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On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Plaid CFO Seun Sodipo. Seun explains how her team is using AI to improve speed, accuracy, and ambition; why finance leaders need both bottom-up experimentation and top-down direction; and how she approaches planning, network effects, and building a durable company.—SPONSORS:RightRev is a revenue recognition platform built for the AI economy, helping finance support usage-based pricing, credits, hybrid contracts, seats plus consumption, and whatever commercial model comes next. It gives product teams the freedom to keep innovating without outdated revenue systems slowing them down. Learn how RightRev can help at https://rightrev.com/cjPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer posts 98% of transactions directly to its ERP, with the remaining 2% routed to a human for review. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered workflows that enforce expense policies at the point of sale, match receipts automatically, and reduce month-end close from weeks to hours. Thousands of companies, including Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash, already run on Brex. Stop asking A-level finance talent to do B-level admin work. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtn—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seun-sodipo-1498b580/Company: https://plaid.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro2:12 What Plaid does3:53 How Plaid makes money7:04 Eight months in, not new anymore8:57 Sponsors — RightRev | Pulley | Rillet11:48 Career path: Stripe, Glossier, Plaid14:32 Evaluating durability from the outside15:36 Rising expectations and AI17:23 Top-down vs. bottoms-up AI adoption20:06 Sponsors — Maximor | Brex | Anrok23:20 Coolest AI use case: sorting physical mail25:21 How her questions have changed27:11 AI should make you think deeper27:51 Finance AI Day explained31:23 A four-month journey to usable tools32:22 How AI changed her leadership style33:19 Skills that matter more now36:22 The Objective, Strategy, Tactics framework39:56 What planning reveals about an org41:36 Sequential vs. parallel planning45:38 Measuring the value of a network47:33 What people underestimate about Plaid48:56 Lightning round48:56 Screwed up: the reversed page order49:39 Advice to younger self50:32 Finance software stack51:43 Craziest expense: the photo shoots52:20 Credits
What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITOpusClip: Explore Agent Opus at https://agent.opus.pro/exploreQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactSurfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/bilyeu or use code BILYEU at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.Mamdani sat down with Jon Stewart and made democratic socialism sound like libraries and fire departments. We break down why that framing collapses the second you look at what DSA policy actually says versus how it gets marketed. We get into the rent freeze experiment that already ran in New York, the difference between a social safety net and seizing the means of production, the perverse incentive problem, and why the people this movement celebrates should set off alarm bells. Plus the aggressive-agreement trap: where the left is right about helping workers, and where the branding hides something very different.Tom reacts to a viral Fox News interview with a national co-chair of the DSA—a clip so extreme he initially assumed it had to be a setup. Joining Tom is Drew as the two go point by point through the DSA platform laid out on air: abolishing the Senate, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court, abolishing ICE, opening borders with amnesty, defunding the Pentagon, abolishing prisons, and bringing most large corporations under government ownership. Tom argues this is communism unmasked, and explains why America's founders deliberately built a republic with checks and balances to protect citizens—even from a president they hate—drawing a stark contrast with what happens under unchecked power in places like China and Iran. The conversation then digs into the deeper engine Tom sees behind radical leftism: an ideology rooted in resentment and an "overproduction of elites"—young people loaded with debt and taught that virtue means finding how you're oppressed. Drew pushes the economic angle hard, arguing that a generation locked out of the capitalism ladder, priced out of housing, and drowning in household debt has little reason to defend a system that isn't working for them. Together they wrestle with inflation, minimum wage, NIMBYism, and whether you can defuse the ideological bomb without first fixing the economy. A candid, combative breakdown of one of the most consequential political fault lines in America. Tom takes on Mayor Mamdani's plan to launch five city-owned grocery stores in New York—a $70 million, taxpayer-funded endeavor promising a core basket of goods at 30% below retail. Joining Tom is Drew, who pushes back and presses on the specifics as the two work through why running a grocery store is one of the hardest businesses on earth, operating on razor-thin 1 to 3% margins. Tom walks through the economics step by step: even zeroing out rent, taxes, and profit, a 30% discount on core goods leaves an unavoidable gap—one the taxpayer has to close. He explains how artificially low prices distort the market, put upward pressure on surrounding stores, and threaten to drive local bodegas out of business (who are already suing). Drawing on his own experience selling into Walmart with Quest, Tom lays out the "kingmaker" dynamic and the Vlasic Pickle cautionary tale to show how a state-backed buyer would inevitably bully distributors and suppliers down the chain until someone—often the lowest-paid worker or farmer—absorbs the loss. He points to real-world failures in Baldwin, Florida; Erie, Kansas; and a questionable case in Atlanta, and connects it all to the DSA's July program calling for food, energy, medicine, and transportation to be run "not for profit." The core question Tom leaves you with: what are the odds a government bureaucrat runs a grocery store better than Walmart? His answer is blunt—zero.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Noah Hopton, CEO and Founder of Finvisor, helps startups and growing businesses simplify operations by building integrated back-office teams that combine accounting, finance, payroll, HR, insurance, and technology. By combining experienced financial professionals with modern technology, Noah enables businesses to streamline operations, stay compliant, and focus on sustainable growth. In this conversation, Noah introduces The Adjacent Extension Framework—Earn the Trust, Build the Relationship, Listen for Other Problems, Connect Other Specialists, and Empower the Team with Tech. He explains why proactive service creates lasting client relationships, how solving adjacent business challenges leads to sustainable growth, and why integrated back-office teams outperform disconnected vendors. Noah also shares how AI is reshaping finance operations by automating repetitive work, empowering finance professionals to focus on strategic decision-making, and helping businesses leverage technology to enhance—not replace—human expertise. — How to Outsource Your Back Office with Noah Hopton Good day, listeners. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and my guest today is Noah Hopton, the CEO and Founder of Finvisor, helping seed and Series A companies that have outgrown spreadsheets and part-time bookkeepers but aren’t ready for a full-time finance team yet. Their job is to give you the financial clarity to make good decisions at every stage of growth. Noah, welcome to the show. Yeah. Pleasure to be here, Steve. Well, great to have you here, and I’m very curious about your career and your business and what you built here. I’m particularly curious about your personal ‘Why’ and how you manifest it in your business. Personal ‘Why.’ That’s great. Well, I’ll be honest, I didn’t go in thinking I was going to be an accountant or run an accounting firm. You know, I studied accounting in school. Eventually, I thought I was going to probably be more in a kind of front-of-house sales relationship because I enjoyed the people part—making relationships and meeting people. But I was very fortunate that I found the consulting, fractional CFO world, where I got to discover a love of problem-solving, creating relationships, and creating value for clients. For me, it was kind of this love of helping clients understand their business, helping clients understand what to think about around the corner, where it's not just being in-house with one set of books that you're closing.Share on X When you’re at Finvisor, my day-to-day, at least when I started, was probably working with 10 to 12 clients a month and helping them understand, “Okay, how did they perform last month? Can they hire a certain number of people? And what’s the plan going forward?” Yeah, I mean, that’s super helpful. I started life in accounting as well with KPMG, and what attracted me was to essentially have that language of business so that I would be able to understand how a business works and have this confidence of not flying blind, right? That’s really, really cool. So how did you evolve from a CFO into a founder? What was the trigger point for you? So I was very fortunate. I actually was at a prior firm at one point when I started my career, and they were a little bit like the cobbler with bad shoes, where eventually they decided they had to close shop, and clients were going to be given notice. I, myself, was given notice saying, “Hey, in a week, you’re not going to have a job, Noah.” And so I was really given this moment in life, saying, “Hey, if I enjoy what I’ve been doing, do I think I could do it better than the firm I’d been at? And do I want to make this leap into being a founder and starting a business?” And so my co-founder and I both talked to each other and said, “Look, we love our clients. We love what we’ve been trying to build. I think we just need to do a little bit of a refresh and restructuring of how this operates.” And so we started our own company. I was very lucky that I started with about, I had about 30 clients and a team of four on day one, which I think is unusual. Most people in the accounting space start off as a one-person shop, trying to grow from one to two, and having to double their clients or double their size to get there. We were fortunate to have five team members and 30 clients on day one. Originally, our vision was just, “Hey, let’s help with the fractional CFO and the bookkeeping,” but that really evolved over time as we added additional services and really understood where our clients were having problems in their back office. What are the areas where maybe the insurance brokers they’d been working with weren’t very hands-on and kind of came in once a year? Our clients were asking us, as their CFO, “Hey, can you help us select our health insurance?” And we’re like, “Well, we’re kind of doing the broker’s job. Why don’t we build out our own team?” So that was one of the first verticals we moved into and added by building an insurance brokerage. From there, we kept building, where now not only do you have your CFO and accountant helping you, but you also have them with the ability to go out to market, help you compare quotes, and help get your insurance in place. So you’re essentially expanding the array of virtual services that you’re providing, or fractional services that you’re providing, to your clients? Correct. Yeah. We really try to own the full back office end to end because I think a lot of people deal with, “Okay, great, I have a bookkeeper, I have a tax accountant, I have an R&D tax provider,” and they’re dealing with four or five different vendors that don’t really communicate. The client is the person playing telephone between the two, and we’re like, “Wait, stop. Why is this the solution?” We should just build a different business where it’s all under the Finvisor umbrella. It’s all full-time team members who are actually working together on behalf of the client, even if fractionally. Some of our clients only need five hours of a payroll specialist, but they need someone to own that role, and they need that person to be able to talk to their sales tax team because it’s like, “Oh, we hired someone in a new state. Is sales tax applicable there?” And connect those dots because, when you have these disconnected providers, you have a lot of things that can drop because they’re not in people’s field of view. Yeah, I mean, it’s a great service. If you can get a competent team that will take care of your back office, then you can focus on figuring out message-market fit and then essentially scaling revenue. You don’t have to worry about it, and you don’t have to babysit inexperienced people that maybe you can afford to hire, but who would not be able to own the job. Yeah, exactly. I mean, it’s kind of the, “Do you want to…” You know, I think at least when we started in 2014, there was more of a generalist bookkeeper. That’s kind of the typical solution people went with. Nothing against that, but it’s kind of nice to have dedicated specialists in the different back-office areas that you need. I mean, bookkeepers are great. They’re usually not your best payroll and HR people. They’re not thinking about California final-paycheck laws, or whether you need to offer a 401(k) if you hire someone in California. Whereas, if you have someone whose entire job is payroll and HR, and you need Finvisor to help run your payroll, they’re going to be thinking about those edge cases and helping you along so that you can just build your business, get to the next milestone, and not worry about tripping yourself up because of compliance, taxes, or a lack of visibility in your reporting. Yeah, that’s great peace of mind. So this podcast is about frameworks, and I wonder, what is your framework? How do you help your clients, or how do you figure things out? What have you developed? We’re about 400 frameworks in, so I’m looking for something unique that helps you and is easy to explain—three to five steps maximum. Yeah. I mean, one of the ones that comes to mind for us is what we’ve really called the Adjacent Extension Framework. So, first, do really good work and earn your client's trust in one area. Makes it easy for them to approach you.Share on X For us, it’s historically been accounting. People think, “Great, get my books put together.” But for us, it’s really about creating a relationship and earning the client’s trust. Then, as step two, listen for the other problems they’re having. What are the adjacent problems they’re asking you to solve? And then for us, what we’ve really done is double down in those other areas by building specialists in those verticals. Once you’ve earned the client’s trust, if you’re doing their accounting and all of a sudden they’re struggling with invoicing or collections, you can say, “Hey, we can also help you with accounts receivable and collection efforts because we see your AR balance increasing on your financial statements.” At that point, they’re already thinking, “Great, I like working with this person. Let’s give their team a try and help us solve another problem.” So, for us, it’s really been about finding those adjacent problems, building a team that specializes in them, and then connecting the client with the right expert. The last piece that’s really coming to market now is using technology to empower the team. Historically, a lot of our value came from having experts who could handle the edge cases or the gray areas between payroll, accounting, taxes, and sales tax. Now, with technology, you can also build the data infrastructure to highlight what’s happening for the client while helping guide the team as they manage those clients. Love it. So what I’m hearing is, number one—or maybe even number zero—is do a great job, right? The trust. Okay. So that’s maybe another way of saying it: earn the trust. But is doing a good job enough to earn that trust, or is there more to it? I mean, I think in any service business, you want to be proactive. A lot of bookkeepers, accountants, and even legal professionals are usually waiting for the client to ask a question before providing an answer. I think the goal should be to think ahead for the client and proactively provide guidance. That came naturally for us because we sit in the fractional CFO seat.Share on X But even if you’re just doing bookkeeping, you can still catch these things for clients and help them out. Or if you’re selling P&C insurance and helping clients with their general liability coverage, you can think about what other types of coverage they may need. So I’d say the more proactive you can be, the better. The other thing is meeting clients where they already are. For us, a lot of our clients are on Slack, so we connect with them on Slack. We chat with them as if we were full-time employees because we don’t want the experience to feel different. We don’t want you to feel like you’re emailing a generic support inbox and not knowing when someone is going to get back to you. If you only need fractional-level support, it shouldn’t feel like you’re getting fractional value or a fractional level of communication. I love it. So you actually own the function inside the organization, so it feels like you’re part of the team, or your people are part of their team. So that builds the trust. So, do a great job, or earn the trust, number one. Number two, build the relationship. Number three, listen to other problems that they might have. Number four, connect them to other specialists. And number five, empower the team with technology. Yeah. That’s a lot of it. I mean, as an advisor, we’ve grown… I mean, 60% of our growth comes from client referrals. So I think you know you’re doing something right if clients are recommending you to their friends and network. And so hopefully, if someone’s listening to this and you’re not getting referrals, you should be thinking about, “How do we either create more trust for our clients to be referring us, or how do we become more top of mind when clients are having these conversations?” That’s great. So 60% of your growth comes from referrals. What’s the other 40%? How do you drive growth? What drives growth for you? What’s the other way to drive growth besides referrals? Yeah. I mean, I think it’s also being connected with the ecosystem that you’re in. In our space, there are a lot of technology partners. Think about Xero, which is an accounting software, QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, payroll software like Rippling, Bill.com. They all have accounting partnerships, and the more you can build with them and grow your team alongside them, clients will reach out to them and say, “Hey, do you have someone who can help us set up Bill.com or help us set up Rippling? We don’t have a payroll team to do our state tax registrations.” So we’ve seen a lot of good momentum as our software partners start sending us clients to help us grow. I think the other area is trying to figure out where you can have partnerships that will do introductions. We’ve been very fortunate in partnering with a number of VCs. Obviously, the VCs have worked with us because we’re on the board, or we had a mutual client. A lot of them will start to build partnership channels, and it’s a great opportunity. They’ll say, “We just invested in this company, and you should go talk to Noah’s team to help with your accounting or your fractional CFO.” So it’s really about finding those tangential operators or entities that complement whatever you’re doing. So are these primarily personal relationships that need to scale, or do you have a way to scale this across other people in your organization—this ability to develop partners? Or is it mainly you? It depends on the role. A lot of our fractional CFOs on the team continue to build relationships. I would say probably 40% of our new clients come through a channel that’s not through me. There’ll be other people on our team who have built relationships with another VC or another software company. I think one of the key things we’ve always focused on is hiring people who are very, I would say “doers” might be the wrong word, but people who can self-manage and be project managers. If you find the right people who can take a step back and look at the bigger picture, I mean, sometimes people come to Finvisor and they don’t realize that we ourselves are a business. Yes, you’re doing accounting like you were in-house and getting the books closed, but if you do good work and you realize clients are having problems, you have to think, “Hey, how can I help clients more and also help Finvisor create a win-win?” A lot of times, when we’re hiring, we’re trying to find people who have that type of drive to continue building and helping us internally, and not just do one part of the puzzle they’re responsible for. That might not be the most direct answer, but I would say a lot of it is hiring—making sure it's not just me leading the growth, but me building a team that can help lead the growth outside of just me.Share on X Yeah. So how do you share the context so that your team members can connect the dots as well as you can? What’s your approach to that? There’s a couple of ways we’ve done it. One way is we use a note-taker that then feeds into our CRM. For all client communication, whether they meet with us on Zoom or Google Meet, the transcripts are put into a centralized hub for us. It also connects to our CRM in terms of what we’re doing for the clients. At any point in time, someone can ask, “Hey, what’s going on with this client?” They can understand, “Great, this is what the payroll team talked to them about this week. This is what the CFO team talked to them about last month. These are the problems they’ve been bringing up.” So we can capture that information without it having to be provided orally every single time, and without having to rely on a chat or an email to the team. There are some moments when it’s useful to give the team a larger update, but in general, it’s good to figure out a way to capture the essence of what you’re doing for your clients so that the team can then, in an AI chat-specific way, talk through, “Hey, great, what’s going on with this client? What are their needs? What has changed in the last six months? Who’s working on the client?” I’ll have a VC that we’re talking to say, “Oh, we’re looking to invest in the CPG space and this type of vertical. Do you have any clients?” We’re at a point now where I don’t know every client. I usually have an idea about most clients, but there are definitely clients where I don’t know everything that’s happened in the last six months because I don’t talk to all 200 clients. But I can go to our central hub to gain that information and understand, “Okay, great, which client is looking to fundraise and might want to be connected to this VC?” It’s a nice way to connect the dots. They’re looking to invest. The client is looking to raise. We also do brown-bag sessions. We’re a distributed team, so I think you have to be a little more intentional about how you educate the team. We’ll have weekly meetings where we walk through new technology, new changes in what we’re offering, new positioning, and continue educating the team in a more structured format. The other thing we’ve done to help the team understand what’s going on is to make information as accessible as possible, similar to how we communicate with clients. So the team doesn’t have to log in to a pretty outdated CRM to pull information on a client. It’s either available directly in the Slack conversation or in a more modern tool like Notion, where you can easily search and find the information you want. So basically, you’re managing and harvesting your data and using that to feed people information about how they can develop partnerships. Is that what I’m hearing? Yeah. And I think a lot of it is also figuring out which playbooks and processes are repeatable, documenting them better, and then educating the team around them. For example, with our fractional CFOs, we want to be in the board meeting. If we can be in the board meeting, A, we can help clients answer questions about their finances more easily, and B, it’s good to have visibility into what the board is saying about the business and where they want to go. Then, obviously, the VCs are going to say, “Oh, great, this is Ian at Finvisor.” If he reaches out to me about a partnership, they’re going to have a better understanding of what we do because they’ve been in the room with us—or they’ve been in a virtual or in-person boardroom with us. So you’re basically sharing the playbook so that they have a better understanding of what they can refer you for. Correct. Yeah. So, switching gears here, Noah, what’s one thing that you’re trying to actively figure out in your business right now? I mean, the question everyone is trying to figure out, at least in my space, is how they’re going to use AI in some fashion. That’s the kind of million-dollar question everyone keeps talking about—AI in accounting, AI in finance. Right now, we’re really structured in how we’re trying to use it and apply it. But the question I have is, what’s the next year going to look like? What’s five years going to look like as this technology gets more legs and more trust behind it? We’re pretty intentional about what we’re building and how we’re using some of the newer technology with AI. But I think there’s a lot that, at least for me, you have to continue to iterate. The world today feels different than it did three months ago. I’d say for most of Finvisor’s history—and this has been 12 years—it hasn’t felt like that, where a year later things might feel marginally different because we’re maybe 20% bigger or whatever might have happened. Now, I think there’s a lot more excitement and unknown around technology and how it can either make people more efficient or help highlight and surface better issues that clients need to talk through. But I also feel like we’re in a moment where everyone’s trying to throw AI into every technology. So we're also trying to stay true to who we are, which is people first, relationships first—technology powering us, not being the solution.Share on X So as you’re scaling AI to improve the information that your people have, your CFOs have, that presumably is going to lead to people doing less of the mechanical, repeatable tasks and more of the judgment tasks. So how do you scale judgment as you’re scaling the impact with AI? On our side, I think it’s A, trying to organize and structure the data coming in. B, trying to create tooling that isn’t unique to one client but is built in a way that can be customized for each customer. A lot of the firms I talk to that are in the Finvisor space just take a blanket approach—turn Claude on for every fractional CFO, let them connect it to QuickBooks, and try to figure out their own playbooks. That’s not how we’ve ever run the business. We don’t just hire accountants and let them run the accounting and see how the output turns out. We’re more focused on figuring out what is actually useful for review. Right now, I think AI has been most helpful around quality. It can definitely check that things are consistent and make sure edge cases are being caught. I think we’re going to get to a future state where it’s not only making sure quality is at the 95th percentile of confidence, but also giving visibility into metrics like CAC, LTV, and churn—things that would normally take longer to pull together. Your fractional CFO might currently spend hours reviewing Stripe data or Shopify data to come to a conclusion. AI can cut out maybe 40% of that data-cleanup layer, where it’s like, “Okay, now they have the tools to dig in and understand what the underlying problem is,” instead of spending so much time cleaning up the data and getting everything organized. So currently, at least my thesis is that it’s going to allow us to manage more clients because some of the day-to-day—I don’t want to call it busy work—but the work you have to do before you get to the exciting parts of the job will become more automated and less manual, like pulling data out of Stripe, Shopify, your CRM, or NetSuite. So does that mean you’ll have a different type of people, maybe higher-level thinkers? Or do you think you can elevate your current team to that level? Yeah. I think you’re… Sorry, I know I was originally answering this through the fractional CFO lens. Most of our fractional CFOs are already at the top of that organizational pyramid. For them, it’s really about helping them have cleaner data, better visibility into the actions they need to take, and better insight into what they should be reviewing and discussing with the client. If I think more broadly about the back-office finance team, I do think a lot of the more generalist staff accountant and AP specialist roles won’t be spending as much time on the day-to-day blocking and tackling. If a client has 1,000 transactions a month flowing through their bank and credit cards, historically that accountant would sit in QuickBooks Online clicking “Okay, okay, okay,” reviewing every transaction and coding it. Eighty percent of those transactions will simply be coded automatically in real time as they come in. That leaves them to focus on the 20% that actually requires human judgment. For me, the question is, can we continue to empower those people to be more impactful with that 20%? Are they the right people for that 20%? We’ve always tried to hire people who are proactive and broader thinkers, so I think we have the right team to step into that. If we’d built a traditional BPO model with an outsourced accounting team made up of people who were really just coding transactions at a basic level, I’d be more worried because getting those people to step up and handle edge cases is difficult. But that’s not how we’ve historically built Finvisor. We’ve always tried to find people who are a little more… I’d rather hire an A-plus player than a B-player just because there’s some savings in the cost structure. I’d rather have the right people who can perform 80% of the time when they’re at bat than just hire someone because they’re cheaper. Yeah. Wrong baseball analogy there, but yeah. Yeah, I understand. So you have A-plus people. Maybe the people who are doing more bookkeeping-type services—their jobs may become automated—but your A-players are going to have best-in-class information, and they can serve more clients that way. Yeah. I still think that if you think about the typical accounting structure—if you’re working in-house and you have a bookkeeper and a controller—it’s still helpful. Depending on the size of the company, if you’re a small company, you probably won’t need that bookkeeper. The controller can handle the edge cases and close the books. But at a certain scale, you’ll still want that junior resource supporting the controller so the controller can focus on the higher-level, more strategic work. I think people will simply be able to do more with less if they’re the right person. There will be people who, if they aren’t good at staying on their toes and figuring out edge cases, won’t be the right fit. AI will probably replace some of those roles. But I think there’s a great opportunity for people who can think more strategically. They don’t have to be a CFO. They can just be a really smart bookkeeper who’s good at handling edge cases. They’ll simply be able to manage three times as many clients as they could when they had to code every single transaction. Okay. If you had a magic wand and you could fix one thing in your business over the next 12 months, what would it be? One area that we probably haven’t prioritized enough because of growth is SEO, AEO, and our overall sales build-out. Our paid advertising hasn’t been the strongest part of our business because it hasn’t been the top priority. If I had a magic wand, I’d have someone clean up our SEO and AEO visibility because I know clients love us and we do great work, but I don’t think we’re showing up the way I’d like from an SEO and AEO perspective. So that would be it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Love it. So, who are your ideal customers? Who do you want knocking on your door? Is it venture-backed companies primarily, or do you also work with private company founders? Who are your sweet-spot customers? A lot of our clients are going to be in that 5-to-50-employee range, where they don’t need a full-time back office, a full-time accountant, a full-time CFO, or a full-time payroll specialist, but they need someone to own those roles. That way, we can put together the right Finvisor team to support them. We’ve intentionally made ourselves pretty modular, so while the largest group of our clients is in the tech VC world, we also have a lot of SMBs—law firms, beauty businesses, and other professional services businesses. I would say that, if you looked at the Finvisor client base as a whole, you’d probably see a lot of startups. But we’re also starting to see more SMBs and more traditional businesses that don’t have VC funding but still need help with their accounting, bookkeeping, and modernizing their back office. So it’s a bit of both. Most of our clients are going to be in that 10-to-50- or 100-employee range, where they’re complex enough that they care about their financials and want to understand what they spent last month, where they’re going, and how they’re going to get there. Earlier-stage companies are sometimes just a little too early. If you’re a one- or two-person company with just an idea, there’s a reason people think about their financials on more of a cash basis. They can think about the five clients they’re working with. Their bank balance ties pretty closely to their financials. There’s not a huge difference between the two when you’re a sole proprietor. But as you start to evolve, that’s where Finvisor can provide more value. For all of our clients, we do accrual accounting, so we’re recognizing your revenue and your costs over the life of the service. As you start to grow and build, that’s really helpful. Obviously, if you’re at day one, it’s less impactful because you’re living more day to day, week to week, and month to month. Steve Preda: Okay. So if we have those kinds of companies—which we do among our listeners—and they hear about this and want to fix their back office and outsource it to a reliable partner who can help them own those functions and give them good advice, what’s the best entry point? Where should they go, and how can they connect with you personally as well? Yeah. hello@finvisor.com comes to me and the sales team. There’s probably a 95% chance you’ll talk to me if you reach out because I still love connecting with most new businesses that come through the door. The other area I wanted to call out that could be helpful for businesses is PEOs. PEOs are great, but I think at some point clients need to graduate from the PEO, and Finvisor is uniquely positioned to be both your insurance broker—helping you quote large-group plans—and your payroll and HR team to help you leave the PEO. For a lot of our clients, once they pass that 100-employee mark, it’s like, “Great, we now qualify for a large-group plan,” which might have better rates than what they’re getting through the PEO. They just don’t have the team or bandwidth to get off the PEO. We’ll come alongside those larger companies and say, “Great, let’s quote a large-group plan for you. We’ll also put together a transition plan to register you in the 20 states where your employees are currently located. We’ll make sure you get your workers’ compensation and employment practices liability insurance in place so there’s really no difference—apples to apples—from being in the PEO to running your own payroll.” We help with that transition because I’m always surprised to see companies with hundreds of employees still on a PEO, where the savings could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if they left. They just don’t have the internal team because they’ve always been on a PEO. They’ve never had to do state registrations, so they don’t know how to do them. Because of that, they’re usually not looking for an alternative path to get off that structure. We can at least review it with them and help them out if it’s a good fit. And just to remind our listeners what a PEO is, in case they don’t know. Oh, sorry. Yeah. A PEO is a Professional Employer Organization. If you’ve heard of companies like TriNet or Justworks, they’re PEOs. In the health insurance space, there are four primary ways you can get health insurance. Most companies start with small-group plans in the early days because they’re state-mandated. For example, in California, if you’re under 100 employees, the rates my company gets would be the same rates Steve’s company gets if we’re both under 100 employees and we’re asking Blue Shield for a quote from the same ZIP code. That’s small-group insurance. Then there’s level-funded, where carriers quote specifically based on your employee group. There’s large-group, which is somewhat similar but designed for larger organizations. Then there’s the PEO. Let’s say you’re a 10-person company. You don’t have enough employees to qualify for large-group health insurance, which is usually discounted because the risk is spread across hundreds of employees. The PEO says, “We’ll employ your team. Instead of you directly employing 10 people and buying health insurance for only those 10 people, we’ll employ your team and give you rates based on the 10,000 employees we already have.” PEOs are really popular in places like California and New York, where health insurance is very expensive. But once you get above about 100 employees, you can usually qualify for your own large-group rates, which are similar to what the PEO is getting. The difference is that the PEO is generally marking up those rates because they need to make a margin on the plan. You can often get those rates directly yourself. Yeah. That makes perfect sense. Okay. So if you’re listening to this and you’re building a venture-backed startup, or you’re the founder of a professional services firm, a law firm, or another small business with 10 to 100 employees, and you don’t yet have the budget—or maybe you simply don’t need—a full-time CFO, insurance advisor, HR leader, and other functional specialists, then reach out to Noah and Finvisor. Check out what they have to offer and see what services might be a good fit for your business. Thanks, Noah, for coming on the show and sharing your expertise. It’s fascinating to see how this field is evolving, how you’re tapping into technology, and how you’re focusing on the highest-quality CFOs to help your clients. If you enjoyed this conversation, stay tuned. Follow us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure you don’t miss an episode. Every week, we bring you exciting entrepreneurs and their best management frameworks. Thanks for coming, Noah, and thanks for listening. Thanks, Steve. Appreciate it. Important Links: Noah's LinkedIn Noah's website Noah's email: hello@finvisor.com
On this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, we dive into the complex and rapidly shifting dynamics of Japan's economy and why the entire world—especially investors—needs to pay close attention. Jeff Snider and guest Andre Jik unpack the unraveling of Japan's legendary economic resilience, explaining how decades of low interest rates created a global liquidity engine now threatening to go into reverse. The conversation explores the cascading impact of Japan's monetary moves, from the yen carry trade to the unprecedented pressures forcing Japanese wealth to return home. We break down the psychology driving economic decisions, the looming possibility of authoritarian interventions, and why changes in Japan's bond and currency markets could send shockwaves through everything from US Treasuries to your own retirement account. Whether you're a market watcher or just trying to understand how faraway headlines can hit your wallet, this episode builds a mental map for navigating one of the most important—and misunderstood—economic stories of our time.Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactSurfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/bilyeu or use code BILYEU at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark!Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.Sign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
For decades, Americans have been told that cholesterol is public enemy number one. But cardiologist and heart surgeon Dr. Philip Ovadia says we've been fighting the wrong battle. Despite decades of lowering cholesterol with drugs and dietary advice, heart disease remains the #1 killer in America—and Dr. Ovadia believes it's time to rethink what's really making us sick. After losing more than 100 pounds by adopting a diet centered primarily on meat, Dr. Ovadia began challenging conventional wisdom about cholesterol, nutrition, and metabolic health. Mike sits down with the bestselling author of Stay Off My Operating Table to discuss why he believes insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction—not cholesterol—are driving the epidemic of heart disease. They also dive into his new book, Stay Off My Kitchen Table, available today, and explore why his message has become one of the most talked-about—and controversial—in modern medicine. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors Pure Talk—Switch your phone service today and enjoy your first three months of talk, text, and data for just $15 a month. Go to PureTalk.com/ROWE NetSuite—The #1 Cloud ER. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to NetSuite.AI/MIKE and try NetSuite Next for FREE. GoodRanchers.com/ROWE—Sourcing 100% of their meat from American farms and ranches and delivering straight to your door. Get $50 off anything on their site and get DOUBLE the FREE meat with every order when you start a plan.
Episode IntroductionThe conversation focused on the dramatic changes unfolding in the world economy and their far-reaching effects on personal wealth and global markets. One concept discussed was the historical Hamiltonian economic model, emphasizing the cycle of protecting domestic industries, building manufacturing strength, and eventually succumbing to the temptations of financialization. A key theme that emerged was the current strategic maneuvering of global superpowers—most notably China—moving away from US debt and aggressively acquiring physical gold, signaling a shift in trust and reserve currency status.The discussion explored how America's shift away from its manufacturing roots, driven by decades of financialization and globalization, has created vulnerabilities now being exploited on the world stage. Several points were raised, including the “impossible triangle” faced by policymakers, the deliberate weakening of the US dollar, and the implications of central banks' gold buying for individual investors. Ultimately, the episode challenges listeners to rethink conventional wisdom about currency, assets, and the evolving balance of global power.Sign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactSurfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/CODE or use code CODE at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Joe Anderson, CEO of Connex eCommerce, shares insights on automating complex workflows in e-commerce, integrating legacy systems, and leveraging AI for smarter operations. Discover how tailored automation solutions can streamline your business processes and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.Key topicsComplex workflows in eCommerceLegacy system integration challengesAI and automation in eCommerceCustomizable data syncing and rulesChapters00:00Introduction to Connex eCommerce01:56The Journey of Automation in eCommerce04:03Challenges in Workflow Automation07:17Specialization vs Generalization in Integration09:54Client Profiles and Complex Workflows10:50The Role of AI in eCommerce Automation12:00Complex B2B Solutions and Client Needs12:53Future Trends in eCommerce and AI
SPONSORS: Don't let your mind get in the way of a good time. Discover your options at https://BlueChew.com Visit https://ethos.com/BEARS Enjoy the refreshing citrus kick of Mountain Dew, an American Original. Tasting Great Since '48. Look for Mountain Dew in stores near you at https://mountaindew.com Sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/bears Get started with ShipStation today and get sixty days free at https://shipstation.com, with code cave. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.AI/BEARS. Head to Factormeals.com/bears50off and use code bears50off to get 50% off. This week on 2 Bears, 1 Cave, Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer compare their two very different eras of being fat, Tom's custom-made fat guy shirts, hard visceral fat vs. soft fat, and why losing weight made everyone think Tom got lip injections. Bert's sober documentary binge takes them from Patient Zero "Gay Tom" spreading AIDS across the Air Canada route map to Concorde pricing scams. Tom also reveals the fattest thing he's ever seen Bert do: ten appetizers, four entrées, and twenty doubles in Tallahassee. Bert also retells Bill Hader's retelling of Henry Rollins meeting David Lee Roth, and his daughter's instantly legendary Boston Tea Party take. Then things get real: a midlife crisis YouTube video sends Bert and LeeAnn into a "sell everything and get five apartments in five cities" fantasy, LeeAnn gets brutally honest about when she was happiest, and Tom breaks down the difference between happy and content. Plus: Hulk Hogan inflating Andre the Giant's weight, Julian's belt reaction to the Michael Jackson movie, Whoop resting heart rate brags, Craig Robinson's dunk, and the great first sweat vs. last sweat debate. 2 Bears, 1 Cave Ep. 334 https://tomsegura.com/tourhttps://www.bertbertbert.com/tourhttps://store.ymhstudios.com Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro00:00:52 - Fat Tommy Vs Skinny Tom00:09:16 - Patient Zero, Polio, & The Concorde00:19:38 - The Fattest Thing Tom Ever Saw Bert Do00:23:55 - Bill Hader, David Lee Roth & Boston Tea Party00:32:21 - Hulk Hogan, Macho Man & LeeAnn Off Leash00:36:37 - Five Apartments In Five Cities00:46:12 - Bert's Midlife Crisis Theory00:54:34 - "You're Not Hitting The Notes, Mike"00:57:05 - Whoop Brags & Craig Robinson Dunking01:02:36 - Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
ITU: Ready to break through your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALESign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Welcome back to The Tom Bilyeu Show with cohost Drew and channel Moderator, Ryan! In this episode, today's conversation focuses on the deepening collision between Western values and radical ideologies, examining recent headline-grabbing events—such as a violent attack at a Berlin pride parade—and exploring their broader societal implications. A key theme that emerged was the tension arising from clashing value systems, particularly as mass migration and ideological divides challenge the fabric of Western nations. The discussion explored not just the menace of extremism, but also the influence of far-left political movements, examining policy proposals from groups like the DSA and their potential effects on democracy, culture, and the economy. Several points were raised, including the risks of narrative capture in an age of rapid information, the recurring patterns of history when values collide, the limitations of current U.S. military and economic strategies, and the urgent need for honest debate about immigration, national identity, and the West's future. This episode dives into controversial topics with unflinching honesty, aiming to spark critical thought about the challenges and responsibilities facing societies today.Sponsors:Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactSurfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/CODE or use code CODE at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark! Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this special episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson revisits standout moments from past conversations with Alex Immerman, Curt Sigfstead, Daniel Kang, Adam Ante, and David Laptor. Together, their advice reveals how great CFOs earn trust, challenge founders, speak up when the data says something is wrong, and become true strategic partners without relying on the power of the purse strings.—SPONSORS:Anrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.comPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metrics—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNCJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro3:27 Alex Immerman's favorite CFO interview question4:54 What a weak answer looks like5:26 When the hard calls actually matter6:37 Walt and Roy Disney7:36 Liked even when making unpopular calls8:43 Sponsors — Anrok | RightRev | Pulley11:35 Curt from Clio: ego in the bottom drawer13:52 CFO as supporting cast15:10 Backbone vs. ego: when to use each16:23 Daniel Kang: don't use the purse strings as power17:36 Earn the seat, don't demand it18:52 Money is one arrow, not the whole quiver20:39 Sponsors — Rillet | Maximor | Brex23:54 Adam Ante: finance people pigeonhole themselves26:46 The CFO can sit in any meeting27:30 First 90 days: listen before suggesting28:46 David Laptor: listen, observe, think, speak30:50 Build a culture where speaking up is welcomed31:51 Curt from Clio: don't come in as a know-it-all33:08 Earn trust through curiosity33:46 Beware of all-green dashboards35:28 What would CJ say to Ballmer?37:14 Parting thoughts from Ben38:00 Credits
OpenAI files for a trillion-dollar IPO the same week a pre-release model breaches Hugging Face and 42 state attorneys general open a coordinated investigation. Patrick Moorhead and Daniel Newman also break down AMD's hyperscaler CPU numbers from Advancing AI, the Moonshot distillation accusations, a wave of coordinated AI governance moves in Washington, and a stacked earnings slate spanning TSMC, Alphabet, IBM, ServiceNow, and Intel. The handpicked topics for this week are: OpenAI compresses a trillion-dollar IPO filing, a 42-state AG investigation, and a Hugging Face breach into five days: OpenAI and Anthropic both filed S-1 paperwork the same week 42 state attorneys general opened a coordinated investigation into OpenAI's data handling and safety practices, and a pre-release model reportedly breached Hugging Face days later. Moorhead and Newman question the timing, noting a rogue-agent narrative surfacing in the same week as a trillion-dollar valuation push draws obvious scrutiny. (The Decode) AMD's Advancing AI event puts a number on its hyperscaler momentum: Lisa Su confirmed Helios ships at the end of Q3 with volume ramping in Q4, backed by two-gigawatt capacity commitments from Microsoft and Anthropic and a claimed 70 to 75 percent share of hyperscaler CPU deployments. Moorhead points to NVIDIA's multi-layer software stack as the harder barrier AMD still has to close. (The Decode) Washington accuses Moonshot of distilling Anthropic's models days after Xi Jinping's WAIC keynote: Xi launched a 29-country AI cooperation organization at the Shanghai World AI Conference, and US officials Kratsios and Bessent followed with claims that Moonshot's Kimi K3 model shows data overlap with Anthropic's Opus models. Newman points to NVIDIA hardware in the training runs as evidence the distillation question extends beyond software alone. (The Decode) Five layers of government moved on AI oversight in a single week: Congress drafted a breach-response framework in reaction to the Hugging Face incident, the White House's 30-day pre-release review framework nears finalization, and state attorneys general and statehouses continue advancing their own rules in parallel. Moorhead notes nearly two decades of prior Capitol Hill engagement compressed into a single week of coordinated action, with each branch pursuing a different definition of the problem. (The Decode) Chinese open-source models now account for roughly a third of US developer traffic, and Moorhead and Newman take opposite sides on what it means: Moorhead argues enterprises are de-risking away from frontier-lab dependency, pointing to demand for smaller, workflow-specific open models. Newman counters with Vercel data showing those models capture 29 percent of gateway tokens against just 4 percent of revenue, framing the shift as a price discount that enterprise dollars have yet to follow. (The Flip) TSMC sells out CoWoS packaging capacity through 2026 and confirms a 10 percent price increase for 2027: The company posted a record quarter and committed $100 billion to its Arizona expansion on top of the pricing move. Newman calls the sustained capital spending a signal that the broader AI buildout still has runway. (Bulls & Bears) Google Cloud grows 82 percent as Alphabet posts its first-ever negative free cash flow quarter: The company raised its capital expenditure guidance to $195 to $205 billion and beat on revenue and EPS once one-time gains from its SpaceX and Anthropic stakes are excluded. Newman frames the spending as evidence Alphabet is prioritizing long-term AI infrastructure position over near-term cash generation. (Bulls & Bears) IBM misses Q2 revenue at $17.16 billion and cuts its full-year growth guide to 4 to 5 percent: Mainframe revenue fell 42 percent as enterprises redirected budget toward GPU and AI infrastructure purchases. CEO Arvind Krishna says a portion of the delayed deal flow has already resumed into the current quarter, pointing toward a potential rebound. (Bulls & Bears) ServiceNow crosses $1 billion in agentic AI annual contract value and raises its full-year guide: Agentic AI usage in production climbed 9x in nine months, and the company reaffirmed a target of $1.5 billion in AI ACV by year end. Newman points to margin compression from recent acquisitions as the tradeoff behind the platform's push into workflow and security convergence. (Bulls & Bears) NetSuite's new agentic platform, Next, becomes part of Six Five's own back-office stack: Newman and Moorhead both confirmed their companies are testing NetSuite Next for finance and accounting workflows. Newman points to the rollout as evidence that established SaaS platforms are absorbing agentic features directly into existing systems. Intel posts its fastest revenue growth since 2011 and lifts 2026 capital spending guidance: EPS came in near double consensus estimates, and CFO David Zinsner signaled a significant capex increase for 2027 tied to 14A demand. Moorhead reads the spending signal as confirmation of an anchor customer for the 14A node, ahead of any formal announcement. (Bulls & Bears) Watch the full video at sixfivemedia.com, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode. OpenAI's High-Stakes Week: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/23/g-s1-135085/openai-hacking-ai-models AMD's Advancing AI Push: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/07/20/microsoft-expands-azure-ai-and-hpc-infrastructure-with-amd/ Moonshot and the Distillation Debate: https://x.com/mkratsios47/status/2079933645888880708 Five Layers of AI Governance: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/22/openai-hugging-face-congress-response-01009190 Chinese Open-Source Traffic Debate: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/07/chinese-ai-models-costs-us-openai-anthropic.html ; https://wyomingdatacenterfacts.com/2026/07/20/the-quiet-surge-how-chinese-open-weight-models-are-powering-u-s-ai/ TSMC's Pricing Power: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-21/tsmc-in-talks-to-raise-prices-by-up-to-10-in-2027-nikkei-says Alphabet's Cash Flow Turn: https://qz.com/alphabet-google-second-quarter-earnings-revenue-cloud-072226 IBM's Mainframe Miss: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/22/ibm-q2-earnings-report-2026.html ServiceNow and NetSuite's Agentic Push: https://newsroom.servicenow.com/pressreleases/details/2026/ServiceNow-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Financial-Results/default.aspx ; https://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml Intel's Growth Signal: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/23/intel-intc-earnings-report-q2-2026.html
The yen just hit a 40-year low and Japan is trapped. Whether they hike or freeze, it ends the same way: the pin that pricks our bubble.Tonight's episode is sponsored by NetSuite. For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, Go to http://netsuite.ai/goldTonight's episode is also sponsored by Rockwell Automation. Download their 11th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report at https://rok.auto/sosmInvestors are far too complacent about risks that are now hiding in plain sight. The AI trade cracked this week: Alphabet fell 10% after announcing even higher CapEx, Oracle is down 41% on the year, Meta and Amazon fell, and Microsoft is nearly in a bear market. SpaceX now trades 49% below its post-IPO high with its float set to jump from 5% to 40% by year end, and Tesla dropped 18%, costing Elon Musk nearly $100 billion in a week. Peter Schiff compares the roughly three-quarters of a trillion dollars in annual AI CapEx to the dot-com build-out, where the early favorites went bankrupt and took their vendors down with them.The bigger danger is Japan. The yen fell to a 40-year low against the dollar, the 30-year JGB yield hit an all-time high near 4%, and with debt above 200% of GDP and a policy rate still at just 1%, Japan is trapped. Whether the Bank of Japan finally hikes aggressively or stays timid, the result spills into the United States, potentially forcing the world's largest holder of US Treasuries to dump its $1.1 trillion position. Schiff calls Japan the pin that pricks the far bigger US bubble. Meanwhile the US 30-year yield hit a 20-year high of 5.16% on more than four times the debt of 2006, oil is up 30% in July guaranteeing a hotter CPI, and gold rose on the week even as bonds and stocks fell, with the miners signaling a bottom. He closes on why record-low jobless claims are meaningless in a gig economy and why Trump's new slave-labor tariffs are an unconstitutional tax on Americans.Chapters:00:00 Japan Sparks US Crisis00:41 AI CapEx Reality Check07:51 AI Bubble Parallels13:03 Gold Miners Rebound19:17 Oil Bonds Warning Signs32:16 Japan Debt Rate Trap34:36 Weak Yen Trade Deficits37:22 Japan Creditor Status Slips41:22 Two Japan Crisis Paths44:26 US Vulnerability Dominoes45:21 Unemployment Claims Hype47:20 Why Claims Mislead51:37 New Tariffs Legal Workaround59:03 Wrap Up Subscribe CallFollow @peterschiffX: https://twitter.com/peterschiffInstagram: https://instagram.com/peterschiffTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@peterschiffofficialFacebook: https://facebook.com/peterschiff#PeterSchiffShow #gold #inflationOur Sponsors:* Check out Chilipad and use my code GOLD for a great deal: https://sleep.me* Check out Fast Growing Trees and use my code GOLD for a great deal: https://www.fast-growing-trees.com* Check out Plaud AI and use my code GOLD for a great deal: https://plaud.ai* Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/gold for a great deal: https://www.quince.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code GOLD20 for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.comPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Welcome to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In today's episode, we dive deep into the economic insights of Professor Steve Keen—a renowned economist who famously predicted the 2008 financial crisis. Keen challenges mainstream economic models and reveals the fundamental misconceptions that lead economists to repeatedly misjudge the state of the economy, especially when it comes to debt.We'll unpack why conventional wisdom about government and private debt is dangerously flawed, explore the real mechanics of money creation in modern economies, and explain why ignoring private debt can leave entire nations blindsided by financial turmoil. Along the way, we'll touch on provocative ideas like debt jubilees, the dangers of unchecked debt cycles, and the delicate balance between innovation, lending, and inflation.Strap in as we question what you really know about economics, challenge widely held beliefs, and uncover the models shaping your financial future—whether you realize it or not.Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.Sign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
ITU: Ready to break through your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALESign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=socialWelcome back to another episode of The Tom Bilyeu Show with Tom, cohost, Drew & channel moderator, Ryan. The conversation focused on the chaotic state of global affairs and the rapidly changing technological landscape, with deep dives into geopolitical tensions, economic strategies, and the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence. A key theme that emerged was the ongoing crisis in Iran, including escalating military actions, evolving U.S. foreign policy, and the broader implications for global stability and the energy market. The discussion explored the controversial shifts in AI governance, spotlighting Anthropic's regulatory maneuvers and debates about open versus closed AI models, along with the risks of regulatory capture and the impact on innovation.Several points were raised, including the economic consequences of deindustrialization, the rise of collectibles like Pokémon cards as alternative asset classes, and the ideological battles shaping domestic policies. Throughout, the conversation analyzed the underlying value systems driving both global conflict and technological advancement, ultimately emphasizing the importance of clear-sighted leadership and intellectual honesty in navigating an increasingly complex world.Chapters:00:00 Iran's aggressive threats and warnings08:27 Concerns over US manufacturing capabilities12:08 Nuclear threat and defense capabilities18:40 Trump's approach to foreign conflicts24:47 Cultural misunderstandings in the Middle East32:09 Discussing product safety regulations33:14 Challenges for Small Innovators42:37 Challenges of AI model training48:12 AI market dynamics and challenges53:55 Government involvement and economic tension54:51 Debating open source and funding01:04:30 AI fears and international competition01:07:15 AI and Human Future Dynamics01:13:05 US-Israel wartime information sharing01:17:32 Trading cards as an asset class01:22:59 Shonen Jump's target age strategy01:31:22 Investing in education access01:33:42 Importance of Caloric Deficit01:40:12 Critique on Marxist philosophy01:44:46 Critiquing capitalism and its misconceptions01:49:18 Discussing policy similaritiesSponsors: Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
According to Gartner, at least 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned after proof of concept due to escalating costs, poor data quality, or unclear business value. There are a lot of factors working against them, and too often failure happens when teams are right in the middle of building. They’ve spent significant time, money, IT capacity on something that may very well have been doomed from the start. So how do you know if something is actually worth building with AI or if you should just focus on buying instead? Riley Rogers: Hi, and welcome to the Win/Win Podcast. I’m your host, Riley Rogers. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic is Keith Weaver, Senior Director of Global IT and Enterprise Applications at Highspot. Thanks so much for joining us today, Keith. I’d love if you could just kick us off by telling us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your role. Keith Weaver: I have been leading our global IT team at Highspot. I’ve been in IT for, I think, getting close to 20 years now, just overseeing all kinds of different systems and specialties within those systems. Our IT team at Highspot is IT operations, making sure everyone has devices, equipment, all of that globally. We’re now in seven countries. As well as system engineering, making sure everyone has the right tools, that they’re optimized for the business. And then we have specific teams in IT that specialize in financial systems and HR systems. In the world of AI, it’s a whole new world and it’s a lot of fun. RR: So 20 years in IT, you’ve kind of run the gamut. But it sounds like the last two and a half years have crammed almost 20 years’ worth of change into a very short window. When we were planning for this episode, you mentioned to me that you read four or five newsletters every morning just to keep up with the pace of innovation. Can you walk us through why you’re spending so much time learning and how IT has had to evolve to keep up with this pace of development? KW: What I’ve seen is mostly it’s the same things that we’ve done, except it’s done at a much faster pace. It is kind of an unheard of pace that AI is moving. Every day, the reason I read five different newsletters is because there are so many new things getting released, whether it’s a new model or a new tool, and then there are things within the tools that are getting released. Trying to understand all those things, the new protocols that are getting released, the new ways people are building or executing on AI, or the new things people are learning, is just really critical. And all of that is at a speed that we’re just not accustomed to. So I think that the objective of what an IT team does to continue to keep the business unlocked, able to do their best work with the technology and tools while making it secure and scalable, those things are the same. It’s just the speed now that it’s running, and the speed from the business. The business is moving so fast, and their expectation is that IT continues to deliver at that pace. I’ll give you some examples. I get probably, me personally, not my team, but me personally, I probably get 20 to 50 requests for new connections, new skills, new tools every week. That’s in Slack, in Jira. It’s just nonstop, and that’s just unheard of before AI. It just didn’t happen. It would be like, “Oh, we have this big initiative, and we’re gonna do this thing.” And now it’s just like, “Can I have this? Can I have that?” And all good things, it’s just how do we do that, and how do we keep up? RR: So when you have 20 to 50 requests hitting your desk every week, it can probably start to feel a little overwhelming. And I wonder if the folks who are sending these requests your way maybe don’t know the considerations behind every single one of these ideas. I’d love if you could give us a view of what you’re seeing across the industry as both technical and non-technical teams are all noodling on the idea of how to build with AI, how to buy AI tools, how to bring them all together and create a combination that actually works. What are you seeing? KW: Well, I think if you think back a year to a year and a half ago, mostly people were buying tools. Building was… It’s so funny ’cause we’re talking about a year ago or a year and a half ago, but building was much harder. And really with Claude, the Opus class models that came out, it really started unlocking the ability for everyone to start building. And so since then, the conversation shifted from, “Yeah, we can go buy this tool,” to “We can build this internally.” And there’s a lot of excitement to build because building’s fun. The pendulum just swings often on these things, and so we’re kind of in that wave where everyone’s super excited about building something. And I think we’ll end up in a place that is more normalized, where we’re building some, we’re buying some. We’re doing a hybrid approach. I think that is where we’ll end up. It’s just, it has swung really far to, “Look, we can just go build that thing.” RR: So it sounds like we’re kind of in the early phase of a cycle that you’ve seen time and time again, where surrounded by enthusiasm, but maybe we don’t have much direction. And like you said, building is fun, so I imagine you probably hear a lot of, “Hey, look what I built,” or, “Why can’t we just build this?” So when something like that lands in your inbox, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind? KW: If it’s, “Look what I built,” there’s lots of questions, like how is it being deployed? What’s the next step with this? Who’s gonna own it? How is this actually out in the world, and how are we gonna make sure that it’s as scalable and secure? If it’s a conversation, I would say this is more so where we hear, “We want to build this thing,” or, “We can just go build this thing. Why would we buy this?” I think the thing that I would ask is, what is the long-term path for this? Because deploying is just the first step. It’s the iteration. It’s the test. It’s continuing to deploy it. It’s maintaining it. It’s supporting it. It’s the full life cycle of any software project. What resources are gonna do that? How are we going to maintain this and support this long term? Those are usually the questions that I start asking. RR: And you’re quite equipped to speak to the build side of the equation because you’ve done it. You’ve tackled the planning, the deployment, the maintenance, the ongoing support, the full life cycle, like you said, of a software project. And you’ve done it with AI. I’d love if you could walk us through your first test case. Tell us a little bit about what you were thinking going in, and what you learned along the way about what works, what doesn’t, and what was surprisingly difficult. KW: Yeah. So we built an IT AI agent and an HR agent, and we did that with a cross-collaborative team. I think we started it last fall and then deployed it in February or March this year. And I would say the main objective there was not that these are the tools that are gonna change the way we function. The main objective was a learning. It was an R&D investment. So we knew that we had to, as an IT team, be able to help the business deploy these agents, and we found some use cases that we could. The IT one we can own in-house. The HR one, we already collaborate with them very closely on a number of things. So it felt like a good first step for us to dip our toes, learn a lot about how to build these, what works, what doesn’t. And these agents are more than just chatbots. They really were taking actions in tools like Jira and Workday, Highspot itself. And we built them using the Workato platform, and what we learned through it is it was actually really exciting and really easy to get to a place where this mostly works, and this is pretty, it feels like this could be really powerful. That was, like, the first three weeks. The rest of the time was, “Oh, gosh, how are we going to get this thing so that it doesn’t give somebody some really poor answer from a security standpoint or an HR answer that needs to be rooted in truth?” And then how can we make sure that it repeatedly does these actions no matter what people prompt, that it’s really controlled? I often described it to my team like it was training a four-year-old. I have four kids and they’re all older now, but it was like I was back in those toddler stages. Like, “Why’d you decide to do that? That was a bad decision. Stop.” And trying to train it and get it to that point, it just took a massive amount of time. And since we’ve launched it, it’s a lot of resources to read the conversation, understand what was asked, understand what it did and where it went wrong, then refining it, then retesting it, then redeploying it. It’s a cycle. It’s this continual cycle, and that takes a lot more resources and time than I originally thought it would. RR: Ballpark, what did that investment look like? How long did it take you to build? How many queries did you have to manually validate before you trusted the thing? And how much are you still investing today to keep it alive? KW: In the beginning, you just start giving it manual prompts and testing it to see what it does. Then you produce your test cases, and you manually go through those test cases, and every time you make some major changes, you go through those test cases, make sure that it’s still hitting. Because just changing one little thing, for example, if you take a tool and change the prompt or the description of that tool, you actually have to do regression testing on all the things that someone could prompt, because just changing that one little description, the agentic reasoning could choose to use that tool or not use that tool at the wrong places. So it’s really important to do this regression testing. Then we started going through how do we automate some of this testing, and we were able to do some of that. But I think the biggest takeaway is with software, traditional software, you do regression testing, but if you change this bit of code, really that’s what you have to worry about, anything within that bit of code, not the whole stack, not the whole thing. This was, I think, a really big takeaway. We would make a small change, and something unrelated, completely unrelated, would start acting weird. And then you have model changes. You’re like, “Oh, I want to move to the latest model.” Well, that latest model now, the reasoning’s different, how it picks up tools might be different, and so that also has been a challenge. I think over time, especially as the tools evolve, the automated testing will get easier. We can have Claude, for example, go through and give it a bunch of questions, evaluate the responses. But you’ve got to build that too. That’s all something you’ve got to build in order to maintain this thing. RR: Now, you said this project was conceived last fall, launched, not necessarily finalized, ’cause it’s never really finalized, but launched publicly in the February March timeframe. So now we’re almost a year out from initial conception, couple months out from launch. Given your point about things changing so much in the last year and a half, now knowing what the landscape looks like, would you have built differently or would you have built at all? KW: It’s a great question. I think if I go back to my objective that I needed to learn and I needed my team to learn how to deploy these things and the challenges of it, I wouldn’t change what we’ve done, and they’re still deployed in production right now, although we are not spending a massive amount of time making them better. Would I change what I’ve done? No, but that’s because of where my objective was. My objective wasn’t to massively change the HR process or the IT process. It was to learn. And I think that given the right investment, we could move them further along. However, I do not believe that building something that every business has to do, IT and HR stuff, that… all those questions that we get, both of those teams get, are the same across most organizations. Most of the things employees need to do in these functions are the same across all organizations. So I don’t know that I would double down and want to go build the agentic functionality behind IT and HR. What I would want to do is look at our specific processes, things that are unique about our business, not only where we have the information, but what tools we use, and then maybe specific processes of how we do something, and figure out how do I build that piece and tie it into something that’s delivered. And there are so many, just talking about the IT space, there are so many systems right now that have the agentic functionality and give you the ability to tie in all your different tools. So I would probably try to leverage those rather than just building everything from the ground up. RR: As an aside, I will say I have used both the IT and the HR agents. They’re quite cool. The HR one talked me through my vision insurance at 8:00 PM on a Saturday, so thank you for that. Very helpful. So you mentioned that this was something that you and the team invested in as a learning, so you could understand what the process of building an agentic workflow looked like, an agentic tool looked like. So having now seen what it looks like, what must be invested in order to do this successfully, how do you draw the line between what you can build, what you should build, and what you’re better off just buying? KW: I think you should build the things that are unique to your business. You could think about this as your moat, but I think it goes beyond that. It’s where your processes or the way you handle something is very unique. In those cases, it may make sense to build something from scratch. But if it’s not unique to your business, like go back to the HR and IT, most of it’s just not unique. And so in most cases, when you don’t have something unique, then it likely makes sense to buy it, because you get the power of the organization that has built that tool behind it, pushing that tool forward much faster than you’re ever going to push it forward, ’cause we’re just not gonna hire that many engineers to do it. And so if there’s an IT tool out there that is bringing all that agentic functionality to the forefront, then why would I not leverage that, as long as I believe in the company, they have a track record to deliver, and they have the ability to build on top of it for some unique IT process that I have or some deterministic termination workflow that I want to execute. If I can do that, then I would say let me build what’s unique and tie it into something where the base or the product is being delivered. RR: Outside of that uniqueness component, if you’re a GTM leader trying to make that call, what other questions would you be thinking about and asking yourself? KW: I think I would just go back to that uniqueness test. Is this unique to my business? Is this a unique sales motion, a unique thing that we do here because of what we’re selling or how we’re selling that I can’t expect a vendor to build this or be able to deliver it? Or is it roughly the same thing everyone else is doing, the same problem everyone else is trying to solve? There are unique components, ’cause there are always unique components to this, but those unique components can be built alongside or included within that tool. And here’s the wonderful thing, if you just take AI or Claude, for example, we’re using Claude internally, you have a tool that has all the MCP capabilities like Highspot, like Salesforce, and you have some unique process with some maybe even proprietary tool that you want to do. Well, the great thing is you can bring that all into Claude. You can use Workato or build a skill within Claude and use that, whatever you’re building for that unique process, that unique system, and tie it in with those other tools that already are giving you a lot of functionality, and now you’ve expanded what you already had, and you’re spending your time in that uniqueness layer. What’s unique to us? That, to me, there’s value in that, to build there, because you’re not gonna get another organization to spend the time, money, or energy building on that. RR: So it sounds like it kind of comes down to a basic cost benefit call. Is the upfront investment and ongoing maintenance worth what that unique build will actually deliver? KW: When you’re doing the cost analysis, you can’t look at just what it costs to build. You have to look at the full life cycle. An analogy for you is, if you go back, maybe 20 years when SaaS really became a big thing, you had Salesforce kind of leading the charge. In all of the sales cycles, they would say, “You no longer need servers, and you no longer need admins.” The business manages this themselves, and everyone was super excited. Oh, this is gonna, the ROI’s gonna be so great on this. The business is gonna own this. We can move really quickly because we can change workflows and do this stuff and own it all internally. We don’t need an IT team to manage servers, et cetera. And everyone got really excited about this, and I remember all those years ago being like, “Guys, I don’t know if that’s really gonna be true.” So now you fast-forward, and it hasn’t been 20 years. For the last 15 years, we’ve been actually hiring system admins like crazy. We have Salesforce admins, NetSuite admins, Workday admins, Jira admins, and we are spending millions of dollars on these admins to maintain these systems that were supposed to have a great ROI. And I haven’t seen any studies on it, but I bet if we could compare on-prem with old software that we used to buy and put on-prem to SaaS, we would say that it was a lot cheaper to do it. And we’re not gonna go back. We’re not gonna do that any differently anymore, but I think we have to use that same type of lens. The ROI is not just the build. It is how are we gonna maintain this and keep it long term. RR: Yeah, and that’s the pendulum swing you mentioned earlier. Excitement, then reality hits, then we’re back to the next shiny thing. For those in that stage of enthusiasm that maybe don’t know what they’re getting themselves into, what do you wish they understood before kicking off a build or approaching IT with an idea? KW: I think the full cost. That you can’t do the math by just looking at what it costs to build, or that I can get a couple of my key people to go build this thing in Claude, but it’s how are we going to scale this in the organization? How are we going to deploy this thing? How are we going to maintain it? How are we going to support it? Who’s gonna take the support questions at midnight when they come in? And then how are we gonna iterate to keep ahead and make sure that it can do everything that we need it to do and stays ahead of where the business is going? RR: And when you’re having those conversations, at what point should IT actually be in the room? And what happens when you’re not? KW: I think that IT should be brought in the room as soon as a team is saying, “We can build this instead of buying it.” And really, I think that IT is not there, or hopefully we’re not there to say no. We’re there to help shed a light on what it’s actually going to take long term so that we make the best decisions. Because ultimately, I think we understand the technology and we understand the challenges of deploying stuff like this and then maintaining it long term. That’s what we do. And so if we’re in the room earlier, we can at least shine a light on it and give kind of that picture of reality so that we’re making the best decisions and there’s no surprises. Because the worst thing is that decision to build is made, they start building it, they realize they need IT’s help, and IT has a roadmap. We don’t have the resources or the ability to step in and solve this problem. Now you’ve wasted money. RR: Yeah. I saw a really interesting stat from some original research by Influ2. They surveyed marketing and sales leaders that are in the market for technology, and of those leaders, only 10% of them saw the IT perspective as valuable during the evaluation. 38% of them, however, then came back and said our biggest blocker, the number one blocker, in fact, was IT. So that disconnect is very clear, and it’s causing very clear consequences down the line. KW: I think what I would say is the best IT teams don’t want to be blockers. We don’t get excited blocking what the business is doing. We get excited leveraging the technology and moving it forward as fast as possible and seeing the business successful. So that’s what we want to do. It’s really hard when decisions have been made that back us into a corner and we’re like, “There’s no way to scale this, support this, continue this.” And then we’re seen as a blocker, but if we just had the conversation earlier, we could actually mitigate that much earlier. RR: So it sounds like the theme here is that your IT team wants to be a partner, not a gatekeeper or a blocker. And so knowing that, bring them along for the ride. Give them a seat at the table. Your programs, your investments will be better for it. If you had to boil this all down to one tip for marketing, sales, or enablement leaders on partnering with IT as they bring AI into their tech stack, what would it be? KW: I think if you can bring the IT team in and have a forward-looking view over the next year, over the next two years. It’s really hard to look two years out with AI and how fast it’s moving, but over the next year maybe, this is where we want to get. This is what we want to automate. This is what we need to fix. This is what we need to deliver in order to continue to execute on our objectives. If IT is on the same page there, we can be a proactive resource and help to get them there. We read all these things every day, there might be something that I’m seeing in the market or happening that I can bring to the table. Or at very least, when you come to me in six months and say, “Okay, I pulled the trigger on this thing,” we had that conversation. I knew it was coming. I knew the direction we were going, and directionally I was aligned with you, and so now I’m supporting that initiative rather than it being a surprise with no resources. So let us help with the roadmap. I think if we could do that across the whole business with IT, we would win together. RR: The one pretty clear takeaway, I think, whether you build, whether you buy, or whether you land somewhere in between, bring your IT team into the conversation, and you’re set up either way. Keith, last question for you. Just curious, what would you say to someone who looks at this build, buy, blend conversation and asks, “Why don’t I just build Highspot myself?” KW: When you build something as big and as complex as Highspot, there’s a lot of learnings that happen, a lot of iterations, a lot of changes to get to where you are. And trying to build that from scratch is very difficult. And I think the next thing that you may hear is, “Well, we can cobble this together.” I would just say you’re going to maintain that thing that Highspot has a full engineering team to make that as wonderful and as best as it can be. And how many engineers can you staff to do that and keep the velocity of it so that whatever you’re building is gonna move faster and be better than what Highspot’s building? And then what’s that gonna cost you? Going back to that build versus buy, when you start looking at how many engineers it takes not only to build it, but then to maintain it, support it, deploy it, I think the ROI doesn’t pencil out. RR: The moment you throw out the phrase cobble together, I think you’ve kind of already answered your own question. Keith, thanks for the window into a world most of us in go-to-market rarely see. This was a lot of fun, and I’m really excited to share the news. IT is there to help, and when you give them a seat at the table, your AI investments will be better for it. KW: Yeah. Thank you so much. I appreciate the time. RR: To our audience, thanks for listening to this episode of the Win/Win Podcast. Tune in next time for more insights on how to maximize go-to-market success with Highspot.
Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In this episode, we dive into the complexities behind the recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) report with Jeff Snider, creator of Eurodollar University. As inflation rates drop, the mainstream narrative celebrates apparent progress— but is this really the good news it seems?Jeff breaks down why the numbers aren't just about falling oil prices, revealing a deeper, crisis-driven deflation that spells trouble for both consumers and the broader economy. We unpack why traditional metrics might not tell the full story, how demand destruction—not healthy innovation—is driving price changes, and why core indicators point to widespread economic fragility rather than a return to prosperity. From the knock-on effects of COVID-19 policies to the persistent struggles of real wage growth, this conversation challenges conventional wisdom and offers tools for understanding the true signals within the chaos.Join us for an eye-opening exploration of what's actually happening beneath the economic surface— and hear why understanding these dynamics might be the most important financial education you get this year.Sign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Datadog SVP of FP&A AJ Ljubich to break down the four stages of a world-class finance team.—SPONSORS:Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.comPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-ljubich-cfa-727ab912/Company: https://www.datadoghq.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro2:42 FP&A as a product team4:53 The five pillars of AJ's team6:39 How far FP&A has come7:33 How do you know you're doing a good job?10:20 FP&A as the dashboard, not the engine10:20 Sponsors — Brex | Anrok | RightRev13:18 The four-stage FP&A maturity model16:00 Can you reach all four stages at Series B?16:45 Why AJ holds weekly forecast meetings18:24 How often to actually change the forecast21:42 Sponsors — Pulley | Rillet | Maximor24:49 Single source of truth: still on the vision board26:12 AI and the self-serve data risk26:21 CAC payback over LTV to CAC29:39 Inside sales vs. enterprise payback comparison31:47 Finance as the yes, but people34:02 FP&A vs. IR: which is harder?36:14 How IR makes you a better FP&A leader37:19 Is the IR profile shifting?42:01 IPOs are branding events, not finish lines43:27 The Datadog IPO during the WeWork meltdown45:15 Career philosophy: do great work where you are49:52 Datadog didn't have a role for AJ when he started52:16 Lightning round52:24 Screwed up: forgot the currency guy54:37 Finance software stack56:16 Advice to younger self57:13 Credits
ITU: Ready to break through your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALESign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=socialWelcome to another episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu! In today's show, Tom dives headfirst into the latest groundbreaking developments shaking up the worlds of AI, geopolitics, and beyond. From OpenAI's latest model hacking its way out of a test environment and the explosive competition between American and Chinese AI models, to major policy moves from Trump—think tariffs on generic drugs and high-stakes strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities—Tom pulls no punches unpacking the biggest stories. Along the way, he tackles pressing questions about the arms race in artificial intelligence, election integrity, and shifting global economic power.Expect candid analysis of how propaganda and incentive systems drive both technology and politics, the philosophical debates raging around AI regulation, and some lively cultural detours—including the future of human longevity and what Christopher Nolan's latest epic says about morality. Loaded with sharp perspective and a commitment to exploring all sides, this episode is your window into the headlines that will shape our future. So buckle up—today's conversations may challenge everything you think you know.Chapters: 00:00 Discussing unbiased news sources07:12 AI moving at machine speed15:41 Self-regulating through personal values20:52 Concerns about AI training data25:47 Deciding between patent or trade secret27:13 Discussing Palantir's AI solutions36:49 Reflecting on initial thoughts on Iran40:54 Trump's strategy with Iran47:30 Admitting uncertainty in discussions51:11 China and the concept of fascism55:59 Discussion on voter fraud concerns01:00:57 Discussing media and integrity standards01:05:07 Senate's role in representation01:13:44 Cultural sensitivity in character adaptation01:18:07 Praising Christopher Nolan's latest film01:21:54 Cell aging and methylation process01:31:19 Speculating on new nation concepts01:36:30 Gambling laws in video gamesSponsors: Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sam Levy's first sales job involved a phone book, a rotary phone, and 200 cold calls for one yes. He was still in college when he started a telemarketing gig with no playbook, no CRM, no email. Eighteen months in, the company went public, and the telemarketing kid was sipping champagne in the boardroom. This episode reveals everything that happened between that room and the one he sits in now: head of go-to-market strategy and execution at Oracle NetSuite, running a business that's grown from $250 million to $4 billion. Sam walks Devin through how to build a career in software sales, rung by rung: how to pick your first sales job and your first boss; why hustle gets you started but cadence gets you promoted; why the top rep usually makes a rough first-time manager. He tells us when to leave a job, when to let a rep go, and what to do with the lone wolf who crushes quota but poisons the room. Plus, a prediction: 90% of the next generation of software CEOs will come out of sales and marketing, not engineering. Whether you're an operating partner, an SDR in your first seat or a CRO wondering what's next, this is the insider's guide to success. Discover more at NetSuite.ai
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Oracle today announced a new AI-native builder experience for Oracle AI Agent Studio for Fusion Applications to enable customers and partners to create and run Fusion Agentic Applications natively within Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications. Related, as part of NetSuite release 2026.2, NetSuite is beginning the North America rollout of NetSuite Next, the next generation of NetSuite with AI built into its core. NetSuite Next introduces Ask Oracle, our conversational AI assistant, as the foundational AI capability at the core of the experience.Connect with us!https://www.erpadvisorsgroup.com866-499-8550LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/erp-advisors-groupTwitter:https://twitter.com/erpadvisorsgrpFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/erpadvisorsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/erpadvisorsgroupPinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/erpadvisorsgroupMedium:https://medium.com/@erpadvisorsgroup
MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on breaking news from the day. Chapter: For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial 82-MEDICARE (826-334-2273) to speak with our trusted partner, Chapter, or go to https://askchapter.org/mtn Disclaimer: Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan's contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don't directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. JiYu Skincare: The Korean skincare brand everyone is talking about. Our listeners get 20% off their entire order by using code MEIDAS at https://Jiyuskin.com #JiYu #ad Netsuite: Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom. https://NetSuite.AI/MEIDAS. Home Chef: Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% OFF and FREE shipping for your FIRST box PLUS FREE dessert FOR LIFE! Go to https://homechef.com/meidas Ridge: One thing to pack, five ways to power! Get up to 40% off @Ridge during their Father's Day Sale at https://ridge.com/meidas Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In today's deep dive, Tom unpacks why economic analysts missed the mark when predicting oil prices amid the ongoing war in Iran. Despite forecasts of oil soaring to $200 a barrel, prices unexpectedly plummeted—even as major shipping routes were disrupted and military tensions escalated. Tom takes us through a detailed timeline of the conflict, examines the surprising role of China's shrinking oil demand, and reveals how outdated economic assumptions failed to account for a global downturn already brewing beneath the headlines. By connecting supply, demand, and the hidden frailties of both the Chinese and U.S. economies, Tom explains why falling demand—not war or supply shocks—now holds the key to understanding the global market's future. Whether you're an investor, entrepreneur, or simply curious about the forces shaping our world, this episode exposes the deeper story behind today's economic anxiety and offers practical strategies for navigating uncertain times.Sign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
ITU: Ready to break through your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALESign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=socialWelcome back to another live episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, Cohost Drew and Moderator Ryan, where we dig deep into the pressing issues shaping our world right now. In this episode, Tom unpacks the escalating conflict in the Middle East, including the deadly attacks on US soldiers and the global economic repercussions. He explores the surge in Americans leaving the workforce, reflects on the economic crises gripping both the US and China, and breaks down the perils of populist rhetoric and the dangers of historical amnesia in politics.Tom also dissects a viral interview with a DSA co-chair blaming capitalism for Peru's downfall, contrasting that narrative with a historical analysis of Peru's real struggles. The episode navigates contentious debates about government interference in markets—from public grocery stores to state-subsidized industries—and the future of AI as China's Kimi model challenges US dominance.Rounding things out, Tom and the team tackle the latest on the Tate brothers' arrests, the realities of rising social discontent, and the difference between emotionally resonant political messaging and real solutions. Get ready for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation that combines history, economics, and the urgent social questions of our time.Sponsors: Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Dave McClure and Aman Verjee of Practical VC to talk about the evolution of startup investing — from the PayPal mafia and Founders Fund era to 500 Startups, YC-style scale, and today's secondary market.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.comPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetrics—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuests:https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemcclure/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-verjee/Company:https://practicalvc.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro3:00 Writing as a distribution strategy5:17 How Dave's blog led to Founders Fund7:24 Aman: writing at PayPal and law school9:29 PayPal: the red pen of David Sacks11:44 Sponsors — Rillet | Maximor | Brex14:59 500 Startups: the original thesis16:22 The volume strategy: more shots on goal18:44 Twilio, Lyft, Sendgrid, Credit Karma20:15 60x returns: right place, right time23:07 Sponsors — Anrok | RightRev | Pulley25:58 Accelerator ecosystem evolution28:42 500 vs. YC: scale as a weapon32:52 Globalizing the accelerator model35:04 Seed to secondaries: how it happened37:00 Scratching their own itch for liquidity38:10 The secondary market explained40:50 Types of secondaries43:29 Why would a VC sell a winner?46:07 Managing DPI as a late-stage manager47:02 The five horse framework49:15 Skipping the J curve51:44 Imperfect information as a feature55:22 Landmines: fraud, mismarked valuations57:00 VCs lie about valuations three ways57:58 Forward contracts and counterparty risk1:00:29 Credits
Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In today's episode, we dive headfirst into the heated debates and pressing questions shaping our future as artificial intelligence advances at breakneck speed. Drawing inspiration from a recent Joe Rogan conversation, we explore a provocative question: what happens to society, meaning, and individual purpose when AI makes work and basic survival obsolete?You'll hear why the popular vision of a utopian, abundance-filled future—where robots do all the heavy lifting and humans are free from mundane labor—might not play out as optimistically as some hope. We unpack the evolutionary wiring that compels us toward meaningful work, the existential risks of losing our sense of purpose, and the sobering lessons of the infamous “Mouse Utopia” experiments. Alongside compelling analogies, cultural observations, and big questions about regulation, generational adaptation, and mental health, this episode offers guidance for finding purpose in an era of abundance—and warns of what might happen if we fail.Get ready to rethink assumptions about work, happiness, AI, and the future of human fulfillment.What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
President Trump addresses the nation in a rare primetime speech about threats to our elections, Secretary of War Hegseth announces a new testosterone policy for the military, and the Trump administration moves forward with major reforms of Smithsonian museums after a report finds anti-American bias. Reporting Cabot Phillips & Megan Basham. Plus, we speak with Dr. Haleem Mohammed, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Gameday Men's Health. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2896- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Good Ranchers - This month, you can get $50 off your first order when you head to https://GoodRanchers.com and use our code WIRE at checkout. NetSuite - For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. Go to https://NetSuite.AI/MORNINGWIRE. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ever feel like you're being told the economy's amazing, but your life doesn't add up? Like, how can the stock market be breaking records and yet you're struggling just to feel caught up? Oh friend, THIS is the episode for you. I sit down with Jeff Snider—global macro expert, financial historian, and host of Eurodollar University—who blows the lid off the mainstream narrative about money, inflation, and why your reality feels so out of sync with Wall Street's hype.Get ready to have everything you thought you understood about interest rates, “money printing,” and economic growth completely recalibrated. Jeff Snider explains why the classic story of government spending = runaway inflation just doesn't hold up. Instead, he exposes how our obsession with “cheap money” and the stock market distracts from the real, depression-like conditions most people are feeling every day. If you want to finally understand why houses and cars seem impossibly out of reach and why your paycheck never stretches as far as it used to, this episode is your Rosetta Stone.Welcome back to Impact Theory! In today's episode, host Tom Bilyeu sits down with macroeconomic expert Jeff Snider for a deep dive into what's really happening beneath the surface of the global economy. Is the world on the brink of an AI-fueled bubble, or are we actually living through a modern-day depression hiding behind record stock market highs?Jeff Snider brings a contrarian perspective—arguing that the traditional indicators most people rely on, like rising stock prices and inflation headlines, are misleading. Instead, he unpacks the true signals of economic health: yield curves, demand for safety and liquidity, and the importance of global monetary systems like the eurodollar. Together, Tom Bilyeu and Jeff Snider explore the roots of current economic distress, the lasting impacts of lockdowns and supply shocks, the growing pull towards socialism, and what it will take to reboot prosperity for the next generation.Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges conventional wisdom and offers a roadmap for navigating uncertainty in today's interconnected and unpredictable world.What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ breaks down Cumberland Farms' IPO filing and the surprising business behind it.—SPONSORS:RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.comPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtn—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNCJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro2:57 Key metrics4:28 Europe now out-earns America5:01 $5.8B debt at 8x leverage6:20 TLDR: snacks, gas, borrowed money7:58 Fuel vs. inside: the gross profit photo finish8:58 COCO, CONCO, and OTHER explained10:57 Sponsors — Maximor | Brex | Anrok14:02 Why scale matters: four reasons16:02 The US convenience store market17:42 EVs: long the birth rate18:05 Back to the debt19:10 The sale leaseback20:24 Sponsors — RightRev | Pulley | Rillet23:26 Does the deleveraging math work?24:27 The growth thesis25:06 600–700 stores become Cumberland Farms26:16 The chicken fryer ROI27:00 Coffee and loyalty: 6M members in 13 months28:15 Red flag 1: five-for-five COSO failures28:41 Red flag 2: entire C-suite is new29:04 Red flag 3: lending to their own parent29:42 Red flag 4: Big Tobacco funds loyalty29:57 Red flag 5: foreign issuer, Cayman charter30:10 Red flag 6: one supplier is 31% of costs30:32 Red flag 7: balance sheet is stale30:45 Cap table: TDR Capital and the Issa brothers31:55 Casey's vs. ARCO33:47 Goldman got bumped34:08 Massachusetts banned the pump clip until 201534:57 No health insurance disclosure for 16K US workers35:30 Robert Swan (ex-Intel CEO) is on the board36:08 Credits
What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuStraight Arrow News: Go to san.com/tombilyeu to get the unbiased truth on the stories that matter, only on the Straight Arrow app. Let's exit the echo chamber.Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryWelcome to The Tom Bilyeu Show Live. In today's episode, Tom, Drew, and Ryan break down a packed news cycle starting with the biggest CPI inflation drop since Covid and why it may signal a deep economic sickness rather than a recovery. Tom walks through the mechanism behind the drop, the collapse in labor force participation, and what China's refusal to buy oil despite falling prices reveals about a hidden downturn tied to its $18 trillion housing crisis. The conversation connects the global energy picture directly to the Iran war, where Trump has now formally notified Congress that the US is at war, restarting a 60-day clock and shifting toward a doctrine of disproportionate response. The team explores how a softening economy could hand Trump a political win heading into the midterms, and what China's distraction could mean for Taiwan.From there the episode moves into election integrity and immigration, including a Senate seat filled without an election, the bundling of voter ID with a US-Israel military bill, and a heated three-way debate on incentive structures, ballot harvesting, and the populist moment. The crew digs into ICE temporarily suspending most vehicle stops after multiple fatal shootings, including the death of a Colombian man with a work permit who wasn't the target, and what humane, rule-of-law policing should actually look like. The group then has an extended debate on fully AI-generated political ads, network TV, satire, and whether the answer is regulation or a technological trust system. Finally, Japan reclassifies crypto as a financial instrument, banning insider trading and opening the door to spot crypto ETFs, alongside quick hits on Circle's national trust charter, an AI companion from the makers of Genshin Impact, a SpaceX-founded manufacturing startup, and an Indian company breaking China's grip on rare earth magnets.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
You know those wild tech headlines that make you wonder if the whole AI boom is smoke and mirrors, or if we're on the verge of a revolution? Today's episode is for every single one of you feeling FOMO, confusion, or flat-out dread about where tech is going and how the world will look in a few years. We're digging deep into the BEAR CASE for AI—what's fact, what's hype, and what might bankrupt half the industry before our jobs even change.We break down the no-nonsense take from Ed Zitron (the guy calling B.S. on AI hype), paired up with hot-off-the-press financial receipts, juicy tech drama, and a reality check from Palantir CEO Alex Karp. We're talking margins, runaway spending, why enterprise buyers are majorly sketched, and how every new tech revolution leaves a trail of broke first-movers in its wake. If you've got money in the market or just fear the next bubble pop, you NEED this convo.Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In today's episode, we dive into the heated debate around the future of AI, spurred by Ed Zitron's bearish perspective that claims the industry is overhyped and built on shaky financials. We'll explore the staggering costs and mounting debts at the heart of today's AI giants, the skepticism around their business models, and whether major players like OpenAI and Anthropic can ever become profitable. We'll also examine Palantir CEO Alex Karp's insights on how enterprises are reacting to AI's current shortcomings and the necessity of proprietary solutions to protect company data and foster innovation. Get ready for a deep-dive into the economic realities, risks, and road ahead for artificial intelligence—where technological promise collides with financial reality, and only time will reveal if we're witnessing the birth of a true revolution or the next big bubble.Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
ITU: Ready to break through your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALESign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Welcome to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu! In this dynamic live episode, Tom dives headfirst into a whirlwind of the week's most electrifying news and conspiracy theories. From the shocking and sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham and its ensuing firestorm of global conspiracies, to escalating U.S. military actions and rising trade tensions with Canada, no critical topic goes untouched. Tom unpacks why oil markets aren't behaving as expected amidst conflict, the explosive lawsuit between Apple and OpenAI, and how American manufacturing ingenuity is making a comeback in defense tech. Along the way, the team explores the intersection of geopolitics, tech innovation, and even the unexpected risks of pillow talk within national security—all with Tom's signature analytical rigor and unfiltered perspective. Buckle up: this is an unmissable conversation about power, narrative, and the future unfolding before our eyes.Sponsors: Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Colin C. Campbell, is a Serial Entrepreneur and #1 best selling author in 15 categories and 13 awards on Amazon of Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Colin started, scaled, and exited over a dozen companies worth almost 1 billion dollars including Tucows, Hostopia, .CLUB Domains, GeeksforLess and Paw.com. Colin also runs Startup Club with 1M members. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Great entrepreneurs build wealth by knowing when to start, when to scale, and when to exit. Holding on forever can be far riskier than taking chips off the table at the right time. 2. The best business ideas solve real problems, scale efficiently, and create defensible moats that competitors cannot easily copy. 3. AI is creating the greatest startup opportunity of our generation. Entrepreneurs who immerse themselves in AI today will be positioned to benefit from the next major wave of wealth creation. Grab a copy of Colin's bestselling book on Amazon - Start, Scale, Exit, Repeat. Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. NetSuite - NetSuite Next is the next huge leap in how business gets done, with AI built into everything you do. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, try NetSuite Next for free at NetSuite.ai/fire. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom. Framer - Learn how you can get more out of your site from a Framer specialist, or get started building for free today, at Framer.com/fire for 30 percent off a Framer Pro annual plan.
In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with Rogo president Rahul Rekhi to unpack what AI actually changes in investment banking and finance. They dig into token economics, why adoption without ROI is a trap, how vertical AI wins, and why domain expertise still matter.—SPONSORS:Pulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.com—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulrekhi/Company: https://www.rogo.ai/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:A CFO Explains the Stock Exchangeshttps://youtu.be/pooOE6ZNGR4A CFO Explains Marketplaceshttps://youtu.be/LpbH9GpBrSY—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro2:44 Why finance was first to verticalize AI6:28 What the president title means at Rogo9:55 Sponsors — Pulley | Rillet | Maximor13:02 The problem Rogo is solving16:16 Token maxing is not transformation17:43 Why ROI is so hard to measure19:39 Sponsors — Brex | Anrok | RightRev22:37 ROI is business-unit specific24:03 Budgeting tokens like a benefits load25:00 AI incentives aren't aligned to efficiency26:26 The model broker function32:03 Not all token spend is equal37:14 Who owns AI efficiency?40:59 The forward deployed banker43:00 Domain expertise: the Interstellar analogy49:21 Lightning round49:28 Screwed up: DCF error in a live deal51:13 Will new grads have the spidey sense?53:03 Meeting Pope Francis55:04 Fact-checking jobs numbers at the White House57:39 Advice to younger self59:21 Credits
This Week In Startups is made possible by: NetSuite https://NetSuite.ai/TWIST Squarespace https://squarespace.com/twist YSecurity https://YSecurity.io/TWIST Today's show: *America posted 400,000 farm jobs last year, and fewer than 1% got a single domestic applicant. Danny Bernstein of Reservoir believes it's time to start automating this backbreaking labor, like picking stone fruit in 110°F temperatures. So he built the world's first on-farm robotics incubator on 40 acres of California farmland. Here's why he argues that automating farms isn't just a new opportunity, it's a national security issue. PLUS Jason responded to Gal Shir's viral "AI beat me at design" tweet, got into a kerfuffle with Figma CEO Dylan Field, and wound up making a brand new J-Trade. AND we're talking about the Dept. of Education's new "do no harm" policy, the Brown University AI cheating chart that's blowing up social media, and Lon has fresh streaming recommendations in an all-new Off Duty. Guest: Danny Bernstein on X: https://x.com/bernsteind Reservoir Farms: https://reservoir.co/ Reservoir VC: https://reservoir.vc/ Relevant Links: Bonsai Robotics: https://bonsairobotics.ai/ Root AI acquired by AppHarvest: https://www.therobotreport.com/root-ai-acquired-by-appharvest-for-60m/ John Deere: https://www.deere.com/en-us/ Western Growers Association: https://www.wga.com/ Tanimura & Antle: https://www.taproduce.com/ Naturipe Berry Growers: https://www.naturipefarms.com/ Driscoll's: https://www.driscolls.com/ Taylor Farms: https://www.taylorfarms.com/ The Wonderful Company: https://www.wonderful.com/ Capital Factory: https://www.capitalfactory.com/ Gal Shir "quitting design" post: https://x.com/galshirart/status/2074854464729629060 Dylan Field response to Gal Shir: https://x.com/zoink/status/2075290218660298807 JCal response to Field and "J-Trade": https://x.com/Jason/status/2075481565115654305 Figma: https://www.figma.com/ Dept. of Education: "Do No Harm" policy announcement: https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-issues-final-rule-hold-all-colleges-and-universities-accountable-low-earning-programs NPR coverage on Dept. of Education earnings test: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/30/nx-s1-5835631/turner-camhi-do-no-harm-college-loans Paul Graham "cheating chart" post: https://x.com/paulg/status/2075031014628311236 Off Duty Recommendations: "Lioness" on Paramount+: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNRQ0PR4a8U "Mayor of Kingstown" on Paramount+: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkQzvwxOp0s "Human Vapor" on Netflix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xe6dRKVAb8 "Sugar" on Apple TV+: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twvPGxuEOEA "Wind River" (now on Netflix): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgN0dpFoaE "Not Fade Away" by Peter Barton & Laurence Shames: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Fade-Away-Short-Lived/dp/1579546889 Timestamps: 0:00 Jason's ongoing World Tour 1:43 Danny Bernstein joins live from Reservoir Farms 3:38 What is "specialty crop agriculture" 5:15 Why strawberries are the "white whale" of AgTech 6:55 The labor crisis in farming 9:20 Why AgTech never scaled 9:51 NetSuite - For the first time, you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/TWIST 10:51 Inside Reservoir's business model 17:44 Agriculture as national security 20:09 Squarespace - Turn your idea into a beautiful website! Go to https://www.squarespace.com/twist for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. 22:15 Did AI beat a designer at design? 30:56 YSecurity - The on-demand security team for startups. Need enterprise-grade security without hiring a $400k CISO? YSecurity gives you 40+ expert engineers, matched to exactly what you need, by the hour, with your first six hours completely free. Go to https://YSecurity.io/TWIST 37:23 The "do no harm" college earnings test 43:27 Brown University students cheated on their midterms 52:22 Lon's streaming recommendations 59:46 Jason's new snake grabber Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/ Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
On this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ breaks down Jersey Mike's S-1 and the franchise machine behind more than $4 billion in sandwich sales. He explains how an asset-light royalty model works, why franchise economics can be so powerful, what Blackstone saw in the business, and what the filing reveals about growth, margins, and the real money behind the subs.—SPONSORS:RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform that lets your product team ship new pricing without asking finance for permission, and your sales team close deals without creating downstream chaos. Check out their free tool at calculator.rightrev.com It scores your rev rec process, shows what's exposing you to risk, and tells you exactly where to focus before it bites you in the rear end. Check it out at https://calculator.rightrev.comPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer cut their close in half, took audit findings from seven to zero, and cut back-office costs by 70% in six months. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered agents that capture expenses automatically, enforce policy before the spend happens, and close your books in minutes instead of weeks. 35,000+ companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Anthropic, and DoorDash already run on Brex. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtn—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNCJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Sell $4B in subs, own none of the stores0:33 Origin story: Peter Cancro buys a sub shop at 171:47 It's a royalty business2:42 Key metrics6:07 What you're actually buying6:42 The three revenue streams7:19 The franchisee's P&L10:00 Sponsors — RightRev | Pulley | Rillet13:02 Corporate P&L: 47% EBITDA margins13:33 The Blackstone math14:38 $2.1B whole business securitization15:09 Full EBITDA bridge16:00 The CEO buying back the 2%17:10 Red flag 1: Up-C structure18:11 Red flag 2: tax receivable agreement18:45 Red flag 3: controlled company governance19:05 Red flag 4: sponsor already took $500M19:29 Red flag 5: charitable donations added back20:13 Red flag 6: cheap debt maturing in 202920:52 Sponsors — Maximor | Brex | Anrok23:56 Valuation: $10–12B24:32 Peer comparison25:27 How do you underwrite $12B?25:58 Misc: quantum attack on the provolone26:28 The hidden 53rd week26:57 No drive-thru is a feature27:13 Verdict27:56 Credits#RunTheNumbersPodcast #IPO #Investing #BusinessStrategy #FinanceLeadership
Most founders end up as their own default CFO, buried in spreadsheets, cash flow, and pricing decisions. In this episode of Growth Think Tank, Gene Hammett talks with Brennan de Raad, founder of Vessel Advisors (No. 2,665 on the Inc. 5000). We explore the key signs that it's time to bring in strategic financial leadership, especially as your business grows beyond $5 million in revenue and the founder is still managing the finances. Gene sits down with Brennan De Raad of Vessel Advisors to discuss how fractional CFOs, controllers, and back-office accounting teams help businesses gain financial clarity, improve cash flow visibility, and make better decisions with actionable reporting. We also dive into how AI is transforming recurring finance tasks, the importance of tracking leading indicators alongside traditional financial metrics, and why weekly revenue, cash flow forecasts, and sales activity deserve closer attention. The conversation wraps up with a practical discussion on pricing strategy and gross margin, two of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable growth and profitability. Episode Highlights & Time Stamps 0:03 Fractional CFO Basics 4:23 AI in Finance 7:19 When to Hire a CFO 15:03 Tracking the Right Numbers 19:47 Pricing and Margin Blind Spots 24:32 Final CFO Takeaways Key Takeaways The $5M threshold: Once a business crosses roughly $5M in revenue, it's usually strong enough to benefit from a fractional CFO but not yet large enough to justify a $250K–$600K full-time hire. Warning signs it's time to hire: Financial reports stop making sense, revenue grows but cash stays tight, or the founder feels lost in a finance world they no longer fully understand. AI is reshaping finance functions: Platforms like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Sage are building in native AI agents, while tools like Claude are cutting cash-flow forecasting projects from hours down to a fast, natural-language process. Fractional works at scale too: Vessel Advisors now supports companies north of $100M on a fractional basis, a shift from a decade ago when a $25M company "had to" have a full-time CFO. Track leading indicators, not just lagging ones: Trailing 4–6 week revenue, a 13-week rolling cash forecast, and sales activity metrics (like meetings booked) give founders earlier warning signs than a monthly P&L. The #1 hidden problem: Most companies haven't audited their actual pricing and gross margins in years; the deal they thought was a 35% margin project might really be closer to 4–12%. Time is the real cost: Founders who stay in spreadsheets they should have delegated aren't just losing hours; they're losing the deals, meetings, and strategic moves that would have grown the business faster. Pricing increases rarely cost you customers: One example shared: a 9% average price increase across the board resulted in customer gratitude, not attrition, once the founder finally acted. This episode is a must-listen for CEOs and executives looking to lead innovation with purpose, scale responsibly with AI, and build cultures where people feel empowered to think boldly and grow. Connect With Today's Guest Brennan De Raad is the Founder & CEO of Vessel Advisors. Vessel Advisors provides Fractional CFO, Controller, and Back-Office Accounting services for growing businesses, helping founders gain financial clarity, improve cash flow, and scale with confidence. How to Connect with Brennan De Raad: LinkedIn: Brennan De Raad https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanderaad/ Company Website: Vessel Advisors https://vesseladvisors.com/ – to learn more about his work and platform
One day Nick got a visit from the FBI demanding he give them data on one of his customers. They asked for it in the form of a National Security Letter or NSL. Something wasn't right about this letter. It seemed to violate the constitution. So he set out to change the law.Learn more about Nicks work at calyxinstitute.org and phreeli.com.Check out Cindy's book Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance (https://amzn.to/4gXuK2J).SponsorsSupport for this show comes from ThreatLocker®. ThreatLocker® is a Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform that strengthens your infrastructure from the ground up. With ThreatLocker® Allowlisting and Ringfencing™, you gain a more secure approach to blocking exploits of known and unknown vulnerabilities. ThreatLocker® provides Zero Trust control at the kernel level that enables you to allow everything you need and block everything else, including ransomware! Learn more at www.threatlocker.com.Support for this episode comes from NetSuite. NetSuite gives you visibility and control of your financials, planning, budgeting, and of course - inventory - so you can manage risk, get reliable forecasts, and improve margins. NetSuite helps you identify rising costs, automate your manual business processes, and see where to save money. KNOW your numbers. KNOW your business. And get to KNOW how NetSuite can be the source of truth for your entire company. Visit www.netsuite.com/darknet to learn more.This show is sponsored by Maze. Maze uses AI agents to triage and remediate cloud vulnerabilities by figuring out what's actually exploitable, not just what's theoretically risky. They remove the noise, prioritize vulns that matter, and manage remediation, so your team stops wasting time on meaningless vulns. Visit MazeHQ.com/darknet for more information.View all active sponsors.Sources https://www.democracynow.org/2010/8/11/gagged_for_6_years_nick_merrill https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/u-s-nicholas-merrill-v-loretta-e-lynch-14-cv-9763-vm/ https://clearinghouse.net/case/12966/ https://www.theguardian.com/law/2015/dec/06/fbi-national-security-letter-gag-order-nick-merrill https://www.aclu.org/documents/national-security-letters https://www.eff.org/cases/re-matter-2011-national-security-letter Cindy's Book: Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance
This week on CMO Confidential, we are revisiting one of our favorite conversations with Rob Ward from January of 2026.A CMO Confidential Interview with Rob Ward, co-founder and General Partner of Meritech Capital, a top Silicon Valley venture firm. Rob shares his take on what he calls a "super terrifying and exciting time" and provides perspective on AI receiving the most capital of any technology in history, the "durability of revenue" and how quickly start-ups are now reaching $100 million in revenue. Key topics include: why VC's focus on growth vs. profitability; the risks associated with massive long-term capital investment; why marketers should pick a "trusted advisor" as their AI partner; and why your data strategy needs "context. Tune in to hear how Astronomer handled the "Coldplay Concert Incident" which immediately became a PR classic and the "VC Foie Gras Effect."What happens when a top venture capitalist pulls back the curtain on AI, valuations, hype cycles, and what's actually working?In this episode of CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with Rob Ward, Co-Founder and General Partner at Metech Capital, to unpack the realities behind the AI boom. Rob has spent more than 26 years investing in category-defining companies like Facebook (Meta), Snowflake, NetSuite, Zipcar, and Cloudera — and he brings a rare, grounded perspective to today's AI frenzy.Together, they explore: • Why AI adoption is still early — despite explosive growth • The real risks behind inflated valuations and “AI-washing” • How VC decision-making changes during platform shifts • What marketers and executives should actually look for when choosing AI partners • Why data strategy, change management, and trust matter more than tools • What layoffs, productivity, and the future of work really look like beneath the headlines • A masterclass in crisis communications, featuring Ryan Reynolds, Gwyneth Paltrow, and ColdplayIf you're a CMO, CEO, board member, founder, or agency leader trying to make sense of AI without getting swept up in the hype — this is a must-listen conversation.⸻Chapter Markers00:00 – Welcome to CMO Confidential00:19 – Introducing Rob Ward and today's AI conversation01:13 – Where we really are in AI adoption02:26 – Explosive AI growth: what's real vs hype03:35 – Why enterprise AI adoption is still a slog04:37 – Vendor spend, hyperscalers, and the trillion-dollar buildout06:12 – Is this an AI bubble? Public vs private market realities07:20 – Accelerating investment rounds and lack of diligence08:12 – AI-washing and durability of AI businesses09:46 – Proof-of-concepts, switching costs, and fragile loyalty10:55 – Big Tech vs startups: why this cycle is different11:40 – Why VCs chase platform shifts despite the risks13:05 – How AI is changing profitability and headcount math16:11 – “FOGRA” investing and capital distortion17:00 – Circular investing and data-center risk18:23 – Data centers, GPUs, and betting on the wrong future19:38 – Credit default swaps and financial warning signs21:45 – How executives should choose AI vendors22:58 – Change management and why culture matters most24:09 – Why data strategy is the real AI strategy26:36 – “Frequently wrong, never in doubt” and AI hallucinations27:01 – Practical AI use cases for marketers30:00 – Layoffs, productivity, and what's really happening to jobs33:05 – The best questions to spot real AI fluency35:00 – AI safety, geopolitics, and long-term risks36:38 – Crisis management masterclass: Astronomer, Coldplay & Ryan Reynolds39:58 – Final advice and closing thoughts⸻Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Allie is joined by Joel Penton, the founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy. LifeWise is a nonprofit organization that provides Bible education to public-school students. However, some schools are cracking down on LifeWise while permitting progressive initiatives in the classroom, like Pride Month. The Bible was removed from public schools in 1963; however, a Supreme Court ruling in 1952 allows released time for religious instruction. LifeWise takes students off campus for biblical instruction and walks them through the entire Bible in five years. LifeWise reaches 100,000 students across 34 states in over 1,100 schools, with parental permission and zero government funding. Anxiety and depression are rising among young Americans, and Joel is fighting to reach kids with the only solution: the truth and hope of Jesus Christ. Check out LifeWise Academy: https://lifewise.org/ Share the Arrows 2026 is on October 10 in Dallas, Texas! Tickets are on sale now at: https://sharethearrows.com Share the Arrows is sponsored by: A'del Natural Cosmetics: AdelNaturalCosmetics.com Range Leather: RangeLeather.com/ALLIE We Heart Nutrition: WeHeartNutrition.com Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://www.toxicempathy.com – Time Codes 0:00 Introduction 1:27 What Is LifeWise and How Does It Teach the Bible? 12:01 How Do I Bring LifeWise Academy to My School? 17:11 Providing a Refuge for Students 24:41 The War on LifeWise 35:21 How to Get Involved 40:31 Bible Education & Mental Health – Today's Sponsors: Shopify | Start your free trial at Shopify.com/allie NetSuite | If your revenues are at least seven figures and you want to try NetSuite Next for free, go to NetSuite.AI/ALLIE. Good Ranchers | Go to GoodRanchers.com and use my code ALLIE to get $50 off your order! If you decide to start a plan today, you will also get free meat with every order on top of the $50! Freedom Project Education | Go to Freedomforschool.com use code ALLIE for 10% Episodes You May Like: BONUS | Her Bible-Verse Parking Spot Was Banned … Then She Fought Back and Won | Sophia Shumaker & Keisha Russell https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-her-bible-verse-parking-spot-was-banned-then/id1359249098?i=1000740002472 Ep 1311 | Did John Piper Just Call for Open Borders? X Controversy Explained https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1311-did-john-piper-just-call-for-open-borders-x/id1359249098?i=1000752697343 --- ► Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": https://alliebethstuckey.com/book ► Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes: https://apple.co/2UVssnP Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2FwkXxj ► Connect with Allie on Social Media: https://twitter.com/conservmillen https://www.instagram.com/alliebstuckey/ https://facebook.com/allieBlazeTV/ ► "Relatable" merchandise — use promo code ALLIE10 for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey
Before he became the Father of His Country, George Washington was a young man with doubts, ambitions, failures, and a calling that would eventually shape a nation. Mike sits down with filmmaker and entrepreneur Jon Erwin to discuss his new film Young Washington, and to explore the remarkable true story behind America's most iconic founder. Jon also shares how he launched The Wonder Project and his mission to tell stories that elevate faith, hope, and the human spirit. Along the way, he recounts the extraordinary legacy of his grandfather, a recipient of the Medal of Honor whose courage during World War II left an indelible mark on his family. It's a conversation about character, conviction, and the people who inspire history long before history remembers their names. This July 4th, make Young Washington part of your Independence Day celebration. See the film, share it with your community, and help spark civic curiosity about the character, leadership, and founding principles that continue to shape our nation. Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/TWIHIYoungWashington Shout out to our great sponsors NormalFolks.org/Podcast to check out Army of Normal Folks, the podcast making service easier for all of us. American-Giant.com/MIKE Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order. NetSuite.AI/Mike to try NetSuite Next for FREE!
What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuHumble House: 15% off with code TOM https://humblehousefoods.comKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITOpusClip: Explore Agent Opus at https://agent.opus.pro/exploreIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactTruemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactWelcome to Impact Theory. In today's episode, Drew, Ryan, and Tom break down a chaotic week in American politics and economics, starting with the biggest housing affordability bill in decades and the private equity cap that has both parties on board, and why Trump is refusing to sign it as leverage to force a vote on the Save America Act. The conversation digs into the heart of the disagreement: voter ID, the census, and the long term question of who gets to vote, with the guys mapping out exactly where their base assumptions collide on immigration, asylum, birthright citizenship, and the four Supreme Court rulings that just landed, including the Monsanto glyphosate decision, the Hawaii gun case, and the TPS deportations. From there they tackle New York City's rent freeze and the historical disaster of rent control, inflation hitting 4.1%, and Thomas Massie accusing Trump of communism over government stakes in Intel, MP Materials, and Lithium Americas. The discussion widens into the deeper machine underneath all of it: why houses cannot stay affordable in an inflationary regime, why 70 percent of millennials lean socialist, the French Revolution warning about resentment versus greed, the controversial idea that government has started behaving like a cancer, and a proposal to invest every American in the S&P 500 from birth. They close on the economics of GTA 6 clearing 3 billion in pre sales and why AI is about to reshape the entire gaming industry. A wide ranging look at the choices defining tomorrow.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, we dive deep into the contentious debate around wealth taxes, meritocracy, and the real mechanisms driving economic inequality. Tom reacts to the arguments presented by Gary's Economics, dissecting why wealth taxes are so polarizing among economists and the intelligentsia. Through a spirited analysis, Tom challenges emotional reasoning, highlights the fundamental differences between wealth and income, and explores the cause-and-effect behind inflation, innovation, and government tax policies. Whether you're for or against wealth taxes, this episode will challenge your assumptions about how wealth is created, taxed, and transferred—and why understanding economic cause-and-effect is more important than ever in this populist moment. Get ready for a raw and rigorous conversation about the real levers of prosperity and why our current debates often miss the point.What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyIOpusClip: Explore Agent Opus at https://agent.opus.pro/exploreIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactTruemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITOpusClip: Explore Agent Opus at https://agent.opus.pro/exploreIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactTruemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactWelcome to a no holds barred breakdown of the political and economic forces reshaping America right now. In this episode, Drew, Tom, and Ryan dig into the leftward lurch of the Democratic Party, unpacking the DSA wave behind Mamdani's New York sweep and what it means when self-described communists start winning the safest Democratic seats in the country. The conversation traces how populism is fueled by economic anxiety, why both parties keep racing to the extremes, and whether finding the way back to the middle is even possible anymore. From there, they get into the hard economics: why socialist and communist policies historically break the economy, the calorie-storage origin of the social contract, the freeloader problem that sinks societies, and the real fight over wages, corporations, and whether companies like Walmart and Amazon are the villains people think they are. They take on Trump's threat to sic the DOJ on big oil for price gouging, why government price controls always fail, and how the OPEC cartel and regulatory capture are the actual problems behind what you pay at the pump. The discussion turns global with a hard look at USAID, the claim that foreign aid has been quietly funding NGOs and destabilization movements abroad, Japan dumping US treasuries amid its liquidity crisis, and the financial repression playbook Washington may use to inflate its way out of a crushing national debt. They weigh in on Congress voting to curb hostilities with Iran and what it means for negotiating power. Finally, the episode goes deep on one of the most important debates of the next decade: a Michigan city council banning the pride flag, Muslim immigration and assimilation, whether Islam has had its reformation, separation of church and state, and the candid clash over whether America is truly a Christian nation or simply shaped by Christian values. Whether you're here for sharp political analysis, hard economic truth, or a deeper look at the values shaping society, this episode offers a nuanced, unflinching take on how today's choices will define tomorrow.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on breaking news from the day. Zbiotics: Head to https://zbiotics.com/MEIDAS to get 15% off your first order when you use MEIDAS at checkout. Netsuite: Download the CFO's guide to Al and Machine Learning at https://Netsuite.com/meidas Smart Credit: Go to https://SmartCredit.com/meidas and start your 7-day trial for just $1. Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You know when you scroll past another headline about Elon Musk, and a part of you can't help but wonder—is the system REALLY this unfair… or are we just missing something? In this episode, we're diving into the wild story of how Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire, why so many people immediately called it a crime, and what's actually broken in our economy (hint: it's not what you think). If you're sick of feeling like the game is rigged and want to REALLY understand what's going on behind the scenes—buckle up.We're breaking down how money truly works, what inflation is doing to your daily life, and why regular folks like Juan, a SpaceX welder turned millionaire, prove there's actually more opportunity than most of us realize. Plus, you'll get the brutal truth about modern financial systems, AI hype, market manipulation, and why those “burn it all down” hot takes are more destructive than you think.What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITOpusClip: Explore Agent Opus at https://agent.opus.pro/exploreIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactTruemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact00:00 - Intro02:26 - Part 1: Yes, The Game Is Rigged10:50 - Part 2: What is Wealth & How is it Created?26:55 - Part 3: How to Deal with a Rigged GameSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
ITU: Ready to break through your biggest business bottleneck? Apply to work with me 1:1 - https://impacttheory.co/SCALESign up for my next FREE A.I. class here: https://tombilyeu.com/leverage-ai-july-9?utm_campaign=ai-masterclass&utm_source=x&utm_medium=social&utm_content=post-260407-1Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu with Producer/Cohost Drew and channel Moderator, Ryan. In today's episode, Tom dives into a whirlwind of global events and economic shake-ups. From chaotic Iranian negotiations that seesawed all weekend, to Israel's hardline stance in Lebanon, the rise of the right in South America, and Xi Jinping's crackdown on dissent—even for those outside China—they unpacks the truth behind the headlines.Tom questions the sustainability of current political strategies, analyzes the never-ending economic debates around inflation, government spending, and student loans, and dissects the cultural roots of conflict in the Middle East.Expect candid commentary on populism in the UK, why America is so deeply tied to Israel, and a powerful conversation about personal responsibility in the age of AI and social change. If you're seeking bold perspectives on the forces shaping our world, this episode delivers unfiltered insight and actionable wisdom.Chapters:00:00 Online behavior vs real-life actions05:19 Iran nuclear inspection agreement13:18 Political upheaval and global tensions16:09 Progress on Middle East Peace Talks23:52 Grappling with extreme defense strategies27:05 How lobbying influences politicians34:26 Iran-Israel tensions and conflict38:52 Cultural responses to conflict42:35 Brexit, migration, and labor dynamics47:13 Economic growth and deregulation discussion54:25 Reflecting on Personal Challenges58:30 Discussing wealth tax impacts01:07:12 Student loan debt and consequences01:10:22 Discussing student loan discipline01:17:46 Student loan forgiveness debate01:23:32 Innovations changing survival challenges01:24:37 Devotion and service in religion01:34:12 Overcoming obstacles with small steps01:35:38 Struggling with AI advancementsSponsors: Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderPaleovalley: 30 for $36 https://bit.ly/PaleovalleyITOpusClip: Explore Agent Opus at https://agent.opus.pro/exploreIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactTruemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome back to Impact Theory! In this powerful continuation, Tom dives deep with former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante to unravel the complex dynamics shaping America's political and economic landscape. What would it take to restore faith in democracy and secure the future of the middle class? Together, they debate the difference between vision-driven leadership and populist emotion, confront the tough realities of economic uncertainty, and explore how individuals—against overwhelming odds—can build security and opportunity in their own lives. With honesty and urgency, this episode challenges us to think critically about the mechanisms driving society, the moral obligations we hold, and whether true change is even possible. Don't miss this candid conversation on leadership, wealth, and the future of America.What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here:If you want my help...STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER: https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20showSCALING a business: see if you qualify here.: https://tombilyeu.com/callGet my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.:https://tombilyeu.com/**********************************************************************If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you.**********************************************************************FOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactTruemed: Check your eligibility and start saving at https://truemed.com/impactQuo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impactNetsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/TheoryQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodPlaudAI: Get 10% off with code IMPACT at https://plaud.ai/impactWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impactKetone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
President Trump signs the deal with Iran amid backlash from Republicans, a bombshell report says sexual abuse may have affected more than 250,000 victims in Britain, and the MLB backpedals after “warning” Christian players against adding Bible verses to their “Pride Night” caps. Reporting from Ben Domenech and Lynden Blake. Plus, we speak with Sammy Woodhouse. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2847- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848. What starts in women's sports spreads to schools, medicine, and parental rights. This is our moment to push back. Stand with Alliance Defending Freedom today.Comcast - Learn more about how Comcast is investing in a more connected America at https://ComcastCorporation.com/investment NetSuite - For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. Go to https://NetSuite.AI/MORNINGWIRE. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.- - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices