:41) - - How to Create Urgency to Win Sales Deals (21:22) - - Making a Good Offer in B2B Marketing (22:38) - - Why Being Bold and Taking Risks is Important in Marketing (28:57) - - Selling Your Vision to Leadership (31:38) - - How Contentstack Has Over 10,000 Global ICP Accounts (36:21) - - Team Structure at Contentstack (41:19) - - Running Marketing and Operating a High-Performing Team (43:35) - - Setting Effective Annual Plans (45:50) - - AI's Role in Marketing (49:24) - - Closing Thoughts Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

In this episode of HR Heretics, Kelli Dragovich and Nolan Church sit down with LinkedIn's VP of Talent Solutions Mark Lobosco to discuss their new "Hiring Assistant" - an agentic AI tool automating recruitment intake, sourcing, and messaging. Today, early adopters are saving 4+ hours per role, reviewing 62% fewer profiles, and seeing a 69% improvement in InMail acceptance rates. They also discuss how AI will affect recruiting roles, candidate requirements, and why LinkedIn profiles are about to get that much more critical.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH MARK, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINMark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklobosco/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:13) Intro(01:24) Introducing Hiring Assistant: LinkedIn's First Agentic Product(03:20) The ChatGPT Moment: Microsoft Partnership Changes Everything(05:30) Inside the Intake Process: From Chat Interface to Candidate Search(08:44) The Magic of Agentic Sourcing: "Go Get a Cup of Coffee"(10:06) Purple Squirrel Syndrome: Faster Feedback Loops for Hiring Managers(11:21) "I Love My Job and I Hate My Day": The Recruiter's Dilemma(12:06) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(14:34) LinkedIn Profile Optimization: The New Resume Reality(17:04) ATS Integration: The Next Generation of System Connect(18:33) The Beginning of the End of Sourcing(19:26) Charter Customer Success: Global Construction Company Results(22:30) AI Tool Overwhelm: What Does This Replace?(26:33) Product Access: Who Gets Hiring Assistant?(27:00) The Open to Work Banner Debate(28:12) Profile Pictures and Bias: Microsoft's Responsible AI Approach(30:22) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

How do finance leaders enable growth while fostering a culture of partnership, positivity, and saying yes? In this episode, CJ interviews Ed Park, Head of FP&A at Facebook during its explosive hypergrowth years, Head of Finance and Internal Operations at Asana, the current CFO of Daffy, and a “glass-half-full” finance leader. Ed shares stories about working at Facebook in the early days, how he brought finance into the company's engineering and product-first culture, and how he built trust while navigating rapid user and infrastructure expansion. He talks about his role at Asana, why the company plans in episodes, not quarters, how they discovered their unique “three user” metric, and how they transitioned from bottoms-up to sales-led growth. Ed also gives an introduction to donor-advised funds and how Daffy, his current company, is disrupting this field. The conversation covers how a company's business model shapes its destiny, finding the balance between what's urgent and what's important, and Ed's glass-half-full approach to being a finance leader who enables teams by saying yes.—LINKS:Edward Park on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardyparkDaffy: https://www.daffy.orgCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:Big Systems Thinking for Building a Finance Org: Advice From a Zoom Hypergrowth Survivor — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:16) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(06:43) Ed's First Job at a Startup: Head of FP&a at Facebook(11:35) Bringing Finance Into an Engineering and Product-Led Culture(16:42) Sponsor – Rillet | Pulley | Brex(20:34) Balancing What Was Urgent Versus Important(25:02) Monetizing Facebook(26:48) Becoming a Glass-Half-Full Finance Leader(33:27) Managing Four Chefs at Asana(35:38) How Asana Plans in Episodes, Not Quarters(42:48) Monetization Model Intuition and the “Three User” Metric(48:13) Transitioning From Bottoms-Up to Proactive Sales at Asana(53:24) Daffy's Monetization Model and Donor-Advised Fund Innovation(57:34) How a Business Model Shapes Destiny(1:00:02) Ed's “How Might We” Approach to Being a CFO(1:01:56) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Big Mistake(1:04:38) Advice to Younger Self(1:05:44) Finance Software Stack(1:07:57) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metrics#FacebookBusinessModel #FPandA #StartupFinance #MonetizationStrategy #DonorAdvisedFunds This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

#279 Content Strategy | In this episode, Dave joins Holly Xiao from HeyGen for an unfiltered conversation about where AI and video marketing are headed. Holly leads B2B marketing at HeyGen, an AI-powered video platform, and she sat down with Dave to dig into what's working (and what's not) when it comes to creating content that actually connects.Dave and Holly cover:Why video hits differently in B2B and how to make yours stand out without blowing your budgetHow AI is reshaping the content production cycle and freeing up marketers to focus on storytellingWhy early adoption matters, and how small teams can use AI to punch above their weightYou can expect a candid, practical conversation about how to scale content, stay relevant, and make the most of AI.Timestamps(00:00) - – Intro (01:27) - – Why this conversation matters (02:44) - – AI is making marketing exciting again (03:53) - – Dave's early bet on video (05:53) - – How LinkedIn video exploded (07:10) - – ROI vs. brand building (08:25) - – From connection to conversion (10:10) - – Why video feels more human (12:16) - – “Maybe your videos suck” (14:22) - – The problem with corporate videos (16:10) - – The value of repetition and reps (18:34) - – How AI speeds up content cycles (20:51) - – Real AI tools Dave is using (22:28) - – Decks, data, and automation (24:53) - – Why creativity still wins (27:15) - – The return of the creative CMO (31:14) - – Personalized content at scale (33:13) - – AI vs. in-person experiences (35:55) - – Do audiences care if it's AI? (38:41) - – What makes an AI video work (41:18) - – Using AI to test and scale video (43:59) - – What small teams should do first (47:37) - – Final advice: be an early adopter Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with Lisa Rothstein about the power of visual storytelling and how even simple drawings can transform complex financial conversations. Lisa, a New Yorker cartoonist and author of Drawing Your Genius, explains her “three C's” framework—character, concepts, and context—as tools to make abstract ideas tangible, engaging, and memorable. About Lisa RothsteinLisa Rothstein is a New Yorker cartoonist and author of "Drawing Out Your Genius" who helps business professionals communicate using simple drawings. Learn more about Lisa at: Amazon Thank you to our show sponsor, Brex! Brex accounting partners close clients books faster, earn rewards for referrals and attract new customers all on Brex. Brex's integrated platform provides numerous accounting automation benefits, which enable your accountants to focus on premium advisory services, help clients close the books faster and elevate the overall client experience. To become a Brex accounting firm, visit brex.com/partners/accounting to apply. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

Dear Heretics is back! Kelli and Nolan explore strategic board engagement for people leaders, covering presentation frameworks, relationship building, and navigating the delicate balance between board influence and CEO loyalty.For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, we talk to David Heinemeier Hansson (aka DHH), creator of Ruby on Rails and co-owner & CTO of 37signals. He critiques DEI implementation and workplace wokeness, advocates political neutrality at work, and outlines his organizational philosophy emphasizing minimal management, creative constraints, and HR as leadership firewall.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:48) Dear Heretics: The Board Question(01:15) There Is No Best Practice(02:38) Know Your Level (Don't Be 27 at DoorDash)(03:49) If You Don't Set Strategy, Someone Else Will(05:34) The Carta Framework: Show Value, Ask for Help(06:30) Earn the Right Through Your CEO(07:28) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(10:00) Board Presentation Framework(11:00) Run It Like a Business: The QBR Method(11:51) Building Board Relationships: Start Early(13:00) They're Just F*cking People(14:00) Board Members Are Your Career Funnel(15:50) Start With One: The Relationship Strategy(17:16) The Loyalty Warning: Team CEO, Period(19:32) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Send us a textMiguel Armaza interviews Art Levy, Chief Business Officer of Brex. Brex has scaled to over $100 billion in processed transactions while becoming one of the most influential multibillion-dollar fintechs in the world. In this episode, Art shares the strategies behind Brex's hypergrowth comeback, its extreme focus on three core products, and the culture that continues to produce founders of billion-dollar companies.Want more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.

Premji Invest is an investment firm that backs some of the biggest names in the CFO and enterprise tech stack, including Anaplan, Zuora, Coupa, and Looker. In this episode, CJ is joined by Sandesh Patnam, the firm's Managing Partner, to discuss their approach to investing and the future of CFO tech. Sandesh talks about the evergreen nature of Premji's investment model and explains how this permanent pool of capital enables the company to focus on deep partnerships and durable growth, rather than chasing fund cycles or portfolio diversification. He breaks down why he views total addressable market (TAM) as a floor rather than a ceiling, how investing across both public and private markets creates a strategic advantage, and how startups should approach capital construction and optionality in today's market. The conversation also touches on the evolution of the CFO toolkit, how AI is shifting the finance role, what persistent finance problems are still waiting for innovation, how org design is changing inside finance teams, and why he believes AI is a bigger shift than both the dot-com and mobile eras.—LINKS:Sandesh Patnam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeshpatnamPremji Invest: https://in.premjiinvest.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:BlackRock Managing Director on the Secrets of Durable Companies - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:08) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet(06:59) Evergreen Capital and Premji's Approach to Investing(09:25) Portfolio Construction(12:58) TAM Versus SAM Versus Product(15:28) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(19:51) Seats Versus Outcome-Based Pricing(23:30) Defining Durability(26:31) Public Versus Private Investing(28:44) Why One Team Manages Both Public and Private Investing(30:47) Capital Construction for CFOs With Evergreen Investors(32:13) How and When Evergreen Funds Seek Liquidity(35:32) Building Optionality in Capital Strategy Amid Market Changes(38:01) Secondary Markets in the Private World(41:39) The Evolution of the CFO Tech Stack(43:41) AI and Systems of Action(45:43) How CFOs Are Starting To Interact With AI Tech(49:09) A Finance Problem That's Open for Innovation(50:25) The Evolution of the CFO's Role Beyond Finance(51:33) The AI Era vs. Prior Tech Eras—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run#EvergreenCapital #PremjiInvest #CFOTechStack #InvestmentStrategy #PortfolioDurability This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

#278 Content | In this episode, Dave brings together five B2B marketers who aren't just talking about AI, they're actually using it to change how their teams work. Each finalist from the Exit Five x Walnut AI Sessions takes the (virtual) stage to demo their workflow, share results, and answer questions from the judges.Here's what you'll hear:Jillian Hoefer's “content concierge” GPT trained on proprietary research to surface stats, quotes, and data for blogs, sales decks, and thought leadershipJake Heap's workflow using Meshy + VEO 3 to turn a simple mascot into animated 3D brand characters in minutesJessica Lytle's no-code ROI calculator built in Lovable that sales reps now run live on calls to build business casesUgi Djuric's high-volume content engine that scrapes industry news and sales call transcripts, then uses AI to summarize, generate content ideas, and even score leadsAnton Ruis' AI-powered buyer brief builder that pulls real-time economic data and tailors sales messaging to specific personasIt's part workshop, part competition, and packed with creative, tactical ways to put AI to work in B2B marketing today.Timestamps(00:00) - – Dave kicks off in a tux (02:44) - – Record-breaking registrations (03:22) - – Meet the judges: Benny & Jess (08:10) - – Jillian's “victim of repurposing” intro (08:50) - – Building a “content concierge” GPT from research data (10:14) - – Injecting stats + quotes into blogs and decks (14:10) - – How one report fueled 9+ months of content (19:10) - – Jake on bringing AI into marketing ops (20:33) - – Turning a mascot into a 3D character with Meshy (21:18) - – Animating it in VEO 3 (no designer needed) (24:33) - – Cutting animation time from weeks to minutes (30:32) - – Jessica builds a no-code ROI calculator in Lovable (33:41) - – AEs use it live on sales calls (34:25) - – Adding benchmarks + transparency to ROI math (41:43) - – Ugi's AI engine scrapes + summarizes industry news (44:00) - – Training custom GPTs on expert insights (50:40) - – Anton's real-time buyer briefs from economic data (53:15) - – Tailoring briefs for CROs, enablement, PMMs (56:59) - – Judges crown the winning use case + Dave's wrap-up Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***This episode of the Exit Five podcast is brought to you by Qualified.AI is the hottest topic in marketing right now. And one thing we hear a lot of you marketers talking about is how you can use AI Agents to help run your marketing machine.That's where Qualifed comes in with Piper, their AI SDR agent.Piper is the #1 AI SDR Agent on the market according to G2, and hundreds of companies like Box, Asana, and Brex, have hired Piper to autonomously grow inbound pipeline. How good does that sound?Qualified customers are seeing a massive business impact with Piper: a 3X increase in meetings booked and a 2X increase in pipeline.The Agentic Marketing era has arrived. And if you're a B2B marketing leader looking to scale pipeline generation, Piper the #1 AI SDR Agent is here to help.Hire Piper, the #1 AI SDR Agent, and grow your pipeline today.You can learn more at qualified.com/exit5

The media landscape is noisier than ever. How can founders and business leaders get their stories heard? And in an age of AI-driven content, how can creators distinguish themselves and build a direct relationship with their audience? In this episode, CJ sits down with Alex Konrad, a longtime tech journalist, former Forbes editor (responsible for curating the renowned Forbes 30 Under 30, Cloud 100, and Midas lists), and founder of Upstarts, a newsletter covering startups, venture capital, and the people shaping the innovation economy. Alex shares insider stories from his decade at Forbes, including how lists like the “30 Under 30” were created and what it was like profiling (and sometimes singing karaoke with) the likes of Marc Benioff, Satya Nadella, and Sam Altman. The conversation explores the evolving landscape of media, the business fund-raising announcements, how startups can actually work with journalists to shape perception, the rise of VC firms as media powerhouses, the shifting role of platforms like Substack and LinkedIn, why relationship-driven content will outlast the race to break news, and the death of traditional SEO.—LINKS:Alex Konrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrkonradAlex Konrad on X (@alexrkonrad): https://x.com/alexrkonradUpstarts Media: CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: LINKS MENTIONED:No Priors: AI, Machine Learning, Tech, & Startups: https://www.youtube.com/@NoPriorsPodcastLatent Space: https://www.youtube.com/@LatentSpacePodThe Daily: https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily52 Sourcery with Molly O'Shea https://www.youtube.com/@SourceryVCThe Information: https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-dailyRELATED EPISODES:“Let's Just See What Breaks” — Intuit's CFO on Being a Disruptor When You're Already the Incumbent - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:32) Sponsor – Navan | Rillet | Pulley(07:13) Building the Forbes 30 Under 30, Cloud 100, and Midas List(11:49) The Meme of SEC Trouble on Forbes List and a Media Tip(14:08) Why Lists Work So Well(17:17) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev(21:57) What Might Convince Alex To Start a List(23:13) Karaoke With Benioff & Interacting With Billionaires(29:14) Entrepreneurship & Work-Life Integration(33:25) Sales Skills Alex Learned as a Founder(37:56) The Dance Behind Fundraising Announcements(42:30) How To Capitalize on the Media Outside of Funding Rounds(45:24) Examples of Founder “Oh S**t!” Moments(47:58) VC Firms As Media Companies(51:16) Non-Journalists Interviewing in Tech(55:02) Audience Relationship & Guarding Against AI(57:41) The Death of SEO(1:00:45) The Value of Time Sensitivity and News in the Era of AI(1:02:40) Platform Relationships & Substack(1:04:55) Bootstrapping Media & VC Pressure(1:10:55) Wrap—SPONSORS:Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.#TechJournalism #MediaStrategy #AIinMedia #StartupPR #FutureOfMedia This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, we talk to David Heinemeier Hansson (aka DHH), creator of Ruby on Rails and co-owner & CTO of 37signals. He critiques DEI implementation and workplace wokeness, advocates political neutrality at work, and outlines his organizational philosophy emphasizing minimal management, creative constraints, and HR as leadership firewall.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH DHH, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINDHH: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-heinemeier-hansson-374b18221/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Ruby on Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/37signals: https://37signals.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(02:34) "I Want My Code to Sing": Why Programming Is Poetry(04:35) How We Built a Company That Runs Itself(07:34) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(08:34) The 40-Hour Work Week That Silicon Valley Hates(11:05) The Remote Work Wars: Why Both Sides Are Wrong(15:14) "No Politics at Work": The Two Weeks That Changed Everything(17:00) How Wokeness Held Corporate America Hostage(22:16) The Hardest Two Weeks of My Professional Life(25:28) The DEI Deception: Why Equity Isn't Equality(27:40) Why HR People Don't Suck (And Founders Need Them)(31:00) Final Thoughts: People Go Crazy When Work Is Everything(33:35) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Cybersecurity risks have become more complex and unpredictable than ever, yet many companies struggle to quantify these threats in terms that truly matter. How can CFOs and CISOs effectively communicate about risk, make smart security investments, and navigate the emerging challenges posed by AI? In this episode, CJ interviews Andy Ellis, a renowned cybersecurity leader, former CISO of Akamai, investor, director, advisor, leadership coach, and author of the book 1% Leadership. Andy unpacks why most companies measure risk the wrong way and breaks down his "Pyramid of Pain” framework for categorizing it. He discusses the dynamics between CFOs and CISOs in purchasing security tools, demystifies security budgeting and vendor negotiations, dives into the evolving role of AI in security operations, and explains why the CISO and CIO roles are on a collision course. Andy also reveals insider stories from the frontlines of major breaches, shares a compelling risk analogy inspired by vampires and zombies, and clears up once and for all why the demise of the Death Star was not a failure of risk management.—LINKS:Andy Ellis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csoandyAndy Ellis on X: (@CSOAndy) https://x.com/csoandyWebsite: https://www.csoandy.com1% Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/1-Leadership-Master-Improvements-Leaders/dp/0306830817How to CISO: https://www.howtociso.comDuha One: CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:49) Sponsor – Rillet | Pulley | Brex(07:23) Defining Risk: Technical & Human-Friendly Perspectives(09:20) Actuarial Risk Versus Human-Driven Risk(15:33) Why the Demise of the Death Star Wasn't a Failure of Risk Management(16:58) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(21:22) How the Death Star Metaphor Relates to Real-World Security Breaches(23:20) Why Risk Should Not Be Quantified in Dollar Terms(25:15) The Pyramid of Pain: Risk Severity and Surprise Levels(30:21) How CFOs and CISOs Should Partner on Security Purchases(34:03) Are Security Budgets Over or Under-Spent?(36:22) Balancing Budget for Security Tools and People(39:48) Tips for FP&As on Brokering the Security Budget With Your CISO(44:10) Factoring AI Uncertainty in a Three-Year Security Roadmap(46:38) AI Washing in Security Products and Realistic Impact(48:55) The Limitations of Security Operations(50:53) The Future of CIO and CISO Roles and Organizational Reporting(54:55) Why IT Shouldn't Report to the CFO(57:18) Israeli Unit 8200 and Cybersecurity Innovation(59:50) Startups Versus Public Companies: Differing Risk Models(1:02:52) Wrap—SPONSORS:Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.#Cybersecurity #RiskManagement #CISO #SecurityOperations #SecurityFinance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, we talked to Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first hired CHRO. Steve dissects LinkedIn's hypergrowth challenges, contrarian HR principles, and the fundamental shift from acquiring to developing talent internally.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINSteve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadiganNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Metaview 10x Podcast: https://www.metaview.ai/resources/10x-recruiting—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:50) LinkedIn's Identity Crisis: When Your Product Is Your Problem(02:40) The Million-Dollar Question: "Why Would Anyone Want to Work Here?"(04:35) HR's Only Two Products: Judgment and Credibility(05:00) The Performance Review Rebellion(05:16) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(07:21) Jeff Weiner's Intensity Philosophy: "I Live Off Chaos"(08:10) The Vulnerability Breakthrough: How a CEO Learned to Inspire(10:15) The Ownership Revolution: Why Leadership Teams Must Own HR(11:15) Remote Work Reality Check: "We Don't Know Yet"(12:00) Blitz Scaling Failures: Inheritors vs. Builders(13:43) The Perfectionist's Trap: "Do You Hear All Those Balls Dropping?"(14:20) Why He'll Never Return: The Six-Year-Old's Question That Changed Everything(15:27) Future of Work: From Buy Talent to Build Talent Economy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

In 1997, the Florida Marlins won the World Series, but they also lost $30 million in the process. In 2002, only three Major League Baseball teams had positive EBITDA. Due to a dramatic collective bargaining agreement, five years later, only three clubs had negative EBITDA, and the MLB had gone from $500 million in losses to a $500 million in profit. Today's guest had a front row seat to the action. Jonathan Mariner is the former CFO of the Florida Marlins, the Florida Panthers, and Major League Baseball. He is also he founder of TaxDay and a seasoned board member on different boards, including Tyson Foods, OneStream, and Delaware North, among others. In this episode, he takes us inside the complex economics of pro sports. The conversation covers the surprising way sports franchises are actually valued, the massive shift from cable TV to streaming, the complex world of player merchandising, the challenges of expanding sports internationally, and how Jonathan helped implement a controversial EBITDA rule to rein in league-wide debt.—LINKS:Jonathan Mariner on TaxDay: https://www.taxday.com/team/Tax Day: https://www.taxday.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:The Boston Celtics' Other Playbook: Business Insights from President Rich Gotham — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:35) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(07:11) How Jonathan Became CFO of the Florida Marlins and Panthers(13:17) The Marlins: Winning the World Series and Losing $30 Million(16:03) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet(20:08) How Not Having a Salary Cap Affects the MLB(21:27) The Collective Bargaining Agreement That Changed the Economics of the MLB(30:00) The Science of How Sports Franchises Are Valued: Revenue(31:53) The Art of How Sports Franchises Are Valued: Perception(36:20) How Local Broadcast Rights and Revenue Sharing Work(37:44) Contractually Obligated Income and Its Ramifications(41:57) How Player Jersey Sales Really Work(46:34) The Shift From Cable to Streaming and the Economic Effects(53:48) The Challenges and Opportunities of Global Expansion(59:57) Expansion Teams & Franchise Fees(1:01:58) Being on the Tyson Foods Board During COVID(1:05:39) Jonathan's Other High-Stakes Moments as a Board Member(1:08:03) Founding TaxDay(1:11:41) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Career Mistakes(1:14:00) Advice to Younger Self(1:15:11) The Best Sporting Events Jonathan's Ever Attended—SPONSORS:Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.#SportsFinance #MLB #MajorLeagueBaseball #TeamValuation #BusinessOfSports This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

In this episode, Lex speaks with Ravi Adusumilli - President and GM of the Americas at Airwallex. Ravi and Lex discuss how Airwallex has evolved into a global financial platform by offering businesses an integrated suite of cross-border payments, treasury, and banking services. Founded in 2015, Airwallex now supports 150,000 customers, processes $130 billion in annualized volume (up 73% YoY), and projects a $1 billion revenue run rate by year-end.The company's success stems from its end-to-end infrastructure, homegrown payment rails, and multi-product strategy, with 80% of revenue now coming from customers using more than one product. Airwallex differentiates itself by focusing on global-first B2B use cases and building regional autonomy alongside centralized infrastructure. While not prioritizing stablecoins today, the company is exploring AI-driven financial operations and aims to reach $1 trillion in transaction volume by 2030. NOTABLE DISCUSSION POINTS:Airwallex's Infrastructure: Proprietary Global Payment NetworkAirwallex operates a proprietary global payment infrastructure that processes 95% of its $130 billion in annualized transaction volume. The company has developed its own technology and regulatory framework in partnership with over 60 banks worldwide. This approach reduces dependence on legacy systems such as SWIFT and supports greater control over transaction speed, cost, and compliance.Expansion Through Multi-Product OfferingAirwallex has expanded its services beyond cross-border payments to include card issuance, spend management, treasury functions, and merchant acquiring. According to company data, 80% of revenue is generated from customers using multiple products. Payments now account for 70% of net revenue and are growing at three times the rate year over year.Decentralized Go-To-Market StructureAirwallex employs a regional management model, with General Managers responsible for performance and operations in specific geographies. This structure is supported by centralized functions such as product development, compliance, and engineering. With 1,700 employees in 26 offices, the company uses this hybrid model to manage growth and adapt to local regulatory environments across multiple regions, including Latin America and Asia-Pacific. TOPICSAirwallex, Stripe, Brex, Rippling, Shopify, Pinterest, Visa, fintech, global payments, e-commerce, cross-border transactions, paytech, embedded payments, CFO stack, stablecoins, AI ABOUT THE FINTECH BLUEPRINT

Kelli and Nolan critically examine employee engagement surveys, arguing they're performative exercises for disconnected executives rather than meaningful tools for understanding and improving workplace sentiment.In this episode of HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan sit down with Dave Margulius discussing Quizlet's remarkable 18-year journey from a bootstrapped startup founded with teenage co-founders to a globally successful education platform, sharing insights on building company culture, managing young talent, transitioning from founder to board member, and maintaining mission-driven values while achieving sustainable growth.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Related article:https://www.businessinsider.com/att-ceo-memo-workplace-loyalty-dead-employees-job-security-2025-8 Nolan's Linkedin post:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nolan-church_when-can-we-eliminate-employee-engagement[…]m=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAWcjXgBb3Jw6dX16PD9lRJSsxfgqVAqZLw—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:50) The 73% Response Rate That Changed Nothing(02:18) Devil's Advocate: Why Companies Think They Need Surveys(03:34) The Second Order Problem: Getting Data, Doing Nothing(04:30) "Get Out of the Ivory Tower"(05:28) Exit Interviews vs. Real Conversations(06:41) The Employee Perspective: Anonymous Survey Skepticism(07:37) The Performative Dance Exposed(08:43) Surveys as Substitutes for Real Leadership(09:13) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(11:41) Better Alternative: Executives in the Dirt(13:25) The Venture Capital Leadership Model(14:49) The Small Minority That Actually Cares(15:40) The Semantics Problem: Stop Saying "Engagement"(17:00) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

In this episode of HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan sit down with Dave Margulius discussing Quizlet's remarkable 18-year journey from a bootstrapped startup founded with teenage co-founders to a globally successful education platform, sharing insights on building company culture, managing young talent, transitioning from founder to board member, and maintaining mission-driven values while achieving sustainable growth.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH DAVE, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINDave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemarguliusNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(02:00) The $5 Trillion Education Opportunity(04:06) Meeting Andrew - The 17-Year-Old Co-Founder(06:04) CEO Transitions and Early Career(09:11) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(12:10) Building a Teenage Team(16:03) Managing Young Talent and Pure Adrenaline(19:17) The Shift to VC Funding(22:15) Company Culture and Values(26:19) Mission vs ROI Balance(29:05) 18-Year Journey and Staying Competitive(32:01) Employee Value Proposition and Liquidity(35:00) Competition and Market Position(36:06) Closing Thoughts(37:27) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

If you're thinking about adding payments to your software company's tech stack, listen to this first. Today's guest knows that turning payments into a prolific growth engine isn't as simple as plugging in a processor; it's about knowing when you have the “right to win” and building the infrastructure, team, and go-to-market strategy to make it work. In this episode, Andrew Mosawi of JMI Equity and a self-named “dinosaur in the world of embedded payments”, joins CJ to unpack how embedded payments are reshaping industries, why certain platforms are perfectly positioned to own the payment flow, and when you're better off staying out of the game. They share the frameworks for sizing the TAM, deciding which vertical plays make sense, and forecasting revenue in a world where payments don't behave like SaaS, while also referencing real-world use cases. The conversation covers the common mistakes companies make when entering payments, standout examples of companies that have done this well, and the right and wrong questions you should be asking before starting out.—LINKS:Andrew Mosawi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmosawi/JMI Equity: https://www.jmi.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: Companies mentioned:Mindbody: https://www.mindbodyonline.comBlackbaud: https://www.blackbaud.comToast: https://pos.toasttab.comShopify: https://www.shopify.comFlagship Advisory Partners: https://insights.flagshipadvisorypartners.comBCG “Fortune Favors the Bold: Global Payments Report 2024”: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/fortune-favors-bold-global-payments-reportRELATED EPISODES:The Art of Stacking S-Curves: Olo's Winning Vertical SaaS Strategy with CFO Peter Benevides - Efficiency Metrics, Management, and Consolidation - Tony Boor's CFO Playbook for Scaling Blackbaud - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:17) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(06:50) How the Payments Ecosystem Has Changed in the Last Two Decades(09:02) The Inflection Point That Brought Payments Into the Mainstream(10:23) The Size of the Payments Pie in 2025(11:49) Why Not Every Company Should Do Payments(14:23) What Makes a Company Well-Positioned To Offer Payments(15:50) Sponsor – Rillet | Pulley | Brex(19:42) Having a Strategic High Ground To Offer Payments(21:35) The Stickiness of Embedded Payments(24:14) What “Embedded Payments” Means(27:12) Different Models Used for Embedded Payments(32:14) A Typical Take Rate for Embedded Payments(36:45) The Accretive Nature of Embedded Payments and Other Benefits(40:14) The Next Phase of Payments: Other Finance Solutions(44:56) CJ's Mental Model for Assessing Payments at PartsTech(47:45) Running a Payments Function Versus a Traditional Software Function(50:46) Sales Dynamics: Traditional SaaS Versus Payments(52:01) Companies That Have Done Embedded Payments Well(53:05) The Right and Wrong First Questions To Ask Before Starting in Payments—SPONSORS:Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metrics#EmbeddedPayments #payments #PaymentsInfrastructure #PayFac #PaymentsStrategy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

Today on HR Heretics, Nolan and Kelli critically examine the effectiveness and limitations of traditional exit interviews as organizational diagnostic tools, questioning their performative nature and strategic value.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:42) The Performative Checkbox Problem(01:38) The Fear Factor: Why Employees Won't Tell the Truth(02:39) The Real Exit Interview(04:06) The Drug Story: When Exit Interviews Actually Work(06:06) The Diagnostic Fallacy(07:18) The Neutral Feedback Myth(08:47) The Art of Information Filtering(10:35) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(13:43) The Future People Leader Debate(16:49) Captain vs. Crew: Who Should Own These Problems?(18:11) The Completely Incomplete Nature(18:27) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

With a decade of experience at Yext, a company now approaching half a billion in ARR, Darryl Bond has seen it through negative EBITDA margins, executive turnover, and company-wide resets. In this episode, he sits down with CJ to talk about his approach to the finance function, which involves prioritizing growth over compensation, tackling the messy problems head-on, making the hard P&L calls in the “grey zones,” knowing when to ask for help, and staying focused through the tough times. Darryl shares how he scaled from controller to CFO, and how, in the process, he made sense of the chaos, led with transparency, and built a high-impact finance function that doesn't just report the numbers, but also drives the business. He explains the role of systems and processes in scaling operations, the mistakes he made early in his management journey, and why relationship-building has been the real unlock in his career. They dive into building deal desks, what operational excellence really means, and capital allocation decisions that actually start with listening to the customer.—LINKS:Darryl Bond on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-bond-788b962a/Yext: https://www.yext.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:“Run Toward a Tough Market” — Developing the Hard and Soft Skills To Be a Great Finance Leader — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:49) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet(06:54) The Reasons for Darryl's Career Loyalty(08:58) Prioritizing Learning Over Comp(11:09) What Yext and Its Finance Function Looked Like in 2015(15:40) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(20:03) Choosing Which Messy Problems To Take On(22:00) The Right Time To Create a Deal Desk(23:39) When To Bring General Counsel In-House(24:36) Asking for Help and Building a CFO Network(28:25) What Operational Excellence Looks Like in the Finance Team(31:11) Staying Focused Through Tough Times(35:39) Making the Hard P&L Calls In the “Gray Zone”(37:05) The Importance of Talking to Customers(38:30) A Guide to Communicating the Bad News(40:25) The Role of Systems and Automation in Gaining Control of the P&L(43:07) Capital Allocation Decisions: Yext's Two Recent Purchases(45:06) Build, Buy, or Partner(47:57) The Pros and Cons of Being a Sub-$1B Public Tech Company(49:38) How To Get (and Lose) Sell-Side Analyst Coverage(51:04) What Excites Darryl Most About Yext's Current Stage(53:13) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(54:36) Advice to Younger Self(56:17) Finance Software Stack(57:42) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run#CFOLeadership #FinanceLeadership #FinanceStrategy #OperationalExcellence#BusinessTurnaround #CapitalAllocation This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

Siqi Chen, Matt Shumer, and Stephanie Palazzolo talk with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about OpenAI GPT-5 and AI Benchmarking. We also talk with Art Levy about Brex's growth & global payments, Kate Ryder about Maven's fertility tech, and we get into NVIDIA's family dynasty with Anissa Gardizy.Article discussed on this episode:https://www.theinformation.com/articles/nvidias-quiet-rising-stars-son-daughter-billionaire-founder-jensen-huanghttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/meta-acquires-ai-audio-startup-waveformshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/brex-a-year-after-turmoil-has-profits-in-sightTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Sign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, we talk to Casey Woo, founder of Operators Guild, and explore the evolution of elite business operators—generalist executives who transcend traditional titles to solve complex problems at high-growth companies, featuring insights on AI disruption, and community building.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors: Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH CASEY, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINCasey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywooNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Operators Guild: https://operators-guild.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:15) WeWork Experience: Working with Adam Neumann(02:52) Key Lessons from WeWork(04:18) Current Market Climate & AI Impact(05:21) The AI Revolution in Customer Support(07:00) AI Management & the "Iron Man" Approach(07:31) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(10:38) The Unstoppable Nature of AI Adoption(11:31) The Rise of the Operator: Casey's Personal Journey(14:02) Operators Guild: From 9 to 900 Members(14:20) The Four Operator Personas(15:17) Why Titles Have "Screwed Us"(15:35) The Navy SEALs Analogy(16:27) Building Successful Communities(17:55) Do You Ever Miss Operating?(18:43) The Future Path: From Operator to Founder(19:10) Breaking the Retirement Mindset(19:56) Advice for Operators: Have Confidence(21:28) The Power of Team Building(22:00) The Next Level: Capital & Founding(22:31) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Are you building a sales org from scratch? Or rebuilding one in the middle of an AI boom? If so, this episode is your field guide. CJ sits down with Ethan Schechter, SVP of Global Sales and Customer Success at Qodo (and the guy who helped take Snyk from $0 to $100M+ in revenue), to talk about the wild days of early-stage sales leadership. Ethan shares how he navigates “basecamp” moments and the “smile” and “cry” days of year one. He explains his approach to hiring for a new org, building internal trust while over-communicating, designing incentive structures for the early days, trading dollars for speed through discounting, and staying competitive in the fast-changing era of AI. The episode ends with an entertaining roast of LinkedIn's cringe posts, from fake ARR math to self-given nicknames and beyond.—LINKS:Ethan Schechter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanschechterQodo: https://www.qodo.aiCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:A CFO's Guide to Understanding Sales Teams, featuring Snyk's Ethan Schechter — —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:07) Sponsor – Navan | Rillet | Pulley(06:10) Ethan's Career as an Early-Stage Sales Leader and Understanding Equity(10:04) The “Basecamp” Mindset and Restarting Strong(12:33) Building Out Your Rules of Engagement(14:25) Sponsor – Brex | Aleph | RightRev(18:45) Navigating the “Smile and Cry” Days of Year One(24:03) Ethan's Approach to Hiring for a New Org(27:38) Building Trust With Founders as a New Sales Leader(30:19) Incentives: Creating a Commission Plan for the Early Days(34:10) Why You “Can't Divide Zero”: Handling Deal Splits(35:52) Other Early-Stage-Isms or Philosophies(38:52) Discounting at an Early-Stage Company(41:17) Selling in Today's Environment: Competitive Trap-Setting(44:47) Budgets for AI Products: Experimental ARR(45:50) Monthly Deals and Decision Cycles in the Current Environment(47:33) Remaining Competitive in the Era of AI(51:08) The Lighter (and Cringier) Side of LinkedIn(1:03:01) Wrap—SPONSORS:Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.#SalesLeadership #StartupSales #SalesStrategy #SalesCompensation #discounting This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

Host Erik Zhou, CAO at Brex, sits down with Richie Mashiko, Fractional CFO, to unpack the financial complexities of running high-growth e-commerce and CPG brands. From measuring the right things to navigating ad spend, pricing strategies, and fragile supply chains amidst tariffs, Richie offers a unique operator's perspective on what it takes to drive sustainable growth in today's market.

Immad Akhund is the CEO and co-founder of Mercury, a digital banking platform that's become the go-to financial infrastructure for startups. Before Mercury, Immad spent nearly two decades founding companies, learning the hard way what separates a good idea from a great business. In this episode, Immad shares the hard-earned lessons from launching Mercury as his third startup. He unpacks how he recognized this was the right idea to pursue, what strong product-market fit feels like, and why trying to "iterate" your way to success often leads founders astray. In this episode, we discuss: • Mercury's unusual culture playbook – and why it works • How to hire with intention • The trap of weak product-market fit • Shipping under intense pressure during the SVB crisis • And much more… References: • Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/ • Andreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.com/ • Apple: https://www.apple.com/ • Block: https://block.xyz/ • Brex: https://www.brex.com/ • Chime: https://www.chime.com/ • Gusto: https://gusto.com/ • Mercury: https://mercury.com/ • Paul Graham: https://x.com/paulg • Plaid: https://plaid.com/ • Stripe: https://stripe.com/ • SVB (Silicon Valley Bank): https://www.svb.com/ • True Link Financial: https://www.truelinkfinancial.com/ • Varo: https://www.varomoney.com/ • Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ Where to find Immad: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/ Where to find Brett: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Where to find First Round Capital: • Website: https://firstround.com/ • First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital • This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast Timestamps: (1:07) Hard-won lessons from serial entrepreneurship (2:02) You shouldn't copy-paste advice (6:57) Why personality trumps culture playbooks (8:48) How do you hire for cultural fit? (12:38) The values that shaped Mercury's DNA (14:08) The drivers underpinning Mercury's success (15:50) The significance of product-market fit (20:41) Don't fall into the weak product-market fit trap (25:49) How to evaluate startup ideas that scale (30:14) Mercury's unlikely origin story (33:51) Breaking into the fintech space (37:31) Mindset shift: From “This is hard” to long-term gains (39:43) Building Mercury's MVP (44:25) Overcoming early obstacles to reach launch (47:36) Navigating Mercury's rapid growth phase (51:18) Competition isn't the reason you're failing (55:58) Crisis management during the SVB collapse

Today on HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan analyze the controversial Windsurf acquisition prompted by Windsurf employee #2's explosive social media post about receiving only 1% equity payout despite Google's $2 billion deal, highlighting Silicon Valley's eroding compensation norms.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:13) Prem's Bombshell Tweet(01:32) The DeepMind vs Cognition Choice(02:16) Clarifying the Exploding Offer(04:15) Kelly's Google Looker Experience(05:00) Why Contract Protections Don't Matter(06:07) Leadership Accountability(07:16) Silicon Valley's Broken Unwritten Rules(08:38) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(11:37) Culture vs Money in Acquisitions(13:00) First Principles: The New Acquisition Reality(14:56) Gary Tan's Tone-Deaf Response(15:41) The Chaos of Modern Tech(17:00) The Power of Social Media Transparency(17:49) Wrap-Up This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Have you ever tried running a business like it's a utility function? Today's guest has. CJ is joined by Michaela Lehr, a seasoned FP&A leader and former CFO of ActionIQ, who breaks down how CFOs can pull levers like growth, retention, margin, and cash runway to maximize value without blowing something up. Michaela explains how not all growth is created equal and why how you grow matters as much as how much you grow. She talks about gross margin as the most sensitive area of the P&L and how to communicate with engineers about their impacts on it. The conversation also covers the rise of “experimental recurring revenue” in AI-first products, why investors are obsessed with net dollar retention, the risks of over-servicing customers, looking out for your own finance team, and what it means to budget in the real world when everything changes after board approval.—LINKS:Michaela Lehr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaela-lehr-2908996/ActionIQ: https://www.uniphore.com/actioniqCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: Loveable: https://lovable.devCanva: https://www.canva.comConcourse: https://www.concourse.co—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:20) Sponsor – Rillet | Pulley | Brex(07:33) What It Means To Run a Company Like a Utility Function(10:45) An Example of Optimising for This Utility Function Regarding AI Spend(15:36) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(19:35) Less Visible but High-Impact Levers That Drive Revenue(22:15) Gating Headcount Based on Performance Milestones(25:09) Cloud Costs as a Hidden Lever(27:30) Why How You Grow Matters As Much as How Much You Grow(30:08) Professional Services as a Necessary Investment(32:43) What ERR (Experimental Recurring Revenue) Is(36:39) Margin As the Most Sensitive Area of the P&L(38:13) Communicating With Engineers About Gross Margin(41:56) Why Investors Care So Much About Net Dollar Attention(43:53) Making Sure Your Upsells Don't Mask a Churn Problem(44:40) What Over-Servicing Your Customer Looks Like(46:58) Why the “Just Give Me My Budget” Mindset Doesn't Work(49:23) Brokering the Budget With Execs in Real Time(51:38) Looking Out for Your Own Team as a CFO(56:26) The First Sign of an Erosion of Trust(59:50) Finance's Role in Upholding Capital-T Truth(1:01:31) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A COVID-Era Multitasking Mistake(1:02:06 ) Advice to Younger Self(1:04:07) Michaela's Favorite Finance Tool(1:04:17) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Rillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.#UtilityFunction #FPandA #BusinessStrategy #GrossMargin #NetDollarRetention This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mostlymetrics.com

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan do a deep dive into executive recruiting mastery with VC Andy Price, covering why exec hires fail, back-channeling strategies, post-hire support, and building scalable leadership teams.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH ANDY, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINAndy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyprice1/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:02) Why Executive Hit Rates Are So Low(04:01) The Artisanal Process: "Soaking" with Companies(05:21) Back-Channeling Strategy(07:11) Recruiters Are Overpaid: The Real Work Happens After Hire(08:24) When Not to Hire - Too Early Stage Warning Signs(09:01) Sponsors: Planful & MetaView (12:46) How to Vet Search Firms(14:00) Experience vs. Trajectory(16:17) Scaling Up and Comers(17:30) Executive Career Management(20:25) Executive Tenure: Why the "One Year BS" Doesn't Work(22:36) The Authenticity Generation(23:52) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with Brittany Brown about the painful lessons and courageous decisions that transformed her fast-growing firm, Ledger Gurus. Brittany shares how rapid expansion masked deep inefficiencies, ultimately resulting in nearly $1 million in lost profit, and how embracing accountability, data-driven metrics, and tough cultural shifts helped reverse course. She also discusses her evolving leadership philosophy, her passion for team building, and her new mission to reshape CAS education through university partnerships. About Brittany Brown Brittany Brown is the Founder and CEO of LedgerGurus, an industry leading ecommerce accounting CAS and inventory practice. Learn more about Brittany at: LedgerGurus.com LinkedIn Thank you to our show sponsor, Brex! Brex accounting partners close clients books faster, earn rewards for referrals and attract new customers all on Brex. Brex's integrated platform provides numerous accounting automation benefits, which enable your accountants to focus on premium advisory services, help clients close the books faster and elevate the overall client experience. To become a Brex accounting firm, visit brex.com/partners/accounting to apply. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

Nolan and Kelli dive deep into the viral Astronomer scandal where the CEO and Chief People Officer were exposed having an affair during a Coldplay concert kiss cam moment. They examine the hypocrisy of executive leadership, the responsibilities that come with high-profile roles, and how this incident damages trust in HR leadership across the industry.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:13) Opening & Context(01:51) Initial Reactions(05:11) The Hypocrisy Factor(08:23) Leadership Responsibility(10:00) Work-Life Integration(15:58) Modern Visibility(18:00) Hypothetical Solutions(21:26) The Gwyneth Paltrow Response(25:00) Impact on Employees(26:00) Industry Implications(30:14) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

How do you keep innovating and disrupting when you're already the incumbent? And how do you prevent a $200B+ company from becoming slow and complacent? In this episode, CJ is joined by Sandeep Aujla, CFO of Intuit, who shares how one of the world's largest software companies continues to operate with the agility of a startup. With QuickBooks, TurboTax, Credit Karma, and MailChimp all falling in the Intuit family tree, serving both consumers and businesses, Sandeep breaks down the company's platform strategy, explains how he tells a unified story across these product lines, and describes how he prioritizes capital allocation. He also talks about Intuit's efforts to leverage AI to improve internal efficiencies, insights into the ideal CFO-CTO relationship, tactics for saying no, the benefits of letting stuff break, and how finance helped uncover a major growth opportunity for Intuit in the mid-market. The conversation touches on the company's 25 golden metrics, why leap years and the Super Bowl affect revenue, and the lesson Sandeep learned from a $2 coffee.—LINKS:Sandeep Aujla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aujla/Intuit: https://www.intuit.com/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:30) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(07:11) Sandeep's Career Journey at Intuit(09:41) The Stigma Around CFOs and Seriousness(11:01) Being the Disruptor When You're Already the Incumbent(14:04) Intuit: Software, Payments, or Services Company?(15:21) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | NetSuite |(19:00) The Intuit Family Tree(20:14) Cross-Platform Network Effects(21:54) Telling a Unified Story Across Multiple Product Lines(25:24) How Finance Discovered a Mid-Market Growth Opportunity(28:56) Reducing Churn by Keeping Customers on Platform(31:04) How Small Businesses Are Evolving To Leverage Tech and AI(34:11) How Sandeep Prioritises Capital Allocation(37:17) Tactics for Saying No Gracefully as a CFO(39:39) The Benefits of Letting Stuff Break(43:10) Reinvesting Across the Business: Consumer Versus Business(45:36) The CFO-CTO Relationship in the Age of AI(49:45) Tracking Intuit's Target for Internal AI Efficiency(52:06) Surprising Usage Patterns: Leap Years, Game of Thrones, etc(53:15) The Different Use Cases for AI Internally(55:48) The 25 Golden Metrics That Matter(58:45) Leap Years and Other Surprising Things That Impact the Business(1:00:04) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Deadline Mistake(1:02:04) Advice to Younger Self(1:03:48) Finance Software Stack(1:04:36) A Bonus Question: Printed Notes(1:05:17) Craziest Expense Story—SPONSORS:Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.#platformbusiness #innovation #disruption #CapitalAllocation, #FinancialSoftware Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

In this episode of HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan sit down with Sarah Tilley, SVP of Global Talent at ServiceNow, to unpack how a $199B company is revolutionizing talent acquisition with AI. Sarah breaks down their two-speed transformation strategy—from optimizing basic recruiting processes to unlocking game-changing talent market intelligence that most companies can't even imagine yet.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH SARAH, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINSarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtilley/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—ServiceNow: https://www.servicenow.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:09) What is ServiceNow?(04:22) The Two-Speed AI Strategy(13:08) Getting Started with AI Transformation(20:11) The Self-Service Recruiting Era(25:02) The Low Hire, Low Fire Market(28:00) Tracking AI Adoption(32:29) Quality of Hire Deep Dive(35:43) The Future: Skills-Based Hiring This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Ethena CPO Melanie Naranjo, challenging empathy-driven management, exposes toxic executive dynamics, and advocates for logic over emotion in workplace leadership.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH MELANIE, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINMelanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjoNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Ethena: https://www.goethena.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:44) CEO-CHRO Partnership Transformation(02:23) The State of HR Leadership(04:08) The HR Crisis Revealed(05:20) The Root Cause Analysis(06:58) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(10:00) The Anti-Empathy Argument(12:45) HR Community Dysfunction(14:21) The Gender Dynamics Truth(15:28) Executive Team Toxicity Exposed(17:13) The Politics Behind Dysfunction(19:39) Beyond Meritocracy(21:00) The Three Questions Framework(21:54) The Anti-PIP Philosophy(24:00) Direct Feedback That Works(24:42) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

In this episode of The Girl Dad Show, host Young Han sits down with Jason Mok, VP and GTM leader at Brex and a devoted single dad. Jason currently serves as GM of Brex's Startups business and oversees Strategic Partnerships. Before Brex, he was an Operating Partner and GM at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he led the firm's first $400M Seed Fund, and spent 16 years at Silicon Valley Bank championing early- and growth-stage founders. Jason's story spans decades of leadership in banking, venture capital, and fintech—but at the heart of it is a father navigating the complexities of work, legacy, and raising good humans. In this episode, Jason opens up about teaching his kids about money, setting boundaries between work and family, and how success as a parent isn't about control—it's about the relationship you build as they grow up. ✨ All episodes of The Girl Dad Show are proudly sponsored by Thesis, helping founders go further, together. Takeaways Jason Mok is a single dad and fintech exec at Brex Brex offers a financial stack for startups and enterprises Jason's path includes SVB, a16z, and years of startup advisory Parenting requires consistent self-reflection Teaching kids about money is non-negotiable Being present matters more than being perfect Self-care supports strong parenting and leadership Boundaries between work and family take real intention Legacy is built through quality relationships, not just career wins

In this episode, CJ is joined by Chris Greiner, CFO of Zeta Global and former CFO of IBM's analytics division, where he worked on AI during the development of Watson. He's had a front-row seat to the evolution of AI across industries. He's also on a 15-quarter streak of beat-and-raise performance in his current role. Chris breaks down how strong financial stewardship can be a launch pad for innovation, not a constraint, and unpacks his “Closest to code, closest to customer” philosophy. The conversation covers how to determine whether a company's data advantage is real or just storytelling, what Chris learned from cataloging every task in the finance org, and why some things are better left unautomated. He explains what's on his personal IPO pre-flight checklist, how and why Zeta Global tracks daily revenue, and the “hustle metric” as a predictor of good salespeople. He also shares many lessons and anecdotes from his time at IBM, including one where he played tennis with the Emperor of Japan.—LINKS:Chris Greiner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgreiner1Zeta Global: https://zetaglobal.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: RELATED EPISODES:Monetizing Community Engagement: The Business of Fitness with Strava CFO Lily Yang - Everything You Need to Know About Sales Rep Comp + Commissions Planning w Ryan Walsh, CEO of RepVue - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:22) Sponsor – Aleph | RightRev | Navan(06:28) Chris's Tenure at IBM During the Development of Watson(08:24) The Evolution of Chris's Relationship With Data and AI(11:40) Why “Showing Not Telling” Is Key in Finance and Investor Relations(12:56) A Company's Data Advantage: Real Versus Storytelling(15:07) Cataloging Tasks in the Finance Org To Identify Automation Opportunities(17:02) Sponsor – NetSuite | Pulley | Brex(20:53) Enabling Internal Data Exploration Without Conflicting Results(23:13) The One Thing Chris Refuses To Automate and Why(26:46) Forecasting: The Tension Between Trusting AI and Your Own Calculations(28:58) Zeta Global's 15-Quarter Beat-and-Raise Streak(31:40) Daily Pacing and Confident Forecasting(33:58) Sizing Up Zeta Global by Daily Active Users and Usage-Based Activity(36:50) Unexpected Predictors of Customer Behaviour(38:47) The “Hustle Metric”: The Best Predictors of Good Salespeople(43:05) Chris's IPO Preflight Checklist(45:49) Strong Financial Stewardship as a Catalyst, Not a Constraint(48:10) The Top Controls That a CFO Should Have Their Eye On(49:55) The Fallacy of Having To Choose Between Growth and Margin Expansion(53:26) Finance Teams: Closer To Code Versus Closer to Customer(55:47) Value-Based Pricing(57:42) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake(58:20) Making Friends With the Emperor of Japan(1:02:32) Advice to Younger Self(1:03:57) Finance Software Stack—SPONSORS:Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. Head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metrics#BeatAndRaise #CFOInsights #AIinFinance #AutomationInFinance #FinancialStewardship Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan explore compensation testing, remote culture scaling, leadership transparency, and AI adoption challenges through the analytical lens of Christine Centa, HashiCorp's Chief People Officer.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH PETER, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINChristine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-centa-0a809b7/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—HashiCorp: https://www.hashicorp.com/en—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Introduction & Christine's Background(01:15) The Compensation Specialist to CPO Transition(02:26) Current Compensation Landscape & Market Data(04:00) The Midpoint Experiment(05:28) Equity Strategy & New Grant Structures(06:20) Going Public: Private to Public Transition(07:28) Sponsor: Planful | MetaView (10:27) Remote Work Philosophy & Scaling Challenges(11:53) The Connection Crisis(13:00) Leadership Dynamics: The Professor & Accountant(13:51) Transparency as Strategy(14:40) AI Strategy & Implementation Reality(16:00) AI in Recruiting: The Future Frontier(17:17) The AI Arms Race(18:00) The Work Behind the AI Dream(19:25) Preparing Teams for AI Future(20:09) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

If you're an accountant, AI might be coming for your job, but today's guest believes that there's never been a better time to be in the profession. CJ is joined by Scott Spiegel, the COO and former CFO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has decades of experience in finance and leadership at the intersection of business, mission, and membership. He breaks down how the accounting profession has changed and what skills you need to embrace in order to thrive in today's world. He also shares insights into the surprising overlap between accounting and sales, the soft skills required for a successful accounting career, and the business dynamics of nonprofits, which, contrary to public belief, can and do make money. He also tells the story about how he uncovered fraud before making his predictions for the future of accounting.—LINKS:Scott Spiegel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-spiegel-cpa/American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/homeCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.comRELATED EPISODES:Netflix Co-Founder Shares the Secrets to Being a Great CFO - Scoring Big: The Playbook for Nonprofit Financial Success with USA Hockey CFO Kelly Mahncke - Budgeting Your External Facing Time as a CFO: Tipalti's Sarah Spoja - —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:43) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | NetSuite(07:21) An Intro to the AICPA(09:25) How the Accounting Path Has Changed in 20 Years(13:37) The Talent Crunch and the Relationship Side of Accounting(15:05) If You're an Accountant, Your Job Is Sales(16:02) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph(20:12) The Relationship Side of Sales(23:00) Scott's Personal Product Market Fit at AICPA(24:55) Making Lateral or Downward Career Moves(27:39) Fighting for the Role You Want(30:48) Why Leaders Don't Have To Know All the Answers(33:57) A Nonprofit Can Make Money(36:16) How AICPA Has Changed the Way They Recruit for Talent(40:35) The Constraints That Come With Being a Nonprofit(42:41) No Mission Without Margin(44:35) AI in AICPA and the Accounting Industry(49:14) Keeping Your Job in the Era of AI(52:13) Stories About Fraud(55:57) How Fraud Has Changed Over the Past 5 – 10 Years(58:04) The Future of the Accounting Career Path—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit https://navan.com/runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics.Brex offers the world's smartest corporate card on a full-stack global platform that is everything CFOs need to manage their finances on an elite level. Plus, they offer modern banking and treasury as well as intuitive expenses and accounting automation, bill pay, and travel. Find out more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run#accounting #AIAndAccounting #AICPA #FutureOfAccounting #FinanceCareers Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Emergency pod: Returning guest Peter Walker (Carta's Head of Insights) analyze the controversial Windsurf deal, where Google's acqui-hire left non-founder employees without equity payout. They unpack the deal, reference Character AI's precedent, and explore how AI-era deals increasingly prioritize top researchers over broader employee bases, fundamentally changing startup risk calculations*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.It only takes minutes to get up and running. Check it out!KEEP UP WITH PETER, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINPeter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterjameswalker/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—RELATED LINKS:Windsurf's CEO goes to Google; OpenAI's acquisition falls aparthttps://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/cognition-maker-of-the-ai-coding-agent-devin-acquires-windsurf/Carta:https://carta.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:52) Breaking News: The Windsurf Situation(01:12) The OpenAI-Microsoft IP Rights Drama(03:01) Plot Twist: Cognition's Counter-Offer(04:49) The Employee Equity Problem(06:00) Defending Against "That's How Deals Work" Critics(08:00) The Scarlet Letter Effect(10:00) Regulatory Background: The Lina Khan Era(12:00) Revealed Behavior: What This Shows About Values(13:25) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(17:00) Talent vs. Product Separation(19:53) The AI Era's R&D Researcher Obsession(22:00) Unequal Distribution of Outcomes(23:28) What Comes Next: Evaluating Startup Risk(24:00) The Founder Psychology Bet(25:00) Equity Structure Solutions(28:58) Becoming AI Native: Personal Brand Strategy(30:56) The New Reality: Expecting Less Care This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Episode 718: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk about stuff that hit the group chat this week. — Show Notes: (0:00) Apple Just Unlocked a $1B App Idea (04:13) McKinsey got $55M for This? (10:28) Frank Slootman's Ice-Cold Advice (16:20) “Treat people well, and you'll win.” (24:41)  Man steals $122 million from Facebook and Google,  (28:17)  ChatGPT's $10B ARR retention curve (34:58) Elon v. Trump Meltdown (39:54) Ramp's Monopolist Pitch Deck (46:22) Rich Guy House Alert: Gary Tan Edition (48:55) Sam's First Ever Bookmark — Links: • Want Sam's top 7 books for entrepreneurs (& his reading strategy)? Get it here: https://clickhubspot.com/kmb • Apple AlarmKit announcement (WWDC) - https://developer.apple.com/wwdc23/  • Waymo Self-Driving Cars - https://waymo.com/  • Ramp (Eric Glyman's company) - https://ramp.com/• Brex - https://www.brex.com/  • Amp It Up - https://tinyurl.com/5ak4ckux  • Les Schwab: Pride in Performance - https://tinyurl.com/5ch39nrv • TBPN - https://www.youtube.com/@thebrospodcastnetwork  — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com  • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano