Podcasts about CRM

The IPA gang is back together with some special guests for this star-studded episode recorded in front of a live audience of brewers at Union Transfer in Philadelphia. Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River, Kelsey McNair of North Park, and Evan Price of Green Cheek are joined by Ben Edmunds of Breakside and Oregon State University's Tom Shellhammer—this year's recipient of the Brewers Association Recognition Award—for a ranging conversation. Among the topics they cover: managing sulfur in hop-forward beer, evolving dry-hopping techniques, thiols and mercaptans, and reducing the dry-hop load for better beer—plus, they take questions from the audience. This episode even features a first for the podcast—a Pick 6 speed round, in which Vinnie Cilurzo asks Tom Shellhammer to share six beers that inspired him. Thank you to our presenting sponsors: Encompass If you're a producer trying to get better visibility into how your products are performing at retail, there's a better way—and it's officially in Orbit. Orbit gives bev-alc producers real-time depletion, shipment, and inventory data alongside a CRM built for managing distributor relationships in the field. No more week-old data. No more chasing distributors over email. Yakima Valley Hops YakimaValleyHops.com is your direct source for the finest HAAS hops and innovative hop products. Top varieties like Citra®, Mosaic®, Galaxy®, and more are available in just a couple clicks whenever you need them, no contracts required. Fast fulfillment. Reliable service. Consistent supply. Discover how easy hop sourcing can be at YakimaValleyHops.com, a John I. Haas company. Be sure to experience both the euphorics line designed for cold side additions and Lupocore line of next generation hop pellets. And thank you to our supporting sponsors: Haas Paktech Tripleseat

Stop Wishing for Deals and Start Winning Them.In today's episode, Scott Carson gets raw and real about the massive marketing failures he's seeing in the real estate industry. We are living in 2026, yet too many realtors and investors are still relying on "Pony Express" tactics in a high-speed digital world. If you are still trying to run a national business out of a personal Gmail account or avoiding email marketing because you "got burned" five years ago, this episode is a wake-up call you cannot afford to miss.Scott breaks down a recent experience where he handed over a thousand high-quality, skip-traced distressed leads, only to watch professional partners fail at the basic "full court press" required to close deals. Whether you're a note investor, a sub-two expert, or a realtor, your success is tied directly to your ability to communicate consistently with your tribe.What we cover in this episode:The 2026 Reality Check: Why "praying for a deal" and posting in Facebook groups isn't a marketing strategy. The Only Two Things You Own: Why your email list and your RSS feed are the only assets that protect you from being "shut down" by social media algorithms. Speed to Lead: Why the "full court press" approach—using email, text, and voice drops—is the only way to get ahead of the upcoming foreclosure wave. Smart Tool Selection: Moving beyond Gmail and the Pony Express to use CRMs that actually track open rates and delivery. The Math of Marketing: Why a $50 investment in text credits or a $100 CRM is infinitely more effective than driving across town to knock on one door. Overcoming the "No": Understanding that "no" often just means "not now," and why 48% of your competition is failing because they never follow up more than once. The Power of Educational Content: How Scott turned a 30-slide presentation into a multi-platform marketing machine that hits distressed sellers where they live . Skip Tracing Secrets: How to find 3 emails and 3 phone numbers for every lead for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. Don't let your business go the way of the smoke signal. The market is shifting, and while others are pulling back, the proactive investors are twisting their marketing to take advantage of the opportunities. It's time to stop being "Betty Blue-Hairs" and start being the expert your network needs.Ready to get your marketing on track or want to learn more about note investing?Email: Scott@WeCloseNotes.com Book a Call: TalkWithScottCarson.com Conclusion: Marketing isn't about one-and-done; it's about the follow-up, the frequency, and the tools you use to scale your voice. Go out, take action, and remember: the more "no's" you get, the closer you are to that "yes." See you at the top! Watch the Original Episode Here!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes PinterestGet Signed Up For the Next Note Buying Workshop HERE!

Solomon Thimothy is the CEO and Co-founder of Clickx, a marketing intelligence platform for brands and marketers to plan, execute, and measure all their online marketing campaigns. He is also the Co-founder of OneIMS, a leading inbound marketing and sales agency driving measurable results across industries. With nearly two decades of experience, Solomon is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author known for applying 10X strategies to help businesses scale leads and revenue efficiently. He is passionate about helping companies leverage AI to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. In this episode… What happens when your website traffic drops, leads become unpredictable, and customers start relying on AI to make decisions for them? How do you stay visible when algorithms recommend only a handful of options? And what does it really take to compete in a world where AI is reshaping how buyers discover and choose businesses? Seasoned entrepreneur Solomon Thimothy highlights the need for businesses to transition from traditional SEO to being discovered through AI-based search systems. He highlights how the buyer's journey has fundamentally changed, where authority and relevance now determine visibility. This shift helps companies stay present where decisions are being made. He emphasizes using webinars, AI audits, and clear action plans to assess positioning and improve reach. By leveraging AI tools, teams can personalize outreach, automate workflows, and operate more efficiently. He also shares practical strategies for refining sales processes and creating offers that stand out. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Solomon Thimothy to discuss leveraging AI to future-proof marketing and sales. They explore how AI is changing the buyer journey, ways to increase visibility in AI search, and strategies for scaling outreach through automation. Solomon also shares insights on improving offers and maximizing existing CRM data.

Think of finding the right CRM like matchmaking – it takes time, self-awareness, and knowing what you actually need versus what just looks good on paper. Glennda Testone sits down with Julia Gachenbach of DonorPerfect to walk through the do's and don'ts of the matchmaking process to help your organization find the right fit.

This episode of The Edge of Show was recorded live at the Future of Money, Governance, and the Law (FOMGL) 2025 event in Washington, D.C., where policymakers, financial institutions, and technology leaders came together to address how emerging technologies are reshaping global finance. Moderated by Gerard Dache this conversation with Saloi Benbaha and Anne Termine discuss:The differences between closed worlds like Roblox and open metaverses like Othercide.How NFTs are reshaping traditional finance and creating new economic opportunities.The role of smart contracts in enhancing the functionality of NFTs.Innovative use cases for NFTs in trade finance and cross-border transactions.The convergence of digital assets and traditional finance in the evolving landscape of Web3.Join us as we unpack these critical topics and discuss how innovation is driving the next era of DeFi. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more insights from the forefront of crypto, AI, and real-world infrastructure!Support us through our Sponsors! ☕ Want to make content like ours? Sign up with Castmagic to make your creative process easy: https://bit.ly/CastmagicReferral Work smarter, grow faster. Automate your SEO, get AI insights, and manage all your clients in one place with Helm. Start today 50% off your first month at helmseo.com

In this episode, Axel sits down once again with Ryan Corcoran of Specialized Property Group — a New England investor doing 60 to 80 deals per year across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire through a relentless focus on direct-to-seller marketing. Ryan started out building a multifamily portfolio the traditional way, but pivoted to a high-volume transactional model when rates rose in 2022 — and hasn't looked back since.The conversation is one of the most tactical deep dives into off-market deal sourcing the podcast has ever featured. Ryan breaks down exactly how he builds motivated seller lists from public court records, why handwritten white letters outperform polished postcards, and how his team uses a CRM to automate follow-up for years at a time. This is a must-listen for any investor who wants to go direct to seller, build a sustainable deal-finding machine, and understand what it actually takes to operate at volume in today's market.Join us as we dive into:The evolution of SPG from a buy-and-hold multifamily portfolio to a 60–80 deal per year transactional operationThe three pillars of real estate investing — acquisitions, financing, and operations; and why finding the deal is the engine that drives everything elseWhy triggering-event lists (evictions, probate, divorce) require fewer touches than generic absentee owner lists — and how to find sellers who are already ready to moveThe anatomy of a winning direct mail piece: white letters, handwritten envelopes, first-name personalization, and a local, approachable toneHow to think about the Massachusetts market: why central Mass and New Hampshire behave similarly, while Greater Boston is a completely different ball gameRyan's honest take on multifamily in the current rate environment and why he's not advocating buy-and-hold at today's prices unless the deal is exceptionalWhy flipping and wholesaling at current rates may generate more wealth faster than traditional BRRRR strategiesPrevious Episodes:Ep239 - Direct-to-seller marketing for multifamily deals..Ep159 - Using direct mail to buy hundreds of units..Connect with Ryan:Follow him on InstagramConnect with him on LinkedinSubscribe to our YouTube channelLearn more about Specialized Property GroupAre you looking to invest in real estate, but don't want to deal with the hassle of finding great deals, signing on debt, and managing tenants? Aligned Real Estate Partners provides investment opportunities to passive investors looking for the returns, stability, and tax benefits multifamily real estate offers, but without the work - join our investor club to be notified of future investment opportunities.Connect with Axel:Follow him on InstagramConnect with him on LinkedinSubscribe to our YouTube channelLearn more about Aligned Real Estate Partners

Dylan and Max sit down with Kyle Freiberger and Mike Sferrazza from First Class Leaders to bridge the gap between technical proficiency and effective aviation leadership . This episode explores why traditional CRM often fails to address the human element and how pilots at any rank can cultivate influence through self-awareness and emotional intelligence . The guys dive into the "Take the Lead" framework, the DISC behavioral tool, and the critical shift from defending your intentions to owning your impact on the crew . Learn more about First Class Leaders Show Notes 0:00 Intro 2:11 Starting First Class Leaders 6:04 Dealing With Conflict 13:37 Program Offerings 24:24 Mindset Shift 31:02 Unique Circumstances 35:46 Pilot Personalities 55:22 Next Steps & Final Thoughts Our Sponsors Tim Pope, CFP® — Tim is both a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a pilot. His practice specializes in aviation professionals and aviation 401k plans, helping clients pursue their financial goals by defining them, optimizing resources, and monitoring progress. Click here to learn more. Also check out The Pilot's Portfolio Podcast. Advanced Aircrew Academy — Enables flight operations to fulfill their training needs in the most efficient and affordable way—anywhere, at any time. They provide high-quality training for professional pilots, flight attendants, flight coordinators, maintenance, and line service teams, all delivered via a world-class online system. Click here to learn more. Raven Careers — Helping your career take flight. Raven Careers supports professional pilots with resume prep, interview strategy, and long-term career planning. Whether you're a CFI eyeing your first regional, a captain debating your upgrade path, or a legacy hopeful refining your application, their one-on-one coaching and insider knowledge give you a real advantage. Click here to learn more. The AirComp Calculator™ is business aviation's only online compensation analysis system. It can provide precise compensation ranges for 14 business aviation positions in six aircraft classes at over 50 locations throughout the United States in seconds. Click here to learn more. Vaerus Jet Sales — Vaerus means right, true, and real. Buy or sell an aircraft the right way, with a true partner to make your dream of flight real. Connect with Brooks at Vaerus Jet Sales or learn more about their DC-3 Referral Program. Harvey Watt — Offers the only true Loss of Medical License Insurance available to individuals and small groups. Because Harvey Watt manages most airlines' plans, they can assist you in identifying the right coverage to supplement your airline's plan. Many buy coverage to supplement the loss of retirement benefits while grounded. Click here to learn more. VSL ACE Guide — Your all-in-one pilot training resource. Includes the most up-to-date Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and Practical Test Standards (PTS) for Private, Instrument, Commercial, ATP, CFI, and CFII. 21.Five listeners get a discount on the guide—click here to learn more. ProPilotWorld.com — The premier information and networking resource for professional pilots. Click here to learn more.   Feedback & Contact Have feedback, suggestions, or a great aviation story to share? Email us at info@21fivepodcast.com. Check out our Instagram feed @21FivePodcast for more great content (and our collection of aviation license plates). The statements made in this show are our own opinions and do not reflect, nor were they under any direction of any of our employers.

The Art of the Follow-Up: Turning "No" into Private CapitalAre you tired of finding great real estate deals only to have them stall because you lack the funding? Many investors believe that "raising capital" is a one-time pitch, but the reality is much more persistent. In the world of private money, the fortune is truly in the follow-up. While most people give up after the first attempt, the elite investors—the ones closing deals month after month—know that a "no" today is often just a "not yet" for tomorrow.In this episode, we dive deep into the systematic approach to raising private capital, treating your marketing like a professional athlete treats their swing. Whether you are a seasoned note investor or just starting out, mastering these nine steps of follow-up will ensure you never run out of fuel for your deals again.Key Takeaways from This EpisodeRaising capital is a skill developed through repetition and persistence. Here is the breakdown of the follow-up system discussed:The Power of 80%: Approximately 80% of sales are made between the 5th and 12th contact, yet nearly half of all professionals never follow up a second time.The Baseball Analogy: Raising capital is like hitting in baseball; even the best fail 70% of the time. You must keep taking "swings" (marketing attempts) to eventually hit your singles, doubles, and home runs.Mining the Right List: Successful fundraising starts with a quality list, such as Self-Directed IRA (SDIRA) owners found through county appraisal districts.The Multi-Channel Approach: Effective follow-up isn't just letters; it involves a mix of direct mail, social media sleuthing, email marketing, and SMS text blasts.The "Hello Letter": Your first touch should be a professional, printed letter (not a "yellow letter") that includes a QR code to your pitch deck.Social Sleuthing: Use VAs to find LinkedIn and Facebook profiles of your leads. Sending a personalized DM is a low-cost, high-impact way to move a cold lead into your CRM.Case Studies as Fuel: Don't just "check in." Share case studies of deals you are evaluating or have closed to show prospects that you are an active, credible investor.The Power of SMS: Text messages have an 85% open rate within the first five minutes, making them far more effective than the 17-20% open rate typical of emails.The Essential Toolkit: To go pro, you need four core assets: a professional website, a 10-minute pitch deck video, a CRM with open-rate tracking, and a consistent schedule.Stop Waiting for the "Whale"Many investors spend their time chasing one giant "whale" investor, but this system is built on singles and doubles. By consistently touching your market once a week or once a month, you build an "avalanche" of capital that snowballs over time. Remember, the best time to raise capital is before you actually need it. Start your marketing today, stay coachable, and watch your real estate business transform.Ready to scale? Don't let your leads drift away "like smoke in the wind". Implement these follow-up steps and start hitting your funding goals!Watch the Original VIDEO HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes PinterestGet Signed Up For the Next Note Buying Workshop HERE!

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Charlie Horner is joined by iGaming Expert Editor Joe Streeter and SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye as the trio discuss the bombshell confirmation that Bally's Intralot is in talks to acquire evoke plc for 50p per share.Tune in to today's episode to find out:The Big Reveal: What evoke officially confirmed to the markets this morning following a weekend of intense speculation.The 50p Question: Why a valuation of just £225m for the owner of William Hill and 888 has sent the markets into a frenzy.The Debt Dilemma: How two companies with a combined debt mountain of over £6bn plan to make a merger work.UK Market Bullishness: Why Bally's Intralot is doubling down on the UK despite recent tax hikes and regulatory headwinds.Synergy or Survival: Whether this deal is a strategic masterstroke by Robeson Reeves or a necessary rescue mission for evoke.Host: Charlie HornerGuests: Joe Streeter & Ted Orme-ClayeProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove's Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove's Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

Send us Fan MailWhen evaluating the Top Project Management Systems in 2026, the focus must remain strictly on best-of-breed platforms rather than lightweight project modules embedded within CRM or ERP systems. To qualify for this category, the platform must operate as a standalone application with its own data model, workflow engine, and process architecture that can function independently from any broader suite. While some vendors bundle project capabilities within larger portfolios, the core project management engine must remain architecturally separable to ensure the depth and flexibility required by dedicated project environments. Another critical dimension is scope. Some platforms concentrate primarily on internal task coordination, collaboration, and resource planning for knowledge-centric teams. Others extend into Professional Services Automation (PSA), introducing financial controls such as billing, utilization management, revenue tracking, and client-facing workflow orchestration. This distinction matters because nearly 90% of project management systems are optimized for internal initiatives, whereas organizations managing external, client-billable projects require far deeper capabilities, including milestone-based revenue recognition, contractual governance, and complex resource allocation. As a result, companies running professional services engagements often need a fundamentally different platform than those supporting a purely internal PMO.In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top project management systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these project management systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each project management system.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37s_LuCzWusRead: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-project-management-systems/Questions for Panelists?

Can you answer this question right now, off the top of your head: what happens from the moment a client fills out your contact form to the moment you deliver their gallery? Every single step? If you're blanking (or cringing a little), this episode is your wake-up call, and I mean that with so much love. In this episode of the Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast, I'm revisiting one of my oldest episodes from over five years ago and giving it a major refresh, because we need to get back to the foundations. I'm walking you through five concrete steps to building your very first business workflow as a family photographer, and I'm sharing the embarrassing SD card story that made me realize my business was running on memory and prayers instead of actual systems.I decided to redo this episode because I've worked with hundreds of family photographers (especially inside my membership, The Family Photographers Marketing Society), and I keep seeing the same pattern: you know your process, you've done it dozens of times, but it's all trapped in your head. And when everything lives in your brain, things get dropped. This episode is your permission slip to start with just one workflow and build from there.What you'll learn in this episodeThe real reason family photographers resist building workflows (hint: it's not laziness, it's an unspoken belief about creativity)My SD card horror story and the missing SOP that caused itHow to brain dump your entire client journey for one service in 30 minutesThe four natural phases hiding inside every client workflowWhat "rinse and repeat" looks like in practice and why most photographers skip this stepAnd So Much More!Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode▸ Read the full blog post that goes with this episode (that way, you get all the links mentioned): https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/family-photographer-workflow/▸ The Family Photographer's Marketing Society: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/the-family-photographers-marketing-society▸ Grab the FREE Family Photographers Marketing Trends Report: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/family-photography-marketing-trends▸ Apply HERE to work with me to be your 1:1 marketer for your family photography business!Connect with Me (Dolly DeLong Education)

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Manu Diwakar, CFO of Virta Health, to unpack why health tech breaks traditional SaaS thinking. They get into the realities of running a business where outcomes matter, half the company are medical professionals, and efficiency can't come at the expense of care. It's a conversation about sustainable scaling, smarter reinvestment, and building for durability over hype.—SPONSORS: SpendHound is a SaaS spend management platform built for finance and procurement teams that want visibility and leverage in every deal. By tracking all your software, benchmarking pricing across thousands of vendors, and surfacing contracts and renewals, SpendHound helps you stop overpaying and negotiate with confidence. Trusted by teams at ZoomInfo and Hootsuite. Get started at https://www.spendhound.com/cjBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph is a modern FP&A platform built for teams that want more than another planning tool. By connecting your ERP, CRM, and other systems into one trusted data layer with AI workflows, Aleph helps you move faster with real-time insights. Get a personalized demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for teams that have outgrown spreadsheets and billing tool workarounds. It handles high-volume subscriptions, usage-based contracts, and mid-cycle upgrades, so you can scale without scrambling at month-end. For RevRec that keeps your books clean, visit https://www.rightrev.com/CJRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjEY works with high-growth tech companies to navigate the messy realities of scaling—from regulatory requirements to IPO readiness. By helping teams get it right early and often, EY lets founders stay focused on building while reducing risk as they grow. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartups—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manu-diwakar-1aa578/Company: https://www.virtahealth.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and intro1:18 Welcome and guest intro3:02 What sector is health tech?4:34 Virta go to market explained7:01 B2B to B2C model9:00 Value based care and ROI guarantees9:18 Half the company are medical professionals10:36 Sponsors — SpendHound | Brex | Aleph14:03 Annual planning process16:42 Shape of the curve17:33 TAM: metabolic health is massive20:45 Fee for service vs. value based care24:16 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | EY27:24 Unique costs of health tech: billing, compliance30:54 Corporate practice of medicine31:44 North star: members under management32:43 The flywheel: $250 charge, $500 saved33:28 Early stage CFO job is easy35:28 Bad habits baked in during high growth38:02 Choosing not to profit vs. not turning a profit41:15 Running a VC-backed business for sustainability42:07 People, tech and process framework44:31 Hiring philosophy: hard work, learning, curiosity48:26 Athletes vs. experts in hiring50:03 Clock hands interview question50:49 Lightning round51:09 Screwed up: having hard conversations late51:57 Advice to younger self52:15 Finance software stack52:42 Craziest expense story53:47 Credits

#348 | Dave sits down with Melton Littlepage, CMO at 1Password, to talk about what category creation actually looks like inside a company that's already won. Melton breaks down why 1Password is betting on an entirely new category called Extended Access Management, how they chose it over competing in an existing one, and the tactics behind it: lightning strike events, analyst relations, and embedding a former CISO on the marketing team to agitate the problem from the inside. He also makes the case for sports sponsorship as a B2B play, and why the President's Cup was an easy yes.Timestamps(00:00) - - Melton's background: 20 years building SaaS before it was called SaaS (07:45) - - What changes after multiple CMO roles (11:25) - - You can't attribute your way to being hot (12:29) - - The CMO's real job: be the chief markets officer (14:43) - - 1Password today and the market shift that created a new category (22:03) - - The three acts of 1Password's business (22:56) - - Naming the category: Extended Access Management (XAM) (23:58) - - How the decision to create a new category got made (29:34) - - The tactics: category point of view, lightning strikes, analyst relations (33:39) - - How the marketing org is structured (38:11) - - 1Password's three go-to-market motions (41:36) - - Why 1Password is betting on sports marketing Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.Consensus - An AI-powered interactive demo platform that lets you put personalized, self-serve demos on your site to turn anonymous researchers into high-intent leads. Learn more at goconsensus.com/exitfive.Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.Convertr - The enterprise lead data management platform that sits between your lead sources and your CRM, automatically validating, enriching, and standardizing every lead before it touches your systems. Check them out at convertr.io/exitfive.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Host Charlie Horner is joined by SBC Editor-at-Large Ted Menmuir and SBC Researcher Ana Maria Menezes as the trio discuss the explosive move by Brazil's Workers' Party (PT) to repeal the country's newly established legal betting framework and the political mystery surrounding President Lula's silence.Tune in to today's episode to find out:The "Kill Bill" Shockwave: An on-the-ground look at Bill PL-1808/2026 and why 68 members of the governing party want to dismantle a market that officially launched just months ago.The Architect of Prohibition: Who is Pedro Uczai, and does his legal caucus have the authority to override the Ministry of Finance's regulatory work?Lula's Calculated Silence: Why the President, despite his "no love for gambling" rhetoric, has yet to sign the bill, and whether he is playing a high-stakes game of political bargaining.Economic Harm vs. Fiscal Reality: Debunking the claims that "Bets" are destroying Brazilian society while the federal tax authority, Receita Federal, eyes $R$13bn$ in critical revenue.A Market at Ground Zero: The potential fallout for Brazilian football, media rights, and the newly formed SPA if the government successfully hits the reset button on a decade of legislative progress.Host: Charlie HornerGuests: Ana Maria Menezes & Ted MenmuirProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove's Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove's Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.

Neste episódio do Vamos de Vendas, Gustavo Pagotto recebe Beatriz Padrão, Diretora sênior de Vendas na Wellz by Wellhub, para uma conversa sobre como ler os sinais dos clientes, interpretar intenções e negociar melhor em vendas complexas.Ao longo do episódio, Bia mostra que vendas consultivas vão muito além de boas perguntas: é preciso desenvolver escuta ativa, interpretar comportamentos e entender o que está nas entrelinhas — seja em uma reunião, e-mail ou até na ausência de resposta. Ela explica por que interesse real não está no discurso, mas no movimento do cliente dentro do processo.A conversa também explora os principais erros de vendedores, como se apegar a sinais superficiais de interesse, ignorar stakeholders importantes ou antecipar propostas sem validar o contexto. Bia compartilha exemplos práticos de negociações que pareciam avançadas, mas falharam por falta de leitura estratégica — especialmente em cenários com múltiplos decisores e restrições de orçamento.

In this episode, Jordan Crawford outlines how revenue leaders can build an autonomous pipeline generation engine and transition away from static playbooks. The discussion covers practical methods for extracting competitor usage data, identifying segments of users who are far more likely to buy, and generally how top GTM teams are using GTM Engineering to dramatically improve their results. The hosts also evaluate how AI tools alter revenue operations, shift the traditional B2B SaaS go-to-market strategy, and force a total redesign of traditional AE compensation models. Key Takeaways: Top-down executive mandates fail because leadership lacks hands-on experience with the required technical systems. Jordan Crawford notes the absurdity of this disconnect, stating, "You read these letters from all these CEOs and they're like, 'We need to be an AI first organization and I can't tell you what that means or how to implement it, but goddamn, you need to be able to do it.'" The core function of revenue operations must shift from administrative reporting tasks to running active market tests. Sam Jacobs explains this organizational friction, observing many Rev Ops employees think their job is still to deliver reports to the C-Suite and ensure data accuracy, when today's reality is that "actually your job now is to generate demand and like I need 50 campaigns tested by tomorrow." Identifying high-value target accounts requires prioritizing product telemetry and user actions over static CRM fields. Jordan highlights the power of this approach, explaining that "AI can basically analyze customers' words, actions, and what's in the CRM and say... these accounts are worth 10 times more than these accounts." Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: Sam Jacobs - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/  Host: AJ Bruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/  Host: Asad Zaman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/  Guest: Jordan Crawford - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancrawford/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-newsletter  Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast J Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters: 00:00 Podcast Episode Introduction  02:52 Reversing GTM Strategy  06:44 RevOps and AI Thought Partners  13:58 Executing Fast Sales Campaigns  18:25 AI For Comp Plan Benchmarks  21:04 Defining Pain Qualified Segments  26:42 Shifting RevOps Priorities  38:41 Unbundling B2B SaaS Jobs  39:21 The Topline Trivia Game  45:11 Top Of Funnel AI Tactics  46:43 Middle Of Funnel Telemetry  47:56 Bottom Of Funnel Contract Review  49:10 Bull/Bear Predictions  

In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast, host Troy Trewin interviews Katrina "Kat" High shares her journey from being laid off in the pharma industry to co-founding Artemis Factor, a strategic consulting firm serving pharma and biotech clients. She explains how the business grew from three founders to a team of more than 50 people through bootstrapping and strong industry relationships. Kat highlights the importance of delegation, building the right support systems, and not trying to do everything alone. A unique part of her approach is hiring talented professionals impacted by layoffs and helping rebuild their confidence and careers. She also discusses balancing fast growth, maintaining company culture, and focusing on meaningful impact on employees and patients. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? According to Katrina "Kat" High, the hardest thing in growing a small business is dealing with external factors that you cannot anticipate, because business owners often face unexpected changes in the market, economy, or industry that are outside their control. She emphasized that since you never fully know what challenges are coming, the key is to stay prepared by maintaining strong cash flow, building a reliable team, keeping clear communication with employees, and working closely with advisors so you can handle whatever situation arises. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Katrina "Kat" High shared that one of her recent favorite resources that has helped her is content around money mindset, particularly the "Let Them" concept discussed on the Mel Robbins podcast, which she found useful for handling challenges in her current stage of business. She mentioned that instead of sticking to one all-time favorite book, she prefers reading books and listening to podcasts that match the specific season or challenges she is facing, so the advice feels practical and relevant to her situation at that time. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Katrina "Kat" High recommends tapping into a mix of practical and mindset-focused resources, including project management and AI-focused podcasts to stay current with industry trends, alongside investing podcasts to build broader business awareness. She also highlights the value of continuously learning through audiobooks and physical books depending on your season of business, and mentions mindset-driven content like the The Mel Robbins Podcast as helpful for navigating challenges. Overall, her approach is to consistently expose yourself to diverse learning channels—audio, reading, and niche podcasts—so you can grow both your technical skills and decision-making as a small business owner. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Katrina "Kat" High recommends implementing a strong Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system as a foundational tool to grow a small business, emphasizing that having a centralized way to track client interactions, manage leads, and maintain relationships is critical for sustainable growth. A good CRM helps streamline sales processes, improves communication, and ensures no opportunities fall through the cracks, allowing business owners to stay organized while scaling. She suggests choosing a CRM that fits your business needs and using it consistently, as it becomes a key driver in building long-term client relationships and making smarter, data-informed decisions. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Katrina "Kat" High would tell herself to just get started and not wait for everything to be perfect, because clarity and confidence come from taking action, not overplanning. She emphasizes that you won't be able to map everything out from day one, and that's okay—what you learn along the journey will guide your next steps. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress, stay adaptable, and trust that each experience will give you the insight needed to grow and make better decisions as your business evolves. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.     Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: You cannot do it all yourself learn to ask for support early – Katrina "Kat" High Progress beats perfection just get started and figure it out along the way – Katrina "Kat" High Stay adaptable because what you learn today shapes your success tomorrow – Katrina "Kat" High      

In Part 3 of the onboarding series, Ian and Eliot break down what happens after the first day, covering the critical first 90 days of a new student's journey. From structured follow-up systems to creating a world-class fundamentals experience, this episode dives into how to turn new sign-ups into long-term members. They explore the importance of consistent communication, why onboarding must be engineered (not left to chance), and how simple systems like CRM-driven follow-ups can dramatically improve retention. The conversation also unpacks how to properly structure fundamentals classes, remove overwhelm, and build real confidence in new students without sacrificing quality or toughness. If Parts 1 and 2 were about getting people in the door and delivering a great first experience, Part 3 is about what truly matters: keeping them. This episode is essential for any school owner looking to improve retention, create a better student experience, and build a more sustainable, profitable academy. 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!  

Season 5, Episode 15: Understanding the 10 Buying Consumers in Pest Control SalesIn this episode of The Pest Control Marketing Domination Podcast, Casey Lewis breaks down an important sales and marketing lesson for pest control companies: not all consumers buy the same way, and they should not all be sold the same way.This episode explores the classic ATT training concepts of DICEN and FARPS, which identify the 10 major buying consumer types you are likely to encounter. On one side are consumers generally looking for any pest control company, including the Dissatisfied, Infrequent, Competitive, Emergency, and Newcomer buyer. On the other side are those more likely looking for your company specifically, including the Former customer, Advertising influenced, Repeat customer, Passer by, and Solicited buyer.Casey explains how each of these consumer types interacts with a pest control company differently, what motivates them, how they should be handled by your office and sales team, and why it is a mistake to prejudge which leads are best or worst. Some buyers may appear weak on the surface but become outstanding long-term customers, while others that seem easy may still require the right support to close.The episode also introduces RASCIL — Reliability, Authorized products and services, Special services, Completeness of service, Illustrations and slogan, and Locations served — as a framework for understanding what consumers are actually looking for when they compare pest control companies online.This is a strong educational episode for pest control owners, managers, CSR teams, and salespeople who want to improve lead handling, better understand buyer intent, and increase close rates by matching the right communication style to the right customer.For help with pest control marketing, websites, SEO, Google Ads, Local Service Ads, CRM automation, and lead generation, visit www.rhinopestcontrolmarketing.com or email casey@rhinopros.com.Please review us on Rhino Pest Control Marketing and let us know how we can improve in 2026.Casey Lewis⁠casey@rhinopros.com⁠ (925) 464-8383Follow and subscribe at the following links:⁠https://www.youtube.com/@RhinoPestControlMarketing⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/rhinopestcontrolmarketing⁠Leave us a review on Google:⁠https://g.page/r/CT9-E84ypVI0EBM/review

What you'll learn on this episode: The three reasons most agents fail: not saying it enough, not saying the right thing, or not saying it to the right people   Why momentum comes from consistent daily action—not random one-time efforts   How direct mail and face-to-face expired listing campaigns still work strategically   Why online webinars can generate big business with the right structure and follow-up   How ads must be paired with a powerful CRM and follow-up system to convert To find out more about Dan Rochon and the CPI Community, you can check these links:Website: No Broke MonthsPodcast: No Broke Months for Salespeople PodcastInstagram: @donrochonxFacebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NoBrokeMonths/Facebook: Dan RochonLinkedIn: Dan RochonTeach to Sell Preorder: Teach to Sell: Why Top Performers Never Sell – And What They Do Instead

In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross drops new research across 8,566 high-priority B2B SaaS keywords that reveals how Reddit is quietly dominating bottom-of-funnel search, including the most expensive CPC terms in your Google Ads account. He breaks down what the data actually means for your pipeline and the exact playbook operators need to respond before the gap widens further. Key Takeaways and Insights: 1. How Reddit Changed the SEO Game -Google elevated user-generated content after seeing demand for people-first answers, and Reddit threads now outrank product and category pages across B2B SaaS. -Traditional SEO playbooks built on volume and backlinks are losing ground. The shift is not theoretical. It is happening in your highest-value queries right now. 2. The Scoreboard: Reddit's Share of the Top 3 -Reddit commands 40 to 45 percent of top-three rankings across most B2B SaaS verticals. In three of four industries analyzed, Reddit consistently beat all competitors. -Even established review sites are losing ground to subreddit threads. The brands still ignoring this are handing over pipeline. 3. Myth: Reddit Only Wins on Review Terms -Reddit wins 94 percent of the time for "best software" queries, but 77 percent of Reddit's wins come from non-review, demand-gen keywords. -Reddit is not just stealing review traffic. It is influencing pipeline at every stage of the buyer journey. 4. The CPC Paradox -At $15 to $20 CPC, Reddit wins 45 percent of the time. At $50-plus CPC, that number hits 67 percent. -You are paying $50 per click while a two-year-old Reddit thread captures the organic click above you. 5. Authority Alone Does Not Win Anymore -High domain authority no longer guarantees rankings. Brands that win build long-tail infrastructure aligned to real customer queries. -Long-tail blog content consistently outperforms thin category pages. The edge goes to operators who build depth, not just links. 6. Subreddits Are the Real Competitors -It is not Reddit as a monolith. It is specific communities. The CRM subreddit showed a 49 percent win rate. r/EmailMarketing hit 68 percent. r/SmallBusiness drove nearly 141K monthly searches across tracked queries. -One subreddit can dominate an entire B2B category. These are your real competitors. 7. Long-Tail Is Where Reddit Dominates -For keywords with six or more words, Reddit's win rate hits 87 percent. Years of user questions created a library of hyper-specific content that is nearly impossible to replicate overnight. -That long-tail depth fuels both Google rankings and LLM citations. If you are not building long-tail assets, you are invisible in AI search. 8. Reddit Now Shapes LLM Visibility -B2B buyers use peers, communities, and LLMs to validate decisions, and LLMs are citing Reddit more than ever. -If you are absent from key subreddits, you likely do not exist in AI-generated answers either. Reddit presence influences both the SERP and the model. 9. The Operator Playbook for Winning on Reddit -Run a keyword gap analysis against reddit.com. Identify three to five subreddits consistently outranking you. Engage with value, not pitches. Earn credibility first. -Invest in high-quality educational content and measure sentiment and LLM visibility as part of your growth system. This is how you build presence that compounds. Resources & Tools:

Every real estate agent is asking the same question right now:How do I make more money?In this episode of The MindShare Podcast, David Greenspan breaks down a simple but powerful shift in thinking that most agents overlook — and how it directly impacts their income.If you treat money properly, you don't leave it sitting around.You deposit it.You invest it.You expect it to grow.So why are agents treating their contacts any differently?This episode dives into how your CRM should be viewed as a bank account — and why the way you manage your relationships, follow-up, and database directly determines how much business you do.From daily conversations to long-term follow-up systems, David shares how to turn the people you already know into consistent business — without chasing new leads or relying on the market to change.If your business feels inconsistent, slow, or unpredictable, this episode will help you rethink your approach and start building a more reliable pipeline.What You'll LearnWhy most agents struggle to make consistent money in real estateHow to think about your CRM like a financial investmentThe connection between contacts, follow-up, and incomeWhy timing in real estate is longer than most agents expectHow to build long-term business through consistent communicationThe role of daily non-negotiables in pipeline growthWhy your current database may already contain your next dealsHow to stop chasing business and start building itTimestamps[00:00] Introduction — the idea that changed everything[03:00] Money vs contacts — the comparison[06:00] Why your CRM is your bank accountThe Problem Most Agents Have[09:00] How many people are you actually adding to your CRM?[12:00] Why contacts are being wasted[15:00] The gap between having a database and using itShort-Term vs Long-Term Business[18:00] Why not every contact is immediate[21:00] The mistake of chasing only “now” deals[24:00] How long-term follow-up creates future incomeDoing the Work[27:00] What actually happens after someone enters your CRM[30:00] The importance of consistent communication[33:00] Building real relationships over timeNon-Negotiables[36:00] Why consistency beats motivation[39:00] Daily actions that drive business[42:00] Treating your business like an investmentMarket Cycles & Patience[45:00] Understanding ups and downs[48:00] Why consistency wins long-termClosing Thoughts[51:00] Every contact is a decision[54:00] Stop leaving money on the table[57:00] Final takeawayKey TakeawayThe business you're looking for isn't out there somewhere.It's already around you.The difference between agents who struggle and agents who grow consistently comes down to one thing:What they do with the people they already know.SponsorsThis episode is brought to you by:KiTS Keep-in-Touch SystemsYour ultimate marketing and lead generation CRM for real estate professionals.REM Real Estate MagazineCanada's premier source for real estate news, insights, and industry expertise.Resources & Links

Research shows that children who develop healthy relationships with money early in life end up in significantly better financial shape as adults, yet most schools still don't teach personal finance. We explore practical strategies for instilling sound financial habits in kids and how those habits compound over a lifetime.Today's Stocks & Topics: CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (CX), Market Wrap, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM), Comcast Corporation (CMCSA), Space X IPO, Is a Custodial Investment Account Right for Your Kids?, National Healthcare Properties, Inc. (NHP), Defense Spending, Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund Admiral Shares (VEMAX), Palomar Holdings, Inc. (PLMR).Our Sponsors:* Check out Anthropic: https://claude.ai/invest* Check out Pebl: https://hipebl.ai* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/invest* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code INVEST20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In this episode, Nik takes us behind the scenes of his rigorous preparation for his first flight into Bogotá, Colombia - one of the most technically demanding and high-risk airports in his company's network. He details the unique challenges of flying at high altitudes, navigating complex arrivals, battling unpredictable weather, and executing crucial CRM strategies to ensure safety. Nik also highlights how advanced planning, a humble approach, and building a support network of mentors transformed a daunting assignment into a seamless operation and an unforgettable layover. The episode concludes with a powerful reminder: aviation success isn't about being fearless. It's about being well-prepared, asking for help when needed, and stacking the odds in your favor.  CONNECT WITH US Are you ready to take your preparation to the next level? Don't wait until it's too late. Use the promo code "R4P2026" and save 10% on all our services. Check us out at www.spitfireelite.com! If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show, email Nik at podcast@spitfireelite.com, and if you need a professional pilot resume, go to www.spitfireelite.com/podcast/ for FREE templates!  SPONSOR Are you a pilot just coming out of the military and looking for the perfect second home for your family? Look no further! Reach out to Marty and his team by visiting www.tridenthomeloans.com to get the best VA loans available anywhere in the US. Be ready for takeoff anytime with 3D-stretch, stain-repellent, and wrinkle-free aviation uniforms by Flight Uniforms. Just go to www.flightuniform.com and type the code SPITFIREPOD20 to get a special 20% discount on your first order. #Aviation #AviationCareers #aviationcrew #AviationJobs #AviationLeadership #AviationEducation #AviationOpportunities #AviationPodcast #AirlinePilot #AirlineJobs #AirlineInterviewPrep #flying #flyingtips #PilotDevelopment #PilotFinance #pilotcareer #pilottips #pilotcareertips #PilotExperience #pilotcaptain #PilotTraining #PilotSuccess #pilotpodcast #PilotPreparation #Pilotrecruitment #flightschool #aviationschool #pilotcareer #pilotlife #pilot

Start a free trial of HubSpot's new AEO tool: https://clickhubspot.com/apeo Get the AEO playbook that made HubSpot the #1 most visible CRM in AI search: https://clickhubspot.com/mfle Ep. 418 Did you know tools like ChatGPT and Claude are already telling your customers to buy from your competitors—and you might not even know it?  Kipp dives into the rise of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and how AI search engines are transforming the way businesses are found and recommended online. Learn more on why traditional Google search is no longer enough, how AI-driven recommendations are shaping customer decisions, and the must-do strategies to ensure your brand shows up across every major AI-powered search engine. Mentions ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/ Claude https://claude.ai/ Perplexity https://www.perplexity.ai/ Zendesk https://www.zendesk.com/ Intercom https://www.intercom.com/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt We're creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you're facing at work or in your business. To understand your biggest challenges we've put together a survey and we'd love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod  Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Praveer Melwani, CFO of Figma, to unpack the financial model behind one of tech's most iconic product-led companies. They cover viral growth, forecasting without a traditional sales pipeline, AI credit pricing, margin tradeoffs, and the metric Praveer believes matters most in the long run: free cash flow per share.—SPONSORS:EY works with high-growth tech companies to navigate the messy realities of scaling—from regulatory requirements to IPO readiness. By helping teams get it right early and often, EY lets founders stay focused on building while reducing risk as they grow. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartupsSpendHound is a SaaS spend management platform built for finance and procurement teams that want visibility and leverage in every deal. By tracking all your software, benchmarking pricing across thousands of vendors, and surfacing contracts and renewals, SpendHound helps you stop overpaying and negotiate with confidence. Trusted by teams at ZoomInfo and Hootsuite. Get started at https://www.spendhound.comBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsAleph is a modern FP&A platform built for teams that want more than another planning tool. By connecting your ERP, CRM, and other systems into one trusted data layer with AI workflows, Aleph helps you move faster with real-time insights. Get a personalized demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for teams that have outgrown spreadsheets and billing tool workarounds. It handles high-volume subscriptions, usage-based contracts, and mid-cycle upgrades, so you can scale without scrambling at month-end. For RevRec that keeps your books clean, visit https://www.rightrev.com/CJRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cj—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveer-melwani/Company: https://www.figma.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and intro1:21 Welcome and guest intro2:55 From banking to Dropbox to Figma5:04 Inflection points: building trust early8:36 TAM expansion thinking10:31 Sponsors — EY | SpendHound | Brex13:38 Two-thirds of Figma users aren't designers14:36 Forecasting product led growth16:22 Cohorts and NDR discovery17:39 LTV to CAC philosophy18:57 Product signals for account expansion20:22 How Figma achieved hypergrowth with 90%+ margins22:14 AI expands TAM: time to hit the gas23:22 AI credit pricing model24:50 Sponsors — Aleph | RightRev | Rillet28:13 Outcome based pricing consideration29:00 Where AI margins settle: gross profit dollars30:08 Free cash flow per share as north star31:04 NDR and pricing volatility32:13 Bundled vs. unbundled seats34:50 Being engaged in sales to understand admin pain35:17 IPO day experience36:27 Keeping employees focused beyond the stock price37:19 Employee stock pressure and lockup reality39:37 Kitchen cabinet of advisors41:44 How to ask better questions of advisors41:47 Lightning round41:50 Advice to younger self42:47 Finance software stack44:09 Claude WTF moment: forecasting model throughput45:13 Craziest expense story: the haircut45:59 Credits

Get InTouch with Terri Terri Ross Website: Click Here Terri Ross Patreon: Business and Sales Mentorship 4S Summit Info: For more details, look up 4S Summit to understand its role in providing strategic business consulting in the aesthetics industry https://4ssummit.com/ Terri Ross is a renowned expert in the aesthetic industry, specializing in sales training, strategic growth consulting, and business transformation. As an accomplished author and international speaker, Terri has dedicated over two decades to elevating businesses in the aesthetic field with a ground-up approach focused on sustainability, profitability, and scalability. Her experience is rooted in working with Fortune 500 companies like Medicis and Zeltique, where she developed a deep understanding of market dynamics and strategic sales methodologies. Episode Notes: In this episode, Shannon Blake, Director of Medical Spa Partnerships at Podium, shares how AI-driven operating systems are transforming the aesthetic industry. Discover how innovative technology can streamline chaos, boost revenue, and future-proof your practice. Key Topics The chaos caused by fragmented software systems in aesthetic practices and its costly impact How Podium's new AI-powered operating system integrates EMR, CRM, and scheduling for seamless management The importance of AI in automating repetitive tasks like texting, scheduling, and treatment follow-ups Revenue mining: Leveraging AI for proactive patient engagement and increased profitability Why practices are losing money with traditional EMRs and how Podium is addressing these pain points The role of AI voice technology and its current limitations for real-time communication Building a customer-obsessed and agile tech environment to differentiate in a competitive market Practical tips for selecting AI-enabled platform solutions and maximizing practice efficiency The future of AI in aesthetics: Evolving from automation to revenue generation Podium's Resources & Links Podium's Aesthetic Solutions Contact Shannon Blake 801-979-8096      

#347 | ClickUp drives millions of impressions for the company through videos and content for B2B marketers on social, and in this episode Dave sits down with Chris Cunningham, a founding member of the marketing team at ClickUp and the guy who runs social there now, to talk about how they do it. Chris breaks down why 99% of companies are doing social wrong, how ClickUp runs a weekly writers room and shoots 12 to 15 videos every Thursday, and why he tests every video with multiple hooks using Instagram trial reels before it ever hits the main feed. He also gets into how he manages 35 accounts across platforms, how he finds unknown creators with small followings and turns them into writers, and how this has driven real pipeline. Then the conversation shifts to AI and whether doubling down on human creativity might actually be B2B's biggest competitive advantage right now.Timestamps(00:00) - - Intro (04:25) - - Chris's background and why he's been at ClickUp for nearly a decade (06:21) - - The biggest mistake B2B companies make on social (08:29) - - The rule of three: make people feel something, teach them, or make them laugh (09:40) - - Why you should create for two platforms and distribute everywhere (11:34) - - How ClickUp separates brand, comedy, and product accounts (13:41) - - How social has driven real pipeline and closed deals (16:01) - - How Chris interviews ICPs to find content ideas (20:02) - - How to measure social when attribution is hard (25:08) - - The weekly production process: writers room, shoot day, and content bank (32:16) - - Tools and how to manage posting across 35 accounts (33:50) - - Don't sleep on Facebook Reels (35:22) - - How to start if you're camera shy and how to find unknown creators (41:04) - - Where AI fits in and why doubling down on human creativity is the biggest moat (45:48) - - Why brand is now the biggest competitive advantage in B2B (47:55) - - Unique content formats worth studying and stealing Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.Consensus - An AI-powered interactive demo platform that lets you put personalized, self-serve demos on your site to turn anonymous researchers into high-intent leads. Learn more at goconsensus.com/exitfive.Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.Convertr - The enterprise lead data management platform that sits between your lead sources and your CRM, automatically validating, enriching, and standardizing every lead before it touches your systems. Check them out at convertr.io/exitfive.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

MY NEWSLETTER - https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeJoin me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Andrew Pignanelli (https://x.com/@ndrewpignanelli). In this episode, we dive into the wild reality of building one-person billion-dollar companies. Andrew is the founder of the General Intelligence Company of New York, and their flagship product, Cofounder, is acting like an AI Chief of Staff for entrepreneurs. We talk about how business owners can finally cure the "million paper cuts problem", those tedious, daily tasks like scheduling meetings, managing emails, and competitor monitoring that quietly drain your time and brain power.Andrew explains how his platform goes beyond standard AI assistants by using a unique memory system to learn your workflow, allowing you to build complex automations autonomously using just natural language. We also zoom out to debate whether these powerful AI agents will soon wipe out traditional knowledge work and what that means for the future of the economy. If you want to know how running a highly successful real-world business might soon feel as easy as playing a video game, you won't want to miss this.Questions This Episode Answers:How can entrepreneurs scale a massive business without having to scale their human team?What is the "million paper cuts problem", and how can an AI Chief of Staff completely take it off your plate?How does a dedicated AI agent with a memory system outperform standard AI tools when managing daily business operations?What are the easiest ways to use automations for tedious tasks like email management, recruiting, and competitor monitoring?Will advanced AI agents eventually replace human knowledge workers, and how should founders prepare?Enjoy the conversation!__________________________Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT__________________________This week we covered:00:00 – Intro: One-person billion-dollar companies00:40 – What CoFounder is and why it's exploding03:05 – How AI connects all your tools (email, Slack, CRM)05:28 – The “million paper cuts” problem CoFounder solves07:44 – Top use cases: scheduling, email, research, monitoring10:07 – Treating AI like a human assistant12:33 – Live demo: reading calendar, creating tasks, using tools15:00 – The easiest automation builder (natural language flows)22:04 – Onboarding: how CoFounder learns your style and workflow29:12 – Competition, vision, and the future of autonomous companies

“If you think you need more content, more funnels, or more followers to grow your business… you're focusing on the wrong problem. This episode will show you what actually moves the needle.”More content isn't the answer. More strategies won't fix it either.If your business isn't growing, it's not because you're not doing enough, it's because the foundation isn't clear.In this episode of the Marketing Boost Solutions Podcast, Capt. Marco Torres sits down with coaching pioneer Laura Berman Fortgang as she breaks down the Four M's, the core structure behind every successful service-based business.From messaging that instantly connects… to building a method that positions you as the authority… to marketing that actually converts, this is the shift from chasing clients to attracting them. No fluff. Just what works.Connect with Laura:

Send us Fan MailBig news—Sports Marketing Machine has officially joined forces with Revelocity Sports. But this episode isn't just about the merger… it's about what it unlocks for you. Jeremy breaks down why the best teams aren't just running promotions and ads—they're building connected marketing systems that drive more ticket sales, better decisions, and stronger fan engagement.Key Topics Covered The big announcement: why Sports Marketing Machine joined Revelocity Sports  Why most sports teams are running disconnected marketing tactics The difference between “busy marketing” and revenue-driving systems How connecting your ads, email, data, and CRM unlocks better results  Why automation creates space for strategy instead of constant execution The role of personalization and fan data in driving engagement and sales  How top teams are building systems that generate momentum over time  What this partnership means for future insights, strategies, and case studies Timestamps00:00 — Big announcement: SMM joins Revelocity Sports 01:24 — The mission: helping teams sell more tickets and grow their fan base 02:48 — Why traditional strategies still work (but aren't enough alone) 03:46 — The shift: from tactics to connected marketing systems 05:12 — Disconnected vs. system-driven teams 06:08 — How automation changes the role of marketing leaders 07:33 — Creating space for strategy and long-term planning 08:02 — What stood out about Revelocity Sports 08:24 — Shared mission: helping teams and communities thrive 09:21 — Data, personalization, and smarter fan communication 10:48 — What this means for the future of the podcast 12:13 — Developing staff and reducing turnover through education 13:08 — Closing thoughts and what's ahead Call to ActionIf you've been focused on improving individual tactics—your ads, your emails, your promotions—this episode will challenge you to think bigger. Start looking at how everything connects. Because that's where the real growth happens.And if you've been listening to the podcast, get ready—this next chapter is all about bringing you deeper insights, smarter strategies, and real-world examples you can apply immediately.Links mentioned: Revelocity Sports - LINKSports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Join Chadd as he interviews special guest, Daniel Carlton. ► Learn More About Daniel → FOLLOW DANIEL ON INSTAGRAM → FOLLOW PANIOLO RODEO CO. ON INSTAGRAM   ► Check Out Our Partners Barbell Apparel Use code “Chadd” for a FREE pair of shorts with any purchase of $99+ → SHOP BARBELL APPAREL   Bare Performance Nutrition Use code “3of7” for 10% OFF → SHOP BPN   ► Check Out Today's Sponsors Falco → SHOP FALCO → SHOP HOLSTER MODELS SHOWN: C631 L   &  A911 L    Sure Send Sure Send is the CRM built for the way real estate professionals actually sell. Flexible workflows, unlimited integrations, and a built-in gamification engine called Win the Day make it the platform your team will use — and compete on. No contracts, no consultants, no learning curve. Learn more or book a demo at suresenddemo.com.   American Financing NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-886-9262 for details about credit costs and terms. Or www.AmericanFinancing.net/3of7   MTNTOUGH → JOIN HERE and get your first month free! (the code is automatically applied with this link)   Salty Britches → SHOP SALTY BRITCHES     ► Support the Podcast → JOIN PATREON → TRAIN WITH US → SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER → VISIT OUR WEBSITE → SHOP OUR STORE NUFF SAID.

In this episode of the Power Producers Podcast, David Carothers spoke with Lynn Hidy, founder of Up Your Tele Sales, LLC, about the evolution of sales and how inside sales is often undervalued compared to outside sales. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Lynn shared insights from her journey and her new book Mastering Inside Sales Leadership. They discussed key strategies for success in telesales, the importance of emotional intelligence, and how AI can enhance sales processes rather than replace the human touch. Lynn also emphasized how inside sales teams are just as valuable as their outside counterparts, especially when the right tools and strategies are leveraged to engage with clients effectively. Key points: Sales Evolution and the Role of Inside Sales Lynn explains how inside sales have evolved over the years, noting that although it may not have been the initial career goal for many, it has become an essential part of modern sales. Inside sales teams can drive significant revenue by making the sales process more efficient and scalable. Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales: Skill Set Differences Inside sales professionals need a different skill set than outside sales reps. Lynn and David discuss the challenges of transitioning from inside to outside sales and why success in one doesn't automatically translate to success in the other. Emotional intelligence and active listening are key to excelling in either role. Leveraging AI to Enhance Sales Lynn discusses the role of AI in the modern sales process, advising salespeople to leverage AI tools to gather insights and make better-informed decisions. While AI can help with data analysis and CRM management, it still requires the human touch to interpret and act on those insights effectively. The Power of Asking the Right Questions Lynn emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions to truly understand a prospect's needs. She highlights the value of not assuming anything and using AI as a tool to enhance question-asking, rather than relying solely on preconceived information. The Future of Sales: Combining Human Skills with Technology David and Lynn agree that while technology like AI can assist with research and provide valuable insights, it can never replace the need for human connection in sales. Understanding the client's unique challenges and engaging with them on a personal level will always be crucial for long-term success. Lynn's Success Strategies and Leadership in Inside Sales Throughout the episode, Lynn shared strategies she uses to successfully lead inside sales teams. From providing recognition to understanding the value inside sales brings to the table, she offers practical advice for managing and motivating inside sales teams effectively. Connect with: David Carothers LinkedIn Lynn Hidy LinkedIn Kyle Houck LinkedIn Visit Websites: Power Producer Base Camp Killing Commercial Up Your Tele Sales, LLC Crushing Content Power Producers Podcast Policytee The Dirty 130 The Extra 2 Minutes

Explore the latest Senior Housing Market Trends for 2026 in this episode of America's Commercial Real Estate Show featuring industry expert Ernie Anaya, President of the Senior Housing Group at Bull Realty. Discover key insights into senior living demand, occupancy rates, cap rates, and investment opportunities as the Baby Boomer population drives unprecedented growth. Learn about the different asset classes including active adult, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities, and how each is performing in today's market. This episode also covers: The impact of rising interest rates and construction costs The massive supply-demand gap in senior housing development Emerging opportunities in behavioral health and adaptive reuse How investors can benefit from REIT structures and operator partnerships If you're a commercial real estate investor, developer, broker, or operator, this episode provides critical insights into one of the fastest-growing sectors in real estate. TCN Worldwide Real Estate Services - A global network of over 1,500 leading commercial real estate professionals delivering integrated, expert sales, leasing, management and consulting services across 200 U.S. and global markets. https://www.tcnworldwide.com/ Buildout - Aconnected software platform built for commercial real estate brokerages—combining CRM, marketing, data, and back-office automation. https://www.buildout.com Bull Realty, TCN Worldwide - Commercial Real Estate Asset & Occupancy Solutions in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast U.S. https://www.bullrealty.com/ Commercial Agent Success Strategies - Twenty-one cloud accessed commercial broker training videos with slide deck action notes. Learn more at https://www.commercialagentsuccess.com/  

Why do so many sales conversations fail before they even begin? In this episode of Sales Lead Dog, Christopher Smith sits down with Ian Spandow, Sales & Dog Whisperer, Author, and Sales Enablement Consultant, to explore one of the most common mistakes in modern selling: pitching before understanding the buyer. Ian has worked with sales teams across the world and previously led the sales coaching team for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Oracle. Over his career he has coached thousands of sales professionals and helped organizations rethink how they approach discovery, qualification, and customer conversations. Today's buyers are more informed and more cautious than ever. When salespeople rush into presenting solutions before fully understanding the customer's situation, they often lose credibility and miss the opportunity to guide the conversation. Ian shares lessons from decades of experience in sales leadership and coaching. The discussion covers how discovery should work today, how AI is influencing sales training and enablement, and why personality and curiosity matter more than ever when building high performing sales teams. Ian's personal journey is also remarkable. After a major turning point in his career, he founded a nonprofit dog rescue and sanctuary. Today he balances helping animals with coaching sales professionals, proving that leadership and empathy matter in every field. This episode offers practical insights for sales leaders, founders, and professionals looking to improve their sales conversations and build stronger relationships with buyers. What You'll Learn • Why pitching too early damages sales conversations • How better qualification leads to stronger sales outcomes • The biggest discovery mistakes sales teams make • How modern buyers are changing the sales process • Why personality and curiosity matter when hiring sales talent • How AI is influencing modern sales training and enablement • What sales leaders should focus on when coaching their teams Guest Ian Spandow, Sales & Dog Whisperer, Author, and Sales Enablement Consultant LinkedIn Guest Bio A web search for the phrase “Plucky Irishman” will return Ian Spandow's name as the top result. His audacity led to him being fired from a senior role at a global technology firm for defending an H-1B recruit from India. As an immigrant worker living in the United States, Ian worked with several Silicon Valley start ups after first finding and later losing a fortune during Ireland's Celtic Tiger years. Once slated for the cover of Newsweek, Ian suddenly faced deportation and a mid life restructuring that led to marriage and the rekindling of his passion for dogs. Today Ian runs a nonprofit dog rescue and sanctuary, helping animals while also coaching sales professionals and organizations. His work connects two worlds that share a common theme: helping others find a better path forward. About Sales Lead Dog Sales Lead Dog is hosted by Christopher Smith, CRM technology and sales process expert, and founder of Empellor CRM. Each episode features sales leaders who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, sharing how they achieve success with their teams and their CRM strategy. Unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes. Connect and Learn More All episodes and show notes: https://empellorcrm.com/salesleaddog/ If this episode brought you value

This episode focuses on the Airlie House 2.0 movement and their efforts to improve the future of CRM archaeology. Expanding upon the first Airlie House Report, the current members of this ad hoc group of CRMers, professors, SHPO and THPO staff, and agency archaeologists is tackling complex issues like the shortage of CRM archaeologists, creative mitigation, tribal consultation, and community engagement. They are trying to all of this in the face of a changing regulatory landscape, sclerotic university anthropology departments, and the onslaught of AI integration. They are also asking: What would archaeological training look like without academia? This is an episode you'll want to share with your colleagues. Transcripts For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/329 Links Traditional Trades Advancement Program - Historic Preservation Training Center (U.S. National Park Service) Preservation and Skills Training - Historic Preservation Training Center (U.S. National Park Service) Historic Preservation Training Center (U.S. National Park Service) National Preservation Institute The Future of Archaeology IS Preservation Archaeology: Reflections on Airlie House 2.0 - Archaeology Southwest Visioning Future Directions in CRM Archaeology: The Airlie House 2.0 Workshop Blogs and Resources: Bill White: Succinct Research Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug's Archaeology Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC Andrew Kinkella Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube) Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cameron is joined by Mikyla Race, a senior lead practice success partner at Moxie, and they discuss Mikyla's journey in the aesthetics industry, her transition to Moxie, and the importance of operational insights for practice owners. The conversation covers common mistakes made by early practices, the significance of growth and scalability, and the necessity of implementing effective marketing systems. They also delve into the value of CRM and lead tracking, emphasizing the importance of human connection in patient interactions. Cameron and Mikyla talk about the critical aspects of patient connection, revenue generation, and the importance of high-performing consultations in the aesthetics industry. Mikyla emphasizes the need for providers to build trust through emotional connections and outlines strategies for improving patient retention and lifetime value. She shares insights on transitioning from a provider to an operator mindset and highlights Moxie's comprehensive solutions for MedSpas. The discussion concludes with a look at the future of aesthetics, focusing on wellness and regenerative medicine.Listen In!Thank you for listening to this episode of Medical Millionaire!Takeaways:Mikyla Race's journey from hairstylist to aesthetics consultant.The importance of starting slow and focusing on core business.Common mistakes include scaling too fast and not understanding the market.Moxie helps practices grow intentionally and thoughtfully.Benchmarking is crucial for knowing when to expand services.Marketing systems should be consistent and unique to each practice.Speed to lead is essential for converting potential clients.Human connection enhances patient experience and retention.Customer acquisition costs are high; nurturing leads is vital.Practices should focus on what sets them apart in a saturated market. Patients want to be heard and seen.Initial experiences are crucial for building trust.Providers should connect on a personal level.Retention is more cost-effective than acquisition.Follow-ups are essential for patient retention.Consultations should be structured and thorough.Emotional connections enhance patient relationships.Moxie offers comprehensive solutions for med spas.The aesthetics industry is rapidly evolving.Wellness and regenerative medicine are the future of aesthetics.Medical Millionaire: The Blueprint for Scaling a World-Class Medical Aesthetics PracticeWelcome to Medical Millionaire, the go-to podcast for forward-thinking Medspa owners, Medical Aesthetics leaders, Plastic Surgery & Dermatology practices, Concierge Wellness clinics, and Elective Healthcare entrepreneurs who are ready to scale with intention and operate like a true, high-performing business.If you're building, growing, optimizing, or preparing to exit your aesthetics or wellness practice, this show is your competitive advantage.Hosted by Cameron Hemphill Your Guide to Sustainable, Scalable Growth Your host, Cameron Hemphill, is one of the most trusted growth strategists in Medical Aesthetics and Elective Wellness.With over 10 years in the industry, Cameron has helped scale 1,000+ practices and more than 2,300 providers, working alongside the most recognized KOLs, national brands, EMRs, tech companies, and private equity groups, shaping the future of aesthetics. From marketing to operations, from finance to leadership, Cameron brings a real-world, data-driven perspective on what it takes to turn a practice into a powerful business engine.What This Podcast Is All About: Each episode takes you behind the scenes of the fastest-growing practices in the country, revealing the systems, strategies, and mindset required to win in today's Medical Aesthetics landscape.Expect tactical insights, step-by-step frameworks, and conversations with:Industry thought leadersTop injectors & medical directorsEMR & tech innovatorsOperations expertsMarketing strategistsPrivate equity & M&A advisorsWellness and longevity pioneersThis is where aesthetics, business, technology, and wellness converge. What You'll Learn on Medical Millionaire Every week, you'll access expert guidance to help you scale profitably and predictably, including:Marketing & Brand PositioningCRM + Lead Management SystemsPatient Acquisition & ConversionEMR Optimization & Tech Stack ArchitectureSales Psychology & Consultation MasteryFinance, KPIs, and Practice EconomicsOperational Workflows & AutomationIndustry Trends Backed by Real Benchmark DataPatient Retention & Lifetime Value ExpansionMindset, Leadership & Team DevelopmentWhether you're opening your first location or running a multi-million-dollar enterprise, you'll gain the clarity and direction to grow with confidence. A Show Designed for Every Stage of Practice Growth Medical Millionaire breaks down the journey into four essential stages, showing you exactly how to move from one to the next:Startup – Build the foundation and attract your first wave of patientsGrowth – Scale revenue, expand services, and strengthen operationsOptimize – Increase efficiency, margins, and customer experienceExit – Prepare your practice for maximum valuation and acquisitionIf You're Ready to Grow, This Is Where You Start. Tune in weekly for actionable insights, expert interviews, and the exact playbooks high-performing practices use to dominate their markets. This is the podcast for Medspa owners who want more than a job; they want a scalable, profitable, industry-leading business. Welcome to Medical Millionaire.Let's build your practice into the empire it deserves to be.

For all those who missed out on London, see you in Miami next week!Notion, the knowledge work decacorn, has been building AI tooling since before ChatGPT, with many hits from Q&A in 2023 and unified AI in 2024 and Meeting Notes in 2025. At the end of their last Make user conference, Ryan Nystrom teased Notion 3.0's Custom Agents - and they are finally embracing the Agent Lab playbook!Sarah Sachs and Simon Last of Notion join us for a deep dive into how Notion built Custom Agents, why it took years and multiple rebuilds to get right, and what it means to turn a productivity tool into an agent-native system of record for enterprise work.We go inside the product, engineering, evals, pricing, and org design decisions behind one of the most ambitious AI product efforts in software today — from early failed tool-calling experiments in 2022 to agent harnesses, progressive tool disclosure, meeting notes as data capture, and the long-term vision for software factories and agentic work.We discuss:* Sarah and Simon's path to launching Notion Custom Agents, and why the feature was rebuilt four or five times before it was ready for production* Why early agent attempts failed: no tool-calling standard, short context windows, unreliable models, and too much complexity exposed to the model* The “Agent Lab” thesis: not just wrapping a model, but understanding how people collaborate and building the right product system around frontier capabilities* How Notion thinks about roadmap timing: not swimming upstream against model limitations, but also building early enough that the product is ready when the models are* Why coding agents feel like the kernel of AGI, and how Notion is thinking about “software factories” made up of agents that spec, code, test, debug, review, and maintain codebases together* How Sarah runs AI engineering at Notion (“notes from Token Town”): objective-setting over idea ownership, low-ego teams comfortable deleting their own work, and a culture designed to swarm around fast-changing opportunities* The “Simon Vortex,” company hackathons, and why security gets pulled in early rather than late* How Notion organizes AI: core AI capabilities and infrastructure, product packaging teams, and a broader company mandate that every product surface must increasingly work for both humans and agents* Why prototypes have become much easier to build internally, and how “demos over memos” changes product development inside a tool the whole company already uses every day* Notion's eval philosophy: regression tests, launch-quality evals, and “frontier/headroom” evals that intentionally only pass ~30% of the time so the company can see where model capabilities are going* What a “Model Behavior Engineer” is, and why Notion treats eval writing, failure analysis, and model understanding as a distinct function rather than just software engineering* The changing role of software engineers in the age of coding agents, and why the new job looks less like typing code and more like supervising a rigorous outer system of agents, PRs, and verification loops* How the “software factory” should work: specs, self-verification, bug flows, subagents, and minimizing human intervention while preserving the invariants that matter* A live walkthrough of a Notion Custom Agent handling coworking space tenant applications by triaging email, enriching applicants with web search, and writing structured data into a Notion database* How agents compose inside Notion: shared databases as primitives, agents invoking other agents, “manager agents” supervising dozens of specialized agents, and memory implemented simply as pages and databases* Notion's take on MCP vs CLI: why Simon is bullish on CLI's self-debugging nature, where MCP still makes sense, and how Sarah thinks about capability, determinism, permissioning, and pricing alignment* The evolution of Notion's internal agent harness: from early JavaScript coding agents, to custom XML, to Markdown and SQL-like abstractions, to tool definitions, progressive disclosure, and a much shorter system prompt* Why Notion cares about teaching “the top of the class,” building for sophisticated operators rather than abstracting away too much capability for everyone* How agent setup works today: agents that can configure themselves, inspect their own failures, and edit their own instructions — with guardrails around permissions* How Notion prices Custom Agents: credits as an abstraction over tokens, model type, serving tier, web search, and future sandbox costs; why usage-based pricing was necessary; and how “auto” tries to match the right model to the right task* Why Notion is not eager to train a foundation model, where they do fine-tune and optimize today, and why retrieval/ranking is one of the most important investment areas as more searches come from agents rather than humans* Why Meeting Notes became one of Notion's strongest growth loops: not just as transcription, but as high-signal data capture that powers search, custom agents, follow-up workflows, and the broader system of record for company collaboration* Why Notion is more interested in being the place where collaboration data lives than in building hardware themselves — and how wearables or other capture devices may eventually feed into that systemSarah SachsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmsachsX: https://x.com/sarahmsachsSimon LastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-last-41404140X: https://x.com/simonlastFull Video EpisodeTimestamps* 00:00:00 Introduction and launching Notion Custom Agents* 00:01:17 Why Notion rebuilt agents four or five times* 00:03:35 Building for where models are going, not just where they are* 00:05:32 The Agent Lab thesis, wrappers, and product intuition* 00:08:07 User journeys, leadership, and low-ego AI teams* 00:13:16 The Simon Vortex, hackathons, and bringing security in early* 00:16:39 Team structure, demos over memos, and building for agents* 00:20:25 Evals, Notion's Last Exam, and the Model Behavior Engineer role* 00:27:37 Evals as an agent harness and the changing role of software engineers* 00:30:42 The software factory: specs, verification, and agent workflows* 00:32:18 Live demo: a custom agent for coworking space applications* 00:35:08 Composing agents, manager agents, and memory as pages* 00:38:15 Notion Mail, Gmail, native integrations, and tools* 00:39:43 MCP vs CLI and the cost of capability* 00:44:13 When Notion uses MCP vs building its own integrations* 00:47:43 The history of Notion's agent harness rebuilds* 00:55:35 Power users, public tools, and the setup agent* 00:58:01 Self-fixing agents, permissions, and “flippy”* 01:01:13 Pricing, credits, and choosing the right model automatically* 01:09:01 Why Notion isn't training its own frontier model* 01:14:07 Retrieval, ranking, and search built for agents* 01:17:27 Meeting Notes as data capture and workflow automation* 01:21:18 Wearables, hardware, and Notion as the system of record* 01:23:45 OutroTranscript[00:00:00] Alessio: Hey everyone. Welcome to the Latent Space podcast. This is Alessio founder of Kernel Labs and I'm joined by swyx, editor of the Latent Space.[00:00:11] swyx: Hello. Hello. We're back in the beautiful studio that, uh, Alessio has set up for us with Simon and Sarah from Notion. Welcome.[00:00:18] Sarah Sachs: Thanks for having us.[00:00:19] Alessio: Thanks for having us. Yeah.[00:00:20] swyx: Congrats on the launch recently the custom agents, finally it's here. How's it feel?[00:00:26] Sarah Sachs: We ship things slowly. So it had been in Alpha for a little bit and at the point at which is it's an alpha, um, there's a group of people that are making sure it's ready for prod, and then there's a group of people working on the next thing.So sometimes some of these launches are a bit delayed satisfaction, so it's quite nice to remind yourself all the work you did because we do have a habit of like. Being two or three milestones ahead. Uh, just ‘cause you have to be, you know, you can't get complacent. Um, but it's been great that people understood how this is helpful.And I think that's just easier in general building AI tools today than it was two, three years ago. People kind of get it and so that user education, um, there's just, it was our most successful launch in terms of free trials and converting people and things like that. It was really successful, so yeah.But there's a lot to build.[00:01:12] swyx: Making it free for three months helps.[00:01:16] Sarah Sachs: Yep.[00:01:17] Simon Last: It was definitely super exciting for me because it's probably the fourth or fifth time that we rebuilt that.[00:01:22] swyx: Yes.[00:01:23] Simon Last: And I mean,[00:01:24] swyx: you've been building this since like 20, 22.[00:01:26] Simon Last: Yeah, I mean, like, it was even right when we got access to like GPT four in late 20 22, 1 of the first ideas we had is like, oh, okay, let's make an agent that I, we used the word assistant at the time, there wasn't really the word, the word agent yet, but, oh, we'll give an access to all the tools the notion can do, and then it, we run in the background like, like do work for us.And then we just tried that many times and it just. Was too early. Um,[00:01:48] swyx: I need to force you to like double click on that. What is too early? What didn't work?[00:01:52] Sarah Sachs: We were fine to, like, before function calling came out. We were trying to fine tune with the Frontier Labs and with fireworks, like a function calling model on notion functions.This is right when I joined. I joined because, um, we needed a manager as Simon was needed to be able to go on vacation. So, uh, that's, that's around when I joined, so you can speak much more to it.[00:02:11] Simon Last: Yeah, we did partnerships with both philanthropic and open AI at different times, uh, to try to, at the time the, I mean, when we first tried, there wasn't even a constant of like tools yet.We, we sort of designed our own like, like tool calling framework and then we tried to fine tune the models to, uh, to use it over multiple turns. Um, and because it, it didn't work well out the box, I think. Yeah. The models are just too dumb and the context thing was also way too short.[00:02:37] Alsesio: Yeah.[00:02:37] Simon Last: Um, and yeah, we just kind of banged our head against it for a long time.Uh, unfortunately it was always like, there was always like sort of. Glimmers that it was working, but um, it never felt quite robust enough to be like a useful, delightful thing. Um, until I would say, uh, the big unlock was probably like Sonic 3.6 or seven, uh, early last year. And that's when we started working on our agent, which we shipped last year.Um, and then, and then uh, uh, custom agents, kinda a similar capability and that, that one just took longer because we, we just wanted to get the reliability up a lot higher. ‘cause it's actually running in the background.[00:03:14] Sarah Sachs: And the product interface of like permissions and understanding, you know, this custom agent is shared in a Slack channel with X group of people and has access to documents that are surfaced to Y group of people.And the intersect experts, Y might not be whole. And so how do you build the product around making sure administrators understand that permissioning took multiple swings.[00:03:35] Alsesio: Everything is hard back at the end of the day. Yeah. I'm curious, like when the models are not working, how do you inform the product roadmap of like, okay, we should probably build, expecting the models to be better at some reasonable pace, but at the same time we need to, you know, you had a lot of customers in 2022.It's not like you were a new company or like no user base.[00:03:54] Simon Last: Yeah, I mean I think there's always the balance of, you know, like you want to be a GI pilled and thinking ahead and building for where things are going. Uh, but also you wanna be like shipping useful things. And so we always try to like, like keep a balance there.You know, we. We try to take clear, like a portfolio approach. You know, we're always working on multiple projects and, and we're always trying to work on, you know, maintaining things where that have already shipped, like, like shipping new things that are like eminently working well and make them really good.And, and then we wanna always have a few projects that are a little bit crazy. Um,[00:04:23] Alsesio: and what are the a GI peel projects that you have today? I'm curious about, uh, you don't have to share exactly what you're working on, but I'm curious what are things today that maybe in 18 months people will be like, oh, obviously this was gonna work[00:04:35] Sarah Sachs: 18 months.[00:04:37] Alsesio: Yeah, 18 months is, you know,[00:04:37] Sarah Sachs: it's a long time and Yeah. Yeah.[00:04:39] Simon Last: I mean, there's a number of things happening. I think one thing that's becoming more clear is I think like, like, uh, coding agents are the kernel of EGI, sort of, everything is a coding agent. Mm-hmm. I think that's, that's sort of one, one direction.Um, and then, yeah, the exciting thing about that is sort of your agent can sort of bootstrap its own software and capabilities and actually debug and maintain them. And so yeah, we're, we're, we're thinking a lot about that. And then, yeah, like, like another category of things that I'm, I'm really excited about is like, uh, we call the software factory also.People are using this, uh, this, this sort of word. Um, basically it just means can you create sort of like a, as automated as possible, a workflow for developing debugging. Mm-hmm. Merging, reviewing, and maintaining a code base and a service where there's a bunch of agents working together inside, and like, like how does that work?[00:05:28] Sarah Sachs: If you think back to your initial question, like, why did this take so long? I think something,[00:05:32] swyx: I didn't say that, but Yes. Okay. Go ahead.[00:05:34] Sarah Sachs: Why, what, what changed over the three and half years of trying[00:05:37] swyx: it? Exactly. Right. Because most people always say like, it didn't work yet. Then reasoning models came, then it worked.I was like, okay, let's go a little[00:05:43] Sarah Sachs: bit. That's, I mean, that's part of it, but I think the other part of it that I actually think is really what will set notion apart for every new capability is we have like. Two skills that are crucial when it comes to frontier capabilities. One is not letting yourself swim upstream.So like quickly realizing if you're just pressing against model capabilities versus not exposing the model to the right information, not having the right infrastructure set up. That and of itself is the skill of intuition. And the second is to see, okay, you're not swimming upstream. Which direction is the river flowing and what is like, how do we think ahead about the product and start building it even if it's not great yet, so that when it is there, we're ready for it.Right? And like those can sometimes feel like counterintuitive things. Like we can be trying to fine tune a tool calling model when they don't exist yet. And that the trick is to not do that for too long, but realize that there was something there. And we've had a lot of things which like, um, we're just like not swimming in the right direction with the streams.I think we had multiple versions of transcription before we got meeting notes, right? Oh, I gotta talk[00:06:39] swyx: about that. Yeah.[00:06:40] Sarah Sachs: Yeah. Um, and so. I, I, I think that like we, we really closely partner with the Frontier Labs on capabilities and we also have to have strong conviction on, as those capabilities move.Notion is about being the best place for you to collaborate and do your work. And how does that narrative change if the way that we work changes?Yeah.[00:06:58] swyx: Yeah. You told me you were a fan of the Agent Lab thesis, and this is, this is kind of it, right?[00:07:02] Sarah Sachs: Right. I show that thesis to so many candidates. Like I have it as like micro chrome autofill.Um, at this point, like it's one of my most visitations[00:07:10] swyx: because like, is this the, here's why you should work in notion and not open, open eye. I, it's like,[00:07:14] Sarah Sachs: here's, here's what's different about it.[00:07:16] swyx: Yeah.[00:07:16] Sarah Sachs: And here's why. It's not just a rapper. I actually think more and more people understand it's not just a wrapper.[00:07:21] swyx: Yeah.[00:07:22] Sarah Sachs: Um, and by the way, like in the beginning, parts of what we build are wrappers on functionality. That works well, of course, but that's not really the most, um. I would say that's not the product that, that drives revenue. And that's not necessarily always what users need.[00:07:35] swyx: I mean, you know, notion is the AWS wrapper, but like the, the wrapper is very beautiful and like very, very well polished.So[00:07:40] Sarah Sachs: like the analogy,[00:07:41] swyx: like[00:07:42] Sarah Sachs: the analogy that I've been coming back to his Datadog in AWS[00:07:45] swyx: Yeah.[00:07:46] Sarah Sachs: So, uh, Datadog could not exist with, without cloud storage. Right. That it's kind of fundamental that that works. Um, and AWS has like a CloudWatch product, but Datadog is an expert on understanding how people want observability on the products they launch.And we're experts in understanding how people wanna collaborate, and that's really where our expertise lies.[00:08:04] swyx: Totally.[00:08:04] Sarah Sachs: Um, regardless of the tools that we use,[00:08:07] Alsesio: I'm kind of curious how you think about implicit versus explicit expertise. I feel like Datadog is half and half implicit and explicit. It's like they understand across markets and industries what engineering teams usually look for.With notion, it's almost like more of the expertise is at the edge because you as a platform, you're like so horizontal that the end user is not really the same. Mm-hmm. Like with Datadog, the end user is always like, yeah, an engineering lead, a kinda like SRE related person with notion. It can be anything.So I'm curious how you put that expertise into a product versus, you know, obviously it, WS cannot build notion. It's, that doesn't quite work in this case, but[00:08:44] Simon Last: it's, it's a little bit differently shaped. I think, you know, a classic vertical SaaS, like the data is kind of like that. They understand their individual customer very deeply.It's kinda a narrow slice, um, notion has always been super horizontal. And our, our task has always been to sort of balance these two somewhat opposing forces of like, we're listening to our customers and what they want us to build. It's a broad slice. And then also we're thinking about like, okay, how do we decompose what they want into, uh, nice primitives that are, that are really nice to use and we'll, we'll get us like as much bang for the buck as possible.And then, you know. Maintain the whole system, make it all like, like super clean and nice to use.[00:09:22] Sarah Sachs: We still have user journeys. I mean, we still focus on like core. I actually think the failure of our team is when we focus too much on what are cools that are, what are tools that are[00:09:31] Simon Last: mm-hmm.[00:09:31] Sarah Sachs: Cool tools. I actually think that's when we make have the least velocity because you still need some sort of focus on a user journey.So like for instance, we'll all sit down every Friday and look at the P 99 of like the most token exhaustive custom agent transcript and just look at why it didn't do well and cut a bunch of tasks. Like we still focus on like, this has, like this should work. Email triaging should work. Mm-hmm. Right. And similarly, like when we're talking about before building, um, chatting, um, before we started filming about, okay, how can I do PDF export?Well that's functionality that then merits. Maybe we should build a tool that has access to a computer sandbox in a file system and the ability to write code. Right? Right. Um, but it's because we're thinking about the fact that our users to do their, to do their daily work, need to export PDFs, not because we're like, Hmm, I think a computer tool could be cool.Like, let's just see what happens. Mm-hmm. Like we, we have to focus on some user journeys, otherwise we just don't have like, enough strategy to, to prioritize.[00:10:29] swyx: I think there's a lot of like really strong opinions that you've had. Do you have like sort of like a towel of Sarah Sachs? Like, you know, like what, how do you run your team?Like I feel like you just have accumulated all these strong opinions. Obviously part, part of this is your, your token town thing.[00:10:43] Sarah Sachs: I think the TAs working with Service X is, um, you'd have to, it depends who you ask. Um, I think it depends if you're on my team or a partner Right. Or a vendor.[00:10:54] swyx: Yeah. There other people want to run their teams the way that you're Yeah.You're like bringing these things. And then also similarly, uh, Simon, when you did the custom agents demo, you had like, well, we've been using custom agents and here's the super long list of everything that we do. No humans ever read it. Right? That's what you said. I was like,[00:11:07] Sarah Sachs: yeah. So I think for, for me, um, something that I learned very quickly and became very comfortable with was that my job was not to be the ideas per person or the technical expert.My job was to make it so that everybody understood the objective, had a resource to help prioritize what they should work on, and had an avenue to prioritize what they thought was important. And I think that's true with all, all leadership, but I think especially on the AI team. Almost all of our best ideas come from prototypes, from people that have a cool idea because they saw a user problem, and it's a huge disservice if all of those ideas have to pass, like the sniff test of what me and a product partner or Simon and Ivan decided were the direction, right?Because a lot of what we're doing is leaning into capabilities, so. I think that's the first thing is like, I don't really view like the role of engineering leadership as like, uh, hierarchical, nor has it ever been, but especially now, like very willing to change direction based on, um, like proof is in the pudding.Yeah. And like, and I think we have rebuilt our harness three or four times. And when you do that, then the second rule of engineering leadership is like you need to build a team that's comfortable deleting their own code and is very low ego and is driven by what's best for the company. And, um, doesn't write design docs because they think it's their promotion packet.Right. And that's a culture that notion had long before I joined, but like our willingness to just swarm on different problems and um, redo things that we've built before because something has changed. Like, there's a lot of friction that can happen at companies when you do that. And it doesn't happen at Notion.And because it doesn't happen when new people join. Like they don't wanna be the ones that are saying, we shouldn't do this. I wrote that code. So then it's, you know, you, you create a culture that everyone thoughts and that culture comes directly, I think from Simon and Ivan though, um, because they're very open-minded.[00:12:50] swyx: Anything that you,[00:12:50] Simon Last: you'd add? I'm not a manager, like, like, like Sarah is. Um, a lot of my role is really to try to think a little bit ahead, make sure that we're, we're building on the right capabilities and then like the prototyping stuff. And yeah, it's really, really critical to always just be starting again.It's like, okay, this is new thing. What does this mean? What if we just rethought everything or wrote everything? And so I, I'm, I'm basically just doing that in a loop every six months.[00:13:16] swyx: Yeah. Do you believe in internal hackathons for this stuff?[00:13:19] Sarah Sachs: I think there's like two different versions. So one is like, we just have a, a, a solid bench of senior engineers that come and go on what we call the Simon Vortex and Productionizing what we built, right?Because when you're in the Simon Vortex, the velocity is super high. The direction changes daily, and it's meant to be like the equivalent of a SC Works lab. We don't need to do hackathons for that. We need to have senior engineers that we trust to come in and out of those projects. For instance, like management boundaries are really loose.Like you report to him, but you work for her right now. Yeah. That's something that when we hire managers, it's important they don't care about because we tend to form more structures. Yeah. Don't be too[00:13:54] swyx: territorial.[00:13:55] Sarah Sachs: We form more. It's after we ship things, not not before, just historically. Um, the second thing is we do have companywide hackathons.Actually we just had our demos day for the hackathon we had last week this morning. That's more for people that aren't directly working on the project, feeling like they have the time to pause and learn how to make themselves more productive or how they would use notion custom agents to build something.Or part of the hackathon was actually encouraging everyone across the company to build their own agentic tool loop, calling from scratch. Follow like an every blog post on how to do what I think because we want[00:14:26] swyx: just with the compound engineering one. Yeah.[00:14:28] Sarah Sachs: We want everyone to use cloud code in the company or whatever the coding agent they please and understand that fundamental.So we set aside a day and a half. We're all leadership, encourage everyone on their teams across the company to do it. So we have hackathons like that. I would say like kind of facetiously, like everything we build is a little bit like a hackathon until it graduates and puts on big boy pants and as a product ops rollout leader and has a assigned data scientists and stuff like that,[00:14:54] swyx: security review enterprise stuff,[00:14:56] Sarah Sachs: actually security reviews one of the things that we bring in first because it just slows us down way more and, um, causes a lot of tension and they build better product if they're involved early.So, um, that is probably the first person to get involved in something that's the[00:15:09] swyx: right PR approved answer.[00:15:10] Sarah Sachs: No, but it's not just PR approved. It like, um, um, it's[00:15:13] swyx: actually real. It's actually real. It's like, um, I'm just saying scar[00:15:15] Sarah Sachs: tissue.[00:15:15] swyx: Yeah,[00:15:16] Sarah Sachs: because like, you know, my background's also, I worked at Robinhood for a number of years.Yes. So like, uh, compliance and things like that, um, are a little bit more, you learn the hard way when it doesn't come naturally.[00:15:26] Simon Last: Yeah. I think the. The hackathon is really important for uplifting the general population, but like, if that's the only way you can build new things, you're kind of toast. I mean, it, it has to be like the daily processes, like, you know, building these new things.Um, and it has to be about, I think like, I think in the AI era a lot more leverage accumulates to the most curious and excited people. And so it's like we're all about just like activating that energy. You know, like if someone's protesting something on the weekend that they're excited about and it's important, that should be the main thing that we're doing.Yeah. Um, it's not a hackathon that we schedule once a quarter, it's just like, yeah. Daily process. Part of the culture.[00:16:02] Sarah Sachs: I mean, that's how we shift image generation and notion now. It was always this thing that would be kind of nice to have, but it wasn't really clear where that was necessarily aligned in product priorities.It'd be a lot of work. And we had someone on the database collections team, Jimmy, who was like. I really wanna do image generation for cover photos and inside notion. And we're like, if you wanna build it, like it's, do it please. Like we encourage you. We gave ‘em all the resources of working directly with Gemini and being able to like track the token usage and it working through endpoints.We gave them eval, support, everything, and then became a, a full project.[00:16:34] Alsesio: Yeah.[00:16:35] Sarah Sachs: That's why you can't have like ego as a, a leader. Like that's, that's how we work.[00:16:39] Alsesio: What's the size of the team today, both engineering and overall?[00:16:43] Sarah Sachs: I manage, uh, the team. That's what we'll call it. Core AI capabilities and infrastructure.That's about 50 people. But then we have per i partner teams that do packaging. So how it shows up in the corner chat versus custom agents versus meeting notes, that's another 30, 40 people. And, and then every team that has a product service at Notion that a user can interface with owns the tool that the agent interfaces with the editor team.The team that did CRDT for offline mode is the same team that handles how two agents, um, edit competing blocks. Mm-hmm. Right? It's the same problem. The team that built the underlying SQL engine is the same team that owns how the agent asks it to run a SQL query, and it does it performantly. And so from that regard, anyone working on product engineering is tasked with making them work for customers that are humans and agents because over time the majority of our traffic will be coming from agencies using in our interface, not humans.And so. Our objective is to make it so that the whole product org is building for agents.[00:17:40] Alsesio: Yeah. How has it changed internally? The activation bar is kind of lowered a lot. Like anybody can kind of create a prototype very, somewhat easily, especially if you're like an existing code base. Have you raised the bar on like what type of prototype people need to bring forward to gonna be taken?Not like seriously, but like, you know what I[00:17:58] Simon Last: mean? Yeah. I think the bar is lowered in many ways. Be like, one thing our, uh, our team built that is really cool is our, uh, our, our design team made a whole separate GitHub repo, uh, called the, the design Playground. And it's basically just to create a bunch of like, like helper components and you, uh, for, for quickly a throwing together UIs.And it's become like actually quite sophisticated. Like it has like an agent in there and like, uh, that's pretty fun. So like, we pretty much, like, they don't do mocks, they just make like, like full, full prototypes.[00:18:27] swyx: Here it is. It works.[00:18:28] Simon Last: They give you like a u rl. They're like, okay, all right. So we have to make the, like the real production version of that.Um, and then for engineers. A prototype looks like just making it a feature flag that actually works. Like that's sort of the bar.[00:18:39] Sarah Sachs: Something to understand that's really unique about notion. One of the reasons I joined we're super lucky is no one uses Notion in their job as much as people that work at Notion.[00:18:46] Simon Last: Of course.[00:18:47] Sarah Sachs: So I think there's very few companies, maybe if you worked on Chrome I guess, but like everything that we ship, we ship internally first and get a lot of really quick feedback. And also sometimes our dev instance is totally borked and you have to change a bunch of flags to get things done. And that's kind of like, but everyone, so people that do it ticketing, people that do supply chain procurement, recruiting, everyone is using the same instance of notion with like a lot of flags on for these prototypes people build.Um, and so we have this, Brian Levin, one of the designers on our team, I think evangelize this concept of demos over memos.[00:19:18] swyx: Ooh, too[00:19:20] Sarah Sachs: good. Um, which has been, uh, very good for building demos, and I think it's put a big pressure point on us to have really strong product conviction, because if anything can be demoed, you really need a strong filter of making sure that if you know, you're doing X amount of work, you're making the, you're, you're focusing on one tower, you're not just building a really flat hill.Right. That's actually where I think there has to be more conviction from our PMs, um, and our designers and, and well, the company really to have conviction of what journey we're going on.[00:19:52] Simon Last: But overall, I feel like it works pretty well. Like people, almost all the engineers have good enough taste to realize that like, this prototype doesn't actually make sense in the product, or, or it does.So it's not that common that I would see a prototype. It's like, oh, this makes no sense. Mm-hmm. It's like, you know, people are doing reasonable things and, and, and then it's just a matter of. Which things we build first and then often just, just figuring out how to turn it on and off. There's our, in the, in our like experimental chat ui, there's this, there's probably like, like a hundred check boxes in there.[00:20:22] Sarah Sachs: Kills me[00:20:23] Simon Last: the things you could turn on and off.[00:20:25] Sarah Sachs: Uh, but I think that, okay, so that is kind of true, Simon, but like being the person that manages the evals team, like there is a level of intensity that it adds to the platform team. So, you know, if we're gonna do image generation and notion, all of a sudden the way that we do attachments and the way that we, um, our LLM completion like cortex talks and expects tokens back and now it's getting images back.Like there's a lot of platform work that we do need to, like solidify a little bit. So sometimes it'll be in dev for a couple weeks before it makes it to prod just because we still have to like, make it robust, make it HIPAA compliant, ZDR compliant, figure out the right contracting with the vendor, whatever it is.And we need to eval it because we want the team. To still maintain what they build. That's the one thing is like if we have a bunch of prototypes, it can't just be like a small group of people that then maintain whatever end prototypes. So we have invested a lot of people in an eval and model behavior understanding teams that, we call it agent dev velocity.So your dev velocity building agents can be faster if we invest in that platform. And so we have a whole org dedicated to Asian, um, platform velocity so that you can build your own eval and then maintain it once you ship it. So if a new model release comes out and we, every[00:21:38] swyx: team maintains their own eval,[00:21:40] Sarah Sachs: we maintain the eval framework.Every team owns their own evals and a lot of them we've integrated to Optin, to ci, or we run them nightly and we have a team, uh, a custom agent that triggers to a team to look at the major failures. That's really critical because if we have like all these different surfaces now, a lot of it's on the same agent harness, so it's easier to maintain.It's just packaging of different agent harnesses, but new functionality of the agent. Let's say that like we wanna update like. Uh, you know, they deprecated, sonnet, um, four or whatever it is and we need to auto update. Are[00:22:11] swyx: they already? That's so, okay. Yeah. Actually wasn't that long ago.[00:22:14] Alsesio: Theywere[00:22:14] Alsesio: just 3.5.[00:22:15] Sarah Sachs: 3.537. Just got deprecated.[00:22:18] swyx: 3 7, 5 0.2 or, yeah. No,[00:22:20] Sarah Sachs: it's not. 5.2 is five point. Five point no. Yeah, five four is 40% more expensive than five two. So if they deprecated five two, you would hear they can, you would hear from me about that one. Um, but, uh, another conversation to have.[00:22:35] swyx: I have a cheeky evals question for you.Have you noticed any secret degradation from any of the major model providers?[00:22:40] Sarah Sachs: Secret degradation,[00:22:42] swyx: like. During the War Bay, when it's high traffic, it suddenly gets dumber.[00:22:47] Sarah Sachs: Yeah. I mean, not just between the, I mean, we definitely notice flakiness, we've definitely noticed, particularly for some providers, that things are slower during working hours and[00:22:57] swyx: there's a latency argument.Yes. Not a quality argument.[00:22:59] Sarah Sachs: No. I think the quality difference that's interesting is, um, even though companies that say they're selling the same, a, it's really into like quanti quantization, but like companies that say they're selling the same model through different vendors, whether it be through first party or Bedrock, Azure, et cetera.We do see different qualities sometimes, and that's not necessarily what's advertised.[00:23:21] swyx: Yeah. Kidney went to the point of like, if we, they shipped like this, like eval across all the providers and it was like very obvious we were secret equalizing and it was very,[00:23:28] Sarah Sachs: yeah. But[00:23:29] swyx: that's very embarrassing.[00:23:30] Sarah Sachs: You know, um, we hire Subprocess to figure that out for us.So we just wanna understand where it's regressing or where it's optimized. And sometimes we're okay with regressions that optimize latency if they're the appropriate regressions. Our job is to make sure we have the evals to understand the changes that are important to us. And even like when we're partnering with labs on pre-releasees of models, they'll send us multiple snapshots.And this is less about quantization, but more just regressions. Like they have shipped models that were not the snapshots that we wanted, and they have changed the snapshots that they shipped based on the feedback that we give. Because our feedback tends to be more enterprise work focused and not coding agent focused.And definitely those can be bummers, like, you know, uh, we know that this wasn't the version you wanted, but we'll help you make it work. I mean, we always make it work, but that definitely happens.[00:24:16] Alsesio: Yeah. Do you have, um, failing evals that you're just hoping, oh, that will have success eventually when a good model comes out?[00:24:23] Sarah Sachs: Uh, I mean, yeah. So I think. I mean, I could talk about this for 60 minutes, so I will limit myself. I think it's a real issue when people say evals and it's just like, that's quality, that's like unit, I mean, it's like saying testing. It's not just unit tests, right? So. We have the equivalent of unit test.Regression test. Those live in ci, those have to pass a certain percent, you know, within some stochastic error rate. Then we have, as you're building a product, evals of these aren't passing right now, and this is launch quality. So we have a report card and we need to, on these categories, you know, be it 80 or 90% of all of these user journeys to launch, and then what we have what we call frontier or headroom evals, where we actively wanna be at 30% pass rate.And that's actually been a effort that we took in partnership with philanthropic and OpenAI in the past maybe two or three months, because we actually hit a point where our evals were saturated and we weren't able to really give insightful feedback other than it wasn't worse. And not only is that not helpful for our partners, it's not helpful for us to understand where the stream is going.You know, going back to that analogy. And so we spent a lot of time thinking about. What notions last exam looks like, right? Mm-hmm. Not just humanities, last exam. Ooh, notions last exam. Mm-hmm. And, um, there's a lot of, you know, dreams about what that would look like. I know we've talked a lot about benchmarking, um, swix, but, uh, yeah.Notions last exam is a big thing inside the company and we have people, full-time staff to it exclusively. Mm. We have a data scientist, a model behavior engineer, and an full-time, um, evals engineer just dedicated to the evals that we pass 30% of the time.[00:25:56] swyx: What you're hiring for[00:25:57] Sarah Sachs: MBEs? I am hiring[00:25:58] swyx: What is an MBEA[00:25:59] Sarah Sachs: model?Behavior Engineer Model. Behavior engineers started with a title data specialist before I joined when they were working with Simon on like, uh, Google Sheets and like Simon just needed someone to look through Google Sheets and say, yes, no, this looks bad. This looks good. Right? And so we hired people with kind of diverse linguistics background.We had like a linguistics PhD dropout. Mm-hmm. And a Stanford ate new grad. And they're amazing. And they formed a new function basically. And over time we've built a whole team, um, with a manager who's now kind of reinventing what that role is with coding agents. So they used to be kind of manually inspecting code.Now they're primarily building agents that can write evals for themselves or LLM judges. There's a really funny day I can send you the picture where Simon, about a year and a half ago, was teaching them how to use GitHub. Um, and they're on the whiteboard and it was like, okay, I think it would be so much faster if our data specialists learned how to use GitHub and like learned how to commit these things in Dakota.And, and that was then and now I think, you know, coding has been a lot more accessible. Um, but moving forward it's this mix of like data scientist PM and prompt engineer because there's craft in understanding like even like what models can and can't do things. How do we define like that headroom? How do we define like what a good journey is?Um, is this model better or not? Why is this failing? There's some qualitative work, but then there's also like a lot of instinct and taste to it, and that's not necessarily software engineering. And so we have like very firm conviction and we have had for a number of years now that that is its own career path and we have always welcomed the misfits, so to speak.So we really firmly believe that you don't need an engineering background to be the best at this job. And that's what's quite unique about this particular role.[00:27:37] Simon Last: Yeah, this is something that I've been pretty excited about recently is we made an effort basically to treat the eval system as like an agent harness.So if you think about it, like, you know, you should be able to have an agent end-to-end, download a dataset, run an eval, iterate on a failure, debug, and, and then implement a fix. And ultimately you should be able to, you know, drive the full time process with a human sort of observing the, you know, the outer uh, system.So yeah, we went, went pretty hard on that. And that's, that's worked extremely well so far. It's like basically just to turn it into a coding agent, uh, uh, problem.[00:28:11] swyx: Your coding agent or just whatever[00:28:13] Simon Last: harness No coding agent. Yeah, code, cloud code. It should be totally general. Yeah. I think if it would be a mistake to like, like fix it on any, any particular coding agent.At the end of the day, it's just like CLI tools.[00:28:21] Sarah Sachs: It's like the same way that you would've a coding agent write the unit test. You should have a coding agent write the eval.[00:28:26] swyx: Yeah.[00:28:26] Sarah Sachs: But there's a lot of supervision in that still. We just don't believe that supervision has to come from software engineers because a lot of it is like, um, kind of you XREE and whatever, and these are the people that also triage failures and tell us where we should be investing next.[00:28:40] swyx: Yeah. I'm gonna go ahead and ask a spicy question. Is there a data, there are no software engineers at Notion.[00:28:46] Simon Last: Um,[00:28:46] Sarah Sachs: what does it mean to be a software engineer?[00:28:47] swyx: Exactly.[00:28:48] Simon Last: I mean, I think the way things are going is like we're on some continuum where. If, if you look back three years ago, humans were typing all the code and then we had auto complete, you're typing list of the code.Then we had sort of like filling agents, filling lines, and now we're getting into like agents doing longer range tasks where you can debug and implement a fix and then verify it works and you know, get your, get your PR even like, like Merion deployed. I think we're sort of just moving up the abstraction ladder and then the human role becomes more about observing and maintaining the outer system.There's a string of agents flowing through, like me prs what's going off the rails. Like what do I need to approve? Is there like a learning or memory mechanism that that works? So it's kind of a hard engineering problem. There's a, you know, there's, there's a lot to do there. I think we're just sort of moving up stack[00:29:34] Sarah Sachs: the same transition machine learning engineers have made, right?Like I haven't looked at a PR curve in a while.[00:29:39] swyx: Yeah. You used to do this stuff and now, um, auto research can do it,[00:29:42] Sarah Sachs: right? Like I think it depends on what you define as a software engineer.[00:29:46] swyx: Yes. It's, that's changing for sure.[00:29:49] Sarah Sachs: I think every software engineer in notion this summer went through like this, um, sheer, um, one of our engineering leads of the company called it, like every software engineer is going through the, the, uh, identity crisis that every manager goes through, where all of a sudden they realize their ability to write code is less important than their ability to delegate in context switch.And I think that is a transition out of being a software engineer. But[00:30:12] Simon Last: yeah. Yeah, there's a critical difference to being a manager, which is that like, it is actually very deeply technical. The problem, you know, humans are very like, like, like fuzzy and you can't like treat a team of humans like a, like a rigorous system where like, you know, prs like, like flow through and can be in like a block status and then what happens when they're blocked, right.With a set of agents, you actually can do that. And, and, and I think it's actually, there's a lot of interesting technical rigor that that goes into that it's like it's a technical design problem. Ultimately.[00:30:42] Alsesio: What is the design of the software factory that you're building?[00:30:46] Simon Last: Yeah, I mean, I think we're. Trying a lot of different things.I mean, ultimately you want to design a system that requires as little human intervention as possible, but like still maintaining the in variance that, that you care about. So yeah, we're exploring a lot different ideas there. I mean, I think I could talk about a few things I think are important there.Like, one thing I think is really important is, um, having some kind of like specification layer you can just commit marked on files. Mm-hmm. That works pretty well, but[00:31:15] swyx: it's nice to be notion man. I'm just saying like the spec, like Yeah. The natural home for specs is notion.[00:31:21] Simon Last: Yeah. Right. It can be a database of pages.Yeah. I mean, it needs to be something that is, you know, human readable and I viewable and I think that's pretty key. Another really key component is like the, the self verification loop. Yes. You need really, really good testing layers, basically. And that's a really deep, uh, uh, problem. But by getting that right, you know, and then, and then it's kinda like the workflow of like.What happens when there's a bug? How does it flow into the system? Like, is it like a subagent working on it? How does it make a PR and how does that get reviewed? And me, and then, you know, so there's like the, the flow or process.[00:31:56] swyx: Yeah. Cool. Uh, you know, one thing we did work out before you guys came in was this demo or this[00:32:01] Simon Last: agents[00:32:02] swyx: agent demo.Uh,[00:32:03] Simon Last: so every,[00:32:04] Alsesio: every time we do an episode, we try the product. Right. I don't think there's ever been an episode that I haven't tried. Yeah. Um,[00:32:11] swyx: and we, we try, try is a, a big word. Like since day one lane space has been on Notion, but this is the, this is the net new thing. Yes.[00:32:18] Alsesio: So this is for Nel Labs, which is the space we're in.So next week we're opening applications for tenants. So there's a web form, let me, we got this form done here. Uh, so, uh, before. Uh, the workflow would be I get an email, then I look at the person. It was like, should I spend time talking to this person? Then I respond, they respond back. So I build this. So the name it came up for on its own.Can you maybe h how do, how does it come up with its own name?[00:32:43] Simon Last: Yeah, that's a pretty app name. It's, it, it is just a random, it's a random, a name generator.[00:32:47] Alsesio: Oh, that's funny. It just came,[00:32:49] Simon Last: the fact that it picked that is, is kind of hilarious. I'm pretty sure it's just determined,[00:32:54] Sarah Sachs: resilient collector. I, I think I've never looked at the code for that.I've never second guessed it. I think it's kind of like a madlib situation.[00:33:00] Simon Last: Yeah, I think you're right. Yeah. It's, it's totally a, a deterministic. Oh, I thought it was great. Yes. Although, although when the, if you use the AI to set itself up, it can update its own name, so. Okay. Um,[00:33:11] Sarah Sachs: how did you create it? It, did you just do[00:33:12] Alsesio: classroom?I,[00:33:13] Sarah Sachs: okay.[00:33:13] Alsesio: I did, yeah. I'll say just check my inbox for applications for a coworking space. Keep a people, so it created the database for me. Which I have here. And I guess database is like an notion table because everything is notion. Um, and then whenever um, an email comes in, like here, it just creates a new role for the person.Mm-hmm. And then it uses web search to enrich the mm-hmm. The profile. So it kind of like searches the web and it's like, this is who this person is, this is when they say they wanna move in and kind of updates everything else. This is, I mean, it's not a GI, but to me, I don't wanna do this work. So it feels like, I mean, it took me maybe like 15 minutes to set up the whole thing.Um, and I really like that most of the information should live here. You know, it is not like some other tool asking me[00:34:01] Sarah Sachs: Yeah.[00:34:01] Alsesio: To like, bring my stuff there. It's like I would've probably already created an ocean thing.[00:34:06] Sarah Sachs: Mm-hmm.[00:34:06] Alsesio: So[00:34:07] Sarah Sachs: most of our biggest use cases and gains are from. That extra layer of human involvement in the process to make it so right.And so like one of our biggest use cases is bug triaging. So if someone posts something in Slack, can you just have a custom agent that lives there that has its own routing constitution of what team this belongs to, creates a task in your task database and then posts in that Slack channel, right? Like that's like one of the first things that we built internally, I think.And it's completely changed the way that notion functions as a company. Nothing falls through, well, most things don't fall through the crack. We don't know what we don't know. But it's not replacing people, it's replacing processes.[00:34:44] Alsesio: Yeah.[00:34:44] Sarah Sachs: Right.[00:34:45] Alsesio: And I'm curious how you think about composability of these things.So the other one I was working on is like a. These filler. So whenever somebody signs up as a tenant, kind of he'll sell the lease for them. There should probably some agent that is like office manager agent mm-hmm. That can handle the request, make the lease, and then, uh, give them a ADA access to the office and all of that.How do you think about that feature?[00:35:08] Simon Last: Yeah, so I mean, there's, there's two ways you can compose. One way is by using like the data primitives. So you can, you know, you, you could give, you have one agent, uh, be writing to the database and there's another agent that's walked in the database. So that's, that's one way that they, they can coordinate that's like a little bit more decoupled and mm-hmm.Works really well. Or you, you can couple them. So I, I think it's actually not released yet. Releasing it like next week is, uh, in the settings for an agent, you can give access to invoke any other agent.[00:35:34] swyx: Hmm.[00:35:34] Simon Last: So you can have them just. Just, uh, uh, talk directly. So[00:35:37] swyx: you, was there a limit on like, number of recursions or just,[00:35:40] Simon Last: um, probably,[00:35:42] swyx: you know what I mean?Like, you can just get an infinite loop that way there's[00:35:45] Simon Last: some kind of Yeah,[00:35:46] Sarah Sachs: I think it's, there is actually a number somewhere.[00:35:49] swyx: I believe I'm just, you know, like, you're, you're, someone's gonna screw up. You[00:35:51] Simon Last: should you try to see[00:35:53] swyx: Yeah. I mean, everything's gonna be paperclips.[00:35:55] Simon Last: Oh, yeah. Yeah. But, uh, but, but that's really useful.Yeah. So we, you know, like I just, I, I helped, uh, someone internally the other day, they had, they had built like over 30 custom agents for, uh, for our go to market team doing all kinds of different things. You know, for example, like researching, you know, like, like filling information about, about a customer or like, like triaging customer feedback or like, uh, something like that.Literally over 30 of them. And, and then he, and then he even made like a database of all the agents and then he is like, okay, and, and now I'm getting 70, over 70 notifications per day with just the agents are blocked on various things. Uh, and then I was like, oh, okay, cool. You know, the obvious thing to do there is to make a manager agent,[00:36:32] Sarah Sachs: right?[00:36:33] Simon Last: That's gonna sort of blocks be another abstraction layer in between your, your, uh, uh, 30 agents. Uh, so yeah, we, we send out with like a manager agent and then has access to invoke all the other agents and it's sort of like, like watching and observing them and then it sort of, it just creates a layer of abstraction.So instead of 70 notifications per day, it's like, like five. And then, and then the manager agent can help like, uh, debug and fix any problems with the,[00:36:54] swyx: does this is a concept of like an inbox or something like piece, you're basically saying that they can message each other?[00:37:00] Simon Last: Yeah.[00:37:01] Sarah Sachs: Well[00:37:01] swyx: they use the system of record, which, which is[00:37:02] Sarah Sachs: notion, so we[00:37:03] Simon Last: actually, yeah, we didn't make any special concepts at all.[00:37:06] swyx: They're interested to the motion notifications that I would've got,[00:37:09] Sarah Sachs: they can just like write a task to a database that the other agent's task to listening to, or they can actually call a web book to the agent, like they can just add the agent. Okay.[00:37:17] Simon Last: Yeah, I mean, this is something that, that we're still working on.I, I think we, you know, like, like generally, generally the way we do these things is, you know, you first make it possible, maybe like a sort of janky way. So I, I, I think the way I set ‘em up is like, you know, we created like a new database that was sort of like issues mm-hmm. That the custom agents were, were experiencing, and then gave them all access to file an issue and then the manager has access to, to read the issues.Um, and that works pretty well, essentially like, like give it its own like internal issue tracker just for the agents. And then, you know, if that becomes a, a concept that seems useful, generally maybe we will think of how to package it in. But I mean, generally we try to just keep it to composing the primitive if we can.You know, another example of this is we have no built-in memory concept. Memory is, is just pages and databases. And so if you wanna give a memory, just give it a page and give it. Edit access to that page and the[00:38:03] swyx: human can edit it. Agent can edit[00:38:04] Simon Last: it. Yeah. And so that works, that pattern works extremely well on it.And you know, depending this case, you can have it be just a page or it could be an entire database with, you know, or, you know, I can have sub pages is is pretty on what you can do with that.[00:38:15] Alsesio: So when I was setting this up, uh, I connected my inbox and it was like, do you wanna use Gmail or Notion Mail? And I'm like, I don't wanna use Eater, I just want you to do it.I'm curious how you think about, you know, notion, mail, notion, calendar, all of these kind of ui ux interfaces, full stack[00:38:29] Simon Last: notion.[00:38:30] Alsesio: Yeah. When like at the same time you have the agents abstracting them away from you in a way, you know, how do you spend like the product calories so to speak?[00:38:37] Simon Last: Yeah, I mean, I think it's pretty important that you don't have to use, not your mail to connect to the mail capability.So we can just connect to Gmail or, or whatever you want, uh, to use. And we're thinking of the mail service as being really great to the extent that it's really agent built, right? So maybe the mail app is just sort of a prepackaged agent that helps you automate your, your inbox.[00:39:00] Alsesio: Yeah, the auto labeling is great.Think[00:39:03] Sarah Sachs: the, when we, um, integrate with Gmail for instance, we have a series of tools available that are available via MCP or API to Gmail. When we integrate with Notion Mail, we have the Notion Mail engineering team to build us the, um, exact right tools that optimize latency, optimize performance and quality.They own that quality. Um, there's product leads there. They're directly thinking about the user problems that happen in mail. So it tends to be when we build integrations and connections, we build natively first. Um, and then think about, um, extending them generally just because it's also easier. Mm-hmm. Um, um, to build natively first.Um, so that tends to be how we phase things out.[00:39:43] swyx: Talking about integrations, you prompted me, so I gotta ask. M-C-P-C-L-I. What's going on? What's the[00:39:48] Simon Last: Yeah. Opinion. I think, I mean, I'm, I'm definitely bullish and excited about cli. I think there's a few really cool things about cli. So one really cool thing is like, um, is that it's in the terminal environment, so it gets a bunch of extra power.So it, you know, for example, it can like, like paginating and cursor through like long outputs. Um, and it has a progressive disclosure inherently. Uh, so, you know, you don't see all the tools at once. It's just, you see the CLI wrapper and you can like use the, the help commands and, and, and read files. And then I think the most important thing that's, that's super cool is that there, it's also inherently a, a bootstrapped.So if there's an issue, uh, the agent can debug and fix itself within the same environment that it uses the tool.[00:40:30] swyx: Mm.[00:40:30] Simon Last: Right. Like, you know, I think I saw a tweet this morning. Someone said, you know, my agent didn't have a browser, so I asked it to make all a browser tool and within a hundred lines of code, it gave itself a little browser, like, like wrapping the, the, the chromium API, um.That's pretty incredible. And then if there was a bug, it would just immediately try to fix it. Mm-hmm. Right. On the other hand, if you use an, you know, if you use like of, of the Chrome dev tools, MCP, I've had this issue where like, like sometimes the transport gets like messed up. If it gets messed up, the agent has no way to fix itself.It, it no longer has a browser, it's, it's not broken. Right. I think that's, that's pretty fundamental, but I would say like a lot of the, the bad things about it can be fixed. Uh, so I think like, as a progressive disclosure, that can be fixed with, with right harness. Like, it, it obviously doesn't make sense to show it all the tools all the time.That's not really inherent to the MCP protocol. It's just like how you wrap it and use it.[00:41:16] swyx: There's many poorly built MCPs because we didn't know.[00:41:19] Simon Last: Yeah, yeah. I mean it was just early, like, like the obvious thing is, uh, you know, to start with is, is to just show it all the tools and it's like, okay, now we have a hundred tools.Yeah. And like the tool calling actually works. So let's of[00:41:28] swyx: your success[00:41:29] Simon Last: give it a way to like, like filter to source the tools. So yeah, I would say like broadly speaking, I'm really bullish on cli. I'm still bullish on CPS and in a certain environment. I think in, in particular, CP is really great for when you want sort of like a narrow, lightweight agent.I think there's, there's definitely a lot of use cases where, where you don't want like a full coding agent with a compute run time. And also you want it to be like more tightly permissioned. MCP inherently has a really strong permission model, like all you can do is call the tools. A CLI is a little bit murkier.It's like, can I access the, if PI token are you, like, properly sort of like re-encrypt the token so it can't like exfiltrate it, it introduce a lot of like, like new issues, which are. Real and hard to solve. And MCP is just like the dumb simple thing that works and it that it's pretty good.[00:42:12] Sarah Sachs: I'll add two more perspectives, not from it working well for Notion, but how notion like commits to both platforms.Notion is dedicated to being the best system of record for where people do their enterprise work. So we will always support our MCP and so far as other people are using cps, right? So regardless of our perspective, we've put a lot of effort into our MCP and we have a fantastic team that we're building, um, to do more there.And the second thing I'll say, I think, um, we all think a lot, but lately I've been thinking a lot about making sure there's a value alignment and pricing, um, with capability.[00:42:43] swyx: Literally our next question[00:42:44] Sarah Sachs: and. Needing language to execute deterministic tasks feels wasteful and requiring on a language model to interface with third party providers seems wasteful for tasks that don't require it.And particularly because our custom agents are using usage-based pricing. We think of pricing as like the barrier of entry for use of our product, and we're quite committed to making sure that it's not wasteful. Um, not just because it's a bad deal for our customers, but it's also bad business. We wanna have as many buyers, like there's a, there's an elasticity of demand and so if we can have our agents properly execute code that calls on CLI deterministically, it's a one-time cost, right?Versus constantly having a language model integrate with an MCP over and over and over and paying those like repeated token fees and it's happening outside the cash window, then you're paying for it over and over and over and it's just kind of unnecessary and less deterministic when it doesn't have to be.[00:43:36] Alessio: Yeah, the open-endedness I think is like, the main thing is like, well, if I go write code to just call an API, I would never use an MCP. But then you need an NCP sometimes when you know what to call, but you don't want it to restart versus like, I think the it built a browser from scratch is like, it's great when you're doing it on your own, but like if your customers were having your AI write a browser from scratch every time and you had to pay the token cost of that, yeah.You'd be like, no, no. The Chrome dev tools CP is actually pretty great. Just use that. I'm curious, how do you make that decision? Like should it be. Just straight API call very narrow. Should it be an MCP? Should it be super open-ended?[00:44:10] Sarah Sachs: Do you mean for when we ship notion capabilities or when we add capabilities to[00:44:13] Alessio: notion[00:44:14] Sarah Sachs: AI or,[00:44:14] Alessio: I mean, you might have a capability that the only way to do is an open-ended agent, like an agent with a coding sandbox.[00:44:21] Sarah Sachs: Yeah. In Notion ai they're not explicit, not We also ship an MCP.[00:44:24] Alsesio: Yeah. Yeah. In B,[00:44:25] Sarah Sachs: yeah.[00:44:26] Alsesio: Internally. Okay. Like is there ever a discussion of like, we're not gonna ship it because we're not able to tie it down? Or are you happy to just like,[00:44:33] Sarah Sachs: um, no. I mean, there are a lot of things where we choose not to use MCP because we wanna add more high touch to quality.I think search an agent to find is like the largest instance of that, where we have. Um, slack and linear and Jira search and notion that is not using necessarily the search MCP functionality that is provided by those companies. And that's because it's quite critical we think, to how our agent trajectories work is for us to have a little bit more control on the functionality of the search journey.And so it usually comes from quality and there's a long tail of things and that's why we built an MCP client or an MCP server, excuse me, so that people can connect whatever they want. There's that long tail, right. But we, for search particularly, I would say that's like the primary entry point, but there are other connections as well that it's a little bit of secret sauce a

You think you know exactly what you want… until life shows you something better. In this episode, Julie Deem invites you to shift your focus from chasing the end goal to embracing the journey that gets you there. This is your reminder that clarity doesn't come from waiting. It comes from moving.If you've been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you release the pressure of having it all figured out and start taking aligned action today.What You Will Learn:Why focusing only on the end goal can keep you stuck instead of moving forward.How taking action creates clarity you cannot access by overthinking.Why your vision is allowed to evolve as you grow.How to build trust with yourself through small, consistent steps.What it really means to honor the season you are in right now.FAQ:Why do I feel stuck even though I have goals?You may be too focused on the outcome and not taking consistent action, which is where clarity actually comes from.What if I don't know what my goal should be?Start with what interests you right now and take action. Your direction will become clearer as you gain experience.What is one practical way to start today?Choose one small action that moves you forward and commit to completing it before the day ends.Learn more about the latest tool for dynamic professionals in the self-improvement industry, LyfQuest. A mobile CRM platform that's uniquely made for you!Learn more at: https://lyfquest.io/Instagram:USW Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@uswkokomo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kalena James ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@yesitskalenajames⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Julie Deem ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@indymompreneur⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--------------------------------------------------USW Kokomo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Production by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Business Podcast Editor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ryan Pollyniak is a seasoned sales professional with a rich background in the Microsoft Dynamics space. Before joining Western Computer in 2015, Ryan spent time with an ISV in the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem, working closely with partners to sell products to other companies. Catering to medium to enterprise-sized businesses, Ryan is well-versed in ERP and CRM strategies and heavily involved in the Microsoft Dynamics Channel.   Ryan's website: https://www.westerncomputer.com/ Show notes: https://successgrid.net/sg265/ If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/successgrid Join AI Marketers Club: https://www.successgridacademy.com/3a30d0c6

How are brands supposed to deliver AI-powered customer experiences when their data is scattered across systems that were never designed to work together? In this episode, I sit down with Peter Bell, VP EMEA Marketing at Twilio, to unpack one of the most important AI topics that still does not get enough attention outside technical circles, Model Context Protocol, or MCP. While many conversations about AI remain stuck on model hype, chatbots, and the latest product launch, Peter brings the discussion back to something far more practical. If businesses want AI to deliver real outcomes in customer service, marketing, and brand engagement, they first need a reliable way to connect large language models to the right data, in the right systems, with the right controls in place. That is why this conversation matters. Peter explains how MCP could become one of the biggest unlocks for enterprise AI by creating a standard way for LLMs to access information across fragmented tools like CRM platforms, marketing systems, and other business applications. Instead of forcing every company to build custom integrations from scratch, MCP creates a more consistent path for connecting models to the context they need. For me, that is where this episode really earns its place, because it moves the AI conversation away from vague ambition and toward the plumbing that actually makes useful AI possible. We also talk about why first-party data remains so important, especially as businesses try to create customer experiences that feel seamless, personal, and trustworthy. Peter makes the point that public models may be useful for general knowledge, but brands cannot rely on generic internet-trained systems to solve precise business problems. If you want AI to support travel bookings, customer service, or commerce journeys, you need specific data, strong governance, and a much clearer understanding of the problem you are trying to solve. That sounds obvious, but it is still where many AI projects fall apart. Another part of our conversation focuses on trust, which feels especially relevant right now. From scams and impersonation to consumer fatigue and poor automation, brands are under pressure to move faster without losing credibility. Peter shares how Twilio is thinking about branded calling, RCS, conversational AI, and voice experiences that feel modern without becoming intrusive or robotic. We also discuss why too many companies still automate too broadly, too quickly, without defining the actual use case first. What I enjoyed most here was Peter's balanced view. He is optimistic about where AI is heading, but he is also realistic about the work still required to get there. This is not a conversation about AI magic. It is about data access, governance, trust, brand experience, and the standards that may quietly shape the next phase of AI adoption far more than the flashy headlines. So if you have been hearing more people mention MCP and wondering why it matters, or if you are trying to understand what needs to happen before enterprise AI can move from promise to practical value, this episode will give you plenty to think about. Is Model Context Protocol the missing layer that finally helps AI connect with the real world of business data?

Dan Nestle, founder of Lilypath, joins Sandy Carter on The Marketing Companion to unpack a shift most professionals have not noticed yet. AI systems are now interpreting, ranking, and recommending people before any human ever clicks a profile. Dan calls this Authority Intelligence, a new category he built Lilypath to define. Inside the episode, Dan and Sandy cover the Gemini Deep Research moment that exposed how badly AI can misread a real expert, why LinkedIn has quietly become the number one cited domain for professional queries across six major AI platforms (per Profound, LinkedIn, and Semrush data), and what "broken" looks like when your authority signal is off: silent inboxes, irrelevant pitches, recruiters missing you, RFPs going to competitors, and a stranger suddenly getting credit for ideas you have championed for years. Dan also shares the one concrete action every senior leader should take this week to fix how AI reads them, plus a Lilypath discount for listeners. Use code COMPANION20 at checkout. Brought to you by Semrush, the platform powering the search and AI visibility data behind this conversation, and Brevo, the all-in-one CRM and marketing platform helping growing teams turn authority into pipeline.   00:00:05 - Welcome and Sponsor Mentions 00:00:54 - Guest Introduction: Dan's Early Career in Japan 00:01:57 - Dan's Career Evolution and the Founding of Lily Path 00:05:47 - Introducing Lily Path and Authority Intelligence 00:07:23 - The Genesis of Lily Path: Optimizing for AI Interpretation 00:12:42 - The New Era: Domain Knowledge vs. Coding with AI 00:16:06 - Authority Intelligence: Taking Control of Your AI Narrative 00:21:23 - LinkedIn's Evolved Role as AI's Professional Truth Source 00:27:17 - Maintaining Human Relevance & Actionable Steps for Professionals 00:36:06 - Special Offer, Conclusion, and Contact Information

In this episode of the Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast, Sean V. Bradley sits down with Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Numa, to challenge one of the most accepted truths in automotive… and flip it on its head. "You are fundamentally in the retention business." - Tasso Roumeliotis Dealerships have relied on the same customer satisfaction metrics for decades. They check the scores, read the reports, and assume they understand their customers… but what if they don't? What if the way dealerships measure customer experience is not just outdated… but actually costing them revenue every single day? "The CSI score is effectively an autopsy report. And what we believe in the modern world is I need a heart rate monitor." - Tasso Roumeliotis This conversation dives into a major shift happening right now in automotive, one that's moving dealerships away from delayed feedback and into a world where customer experience can be seen, understood, and acted on in real time! Sean and Tasso explore what's really happening between the moment a customer interacts with your dealership and the moment you realize something went wrong… and why that gap is where the biggest opportunities are being lost. "Create visibility and if you measure it, it will improve, and it will get used." - Tasso Roumeliotis If you're a dealer, manager, or sales professional who wants to stay competitive in 2026 and beyond, this episode will make you rethink how you measure success, how you respond to customers, and what it actually takes to protect your revenue in today's market. Because the future of automotive isn't about reacting faster… it's about seeing what's happening before it's too late! Key Takeaways: ✅ Customer Experience is Key: Dealers are fundamentally in the retention business, and improving customer satisfaction through AI can help transform this experience effectively. ✅ Outdated CSI Systems: Current CSI systems function like "autopsy reports" instead of real-time monitoring. AI can provide a "live CSI," offering real-time insights for immediate action. ✅ Financial Implications: Retaining dissatisfied customers by solving their issues can convert heat cases into loyal customers, with a dramatic increase in retention profitability. ✅ AI in Automotive: AI can analyze numerous customer interactions effectively, helping managers understand where they stand and how to make proactive improvements. ✅ Leadership and Accountability: Visibility and accountability within dealership management can significantly improve customer satisfaction scores, reflecting in overall profitability and customer loyalty.   About Tasso Roumeliotis Tasso Roumeliotis is co-founder and CEO of Numa, the leading AI platform for dealership customer operations. Under his leadership, Numa is building the AI-native dealership, helping dealers unify customer conversations across channels and deploy AI agents to drive significant gains in efficiency, revenue, and customer experience. Tasso is a serial entrepreneur and early pioneer in mobile and location-based technology. He previously founded Location Labs, scaling the company to more than 200 employees and leading its $220 million acquisition after building a profitable business with just $19 million in primary capital. Location Labs was recognized as an Inc. 500 company and achieved seven consecutive years of profitability. Earlier in his career, Tasso was Vice President at Claridge Investments, the Bronfman family office, and an associate in the merchant banking group at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He began his career at Bain & Company. Tasso holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.Comm from McGill University.   Revolutionizing Automotive Customer Experience with AI-Driven CSI Innovation In the car dealership industry, providing exceptional customer satisfaction has shifted from a mere goal to a definitive necessity for success. Tasso Roumeliotis and Sean V. Bradley have an insightful conversation about an innovative measure that can transform the traditional Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) into a real-time, dynamic, and data-driven strategy. Key Takeaways The Power of Real-Time CSI: Transitioning from an "autopsy" report of customer experience to a live, actionable "heart rate monitor" can significantly improve customer retention. Customer Retention as a Business Model: The real business of dealerships isn't just about selling cars; it's about retaining customers through exceptional service experiences. Leveraging AI for Maximum Impact: The integration of AI provides a comprehensive analysis of customer interactions, enabling dealership managers to proactively address issues and push customer satisfaction to new heights.   Transforming the Dealership Landscape with Real-Time CSI Strategies In the ever-evolving automotive landscape, dealerships must move away from antiquated systems that provide outdated feedback. The traditional CSI scores, which usually come days after a customer's experience, are likened to "autopsy reports," as Tasso Roumeliotis aptly describes them. He suggests that they are outdated and ineffective in today's fast-paced, customer-centric environment. Enhancing Customer Retention with Immediate Feedback As Bradley states, "We are fundamentally in the retention business." A sharp focus on retaining customers, rather than merely pursuing new sales, leads to sustained profitability. The conversation unfolds around transforming tools used to gauge customer satisfaction from lagging to leading indicators. Unlike the traditional 45-day delayed feedback from CSI scores, a real-time feedback mechanism provides dealerships the opportunity to instantly correct course and mend customer relationships. "Don't tell me after the fact that this customer had a bad experience," Roumeliotis says. This shift from response-based surveys to continuous tracking of customer interactions represents a major leap in creating enhanced customer experiences. The Vital Role of AI in Analyzing Customer Interactions With the rise of AI technologies, dealerships can now analyze vast datasets to determine real-time customer satisfaction scores. Capturing every customer interaction through calls, texts, and emails, AI systems evaluate these interactions to provide a nuanced understanding of customer sentiment. Roumeliotis shares compelling figures: the possibility of converting a dissatisfied customer to a returning one increases to 70% when their issues are resolved promptly—a stark contrast to the mere 5% for unresolved cases. This level of insight allows managers to focus on "extinguishing heat cases," a term they use to describe potentially damaging customer experiences. "AI is going to really change the automotive industry," says Roumeliotis, showing how sentiment analysis and predictive models can not only gauge a customer's immediate state but also predict potential issues before they escalate. Revolutionizing Dealership Operations for Enhanced Performance Transitioning to real-time CSI means reinventing operational strategies within dealerships. By creating visibility, dealerships empower their employees with accountability and motivation. As Roumeliotis notes, some dealerships use digital monitor displays showing live CSI data, fostering a culture of transparency and motivation among staff. This notion complements Bradley's wisdom: "You can't just sell things and burn through customers." By providing both the customers and dealership staff with tools to improve interactions, businesses can better measure and manage success metrics across teams. Furthermore, the ways managers utilize the data are pivotal. Implementing dashboards equipped with the latest intelligence enables them to efficiently address potential pitfalls, significantly enhancing customer satisfaction as managers can address issues not as post-mortem observations, but as live currents needing steering.   Integrating AI in Customer Experience Management for Dealerships Overall, the conversation between Roumeliotis and Bradley emphasizes a paradigm shift in customer experience management within the automotive industry. Integrating AI to exploit data points in real time, dealerships can now nurture a proactive approach to customer satisfaction. Such advancements channel the potential to radically transform how dealerships perceive and act upon customer service. "The dealership's ability to engage, rectify, and delight customers isn't just important—it's fundamental to a thriving business," Bradley concludes, reiterating the non-negotiable role of customer retention in the car industry's success story. In a market where competition is fierce, and customer expectations are soaring, transforming the once archaic CSI into a real-time strategic tool promises not only an improved customer journey but a substantial competitive advantage as well.     Resources + Our Proud Sponsors:   ➼ The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group: Join the #1 Automotive Sales Mastermind Facebook Group with over 29,000 automotive professionals worldwide. The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group is the go-to community for car salespeople, BDC agents, sales managers, general managers, and dealer principals looking to increase performance, income, and leadership skills. Inside the group, members collaborate daily on automotive sales strategies, lead handling, phone scripts, closing techniques, CRM best practices, dealership leadership, and accountability systems. Learn directly from top automotive trainers, industry mentors, and high-performing sales leaders who are actively winning in today's market. If you're serious about growing your automotive career, increasing car sales, and building long-term success, join The Millionaire Car Salesman Facebook Group today! ➼ Dealer Synergy: Dealer Synergy is the automotive industry's #1 Sales Training, Consulting, and Accountability Firm, with over 20 years of proven dealership success nationwide. We specialize in helping car dealerships increase sales, improve processes, and build high-performing Sales, Internet, and BDC departments from the ground up. Our expertise includes automotive phone scripts, rebuttals, CRM action plans, lead handling strategies, BDC workflows, Internet sales processes, management training, and accountability systems. Dealer Synergy partners directly with dealership leadership to align people, process, and technology, ensuring consistent results and scalable growth. From independent dealers to large dealer groups and OEM partnerships, Dealer Synergy delivers measurable performance improvements, stronger teams, and sustainable profitability. ➼ Bradley On Demand: Bradley On Demand is the automotive industry's most advanced interactive training, tracking, testing, and certification platform for car dealerships — built to develop top-performing teams across Sales, Internet Sales, BDC, CRM, Phone Skills, Leadership, and Management. In addition to LIVE virtual automotive training classes and a library of 9,000+ on-demand dealership training modules, Bradley On Demand now includes AI Phone Roleplaying and Coaching to help salespeople and BDC agents practice real dealership conversations before they ever get on the phone with customers. This AI-powered roleplay technology strengthens phone scripts, objection handling, appointment setting, lead follow-up, and closing skills, while providing measurable coaching feedback for continuous improvement. Bradley On Demand empowers dealerships to train faster, coach smarter, improve call performance, increase closing ratios, and sell more cars more profitably — all through structured, trackable, modern automotive training.

On this episode of the Wood Care Podcast, Caleb sits down with Ian Whitcomb, owner of Patriot Stain & Seal based in Oklahoma City. Ian entered the fence staining industry in 2015 as a side hustle, purchasing a used stain trailer and working evenings and weekends while serving as a 22-year military veteran and airline pilot. With some local advertising in his first year, he generated over $100,000 in revenue while still working another career. Today, the business has grown into a highly efficient operation generating between $450,000 and $675,000 annually. In this episode we discuss: • Building a staining business while working a full-time career • Operational systems that allow small crews to work efficiently • Labor strategies that retain skilled workers • Remote quoting using digital tools like Google Earth • Transitioning from traditional marketing to a 100% digital strategy • Using AI to streamline administrative and marketing tasks Ian also shares insights on business systems, CRM integration, job costing, and why contractors must know their numbers to stay profitable in a competitive market. This episode is packed with practical insight for contractors looking to build a scalable wood care business while improving operations and efficiency.

Welcome to the Monday Minute, brought to you by Podium — your weekly reset to lead better, think clearer, and build your independent dealership with intention.Most independent car dealers think they're tracking their advertising. But if you're measuring leads, clicks, and phone calls — you're tracking activity, not results. And activity doesn't pay the bills. Car sales do.In this episode, Luke and Jeff break down the shift every used car dealer needs to make: stop measuring leads per source and start measuring sales per source. A marketing channel that sends 100 leads and closes 5 deals is not better than one that sends 20 leads and closes 10. Volume can lie — conversions tell the truth.They walk through how to tie every deal to an advertising source, how to calculate your true cost per sale by channel — whether that's CarGurus, Cars.com, Facebook Marketplace, or Google — and why training your sales team to ask the right questions is the foundation of smart ad spend. If the data going into your CRM and DMS is broken, every budget decision you make from it is broken too. Disciplined independent dealers know exactly where their money is working — and they invest accordingly.Review this week's Sunday newsletter at TheIndependentDealer.com for the full theme and exercises.Not subscribed yet? Sign up now. https://theindependentdealer.us19.lis...Let's build this together.SPONSORED BY PODIUM: www.podium.com

Treasury yields are holding steady as traders assess mixed signals on Middle East de-escalation amid ongoing conflict uncertainties. The bond market is trying to balance safe-haven demand against persistent inflation concerns from energy price spikes.Today's Stocks & Topics: International Paper Company (IP), Market Wrap, Roche Holding AG (SWX:RO), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Altria Group, Inc. (MO), What Are Treasury Bond Yields Forecasting for Investors in 2026?, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM), The U.S.-Iran Ceasefire and the U.S. Economy, HOA Fees.Introducing our Third Annual InvestTalk Market Madness! Join the mayhem before May 18th at 11:59 pm PST for the chance to win $1,500! Fill out your bracket below: https://kppfinancial.com/investtalk-madnessOur Sponsors:* Check out Anthropic: https://claude.ai/invest* Check out Pebl: https://hipebl.ai* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/invest* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code INVEST20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Richard McGirr talks about how most entrepreneurs and investors overlook the simplest yet most powerful way to leverage AI organization. Revealing how meticulous systems and data management are the secret weapons that turn AI agents from a futuristic fantasy into your daily operational powerhouse. Discover how top firms are transforming their productivity with just a few tweaks: from recording every internal meeting and keeping your CRM hyper-updated, to organizing your data in Markdown instead of Word. Richard shares compelling insights from his own experiments like how understanding risk discussions boosts deal closure rates by revealing what truly moves investors and how automation can turn chaos into a strategic advantage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices