Podcasts about Moat

Meta's apparent comeback runs headfirst into shifting UA economics, rising creative costs, and new pressure from platforms like Reddit, forcing marketers to rethink what “working” actually means. We unpack whether Meta is truly back or just delivering short-term dopamine, why in-app ads could reshape ad-monetized LTV, and how CPMs, payback windows, and creative volume are redefining the hyper-casual and hybrid playbooks. Cihan and Josh join to break down the latest Appsflyer data, Reddit's Max campaigns, China's UA surge, and Liftoff's IPO and to debate whether AI is leveling the field or quietly squeezing the middle out of mobile marketing.Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to Deconstructor of Funds + UA Monthly kickoff00:17 Meet the guests: Jihan (Scaling.Games) & Josh (Wildcard Games)01:06 Today's agenda: Meta's return, Appsflyer report, Reddit AI ads, Liftoff IPO01:29 Is “Meta back” real? The 2.5 Gamers breakdown & the dopamine-hit spike02:52 What Meta's actually doing: rollout strategy, templates, and market impact06:05 In-app ads explained: why Meta buying inventory could boost ad-monetized LTV07:48 Ad quality debate: intrusive formats, churn-per-impression, and broken incentives12:58 Can hyper-casual come back? CPMs, payback windows, and hybrid monetization18:38 State of Game Marketing report: shrinking US spend, growth in Turkey/India20:16 The creative arms race: AI variations, the ‘middle class' squeeze, and rising noise23:25 AI Shrinks the Creative Gap: Small Teams Catch Up, Mid-Tier Stalls24:41 China's UA Surge + iOS Outspending Android: Where the Scale Is Coming From25:38 30 Creatives a Day: The New ‘Tax' of Competing in Mobile UA26:07 Ripoffs, Ethics, and Beating the Filters: The Dark Side of Creative Volume28:00 Hero Creatives Aren't Dead—But Copy Speed Forces Smarter Variations30:16 Copying vs. Trends: When ‘Stealing' Is Real (and When It's Just the Market)31:40 Is the Market Really an Iceberg? US Spend Down, Web Shops, and the ‘Hidden' Picture34:27 Reddit ‘Max' Campaigns: Advantage+ for Reddit with a Promise of Transparency37:19 Top Audience Personas: Useful Insight or Just a Fancy Dashboard?39:34 How to Test Reddit Max: Onboarding Friction, Learning Periods, and Scalability Unknowns40:58 Liftoff Files to Go Public: Valuation, Margins, Debt, and the AI Black-Box Race45:44 What's Liftoff's Moat? Engine vs. Fuel, Data Advantages, and the AppLovin Comparison48:35 Wrap-Up: UA Monthly Feedback, What to Cover Next

You spent a year building a feature. Someone just replicated it in a day using AI.This isn't hypothetical. Roei Samuel is watching it happen in real-time. As founder of Connected - a marketplace helping 5,700 fractionals work with scale-ups - he's spinning up products daily that took his team a year to build in 2020.His conclusion? Unless you're building quantum computing or genuine deep tech, your technology moat is dead. AI killed it.Here's what makes this different:Roei isn't being dramatic. He built and sold a media company that scaled to 9 million monthly users, worked with the Premier League, NBA, and NFL, and joined the senior management team of a PLC at 26. He's seen what creates lasting value.And his take is clear: product doesn't create defensibility anymore. Network effects do. When every feature can be replicated in weeks, the only moat is how your users create value for each other - and how hard that is to reproduce.You'll learn:Why AI just eliminated technology moats. What took a year to build in 2020 now takes a day. Your 10% optimization? It'll be copied in months. The only defensible businesses are built on network effects and brand—mechanisms competitors can't easily replicate.What network effects actually mean. It's when one user's participation improves the experience for all users. Could be data (more users = better matching), could be multi-sided supply (Roei's fractionals average 3 roles each, solving the liquidity problem), could be customers becoming promoters.How most businesses can access network effects. You don't need to be a marketplace. If you're good at turning customers into promoters—testimonials, LinkedIn posts, word-of-mouth - you're building network effects. The best businesses layer multiple mechanisms.Why hiring full-time is becoming the last resort. Smart founders now think: (1) What can I automate? (2) What requires a fractional specialist? (3) Only then, do I need full-time? This isn't theory - startups on Connected average 3.7 fractionals each.How to solve marketplace liquidity problems when starting. Don't try to build both sides simultaneously - it kills companies. Use SaaS-enabled networks: give one side free tools (dashboards, benchmarking) while you populate the other side. Roei did this launching Connected in the US.Why you shouldn't scale until you nail cohort metrics. Don't worry about growth. Start with 150-200 users. Measure daily active usage, retention, behaviors that drive engagement. Roei invested in Lapse based purely on cohort analysis—they raised £8M seed, then £30M Series A from Greylock. Zero monetization. Just strong network effect metrics.How to identify your specialty if going fractional. Lean into where you deliver tangible results fastest. Not what you're best at. Not what's most fun. Where can you prove ROI in 6 months? That's your first case study. That's how you build track record.Why living out of alignment destroys everything. Roei's real mission isn't about fractional work - it's about helping people live authentically. The reality check:This isn't anti-product. Product still matters. But product alone won't save you when competitors can replicate features in weeks. Network effects create the compounding advantages that turn good products into defensible businesses.If you're building a business in 2026 and you haven't thought about network effects, you're building on sand. AI just raised the stakes.One action: Listen to the end for Roei's hiring sequence every founder should use immediately.More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

User-generated content (UGC) isn't “make anything.” It's “make something that someone cares about.” In this Deconstructor of Fun conversation, Julia Polatovska, founder of Dorian, a creator platform for mostly women + Gen Z, goes past the pitch and into the operator questions. Who creates, who wins, what monetizes, and what breaks at scale when you're building a UGC platform.Connect with Julia: www.linkedin.com/in/palatovska/

It was a wild week on Wall Street as AI fears sparked selloffs in different sectors. We look through the wreckage for opportunities and highlight some names that could be “AI-proof.” Plus, why Nvidia's moat keep shrinking. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hour 1 of A&G features... Valentine's Day, Epstein, Jack the Ripper & Bondi hearing Katie Green's Headlines! Wages/Unemployment & Ai prompts Mailbag! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 1 of A&G features... Valentine's Day, Epstein, Jack the Ripper & Bondi hearing Katie Green's Headlines! Wages/Unemployment & Ai prompts Mailbag! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gunther Ghysels is oprichter van Get Driven (zie ook afl. 6) en nu Tinrate, een one-link platform om kennis te delen via betaalde videocalls, zonder admin. Gunther vertelt waarom hij Get Driven moest loslaten, hoe hij €1,6M ophaalde voor Tinrate en waarom betalen voor expertise de volgende grote shift wordt.In dit gesprek:- Hoe merk je dat het tijd is om je bedrijf los te laten als founder?- Hoe test je of je idee goed genoeg is om een bedrijf van te bouwen?- Waarom is betalen voor kennis meer waard dan het gratis informatie?- Wat zijn de valkuilen van internationaal schalen en hoe doe je het juist?- Hoe haal je funding op zonder controle te verliezen? Wat willen investeerders?En nog zoveel meer.----------- Partners:

In this episode of Excess Returns, Kai Wu of Sparkline Capital returns to discuss his latest research on AI adoption, ROI, and what it all means for investors.Building on his prior work on the AI CapEx boom, Kai tackles the trillion dollar question at the center of today's market: Is AI generating real, measurable economic returns across the broader economy, or are we still in an infrastructure-driven bubble?Using a systematic analysis of earnings calls, patent data, and adoption trends, Kai lays out a framework for identifying which companies are truly benefiting from artificial intelligence and how investors can position portfolios accordingly.Find the Full Paper Here:https://etf.sparklinecapital.com/Main topics covered:Satya Nadella's AI bubble framework and why broad economic diffusion mattersThe AI adoption S-curve and where we are in the technology diffusion cycleA new AI ROI taxonomy based on earnings call analysis and quantified economic gainsReal-world AI productivity, revenue, and cost-saving examples across industriesInfrastructure vs early adopters vs laggards and how companies were categorizedAI-driven outperformance and excess returns across different adopter groupsValuation dispersion between AI infrastructure stocks and AI early adoptersThe risk of overcapacity and lessons from railroads and the dot-com telecom boomCompetition among large language models and the durability of AI moatsS&P 500 exposure to AI infrastructure and hidden concentration riskThe case for AI early adopters as a middle ground between growth and valueIntangible value investing and the concept of AI yieldTimestamps:00:00:00 The trillion dollar question and what “real ROI” means00:03:19 Nadella's bubble framework: diffusion vs a narrow CapEx trade00:06:08 The classic tech diffusion S-curve and where AI is on it00:32:25 Why infrastructure is being rewarded even if the ROI story is different00:33:04 The key chart: adoption vs valuation shows “basically no relationship”00:38:00 Why early adopters and laggards should separate00:38:26 The “25% ROI” example and how it could show up later in fundamentals00:39:03 Railroads and fiber: builders go bankrupt, users capture the value00:39:45 Telecom index fell 95% and never recovered (dot-com bust parallel)00:40:00 The application layer captures profits; infrastructure becomes a utility00:41:00 The punchline: transformative tech, but builders can still be bad investments00:42:57 Overcapacity question: where are we on the line?00:43:17 The buildout: another $5 trillion of data centers “or whatever the number is”00:44:00 If there's no ROI, companies cancel orders00:45:01 Moat and LLM competition discussion begins00:49:00 The big one: adding infrastructure names gets the S&P to 46% AI infrastructure00:50:00 “Alternative indices” swing you to laggard risk00:51:00 The “false choice” and the “middle ground” framing (early adopters)

Why is aiming for 10x growth actually easier than aiming for 2x? Philipp Wehn, founder of an AI company for heavy industries, explains how raising $15 million shifted his mindset from survival to dominance. In this interview, he reveals why you need to stop doing 80% of your tasks to achieve exponential results. Philipp breaks down his unique business model—combining a high-touch service agency with a scalable AI software platform—and why he charges enterprise clients based on value created ($1M+) rather than seat licenses. He also shares his "athlete mindset" for leadership, why he forces his team to take time off to recharge, and the critical difference between "playing not to lose" and "playing to win." Check out the company: https://nexxa.ai

Today, I am speaking with Angana Jacob, Head of the Research Data group within the Enterprise Data business at Bloomberg.We talk about Angana's career path through quantitative research and data platforms, and how the industry has evolved from a world dominated by bespoke models and backtests to one where many models have become increasingly commoditized. A central theme of our conversation is the idea that while models are easier than ever to replicate, data — how it's sourced, cleaned, standardized, linked, and delivered — has become the true competitive moat.We discuss what it means to “do data correctly,” how Bloomberg decides which datasets to build or sunset, how modern quants think about their data pipelines and tech stacks, and why aligning research data with production and back-office systems matters more than most people realize. Throughout the episode, we focus on Bloomberg's goal of shortening a client's time to alpha, and what that looks like in practice.At its core, this episode is about a simple but powerful idea: when everyone has access to similar models, durable edge increasingly comes from the data beneath them.Please enjoy my episode with Angana Jacob.

Databricks announcing a new $5B funding round at a $134B valuation. Making the company the fourth largest private company in the U.S. We speak to CEO Ali Ghodsi about the company's future and how AI is disrupting the software ecosystem. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you hesitant to invest in your team, fearing they might leave after all that time and money? What if the real risk is not investing, and they stay uninspired? In this episode, Lauren and I chat about how investing in your team can create a powerful internal moat that attracts the right people and drives your business forward.We discuss a recent initiative in Lauren's company where a team member took the initiative to improve internal communication and create an SOP for Slack use. It's a perfect example of why fostering initiative and empowering employees to take ownership can elevate your entire team's performance.If you're struggling to create that type of culture, this conversation will show you how to reevaluate your core values, ensure your team's alignment, and ultimately build a work environment where the best talent thrives. We also explore how these ideas translate into digital marketing, leadership, and managing remote teams effectively.In This Episode:- Core values, employee initiative, & continuous learning- The risk of not investing in your team and gatekeeping- Meta's strategic investments in employee acquisition and AI - Creating an internal moat for your business- The people analyzer process based on core values- Adapting to external challenges in digital marketing- Why radical candor and emotional intelligence are critical- Final thoughts on creating a moat and call to actionMentioned in the Episode:Gino Wickman's book, Traction: https://a.co/d/01q1TP4O Patrick Lencioni's book, The Ideal Team Player: https://a.co/d/0cROW6f Creating custom emojis on Slack: https://slack.com/help/articles/206870177-Add-custom-emoji-and-aliases-to-your-workspace Listen to This Episode on Your Favorite Podcast Channel:Follow and listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/perpetual-traffic/id1022441491 Follow and listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/59lhtIWHw1XXsRmT5HBAuK Subscribe and watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@perpetual_traffic?sub_confirmation=1We Appreciate Your Support!Visit our website: https://perpetualtraffic.com/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/perpetualtraf Connect with Ralph Burns: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphburns Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ralphhburns/ Hire Tier11 - https://www.tiereleven.com/apply-now...

Dylan Patel (SemiAnalysis) joins Matt Turck for a deep dive into the AI chip wars — why NVIDIA is shifting from a “one chip can do it all” worldview to a portfolio strategy, how inference is getting specialized, and what that means for CUDA, AMD, and the next wave of specialized silicon startups.Then we take the fun tangents: why China is effectively “semiconductor pilled,” how provinces push domestic chips, what Huawei means as a long-term threat vector, and why so much “AI is killing the grid / AI is drinking all the water” discourse misses the point.We also tackle the big macro question: capex bubble or inevitable buildout? Dylan's view is that the entire answer hinges on one variable—continued model progress—and we unpack the second-order effects across data centers, power, and the circular-looking financings (CoreWeave/Oracle/backstops).Dylan PatelLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanpatelsa/X/Twitter - https://x.com/dylan522pSemiAnalysisWebsite - https://semianalysis.comX/Twitter - https://x.com/SemiAnalysis_Matt Turck (Managing Director)Blog - https://mattturck.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/turck/X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattturckFirstMarkWebsite - https://firstmark.comX/Twitter - https://twitter.com/FirstMarkCap(00:00) - Intro(01:16) - Nvidia acquires Groq: A pivot to specialization(07:09) - Why AI models might need "wide" compute, not just fast(10:06) - Is the CUDA moat dead? (Open source vs. Nvidia)(17:49) - The startup landscape: Etched, Cerebras, and 1% odds(22:51) - Geopolitics: China's "semiconductor-pilled" culture(35:46) - Huawei's vertical integration is terrifying(39:28) - The $100B AI revenue reality check(41:12) - US Onshoring: Why total self-sufficiency is a fantasy(44:55) - Can the US actually build fabs? (The delay problem)(48:33) - The CapEx Bubble: Is $500B spending irrational?(54:53) - Energy Crisis: Why gas turbines will power AI, not nuclear(57:06) - The "AI uses all the water" myth (Hamburger comparison)(1:03:40) - Circular Debt? Debunking the Nvidia-CoreWeave risk(1:07:24) - Claude Code & the software singularity(1:10:23) - The death of the Junior Analyst role(1:11:14) - Model predictions: Opus 4.5 and the RL gap(1:14:37) - San Francisco Lore: Roommates (Dwarkesh Patel & Sholto Douglas)

For decades, the biggest barrier to building a SaaS company was technical talent. You needed a team of engineers to ship a world-class product. David Okuniev, Co-Founder of Typeform, believes that era is over. In this episode of the ProductLed 100 series, Wes Bush sits down with David Okuniev (Founder of Float) and Esben Friis-Jensen (Co-Founder of Userflow) to discuss why "Taste" is the only defensible moat left in the age of AI. David reveals how he is building his new venture, Supercut, by literally talking to Claude Code through a microphone - building full iOS apps in days without knowing Swift. He argues that since AI has commoditized the "How" of building software, the "What" and "Why" (Design and Taste) matter more than ever. They also explore why this shift allows for a "Minimum Viable Team" of just three people, why David regrets scaling Typeform into a large organization, and how to survive as a "Pioneer" founder without getting bogged down by professional management. Key Highlights: 01:21: The "Accidental" Origin: How a client project for a toilet showroom in Barcelona turned into Typeform.03:51: The Viral Launch: Generating 8,000 pre-signups and achieving immediate viral growth without traditional validation.09:53: The Taste Differentiator: Why design is the only way to distinguish yourself 13:00: The "Impulsive" Archetype: David's approach to building products based on intuition rather than validation.21:41: The "Professional CEO" Trap: Why David regrets stepping down and why founders should stay in the driver's seat.37:42: The Float Labs Model: How David runs a product lab to spin out new companies (like Supercut).42:09: The Minimum Viable Team: Why the modern startup only needs a Designer, a Tech Lead, and a Marketer.44:53: The "Tastemaker" Advice: You don't need to be a designer; you just need to be opinionated. Resources:

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Total Freedom is a weekly radio show, on air on:Mio Radio (Turkey) Tuesday 03 PMSpace FM Romania (Romania) Tuesday 01 AMAIR GAY RADIO (France) Wednesday 10 PMJR.FM Radio Network (Usa) Friday 04 PMRadio Amistad 101.9 FM (Dominican Republic) Friday 11 PMDanceRadio.ca (Canada) Friday 03 AMBeats2dance Radio (Holland) Saturday 05 PMCUEBASE-FM (Germany) Monday 06 PMTempo Radio Mx (Mexico) Saturday 10 PMReloaded on iTunes: http://apple.co/1NijFVJ Tracklist :01 mOat & Hardt Antoine - Fade (Extended Mix)02 AYYBO - RIZZ (Millero Extended Remix)03 FUDIS084 DJ Duke - Can You Feel It (Future Disco Extended Edit)04 Maya Jane Coles vs Love Sensation (Stuart Ojelay Bootleg)05 Corrado Alunni - Feel The Funk (Milk Bar & Robbie Groove Extended Remix)06 Gkat - Over Seas (Extended Mix)07 STEZ - Move To The Beat (Extended Mix)08 Rules, Gregory Porter - Holding On (Extended Mix)09 Aruhtra, Deeprule, Daisy Dance - I'll Be Good (Extended Mix)10 Fedde Le Grand ft. Mr V - Back & Forth (Tony Romera 2025 Rework) (Extended Mix)11 Zack Darza & Snooko - Freaky Deaky (Extended Mix)12 John Newman - Love Me Again (Again) (Extended Mix)13 Kronan, L'Orchestre Massako - Dibembi 2026 (Extended Mix)14 Jamback - Positive (Extended Mix)

In this Friday Deploy, Andrew and Ben dive into the viral Moltbot (now OpenClaw) phenomenon and Steve Yegge's Software Survival 3.0 essay, debating how SaaS companies can build moats in an era of token-constrained engineering. They also explore the concept of "Dark Flow" - a deceptive state where vibe coding feels productive but hides accumulated tech debt - and break down Anthropic's newly released constitution for Claude. Finally, the team discusses a Reddit user's claim to have ported CUDA to AMD in 30 minutes and shares a fascinating breakdown of podcast listening data.LinearB: The AI productivity platform for engineering leadersFollow the show:Subscribe to our Substack Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelLeave us a ReviewFollow the hosts:Follow AndrewFollow BenFollow DanFollow today's stories:OpenClawSoftware Survival 3.0Breaking the Spell of Vibe CodingClaude's new constitutionClaude Code Has Managed to Port NVIDIA's CUDA Backend to ROCmMy Top 25 Podcast Episodes & Interviews from 2025 by IPM (Insights Per Minute)OFFERS Start Free Trial: Get started with LinearB's AI productivity platform for free. Book a Demo: Learn how you can ship faster, improve DevEx, and lead with confidence in the AI era. LEARN ABOUT LINEARB AI Code Reviews: Automate reviews to catch bugs, security risks, and performance issues before they hit production. AI & Productivity Insights: Go beyond DORA with AI-powered recommendations and dashboards to measure and improve performance. AI-Powered Workflow Automations: Use AI-generated PR descriptions, smart routing, and other automations to reduce developer toil. MCP Server: Interact with your engineering data using natural language to build custom reports and get answers on the fly.

Jessica is back from Davos and is recapping her highlights on the pod this week. If you're a loyal podcast ‘viewer', you're in luck because Jess also brought photos from a recent Grace Cathedral sound bath visit before she dives deep into the Clawdbot/Moltbot/agentic moment. Dave is all in on what's to come in this new age of agentic computers, and in true Sam fashion, he is less impressed by the technology and suggests that if the trend continues, it's going to be bye bye internet. In the land of the other ‘mature' AI companies, Jess recaps her Davos AI infra panel's red-pill take on AI with the killer quote of the week: “the appetite for intelligence is limitless.” But how true is all this demand and how much of it is really narrative? Could the rise in gold and silver prices really be a sign of technology shorting? The crew also reacts to the Minneapolis situation, debating whether it's a scaling issue at ICE or a political move. Chapters:00:30 — Jess Returns From Davos: No Snow, All SXSW Energy 03:40 — Grace Cathedral Sound Baths06:25 — Moltbot Heat Spike: Are AI Agents Ending the Internet? 17:29 — Moltbot Has no Moat; Founders Should Be Memorable Instead21:26 — Inside the Davos AI Panel: CoreWeave, G42, OpenAI & BlackRock's Red Pill 29:47 — Minneapolis, ICE, and How the Valley Is Reacting 51:03 — The AI Chatbot Trap for Retail (And Why Everyone Will Fall for It) We're also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessYouTube: https://youtu.be/OZDFAvRq7GcConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit

with @alive_eth @rhacketta16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya explains why privacy — not performance — will determine the long-term winners in crypto, and how it creates powerful network effects. In conversation with a16z crypto show host Robert Hackett, Ali lays out how privacy creates lock-in and winner-take-most dynamics — without sacrificing decentralization. They also dive into the technologies making privacy possible today, from zero-knowledge proofs to trusted execution environments, and why financial use cases will drive mainstream adoption first.They cover:Why blockspace is becoming a commodityWhy users tolerate surveillance in social media—but not in financeHow anonymity sets work and why secrets are hard to migrateThe real trade-offs between privacy, composability, and decentralizationThe four privacy technologies shaping the next generation of blockchainsHighlights:00:00 — Introduction01:41 — Blockspace is becoming commoditized03:11 — Privacy as lock-in: why secrets are harder to move than assets06:01 — Do people actually care about privacy?08:51 — Beyond finance: social, gaming, and private onchain apps11:55 — Privacy zones, anonymity sets, and network effects18:46 — Winner-take-most dynamics, explained20:22 — What it means for crypto's decentralization ethos23:06 — Is privacy lock-in different from web2 lock-in?28:31 — The privacy tech stack: ZK, MPC, TEEs, and FHE32:13 — What this means for builders and investors33:18 — Future considerations: Quantum computing and AIFollow a16z crypto for more...X: https://x.com/a16zcryptoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a16zcrypto/posts/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pMZvsNXEnb0CYcPiDQywEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/web3-with-a16z-crypto/id1622312549Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@a16zcrypto

How to Use AI for B2B Storytelling Without Losing Your Brand So many B2B companies and marketing teams waste budget on generic content that fails to resonate or support core business goals. In an era where AI-generated is everywhere, smaller B2B brands often struggle to maintain a unique identity while competing against larger firms with massive content engines. The key to staying relevant lies in a B2B brand’s ability to be authentic, human-centric, and strategically consistent despite the pressure to automate everything. So how can B2B brands effectively integrate AI into their marketing workflows without losing their unique voice and brand integrity? That's why we're talking to Nick Usborne (Founder, Story Aligned), who shared his expertise on leveraging AI through the lens of strategic storytelling. During our conversation, Nick discussed the critical distinction between simple narrative and a brand’s unique story, highlighting a significant gap where only 7% of top AI prompt libraries actually focus on storytelling. He shared actionable advice on building a “story vault,” training staff to avoid “brand drift,” and enforcing consistent AI usage to maintain the trust of the audience. Nick also underscored the importance of keeping human elements at the forefront of content creation to prevent AI from feeling overly mechanical, and advocated for a balanced approach that ensures scalable growth without sacrificing a brand's authenticity. https://youtu.be/dtgvg2-XXoU Topics discussed in episode: [02:53] The “Why” Behind AI Adoption: Why companies must embrace AI not just for efficiency, but to avoid being left behind by competitors who are already scaling their reach.  [04:10] The “Moat” of Storytelling: Why narrative and voice can be easily copied by AI, but your brand's unique “lived story” is the only defensible moat you have.  [11:27] Pitfalls of Inconsistent AI Use: The dangers of “shadow AI” use by employees (e.g., Using personal accounts vs. company custom GPTs) and how it leads to brand drift.  [16:46] The Human Element vs. AI: Nick explains why AI can describe the beach but can't “feel the sand between its toes,” and why human “messiness” is key to connection.  [24:26] Building a Story Vault: Nick provides a practical framework for formalizing your brand's folklore—from founder stories to customer service wins—so they can be systematically used in AI content.  [28:17] Actionable Steps for Marketers: Three immediate steps to take: build your story vault, interview key stakeholders (founders, early employees), and analyze customer service transcripts for sentiment.  [30:11] The Problem with “Killer Prompt” Libraries: Why copying “top 20 prompt” lists is a strategic mistake that leads to generic, non-differentiated content. Companies and links mentioned: Nick Usborne on LinkedIn  Story Aligned  Transcript Nick Usborne, Christian Klepp Nick Usborne  00:00 AI can do a wonderful job in many ways, but it’s never walked down the beach and felt the sand between its toes. It’s read about it. It’s never eaten ice cream. It’s read about that, but it’s never felt it. So that’s what I mean by lived experience. I think that content and stories that truly resonate with people you use those kind of touch points the the deeply human side of being alive. And like, say, I think AI can get close when you prompt it really well, but also, there’s a messiness that makes us recognize one another, the little mistakes we make. That’s what makes us human. We are messy. AI, it’s not very good at being messy. You can ask it to be messy, and it’ll try to figure that out, but it’s really not the same. And like I say, I think people are very sensitive to this kind of nuance. Christian Klepp  00:51 When brands rely on the same AI tools and prompts, they start to sound like everyone else. That loss of voice can hurt trust and lead to something called Brand drift. So how can B2B Marketing teams scale content with AI while staying true to their story? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers in the Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking to Nick Usborne, who will be answering this question. He’s the Founder of Story Aligned, a training program for Marketing teams that want to scale content using AI while protecting the integrity of their brand story and voice. Tune in to find out more about what this B2B Marketers Mission is. Mr. Nick Usborne, welcome to the show, sir.  Nick Usborne  01:32 Thank you very much. Thank you Christian. Thank you for having me.  Christian Klepp  01:35 Pleasure to have you on the show. Nick, you know we had such a fantastic pre interview call. It was a bit of a you did drop a few hints and clues about what was to come, and I’m really looking forward to this conversation. I’m going to keep the audience in suspense a little while longer as I move us into the first question. So off we go.  Nick Usborne  01:55 Okay. Christian Klepp  01:56 All right, so, Nick, you’re on a mission to equip Marketing teams to scale AI powered content while staying aligned with their organization, story and voice. So for this conversation, let’s focus on the topic of how to use AI for B2B content without losing trust. And it is at the time of the recording, the end of 2025 and of course, we’re going to talk about AI, but we’re going to zoom in on something specific as it pertains to B2B content and a little bit of branding in there as well. But I wanted to kick off this conversation with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them. So the first question is, why do you believe it’s so important for brands and their Marketing teams to embrace AI so that they can scale? And the second question is, why does this approach require the right prompts and guardrails? I think that’s one thing that you mentioned in our previous conversation, the whole the whole piece about prompts and guardrails. Nick Usborne  02:53 Well, the first question, why do companies need to embrace AI? And the ridiculous answer to that. It’s not a good answer, but it’s true is that because everyone else is, because your competitors are, and they will create content at scale while you are not, and they will achieve reach that you can’t achieve without AI. And in fact, if they do it well, their content, their new content, will be very good, content deeply researched beyond perhaps what you can do. So it’s like everything within AI right now, like, like, Why? Why do all the companies like open AI and Google and Meta, why they all racing? Because if they don’t, someone else will get there first. And it’s, I’m not saying it’s a great reason, but I think it is the fundamental reason for companies to embrace AI, is that you will be left behind if you don’t. This is a transformational moment, and as much as we’d like to have choice, I think in this matter, we don’t have a lot of choice. So that’s my answer to that question. Repeat the second question for me. Christian Klepp  04:00 Absolutely, absolutely so based on, based on that, like, why does this approach require the right prompts and guardrails? Nick Usborne  04:10 As part of my business, I’m constantly researching this, and in particular, I’m researching the prompts people do so when say, could be writers coders, but in our world. Let’s say writers, principally, or marketers, are using AI. They’re using prompts, and they’re generally prompting about two things. One is narrative, like, what should we say? Or, you know, please write us a blog post about x. So that’s the that’s the topic, that’s the narrative. And then they’ll put in something say, oh, please do it in a voice that is authoritative and yet accessible. All right, so now that’s a voice. What they haven’t mentioned is what I think is the foundational layer, which is, which is story. And that’s important, because story is the only thing that is uniquely yours, if you have an narrative, if you, if you have voice, if you talk about something in a particular way, I can copy that with AI. I can copy it at scale. I can, I can look at the transcripts of Christian podcasts, and I can say, oh, I want to do one in exactly. Tell her the same topic. I can, you know, so when you focus on narrative, on what you write about in voice. I can copy it. There’s no moat. The only moat you have is with story, because every company’s story is unique. We can look at origin stories, foundation stories, we can look at customer stories through case studies, things like that. Those are always unique. No one else has Apple’s origin story. No one else has virgin Atlantic’s Founder’s story, etc. But we did some research recently. Actually, we did some research months ago, and I reconfirmed it earlier this week. I ran it. I ran it all again to look at the data. If you look at the top 20 prompt libraries that you know the big, trustworthy companies and organizations that put out prompt libraries for companies. If you look at the top 20 libraries and the 1000s and 1000s of prompts within there, 76% of those prompts are about the narrative. What to say? 17 are about voice. How do you sound? Only 7% relate to story. So this, to my mind, is where we have a problem. We have a disconnect. Everyone is going crazy, prompting for narrative and story, both of which have 0, zero mode, anyone can copy them at scale. And only 7% this very small percentage, are actually focusing on the one thing that is uniquely theirs and cannot be copied or challenged. So that when you say, when you, when you say I’m on a mission, that’s the mission for me to say, Hey guys, wake up. You’re You’re prompting the wrong things in the wrong way. Let’s like, go back and look at story Christian Klepp  07:12 Absolutely, absolutely. It almost sounds like an oxymoron to us to a certain degree, because you’re saying scaling B2B content using AI without losing trust. Because, you know, the narrative that I keep seeing on social media, particularly LinkedIn, is that if people are using AI, there is a bit of a trust factor there. But I think it’s to your point and correct me if I’m wrong, it’s being able to embrace AI and you leveraging it the right way, so it’s not, it’s not, it’s not to replace, it’s not to replace the writers, right, or to replace the Marketers, I hope not. Nick Usborne  07:50 It may replace some. But, yeah, yeah. I mean, I mean, you’re right, and the keyword you mentioned there is trust. I think, I think trust is going to be the most valuable commodity that a company can have in the months and years to come, because people don’t actually don’t if we’re talking about brand. So we’re trying to protect brand with story, right? And brand is something that a lot of companies have spent millions of dollars building and protecting over years or decades and well, one of the things let me come back to trust in a moment. But if I’m looking at brand, and I’m looking at all the stuff goes out there, it either builds brand or it burns brand. And if you burn brand, you lose trust. So if you’re going out with a whole bunch of content that sounds like everyone else is that it’s kind of meh. It’s ordinary. It’s in the middle, which is what AI is really good at. Without the right prompting, it will give you kind of in the middle, mediocre output. So you got to be much better at prompting than just like a, I don’t know, being careless about it, or taking a shortcut, shortcuts, or being lazy about it, because then you get brand drift, and all of a sudden the brand doesn’t sound quite right. And when that happens, you lose trust. And when you lose trust, you lose revenue. I mean, you really do. And people are getting very sensitive to brand of brand trust we saw recently. Was it tracker barrel tried to just change its logo. People freaked out. People freaked out.  Christian Klepp  09:27 It was an awful rebrand, but, yes.  Nick Usborne  09:30 Yeah, but it wasn’t. These weren’t. These weren’t. Saying is, I don’t think the design is up to snuff. It’s like, don’t mess with my tracker barrel. We actually feel very strongly about the brands. Talk to people who are absolute fans of Apple. Doesn’t matter that it costs twice as much, perhaps as not quite as good. It’s Apple. It’s my brand. Don’t mess with my brand. So we’re very sensitive to our loyalty to brands. And in fact, in some sense, it’s brand define us like a football team, a baseball team, in part, we can be defined by the brands that we support, local, Pepsi. You know, it’s like everywhere. So when a company uses AI carelessly at scale and all of a sudden that blog post, it kind of sounds like them, but something’s a tiny bit off. And then that LinkedIn update. Again, yeah, it’s them, but again, it’s, did I say is that the same as they were six months ago? You get the you get these little these little things that sound off, and now you get brand drift. And now you get people feeling uneasy, and the public are sometimes we think we can just make the public believe whatever we want them to believe, or companies to believe whatever we want them to believe, but actually, individuals, in their home lives and in their business lives are very, very sensitive to brand and they’re very, very sensitive to voice and what they hear, and if it’s off, they really don’t like it, and that does translate into loss of trust, and that does directly translate into loss of revenue.  Christian Klepp  11:07 Absolutely. I’m going to move us on to the next set of questions, particularly that one pertaining to key pitfalls that Marketers need to avoid when they’re trying to scale their B2B content using AI without losing trust. So what are some of these key pitfalls they should avoid, and what should they be doing instead? Nick Usborne  11:27 What I’m hearing from inside a number of companies is that there is an inconsistency in how people are using AI and even when systems are in place, that not everyone follows the system. So it’s early days. It is. These are messy times for, you know, working with AI within companies. So I think it’s really important that companies do have some frameworks in place, that people within the organization are using the same tools in the same way, and that they are encouraged to be consistent in what they do. So I’ve heard stories of where companies are set up, you know, they’re using Copilot, or whatever they use, and then some of the manager will walk by someone’s desk, and they’re actually, actually, they’re using Claude on their phone. That person like phone, and it’s like, well, yeah, but no, this is now, you know, you have no control. You also have to get people to do what they ask. I was talking to a Founder the other day. She has a PR (Public Relations) company, plenty of clients, and she’s smart. She’s created custom GPTs for each client. So each custom GPT is trained on with with a kind of database of information on that client and the content, so that you know when you when you ask it to do something else, it’s already has the context and the voice instructions and everything, and you can and it’s great, you get this consistency. But she says, what’s happening is some of her employees come in in the morning, they start work on client X, and they’re using that custom GPT. Then they move on to client Y, but they keep using the original custom GPT and not switching out. So the management has put in the structure in place to be consistent and to output the best, you know, the best content, but the employees are not always playing game, you know, going along with that. So so I do think we’re in a messy period now where companies are not entirely sure how to apply this, how to structure it, what kind of frameworks and guidance to put in place. What guardrails to put in place? Like? Again, I’ve heard horror stories of people grabbing content that should not be shared and putting it into a large language model and then turning that into customer facing or public facing content.  Christian Klepp  13:57 Oh, plagiarism.  Nick Usborne  14:04 So yeah, it is messy. So what I would say is, before you even try to make the best of the use of AI that you do, need to put systems and frameworks in place and educate your staff. So if you want your staff to use AI effectively give them access to training. Don’t just throw them at a tool and say, go for it, because they won’t know what to do with it, or they’ll be able to create stuff, but they won’t be able to create good stuff. So invest in the systems, invest in the frameworks and instructions, and invest in training for the people who are going to be using the tools.  Christian Klepp  14:46 Definitely some relevant points. I wanted to go back to something you said, though, because I think it’s really important. It’s certainly one thing to have the prompts and the guardrails in place and some kind of like, framework and structures. But to your earlier point, how do you enforce that? And I think you gave a really good example about like, if you have a custom GPT, and then they resort to like, using. Um Claude on their personal accounts, and then it’s a little bit like the wild west out there, isn’t it? Nick Usborne  15:06 It is, it is, and it’s and it’s, how do you enforce it? Well, that’s going to be a company by company decision. Like, like the Founder with the PR of the PR company, when she was telling me about how her employees just weren’t doing what they were asked. I was like, part of you is thinking about, why haven’t you kind of cracked down on this? But again, it depends on the company and what options you have when it comes to enforcing stuff like this. But I do think you need to, because then if we circle right back, if you have people who are untrained, and that’s the company’s responsibility to train their employees. If you have people who are untrained and they’re using these tools inconsistently, that is when you far more likely then to see errors for, you know, unforced errors like publishing stuff that you shouldn’t but you’re also going to see more brand drift, because you’re going to get this inconsistency between output and that is a disaster. Like I say, companies have sometimes spent, in a decade, several years in establishing and building a trustworthy brand. And people are very unforgiving. You can, you can lose all that goodwill very, very quickly. So, yeah, training frameworks make sure people are, you know, working within those boundaries, but as a company, it’s your responsibility to help make that happen. Christian Klepp  16:29 Yeah, yeah. Oh, absolutely, absolutely. You kind of brought this up already, but you mentioned that AI can help to scale content, but it can’t replicate your lived story, so please explain what you meant by that, and provide an example. If you can, Nick Usborne  16:46 AI can do a wonderful job in many ways, but you know, it’s never walked down the beach and felt the sand between its toes. It’s read about it. It’s never eaten ice cream. It’s read about that, but it’s never felt it. So that’s what I mean by lived experience. So I think that content and stories that truly resonate with people, you use those kind of touch points, the deeply human side of being alive and like say, I think AI can get close when you prompt it really well, but also there’s a messiness that makes us recognize one another, the little mistakes we make, that’s what makes us human. We are messy, and it’s not very good at being messy. You can ask it to be messy, and it’ll try to figure that out, but it’s really not the same. And like I say, I think people are very sensitive to this kind of nuance and the lived story. It’s the it’s the weird stuff. I think that resonates. So I’ve spent quite a bit of my career doing copywriting for companies, and for a long period, I was doing some freelance, a lot of freelance copywriting. So this is just a little side note, a little side story for you. I used to live on a hobby farm. We had some sheep and pigs and chickens and all that good stuff, the good life. And also had freelance customers. And I went in, and I was and I went, you know, you go out, you feed the animals, you come in, I sit down to work, and my client said, this is just on the phone. This is even before the internet. Client said, Hey, you’re late. I was just out farming the pig and feeding the pigs. And the guy says, what? And this, I hadn’t realized. I never told him that I lived on a farm. He thought somewhere. So anyway, we talked a little bit about the pigs, then we get to work. So the project we’re working on worked out really well, and it won an award. So we fly off to your hometown, Toronto, for the awards ceremony, direct marketing awards ceremony, and he stands up and he says, Thank you very much. Blah, blah, blah. And special thanks to Nick Usborne, the pig farming copywriter. And I’m like, I’m like, in the audience, and I’m thinking, oh, please no. This guy is like, rebranding me constantly in front of all my peers, all my potential clients for next year. Big drama turns out so, so that that’s messy, all right? AI wouldn’t do that, you wouldn’t imagine that it wouldn’t do that. That’s a deeply human moment of my humiliation and him laughing, and everyone slapping me on the back and laughing and asking about my pigs. Turns out, over the next 12 months, I got a few phone calls out of the blue. And I say, Hello, Nick Usborne. I said, Oh, is that Nick Usborne? The cover of James Barber. And I say, why? Yes. And so I actually got work out of that, because it was such a distinct difference from every other copywriter out there. I was the only copywriter who had pigs. So that was just a fun story, but it also speaks to the difference between humans and AI, and it’s a live that’s a lived experience, and it’s a lived anecdote, and I tell the story, and it’s a true story that is really important, I think so, even when we use AI, even when we use it at its best, and it can be really good when you use it well, I think everyone should keep leave space for the human in the loop, as they say, keep that human element in there, big for those stories. So I so I encourage companies to create what I call like a story vault. So there’s the obvious stories, like the Founder story, the origin story, the six original success story, also put in the little quirky stories, like that one I just described, and and make that part of your process. And also go, you know, if you’re creating something with AI and it’s a big project, take the time to go and interview someone, talk to someone, get a human story, put it in just because you’re using AI, doesn’t mean to say that everything you create has to be 100% AI, you can, you can? I do this all the time. I look for it a draft with AI, then I’d go back in and I’ll rewrite the beginning with an anecdote, like the small s story, not a big dramatic story, just a little story. And what it does then is that then connects it with us, because as people, we recognize stories. Story is profound to all of us. I think in every country in the world, parents read their children bedtime stories. It’s something we share in common. It’s how we communicate, and it’s how we recognize our humanity in a sense of like, if you tell me a story, you connect with me, and vice versa. So that’s why I think stories are so important in this world of AI, because if you just go AI, it can get a little cold, and sometimes, as a reader, you don’t quite understand what’s happening and why, but you kind of feel it. There’s an absence. There’s something missing, and that what’s what you feeling is missing is that human touch, that human element, Christian Klepp  21:59 Absolutely, absolutely. I mean, there’s like, there’s like, telltale signs, right? Like em dash being one of them,  Nick Usborne  22:06 em dash Christian Klepp  22:07 Yes, or Yeah. Or it tends to, like, regurgitate the same type of war. It’s like, I find it loves using the word landscape or navigate, you know, things of that nature, right?  Nick Usborne  22:20 Yeah.  Christian Klepp  22:21 Or uses these funny like, you know, the colon or for, for, for titles of episodes, for examples. Nick Usborne  22:30 In titles, even when I give it clear instructions, do not use them. So sometimes, when I create content like that is, I’ll create it in with one model like say, GPT5, and I’ll take it over to flawed, and I’ll say, hey, please edit and clean this up for me, and remove any, you know, repetition or whatever. And sometimes it comes back say, hey, looks pretty clean, pretty good. Other times it’ll change stuff. And then, of course, always I will, you know, I will review. And that’s the other thing that the companies need to think about. Is that, at the moment, content generation at scale within companies, it is a bit like a conveyor belt in a factory of all these boxes flying off the end into the FedEx back of the FedEx van, and without, without any kind of quality control, which, which is actually what you do have with income within you know, if you’re manufacturing, and you do have quality control, and you pick out every 20th item or whatever to make sure that it’s good, a lot of that isn’t happening, that isn’t happening with a lot of people using AI is people don’t even see it. It’s fully automated, like, like a week’s worth of social media is automated, or a month’s work worth, and no one, no human, has read it or reviewed it. It’s just flying out automatically. And that is where at some point you’re inevitably going to have a problem. And it may not be a big problem, it may be lots and lots of small problems, lots of lots of things sounding not quite right, and then all of a sudden, when you’ve got enough little things not sounding right, then you start getting a medium sized problem. Christian Klepp  24:06 Yeah, yeah. No, exactly, exactly. Okay. Now, you talked about it a little bit in the beginning, but talk to us about some of these, these frameworks and these processes that B2B companies can use to help them, you know, organize themselves and reap those benefits of AI without losing trust. Like, what are some of these processes and frameworks? Nick Usborne  24:26 I do some training, and I have done a few rubrics where people can kind of use those to formalize the process. But I think if we talk about story, and I think I already mentioned the idea of each company having a story vault, so be formal and deliberate about it. Everyone can chat about their company’s stories, but if I say to you, hey, is there a folder? Can I can I get a Google folder and find a compilation of all of these stories? And have you graded those stories in terms of how strong and relevant? And they are, and how engaging they might be, or how evocative they might be, and the answer is almost always no, the story is around. But there’s no story vault, and there’s no rubric in place to grade those stories and decide which might be the most appropriate points at which to share those stories. So it’s that, it’s that formalizing the process, and I don’t like being 100% rules based, but I think in the AI world right now, where we are in that kind of messy middle period, I think it’s really important to have some systems in place so that we do have a consistent output, so that when you so that your brand doesn’t suffer from brand drift, and that you don’t make some significant missteps along the way. So somebody within the organization needs to be responsible for this. Maybe it’s the Chief AI Officer, if you have one, or otherwise, somebody in Marketing. So yeah, help people with training, but also help them by giving them some framework, some rubrics and some just a system like, you know, hey, picked up a story from customer service, put it in the story vault, categorize it. Customer service in the story vault says someone else can come back and find it. So it’s not just word of mouth. It’s not accidental. There’s a place where people can go to and then you’re going to do the same with narrative, the things we say. And you have another vault, as it were, and another rubric to to assess voice, how we say it. So it’s just this formalization of the process, and also trying to make sure that people use these systems as you put them in place. So somebody’s got to be walking along behind, behind and sort of, and again, it’s like, I guess, like early days of anything. Not every, not everyone will love the process. Not everyone loves using AI. But it’ll come. It’ll come. People will get in their heart better, not only using AI, but doing it well and following these processes. Christian Klepp  27:02 Okay, fantastic, fantastic. Let me just quickly recap, because I was writing this down. So obviously, having a story vault, grading them if you can, if possible, having systems and frameworks in place, training the team and getting them to familiarize themselves with the systems having a vault for narrative and voice, I think was the other piece. And finally, using, using the systems, once you have them, not letting them collect dust, as it were, right? Nick Usborne  27:32 Like and it is, I get it right now. I get it. It’s hard for a lot of companies, because I think using AI has been very kind of mixed. Some companies have dived straight in. Others are resistant, particularly companies that have compliance issues, financial, medical stuff like that. They’re being very careful, very cautious, and for very good reason. So the rate of adoption is very uneven at the moment, Christian Klepp  28:01 Absolutely, absolutely, all right. Nick you’ve given us plenty here, right? But if we’re going to talk about actionable tips, like something that somebody who’s listening to this conversation that they can take action on right after listening to this interview, what are like some of the top three things you would advise them to do? Nick Usborne  28:17 Well, I guess first is just we’ve talked quite a bit about the story, the story of collecting stories. Just do that because, like I say, I think story is your is your superpower, because it is the only place where you have a moat you don’t in what you say and how you say it. Anyone can copy you, and I can automate copying you through AI as well, but I cannot steal your story, because it’s just not true if, if it’s not my story. So I’d always start there and again, start, start that. Build the vault, select the story and formalize that process. Interview the Founders, if you can, interview early employees, even if they’re retired, interview the first three clients, if you can access them, interview customer service. So often overlooked, customer service in one way or another, so long as that’s not all automated, if there’s still humans in that loop, then have conversations with them. And you can, you can, you can, get transcripts, customer service transcripts, and feed them into AI and say, hey, please analyze and summarize this. What are, what are the most powerful messages we can get from our customer service? Sort of stream of content? Do? Do a sentiment analysis? What are people upset about? What are people happy about? So, yeah, story, I think, is like, I say, it will be your motive, it will be your savior. So first start to formalize that process of getting story and then making sure that it finds a place, somewhere in your automation of, you know, AI generated content, Christian Klepp  29:58 Fantastic, fantastic stuff. Okay, soapbox time. What is the status quo in your area of expertise that you passionately disagree with, and why? Nick Usborne  30:11 I guess again, I’m just going to overlapping. I don’t know what a status quo, but the thing that I passionately disagree with is is every time you see most or a social media title that says top 20 killer, unbeatable prompts.  Christian Klepp  30:31 Oh, yeah. Nick Usborne  30:32 No, no, no, absolutely, just, just no for two reasons. One is that they’re going to be generic. They’re not going to apply to your company in particular, they’ll be generic, and just because they work for someone else does not mean they’re going to work for you. And like I say, we did, I’ve done research on those prompt libraries, and only 7% of them even touch on story. So if I’m writing stories, the most important thing almost all of those prompt libraries are missing out on that. They’re just focusing on narrative and voice and ignoring stories. So not good and and, yeah, so, so that is, I don’t know whether the status quo, but it’s something I keep seeing, and it irritates me when I get it. I understand why they’re doing it, but not helpful for your company. Christian Klepp  31:18 Yeah, you and me both. I mean, those are the those are the pulse they attempt to ignore immediately. I mean, I just skim through it and see the prompts, and I’m like, Nah, but I think it’s human nature too, isn’t it? Like everybody wants to chase the next hack. They want to find that the you know, the shortcut, like the quickest route to get something done. And I get that, but it sometimes does more harm than good. Nick Usborne  31:43 Easy button, but also to be fair and to be a little bit more generous. This is early days, and so people are looking for help. And if it says top 20, this is, oh my goodness, thank you. I’ll take that now. Over time, that’ll change, and people will become a little more sophisticated, I think, but like us, like you. You know, I get it. I understand why those those posts and titles are attractive, and that’s why people create them. But we can do better. We can do better Christian Klepp  32:12 Absolutely, absolutely we can, and we will, hopefully, all right, here comes the bonus question. I’ve been thinking about this one, but Nick Usborne  32:23 I feel strangely nervous. I feel nervous, but it’s a bonus question. Christian Klepp  32:30 Just breathe. Just breathe. I mean, clearly from this conversation, you know, writing is in your blood, right? It’s something that you are passionate about, but it’s also something you’ve done professionally for a long time, I suppose. The bonus question is, if you had an opportunity to meet your favorite writer or author, living or dead, who would it be, and what would you talk about?  Nick Usborne  32:55 One of the people, I really admire, and I’ve already spoken to him, is David Abbott. So David Abbott is a copywriter from from England, and he had an agency called Abbot Mead Vickers, and he was an amazing writer. So I’ve already met him. Who I haven’t met I would like to re write to meet is Susie Henry. She was the copywriter behind a series of advertisements in the UK for an insurance company, and she is just a delightful writer, so I told you, well, no, I hadn’t told you. Maybe I will tell you I’m like, when I started out copywriting, it was at the tail end of the Mad Men period, and creatives were the Kings and Queens, and copywriting was such a craft, it was something to be absolutely proud of, like we’d go through so many drafts, and it was, I was, you know, I was, I was a craftsman, learning from other craftsmen. And David, ever I met, he was in a fantastic writer, just written Susie Henry so good, very, very conversational writer, which was very unusual for that time. So I’d like to meet and talk with her, and I still can’t remember the fiction writer. He’s science fiction writer. I completely lost blank on his name, and I’ve actually met him once briefly, but I’d like to get back to him and chat, but I can’t, because he’s he’s since passed. Christian Klepp  34:19 Oh, I see, I see, I see. All right, well, that’s quite the list of people, but, um, but yeah. No, fantastic. No. Nick, thank you so much for coming on the show and for sharing your experience and expertise with the listeners. And please quick introduction to yourself and how people can get in touch with you. Nick Usborne  34:37 All right. Hi. My name is Nick Usborne, so my business build Story Aligned. So storyaligned.com and what we do there is pretty much, what I’ve talked about today is we train teams within companies to look at story, narrative and voice with a lot of emphasis on story, because that’s where the note is, so if you get a Story Aligned, you’ll find we have a white paper you can download. We have a blog that you can read, the description of the training. So yeah, if this interests you, if you find this an interesting topic, there’s plenty to do when you get there. So Story Aligned, A, L, I, G, N, E, D, yeah. Story Aligned. Christian Klepp  35:21 Fantastic, fantastic. And we’ll be sure to pop that into the show notes so that it’ll be easy for everyone to access. But once again, Nick, thank you.  Nick Usborne  35:28 Sorry, one last thing, if you want to please opening myself up, if you want to just talk to me directly, you can write to me at nick@storyaligned.com. Christian Klepp  35:38 Perfect, perfect. Nick, once again, thanks so much for your time. Take care, stay safe and talk to you soon. Nick Usborne  35:44 Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. It’s been a pleasure. Christian Klepp  35:47 Thank you. Bye for now. You.

01:00 Will Trump push for mandatory e-verify? https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/the-trouble-with-trumps-deportations 02:00 Tucker Carlson is The Most Powerful Man on the Right (w/ Jason Zengerle), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6hcq2n26oY 10:00 Israel has never been stronger nor more unpopular, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167302 12:00 Yoram Hazony on Anti-Semitism and the American Right, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167290 14:00 What Drives Yoram Hazony & National Conservatism?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167008 1:33:00 Why Did The Pundits Who Supported The 2003 Invasion And Occupation Of Iraq Pay No Career Price?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167282 1:50:00 When Jon Stewart Humiliated Tucker Carlson On Crossfire In 2004, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167280 1:58:00 The Fred Barnes Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167275 2:03:00 The Stephen Park Turner Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167273 2:10:00 The Tom Wolfe Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167266 2:18:00 The Seymour Hersh Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167263 2:25:00 The Maria Bartiromo Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167254 2:31:00 The Bill Kristol Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167249 2:43:00 The Matt Labash Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167246 2:48:00 Every Modern Orthodox Neighborhood in the USA is Steadily Becoming Haredi, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167238 2:53:00 Broadcast News (1987), https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167229

Michael Walrath, Chairman and CEO of Yext, says today's AI is fundamentally rewriting the rules of search, discovery, and brand visibility. Drawing on his extensive ad tech experience at DoubleClick, Yahoo, Moat, and now Yext, Walrath explains why AI-powered search is so much more powerful than traditional search—and why many current assumptions about GEO, SEO, and advertising are headed for a fast reckoning. Expanding on our episode with Bill Gross, Walrath also argues that inserting ads into AI experiences is the wrong answer, clicks are disappearing, and the future of AI marketing will look more like structured data and affiliate-style value exchange than traditional advertising.Yext CEO on Search in the Age of AI: https://www.barrons.com/video/yext-ceo-on-search-in-the-age-of-ai/F798C382-AB67-47FD-AA54-4BEA89F5F38FYext's Visibility Brief on Brand Visibility in AI Search: https://martech.org/yexts-visibility-brief-your-guide-to-brand-visibility-in-ai-search/ Listen on your favorite podcast app: https://pod.link/1715735755

For years, founders have been told to build a defensible moat. But in AI, where platforms, models, and capabilities can shift overnight, that advice is starting to feel outdated. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, Simular CEO and co-founder Ang Li talks about what it actually means to build a company when the underlying technology won't sit still. Rather than evangelizing agents or predicting the future of work, Ang gets unusually candid about fragility, speed, judgment, and how founders should think when technical advantages may be temporary by default. The conversation digs into small-team execution, founder productivity, decision-making under uncertainty, and the uncomfortable question many AI founders avoid: what if the next platform update eats your product?  Note: This interview was recorded before Simular closed its $21.5M Series A in December 2025. RUNTIME 56:44   EPISODE BREAKDOWN (1:52)  What is Simular, and how does it work? (6:11) How Ang and co-founder Jiachen Yang connected  (9:00) How much time passed between Day Zero and serving their first customer? (13:54) The moment Ang realized " this is gonna be like something huge." (17:21) How he approaches founder-led sales and what he looks for in a GTM hire  (26:34) Maintaining cohesion when you're leading a distributed team (32:23) Should you hire a new employee, or build a new agent? (34:50) Why Ang made talking AI gorillas part of Simular's GTM strategy (38:20)"If everyone becomes too cautious there, that actually prevents the innovation part." (43:55) "There's never a moat on anything." (51:16) The final question LINKS Ang Li Jiachen Yang Simular Meet the AI Agent with Multiple Personalities, Wired, 4/16/2025 Simular Raises $21.5M to Build Autonomous Computer Agents, 12/2/2025 What is Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?, IBM SUBSCRIBE

Full Audio including in-depth analysis at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-unraveled-latest-ai-news-trends-chatgpt-gemini-deepseek/id1684415169

In this episode of Coffee With Cole, Cole reflects on crossing a $20M+ milestone selling writing courses online and unpacks the operational, financial, and growth lessons that came with scaling from a creator-led project into a full-fledged business.(00:00) $20 Million Milestone & Business Evolution(02:04) Key Lessons from Scaling Writing Businesses(05:49) Operational Complexity as a Moat(09:33) Customers Want Value, Not More Stuff(12:03) Managing Risk & Smart Business Finances(14:09) Team Building, Commissions & Scaling Sales(17:34) Paid Ads, Growth Challenges & Analytics(20:32) High Performers, Video Content & Final Thoughts~✍️ Want to start writing online? Download this free Ultimate Guide to get started: [https://yt.startwritingonline.com](https://yt.startwritingonline.com/)

The content marketing pioneer who coined the term in 2001 reveals the urgent reality: creators have 12-24 months to build discoverable human audiences before AI-generated synthetic content makes it nearly impossible. The 99% Problem and the Vinyl Solution Joe Pulizzi drops a startling statistic: 99% of content being created today is heavily influenced by AI. Instagram recently admitted they can't keep up with the flood of AI content and won't even try to block it. But Joe isn't running from AI—he's running WITH it while building something AI can't replicate: authentic human relationships with loyal audiences. His "vinyl strategy": While 99% of content becomes synthetic commodity, human creators can become the premium 1% that builds small audiences who know, like, and trust them. What You'll Learn In this episode, discover: • Why being KNOWN (not famous) is your only competitive moat in the AI age • The urgent 12-24 month window to build your audience before discoverability becomes impossible • Joe's 30-minute daily AI practice using ChatGPT as co-CEO, health coach, and financial advisor • How to find your "tilt"—that one thing you're exceptionally good at for a specific audience • Why email and owned audiences matter more than algorithm-dependent platforms • Why Joe stopped his 527-episode podcast to focus on ONE thing: his newsletter The Tilt • The generational advantage Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have (and how to leverage it) • How to use AI as collaborator while maintaining your authentic voice About Joe Pulizzi Joe Pulizzi is founder of Content Marketing Institute and The Tilt, bestselling author of seven books including Epic Content Marketing (named a Must-Read Business Book by Fortune Magazine) and Burn the Playbook. He coined the term "content marketing" in 2001 and received the Content Council's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He successfully exited CMI in 2016. His two weekly podcasts include the award-winning This Old Marketing with Robert Rose (the longest-running marketing news podcast) and Content Inc. (recently concluded after 527 episodes). His foundation, The Orange Effect, delivers speech therapy and technology services to over 450 children in 40+ states. Key Takeaways Curiosity is one of the most human traits—point it in the right direction and opportunities emerge. Block 30 minutes daily for AI experimentation. Write down the 10 things that make you uniquely you. Then start building your audience on ONE platform where you own the relationship. The future belongs to the curious and the known. Episode: 551 Guest: Joe Pulizzi Host: Park Howell Show: Business of Story Topics: AI, Content Marketing, Creator Economy, Audience Building, Synthetic Content, Personal Branding, Newsletter Strategy, Career Development, Retirement Planning

This week, we discuss the rise of AI tools like Claude Code, and their impact across the industry. We also cover Rain's growth, supply and demand dynamics in crypto, capital raising, and crypto and AI trends in 2026. Enjoy! – Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod – Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:15) Claude Code Changes the Game(13:00) Supply vs Demand and Where the Money Is(19:00) Rain's Moat and Crypto Cards(32:00) Investment Criteria and Founder Qualities(38:00) Audience Question on Market Structure(01:04:08) Word of the day and Nikita Bier's Beef with CT(01:08:30) Content of the Week —-- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Hubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist1Circle.so - http://circle.so/twistSentry - http://sentry.io/twistToday's show: On the last TWiST episode before Jason goes to Japan and Alex begins on paternity leave, the hosts break down the blockbuster tech news that is kicking off 2026.Discord AND Strava both eyeing billion dollar IPOs, two massive social media apps with millions of daily active users. Jason unpacks Discord's the growth story, from a gaming-first product launch in 2015, to a community/work platform and social media for all. Jason explains why Strava proves that data is the MOAT for consumer apps.PLUS Jason and Alex are joined by Producer Oliver to rank the top CES products. Jason gave his thoughts on the different robots, self driving cars, and multi-fold phones on display.Would you buy a triple-fold phone?Timestamps:(00:00) Discord looks to go public at $7 Billion!(10:05) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(13:37) Strava going public and why data IS the moat for consumer software(19:28) Circle.so: the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand.(22:25) Anthropic's $350B valuation and why it makes sense(31:59) Sentry: New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(33:05) Why is China upset about META's Manus acquisition — and why Jason is hopeful for the US-China relationship(37:24) Jason's favorite part of CES: The rise of open source AI!(40:59) Why Jason LOVES his self driving Tesla — why public companies need to be safe and not push too quickly(44:24) Producer Oliver's Top CES Tech products(54:46) Jason's Major Takeway from CES(59:43) How many times can you fold a phone?(1:04:04) New interfaces for smartphones*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:05) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(19:28) Circle.so: the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand.(31:59) Sentry: New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWISTGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidarahttps://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQEoghan McCabehttps://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4Steve Huffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424Brian Cheskyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112Bob Moestahttps://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94QAaron Leviehttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/box-ceo-aaron-levie-breaks-down-box-ai-and-generative/id315114957?i=1000612384545Sophia Amorusohttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sophia-amoruso-on-branding-raising-a-fund-portfolio/id315114957?i=1000601352978Reid Hoffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reid-hoffman-on-ais-crescendo-moment-regulation-and/id315114957?i=1000612548498Frank Slootmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/snowflake-ceo-frank-slootman-on-moving-the-needle-win/id315114957?i=1000602560622

If anyone can build your SaaS then how do you build a moat around it? Free Email Course - https://bootstrappersparadise.com/coursePrivate Coaching - https://bootstrappersparadise.com/coachingBootstrapper's Paradise - https://bootstrappersparadise.com/

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HEREAre you a lawyer looking to become better at video marketing? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer Podcast, marketing expert Ryan Webber addresses lawyers at the MaxLawCon event, urging them to embrace video marketing to grow their practices in 2025. He debunks common excuses lawyers have for avoiding video, shares the success of his wife's real estate law YouTube channel, and highlights how video content builds trust and attracts clients. Marketing has changed over time and more so with the rise of the internet and social media. Many people are looking you up before they call you to get to know you and your business better. Because of this, it is important to have a presence online and have a good marketing strategy. Many lawyers have excuses for why they don't want to be on social media or record videos as part of marketing. Whether it be not knowing how to act on camera or how to edit, not focusing on marketing can keep you from making money and getting a good reach.When focusing on marketing, it is important to build a moat. A moat is doing something different and unique that AI or your competitors can't do. Think about something that makes you stand out from others. Maybe it's your creativity or the type of camera equipment you use when making videos. This will make it difficult for people to copy you. Viewers love paying attention to things that are different and unique, so create something only you can do!Listen in to learn more!1:10 The Evolution of Marketing & Online Presence4:59 Debunking Video Excuses10:38 The Power of Video Reach14:13 Educational vs. Entertainment Content16:17 Building a Moat & Unique Value Connect with Ryan:Podcast InstagramThreads YoutubeYouTube BlueprintTune in to today's episode and checkout the full show notes here.

Are you looking to save time, make money, and start winning with less risk? Then head to https://www.ovtlyr.com.Let's be honest. Everyone has seen those YouTube videos that promise “buy these 10 stocks and you'll be rich” or “set it and forget it millionaire portfolio.” This video takes that idea and flips it on its head.Instead of sitting through a 40-minute sales pitch packed with stories and justifications, this breakdown gets straight to what actually matters if you want to make money in the market. Price. Trend. Fear and greed. That's it. No hype. No fantasy portfolios. Just a clear look at whether these so-called wide moat compounding stocks are actually worth touching right now.The video pulls a popular list of stocks straight from the comments and ranks them honestly, from Lambo to food stamps. Some names look decent. Some look stuck. Some are absolute traps if you're buying them for the wrong reasons. This isn't about whether a company is “great” or whether you like the story. It's about whether the stock is positioned to go up.One of the biggest takeaways is how much the market and sector matter. Roughly 40 percent of a stock's move comes from the overall market. About 30 percent comes from the sector. Only the last piece comes from the stock itself. That explains why amazing companies can still bleed money when the environment is wrong. If the wind isn't at your back, you're fighting uphill.You'll also see a deep dive into fear and greed, market breadth, buy and sell signals, and why overhead resistance keeps showing up in the same places again and again. These aren't random lines on a chart. They represent real people who are stuck, emotional, and ready to sell the moment they get back to breakeven.Here's what you'll walk away with after watching:✅ Why price is the only thing that actually pays you as an investor✅ How market, sector, and stock alignment creates easy trades✅ Why buying “cheap” stocks in downtrends usually ends badly✅ How fear turns into greed before big moves happen✅ What crashing up really looks like compared to crashing downThe video covers major names like ASML, Amazon, Visa, Mastercard, GE, Taiwan Semiconductor, Netflix, and more. One stock clearly stands out as the strongest setup. Others show exactly why patience matters and why forcing trades is expensive. Watching these side by side makes the difference between good setups and bad ones painfully obvious.Another big theme here is simplicity. You don't need to dig through financial statements, revenue models, or long-term stories to get paid. If price is rising and greed is increasing, that's where opportunity lives. If fear is rising and trends are breaking, that's when you step aside and protect capital.This is where OVTLYR fits in. The entire goal is to make these signals obvious so you can avoid major drawdowns and focus on stocks that actually want to move higher. Skipping a 20 percent loss can be just as powerful as catching a big winner.If you want trading to feel boring, repeatable, and stress-free, this video is worth your time. Watch how each stock is evaluated, compare the setups, and start thinking in probabilities instead of promises.Gain instant access to the AI-powered tools and behavioral insights top traders use to spot big moves before the crowd. Start trading smarter today

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupDaniel Rotman built Pretty Litter into a $300M+ revenue juggernaut by doing something most founders won't: going all-in on an unsexy product. In this episode, he breaks down how a single innovation in kitty litter unlocked a billion-dollar outcome—with just $1M raised and a 12-person team.For DTC founders scaling from 7 to 9 figures...How to win in overlooked categories (and why sexy products attract deadly competition)Why kitty litter was the perfect subscription productThe secret to high-margin DTC logistics (and how silica unlocked DTC viability)Daniel's media buying strategy in year 1 that drove $750K soloHow Pretty Litter used smart ops, lean hiring, and brand positioning to build a moatWho this is for: Founders, growth leads, and marketers looking to scale profitably and avoid the DTC hype trapsWhat to steal:The underdog category playbookRetention-driven brand buildingThe ops strategy behind $300M revenue and 12 employees#DTCGrowth #SubscriptionBusiness #RetentionMarketing #BootstrapStartup #EcommerceStrategy #ConsumerBrands #FoundersJourney #LeanStartup #ProductInnovation #BrandBuilding #UnsexyProducts #ScalingUp #StartupExit #PetCareIndustry #MarketingTactics00:00 – Introduction: The Power of Unsexy Products 04:41 – The Loss That Sparked Pretty Litter 16:41 – The Health Monitoring Breakthrough 20:25 – From Idea to Launch in 6 Months 23:44 – $750K Year One, Solo Founder 25:33 – Why Daniel Said No to VC 30:20 – Year-by-Year Revenue Growth to $300M+ 36:00 – How Unsexy Built a Moat and Killed the CopycatsSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

What actually makes a startup defensible anymore, especially when anyone can build a product overnight with AI?In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc Baselga and Ben Erez sit down with Itamar Novick, founder of Recursive Ventures and longtime operator-turned-investor, to unpack how moats are changing in the AI era and what founders (and senior product leaders) need to internalize if they want to build enduring companies.Itamar draws from over 25 years across product leadership, company-building, and early-stage investing to explain why defensibility matters earlier than most founders think, how traditional moats (marketplaces, SaaS velocity, network effects) still apply, and why AI radically compresses time-to-competition. He breaks down how Recursive Ventures evaluates teams, TAM, and moats at the pre-seed stage, why velocity has become a core signal, and how the venture model itself is being reshaped by smaller teams, faster execution, and lower capital requirements.The conversation also goes deep on founder decision-making: how to choose early investors, why community itself can be a moat, what good vs bad VCs look like when companies fail, and why product leaders should seriously consider jumping into AI-native environments, even if it means a short-term step down.If you're a product leader thinking about founding a company, advising startups, or staying relevant in the next decade, this episode offers a clear, opinionated framework for navigating what's changed and what still matters.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

The Fold is taking a break over summer. We'll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here's one of our favourites from 2025: Sophie Moloney has been CEO of Sky NZ for five years. For much of that time she's been dealing with downsides – a failed acquisition of MediaWorks, Spark Sports gifting their rights to TVNZ and prolonged satellite issues. But lately, things have been looking up. They successfully brought NZ Cricket rights back, scooped up Three's assets for $1, and just last week lengthened their rugby deal under very buyer-friendly terms. She joins Duncan Greive on the Fold to dig into all those issues and more. This episode was originally published on August 29 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyanIn this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Drew Sechrist, an early Salesforce leader who helped scale the company from its earliest days into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, and the founder of Connect The Dots. Drew brings listeners inside the chaos of Salesforce's zero-to-one phase, sharing firsthand stories from a time when cloud software was unproven, customer trust was fragile, and evangelism mattered more than polished playbooks.The conversation explores what it really takes to scale a company from nothing, why the jump from zero to one is far harder than later stages, and how leadership decisions around hiring, pace, and conviction shaped Salesforce's trajectory through the dot-com crash. Drew offers rare insights into working alongside Marc Benioff, including lessons on relentless execution speed, founder conviction, and organizational alignment through frameworks like V2MOM.A major theme of the episode is the enduring power of relationships. Drew explains how warm introductions, internal champions, and relationship capital closed deals worth millions and why, in an AI-saturated world, human networks are becoming the true long-term moat. The episode culminates in the origin story of Connect The Dots and why mapping real relationships is becoming a competitive advantage for modern teams.TakeawaysSalesforce succeeded early by evangelizing an unproven cloud model, not by selling features.Trust and customer success mattered before those functions even had names.Timing was critical; launching in 1999 gave Salesforce a window competitors missed.Distribution, not product, became the primary constraint once product-market fit was proven.Hiring leaders who had “seen the movie before” helped Salesforce scale deliberately.V2MOM created alignment and surfaced bottlenecks before they became existential problems.Marc Benioff's pace of execution was a competitive weapon in enterprise sales.Slow communication is a leading indicator of poor performance in startups.Warm introductions and internal champions unlocked deals that cold outreach never could.AI is amplifying noise, making trusted relationships more valuable, not less.Relationship capital is emerging as the real moat in an AI-heavy world.Chapters00:00 Introduction and why relationships matter more than ever02:00 Drew's background and joining Salesforce before it was Salesforce05:00 Evangelizing cloud software in a skeptical market07:30 Why zero-to-one is the hardest phase of growth11:00 Product-market fit, distribution, and the dot-com crash15:30 Leadership changes and Marc Benioff stepping in as CEO18:30 Scaling teams and hiring leaders who've done it before20:00 V2MOM and how Salesforce stayed aligned while growing26:00 Pace, conviction, and what Drew learned from Marc Benioff31:30 The power of warm introductions and internal champions36:00 Why AI is increasing noise and weakening cold outreach38:30 The origin story of Connect The Dots44:00 Why LinkedIn fails at representing real relationships50:00 Relationships as the long-term moat in an AI-driven futureDrew Sechrist's Social Media Link:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewsechrist/Resources and Links: https://www.hireclout.comhttps://www.podcast.hireclout.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright

In this conversation, Greg Irwin, co-founder of BWG Global, discusses the role of his company in providing fundamental research for institutional investors. He emphasizes the importance of community and networking in the tech industry, the logistics of organizing expert discussions, and the balance between art and science in research methodologies. The conversation also explores the transformative impact of AI on research and enterprise software, the geopolitical implications of technology, and the evolving landscape of investing in AI and technology stocks. Greg shares insights on lock-in strategies in technology and the role of AI coding tools in modern development, concluding with reflections on the future of enterprise software.

The final episode of Get Physical Radio for 2025 is a special Best Of selection, celebrating a year of standout releases, defining moments, and the artists who shaped the label's sound over the past twelve months. A fitting close to 2025 and a look ahead to what's next. Thank you for listening, supporting, and dancing with us all year long.Tracklist01 HotLap, UVITA - Shelter02 SOANA - Azaa03 Nomis (FR) & MAREK (FR) - O Jureme04 Ece Yilmaz - Postman05 Monkey Safari & G.Zamora - Vive06 Birds of Mind - Mi Pena (Amémé Remix)07 Prana Flow , Soul Of Void - Conclusive08 Avantika - Maro Dum09 Yulia Niko, Alfonso Muchacho - Bad Habits10 Saqib, Galactic Girl - New Me11 Mishell, Deize Tigrona - Tokato12 DJ T. - Funk On You (Whitesquare Remix)13 Bonafique - Monologue14 Roland Clark - I Get Deep (Roy Rosenfeld Remix)15 Maxi Degrassi - Maybe It's Love16 Momoda - Give Me Time17 Helsloot - Be Strong18 EMJIE - Don't Hold Back19 Greta Levska - Las Perras20 Carl Bee, mOat feat. Kyozo - Silver Sparks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Breaking Analysis, David Floyer and I set forth our thinking around what we believe is a misplaced narrative in the market. We'll explain what we think the market is missing and why NVIDIA's forthcoming product lineup will reset the narrative. We'll also look at the economics of search, LLMs and chatbots and share why OpenAI, while facing many challenges, is in a stronger position than many believe; and why Google, while clearly a leader in AI, remains challenged to preserve what many believe is the greatest business in the history of the technology business.

In this episode of the LSCRE Podcast, Craig McGrouther sits down with Andrew Davis, Partner at Fully Funded, to discuss why integrity has become the most valuable advantage in real estate investing.Andrew shares insights from raising hundreds of millions in capital, building investor trust at scale, and partnering with best-in-class operators. He explains how discipline, clear incentives, and long-term thinking matter more than chasing the next “great deal” in today's market.Learn more about LSCRE:www.lscre.com

In this episode, the Goods from the Woods Boys are hangin' at Disgraceland Studios with our ol' buddy, comedian Dave Yates! We try out an energy drink made by a VERY intense ex-Marine and podcaster named "Jocko". Then, we talk about the life and recent Congressional ambitions of Vince Offer aka "The Shamwow Guy". We chat about our favorite concert experiences of 2025 and Black Shelton and Trace Adkins' "Hillbilly Bone" is our JAM OF THE WEEK! Tune in now, y'all.  Follow Dave on all forms of social media @YatesComedy and buy a bottle of Ha Ha Hot Sauce here:  https://www.hahahotsauce.com  Music at the end is "Christmas in My Coffin" by Nobody's Peach. 

In this episode of Dividend Talk, we're joined by Niklas from Heavy Moat Investments for a deep dive into European small- and mid-cap investing, moats, portfolio concentration, and how to think about quality businesses when valuations get stretched.We kick things off with a packed dividend roundup, covering recent dividend hikes from Broadcom, Mastercard, Abbott Labs, Eli Lilly, WD-40, Zoetis, and more, with a strong focus on why healthcare has been so active lately. We also discuss Pfizer keeping its dividend flat, and what that signals for big pharma investors.From there, we look at one of the biggest European investing stories of the week: Aegon moving its headquarters to the US. We break down what this means for European capital markets, valuation multiples, and whether companies leaving Europe is a symptom of deeper structural issues.The core of the episode is our conversation with Niklas, where we explore:What a “moat” really means — and why moats are not staticHow he evaluates small and mid-cap European companiesWhy insider ownership matters more than market capHis approach to portfolio concentration vs diversificationHow he uses hurdle rates, expected IRR, and quality scoringWhen and why he decides to sell a stockWe also discuss several real-world examples, including:InPost and the rise of parcel locker networks across EuropeEVS Broadcast, a Belgian hidden champion in live sports technologyMensch und Maschine, Autodesk reselling, proprietary software, and dividend sustainabilityEdenred, regulation risk, shareholder yield, and why pessimism may be overdoneEurofins Scientific as a long-term compounder with strong capital allocationTo wrap up, we answer listener questions on:Story vs fundamentalsThe biggest financial red flags to watch forAI in investing and portfolio analysisThe “right” number of stocks in a portfolioSmall-cap investing in Europe vs the USAs always, this episode is for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.Useful links: Continue the conversation with our community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠20 Deep Dives a Year &Library of 150 EU & US Dividend stocks at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.dividendtalk.euHeavy Moat Investments | Substack

https://slasrpodcast.com/      SLASRPodcast@gmail.com   Welcome to episode 217 of the sounds like a search and rescue podcast. This week, we are joined by the new owner of the Mountain Wanderer bookstore, Forrest Chess. Forrest joined us for a short segment during full conditions but we wanted to invite him back in for a longer discussion to learn about his background and to plug the change in ownership so when you go into the store to buy all your books and white mountain themed gifts and other items you know a little about him. Plus Nick shares some info about Canada Lynx, Missing person in maine, Christmas activities in and around the whites, Search and Rescue Otters, Bad parenting, Gear Reviews for Osprey backpacks, music minute, notable hikes, recent hikes on South Moat and Blue hills and sound search and rescue news. Im Mike, and I'm Nick, lets get started.    About Mountain Wanderer Mountain Wanderer Website Shop Online   Topics Snow Storm in NH Missing hiker near Dracula's castle Race to the Clouds returns to Mount Washington  Missing Person on Maine Island Christmas things to do in and around the White Mountains Rescue Otter Alaska long night Bad Fathers - Kidney donor story and recent rescue of a father and kids in Utah New Gear from Osprey Dad Jokes, Music Minute, Recent hikes in the Blue Hills and South Moat Welcome Forrest from Mountain Wanderer Franconia Notch Highway Recent SAR News   Show Notes Apple Podcast link for 5 star reviews SLASR Merchandise SLASR LinkTree SLASR's BUYMEACOFFEE Hiker missing near dracula's castle in Romania Race to the Clouds returns this August  Canada Lynx in Northern NH Missing person on Maine Island  https://nestlenookfarmnh.com/  Cutting a Christmas Tree in the White Mountains Santa's Village - some dates are sold out Conway Scenic Railway - Santa Express Santa on the Cog - select dates in Dec A Christmas Carol in Lincoln, NH Meet Splash, the first SAR otter Polar night returns in Alaska Meet Splash, the first SAR otter Polar night returns in Alaska Worst father ever  Son got the transplant from someone else Later sentenced to 42 years in prison Utah Father Charged with Abuse and torture for dangerous Hike with his young children Reddit SAR Discussion Connor O'Brien Skiing YouTube Missing Hiker - 11/25/25 Hiker Injured on Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey - 11/22/25 Lost Hikers on Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey - 11/23/25   Sponsors, Friends  and Partners Wild Raven Endurance Coaching burgeonoutdoor.com 2024 Longest Day - 48 Peaks Mount Washington Higher Summits Forecast Hiking Buddies  Vaucluse - Sweat less. Explore more. – Vaucluse Gear Fieldstone Kombucha CS Instant Coffee The Mountain Wanderer 

Most accountants say the same thing: “I'm already too busy… why would I need marketing?”In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the real reason fast-growing firms keep winning—while others unknowingly fall behind:

On this episode of Chit Chat Stocks, we discuss legendary investor Chris Hohn, who has run TCI Fund Management for over 20 years. TCI has beaten the market for two decades, putting Hohn and the small team of investors in rarified air in the investing world. How does he do it? We discuss:(00:00) Introduction(19:18) Focus on Infrastructure Investments(22:09) Case Study: GE Aerospace and Safran(27:39) Alphabet's Journey and Management Challenges(36:07) Evaluating Risk in Alphabet's Investment(44:41) Takeaways from Chris Hohn's Investment Strategy*****************************************************Sign up for our stock research service, Emerging Moats: emergingmoats.com *********************************************************************Chit Chat Stocks is presented by Interactive Brokers. Get professional pricing, global access, and premier technology with the best brokerage for investors today: https://www.interactivebrokers.com/ Interactive Brokers is a member of SIPC. *********************************************************************Fiscal.ai is building the future of financial data.With custom charts, AI-generated research reports, and endless analytical tools, you can get up to speed on any stock around the globe. All for a reasonable price. Use our LINK and get 15% off any premium plan: ⁠https://fiscal.ai/chitchat *********************************************************************Disclosure: Chit Chat Stocks hosts and guests are not financial advisors, and nothing they say on this show is formal advice or a recommendation.

Jonathan Siddharth is Founder and CEO of Turing, one of the fastest-growing AI companies advancing frontier models. Jonathan has led the company to an astonishing $350M ARR with just $225M raised and a profitable company. A Stanford-trained AI scientist, Jonathan previously helped pioneer natural language search at Powerset, which was acquired by Microsoft. AGENDA: 03:35 Data, Compute, Algorithms: What is Most Abundant? What is Lacking Most? 09:18 What Does No One Know About AI's Data Requirements That Everyone Should? 17:05 The Biggest Challenges Enterprises Have with AI Adoption 20:38 Why Will 99% of Knowledge Work Will be Gone in 10 Years 27:12 How Will Data-Driven Feedback Loops Replace Technology as the Moat 36:08 Who Wins the Data Labelling Market? Who Loses? 38:23 Is Revenue BS in Data Labelling? Are Players Calling GMV Revenue?  45:20 Why is SaaS Dead in a World of AI? 51:23 Will the Phone be the Primary User Interface to an AI World? 57:07 Quickfire Round    

At least two major geological events are attributed to the Hammer of the Waters - the breaking of the arm of Dorne and the flooding of the Neck. One or both of those were unleashed from Moat Cailin. Why there, and what else might it take to accomplish such sorcery? What are the implications of power on this scale? Perhaps it's related to the magic that made the seasons irregular.HoW Audience Survey - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/howsurvey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bonus Eps & More -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ patreon.com/historyofwesteros⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shirts & Stickers -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠historyofwesteros.threadless.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.historyofwesteros.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Intro/Maps - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠klaradox.de⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook Group -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ bit.ly/howfb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ bit.ly/howdiscord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nina - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠goodqueenaly.tumblr.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In the race to define the future of AI, what's the one advantage that truly lasts? It's not proprietary tech, argues Anush Elangovan, VP of AI Software at AMD, but the sustainable speed of innovation. He explains why AMD is rejecting the "walled garden" model for its open source ROCm stack, betting that an open community flywheel is the key to victory. Listen to understand how this open strategy is designed to out-innovate closed systems by empowering developers to solve everything from frontier-model challenges to the mundane, everyday problems that define the "last mile" of AI.LinearB: Your AI productivity journey starts hereFollow the show:Subscribe to our Substack Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelLeave us a ReviewFollow the hosts:Follow AndrewFollow BenFollow DanFollow today's guest(s):Follow Anush LinkedIn | XAMD ROCm Software: github.com/ROCmAMD Developer CloudLearn more at: amd.comOFFERS Start Free Trial: Get started with LinearB's AI productivity platform for free. Book a Demo: Learn how you can ship faster, improve DevEx, and lead with confidence in the AI era. LEARN ABOUT LINEARB AI Code Reviews: Automate reviews to catch bugs, security risks, and performance issues before they hit production. AI & Productivity Insights: Go beyond DORA with AI-powered recommendations and dashboards to measure and improve performance. AI-Powered Workflow Automations: Use AI-generated PR descriptions, smart routing, and other automations to reduce developer toil. MCP Server: Interact with your engineering data using natural language to build custom reports and get answers on the fly.

In this episode, Joe digs into what he believes will become the final competitive advantage for creators in the years ahead. As AI accelerates and platforms gain the ability to clone creator voices, styles, and content patterns, many of the moats creators once relied on are disappearing. Technology can now replicate content quality. Algorithms can generate reach. Even personal style and voice can be synthesized. The last remaining moat is being known personally by real people. Joe explains why the strongest creators of the next decade will not be the ones with the biggest follower counts, but the ones with the deepest human relationships. He walks through the mindset shift creators must make as algorithmic reach becomes less reliable and as synthetic content becomes indistinguishable from human work. Direct touchpoints such as email, SMS, private communities, and membership spaces become essential because they form the relationship infrastructure that cannot be automated away. Joe also talks about why creators need to take those relationships offline. Real trust happens in rooms, not feeds. A handshake, a conversation, a shared meal, or a small gathering builds connection at a level AI cannot mimic. He highlights real examples of creators who already excel at this, including Andy Crestodina, who brings people together at every event he attends, and Brian Piper, who sets up intentional meetups and one to one conversations long before he arrives onsite. This episode is a call to action for creators who believe the window is closing. If everything online can be copied, then the only thing that cannot be replicated is your humanity. The real opportunity right now is to build a moat of human connection that endures long after algorithms shift and synthetic content takes over. What You'll Learn: Why AI will make most online content instantly replicable How platforms could create synthetic versions of top creators Why direct touchpoints matter more than followers How offline interactions become a long term moat Examples of creators who already practice this well Why being known will outlast any technological disruption Mentioned in This Episode: Andy Crestodina Brian Piper The role of events, meetups, and small gatherings in creator strategy If you want more insights every Friday morning, subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Tilt newsletter at https://www.thetilt.com/. Get Joe Pulizzi's new book Burn the Playbook: https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ Subscribe to Content Inc. here - https://www.contentinc.io/

In this episode, the Acquisitions Anonymous crew breaks down a freshly listed $1.9M indoor pickleball club in Houston, debating whether it's a sports goldmine or a post‑trend trap.Business Listing – https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/pickleball-club/2414949/Welcome to Acquisitions Anonymous – the #1 podcast for small business M&A. Every week, we break down businesses for sale and talk about buying, operating, and growing them.