Podcasts about COGS

“ The joy of live performance is that we're all experiencing the same thing together and it unites us as a community.” When I think of crossword puzzles, I think of a quiet, cerebral exercise. It's often a solitary activity, maybe occasionally yelling out if anyone knows a four letter word for "milk's favorite cookie." When Zach Sherwin considered crossword puzzles, however, he thought, okay... but what if it also had comedians, rap, music, and just a little bit of chaos, all wrapped up in an epically funny live show? Zach Sherwin has long had a way with words. He cut his teeth performing sketch comedy and honing his rapping skills as MC Mr. Napkins. He eventually found his way to Epic Rap Battles of History, which found a way to make nerdy, boring history feel fun and – dare I say – cool. His love of wordplay and puzzles led him to create The Crossword Show. Zach Sherwin presides as two guest comedians solve a crossword puzzle live onstage, with everything displayed on a big screen so you can follow along. As the solvers decipher the clues, Zach takes the show down rabbit holes of comedy, music, wordplay and trivia, all inspired by the answer words. Everything ties together at the end for a grand finale. It is clever, hilarious, and had me awestruck at the mental gymnastics Zach goes through over the course of the show. Zach joins us on REPOD to talk about how he turned a quiet nerdy activity into something funny, thrilling, and interactive. I really enjoyed hearing him talk about the secret sauce of crafting this show, from how he adjusts the difficulty of the clues, to what makes a live show special. He was a delightful guest. Are you intrigued by how a live crossword stage show works? Zach will be performing at the Reality Escape Convention in Laval in 2026. This is a show you won't want to miss.     Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

In this episode, I sit down with vocalist, composer, and guitarist Becca Stevens for a conversation that moved me in ways I honestly wasn't expecting.We start with life right now for Becca: juggling touring, writing, teaching, and “momming” two little ones. She talks about how becoming a parent has completely reshaped her artistry, forcing a new level of efficiency, deepening her sense of purpose, and shifting her focus from serving herself to serving the song (and her kids). There's a beautiful thread here about how parenthood strips away the illusion that we are the most important thing, and how that shows up in her singing and writing.From there, we go back to the North Carolina School of the Arts, where everything really changed for her. Becca shares how she went from being the misunderstood “class clown” to finding her footing in an arts environment, discovering classical guitar almost by accident, and realizing that music alone was more than enough for a lifetime of exploration. We also talk about how jazz became her teenage rebellion, and how a wildly diverse listening palette—Bartók, Steve Reich, Joni Mitchell, Björk, and more still fuels her fearless tendency to never stay in one musical lane for long.Becca also takes us inside the creative process behind several key projects:The string quartet project with Attacca Quartet and the way those arrangements reshaped her own songsThe intimate, live-tracked world of Maple to Paper, where it had to be one guitar, one voice, and total honestyThe studio-crafted layers of Wonder Bloom, built from tiny seeds into full sonic collagesWe dig into her deep love of collaboration and what it's like to work with some truly legendary musicians, including Antonio Sánchez, Jacob Collier, Brad Mehldau, Scott Colley, and more. Becca talks about knowing when to serve someone else's vision and when to step in with her own ideas. Whether that's bringing original material to Antonio, layering vocals for Edward Simon, building a stop-motion fever dream with Jacob Collier for “Bathtub,” or stepping into Brad Mehldau's world as both a fan and a collaborator.One of the most powerful parts of this conversation centers around grief and Maple to Paper. I share how that album helped me process the loss of my dad—how it made me feel seen and validated in a way I hadn't been able to put into words. Becca opens up about losing her mom, the complicated nature of parent–child relationships, and how those songs began not as “an album” but as a survival mechanism. We talk about what it means to write from that place of raw honesty, to resist tying everything up with a pretty bow, and to allow music to carry both grief and gratitude at the same time.We close by talking about David Crosby and Becca's time in the Lighthouse Band with Michael League and Michelle Willis. Becca shares what it was like to work with him so late in his life, to feel both the shock of his passing and the sense that his voice is still very much present in her writing now. As a lifelong Crosby fan, I share my own experience of grieving someone I never met but felt incredibly connected to through his music—and how, watching those performances with the Lighthouse Band, it always looked to me like all the roads in his career led to that chapter.This is a conversation about artistry, parenthood, grief, joy, and the choice to follow authenticity over marketability—even when the “long, slow simmer” is the more challenging road. I'm so grateful Becca was willing to go this deep with me, and I can't wait for you to hear it.To stay in touch with Becca, visit her website.Music from the Episode:Be Still (Becca Stevens)Reminder (Becca Stevens & the Attaca Quartet)Cogs in Cogs, Part II - Song (Becca Stevens & Brad Mehldau)Maple to Paper (Becca Stevens)Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

"Guests have become more sophisticated and our product needs to follow suit." Disney Theme Parks have always been at the top when it comes to large scale, interactive entertainment attractions. Doris Hardoon is a legendary Imagineer, and we don't use that term lightly. Her creative vision has graced every Disney Castle Park on the planet, from EPCOT to Disneyland and Disneyland Paris to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney Cruise Line, and beyond. Doris took a break from Disney to run her own design firm working on museums and other interactive design, but she returned to Disney as the executive creative director and producer for Shanghai Disney Resort. Her career at Disney theme parks and entertainment design has spanned over four decades. She joins us on REPOD to share her design philosophy and some life advice for aspiring designers. She's had a very interesting path in her career, starting with working as a model and becoming a well-known folk singer in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s. I especially enjoyed hearing her talk about working on the global theme parks and how “It's important to culturally understand who you're creating the happiest places on earth for.” She talks about how to design spaces that appeal to the local audience while still maintaining an authentic Disney experience. She's now turned much of her time to mentoring the next generation of entertainment designers. In this episode, Doris shares some reflections and advice on how to build the right team to support your creative vision. She also talks about how to manage corporate politics, especially when it comes to large creative companies like Walt Disney Imagineering. Doris Hardoon is a true legend, and I hope you find this episode as inspiring as I did.   Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

The systems, KPIs, and leadership habits top operators use to run high-performing restaurants without constant chaos. Learn how top restaurant operators create proactive systems, master the KPIs that matter, and lead teams that deliver five-star guest experiences consistently. In this episode, Kristin from Craveworthy Brands breaks down the operational playbook behind 20+ concepts — including how to hire the right people, develop leaders, manage sales/COGS/labor, build a strong culture, and stop running your restaurant by putting out fires. If you want a smoother operation, better profitability, and a team that actually shows up and performs, this conversation lays out exactly where to start. Watch Free Restaurant Video Training: www.restaurantacademy.online/get-free-training-owners Thank you to our sponsors: The Restaurant Academy: Everything you need to know to optimize profits, maximize sales and train your team in restaurant fundamentals! https://restaurantrockstars.com/joinacademy/ Menufy: uplevels your SEO, takes direct online orders, markets to your guests & manages your online reputation. You get a custom branded SEO optimized website, data you control without losing 30% to 3rd parties, automated customer feedback, loyalty programs, built in chargeback protection and 24/7 support. https://restaurant.menufy.com/

FOLLOW UP WITH LARALara Guevara is the CEO of Move Supply Chain, a Philippines-based supply chain agency that can help you develop new products, reduce COGS, speed up lead times, get better payment terms, and more. Schedule a call with Lara and her team at www.movesupplychain.com.Schedule time with Lara and Move Supply Chain at https://calendly.com/hello-movesupplychain/move-supply-chain-discovery-call?month=2025-11. Join Move's "Supply Chain Lounge" Slack group to get your questions answered: https://tinyurl.com/move-supplychain-loungeALSO REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEExplore working with the designer who designed my brand and packaging at https://aronsoncreative.com/FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew: https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.RICHPANELCut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.

In episode #332, Ben Murray explains why AI companies with high inference costs and lower gross profit margins must scale dramatically faster—up to 6x larger—to match the financial performance of a comparable SaaS business. Using simple financial modeling and the core principles of SaaS economics, Ben breaks down how AI margins, variable COGS, and TAM expansion interact to shape the financial trajectory of AI-native companies. This episode builds on a recent blog post and downloadable Excel model, both linked in the show notes. Key Topics Covered Why SaaS metrics still apply to AI companies, but with different economic inputs The impact of AI inference costs on gross margin and scalability Comparing a SaaS company at 80 percent gross margin vs. an AI company at 55 percent Why an AI company needs 6x the revenue to generate the same EBITDA How lower gross profit changes cash flow, EBITDA, and company valuation Why larger TAM and higher ACV potential in AI may offset lower margins How attacking labor budgets expands revenue opportunity for AI products The myth that SaaS metrics are “broken” for AI companies Understanding how COGS scale in SaaS vs. AI and why the math still works Evaluating OPEX profiles when modeling scale scenarios How to use the downloadable template to test scenarios for your own AI or SaaS business Why This Matters This episode is critical for: AI founders modeling their unit economics SaaS founders embedding AI and needing to understand margin changes CFOs, controllers, FP&A leaders, and finance teams navigating AI cost structures Investors assessing the scalability and valuation profile of AI companies Operators planning cash runway, revenue forecasts, and growth investment Understanding these financial dynamics early ensures you can forecast accurately, raise capital more effectively, and prepare for due diligence with confidence. Resources Mentioned Full blog post on AI vs. SaaS economics: https://www.thesaascfo.com/the-real-economics-of-saas-versus-ai-companies/ SaaS Metrics Course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation

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"Screenwriting is like a puzzle that the writers are putting together." When a television screenwriter who loves puzzles and immersive experiences turns her attention to creating a boxed puzzle game, the result is beguiling and thoroughly engrossing. The Morrison Game Factory has a deeply intimate and emotional story that pulled at my heartstrings while still engaging my puzzle brain. Screenwriter Lauren Bello created The Morrison Game Factory as puzzle challenge during the pandemic. It would have remained a small one-off game played only by her friends until Rita Orlov of PostCurious played it. She fell in love with the game, and worked with Lauren to produce the game under the PostCurious brand. We originally interviewed Rita of PostCurious on REPOD S2E7 when her award winning game Light in the Mist had just come out. Since then, PostCurious has continually produced hit after hit, including the charming puzzle-focused Ministry of Lost Things series, along with longer epics like Emerald Echoes and Threads of Fate which is a remake of the first game that Rita became known for. PostCurious games are impeccably produced. All the games have authentic-feeling props, heavyweight paper, and a beautiful artistic flair. The puzzles are intriguing, and range from light and playful to complex and layered. The storylines are always interesting and tie into the gameplay. Rita Orlov and Lauren Bello talk about their collaboration. We also spend some time dissecting all the new PostCurious games to hit the market since we last had Rita on Reality Escape Pod. I really enjoyed learning about Lauren's writing process, especially when she described it as a series of waveforms, layering the different plots, storylines, and vibe that she's trying to achieve. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out The Morrison Game Factory and PostCurious' newest game on Kickstarter, Ministry of Lost Things - Case 2: Finders Keypers.   Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

In this episode of the Successful Stylist Academy Podcast, Ambrosia pulls back the curtain on one of the most confusing parts of running a profitable business as an independent stylist or salon owner: where your money actually goes. Instead of just looking at your bank balance and hoping for the best, she walks you through a simple "waterfall" visual so you can see how every dollar flows through your business, into costs, marketing, overhead, education, and finally: profit. You'll learn realistic percentage benchmarks for each category, the most common money leaks that silently eat into your income, and how to fix them without adding more hours behind the chair. If you've ever felt busy but not truly profitable, this conversation will help you reclaim your confidence, your cash flow, and your long-term freedom. Get FREE access to our Creative Service Profit Maker Webinar now!  The booking software that makes my job easier is GlossGenius with AI support to make tasks as simple as clicking a button! Try it out for 2 weeks FREE: https://glossgenius.biz/AmbrosiaCarey Want more episodes like this? Drop a review here & tell us what you want to hear more of: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/successful-stylist-academy/id1584273127 Key Take-Aways: 1. Think of your business like a waterfall, not just a bank balance. 2. Money flows from the faucet into a series of "glass cups" : direct costs, client acquisition, overhead, growth, and finally profit. 3. When you see each glass clearly, you stop assuming all the money in your bank account is truly yours and start treating it as money with a job.   4. Get clear on your direct costs (COGS) so every bowl of color is profitable.  5. Direct costs include anything you touch, mix, or use on your client: color, lightener, developer, foils, gloves, towels, shampoo, conditioner, cleaning supplies, and even credit card fees.  6. Aim to keep these costs around 10–12% of your total revenue, and know that once you creep toward 15–20%, it is a danger zone and a clear sign you need a price increase.  7. Stop overordering and start pricing services with product usage in mind. 8. Common leaks include buying too much inventory, letting products expire, turning unsold retail into backbar, and never updating prices when suppliers raise theirs. 9. Fix this by using systems or software to track inventory, calculating your cost per scoop or per gram, and doing a quick monthly inventory check so your shelves are lean and intentional, not a graveyard of old product.   10. Track your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) so your marketing actually pays you back. 11. Your CAC includes ads, promos, new client discounts, referral rewards, branding shoots, social media time, website, and booking software that help you get clients in the door. 12. A healthy benchmark is 5–10% of your revenue, and a simple formula is: if you spend $200 on ads and get 5 new clients, your CAC is $40 per client and each client should bring in at least four times that in lifetime value.   13. Prioritize retention over constant hustle for new clients. 14. Common mistakes are chasing visibility without conversion, not tracking where new clients come from, and focusing more on strangers online than on the guests already in your chair. 15. Track first-time versus repeat clients monthly, create a simple referral system with a clear reward, and double down on the platforms and efforts that are actually sending you clients, not just likes.  16. Audit your overhead before it quietly drains your profit. 17. Overhead includes rent or booth rent, utilities, Wi-Fi, insurance, software, accounting, subscriptions, cleaning, payroll taxes, and benefits. 18. Ideally, this lands between 35–45% of your total revenue, and when it creeps toward 50% or higher, you either need to cut costs, raise prices, or both to keep your business from tipping upside down.   19. Be ruthless with subscriptions and intentional with tax planning. 20.Typical leaks are paying for apps and tools you no longer use, overspending on décor or space that does not match your income level, and failing to save ahead for taxes. 21. Quarterly, comb through subscriptions, automate your bookkeeping and reports, and move around 30% of your profit into a separate tax or high-yield savings account so you are not surprised at year-end.  22. Treat education, events, and travel as growth costs; not automatic write-offs. 23. Hair shows, classes, coaching, membership programs, flights, hotels, and meals are powerful when they are strategic, but expensive when they are random. 24. Try to keep these growth costs under about 8–10% of your annual revenue, give every class a clear action plan for how you will turn it into income, and look for ways to turn trips into content, offers, or digital assets you can reuse.   25. Decide how your profit will be divided before it hits your account. 26. Profit is what remains after all buckets are filled, and it is not the same as your paycheck.  27. A sample breakdown is: 30% for taxes, 10% for emergency reserves, 10–15% to reinvest in education, marketing, or tools, and 45–55% to pay yourself, so every dollar has a purpose instead of disappearing.  28. Do a simple money audit and fix just one leak this month. 29. Look at last month's income and write down what you spent on supplies, client acquisition, overhead, and education, then see what was truly left as profit.   Get 15% off Pharmagel, our favorite skincare line with code SSA15: http://www.pharmagel.net/discount/ssa15?redirect=%2F%3Fafmc%3Dssa15  

Katy Mimari is the founder and CEO of Caden Lane, a 9-figure baby gifts and apparel brand. Learn more and shop for yourself at www.cadenlane.com.MOVE SUPPLY CHAINPay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.RICHPANELCut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠⁠Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew:⁠ ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FinPod: Subscription Economics: Mastering LTV, Churn, and Recurring RevenueThe Subscription Economy has fundamentally reshaped corporate finance, moving the focus from one-time sales to long-term customer relationships. For professionals in FP&A, IR, and Corporate Strategy, understanding this shift is critical for forecasting and valuation.In this episode of Corporate Finance Explained on FinPod, we break down the unique financial mechanics of recurring revenue, examine key metrics, and explore how the most successful companies manage this model.The Core Shift: Value & Metrics: The subscription model swaps short-term cash hits for long-term predictability, which investors reward with higher valuation multiples.The Critical Ratio (LTV:CAC): We break down the relationship between Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). Learn why the benchmark is LTV ≥ 3x CAC and the pitfalls of inflating LTV with non-recurring revenue.The Accounting Challenge: We explain revenue recognition (ASC 606/IFRS 15) and the concept of Deferred Revenue. Cash is received upfront, but revenue is recognized over time, which can make financial statements appear less profitable during high-growth periods.The Cautionary Tale: Analysis of MoviePass reveals the danger of fundamentally broken unit economics, where the cost to serve the customer (CoGS) was higher than the subscription fee, accelerating the path to bankruptcy.Strategic Playbooks & Success Stories: Successful companies master the mechanics of growth and retention, managing complex P&Ls and investor expectations:The Content Giant (Netflix): The challenge of balancing liquidity and leverage while managing billions in content amortization to drive retention and reduce churn (even a half-percent increase means millions in lost ARR).The SaaS Pioneer (Salesforce): Leveraging deferred revenue as an interest-free loan and obsessively tracking Net Revenue Retention (NRR), measuring if existing customers increase their spending over time.The Strategic Pivot (Adobe): The painful but successful transition from a lumpy license model to the predictable Creative Cloud subscription, which required transparent communication to manage market expectations.The Hybrid Model (Peloton, Amazon Prime): Understanding that the high-cost hardware sale is primarily a customer acquisition channel for the much more valuable, low-cost recurring content stream.The Modern Finance Mandate: Mastering the subscription model requires blending traditional corporate rigor with data science:Cohort Analysis: Shifting forecasting models to track groups of customers based on sign-up time, revealing granular insights into renewal rates, upgrades, and churn patterns.Proactive Scenario Modeling: Forward-looking planning (FP&A) must run rigorous sensitivity analyses, modeling the impact if CAC jumps 15% or if churn spikes, to prepare leadership for potential volatility.Communication is Strategy: Clearly articulating metrics like NRR and the path for LTV expansion to maintain premium public market valuations.

" We're evolving the [escape room] experience towards something that's more theatrical, with puzzling, gaming, and immersive art all together." Magnifico is currently (as of November 2025) the top escape room in the world, as voted on by experienced escape room enthusiasts. For 2.5 hours, we were transported to another world where magic is real and anything is possible. This game was a culmination of Escaparium's signature style: epically sized and meticulously built sets with large-scale puzzles that involve the whole team, and meaningful stories told through both gameplay and theatrical moments featuring live actors. Jonathan Driscoll and Sacha St. Denis are the owners and driving force behind Escaparium, in Laval, Canada (just outside of Montreal). Since their previous appearance on REPOD, they've cemented their spot as one of the top companies in world. Last year, in 2024, they captured the #1 and #3 spots on the TERPECA rankings, with their games Magnifico and Forgotten Cathedral, respectively. Wardrobe for Sale ranked at #14, and Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen ranked at #37 in the world. It's clearly not a fluke. Escaparium is consistently creating world-class games, year after year, and when they're not busy opening new games, they're renovating and remodeling old experiences. Rain Corp. has been given a make-over into Ctrl Alt Reboot. They are also overhauling their lobby once again, creating an immersive bar experience featuring a crashed space ship. Jonathan and Sacha joined us to talk about their new games, what's driving them, and where they're getting inspiration. My biggest takeaway from this conversation was that they are very involved in the escape room community and industry. They are constantly traveling and playing games. They attend every convention. For them, it's always about the details. If even one small detail inspires their next idea, Jonathan says it's gold. That's the mindset they instill in their whole team as well.   Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

As we gear up for the most laid-back, sun-soaked horological gathering on the planet, here is what's been happening in the watch world. Starting with a hands-on look at the... The post Scottish Watches Podcast #727 : Crazy Cogs and Wicked Wheels – This Weeks New Watches appeared first on Scottish Watches.

At what point should a founder stop running finance and accounting and hand the numbers to an expert? In episode #328, Ben Murray walks through the inflection points when SaaS founders should consider hiring a bookkeeper and/or fractional CFO to protect data accuracy, improve forecasting, and strengthen company valuation. You'll learn the warning signs that your financial systems and reporting are holding back growth—and how to build a finance function that scales with your business. What You'll Learn When to hire help by ARR stage Monthly close discipline: Why closing your books every month—accurately—is critical for investor trust. Accrual vs. cash accounting: How switching methods reveals true business performance. COGS clarity: Setting up a SaaS P&L that separates revenue streams, COGS, and OPEX for real gross-margin insight. Retention readiness: Why your MRR schedule (revenue by customer by month) is worth its weight in gold. Cash-flow forecasting: How to move beyond the bank-balance mentality to proactive cash planning. Investor presentation: Ensuring your metrics, slide deck, and financial statements tie together cleanly. Why It Matters For Founders: Delegating finance isn't failure—it's a strategic step toward sustainable scaling and higher valuation. For CFOs and Advisors: Knowing these trigger points helps you coach founders on financial readiness. For Investors: A disciplined monthly close and clean P&L build confidence in revenue quality and forecasting accuracy. Key Takeaways Growth dictates urgency: the faster you scale, the earlier you need finance expertise. A bookkeeper should close the books by mid-month to avoid costly cleanup later. Move to accrual accounting to show economic performance and support fundraising. Create an accurate MRR schedule to prove retention and ARR health to investors. Build a basic forecast to manage cash runway and hiring decisions with confidence. Resources Mentioned SaaS Metrics Foundation Course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation Finance 101 for Founders: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/finance-101-for-saas-founders Quote from Ben “Just like I couldn't go in and code your product, most founders can't scale as CFO. At some point, finance needs a specialist so the business can keep growing on solid data.”

"Bringing the escape room to the classroom." I might be just a teeny bit obsessed with disguising learning as play, and being tricked into learning. There is a joy to figuring things out for yourself, and iterating on past knowledge to further your skills. Besides the fun of solving puzzles, there is also a real sense of collaboration and the payoff from combining observation skills with critical thinking. Enter educator Adam Bellow. He saw the potential in escape rooms to hone the soft skills of team-building, communication, and problem solving. So he created his company, Breakout EDU, to bring escape rooms to the classroom. This comes in the form of a kit that includes multiple locks, cipher wheels, and black lights, and other props. Then on the Breakout EDU platform, teachers can choose from thousands of games, resetting the Breakout EDU kit to fit the game format. Adam joins us on Reality Escape Pod to talk about creating escape rooms for kids, especially in an academic setting. The Breakout EDU games all adhere to an academic curriculum, and also incorporate their "4 Cs" - communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. I really enjoyed learning about the "4 C" cards that students use to explore different concepts after the game. These cards ask follow-up questions like "How would this game work if you didn't play verbally?" Even as an adult, playing escape rooms has helped me learn to be a better team player. I'm glad that school kids today have this opportunity too. To learn more, visit the Breakout EDU website or check out the resources below.   Full Shownotes   Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

Your gross margin might not be telling the truth. In episode #327, Ben Murray exposes the seven “dirty secrets” that distort SaaS gross margins — from incorrect COGS coding to missing allocations for shared resources and misclassified expenses. Whether you're a CFO, finance lead, or operator, you'll learn how to clean up your P&L and get accurate unit economics that reflect your true performance and valuation. What You'll Learn The 7 big offenders that make SaaS gross margins misleading. How to correctly code payment processing fees (Stripe, ACH, wire) under DevOps in COGS. The difference between internal-use software and third-party apps embedded in your product. How to classify customer success — adoption-focused vs. account management. Why demo and test environments must be allocated properly between departments. How to ensure fully burdened expenses (wages, taxes, benefits, bonuses) are coded correctly. The impact of co-mingled headcount on margins by revenue stream. Why department leaders belong in the departments they manage. Why It Matters For Founders: Clean accounting drives higher (or preserved) company valuation and investor confidence. For Finance Teams: Accurate COGS and gross profit ensure your SaaS metrics are reliable. For Operators: Clear expense allocation helps identify efficiency opportunities in support, services, and DevOps. For Investors: Properly structured financial systems and accounting practices make due diligence faster and cleaner. Key Takeaways Misclassified expenses can make your gross margin appear stronger or weaker than it really is. Always differentiate between OpEx and COGS — the foundation of credible financial modeling. Track margins by revenue stream (subscription, usage, services) for true business insight. Ensure your P&L reflects fully burdened costs per department — including contractors. Clean financial data = higher trust from investors and buyers. Resources Mentioned SaaS Metrics Foundation Course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation Quote from Ben “Your P&L doesn't lie — but bad coding does. If your COGS and OpEx aren't clean, your gross margin isn't either.”

In this new series, we put our professional puzzle design experience to good use and look at escape rooms in film and TV as if they were real escape rooms. In this podcast we're looking at the escape room episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "The Gang Escapes". Follow Mairi, Jamie, and special guest Alex Hylands-White as they put the room through its paces and discuss what improvements they'd make to make it a better escape room. Alex brings a wealth of escape room experience through his work as a designer at Clockwork Dog and Marketing Director at COGS. COGS is a show control software and hardware platform used to create and manage interactive live experiences like escape rooms, haunted houses, and immersive theater. It allows operators to easily design automated puzzles, control effects such as lights and sounds, and manage hardware like sensors and locks through a user-friendly interface, all without requiring complex programming skills. Hosts: Jamie Gibbs, Mairi Nolan Special Guest: Alex Hylands-White, Marketing Director of Clockwork Dog and COGS Editor: Jamie Gibbs All links to our social media profiles and our Patreon programme over at https://linktr.ee/theinfiniteescaperoom

"Quietly ambitious and a bit unhinged." Somewhere in the Midwest, a talented young couple is quietly building an escape room empire. Their company, 60 to Escape, has over 12 different escape rooms across 3 locations, a puzzle-filled mini-golf experience, and a haunt so extensive and scenic that it was used as the set for a horror movie called Haunt Season on Amazon Prime. Stephen Kristof literally has entertainment in his blood. His parents owned a family entertainment center, and he grew up bouncing around mini-golf, go carts, and fixing the arcade machines. Growing up, Stephen always wanted to work at a haunt, but he was too young. So at the ripe young age of thirteen, he presented his parents with business plan for opening up his own haunt, and his first venture was born. In the course of running the haunt, they brought in a talented young SFX makeup artist named Stevie Calabrese (now Stevie Kristof). During haunt season, she manages four other artists as they get eighty performers into costumes and makeup in under two hours. Stephen and Stevie met, fell in love, and became "The Steves." They now run their immersive entertainment ventures together, crafting and creating much of it themselves, along with their team of talented folks. If either of them look familiar, you may have seen them on a reality show. Stephen was a contestant on Season 1 of Holey Moley, a zany mini-golf reality competition show, and Stevie was a contestant on Season 9 of Face Off, a special effects makeup reality competition show. I really enjoyed hearing them talk about their commitment to the customer experience, and their dedication to production value and creativity. Their company 60 to Escape was part of the Escape Immerse Explore tour in the Chicago area in 2025. Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

Your implementation and professional services teams could be quietly eroding your gross profit margin — and most SaaS leaders don't even realize it. In episode #324, Ben Murray explains how unclear COGS structure, mispriced services, and untracked internal resources can distort your unit economics and lower your overall SaaS valuation. If your service margins are negative or your gross profit doesn't match expectations, this episode shows you exactly where to look — and how to fix it. What You'll Learn Why implementation teams often kill gross profit without you noticing. How to calculate services margins by setting up clean revenue streams and COGS cost centers. The right services gross margin target. Why doing “free” onboarding work can destroy your unit economics. How underpricing services or blending resources (support, CS, services) skews your financial reporting. The balance between protecting ARR and monetizing implementation revenue. How to fix your SaaS P&L for visibility into margins by revenue stream. Why It Matters For CFOs & Founders: Misclassified or underpriced services directly lower gross profit, cash flow, and company valuation. For Finance Teams: Clean COGS and OPEX separation creates accurate financial modeling, ARR margins, and retention-linked profitability. For Investors: Understanding margins by revenue stream signals financial discipline and scalability. For Operators: Properly scoped and priced services keep customer onboarding efficient and profitable. Key Takeaways Every SaaS company should know gross margin by revenue stream (subscription, usage, services). Services losing 20–30% gross margin dilute your financial performance and cash flow forecasting. Accurate classification drives better SaaS metrics, including CAC payback, Cost of ARR, and LTV:CAC. A well-structured financial system is your best defense against margin erosion. Resources Mentioned Episode 323: Should Professional Services Be COGS or OPEX? SaaS Metrics Foundation Course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation Quote from Ben “If you don't know your margins by revenue stream, you can't manage them — and services might be the silent killer of your gross profit.”

MOVE SUPPLY CHAINPay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.//Most eCommerce founders are being sold a fantasy about AI — instant efficiency, zero friction, unlimited growth. The truth? For most operators, implementing AI creates new layers of complexity before it delivers real results.In this episode, Andrew Faris breaks down how his agency, AJF Growth, is actually integrating AI into their creative process — from scripting and ad generation to process design and client delivery. You'll hear the unfiltered reality of what's working, what's breaking, and what every operator should know before betting their systems on automation.If you lead a 7–9 figure brand or agency and are trying to scale profitably in the age of AI, this conversation will save you months of frustration. Learn how to think like an engineer about context, process, and adoption — so you can turn AI from a shiny object into a real advantage.//CHAPTER TITLES:00:01:11 - The Complications of A.I.00:04:10 - AI First Processes00:08:41 - Using The Tools To Scale Creatives00:12:48 - A.I. Tool Updates & Changing Brands00:18:56 - How To Get People To Use AI Properly00:21:14 - Adoption of AI Long Term//SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!//ADMISSIONGet the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠//FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Where do professional services belong on a SaaS P&L—COGS or OPEX? In episode #323, Ben clarifies how to code implementation, onboarding, custom integrations, and the tricky custom development work that sometimes blurs the line with R&D. You'll learn how correct classification protects gross profit, keeps investor metrics credible, and supports a higher company valuation. - What You'll Learn What counts as Professional Services When custom dev is OPEX (R&D) vs. COGS How to handle integrations Why coding accuracy matters Practical P&L structure - Why It Matters (Finance & Investor Lens) Gross Profit Integrity: Correct COGS ensures reliable margins by revenue stream (subscription, services, usage) that investors expect. Credible SaaS metrics: Clean separation supports accurate CAC payback (GM-adjusted), Cost of ARR, and LTV:CAC. Valuation: Transparent accounting and financial systems reduce diligence friction and improve confidence in revenue quality. Operator Clarity: Treat Professional Services as a self-sustaining business unit with clear targets for utilization and margin. - Quick Checklist Distinct GLs for subscription, usage, services revenue Fully burdened Services COGS (wages, taxes, benefits, travel, tools) Separate custom dev tracking (R&D vs. billable services) Clear DevOps/hosting in COGS for delivery costs CS in COGS only if non-selling (no quota/commission) - Resources Mentioned Guide: How to Structure a SaaS P&L (COGS vs. OPEX, margins by stream): https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-structure-your-saas-pl/ Course: SaaS Metrics Foundation: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation - Quote from Ben “Code services where the work and dollars actually live. If you blur R&D and Services, you'll either hurt gross profit—or your OpEx profile. Either way, investors will notice.”

"  Think of it as a wild Midwestern version of the MIT mystery hunt  for a slightly different crowd where people drink quite a bit more." For three whole days, over 10,000 trivia challengers descend on the tiny town of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, for The World's Largest Trivia Contest. The contest runs on the local college radio station at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point for 54 hours straight, asking eight questions per hour. Teams have only the length of two radio songs to call in their answer. Yup, that's right. You call into the radio, old school style. It's a madcap frenzy of teams frantically searching through bins of catalogued items spanning from cereal boxes to DVD covers, or racking their brains to remember an obscure cartoon reference. For 43 years Jim “Oz” Oliva was ringmaster of this trivia circus. He wrote most of the questions and organized the contest. Jim revels in finding the most obscure bits of trivia to throw at his players. In response, teams have amassed entire rooms filled with snack packaging, atlases, and the booklets from CDs, among other items. With the advent of the internet, Jim had to change how he formatted the questions to stay ahead of searchable keywords. You can hear the glee in Jim's voice when he talks about all the techniques he devised to outmaneuver trivia players. He even had to hold onto all of the garbage from the question writing room otherwise players have been known to go through the trash, attempting to gain an edge over the competition. Jim is blunt, funny, and mischievous. I really enjoyed hearing all his stories from his many years of running this crazy trivia contest and learning about the wild culture surrounding it. In our Bonus Aftershow, REA contributers Heather Burns and Theresa Piazza join us to share their perspective on the trivia contest. Heather has been involved in the trivia contest for over 20 years, and Theresa joined Heather for the first time last year. It was wild to hear all about how they prepare for three crazy days of trivia with a revolving door of team members marshalling to rifle through bins of material and sleeping in shifts. I hope you enjoy this episode about The World's Largest Trivia Contest.     Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

Maximizing Business Value: Lessons from 800+ Deals with Matt Uhler The Cash Discipline That Saves—or Sells—Your Business Most companies don't go under because they lack revenue. They go under because they run out of cash. And the worst part? It doesn't happen overnight. It happens slowly… then suddenly. One month, you're profitable. The next, you're panicking over payroll and wondering what went wrong. In this episode, I sit down with Matt Uhler—a business broker and owner who's evaluated over 2,500 companies, completed 800+ transactions, and personally owned more than 35 businesses. Matt has seen it all: the slow leaks, the bad habits, and the simple financial blind spots that quietly destroy good companies. He's also seen what fixes them—disciplined cash management, clear financial dashboards, and owners who treat their business like an asset, not an ATM. Key Lessons from the Conversation with Matt Uhler: Cash Is the Real Failure Point. Most businesses don't collapse because of competition or bad strategy — they fail when they run out of cash. Profit on paper doesn't equal money in the bank. Lesson: Cash flow is oxygen. Without reserves, one slow quarter can suffocate your business. Protect Your Operating Capital Floor. Matt's formula: Accounts Receivable (avg. days outstanding) + 1 Month of Fixed Expenses = Your Minimum Reserve. Lesson: Treat this number like sacred ground. No owner draws or distributions until you're above that floor. Watch the Percentages, Not Just the Dollars. Only about 10% of business owners track financials by percentages — yet that's where the truth hides. Lesson: A 2% increase in labor, 1% rise in COGS, and a few missed invoices can quietly erase your entire profit margin. "Creep" Will Kill Your Profit. Profit erosion happens quietly — small leaks across pricing, payroll, or waste. Lesson: Five small 2% inefficiencies equal a 10% hit to profit. Track it monthly and fix leaks early before they become habits. Run Sale-Ready, Even If You're Not Selling. Buyers pay a premium for companies with systems, diversified revenue, and consistent cash flow — but those same traits make your business easier and safer to run today. Lesson: Operate like you'll sell in three years. You'll earn more now and later. Key Takeaway: Cash discipline isn't boring—it's freedom. When your reserves are full, you sleep better, make smarter decisions, and stop chasing bad business just to survive. A profitable business is one that's calm, clear, and ready for whatever comes next. Bio: Matt Uhler is far from a typical business broker and acquisition strategist. Over the course of his 27-year career, he has evaluated more than 2,500 businesses, completed over 800 transactions, and successfully owned and operated more than 35 businesses across multiple industries. Matt's journey was not without its challenges. In fact, he attributes much of his expertise to the early setbacks he faced, where he learned firsthand the pitfalls that derail many entrepreneurs. What set him apart, however, was his ability to turn those experiences into powerful lessons. This mindset, combined with his focus on strategic partnerships and creative deal structures, has allowed him to help countless clients build wealth through small business acquisitions. Matt is founder of Amped Success, a company dedicated to educating and empowering entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors with the tools they need to confidently navigate acquisitions. He is also the creator of the Buyer's Acquisition Formula, a proven framework that is designed to reduce risk and maximize opportunities for long-term success. 27 Years Experience Over 35 Businesses Owned Over 800 Deals Closed Over 2,500 Deals Evaluated $250+ Million Transactions Funded Links: Website: http://www.ampedsuccess.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557299191227&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=uV765w5z0S5PYnmb&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F19x2KTYQCb%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr# LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-uhler-a9896612?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ampedsuccess?igsh=MWRrOTA1MWthOThlcA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ampedsuccess?_t=ZP-8tXABIpBHxu&_r=1 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmpedSuccess Conclusion: Most businesses don't fail from lack of opportunity — they fail from lack of cash discipline. It's not the big mistake that kills them, it's the small 1–2% leaks that add up over time. Matt reminded us that every owner needs a cash reserve floor — your operating capital formula of accounts receivable plus one month of fixed expenses. That's your safety net. Never draw below it. He also showed how tracking percentages instead of just totals helps you catch problems early — before the slow slide becomes a sudden crash. And finally, the mindset shift: run your business as if you'll sell it someday. Whether you do or not, that discipline makes your company stronger, more profitable, and less stressful to run. So take a moment after this episode — look at your numbers. Where has "creep" slipped in? How much runway would you have if revenue stopped for 60 days? And do you have the systems and reserves that let you sleep well at night? #ProfitFirst #CashFlow #OperatingCapital #BusinessFinance #OwnerPay #SmallBusinessProfit #Profitability Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available! Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/ My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/ Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.

Raising a Series A? Your story matters—but your SaaS metrics may close the deal. In episode #322, Ben outlines the investor-ready metrics founders must prepare. You'll learn what each metric signals to investors, how it ties to valuation, and where founders slip on accounting and financial systems. Why It Matters (Investor Lens) Investor metrics translate your story and traction into company valuation (multiples tied to growth + retention quality). Clean financial modeling depends on accurate accounting (COGS vs OPEX), solid financial systems, and reliable unit economics. Segmented metrics (by ACV/product/segment) de-risk assumptions and speed due diligence. Resources Mentioned Blog: Essential Series A Metrics (+ deep dives for each metric): https://www.thesaascfo.com/essential-saas-metrics-for-a-series-a-fundraise/ Course: SaaS Metrics Foundation: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation Quote from Ben “In Series A, the story still matters—but the metrics support the story that investors underwrite.”

In this session we will dive into the world of hemp beverages, exploring the state of the industry, market trends, technical details, and, most importantly, giving you ample time to ask questions! Topics covered will include formulation considerations, production SOPs, navigating the regulatory landscape, and understanding what consumers want in a THC drink.Attendees will leave the session with checklists to get you from formulation to launch, a rough outline of COGS and ROI modeling, and samples to begin developing a THC drink of your own.” “Ricky is the Revenue Director at Perfectly Dosed. He has worked with hundreds of breweries assess the viability of the hemp beverage market and ultimately scale their THC product lines to 10%+ net new revenue in less than a year. Breweries that work with Perfectly Dosed range from local taprooms to major regional craft breweries.Perfectly Dosed makes ultra stable and affordable hemp emulsions. We've powered over one billion servings and our team of experts would be happy to help you launch and scale your hemp products.Join us in person for CBP Connects New OrleansDecember 8–10, 2025It's never been more important to connect: https://cbpconnects.com/

"With a performer, players can make their own stories." Will and Kim Rutherford met at a summer pool party while in college. Kim recruited Will to help her win a floaty race across the pool. Alas, they lost. " I thought the floaty race was for fun and apparently it was for, I don't know, life bragging rights or something," says Will. Since then, the couple have gone on to many other creative adventures, including creating home haunts. Will even proposed to Kim on Halloween while they were both still in their costumes. So when Will and Kim played their first escape room, they immediately thought it could be like a permanent home haunt experience that they didn't have to tear down and put up every year. They jumped in with both feet, and although they made a lot of mistakes along the way, Escape Artist Greenville was born. Today they have the second highest ranked escape room in the USA (Castle Fluffendor). They've also created a three-hour experience that combines three of their top escape rooms into one narratively cohesive saga called The Chimera Corp Saga. REA reviewer Matthew Stein calls it “a masterpiece of episodic storytelling.” Will and Kim join us on REPOD to talk about the thought process behind their compelling games. I especially appreciated hearing about how they're escape room enthusiasts themselves, and regularly travel the world playing games and seeking inspiration. They tell us, “we are trying to go to the most diverse, immersive experiences that we can and seek out things that actually are a little outside of our comfort zone.” The Rutherfords have also recently joined the team at Keepers of Balance and helped them launch their first project, the epic Temple of Light, which recently won a Golden Lock award. Will and Kim have a boundless enthusiasm for the escape room industry, and I hope you find this conversation as inspiring as I did.     Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

In the world of artificial intelligence and software as a service, companies are no longer just competing on features. In this episode of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast, Joran Hofman sits down with BetterPic founder Ricardo Ghekiere to discuss The B2B SaaS Nightmare and how SaaS founders can grow without recurring revenue. Companies today are also competing on how they price their products and how they scale. This episode highlights how one company made millions without using monthly subscriptions. Instead, they leveraged one-time payments, smart marketing, and simple but powerful strategies. You'll learn how they managed costs, raised prices, and succeeded through alternative growth channels. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to build or grow an AI business without relying on monthly payments.Key Timecodes(00:00) – Cracking AI Pricing: LTV, AOV & Unlocking Paid Channels(00:58) – $4M Without Subscriptions? BetterPic's One-Time Revenue Model(01:44) – “Wait, No MRR?” Reactions to Explosive Non-Recurring Growth(02:18) – Revenue is Revenue: The SaaS Case for One-Off Cash Flow(02:46) – Inside BetterPic: AI Headshots, B2B vs B2C, and Single-Purchase Strategy(03:28) – Subscription Apps vs Specialized AI Headshots: Who Wins?(03:51) – Why Headshots Don't Need Recurring Revenue + 45-Day Sprint Strategy(05:14) – Starting From Zero: The E-Commerce Mindset in SaaS(06:07) – From 70% COGS to 90% Margins: The AI-Native Advantage(06:44) – Building a Cost Moat: Raising Prices & Outspending Competitors(07:47) – Cutting GPU/API Costs: Internal AI Infra & Multi-Provider Routing(08:21) – The Recurring Revenue Goldmine in AI Infrastructure Optimization(08:36) – AI-Native vs AI Features: Pricing Pains of OpenAI APIs(09:36) – Why Buyers Choose AI-Native: QuickBooks vs Xero Example(11:02) – Open Source vs Closed LLMs: Pricing, Quality & Competitive Moats(11:52) – The Risk of No MRR: Surviving the Consumer AI Tsunami(13:18) – Pivot to Better Studio: Turning AI Headshots Into Recurring B2B(13:54) – Dual Engines: Scaling One-Time Sales While Building Recurring Revenue(15:16) – Fundraising Without MRR: Convincing Investors to Bet on the Team(17:10) – Startup Valuation: Group-Level Investment Across Two Brands(17:42) – How Low AOV Shapes Channel Strategy(18:57) – SEO & LinkedIn Hacks(19:56) – The Affiliate Engine: (20:42) – Stripe Upfront vs Net-30 Payments(21:04) – Designing High-Converting Affiliate Programs With Real Incentives(21:39) – Where the Affiliate Traffic Comes From: YouTube, Reddit, Display Ads(22:30) – SEO Benefits of Affiliates: Backlinks, Listicles, and Rankings(23:34) – LLM-Generated Listicles: Dominating Google & AI Discovery(24:16) – How a $49 AOV Made Google Ads Profitable(25:34) – Scaling Paid Channels: CAC, LTV, and AOV in Sync(25:59) – Paid Channel Stacking: The Compounding Effect in Growth(26:25) – No MRR? Fast Sales Cycles & Upfront Payments Explained(28:17) – Speed to Value: AI Headshots Delivered in 30 Minutes(28:58) – Pricing Agility: Changing Prices Without Legacy Contracts(29:10) – Pushing to the Middle Tier: Packaging Strategy With Amplitude Data(30:15) – Rapid Pricing Iteration: 7-Day Tests & Volume-Based Experiments(31:32) – Fast Consumer Feedback vs Slow SaaS Trial Cycles(32:07) – GTM Strategy: Make Two Big Bets a Year & Know CAC Limits(33:04) – Pricing Drives Channel-Market Fit: SEO, Affiliates, YouTube(33:45) – $12K Self-Serve Deals: Going Upmarket With Confidence(34:25) – Automating Jobs-to-Be-Done: The AI-Native Future(36:50) – How to Get to $10K MRR: Focus on One Channel First(38:12) – Enterprise GTM Shift: Better Studio's Move to Events & Partnerships(39:14) – Scaling From $10K MRR to $10M ARR: Building Full-Funnel Teams(40:37) – Recap: One-Off SaaS, AI Margins, SEO/Affiliate Flywheels(42:54) – Reporting Rhythms: Monthly KPI Bingo & Health Metrics.

In this episode of the Black Belt Business Podcast we dive into one of the most avoided yet essential topics in martial arts business ownership—money. From confronting the stigma around talking about finances to understanding how to actually run a profitable academy, this episode is packed with honest conversation and actionable advice. We explore why financial literacy is critical for school owners, general managers, and anyone running a martial arts business. They break down how to track your profit and loss (P&L), what cost of goods sold (COGS) actually means, and why understanding depreciation and cash flow is just as important as running great classes. If you've ever felt weird about talking money in the martial arts world, or just want to get better at it, this one's for you. Watch or listen to the full podcast on our blog: https://www.easton.online/blog/ Visit https://www.easton.online to sign up for our mailing list!

Wil sits down in-person with Tim McLaughlin, technologist-turned-operator who founded GoTab after opening two Caboose breweries and confronting real service-model pain (giant spaces, staffing constraints). Years before COVID, Tim taped QRs to tables and proved guests will change behavior to avoid pain (lines), which pushed GoTab to build not just ordering but a deep KDS and, later, a POS when closed ecosystems (e.g., API roadblocks) blocked integrations. Today GoTab focuses on operations over payments, hybrid service (QR + handheld + kiosk), open integrations, and white-glove 24/7 support, while running lean and profitable (not “growth at any cost”). With Opsie for inventory/costing, expansion in higher-labor markets like Australia, and an operator-first pricing philosophy (inspired by Costco's cap idea), Tim argues tech should feel invisible, amplify hospitality, and never replace it.10 Takeaways Pain drives adoption: guests embraced QR ordering in 2018 at Caboose Commons to skip long lines—two years before COVID. Operations > payments: GoTab's edge is the KDS/factory-mindset—batching, throttling, inventory links—not just taking money. Hybrid service wins: seamlessly mix QR tabs, handheld orders, kiosks, and traditional POS—flip zones on/off in real time. Open…for real: GoTab publishes APIs and keeps integrations (even with competitors to Opsie) because operators need choice. Closed ecosystems cost you: API fees/blocks pushed GoTab to build its own POS so operators aren't held hostage. Service is strategy: 24/7 phone/text/chat, humans + AI, fast responses—because hospitality vendors must model hospitality. Lean and profitable: modest capital, disciplined hardware R&D, profitable growth > headline valuations. Inventory is the sleeper win: most independents skip it; Opsie aims for “no-effort” inventory & COGS visibility inside GoTab. Follow labor costs: higher-labor markets (e.g., Australia with double-time on holidays) adopt efficiency tech faster. Pricing with trust: exploring a Costco-style profit cap; focus on transparent value, not nickel-and-diming via fees.

Prices are rising. Consumers are reacting. And demand planners? We're somewhere in the middle, stuck trying to model behavior that doesn't follow the rules anymore. In this episode, I sit down with Stephen McClurkin, Senior Demand Manager at T-Mobile, to unpack the reality of price elasticity in today's volatile market. From the ripple effects of policies and politics to the unpredictable outcomes of pricing moves, we explore how to Forecast smarter in the face of uncertainty. Whether you're feeling the pressure of COGS increases or just trying to keep your forecasts sane in a noisy world, this episode is for you.Support the showTo sign up for regular updates and the latest research, events, articles, podcasts and more from the Institute of Business Forecasting & Training, visit www.ibf.org

MOVE SUPPLY CHAINPay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.RICHPANELCut your support costs by 30% and reduce tickets by 30%—guaranteed—with Richpanel's AI-first Customer Service Platform that will reduce costs, improve agent productivity & delight customers at http://www.richpanel.com/partners/ajf?utm_source=spotify.//What if the biggest risk to your brand isn't competition or CPMs - it's how you define success? In this episode, Andrew walks through a practical framework for setting reasonable, operator-grade goals using EOS (10-year → 3-year → 1-year → quarterly), then pressure-testing those goals against your real constraints: product pipeline, supply chain, hiring, onboarding, and P&L design. We dig into why “rocket ship” thinking so often creates chaos: over-hiring, over-buying inventory, and chasing vanity targets - and how durable brands actually grow: methodically, with clear success criteria and a bias toward profitability.You'll learn how to translate vision into numbers; why returning-customer mix lowers CAC% over time; how to engineer margin through supplier work (terms, lead times, BOM interrogation); and when to seize moments without over-leveraging. Real operator cases—Born Primitive, Simple Modern, Natural Dog Company, CTC—illustrate why steady compounding beats aggressive targets that break systems. If you want a calmer calendar and a fatter P&L, this is the playbook.//CHAPTER TITLES:00:01:06 - Using EOS As a Framework00:04:10 - What Is Motivating You & Your Goals (For Your Business)00:07:42 - How Can Your Vision Be A Constraint?00:09:01 - Examples of Great Brands 00:16:16 - Andrew defines a Rocketship Business00:19:10 - Good Businesses Build Steady Overtime00:25:31 - The Secret Sauce Brands Are Using To Grow00:28:33 - Maximizing Key Moments00:30:34 - P&L Design00:32:53 - Don't Let The Promise of A.I. Fool You00:34:49 - Goals for AJF Growth//SUBSCRIBE TO MY PODCAST FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!//ADMISSIONGet the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠//FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE) represents a fundamental reimagining of the technical role in high-stakes enterprise environments. At its core, an FDE is a software engineer embedded directly with customers to solve their most complex—and often ambiguous—problems.Palantir is widely credited as the originator and early adopter of the FDE model, initially referring to these engineers as “Deltas.” In this episode, Dave “CAC” Kellogg and Ray “Growth” Rike explore multiple dimensions of the Forward-Deployed Engineer role, including:The origin of the FDEHow the military influenced the termWhether the FDE belongs in a technology-enabled services company or a software companyHow an FDE differs from a traditional technical services consultantWhere FDE expenses should be allocated—COGS vs. OPEXHow those allocation decisions impact key metricsThe hiring trends shaping the future of the FDEIf you're building an AI-native application or an agentic AI company with outcome-based pricing, this episode is packed with insights and ideas on why a Forward-Deployed Engineer could be your next—and most important—hire.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textGrowth gets loud when sales spike and calendars fill, but profit whispers through the numbers. We sat down with CFO and founder Natalia Zacharin to unpack the simple, durable moves that turn frantic effort into financial clarity. We start with the non‑negotiables: founders must sell until the offer is proven, resilience is built on reframing “I can't” into “I can't yet,” and your circle should normalize both bigger wins and smarter failures. These habits unlock options—and optionality is what keeps your business alive in rough waters.From there, we dig into the silent killers that drain profit. Pricing takes center stage: an 80% close rate on cold leads means you're too cheap, and “I'm too busy to hire” is usually a price problem. We map clean thresholds for service businesses—around 30% payroll-to-revenue—and share a pragmatic rule of thumb for when full-time hiring makes sense. We also run a live playbook for slashing waste: quarterly subscription audits, ownership for every tool, and redirecting those “just $20” leaks into high-ROI bets or cash reserves.Metrics make the picture honest. We break down the handful you should watch monthly: marketing spend near 10–12% tied to booked calls and closes, payroll efficiency around 30%, and a clear markup strategy on contractors and COGS. We separate cash from profit, show how to build a six‑month runway one deposit at a time, and talk debt discipline so interest doesn't eat your margins. With clean books closed by week two, simple dashboards, and forward-looking forecasts, you can see six months ahead and course‑correct before it hurts.If you're at the stage where decisions compound quickly—pricing, hiring, ads, runway—this conversation gives you the frameworks to move with confidence. Subscribe for more bold, unfiltered strategies each week, share this with a founder who needs a profit reset, and tell us: which metric will you track first?

"The Shakespeare of our time." Stephen Sondheim practically reinvented musicals with his flair for theatrical storytelling through his lyrics and music. A lesser known fact is that Sondheim also played a huge role in the puzzling world. Before he was famous for musicals like West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, and Sundays in the Park with George, Sondheim was the first puzzle editor for New York Magazine in the 1960s. Sondheim's obsession with puzzles and games lasted his whole life. He discovered escape rooms while in his 80s, and played many of them! Sondheim famously said "art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos," and the same could very much be said for puzzles. Barry Joseph joins us on REPOD to talk about his new book, Matching Minds with Sondheim, which dives into Sondheim's love of puzzles and games. The types of puzzles spanned everything from crosswords, to treasure hunts, jigsaw puzzles, and parlour games. Little known fact—Stephen Sondheim is credited with bringing British style cryptic crosswords to the USA! He also commissioned custom jigsaw puzzles as opening night gifts for the cast and crew of his Broadway shows. As prolific as Sondheim was with his musicals, he was equally invested in his puzzles and games. Guest Barry Joseph digs deep into all the different ways Sondheim incorporated puzzles into his creative work and daily life. If you found this topic interesting, be sure to get his book, Matching Minds with Sondheim and check out his podcast of the same name. I'd recommend starting with the two podcast episodes that featured our very own David and Lisa Spira: Escape Room Episode (ft. Lisa & David), Jigsaw Puzzles Episode (ft. David).   Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

We lay out a simple, construction-specific system for paying yourself with discipline using a three-account waterfall, then dive into owner pay, distributions, and the rules that keep taxes protected and jobs funding themselves. We share red flags to watch and a weekly cadence to build healthy reserves and reduce stress.• profit first adapted for construction cash flow• three core accounts with weekly sweep rhythm• strict rules for taxes, COGS, and personal pay• owner wages versus owner distributions clarified• milestone versus guaranteed distributions compared• pricing structure that funds labor and profit• equipment treated as overhead, usage billed on jobs• red flags on margin, overhead creep, and low reserves• tight-cash playbook to freeze draws and cut burn• weekly and monthly finance cadences that compoundGo to ProSstruct360.com and contact us to set up a call with meContractorcuts.com. Let's set up a call and we'll see you guys next weekJoin us January 11–13 in Nashville for the Chart the Course 2026 Planning Retreat. Sign up now and get three free coaching sessions before the event to finish 2025 strong and hit 2026 with a clear game plan. At the retreat, you'll tackle systems, hiring, marketing, and leadership alongside ambitious contractors, leaving with a blueprint for growth. Spots are limited—visit prostruct360.com to learn more!Have a question or an idea to improve the podcast? Email us at team@prostruct360.com Want to learn more about our software or coaching? Visit our website at ProStruct360.com

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!What if the best photo you take is just the start? The Dead Pixels Society sits down with Heath Lassiter, founder of Niche AI, to explore how volume imaging is transforming from prints and proofs into living, brand‑ready media—think fusion assets mapped to body parts, refined face replacement, and motion‑from‑stills that parents and guests can't wait to share. Lassiter's roots at Express Digital and deep work across schools, theme parks, events, and cruises give him a rare, pragmatic lens on what actually scales: fast inference, lower COGS, consistent brand aesthetics, and real privacy compliance.Lassiter unpacks Niche AI's core offerings—precision cutouts, fusion scenes, and immersive face swaps—built to operate at enterprise speed and quality. The conversation gets tactical on GPU throughput, cost curves, and why off‑the‑shelf AI often produces generic looks or drifts from target demographics. Heath explains how his team blends proprietary models with in‑house design to nail placement, mood, and age‑appropriate results, and how that approach translates into higher conversions and repeat purchases across e‑commerce.Schools get a spotlight: extend fall capture slightly and replace the operationally heavy spring shoot with AI-driven products—seasonal themes, cap‑and‑gown automation (colors, tassels, even hands and diplomas when needed), and short motion clips for social. We cover data handling, GDPR, API vs on‑prem, and why once‑reluctant enterprises are now opening the door to responsible generative and non‑generative workflows. For parks and events, the image becomes both souvenir and marketing engine, turning guest photos into shareable media that drives reach and revenue.MediaclipMediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEVisual 1stVisual 1st is the premier global conference focused on the photo and video ecosystem. Photo Imaging CONNECTThe Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 1-2, 2026, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, NDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showSign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.comVisit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group, The Dead Pixels Society. Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser. Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.Hosted and produced by Gary PageauEdited by Olivia PageauAnnouncer: Erin Manning

"Will Shortz has probably done more to elevate public consciousness of puzzles than any other individual in history." For decades, the name Will Shortz has been synonymous with puzzles. Will Shortz is the crossword editor of The New York Times, the puzzle master on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, and the only person in the world with a college degree in “enigmatology,” the study of puzzles. inspired my most famous quote from the show—"Well Jeff, I'm good at Sudoku!" (You should check out the accompanying Bonus Aftershow on Patreon for the full story.) He has inspired David and me in our creative endeavors, like our new podcast PG's Playhouse, and he has inspired many of our past guests too. We talk about how crosswords have evolved to reflect pop culture, the impact of mini puzzles, and why wordplay connects people in ways you might not expect. Will Shortz was an absolute delight to interview, and as you can imagine, he was chock full of stories. I especially enjoyed hearing about how he landed a job at Games Magazine. Will also shares his philosophy on creating puzzles:  What I think I'm very good at is creating clues that are going to entertain people. I always think of the audience. I always think of who's going to be solving. I like to push people to their limit. I want people to break through in the end and to be able to solve the puzzle because that's where they get the satisfaction. That's my goal.  His closing thoughts to us were "I want to make the world a little better for being here." Will Shortz has certainly done so for all of us who love puzzles.     Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.   Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we've been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus Aftershow The Spoilers Club Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.   PG's Playhouse If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what's game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes. Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you'll take a listen and play along with us at PG's Playhouse.   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht  

Comments? Feedback@SellSellSell.online or Facebook *** Christmas Seasonal Shipping Rates Announced *** Stepping on a COGS Banana Skin *** Reprieve for Links in Listings? *** NEW Refunds via Bank Transfer *** New Feedback Correction Policy Coming?

In this new series, we put our professional puzzle design experience to good use and look at escape rooms in film and TV as if they were real escape rooms. In this podcast we're looking at the escape room episode of Inside No. 9, "CTRL ALT ESCAPE". Follow Mairi, Jamie, and special guest Alex Hylands-White as they put the room through its paces and discuss what improvements they'd make to make it a better escape room. Alex brings a wealth of escape room experience through his work as a designer at Clockwork Dog and Marketing Director at COGS. COGS is a show control software and hardware platform used to create and manage interactive live experiences like escape rooms, haunted houses, and immersive theater. It allows operators to easily design automated puzzles, control effects such as lights and sounds, and manage hardware like sensors and locks through a user-friendly interface, all without requiring complex programming skills. Hosts: Mairi Nolan, Jamie Gibbs Special Guest: Alex Hylands-White, Marketing Director of Clockwork Dog and COGS Editor: Jamie Gibbs All links to our social media profiles and our Patreon programme over at https://linktr.ee/theinfiniteescaperoom

Part inventor, part hustler, part one-man media team—Mike Silva turned a Thanksgiving garbage-can game into QB54: a dual-purpose football game you play (then sit in). The Blue-Collar Twins dig into how he went from beach-day preorders to manufacturing at scale, survived COVID freight shocks, landed in 200 Dick's Sporting Goods stores, and kept his family in the ride the whole way. You'll hear: The origin story: buckets to chairs, a light-bulb prototype, and first cash-in-hand preorders on the Jersey Shore.Testing before betting: small runs, tailgate demos, and learning to trust (but verify) manufacturers.Retail reality: terms, freight, tariffs, drayage—and why “getting in” is nothing without “selling through.”Media engine: eight years of footage, smart ad buying, ROAS/CAC basics, and turning reactions into conversion.Resilience & risk: six-figure debt, family support, mentor advice (“stay even keel”), and the grit to keep moving.What's next: Shark Tank exposure, overseas distribution, and a potential soccer variant. Show links: From Gym Teachers to Service Leaders: The Julio Twins' Story | Last Bite Mosquito, Viking Pest https://youtu.be/DAYxtzhswxs From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps 00:00 – Cold open: “Believe in yourself… good things happen.” 00:41 – Meet Mike Silva, co-founder of QB54; what the game is and how it works 02:02 – Thanksgiving genesis: garbage cans, CB antennas, and a lifelong idea 03:54 – 2015–2016 decision to launch; neighbor won't stop playing → “we might have something” 06:00 – First prototypes, the beach test, and 15 preorders from strangers 08:06 – Finding a factory, early small runs, and learning to test the market first 10:00 – Stadium-to-stadium hustle; bringing the kids and paying per sale 12:06 – Patents 101: provisional, design, utility—why protection mattered 14:20 – Family partnership, buying out his brother, and staying “even keel” through highs/lows 17:01 – The debt valley: $600k+, COVID container shock, and clawing back with ads 20:04 – Retail education: 90-day terms, consignment risk, Bed Bath test that needed in-store demos 23:59 – Freight, tariffs, drayage, warehousing—why COGS is only the start 27:01 – Marketing misfires, learning skepticism, and finding the right 3PL (“ShipDaddy”) 30:30 – Best day ever: 320 units in one day (and the ad spend behind it) 33:00 – Building the media machine: years of footage → Facebook/Google/TikTok wins 38:00 – Influencers, content gaps, and why reliability beats free product 41:20 – Brand placements (Corona/Labatt/retail displays) and the need to show how it plays 46:10 – Shark Tank journey: audition, pitch, and air date set (Oct 1) 49:50 – Community & peers: Founders Group, Crossnet lessons, and real-talk playbooks 53:40 – Exit possibilities, athlete interest, and league/sport potential 55:57 – Close: why the sale still feels like a rush and what 2025 could unlock

What if the biggest threat to your business isn't sales but silent profit leaks hiding in your COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)? In this episode, Shawn “Dickie” Stinson and Brandon “Donny” Gray uncover the overlooked costs that quietly drain your margin. You'll discover how to spot red flags in job costing, fix inaccurate bids, and protect your bottom line before it's too late. If you're tired of wondering where the money goes, this episode is your roadmap to taking back control of your profitability. Subscribe for more insights to help you lead your business with clarity and purpose. Stop the leaks and build profit on purpose: businessonpurpose.com/contact Are you working IN your business or ON your business? Do you have all of the foundational elements that will liberate you from the business chaos? Take the assessment to find out which areas you can grow and improve on. Take our Healthy Owner Business Assessment HERE➡️ http://mybusinessonpurpose.com/healthy SIGN UP for our Newsletter HERE ➡️ https://www.boproadmap.com/newsletter For blogs and updates, visit our site HERE ➡️ https://www.mybusinessonpurpose.com/blog/ LISTEN to the Business On Purpose Podcast HERE ➡️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-business-on-purpose/id969222210 SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel HERE ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbPR8lTHY0ay4c0iqncOztg?sub_confirmation=1

MOVE SUPPLY CHAINPay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.//Drew Fallon is the founder and CEO of Iris. Learn more about Iris at www.irisfinance.co and follow Drew on X at https://x.com/drewfallon12.//Raising money has become almost taboo in the DTC and eCommerce world—but is that mindset actually holding brands back?In this episode, Andrew sits down with Drew Fallon, CEO of Iris, fresh off a $6.2M seed round. They unpack the hard truths about fundraising, margins, forecasting, and why certain categories (like supplements and gummies) are scaling at lightning speed. Drew brings unique insight from inside the financials of 100+ eCommerce brands, offering perspective few operators ever get to see.You'll hear a candid discussion about:- When raising capital creates real advantage (and when it kills your optionality)- Why high gross margin is the ultimate cheat code for scale- The long, overlooked sales cycle for B2B SaaS in eCommerce- How forecasting and inventory planning can make or break growth- The capital markets correction and what it means for CPG founders nowIf you're facing margin pressure, considering outside investment, or just want a sharper financial lens on your business, this episode is a masterclass in understanding the numbers that matter.//CHAPTER TITLES:00:01:15 - Raising Money00:03:43 - Influencer Marketing In DTC00:07:40 - Drew's Onboarding Sales Cycle00:10:11 - Hiring For Head of Marketing00:11:17 - The Future Of Iris00:16:45 - The Up Trend For E-Commerce Brands00:18:40 - These ARE The Brands That Win00:27:52 - Drew's Bucket Analogy00:31:46 - Make Your Subscription Valuable To Customers00:37:59 - Make The Case For Fundraising00:47:27 - Early Growth Equity Funds//SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL FOR 2X/WEEKLY UPLOADS!//ADMISSIONGet the best media buying training on the Internet + a free coaching call with Common Thread Collective's media buyers when you sign up for ADmission here: ⁠⁠https://www.youradmission.co/andrew-faris-podcast⁠//FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris ⁠Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Is continuous manufacturing delivering the transformative results everyone promised, or are you being sold an expensive solution to the wrong problem? While industry headlines tout revolutionary productivity gains, the economic reality behind continuous bioprocessing tells a more nuanced story that every process engineer needs to understand before making capital investment decisions.In this episode, host David Brühlmann continues his conversation with Andreas Castan, Strategic Technology and Business Development Leader at Cytiva, diving deep into the hard economics and operational realities of next-generation manufacturing strategies. Andreas brings over 25 years of bioprocess expertise from upstream innovation to cGMP manufacturing scale-up.Here are three critical takeaways from this conversation:Continuous vs Fed-Batch Economics Are Closer Than Expected: Andreas reveals real process economic modeling data showing that while continuous reduces capital costs through smaller bioreactors and facilities, higher media consumption (20-25% of COGS) and operational complexity often balance out the savings. The deciding factor isn't technology elegance but your specific production volume and pipeline needs.Regulatory Approval Isn't Easier Despite FDA Support: Even with regulatory enthusiasm for continuous processing, QA teams still demand the same fundamentals: traceability, batch definition, viral clearance validation, and process characterization. The technology choice should be driven by your business case, not regulatory preferences.Sustainability Benefits Are Modest: Contrary to industry hype, Andreas shares findings showing continuous manufacturing delivers only 20% carbon footprint reduction compared to optimized fed-batch. Real environmental gains come from HVAC efficiency and smaller cleanroom footprints, not inherent process advantages.Ready to cut through the marketing noise and make data-driven manufacturing decisions? This conversation delivers the unvarnished truth about when continuous processing creates real value and when intensified fed-batch might be your smartest investment.Connect with Andreas Castan:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-castan-91570b1Cytiva landing page: Process intensificationOnline tool: Process intensifierNext step:Book a 20-minute call to help you get started on any questions you may have about bioprocessing analytics: https://bruehlmann-consulting.com/call

What if process intensification could transform your bioprocessing economics without the complexity most engineers fear? Getting 3x productivity gains and 30-150% titer increases once seemed reserved for Big Pharma's endless R&D budgets, but a strategic approach to technology selection is making these results achievable for companies of any size.In this episode, David Brühlmann speaks with Andreas Castan, a bioprocess veteran with over 25 years of industry experience who provides leadership and support to Cytiva's bioprocess business. Andreas brings deep expertise from directing upstream development at Swedish Orphan Biovitrum and extensive work in expression systems, process development, scale-up, and cGMP manufacturing across multiple therapeutic modalities.Why tune in? Here's your process engineer's roadmap:Process Intensification Economics Decoded: Andreas reveals the cost-benefit reality behind continuous vs fed-batch manufacturing, including real process economic modeling data showing why the differences aren't as dramatic as you'd expect and what factors actually drive your business case.Low-Hanging Fruit That Delivers: Skip the overhyped AI solutions. Andreas shares the strategic fundamentals that work: high-producing cell line development, N-1 perfusion for rapid productivity gains, and smart bioreactor turndown strategies that eliminate process steps without adding complexity.Decision Framework for Technology Selection: Learn when continuous processing makes economic sense (and when it doesn't), how media costs impact your COGS analysis, and why understanding your bottlenecks, not following industry trends, should drive your intensification strategy.Industry Insider Strategies: Get the inside track on what AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Merck, Lonza, and Takeda are actually implementing, plus Andreas's perspective on why human expertise and mechanistic insights still outweigh AI in real-world process decisions.Ready to make smarter technology investments and achieve measurable productivity gains? This isn't theory. It's a practical guide to process intensification economics that you can apply whether you're preparing for Phase I or scaling for commercial manufacturing.Connect with Andreas Castan:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-castan-91570b1Cytiva landing page: Process intensificationOnline tool: Process intensifierNext step:Book a 20-minute call to help you get started on any questions you may have about bioprocessing analytics: https://bruehlmann-consulting.com/call

In this episode, host Josh interviews Steve Simonsen, CEO of SYMO Global, about strategies for private label sellers and brands facing economic challenges like inflation, rising Amazon fees, and shrinking margins. Steve shares actionable advice on SKU-level profitability analysis, disciplined inventory management, negotiating with suppliers, and liquidating slow-moving products. He emphasizes the importance of understanding financial statements and maintaining financial discipline. The conversation offers practical tips for navigating uncertain demand and highlights the need for proactive, data-driven decision-making to thrive during tough economic times.Chapters:Introduction & Economic Context (00:00:00)Josh introduces Steve Simonsen and sets the stage: inflation, rising Amazon fees, squeezed margins, and a pending recession.State of the Economy & Inventory Focus (00:00:55)Steve discusses the reality of the recession, economic slowdown, and the importance of managing inventory on the balance sheet.SKU-Level Profitability & Declining Unit Sales (00:02:03)Emphasis on granular SKU-level profitability analysis and the impact of declining unit sales despite higher top-line revenue.Supplier Negotiations & Cost Control (00:04:04)Strategies for negotiating with suppliers, leveraging currency shifts, and pushing back on costs to improve margins.Inventory Valuation & Trash to Cash (00:05:58)Advice on devaluing inventory, taking write-offs, and converting slow-moving inventory into cash.Liquidation Strategies & Q4 Considerations (00:07:21)How to liquidate inventory, use Q4 for retail-value sales, and categorize inventory for effective action.Actionable Takeaways Recap (00:08:46)Josh summarizes three actionable takeaways: SKU-level analysis, turning trash to cash, and cautious inventory forecasting.Financial Discipline & Mindset (00:11:06)Steve stresses the importance of understanding financials, cash flow, and developing discipline during tough economic times.Closing Thoughts & Contact Info (00:13:44)Final advice on mindset, encouragement for entrepreneurs, and where to follow or contact Steve.Links and Mentions:Tools and WebsitesParsimonyAdditional ResourcesSteve Simonsen on LinkedInTranscript:Josh 00:00:00  Today I'm speaking with Steve Simonsen, owner and CEO of SYMO Global. Steve, you've got such great experience. You have. It sounds like a great network in terms of supplier relationships. Because of your vast experience with SYMO Global, you've already got so many different contacts in those different countries as we were in a difficult economic period right now. Right. We have inflation that's been going up. Amazon fees continue to go up, right. margins are getting squeezed. And then we have this pending recession on our hands where consumers are starting to pull back on some of the consumer spending. I think we're seeing that. I want to ask what you're seeing from your perspective. And then for our audience that are established brands that want to take it to the next level. What should they be doing? What strategies should they be employing over the next little while?Steve 00:00:55  Gosh, yeah, that's there's a lot in there. And the truth is, like we're already in a recession, right? It doesn't matter what the politicians say.Steve 00:01:04  It matters only what the numbers say. And the numbers are very clear, right? There is a slowdown, not just a slowdown, a reduction of economic output. And that doesn't mean the world's coming to an end. It just means there are some economic, reasonable laws that have to be dealt with. Right. It's like gravity. You can't argue whether gravity exists or not. It's there and you have to deal with it. So, what that means to us is like dealing with, you know, a reducing kind of economy and an increasing level of inflation. This is the ultimate squeeze. Nobody wants to see it, but where it's upon us. So we're we're we approached this from a very disciplined mathematics perspective. Like we especially we look at the balance sheet. It's like what is the biggest thing on the balance sheet we need to manage. And for private label sellers it's all about inventory, right? There's nothing bigger on your balance sheet typically that inventory. You know, maybe you got some cash here and there.Steve 00:02:03  But if you're a growing business, inventory is dominating that balance sheet. And that means that inventory, which, you know, may exist as a single line item on your financials, I don't know. But we get granular. We want to know every line item. We want to know every Asin, every SKU. However you refer to it and we want to know its profitability. We want to know what people are going to do when it comes to crunch time, right. If demand goes down, I'm here's a little insider secret. It's already gone down, right? Yeah. Units sold are already down the the cost or the pricing. In other words, the sell through may be higher, but that's that's a misleading stat. Yeah. Even if sales are up 8%. You got inflation units are down for sure. Correct. It's not in every category but many categories are experiencing it. So we've got to get scrutiny to level ten on every, every line item on that inventory sheet.Josh 00:02:57  Yeah, I think that's words of wisdom right there, because we are also seeing that from our perspective.Josh 00:03:03  You know, a lot of our products are more in the, you know, consumer discretionary items here. And so they're not essential for people. But we have also started to see year over year sales declines in the number of units that are being sold. Now our, you know, top line revenue looks good. Well, that's because we've increased prices to make up for the increase in Amazon fees and inflation and all of that. So to your point like don't just look at you know, hey, this aggregate number amount of money that's being sold or whatever, you know, Washington wants to, you know, state publicly, you know, with, oh, things are just fine. Like, look at these numbers. At the end of the day, there are fewer numbers of fewer units being sold. you know, the consumers are starting to pull back. So, Steve, what is something that you do as you work with, you know, your suppliers? Is there a way that you can reduce, you know, whether it be your Cogs or reduce like your mocks for certain products.Josh 00:04:04  Like how do you navigate this delicate balance of like, I don't know how big of a pullback this is going to be, but I don't want to just I'm not going to order and say, hey, whatever we did in 2021, let's let's do that because that's what's going to happen.Steve 00:04:17  Well, it is it's the ultimate question, but it's it also just goes back to the most simple, basics. It's like, you know what? Every controllable variable you better push on. Right. So currency is wildly shifted year over year between China and the US as an example. You better take advantage of that and at least understand that many times if you try to just call your supplier and go, hey, great news. There's been a 10% shift in currency. That means I get a 10% discount on my products. Now they'll go, no, no, no, we had a cost increase of labor and the cost increase of Covid. You know, there are plenty of reasons they want to they want to fight against you.Steve 00:04:54  but I'm telling you proactively that every point, whether it is the inputs of raw materials and checking those commodity prices, whether it's currency, like every piece of that puzzle you need to push back ...

The Nightmare of Eveline Shadow was a haunting experience where guests stepped into the nightmarish writings of a horror novelist. They had to navigate a hotel filled with nightmares, while being guided by the narrator's prompts and scripts. The closure of hotels during the pandemic quarantine era created a golden opportunity for a trio of talented creators from the Benelux region. Alexander Gierholz of Logiclocks, Jeroen van Hasselt of Entered, and Meggy Pepelanova came together to create a unique horror experience set in an entire empty wing of a hotel. Alas, they experienced their own nightmare when lockdown regulations became even more restricted. They had to put their experience on hold, and then suddenly regulations lifted entirely, and the hotel began to resume normal operations. Their window for hosting The Nightmare of Eveline Shadow at an empty hotel vanished, and we're left with only handful of photos and this Spoilers Club series as evidence of its existence.   To listen to Part 2, and the rest of the Spoilers Club category, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/roomescapeartist      Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors: Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you.    Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Become a Patron Today! Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including:  The REPOD Bonus Show The Spoilers Club The Travelogue Series Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters

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

"I have so many burning questions." Our podcast, Reality Escape Pod, isn't exactly short-form content. Most episodes clock in at over fifty minutes, and yet, I always feel like I didn't get enough time with the guest. "But I've still got some burning questions!" I think to myself. Or maybe I have follow up questions, but I didn't want to interrupt the flow of conversation. Luckily, we have our Bonus Aftershow. I love this format because David and I are able to have more casual conversations with our guests, rather than the more formal interview on Reality Escape Pod. The Bonus Show chats run the gamut from in-depth design discussions, to workshopping business or game ideas, to just trading battle stories of escape rooms gone awry. In the Best of Bonus, I picked some of my favorite moments from our Season 9 Bonus Aftershow episodes. I really loved hearing more stories from James Douberly about the MIT Mystery Hunt, and listening to Neil Patrick Harris talk about magic and escape rooms. Jon and Ryan from The Great Gotham Challenge kept talking about "risky puzzles" and I finally had the chance to ask them about this concept. We also got the definitive answer from Steven Medway, creator of Blood on the Clocktower, on whether townsfolk (Team Good) should be executing every day in the game. The Bonus Aftershow is included when you become a Patreon supporter of Room Escape Artist. Join today for access to our library of over 100 episodes of the Bonus Aftershow. We put a lot of love and time into creating the best possible content that supports our mission of elevating the escape room industry. We truly appreciate your support.   Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors: Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you.    Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   Become a Patron Today! Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including:  The REPOD Bonus Show The Spoilers Club The Travelogue Series Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters

The future fight won't be won by those with the biggest budgets, most polished strategies, or largest armies. It will be won by those who can translate breakthrough technology into usable capability at speed and scale. Ryan was joined by Horacio Rozanski, the CEO of Booz Allen, to talk about the role his company is playing in this race. Having reoriented Booz Allen into a technology integrator, he shares the cultural and organizational challenges of turning Booz Allen into a company of builders, the bets being made on emerging technologies, and how his personal journey — from immigrant to Booz Allen intern to CEO — shapes how he sees change.   This is a special cross-posted episode of Cogs of War, our show on defense tech and industry. Click here to subscribe using your podcast app of choice: https://pod.link/1818133762

We're diving into a major development at the intersection of tech, trade, and national security: the U.S. government's decision to allow NVIDIA's H20 chips back into the Chinese market. Brad Carson (former defense official and member of Congress) of Americans for Responsible Innovation and Liza Tobin (former CIA and National Security Council staffer) of Garnaut Global join Ryan to explore what this reversal says about America's approach to protecting its tech edge, whether NVIDIA's justifications hold water, why normal Americans should care about this, and what it could mean for the future of AI and semiconductor strategy.  This episode also features a short clip from our new, free show, Cogs of War. You can listen to this exciting new show on defense tech and industrial issues on your podcast app of choice.