Podcasts about Saas

As the year wraps up, we are replaying some of our favorite conversations from 2025, including this one!Customer lifetime value is a critical KPI, but with customer acquisition costs rapidly rising, what can brands do to successfully build long-term value for the business?Agility requires seeing past vanity metrics to the durable value hidden in customer relationships. When customer acquisition costs climb and privacy affects easy targeting, only nimble brands—those that align teams, data, and KPIs around lifetime value—stay ahead.All of this (and a few more things) are discussed in the recently-released Klaviyo B2C Report. To discuss it, I'd like to welcome Jamie Domenici, CMO at Klaviyo. About Jamie Domenici Jamie is Chief Marketing Officer at Klaviyo, the only CRM built for consumer brands. She has served as the Chief Marketing Officer since August 2023. With more than 20 years of experience in SaaS Marketing, Jamie has become a pioneer in SMB Marketing and a champion for small businesses. Prior to Klaviyo, Jamie served as the CMO of GoTo, a provider of SaaS and cloud- based remote work tools for collaboration and IT management, and before that, she held various marketing leadership positions at Salesforce for over ten years. Jamie holds a B.A. in International Relations from California State University, Chico. Jamie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Jamie Domenici on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdomenici/ Resources Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

As the year wraps up, we are replaying some of our favorite conversations from 2025, including this one!Customer lifetime value is a critical KPI, but with customer acquisition costs rapidly rising, what can brands do to successfully build long-term value for the business?Agility requires seeing past vanity metrics to the durable value hidden in customer relationships. When customer acquisition costs climb and privacy affects easy targeting, only nimble brands—those that align teams, data, and KPIs around lifetime value—stay ahead.All of this (and a few more things) are discussed in the recently-released Klaviyo B2C Report. To discuss it, I'd like to welcome Jamie Domenici, CMO at Klaviyo. About Jamie Domenici Jamie is Chief Marketing Officer at Klaviyo, the only CRM built for consumer brands. She has served as the Chief Marketing Officer since August 2023. With more than 20 years of experience in SaaS Marketing, Jamie has become a pioneer in SMB Marketing and a champion for small businesses. Prior to Klaviyo, Jamie served as the CMO of GoTo, a provider of SaaS and cloud- based remote work tools for collaboration and IT management, and before that, she held various marketing leadership positions at Salesforce for over ten years. Jamie holds a B.A. in International Relations from California State University, Chico. Jamie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Jamie Domenici on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdomenici/ Resources Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

In this episode I'm going to do something a little different. As we wind down for the year, we're going to be running some of our favorites from 2025 until the new year begins.Let's take a look back at some of the overall themes discussed and point out a few highlights for me. I won't be able to highlight everything of course but I found 5 themes really interesting. And, I won't lie - I had a little help from AI in doing this. But that's also kind of the point. We have all been using AI to do things to make our work easier, and I thought that poring through 150+ episodes recorded over 12 months is a perfect thing to have AI help me with. About Greg Kihlström Greg Kihlström is a best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, and serves as an advisor and consultant to top companies on marketing technology, marketing operations, and digital transformation initiatives. He has worked with some of the world's top brands, including Adidas, Coca-Cola, FedEx, HP, Marriott, Nationwide Insurance, Victoria's Secret, and Toyota. He is a multiple-time Co-Founder and C-level leader, leading his digital experience agency to be acquired in 2017, successfully exited an HR technology platform provider he co-founded in 2020, and led a SaaS startup to be acquired by a leading edge computing company in 2021. He currently advises and sits on the Board of a marketing technology startup.In addition to his experience as an entrepreneur and leader, he earned his MBA, is currently a doctoral candidate for a DBA in Business Intelligence, and teaches several courses and workshops as a member of the School of Marketing Faculty at the Association of National Advertisers. He has served on the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business Marketing Mentorship Advisory Board, the University of Richmond's CX Advisory Board, and was the founding Chair of the American Advertising Federation's National Innovation Committee.  Greg is Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified, is an Agile Certified Coach (ICP-ACC), and holds a certification in Business Agility (ICP-BAF).  Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Resources The Agile Brand Podcast: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Ready to churn less and win more?

Roland Ligtenberg is the Co-founder and SVP of Growth & Innovation at Housecall Pro, a leading vertical SaaS platform that empowers home service professionals to manage and grow their businesses more efficiently. Under Roland's leadership, Housecall Pro has scaled to serve over 100,000 home service professionals, powering tens of billions of dollars in gross merchandise volume, and pioneering the use of AI team members to streamline operations for its customers. In this episode… What if the people keeping our homes running could grow their businesses without burning out on paperwork and missed calls? And what if AI wasn't about replacing jobs, but about giving small, hands-on entrepreneurs a real edge in a world that keeps demanding more from them? According to Roland Ligtenberg, a longtime builder of technology for real-world problems, the answer lies in using AI as a set of practical teammates rather than shiny experiments. He believes blue collar business owners shouldn't have to choose between doing the work they love and managing the back office chaos that comes with growth. When AI can answer phones, track finances, and surface insights the same way a seasoned assistant would, it frees owners to focus on jobs, customers, and building wealth that lasts. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Roland Ligtenberg, Co-founder and SVP of Growth & Innovation at Housecall Pro, about harnessing AI to empower blue collar entrepreneurs. They discuss how AI "team members" help home service businesses handle more demand, why mobile-first software was critical for trades, and how technology can remove hiring bottlenecks. Roland also gives advice on building a mission-driven company that stays meaningful as it scales.

In this episode I'm going to do something a little different. As we wind down for the year, we're going to be running some of our favorites from 2025 until the new year begins.Let's take a look back at some of the overall themes discussed and point out a few highlights for me. I won't be able to highlight everything of course but I found 5 themes really interesting. And, I won't lie - I had a little help from AI in doing this. But that's also kind of the point. We have all been using AI to do things to make our work easier, and I thought that poring through 150+ episodes recorded over 12 months is a perfect thing to have AI help me with. About Greg Kihlström Greg Kihlström is a best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, and serves as an advisor and consultant to top companies on marketing technology, marketing operations, and digital transformation initiatives. He has worked with some of the world's top brands, including Adidas, Coca-Cola, FedEx, HP, Marriott, Nationwide Insurance, Victoria's Secret, and Toyota. He is a multiple-time Co-Founder and C-level leader, leading his digital experience agency to be acquired in 2017, successfully exited an HR technology platform provider he co-founded in 2020, and led a SaaS startup to be acquired by a leading edge computing company in 2021. He currently advises and sits on the Board of a marketing technology startup.In addition to his experience as an entrepreneur and leader, he earned his MBA, is currently a doctoral candidate for a DBA in Business Intelligence, and teaches several courses and workshops as a member of the School of Marketing Faculty at the Association of National Advertisers. He has served on the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business Marketing Mentorship Advisory Board, the University of Richmond's CX Advisory Board, and was the founding Chair of the American Advertising Federation's National Innovation Committee.  Greg is Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified, is an Agile Certified Coach (ICP-ACC), and holds a certification in Business Agility (ICP-BAF).  Greg Kihlström on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Resources The Agile Brand Podcast: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Ric Elias - The Art of Living Well - [Invest Like The Best, CLASSICS] Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are my favorite episodes from the past 10 years, published once a month. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. Ric Elias is the CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, which has a portfolio of fast-growing digital businesses like Lonely Planet, The Points Guy, Bankrate, and large investments in a variety of other businesses across industries. He began the business in 2000 and has grown it to now a global company with thousands of employees. Ric walks us through the early struggles that have led to what is now a flourishing investing platform, but mostly this episode is a masterclass on cultural values and philosophies that transcend mere financial gain. We discuss the difference between living good and well, the power of forgiveness, and compounding more than just your capital. Ric's story is one of resilience, humility, and grace. His story about being in the front row of the plane that Captain Sully landed in the Hudson is singular and very moving. Please enjoy my conversation with Ric Elias. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by WorkOS. WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. With a single API, developers can implement essential enterprise capabilities that typically require months of engineering work. By handling the complex infrastructure of enterprise features, WorkOS allows developers to focus on their core product while meeting the security and compliance requirements of Fortune 500 companies. Visit WorkOS to Transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.  Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @joincolossus ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:02:00) Meet Ric Elias (00:02:49) Chasing the Big Dream (00:05:38) Understanding Red Ventures: Origin and Evolution (00:10:25) Operational Success and Company Culture (00:25:30) Reflections on Money and Personal Well-being (00:28:49) The Difference between Good and Well (00:32:55) The Hudson River Plane Crash Experience (00:42:37) Reconnecting with Puerto Rico and Reviving the Basketball Team (00:45:07) Underdogs to Champions (00:48:09) How to Build Trust and Culture (00:52:29) Reflections on Leadership (00:56:12) The Role of Confidence and Courage (00:59:38) The Value of Family and Friendships (01:01:57) The Pursuit of Purpose Over Profit (01:06:52) Recruitment and Company Culture (01:10:07) Reflecting on Success (01:14:33) The Importance of Pace and Speed (01:16:23) Other Business Philosophies (01:23:17) The Kindest Thing

In "The Road Ahead: What Trimble Innovations Mean for Transportation", Joe Lynch and Jonah McIntire, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Trimble, discuss Trimble's open, scalable platform that connects every aspect of the supply chain—from trucks and drivers to the back office—by serving as a reliable "system of record" that integrates practical AI innovation to help fleets maximize performance, visibility, and safety. About Jonah McIntire Jonah McIntire is Chief Product and Technology Officer at Trimble. He joined Transporeon in June 2021 and quickly led a succession of larger product organisations in the sourcing & data insights areas of the company. Known for his broad international experience, having lived and worked in 13 countries, Jonah's prior experience includes running global logistics for Build-a-Bear Workshop, launching business units for Manhattan Associates and Panalpina, and writing a university textbook on supply chain visibility. He also founded two companies and led them to successful acquisitions: Clear Abacus, an early cloud computing transport optimisation solution acquired by GT Nexus; and TNX Logistics, a spot procurement data science SaaS acquired by Transporeon. He is also a regular guest author in industry journals, hosts the popular Logistics Tribe podcast, and maintains a widely read industry newsletter on logistics technology. About Trimble Transportation Trimble Transportation provides fleets with solutions to create a fully integrated supply chain. With an intelligent ecosystem of products and services, Trimble Transportation enables customers to embrace the rapid technological evolution of the industry and connect all aspects of transportation and logistics — trucks, drivers, back office, freight and assets. Trimble Transportation delivers an open, scalable platform to help customers make more informed decisions and maximize performance, visibility and safety. Key Takeaways: The Road Ahead: What Trimble Innovations Mean for Transportation In "The Road Ahead: What Trimble Innovations Mean for Transportation", Joe Lynch and Jonah McIntire, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Trimble, discuss Trimble's open, scalable platform that connects every aspect of the supply chain—from trucks and drivers to the back office—by serving as a reliable "system of record" that integrates practical AI innovation to help fleets maximize performance, visibility, and safety. The Responsibility of the Incumbent: Unlike startups that lead with "bombastic" promises, Trimble prioritizes its role as the foundational "system of record" for the world's largest supply chains, where stability and reliability are non-negotiable. A "Safety-First" AI Philosophy: Because Trimble's software manages critical infrastructure and multi-billion dollar logistics networks, their innovation roadmap is built on a "safety-first" framework to ensure no disruption to global commerce. The Three-Phase AI Maturity Model: Trimble is following a logical, tiered progression into the AI age: starting with internal adoption, moving to AI-enhanced features, and ultimately launching AI-native applications. "Eating Their Own Cooking": Before shipping AI solutions to customers, Trimble utilizes AI internally to refine the technology, ensuring they can provide honest, experience-based guidance to their partners. Enhancing the Proven vs. Chasing the New: A core pillar of their current strategy is adding AI-powered features to existing, trusted solutions (like TMW.Suite or TMT) to provide immediate value without requiring a total system overhaul. The Shift to AI-Native Applications: The next frontier for Trimble is the development of applications built from the ground up on AI architectures, designed to solve complex logistics problems that traditional logic-based software cannot. Prioritizing Practicality Over Hype: Trimble's focus remains squarely on the "practical uses" of AI—solving real-world friction in dispatch, maintenance, and routing—rather than following fleeting technology trends. Innovation as Change Management: Trimble recognizes that the hardest part of the AI transition isn't the code; it's the human element. Their strategy includes a heavy focus on onboarding, training, and building the "Customer Trust" necessary for long-term adoption. Learn More About The Road Ahead: What Trimble Innovations Mean for Transportation Jonah McIntire | LinkedIn Trimble Transportation | Linkedin Trimble Transportation Trimble's Perspective: The Future of Freight is Connected with Rob Painter The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube  

(00:00:00) Introduction (00:06:03) Intro music (00:08:36) Good morning from hosts (00:14:18) How lavish punishes his children (00:17:22) The overall job of the SAA (00:19:41) Do you have the heart to be a real SAA (00:21:35) President's lap dog (00:24:22) Some clubs elect SAA others select SAA (00:26:30) When the SAA is afraid to speak up there are problems (00:28:52) This channel educates folks who don't know (00:31:03) A solid SAA that once protected me (00:33:14) Black Sabbath SAA that was a dirtbag (00:37:15) It is embarrassing to tell some of these stories (00:39:37) I teach people from a wider viewpoint these days (00:41:23) What does it mean to actually stand against the group (00:44:51) Logic needs a smaller mic (00:47:08) The MC is not the military it is paramilitary (00:52:14) SAA keeps order and things fair (00:54:25) SAA keeps order and things fair (00:54:25) SAA keeps a president in check (00:56:08) Qualities of a good SAA (00:59:24) Enforcing the bylaws even if unpopular! (01:02:52) Make every decisions as though it were your last day (01:06:08) Goodbye Logic (01:07:10) Danger of politics infecting the MC (01:10:44) I have a twin out there (01:13:04) Maybe you should donate some freaking money (01:13:41) outro After nearly 38 years in this lifestyle, Black Dragon has seen Sergeants at Arms come and go—some legends, some forgotten.The SAA isn't just the enforcer. It's one of the most powerful roles in any MC—often carrying respect rivaling the President himself.But to be a truly great Sergeant at Arms, you need something most lack: the heart to stand apart.You must decouple from club politics, group think, and the need to be liked by everyone.That takes balls. That takes independence.Too many SAAs end up as the President's "do-boy"—yes-men afraid to speak truth or enforce without bias.Tonight, we ask the hard question: Do YOU have the heart to be a real SAA?Join Black Dragon as he breaks down:Different approaches to being an effective SAA (no one way is "best") Why true authority comes from neutrality, not popularityReal stories of great (and failed) Sergeants at Arms The danger of politics infecting enforcement How to know if you're ready—or if you're just chasing a patch Watch on: Black Dragon Biker TV – /blackdragonbikertv Lavish T. Williams – /@lavishtwilliams Keep It Logical – /keepitlogical Watch on: Black Dragon Biker TV – /blackdragonbikertv Lavish T. Williams – /@lavishtwilliams Keep It Logical – /keepitlogical 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:03 Intro music 00:08:36 Good morning from hostsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Season seven of the Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast centered on one core ambition: how to grow from early validation at 10K MRR to meaningful scale at 10M ARR. Across the season, founders, operators, and leaders shared practical guidance on product-market fit, hiring, go-to-market systems, partnerships, pricing, revenue operations, community, expansion revenue, and more. This summary distills their insights as shared in the episodes—nothing theoretical, nothing added beyond what they discussed—into a single, coherent narrative designed to help you focus, execute, and build momentum.From the outset, the thesis is clear. There are patterns you'll hear repeatedly—focus, alignment, ICP clarity, hiring for stage-fit, segmentation, community, and systems. There are also points of debate that reflect the realities of stage and context. What follows is a structured walkthrough of the advice discussed in the season, episode by episode, following the journey from 10K MRR through the climb toward 10M ARR.Season 7 Full Episode listS7E1: How to Build SaaS Partnerships That Actually Drive Revenue with KaraLynn LewisS7E2: Why 80% of Outbound Sales Fails, and How to Fix It with Besnik VrellakuS7E3: Building SaaS Partnerships That Actually Drive Revenue with Hugo PereiraS7E4: Why Your SaaS GTM Isn't Working And How to Fix It with Operational Discipline with Garrath RobinsonS7E5: B2B SaaS Sales Growth: Outbound Strategies to Scale Revenue with Joey GilkeyS7E6: How is AI Transforming Go To Market for B2B SaaS with Maja VojeS7E7: Why Human Psychology Still Wins in B2B SaaS Sales (Even in the Age of AI) with Desiree-Jessica PelyS7E8: Building a Community-Led Growth Engine for SaaS with Michelle GoodallS7E9: The Future of SaaS Content: AI, Personal Branding, and Authority with Tommy WalkerS7E10: Scaling SaaS Sales: From Founder-Led to High-Performance Teams with Kevin “KD” DorseyS7E11: How to Use Signal-Based Selling to Drive Efficient SaaS Growth with Shoaib G.M.S7E12: SaaS Pricing Strategy 2026: Hybrid Models, AI Costs & Value-Based Pricing with Tjitte JoostenS7E13: Building a Global SaaS GTM: Cultural Nuances, Local Teams & Expansion with Varun ThambaS7E14: Scaling SaaS in 2026: AI Adoption, Pricing Shifts & Efficient Growth with Romy Kotler-de GrootS7E15: SaaS Monetization in 2026: Tiering, Usage, AI Add-Ons & Pricing Experiments with Krzysztof SzyszkiewiczS7E16: SaaS GTM in 2026: AI, Hybrid Sales & High-Performance Revenue Engines with Richard SchenzelS7E17: How PLG Will Change in 2026: AI Agents, Onboarding & Hybrid GTM with Roelof OttenS7E18: Preparing Your SaaS for an Exit: Valuation Drivers, Buyers & Metrics That Matter with René de JongS7E19: How SaaS GTM Will Change in 2026: Thought Leadership, Intent Signals & AI-Powered Growth with Glenn MiseroyS7E20: How SaaS Companies Will Scale in 2026: GTM Efficiency, RevOps, and Word-of-Mouth Growth with Koen StamS7E21: How AI Will Rewrite SaaS GTM in 2026: Pricing, Efficiency & Sales Automation with Jacco van der Kooij

Ian and Aaron talk about Santa (obviously), do you still need an MBA (maybe not so obvious), why Ian isn't burning as many tokens as possible to get Outro out the door, what people are building with the Telegram API, and more.Sponsored by Bento, Flare, Ittybit, tldraw, OG Kit, Tighten, and NusiiInterested in sponsoring Mostly Technical?  Head to https://mostlytechnical.com/sponsor to learn more.(00:00) - Magically Better (08:59) - Pre-Holiday Adventures (17:17) - Burning The Midnight Tokens (25:35) - Outlasted By AI Agents (38:06) - Thinking Businessy (44:34) - Advent of SQL Update (50:39) - Telegram Bots Links:F150 LightningRivian Digital KeyVW Atlas1995 4 RunnerLos Tacos No. 1Bass Pro Shop's Santa's WonderlandCodex 5.2PHPStanAdvent of SQLJeffrey Way's post on building a Telegram BotNutgram

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains welcomes back Jason Friedman—entrepreneur, author, and customer experience expert. Jason shares his journey from theater and rock-and-roll roadie to building billion-dollar brands, and reveals how the principles of stagecraft and storytelling can transform SaaS businesses.The conversation dives deep into the “Kinetic Customer Formula,” the importance of designing intentional customer journeys, and why focusing on relationships and retention is the key to sustainable SaaS growth. Jason also discusses his upcoming book, “Addicted to Strangers,” and offers actionable advice for founders looking to create raving fans and reduce churn.Key Takeaways[0:45] – The power of stagecraft: How Jason's theater background shaped his approach to customer experience.[5:20] – Choreographing the audience's journey is as important in business as it is in theater.[13:20] – The “Kinetic Customer Formula”: Attitudes + Behaviors, multiplied by Momentum Boosters, minus Friction = Radical Results.[22:00] – Retention over acquisition: Why focusing on existing customers yields a “quadratic return.”[27:30] – The danger of being “addicted to strangers” and neglecting your current audience.[32:00] – The importance of mapping not just the customer journey, but also employee and partner journeys.[36:00] – Storytelling is embedded in every step of the customer experience, not just a surface-level tactic.[41:00] – Churn is a silent killer: For every customer who complains, 21 remain silent.[48:00] – Community and relationships are the future of SaaS in an AI-driven world.Tweetable Quotes“People don't move in steps—they move in stories. If you want to move people, help them create the stories that move them in the direction you want.” — Jason Friedman“Everything you do is for the audience. In business, everything is for the customer—but we often focus more on business needs than customer needs.” — Jason Friedman“There's a quadratic return on making the people who already bought from us happy. They become the best marketing.” — Jason Friedman“If you increase the return on audience success, the return on ad spend goes up. It can't not.” — Jason Friedman“A raving fan can become a raving lunatic in an instant. There's a thin line between love and hate.” — Jason FriedmanSaaS Leadership LessonsDesign with Intention: Map out the customer journey as meticulously as a director plans a show. Start with the end in mind and reverse-engineer the experience.Empathy is Key: Get into character—understand your customer's mindset, motivations, and obstacles.Retention to Acquisition: Focus on delighting and retaining current customers rather than constantly chasing new ones.Measure What Matters: Don't just look at churn percentages—track the actual number of customers lost and understand why.Guest Resourcesjason@cxformula.comwww.radicalinc.comwww.cxformula.comhttps://media.jasonfriedman.meJason Friedman's Upcoming Book: Addicted to Strangers – Get a free ebook copy when it launchesLinkedIn: Jason FriedmanEpisode Sponsor

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Aviv Frenkel, Co-Founder and CEO of Moonshot AI, to explore the fascinating journey from Israeli media personality to leading an innovative SaaS startup. Aviv Frenkel shares how his background as a radio DJ and television journalist ultimately inspired him to dive into the world of tech entrepreneurship. You'll hear the inside story behind Moonshot AI—a generative AI platform that transforms e-commerce websites into self-optimizing “living organisms,” helping online brands boost their conversion rates without massive teams or endless guesswork. Aviv Frenkel walks us through the company's rapid trajectory, including their recent $10 million funding round, the importance of building with strong design partners, and what it takes to achieve real product-market fit in a crowded space. The conversation covers the realities of founder-led sales, why Moonshot AI chose a straightforward subscription model, and the key operational metrics driving their growth. If you're interested in SaaS metrics, startup fundraising, or the future of AI in e-commerce, this episode is full of actionable insights and candid startup wisdom. Tune in to learn more about Moonshot AI's global journey and discover opportunities to join their growing team! Show Notes: 00:00 "AI-Powered Ecommerce Optimization" 03:47 "Muncho: End-to-End Website Optimization" 07:53 "Scaling Fast from MVP to Funding" 12:21 Key Business Metrics Discussion 15:06 Evolving CEO Roles and Priorities 16:49 "Join Our AI-Driven Team" Links: Aviv Frenkel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aviv-frenkel/ Moonshot AI's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moon-shot-ai/ Moonshot AI's Website: https://moonshot-ai.com/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

This week, we sat down with Berni Fisher, VP of Product at Appcues and a self-described "first principles goddess." Berni goes deep on what it was really like behind the scenes during the notorious 2012 Apple Maps launch, the triple threat problem at ButcherBox where they exist at the intersection of grocery, eCommerce, AND SaaS, and more. In our conversation, Berni discusses: Surviving the "2012 Apple Maps Debacle" and the intense backlash post-launch, as well as how the team used a "triage mindset" to prioritize fixes based on customer usage and risk. Her Black Friday Gamble: Why she pushed for a risky site overhaul at ButcherBox right before their busiest season, resulting in double-digit conversion gains And Customer-Led AI Innovation: how Appcues used their own product to poll users on AI trust, leading to a roadmap driven by actual customer needs rather than industry hype. Links Berni's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadettefisher/ Accues: https://www.appcues.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:43 Berni Fisher's product journey 04:44 Challenges and Lessons from Apple Maps 15:26 Transition to ButcherBox 17:27 Innovations and Customer Focus at ButcherBox 24:35 AI Innovations at Appcues 27:34 Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPodPodcast)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr). Special Guest: Berni Fisher.

In the inaugural VC10X LP Roundtable, we bring together experienced allocators Matt Curtolo & Anurag Chandra to unpack the state of venture capital as we close out 2025 and look ahead to 2026.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comTopics covered:- How the recent Fed rate cut does and does not change venture capital- Why DPI pressure has become the dominant LP concern- Venture vs private credit and when the comparison actually matters- Fundraising realities and why it now takes 18 to 30 months to raise a fund- The changing role of secondaries, continuation funds, and engineered liquidity- Why M&A, not IPOs, has historically driven most venture exits- AI as a structural opportunity or capital concentration risk- Generalist vs specialist funds and what real differentiation actually looks like- Why some LPs are staying committed to venture despite short term underperformance- The biggest mistakes allocators made in past cycles and what they won't repeatTimestamps:(00:00) - Preview(01:08) - Introduction to the LP Roundtable(03:15) - The impact of the macro interest rate environment on venture capital.(03:55) - The limited direct effect of interest rates on early-stage innovation.(06:00) - How interest rates negatively impact SaaS company valuations and exits.(09:35) - How "higher for longer" interest rates are changing LP expectations for returns.(11:13) - The LP perspective: Balancing DPI, MOIC, and IRR in venture investing.(14:09) - The role of the exit environment and secondaries in meeting DPI pressure.(16:38) - The risks of LPs over-focusing on short-term DPI.(18:44) - The emergence of the secondary market for later-stage companies.(20:30) - Future outlook for the M&A and IPO markets as exit paths.(21:02) - Why M&A is the historical bread and butter of venture exits, not IPOs.(23:37) - Underestimating the potential scale of venture-backed exits in the new tech era.(27:35) - How early-stage funds can engineer liquidity through secondary sales.(29:24) - Gross vs. Net Returns: The difference between a good investor and a good fund manager.(30:50) - Why is it so difficult to raise a VC fund today?(31:45) - The fundraising bifurcation: Brand names vs. emerging managers.(35:10) - Career risk and structural barriers for LPs investing in smaller funds.(38:01) - Why institutions often prefer to invest in Fund III and beyond.(40:38) - How can fund managers differentiate themselves? Generalist vs. specialist.(41:46) - Differentiating as a "hustle fund" with a functional specialty (e.g., go-to-market).(45:25) - It's not about being different, it's about being better: The importance of GP-thesis fit.(48:08) - VCs should "take their own medicine" when pitching to LPs.(49:17) - Outlook for 2026: Will the venture market get easier for funds and startups?(50:05) - An optimistic outlook for 2026 driven by technological acceleration.(55:18) - The growing importance of global and emerging markets in venture capital.(55:45) - A closer look at India's booming IPO market and its contrast with the US.(57:15) - Conclusion and final thoughts.---Links to connect:Matt Curtolo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-curtolo-caiaAnurag Chandra - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anchandraPrashant Choubey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabSubscribe to VC10X newsletter - https://vc10x.beehiiv.comSubscribe on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@vc10x Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986Subscribe on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQVC10X website - https://vc10x.comFor sponsorship queries, reach out to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe for weekly conversations on venture, private markets, and investing.

SaaS kept growing in 2025, but the source of growth changed. Momentum shifted from large platforms to solo founders and small teams shipping focused products faster. This pace is possible...

What happens when AI becomes your most influential referrer?As consumers turn to ChatGPT for answers, James Cadwallader and his team at Profound help brands like Eight Sleep and MongoDB gain visibility and leverage inside AI models.On this episode of Grit, he explains why brand narrative has shifted away from content, and why Profound is scaling globally ahead of traditional SaaS timelines.Guest: James Cadwallader, co-founder and CEO of Profound and Ilya Fushman, partner at Kleiner PerkinsConnect with James CadwalladerX: https://x.com/thejamescad?lang=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsca/​Connect with Ilya FushmanX: https://x.com/ilyafLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilyafushman/Connect with JoubinX: https://x.com/JoubinmirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/Email: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpgritFollow on X:https://x.com/KPGrit​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins: https://www.kleinerperkins.com/

Interview with Frank Vukovits: Focusing inward: there lie threats also External threats get discussed more than internal threats. There's a bit of a streetlight effect here: external threats are more visible, easier to track, and sharing external threat intelligence doesn't infringe on any individual organization's privacy. That's why we hear the industry discuss external threats more, though internally-triggered incidents far outnumber external ones. Internal threats, on the other hand, can get personal. Accidental leaks are embarassing. Malicious insiders are a sensitive topic that internal counsel would erase from company memory if they could. Even when disclosure is required, the lawyers are going to minimize the amount of detail that gets out. I was chief incident handler for 5 years of my enterprise career, and never once had to deal with an external threat. I managed dozens of internal cases over those 5 years though. In this interview, we discuss the need for strong internal controls with Frank Vukovits from Delinea. As systems and users inside and outside organizations become increasingly connected, maintaining strong security controls is essential to protect data and systems from both internal and external threats. In this episode, we will explore the importance of strong internal controls around business application security and how they can best be integrated into a broader security program to ensure true enterprise security. This segment is sponsored by Delinea. Visit https://securityweekly.com/delinea to learn more about them! Topic Segment: Personal Disaster Recovery Many of us depend on service providers for our personal email, file storage, and photo storage. The line between personal accounts and work accounts often blur, particularly when it comes to Apple devices. We're way more dependent on our Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Google accounts than we used to be. They're necessary to use home voice assistants, to log into other SaaS applications (Log in with Google/Apple/FB), and even manage our wireless plans (e.g. Google Fi). Getting locked out of any of these accounts can bring someone's personal and/or work life to a halt, and there are many cases of this happening. I'm not sure if we make it past sharing stories about what can and has happened. Getting into solutions might have to be a separate discussion (also, we may not have any solutions…) Friend of the show and sometimes emergency co-host Guillaume posted about this recently A romance author got locked out of her books A 79 year old got locked out of her iPad with all her family photos. Sadly, this is one of the most common scenarios. Someone either forgets their pin and locks out the device permanently, or a family member dies and didn't tell anyone their passwords or pins, so the surviving family can't access data, pay the bills, etc. Google example: Claims of CSAM material after father documents toddler at doctor's request https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/22/google-csam-account-blocked Dec 2025 Apple example: she tried to redeem a gift card that had been tampered with: https://hey.paris/posts/appleid/ Google example: developer lost all his work, because he was working on preventing revenge porn and other sensitive cases, and was building a better model to detect NSFW images: https://medium.com/@russoatlarge_93541/i-built-a-privacy-app-google-banned-me-over-a-dataset-used-in-ai-research-66bc0dfb2310 My partner's mom's Instagram account got hacked. Meta locked out all of it (Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook) and she couldn't get it reinstated. They wouldn't even let her open a NEW account. Weekly Enterprise News Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-438

Dan Layfield, founder of the Subscription Index, joins Mark Stiving to unpack the less-visible pricing and monetization levers that drive real growth in subscription businesses. With experience scaling Codecademy from $10M to $50M in revenue and leading product teams at Uber and Diligent, Dan brings a product-led, ROI-first perspective on pricing. This episode culminates in one of the most actionable subscription pricing tactics you'll hear: how to price annual plans based on actual monthly retention, not industry norms.  If you work in SaaS, consumer subscriptions, or any recurring-revenue business, this episode offers practical insights you can test immediately.   Why You Have to Check Out Today's Podcast: Learn the annual pricing tactic that dramatically increases LTV and cash flow by aligning plan discounts to real retention behavior. Understand why subscription growth is constrained more by monetization systems than acquisition and where hidden revenue leaks live. Discover how product, pricing, and payment mechanics quietly shape retention long after customers click "Subscribe".   "If you know your average retention rate within monthly plans, and most of your users are in monthly plans, you price your annual plan to be like one or two months more than your monthly retention rate." – Dan Layfield   Topics Covered: 00:45 - How Dan Got Into Pricing. Dan shares how pricing became a key growth lever while scaling Codecademy and why monetization matters more as products mature. 01:10 - Scaling Subscription-Based Businesses. Dan shares lessons from scaling Codecademy's subscription business and why pricing becomes critical as companies grow. 05:12 - Subscription Pricing and Retention Strategies. How pricing decisions influence retention length and why subscription pricing must reflect real user behavior. 09:11 - Retention Challenges in Subscription Businesses. The difference between short-term and long-term retention products and why under-12-month subscriptions require different strategies. 11:32 - Subscription Product Strategies. Time to value versus time to success, and how product design affects lifecycle length and churn. 17:02 - Monetization Strategies in Subscription Businesses. What monetization really includes beyond price, from paywalls to upsells, renewals, and payment recovery systems. 19:45 - Checkout Flow Optimization Strategies. Why small checkout improvements deliver outsized ROI and how minor friction quietly suppresses revenue. 23:22] AI's Impact on Consumer Products. Why AI adoption is slower in consumer subscriptions than B2B SaaS and where future disruption may emerge. 26:30 - Annual Plan Pricing Strategy. Dan explains the monthly-to-annual pricing approach that boosts LTV, improves cash flow, and increases commitment. 29:31 - Key Subscription Product Insights. Final reflections on retention, monetization levers, and where subscription companies should focus first for growth.   Key Takeaways: "This is one of the few tides that lifts all boats in subscription products. It makes payment processing easier. You collect cash up front. Those users psychologically commit to the product more." – Dan Layfield "If you're retaining users for four months on average, change your annual plan discount rate to be 50%. So they're paying for six months up front." – Dan Layfield "...if you look at any of the big consumer products that discount more than 10 to 20% annual plans, you can kind of guess their monthly retention rate." – Dan Layfield   People & Resources Mentioned: Codecademy – Subscription growth case study Uber Eats – Marketplace product experience Subscription Index – Dan's subscription monetization resource Stripe / App Store Billing – Payment and dunning challenges in subscriptions   Connect with Dan Layfield: Website: https://subscriptionindex.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/layfield/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

In this episode of the CEO Pulse Podcast, we sit down with Jordan Samuel Fleming — Founder of Smartphone, one of the most widely used communication platforms in real estate investing and business operations.Jordan breaks down how he built Smartphone from $0 to $10M+ in revenue, scaled a global team, and did it all without outside funding. We talk SaaS, REI tech, Podio, AI innovation, leadership, culture, scaling, and the truth about becoming a CEO who can step out of the day-to-day.Whether you're a real estate investor, SaaS founder, operator, or entrepreneur, this one will hit hard.Timestamps / Chapters:00:00 – Intro 02:05 – Starting Smartphone: The Origin Story 06:32 – Bootstrapping a SaaS to $10M+ 10:48 – Why Phone + Podio Changed REI Forever 15:21 – Leadership, Culture & CEO Evolution 22:45 – Crisis Mode: Near Shutdown Story 31:10 – Building Teams Who Rally, Not Run 38:50 – AI, Innovation & What's Coming Next 46:03 – Advice for Founders & CEOs 58:12 – Closing ThoughtsHighlights:• The truth about scaling SaaS without investors • Why Smartphone became a real estate tech standard • How to build culture people actually fight for • The difference between managing and leading • When to step away from the CEO seat • Why complacency kills companies • What's coming next with AI + communicationAbout Jordan Fleming:Jordan is the CEO and Founder of Smartphone, one of the most widely used communication platforms in real estate investing. He has decades of experience in technology, scaling teams, building systems, and leading organizational change at the highest level. Smartphone is deeply integrated with Podio and continues to innovate at the front edge of AI.Connect with Jordan Fleming:Website: https://www.smrtphone.io/Instagram: IG: https://www.instagram.com/jsamuelfleming/

Interview with Frank Vukovits: Focusing inward: there lie threats also External threats get discussed more than internal threats. There's a bit of a streetlight effect here: external threats are more visible, easier to track, and sharing external threat intelligence doesn't infringe on any individual organization's privacy. That's why we hear the industry discuss external threats more, though internally-triggered incidents far outnumber external ones. Internal threats, on the other hand, can get personal. Accidental leaks are embarassing. Malicious insiders are a sensitive topic that internal counsel would erase from company memory if they could. Even when disclosure is required, the lawyers are going to minimize the amount of detail that gets out. I was chief incident handler for 5 years of my enterprise career, and never once had to deal with an external threat. I managed dozens of internal cases over those 5 years though. In this interview, we discuss the need for strong internal controls with Frank Vukovits from Delinea. As systems and users inside and outside organizations become increasingly connected, maintaining strong security controls is essential to protect data and systems from both internal and external threats. In this episode, we will explore the importance of strong internal controls around business application security and how they can best be integrated into a broader security program to ensure true enterprise security. This segment is sponsored by Delinea. Visit https://securityweekly.com/delinea to learn more about them! Topic Segment: Personal Disaster Recovery Many of us depend on service providers for our personal email, file storage, and photo storage. The line between personal accounts and work accounts often blur, particularly when it comes to Apple devices. We're way more dependent on our Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Google accounts than we used to be. They're necessary to use home voice assistants, to log into other SaaS applications (Log in with Google/Apple/FB), and even manage our wireless plans (e.g. Google Fi). Getting locked out of any of these accounts can bring someone's personal and/or work life to a halt, and there are many cases of this happening. I'm not sure if we make it past sharing stories about what can and has happened. Getting into solutions might have to be a separate discussion (also, we may not have any solutions…) Friend of the show and sometimes emergency co-host Guillaume posted about this recently A romance author got locked out of her books A 79 year old got locked out of her iPad with all her family photos. Sadly, this is one of the most common scenarios. Someone either forgets their pin and locks out the device permanently, or a family member dies and didn't tell anyone their passwords or pins, so the surviving family can't access data, pay the bills, etc. Google example: Claims of CSAM material after father documents toddler at doctor's request https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/22/google-csam-account-blocked Dec 2025 Apple example: she tried to redeem a gift card that had been tampered with: https://hey.paris/posts/appleid/ Google example: developer lost all his work, because he was working on preventing revenge porn and other sensitive cases, and was building a better model to detect NSFW images: https://medium.com/@russoatlarge_93541/i-built-a-privacy-app-google-banned-me-over-a-dataset-used-in-ai-research-66bc0dfb2310 My partner's mom's Instagram account got hacked. Meta locked out all of it (Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook) and she couldn't get it reinstated. They wouldn't even let her open a NEW account. Weekly Enterprise News Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-438

Revenue teams are dealing with more tools, more data, more automation - and more pressure - than ever before. Growth isn't just about selling better anymore. It's about how the entire revenue engine actually works.For the first time, RevOps isn't a background function — it's shaping how companies grow, scale, and make decisions.In this episode of the Belkins Podcast, Michael Maximoff sits down with Jen Igartua, Founder & CEO of Go Nimbly, to unpack what's really happening inside modern revenue organizations — and why RevOps is suddenly at the center of it all.Jen has helped architect revenue systems for some of the most respected SaaS companies in the world, including Twilio, Zendesk, Snowflake, Intercom, and Superhuman. But this conversation isn't about theory or frameworks. It's about what breaks when companies scale, where AI actually helps (and where it creates chaos), and why the future of sales, marketing, and RevOps looks very different than most teams expect.What you'll learn in this episode:Why RevOps is having a moment — and how rising complexity, AI adoption, and executive pressure have pushed RevOps into a strategic roleWhat Revenue Operations actually does beyond automation, reporting, and tooling — including enablement, strategy, and protecting the customer experienceHow AI is changing RevOps teams — from workflow automation and data architecture to the risks of agent and automation sprawlThe real future of sales roles — why junior SDR roles are disappearing, and why business development is becoming more senior, not automated awayHow to know when your company needs RevOps — including revenue thresholds, organizational signals, and common mistakes founders make too earlyWhat strong RevOps teams get right — clean data, shared definitions, cross-functional trust, and decision-making that actually sticksThroughout the episode, Jen and Michael go deep on the messy, human side of scaling revenue — misaligned incentives, broken handoffs, over-engineered stacks, and the uncomfortable truth that most companies don't actually have a single view of the customer.This isn't a hype conversation about tools. It's a grounded look at how modern revenue organizations are being rebuilt — and why RevOps is now one of the most critical functions inside growing B2B companies.Chapters:00:00- Intro: Who is Jen Igartua03:17- What is RevOps?09:25- AI Changed RevOps: AIOps, When to Hire RevOps, Build vs Outsource17:25- Workflow Automation Is Getting Out of Control24:02- What's Next: Platform Consolidation in RevOps27:46- Clay, HubSpot, and the Reality of the Modern RevOps Stack33:48- The Limits of AI in Sales & Marketing39:25- How SDRs, Marketing, and Social Selling Are Merging49:50- RevFest: Building Real RevOps Community01:00:49- Go Nibly's Evolution and Strategy01:12:44- Curated Dinners as Acquisition Strategies01:21:26- Creativity, Leadership, and “Follow the Fun”About the ShowWhat does it really take to grow a B2B business today? We ask the people doing it.The Belkins Podcast dives deep into the strategies, decisions, and behind-the-scenes insights driving real growth at top B2B companies. Each episode features candid conversations with industry heavyweights — CROs, CMOs, founders, and seasoned operators — who've navigated market downturns, scaled teams, and dealt with the realities of modern revenue growth.You'll hear hard truths, unfiltered insights, and actionable perspectives from leaders who've actually built and operated revenue engines at scale.

André, The Impulsive Thinker™ sits down with SaaS coach and pricing strategist Bill Wilson to dig into how ADHD Entrepreneurs can use AI to boost creativity, focus, and workflow—without falling for the hype. Bill shares how AI is more than a passing trend; it's a practical tool that helps ADHD minds brainstorm, organize ideas, and sharpen learning fast. Together, they bust myths, explore real-life automation hacks, and talk barriers like relying too much on the tech. Listen in for solid advice so you can make AI work for your ADHD Entrepreneur journey, your way, at your own pace.  

In this annual Security Squawk tradition, we do two things most people avoid: accountability and predictions. First, we break down the top cyber-attacks of 2025 and translate them into what actually matters for business owners, IT pros, and MSPs. Then we grade our predictions from last year using real outcomes. No excuses. No hand waving. No “well technically.” Why does this episode matter? Because 2025 made one thing painfully clear. Most cyber damage does not come from genius hackers. It comes from predictable failures. Unpatched systems. Over-trusted third parties. Tokens and sessions that live too long. Help desks that can be socially engineered. And organizations that still treat cybersecurity like an IT issue instead of a business survival issue. We start with the Top 10 Cyber-Attacks of 2025 and pull out the patterns hiding behind the headlines. This year's list includes ransomware and extortion campaigns, software supply chain failures, identity and OAuth token abuse, and attacks that caused real operational disruption, not just data exposure. These stories show how attackers scale impact by targeting widely deployed platforms and trusted business tools, then turning that access into downtime, data theft, and brand damage. One of the biggest lessons of 2025 is simple: identity is the new perimeter. Many of the most important incidents were not break-in stories. They were log-in stories. Stolen sessions and OAuth tokens keep working because they let attackers bypass MFA, move quickly, and blend in as legitimate users. If your security strategy is focused only on blocking failed logins, you are watching the wrong signal. 2025 also reinforced how fragile third-party trust has become. Integrations are everywhere. They make businesses faster and more efficient, but they also expand the blast radius. When a third-party tool or service account is compromised, it can become a shortcut into systems that were never directly attacked. In this episode, we talk about practical steps like minimizing access scopes, eliminating unnecessary integrations, shortening token lifetimes, and having a real plan to revoke access when something looks off. We also dig into why on-prem enterprise tools continue to get hammered. Many organizations still run internet-facing platforms that are patched slowly and monitored poorly. Attackers love that combination. In 2025, we saw repeated exploitation of high-value enterprise software where a single weakness led to widespread compromise across industries. If your patching strategy is “we will get to it,” attackers already have. Another major theme this year was operational disruption. Some of the costliest incidents were not just about stolen data. They shut down production, halted sales, broke customer service systems, and created ripple effects across supply chains. That is where executives feel cyber risk the hardest. Data loss hurts. Downtime is a business emergency. Then we grade last year's predictions. Did AI take our jobs? Not even close. What it did do was raise the baseline for both attackers and defenders. AI improved phishing quality, accelerated scams, and forced organizations to confront the risks of adopting new tools without clear controls. We also review our call on token and session-based attacks. That prediction aged well. Identity-layer abuse dominated 2025. The issue was not a lack of MFA. The issue was that attackers did not need to defeat MFA if they could steal what comes after it. We also revisit regulation. It did not arrive all at once. It crept forward. Agencies and lawmakers continued tightening expectations, especially in sectors that keep getting hit. Businesses that wait for mandates before improving controls will pay more later, either through recovery costs, insurance pressure, or lost trust. Finally, we look ahead to 2026 with new predictions that are probable, not obvious. We discuss what is likely to change around identity, help desk security, SaaS governance, and how leaders measure cyber readiness. The short version is this: 2026 will reward companies that treat access as a living system and punish those that treat it like a one-time setup. If you like the show, help us grow it. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who still thinks cybersecurity is just antivirus and a firewall. And if you want to support the podcast directly, buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/securitysquawk.

When did AI stop being a fun experiment… and start becoming table stakes for running a business? In just a year, AI has gone from "interesting" to essential. But while nearly every company is talking about it, only a fraction are actually seeing real returns. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, you'll hear from Justine Kasznica and Chris Farmakis of Babst Calland on why AI adoption has exploded, what's driving CFOs a little crazy right now, and how the companies getting it right are separating themselves from the pack. This is the moment AI stopped being optional, and became core to how business gets done. So here's the takeaway: AI is officially mainstream, but success is far from guaranteed. Some companies are unlocking massive efficiency gains. Others are burning money and wondering what went wrong. In our next episode, we'll dig into why so many AI initiatives fail, and what leaders must do differently if they want real ROI instead of expensive experiments. If you're asking yourself, "Okay, so how do we actually do this right?" — you'll want to catch Part Two. Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing  entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Welcome back to the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® Podcast. AI agents are your next customers. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this episode, Vince Menzione sits down with SHI leaders Joseph Bellian and Stefanie Dunn, alongside Microsoft's Marcus Jewett, to dissect SHI's massive evolution from a traditional Large Account Reseller (LAR) to a strategic Global Systems Integrator (GSI). They explore the cultural and operational shifts required to move from a transaction-heavy model to a services-led approach, highlighting their alignment with Microsoft's MSEM methodology, the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and their cutting-edge work with AI Labs and Agentic AI. Key Takeaways SHI has evolved from a transactional powerhouse into a Global Systems Integrator (GSI) focused on services and outcomes. The organization implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to align vision, people, and data across sales and delivery. SHI serves as “Customer Zero” for Microsoft AI, implementing Copilot internally to better guide customers. The partnership mirrors Microsoft's MSEM methodology to ensure seamless co-selling and customer success lifecycles. SHI's AI Labs in New Jersey provides a secure environment for clients to build and test custom AI solutions. The shift requires moving from a “Hulk” (strength/sales) mindset to a “Tony Stark” (brainpower/strategy) mindset. Key Tags: SHI International, global systems integrator, Microsoft services, Joseph Bellian, Stefanie Dunn, Marcus Jewett, AI labs, agentic AI, MSEM methodology, entrepreneurial operating system, digital transformation, customer zero, copilot implementation, solution provider, cloud migration, data governance, services led growth. Ultimate Partner is the independent community for technology leaders navigating the tectonic shifts in cloud, AI, marketplaces, and co-selling. Through live events, UPX membership, advisory, and the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® podcast, we help organizations align with hyperscalers, accelerate growth, and achieve their greatest results through successful partnering. Transcript:Transcript: Joseph Bellian – Stefanie Dunn – Marcus Jewett WORKFILE AUDIO [00:00:00] Vince Menzione: We’ve got it. So it is interesting how these sessions kind of follow each other. Hopefully you’re seeing kind of a flow from marketplaces and the conversation about how to be a really great ISV to how an ISV took and built a channel strategy and how they integrated alliances and channels together. [00:00:16] Vince Menzione: Well, we have an, we have another really great example here to talk through. I have this, uh, incredible like background. Like I’m a hundred years old, basically. I don’t even want to tell anybody that. But, uh, I got to work with this organization way back in my days at Microsoft. They are, they were and are one of the top, I’ll call them, they were classically a reseller company. [00:00:40] Vince Menzione: They one of the largest, we call ’em large account resellers back in the day. Uh, their leader built a multi-billion dollar organization. I’m gonna let them talk through who they are today, but we have an opportunity to talk about transformation. From that lens now too, like how does an organization that’s really good at doing one thing evolve, transform and take advantage of these tectonic shifts we’re seeing? [00:01:03] Vince Menzione: So, uh, we’ve got some incredible leaders. I’m gonna have them come up on stage. And everybody introduced themselves from SHI and also from Microsoft. And we’re gonna have a really great conversation today. Great to have you. [00:01:26] Vince Menzione: So I’m gonna let, I’m gonna let you guys introduce yourselves because, uh, everybody knows you as DJ Marco Polo. So we’re gonna, we’ll start with you over in the far end, Marcus. Okay. Vince, I, [00:01:36] Marcus Jewett: I’ll try to be shy. [00:01:37] Vince Menzione: No, [00:01:37] Marcus Jewett: uh, hi everyone, my name is Marcus Jut, I am the Global Partner Development Manager for the SHI partnership. [00:01:43] Marcus Jewett: Uh, I have been overseeing this partnership for just under 12 years. Wow. So I have seen the evolutional journey of this partner and really proud of where they, uh, have matured their business and the partnership with Microsoft. [00:01:57] Stefanie Dunn: Thank you. Oh. [00:01:58] Marcus Jewett: Is there, is yours on? Oh, [00:02:00] Vince Menzione: mines [00:02:00] Stefanie Dunn: on. Hi, I am Stephanie Dunn, a director of Microsoft Services at SHI. [00:02:07] Stefanie Dunn: And it is an, it’s a pleasure to be here. It’s a pleasure to have Marcus as our PDM and, uh, Joe and Vince, uh, very, very happy to be here. Um, and I lead our Microsoft Services sales, uh, area. So across, uh, cloud AI business transformation and, uh. And, uh, data and ai. [00:02:28] Joseph Bellian: Great, great to have you, Stephanie. Thank you. [00:02:30] Joseph Bellian: Joe. Joe Bellion. I’m the VP of Microsoft Alliances and programs. Uh, I’ve been here at SHI for about eight months now, but been in and around the partner ecosystem for about a decade. Uh, I think of my organization of like kind of two aspects. So leading the charge around alliances, aligning our field sellers and specialists with Microsoft, as well as the, the programs backend incentives and operations. [00:02:51] Joseph Bellian: But, um, the real focus is driving the go to market strategy here at SHI. [00:02:55] Vince Menzione: Yeah. So great. So I started to allude to this earlier about like traditional, one of the top three or four companies actually. And we used to use the term, uh, LSP back in the day, or lar, we’ve got several iterations. Microsoft’s gone through several iterations of that name. [00:03:11] Vince Menzione: Marcus knows all of them probably by heart. Tell us what was the impetus to change the organization? Become more like a ser, a services led company as opposed to a transaction led organization? [00:03:21] Joseph Bellian: Yeah, absolutely. Throw one more acronym. SSP. SSP, that was another one. So, uh, solution provider. Um, but, uh, yeah, I, I’d say probably a couple things. [00:03:29] Joseph Bellian: Um, one, the big one, no news to anybody in the room and online as well. The shift with EAs, director of Microsoft, as well as, uh, the whole CSP hero motion. So we do recognize that opportunity, uh, to have services attached, to engage with our clients as well as our joint partnerships with Microsoft, uh, with services out in the field. [00:03:48] Joseph Bellian: Uh, the second one, probably the biggest one is our clients. Hearing out our clients that shift. Um, we’re talking about ai, ai, everything, AI services. Uh, we’re now in the whole era of agentic ai. What does that mean? How do you take advantage of those offerings? And so we recognize that, that our clients are spending millions of dollars with the Microsoft products, but how do you take advantage of that investment and maximize it in their environment? [00:04:13] Joseph Bellian: And so having services to help navigate those complex solutions, that’s where we’re, we’re leaning in. [00:04:18] Vince Menzione: So what did it take to change? Transformation doesn’t come easy. There’s mindset. There’s all these cultural changes that need to happen. From your perspective, both of your perspectives, what did it take internally for this change to happen? [00:04:31] Joseph Bellian: Yeah. Um, so if you, if you heard of the entrepreneurial operating system EOS Yes. And we’ve adopted that internally. Um, if you’re not familiar, it kind of comprises of six components. So vision, people, data, um, process. Issues and, um, uh, traction. So I apologize, that’s, uh, but take, take that model and put it into our business of what we did. [00:04:57] Joseph Bellian: Um, so two kind of twofold. One, moving our entire services practice organization under one, one operating rhythm, um, under Jordan Ello, our CTO. So pre-sales and delivery. So looking at that, the how we go to market with our services, single vision. Uh, single process. So it’s consistent as we’re engaging not only through our partners, but through our clients, but then also on the other side of the house, our Microsoft practice, having all of our resources under one roof so that it’s a single way we go to market. [00:05:28] Joseph Bellian: Aligning our go to market strategy, one-to-one with Microsoft. Why it, it does two things. One, it allows us to be very clear of how we are going to market to our clients, but it allows us to partner even better with our Microsoft counterparts. Yeah, when, when Microsoft, it’s always ever changing. You’re familiar, every six months to a year solution plays and the go-to-market strategy changes, uh, we’re there at the forefront in ensuring that we have our solutions mapped a hundred percent so that we can just co-sell together. [00:05:58] Joseph Bellian: Break down those walls. Let’s do more together. [00:06:00] Vince Menzione: And, uh, geographically you were sep, your teams were separated. You have a big operation in Texas. You also have a big New Jersey operation, which was where the company was founded, in fact. So I’d love to get the perspective on this, Marcus. From your perspective, like what did it do, what was it like before and what did it become? [00:06:17] Marcus Jewett: Oh yeah, let’s go back in the way back machine to 12 years ago. Um, it was a different partner, a different operating model, uh, in those early days. And this is really when we started to move customers from on-premises to more cloud-based subscription technologies. Uh, SHI was always just an incredible selling machine. [00:06:36] Marcus Jewett: If they could not do anything, they could always sell. And for any of you who are familiar with the Marvel movies, um. I, I, I, I use a reference internally with them. SHI was always like the Hulk root for strength. You know, you tell ’em to go sell something, Hulk Smash, they can knock that out. Well, as we really needed these partners to evolve and really help our customers with their technologies, whether it’s driving adoption, monthly active usage, consumption. [00:07:02] Marcus Jewett: We needed them to be more like Tony Stark, right? We needed the brain power, and so over the last, let’s call it five or six years, SHI has continued to invest in their Microsoft practice. They went from an organization that was really focused on management of EA acquisition of new Microsoft logo. To continuing to develop that muscle, but also investing in ways to help customers through their managed services, through their professional services. [00:07:28] Marcus Jewett: And it’s been a, a journey. Right? SHI is a large organization. For a long time they were Microsoft’s largest partner. And from a transactional build revenue perspective, and they still are in many ways, but we really needed them to demonstrate that they could help our, their customers, our shared customers take full advantage of all of the entitlements and the technology they, that they’ve purchased from us. [00:07:50] Marcus Jewett: And that’s really where the evolution has been with SHI when I first started, uh, this is like, God, 12 years ago, there were 20 people that were Microsoft centric resources that really were focused on. Customer acquisition and net new logos. And today that organization from a sales perspective is over 150 sellers. [00:08:09] Marcus Jewett: Wow. That are just focused on Microsoft. So that CSP, they, they fill the top of the funnel for services to help drive program utilization. And that’s not even talking about the dedicated services resources that works under Stephanie. So it’s been. An incredible journey. Microsoft has invested in SHI and in turn, SHI has invested into Microsoft. [00:08:31] Marcus Jewett: They’ve basically taken their approach in terms of how they go to market with Microsoft, and they’ve mirrored that almost like how Joe and I are wearing the same jacket. That’s really how they’ve aligned their, their go to market strategy, really making it a mirror where they take it. They’ve taken our Microsoft M methodology. [00:08:50] Marcus Jewett: And they’ve essentially adopted it and made it their own. So now when our sellers are talking with SHI sellers, they’re speaking the same language. [00:08:58] Vince Menzione: You’re teeing it up beautifully for your conversation with Stephanie here. Stephanie, I want to hear like how you’ve done all those things. ’cause it’s really your organization that’s focused on this, right? [00:09:06] Stefanie Dunn: Yeah, absolutely. So for us it’s all about shared outcomes. It we’re listening to the. Customer. We’re listening to Microsoft and we’ve really taken that to heart. Uh, the customer is at the center of every single thing that we do. I know all of us as partners. That’s really our vision, likely, and the reason why we’re here is our customers. [00:09:26] Stefanie Dunn: But really understanding how to take advantage of that partnership and build something incredible. And it is transformative. Uh, you know, we started as a licensing powerhouse, as Marcus alluded to, and now we’re going deep into services. So we’re aligning to co-sell motions. We’re aligning to the, the industries. [00:09:46] Stefanie Dunn: Uh, we’re creating marketplace offers. We’ve got our programs, uh, tied to all of our services offerings. And so when we look at the broader ecosystem, we see the vision of Microsoft. Uh, we’ve hired the right people, we’ve put the right processes into place, and we have the technology expertise in-house to really share. [00:10:08] Stefanie Dunn: In the journey with our customers and leading them. [00:10:11] Vince Menzione: And you know, you talk about like solution plays. You talked about industry. People don’t always recognize this when you talk to Microsoft sellers. They’re very focused on the industry they’re in, and you have to have those conversations that, this came up earlier, but we never got into this. [00:10:25] Vince Menzione: But you’re aligning your solution plays, you’re aligning your conversations to be very like healthcare and education, all those different markets, right? [00:10:32] Stefanie Dunn: We are. We are, which is very new for SHI in the services industry, and so you know, we’re taking our CSP plays. Um, our licensing plays and really saying, well, what can you do with that? [00:10:43] Stefanie Dunn: Right. You know, how can we advise you? And then we, we dig into the actual industry verticals to, to get tactical with them. You know, it’s, it’s about providing the strategy. It’s about providing the extra hands. They all need extra hands. They, you know, our, our customers need us. As an extension of their team. [00:11:01] Stefanie Dunn: And so for us it’s really important to dig into that and, and be, and be that, that listening ear and you know, that expert in the room for them, uh, from advisory standpoint. And so all of our se services sellers are advisors as well. They’re not selling a product, they’re not selling, uh, something individual. [00:11:19] Stefanie Dunn: We are selling to. Fill and fulfill their goals and business outcomes, which is extremely unique, I will say, because we do have that end to end. So it does start with the licensing. It starts with assessing what you really have, meeting with those advisors, and then putting together a roadmap to help them. [00:11:37] Stefanie Dunn: Understand. Okay, well this is what it’s gonna take to get you here. Here’s our, uh, we love reverse timelines at SHI and so, um, it’s d minus din and so this is where you wanna go and this is when you wanna get there. So this is how we’re gonna help you, uh, along that roadmap. [00:11:53] Vince Menzione: I am gonna put you on the spot here with m Sem. [00:11:55] Vince Menzione: ’cause I think Microsoft finally laid out a process a couple years ago for you to like line up to, ’cause you were doing one piece of it before. Do you want to talk about m how em plays in here and how SHI is leveraging it? [00:12:07] Marcus Jewett: Right. So, uh, across our SEM stages, there are five different stages, and this is the customer journey from these, you know, pre-sales, scoping, uh, engagements with customers all the way through delivery. [00:12:19] Marcus Jewett: And then of course, like that customer success lifecycle and managed services. Again, this was not a language or a way that SHI really approached their business. Again, it was very much like, let’s. Get the customer to purchase on an EA or let’s renew the customer. And then once that cycle was complete, then it, it was almost like adding fries. [00:12:38] Marcus Jewett: Would you like some services with your ea? Right. And, uh, it took a, it took a while, right? Some very, uh, difficult conversations, but we were able to find, finally get the right people in the room to make the right investments. And now when you think about how SHI goes to market, they don’t necessarily leverage the term SEM internally, but. [00:12:59] Marcus Jewett: All of their customer methodologies or their sales methodologies in terms of how they service their customers aligns perfectly. Even when we get into the descriptive part of building out our, uh, partner business plan, we did that across every stage of the M SEM methodology. So that we can ensure that the teams at SHI are in perfect alignment with the teams at Microsoft. [00:13:20] Marcus Jewett: So, uh, I’m, I’m really excited about how we’ve been able to mature the practice and how SHI is now 100% aligned with Microsoft across all of our solution areas, whether it’s. Security, you know, cloud and infrastructure or AI business solutions. There’s a very mirrored approach to how we support customers. [00:13:39] Marcus Jewett: Yeah. I want [00:13:40] Vince Menzione: to double click on the AI component. You know, we were up here earlier, Irwin and I were up here talking about being a frontier firm, and I’ll open it up to all, all of you to individually answer this. I know, Marcus, you have some insights here about the ai. You mentioned AI already. But also to Stephanie and Joe about how you’re taking AI and modern work and workplace and, and, and, and addressing this market specifically. [00:14:07] Vince Menzione: Where, where, where do we wanna start there? [00:14:09] Joseph Bellian: Yeah. One big one. Um, if you’re not familiar, we have ai, an AI labs, um, onsite, uh, lab, and based out of Jersey, one of our headquarters. So on the forefront of the AI technology, but the real focus there is being able to meet with our clients and obviously joint partnerships, um, to build and develop solutions safe, um, offline in a safe, secure environment. [00:14:33] Joseph Bellian: Because let’s be honest, I mean, ai, it’s moving fast and, and we, we, we need to ensure that our data’s secure. Um, and there’s a lot of risk out there. And so we are partnering, um, um, out there with Nvidia and other other providers, um, but specifically with Microsoft in the cloud, um, and securing that environment. [00:14:51] Joseph Bellian: So AI Labs, bringing our clients in, building custom solutions, the area of a jet AI’s here. It’s [00:14:57] Vince Menzione: there. It is here. Yeah, it is here, Stephanie. [00:15:00] Stefanie Dunn: Thank you. Yes, and I’ll just add, uh, for, for our customers, they need to make sure that their foundation is right. You know, they’re coming from maybe all different other clouds. [00:15:09] Stefanie Dunn: They’ve, you know, got multi-tenant really understanding what their structure looks like, and then. Creating that secure foundation. So we’ve got a lot, you know, we do a lot around, uh, just full M 365 migrations and then into understanding the identity and the security baseline under that, making sure that that’s correct. [00:15:29] Stefanie Dunn: And then we can start journeying into some of these other conversations. Data governance, data engineering, uh, all that is extremely important. We have an entire dedicated team, uh, within services sales. Pre-sales with essays or solution architects and delivery, uh, as well as just the project management. [00:15:48] Stefanie Dunn: And, and it’s just this full life cycle to understand where are you and we need to make sure that, that your structure’s built correctly or else it’s never gonna succeed. So a little bit, we take it back to the foundation level, I’ll just say from a customer, uh, engagement perspective to make sure that what they wanna do, they can do securely. [00:16:06] Marcus Jewett: Very cool. I, I’d like to add one other piece there. Um, you know, obviously to Joe’s point earlier, like if anyone says they know exactly what the AI journey will look like for most customers in six months, they’re probably not telling you the truth. Right? This is, we’re, we’re building the plane in the air. [00:16:22] Marcus Jewett: But, uh, one thing Microsoft has really built a foundation on is looking at our partners. And the ones who have adopted AI internally, especially Microsoft Technologies, and we call it Customer zero, right? Ensuring working with partners who have invested in their internal usage of Microsoft AI technology. [00:16:41] Marcus Jewett: So it’s all the various flavors of copilot. Rolling it out and implementing it across their organizations and building their own internal use cases, which they can go in turn and use to go help drive successful engagements with their end customers. So SHI has also been one of our, uh, brightest partners when it comes to that customer Zero journey. [00:17:01] Marcus Jewett: Uh, and it’s something I’m very, very proud of to see. Uh, we’re leveraging the, the use cases and the learnings our SHI is to really go out there and help customers navigate through their own. Uh, complexities of their AI journey as well. So, uh, my kudos to SHI as customer. Zero. Very proud of you and opera feels great. [00:17:20] Marcus Jewett: And you’re [00:17:20] Vince Menzione: providing support engineering, organ organization that supports this function? [00:17:24] Marcus Jewett: Oh, absolutely. As a globally managed partner, I mean, we’re, we’re gonna always be there to help our partners through the journey, right? So whether they need internal readiness or technical support, uh, whether it’s workshops, however we can help the partners best. [00:17:38] Marcus Jewett: Uh, position and posture themselves to go help customers with these, uh, AI engagements. Uh, we’re, we’re there to invest. Uh, we’ve invested in SHI for the last several years across, uh, ai, and we will continue to do so. [00:17:52] Vince Menzione: So what’s the message for the partner community, Joe, that, that, like, how should they perceive you? [00:17:57] Vince Menzione: How should they think about you? Should they, how should they think about engaging with you? Okay. [00:18:02] Joseph Bellian: Yeah, so I mean, obviously we’re an SSP, we’re never gonna, we’re never gonna, um, lose that, that accreditation with Microsoft. But the, the real focus of what we wanna be recognized as A-G-S-I-A global systems integrator, um, being able to engage our clients jointly, co-selling together and meeting them where they’re at across their digital journey. [00:18:21] Joseph Bellian: Uh, we have the capabilities to handle their licensing and understanding the complex matrix in their environment, their IT infrastructure. But being able to have a solution for every part of the journey of where they’re at, because every client’s in a different situation. Yeah. So, so in reality, it’s A-G-S-I-A global systems integrator, being able to engage across their journey. [00:18:42] Vince Menzione: So that’s a, did everybody hear that? ’cause I, I heard that for the first time. That’s a very different perception of the, of the previous organization and getting there. Uh, and you also, I remember this from the transactional side of the business. You were at the very type, at the top of the pyramid, right? [00:18:56] Vince Menzione: Yeah. You handled some of the largest corporations in the, in the world. Yeah. And you know companies as well as organizations like government, governmental organizations across different markets as well. [00:19:07] Joseph Bellian: Yep. A hundred percent. [00:19:08] Vince Menzione: Yeah. So GS. Yeah. [00:19:11] Marcus Jewett: And it’s really important to, for SHI to, to develop that GSI muscle. [00:19:15] Marcus Jewett: Uh, you mentioned at the beginning, Joe, that Microsoft, uh, we have various routes to market. Uh, one of those routes to market, uh, especially in the enterprise space or in our strategic space, is for customers to procure direct. Uh, SHI has longstanding relationships with those customers, and as these customers renew their agreements into a direct model with Microsoft, the way they stay engaged and add value to these prop, uh, to these customers is through their services, their professional services, their managed services. [00:19:42] Marcus Jewett: So going back to Joe’s Point around really defining themselves as a, uh, A GSI, that is also an SSP has been paramount to their overall transformational journey and their overall success. [00:19:55] Vince Menzione: And you also work, so I would assume you work with some of the ISVs in the room too. Yeah, I would think there’s some really great relationships or synergies. [00:20:01] Vince Menzione: Is that, is that an area of muscle you’ve been building out or, yeah, it’s battle, it’s an opportunity. [00:20:06] Joseph Bellian: I mean, I, I believe you have a segment coming up as well on it, um, around NPO. Um, and so there’s a, there’s a play in every motion from services, play services attached through ISVs, your SaaS offers. Um, we do recognize that that’s an opportunity. [00:20:18] Joseph Bellian: Uh, we’re having great success when you look at the marketplace, um, through the multi private party offers. Um, it allows us to expand our footprint and take, uh, take advantage of those relationships and co-sell together. So, absolutely. Wow. [00:20:30] Vince Menzione: Very cool. So you’re gonna be around most of the day today? Yes. I hope. [00:20:34] Vince Menzione: Mm-hmm. So for the partners that are in the room, I think that great conversations with both of you, Stephanie and Joe, and, uh, great conversation. Is there anything else we wanna share with everyone? [00:20:46] Marcus Jewett: Uh, no. It’s just, I would, I would leave you all with the fact that, again, uh, for every partner. Uh, make certain that you, you’re finding a way to differentiate yourself and tell your story. [00:20:57] Marcus Jewett: Uh, you may be doing some amazing work, uh, but if you’re not finding ways to, to tell that story and make certain your customers, and for me, Microsoft, make certain that, that the Microsoft teams you’re working with have very clear understanding of what your capabilities are today, then you may be missing the mark. [00:21:13] Marcus Jewett: I, I, I use this analogy all the time. Uh, the largest retailer on the planet. Who is it? Come on, help me out. I’m sorry. Largest retailer. Box Box. Walmart. Walmart, that’s right. You can turn on a television on any given day and you will still see a Walmart commercial. So yes, tell your story. Yes, very [00:21:34] Joseph Bellian: smart move. [00:21:34] Joseph Bellian: And one more, um, I just wanna make sure I land out there, is the success and where we go from here. Um, it’s this right here in the room. Um, us partnering together, bringing the partner ecosystem together. Um, in reality, we’re not competing together. We should be collaborating together and working together, um, in our client’s joint environments. [00:21:52] Joseph Bellian: Microsoft says it well, it’s that one Microsoft story. It’s that better together story and the more we can work together, the more success we’ll have together. [00:22:00] Vince Menzione: Awesome. I want to thank you so much for your sponsorship and for being here. Uh, big news here, I think it should be like on the front page of the partner ecosystem journal that you’re now, you’re now GSII think that that says quite, that says volumes to, to the community out there. [00:22:15] Joseph Bellian: Yeah. [00:22:15] Vince Menzione: Thank you. [00:22:15] Joseph Bellian: Absolutely. [00:22:16] Vince Menzione: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you both for joining us. So great to have you both. Thank you. Thank you, Marcus, to have you as well. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. Thank you very much Stephanie. So great. So great to spend time with you. Thank you. And this.

In episode #339 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben explains how change of control provisions in customer contracts can quietly derail due diligence, fundraising, or a future company exit. Drawing from real-world CFO experience and a recent webinar with a SaaS-focused tech attorney, Ben breaks down why seemingly standard legal language can introduce major risk into a SaaS company's recurring revenue profile. Ben highlights how buyers and investors scrutinize customer contracts during due diligence—and why poorly structured MSAs can threaten valuation, increase churn risk, or even kill a deal outright. What You'll Learn What a change of control provision is and why it matters How customer contracts are reviewed during SaaS due diligence Why change of control clauses can open the door to customer churn after an acquisition How procurement teams and customer legal teams typically push for these provisions When to push back, escalate, or seek alternative contract language Why contract structure is part of strong SaaS financial and operational readiness Why It Matters Customer contracts directly impact company valuation during an exit or fundraise Change of control provisions can trigger immediate churn risk post-acquisition Buyers want confidence in the durability of recurring revenue Poor legal hygiene can delay, discount, or kill a transaction Proactive contract review reduces future due diligence friction Strong back-office processes support long-term financial strategy and investor trust Resources Mentioned Webinar replay with Omid (tech attorney) on legal readiness for SaaS exits: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/pl/2148384654 SaaS Metrics course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation

professorjrod@gmail.comExplore the pivotal moment in technology education as we trace the origins of the internet browser from Mosaic's innovation at NCSA to Netscape Navigator's rise as the gateway to the web. This episode dives deep into internet history, highlighting the major players like Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen who shaped the early web experience. We also analyze the browser wars triggered by Microsoft's Internet Explorer, illustrating challenges in technology development and competition. Whether you're preparing for your CompTIA exam or passionate about tech exam prep, understanding this history enriches your IT skills development and offers valuable context for technology education.I walk through the tactics that made Navigator beloved—progressive rendering, rapid updates, and the birth of JavaScript—and the strategic choices that slowed it down, like the all-in-one Communicator suite. We unpack the bundling play that tilted distribution, the developer headaches of competing nonstandard features, and the DOJ antitrust case that redefined how we think about platform power. The twists don't end there: AOL buys Netscape, adoption fades, and then a bold move changes the web again—open sourcing the code to create Mozilla.From Gecko to Phoenix to Firefox, we trace how community-driven software brought speed, security, and standards back to center stage. That lineage lives in every tab you open today, from Firefox to Chrome to Safari, and in the modern idea of the browser as a platform for apps, SaaS, and daily life. Along the way, I share classroom plans, student podcast previews, and a practical way educators can keep learners engaged over winter break.If you love origin stories, tech strategy, or just remember the thrill of that big N on a beige PC, this one's for you. Listen, subscribe, and share your first browser memory with us—was it Navigator, IE, or something else? And if this journey brought back the dial-up feels, leave a review and pass it on.Support the showArt By Sarah/DesmondMusic by Joakim KarudLittle chacha ProductionsJuan Rodriguez can be reached atTikTok @ProfessorJrodProfessorJRod@gmail.com@Prof_JRodInstagram ProfessorJRod

你以為懂得用 ChatGPT 寫文案、改 Email 就是「懂 AI」了嗎？大錯特錯！在這一集 Sparksine 廣東話讀書會，我們邀請到《AI 為王》作者、資深行銷及 AI 專家: 阿石 (Ah Shek)，為大家揭開 2026 年最殘酷的科技趨勢：AI Agent (AI 代理) 的崛起。為什麼阿石說 ChatGPT 只是「高分低能」的鸚鵡？為什麼傳統的 SaaS 軟體模式正在崩潰？未來的職場，初級員工（Junior）是否將被 AI 全面取代，而我們又該如何轉型成為「AI 管理者」？本集內容乾貨滿滿，從 AI 的底層邏輯，到中小企如何利用自動化工具（如 Manus, n8n, Bolt）以快打慢，建立自動賺錢的 MVP 產品。如果你不想在接下來的 AI 浪潮中被淘汰，這一集你絕對不能錯過！本集精彩重點： ✅ AI Agent vs Chatbot： 為什麼「會行動」的 AI 才是未來的經濟引擎？ ✅ 職場大洗牌： 企業開始削減 Junior 人手，什麼技能才能保住飯碗？ ✅ 工具實戰： 阿石私藏的 AI 工具清單 (Manus, Bolt, Cursor) 大公開！ ✅ 老闆思維： 別再用「數據安全」當藉口，新加坡政府已經領先香港多少？⏱️ 時間軸 (Time Stamps)：00:00 - 節目開始 & 嘉賓介紹：阿石與他的新書《AI 為王》01:50 - 行為模式改變：為什麼現代人不再 Google，轉而向 AI 發問？05:15 - 殘酷職場真相：企業開始裁減 Junior 員工？重複性工作的末路08:20 - AI 是取代人，還是提升人的天花板？「品味」與「創意」的重要性11:00 - 破解 AI 迷思：AI 其實是一隻「高分低能」的鸚鵡？理解 Token 與預測機制12:10 - 「凶心人」理論：為什麼 AI 沒有記憶？Context Window 是什麼？16:45 - 核心話題：ChatGPT 已過時？什麼是 AI Agent (AI 代理)？18:15 - 數位轉型 2.0：從軟體服務 (SaaS) 到「勞動力服務」 (Service-as-a-Software)21:40 - 實戰案例：如何用 AI Agent 自動處理行銷新聞、報價單與個人記帳28:20 - AI Agent 懂得 "Try and Learn"：與傳統自動化 Workflow 的最大分別29:10 - 未來組織架構：人人都是管理者 (Manager)，企業需要「AI 大使」34:30 - 大企業 vs 中小企：為什麼大公司買了 Copilot 卻沒人想用？42:30 - 工具推薦：2026 年必學的 AI 神器 (SearchGPT, Gemini, Manus)45:50 - 開發新模式：用 Bolt.new + Cursor 快速生成 MVP，再外包給印度工程師51:00 - 「天下武功，唯快不破」：靠微型 SaaS 建立被動收入51:50 - 給觀望者的建議：別讓「安全性」成為拒絕進步的藉口！關於嘉賓： 阿石 (Ah Shek) - 資深數碼營銷培訓師、創業家，《營銷為王》及《AI 為王》作者。致力於推動 AI 在商業場景的落地應用，擅長利用自動化工具提升企業效率。

Pour l'épisode de cette semaine, je reçois Jonathan Chemouny, GTM Europe chez Eleven Labs.Eleven Labs est aujourd'hui le leader mondial de l'IA audio : synthèse vocale (text-to-speech), transcription (speech-to-text), doublage multilingue, musique générative et surtout agents vocaux capables d'interagir en temps réel de manière ultra naturelle.Au cours de cet épisode, Jonathan revient sur son parcours, de l'entrepreneuriat à ses expériences chez Intercom et Lattice, jusqu'à son rôle actuel chez Eleven Labs où il pilote le Go-To-Market en Europe dans un contexte de croissance exceptionnelle (plus de 200M$ d'ARR atteints en à peine deux ans).Nous avons longuement parlé des grands cas d'usage d'Eleven Labs (création de contenu, doublage de podcasts, agents vocaux pour le support ou les ventes), des ruptures technologiques qui expliquent l'explosion de la voix (latence, qualité des modèles, orchestration temps réel), mais aussi des usages inattendus qui émergent sur le marché.Jonathan partage également une vision très concrète du Go-To-Market dans l'IA : pourquoi les playbooks SaaS classiques ne fonctionnent plus, comment structurer un moteur d'outbound quand l'inbound explose, le rôle clé des Forward Deployed Engineers (FDE) pour closer des deals complexes, et les expérimentations menées avec l'IA vocale pour prospecter, qualifier et convertir plus vite.Un épisode dense et très opérationnel, au cœur des enjeux actuels du SaaS et de l'intelligence artificielle.Vous pouvez suivre Jonathan sur LinkedIn.Bonne écoute !Mentionnés pendant l'épisode :Eleven LabsIntercomLatticeLemlistClayPalantirDoctolibNever Split the Difference – Chris VossInfluence et Manipulation – Robert CialdiniPour soutenir SaaS Connection en 1 minute⏱ (et 2 secondes) :Abonnez-vous à SaaS Connection sur votre plateforme préférée pour ne rater aucun épisode

The pod signs off for the year with its final episode—a sharp, chaotic recap of last year's predictions and a fresh round of hot takes for 2026. Sam and Dave, unsurprisingly, wing it: Sam calls a single $500B+ IPO (SpaceX), Google up, NVIDIA down, and Meta hitting new highs on AI-powered ads. Jess warns that AI-driven efficiency will fuel layoffs (especially in journalism) and that CapEx hype is outrunning reality. Dave predicts a boom in third places and games-first IP, while Britt bets on an Apple comeback, AI wearables as daily “life summarizers,” a breakout AI-native social app, and a celebrity licensing their AI twin. True to form, the crew goes off script to debate Amazon's rumored $10B OpenAI deal, AI as the new UI, which model builders survive, regulation looming over prediction markets, “slop” as word of the year, GLP-1s going mainstream, creators eyeing Emmys, and much more. Chapters:01:50 Morin's “Nauti or Nice” Holiday Card04:06 Sam's 2025 Predictions: Bitcoin, Solana ETFs, Crypto Government Adoption05:16 Britt's 2025 Predictions: Amazon Marketplace, Elon's “TITS,” Swift Engagement07:52 Dave's 2025 Predictions: Data Centers, Material Flow Robotics, Crypto Clarity10:18 Jess's 2025 Predictions: TikTok U.S., Vertical Stacks, Media Copyright, GLP-1s11:40 2025 Themes: “Slop,” AI Talent Wars, Government–Tech Ties12:58 Big Tech Check-In: Apple Loses Ground, Google's Delta13:41 Amazon's $10B OpenAI Bet and Chip Diplomacy16:16 Britt's 2026 Predictions: Apple Comeback, Wearable Agents, AI Talent Deals21:45 Jess's 2026 Predictions: AI-Driven Layoffs, Liquidity Wave, Prediction Market Regulation28:57 Dave's 2026 Predictions: Third Places, Games-First IP, Roblox Scrutiny36:17 Sam's 2026 Predictions: One $500B+ IPO, Nvidia Down, Google Up, Meta ATH44:13 AI Is the New UI: SaaS UX Moats Under Pressure49:35 Does AI Adult Content Go Mainstream?50:04 Dave on Google Doppl and AI Try-On Tech51:28 Britt's Pop Corner: Taylor Swift Album and Pregnancy Speculation52:19 Industry Wish List: More DPI, Kids' Mental Health, Waymos EverywhereWe're also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessYouTube: https://youtu.be/ehO3wIio7NwConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1223: Cars Commerce lines up its next CEO as a new chapter begins for dealer tech. Lucid's factory-backed used pricing puts EV depreciation in plain sight. And even as consumers keep spending this holiday season, a growing “joy deficit” reveals how tired—and cautious—shoppers really are.Show Notes with links:Our good friends at Cars Commerce are teeing up a major leadership transition. Longtime CEO Alex Vetter will hand the keys to Tobias “Tobi” Hartmann in early 2026, marking the end of an era and signaling a renewed push around growth, digital tools, and AI for dealers.Hartmann brings 25+ years of experience leading global marketplaces, most recently as CEO of Scout24 and previously at HelloFresh and eBay Enterprise.Alex Vetter, who has been with Cars.com since its 1998 launch, will step down after transforming the company into a vertical SaaS and marketplace platform for dealers.Under Vetter, Cars Commerce expanded through acquisitions like Dealer Inspire, AccuTrade, and DealerClub, strengthening its dealer-facing tech stack.Alex Vetter: “I'm confident that Tobi will continue our momentum for the next chapter of firsts. He will be a tremendous leader for this next phase of growth.”Lucid just launched its first factory-backed used-car program, and the pricing is doing more talking than the marketing.Lucid Recharged is the brand's certified pre-owned program for the Air sedan, with the Gravity SUV coming later.Eligible cars must be single-owner examples under 62,000 miles and pass a 160+ point factory inspection.Pricing is the headline: a 2023 Air Pure with ~20,000 miles can land in the mid-$40Ks versus a new MSRP just under $71K.Consumers are still spending this holiday season—but they're not exactly enjoying it as a new Retail Dive report says shoppers are leaning heavily on credit and BNPL.Katie Thomas of the Kearney Consumer Institute summed it up bluntly: there's a “real joy deficit for consumers,” driven by high prices and constant anxiety-focused messaging.Despite steady spending, consumers are fatigued, stressed, and increasingly reliant on credit, resale, and “dupe” gifting to get through the holidays.Shoppers feel stuck in an echo chamber of stress—online, in ads, and in daily life—where everything is expensive and brands keep reminding them of it.“Getting emotional doesn't have to be serious,” Thomas noted0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier6:05 Cars Commerce Announces Leadership Transition9:52 Lucid Launches CPO Program12:31 The Joy Deficit In RetailThank you to today's sponsor, Mia. Capture more revenue, protect CSI, and never miss a call or connection again with 24/7 phone coveraJoin Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

Alistair Roome is the founder and CEO of HD London Art (https://hdlondonart.com).FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris Email: podcast@ajfgrowth.comWork With AJF Growth: https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20. MOVE SUPPLY CHAINReduce your OpEx and create more leverage in your company with financial forecasting, AI, and offshore talent by visiting ⁠https://morestaffing.co/af⁠.

Dave Hersh, co-founder and former CEO of Jive Software, shares the real story behind bootstrapping Jive to $12M in revenue before raising venture capital and scaling aggressively. He explains how fear, comparison, and the pressure to "go big" drove him to abandon his profitable core business and pursue a new upmarket strategy that ultimately cost the company its soul.  After growing to $60 million, Jive eventually went public, but not without internal strain, personal turmoil, and ultimately the realization that the company had drifted away from what made it successful.  Dave discusses how overexpansion, premature scaling, hiring missteps, and market-chasing derail both VC-backed and bootstrapped companies—along with the psychological patterns founders rarely acknowledge.  He shares lessons from his book "Reignition: Transforming Stuck Startups Into Breakout Winners" on why most stuck companies don't need a new strategy—they need a wiser founder who understands their inner operating system and is willing to grow alongside the business. Today Dave coaches founders, writes about the emotional foundations of leadership, and acquires underperforming SaaS companies to "refound" them with more clarity, connection, and human-first strategy. Key Takeaways Founder Psychology Matters — Most stuck companies trace back to subconscious patterns, not strategy failures, and founders must address these to grow. Premature Scaling Kills — Expanding markets or teams too quickly dilutes the core and creates complexity most companies cannot absorb. Core Before Expansion — Winning in a beachhead and protecting the core creates more durable growth than chasing adjacent market too early. Better Growth Pace — Sustainable companies grow at the pace the market allows; forced hypergrowth often destabilizes otherwise healthy businesses. Quote from Dave Hersh, Co-founder and Former CEO of Jive Software "I realized that 90% of stuck companies and failed companies are not the reasons that we say they failed. Like they didn't have product market fit or they ran out of cash or the founders didn't get along. It's the psychology underneath. If you actually look at the source of those problems, It was these very consistent psychological patterns that founders run into. "So hero complex, warrior, imposter syndrome, over identification with the company. It was all of these things that I kept seeing over and over again that led to the decisions that got them stuck. And so, yes, while it's true, they got out competed. Why did they go after the big market? What led them to do that? Why did they try to compete against these companies they were competing against? "And then you start to tap into what's really going on and you see: They're trying to earn validation. They are trying to get redeemed as an entrepreneur. They're trying to live up to their parents, their older sibling, their peer group. And it was that desire that led to them trying to go after this big market and raising too much money that got them stuck. And so I like to work with the source material, which is, Why did you do that?" Links Dave Hersh on LinkedIn Book by Dave Hersh: Reignition: Transforming Stuck Startups into Breakout Winners Dave Hersh website Podcast Sponsor – Fraction This podcast is sponsored by Fraction. Fraction gives you access to senior US-based engineers and CTOs — without full-time costs or hiring risks. Get 10 to 30 hours per week from vetted and experienced US-based talent. Find your next fractional senior engineer or CTO at fraction.work. You can start with a one-week, risk-free trial to test it out. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding.  A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.

In episode #338 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben explains how to quickly sanity-check your sales and marketing forecast for the upcoming year using one high-signal SaaS metric: the Cost of ARR. As founders and CFOs finalize budgets, Ben shows how mismatches between projected bookings and planned go-to-market spend can reveal unrealistic assumptions before they turn into missed targets. Using simple examples, Ben walks through how the Cost of ARR connects sales and marketing spend, net new ARR bookings, and historical performance—making it one of the most effective tools for validating SaaS and AI company forecasts during budget season. What You'll Learn How to use the Cost of ARR to validate your sales and marketing budget The relationship between sales and marketing spend and net new ARR bookings How to identify unrealistic growth assumptions in your forecast The difference between blended the Cost of ARR, Cost of New ARR, and Cost of Expansion ARR Why historical performance should anchor forward-looking forecasts How benchmarking by ACV and sales motion improves forecast accuracy Why It Matters Sales and marketing forecasts often fail because spend and bookings assumptions are disconnected Cost of ARR provides a mechanical reality check before committing to a budget Overly aggressive ARR targets can be identified early and corrected Underspending on go-to-market becomes visible when bookings expectations are too conservative Benchmarking against peers helps validate whether forecast assumptions are realistic Strong financial modeling and forecasting discipline improves board and investor confidence Resources Mentioned Cost of ARR metric framework: https://www.thesaascfo.com/saas-cac-ratio/ Benchmarking data from Ray Rike at Benchmarkit.ai Concepts from SaaS FP&A forecasting and go-to-market efficiency analysis: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation

If you're in the SEO industry, you know Darren Shaw and his company, Whitespark.If you're not... well you're still in for a good episode as we barely even talk about SEO!We go deep into how Darren is able to run a 7-figure agency and equally sized SaaS that is well recognized in the SEO industry. On top of that, we talk about he's still able to find the time to remain a subject matter expert in the SEO field, make all these YouTube videos, build winning teams, vibe code new SaaS products, and maintain his personal brand.Darren is everywhere all the time and still running a more successful business than we are... how?Check out Whitespark at https://whitespark.ca and follow Darren and Whitespark on all the social medias:https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenshawwhitespark/https://www.facebook.com/darrenshawseohttps://www.youtube.com/@WhitesparkCa-----SPONSOR: Tiiny HostThis week's episode is sponsored by Tiiny Host. Use code "grow" and get 50% OFF your first month of a Pro or Pro Max plan at https://tinyhost.com/agencies.-----JOIN THE FREE DISCORDhttps://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRDOur recommended agency tools:everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/----------------------------------⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.----------------------------------Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcastTwitter/X: @theagency_uLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcastFacebook: facebook.com/theagencyuInstagram: @theagencyuReddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundleyTikTok: @agency.u

In this week's episode, Allen sits down with J. Jordan Thaeler — retail strategist, founder, operator, and the mind behind ReformingRetail. If you've ever wondered why retail keeps breaking… and what it actually takes to fix it… this conversation is for you.Jordan brings the unfiltered truth about:✔️ The real problems facing retail today✔️ What companies get wrong about growth & data✔️ Why most tech solutions miss the mark✔️ How to build retail operations that actually work✔️ The future of brick-and-mortar and digital integration✔️ Lessons from years advising retailers and foundersThis episode is packed with insights, straight talk, and the kind of perspective you won't find anywhere else.

Join us LIVE on Mondays, 4:30pm EST.A weekly Podcast with BHIS and Friends. We discuss notable Infosec, and infosec-adjacent news stories gathered by our community news team.https://www.youtube.com/@BlackHillsInformationSecurityChat with us on Discord! - https://discord.gg/bhis

Why Customer Success Can't Be Automated (And What AI Can Actually Do) In this special year-end episode of the FutureCraft GTM Podcast, hosts Ken Roden and Erin Mills sit down with Amanda Berger, Chief Customer Officer at Employ, to tackle the biggest question facing CS leaders in December 2026: What can AI actually do in customer success, and where do humans remain irreplaceable? Amanda brings 20+ years at the intersection of data and human decision-making—from AI-powered e-commerce personalization at Rich Relevance, to human-led security at HackerOne, to now implementing AI companions for recruiters. Her journey is a masterclass in understanding where the machine ends and the human begins. This conversation delivers hard truths about metrics, change management, and the future of CS roles—plus Amanda's controversial take that "if you don't use AI, AI will take your job." Unpacking the Human vs. Machine Balance in Customer Success Amanda returns with a reality check: AI doesn't understand business outcomes or motivation—humans do. She reveals how her career evolved from philosophy major studying "man versus machine" to implementing AI across radically different contexts (e-commerce, security, recruiting), giving her unique pattern recognition about what AI can genuinely do versus where it consistently fails. The Lagging Indicator Problem: Why NRR, churn, and NPS tell you what already happened (6 months ago) instead of what you can influence. Amanda makes the case for verified outcomes, leading indicators, and real-time CSAT at decision points. The 70% Rule for CS in Sales: Why most churn starts during implementation, not at renewal—and exactly when to bring CS into the deal to prevent it (technical win stage/vendor of choice). Segmentation ≠ Personalization: The jumpsuit story that proves AI is still just sophisticated bucketing, even with all the advances in 2026. True personalization requires understanding context, motivation, and individual goals. The Delegation Framework: Don't ask "what can AI do?" Ask "what parts of my job do I hate?" Delegate the tedious (formatting reports, repetitive emails, data analysis) so humans can focus on what makes them irreplaceable. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and AI Updates from Ken & Erin 01:28 - Welcoming Amanda Berger: From Philosophy to Customer Success 03:58 - The Man vs. Machine Question: Where AI Ends and Humans Begin 06:30 - The Jumpsuit Story: Why AI Personalization Is Still Segmentation 09:06 - Why NRR Is a Lagging Indicator (And What to Measure Instead) 12:20 - CSAT as the Most Underrated CS Metric 17:34 - The $4M Vulnerability: House Security Analogy for Attribution 21:15 - Bringing CS Into Sales at 70% Probability (The Non-Negotiable) 25:31 - Getting Customers to Actually Tell You Their Goals 28:21 - AI Companions at Employ: The Recruiting Reality Check 32:50 - The Delegation Mindset: What Parts of Your Job Do You Hate? 36:40 - Making the Case for Humans in an AI-First World 40:15 - The Framework: When to Use Digital vs. Human Touch 43:10 - The 8-Hour Workflow Reduced to 30 Minutes (Real ROI Examples) 45:30 - By 2027: The Hardest CX Role to Hire 47:49 - Lightning Round: Summarization, Implementation, Data Themes 51:09 - Wrap-Up and Key Takeaways Edited Transcript Introduction: Where Does the Machine End and Where Does the Human Begin? Erin Mills: Your career reads like a roadmap of enterprise AI evolution—from AI-powered e-commerce personalization at Rich Relevance, to human-powered collective intelligence at HackerOne, and now augmented recruiting at Employ. This doesn't feel random—it feels intentional. How has this journey shaped your philosophy on where AI belongs in customer experience? Amanda Berger: It goes back even further than that. I started my career in the late '90s in what was first called decision support, then business intelligence. All of this is really just data and how data helps humans make decisions. What's evolved through my career is how quickly we can access data and how spoon-fed those decisions are. Back then, you had to drill around looking for a needle in a haystack. Now, does that needle just pop out at you so you can make decisions based on it? I got bit by the data bug early on, realizing that information is abundant—and it becomes more abundant as the years go on. The way we access that information is the difference between making good business decisions and poor business decisions. In customer success, you realize it's really just about humans helping humans be successful. That convergence of "where's the data, where's the human" has been central to my career. The Jumpsuit Story: Why AI Personalization Is Still Just Segmentation Ken Roden: Back in 2019, you talked about being excited for AI to become truly personal—not segment-based. Flash forward to December 2026. How close are we to actual personalization? Amanda Berger: I don't think we're that close. I'll give you an example. A friend suggested I ask ChatGPT whether I should buy a jumpsuit. So I sent ChatGPT a picture and my measurements. I'm 5'2". ChatGPT's answer? "If you buy it, you should have it tailored." That's segmentation, not personalization. "You're short, so here's an answer for short people." Back in 2019, I was working on e-commerce personalization. If you searched for "black sweater" and I searched for "black sweater," we'd get different results—men's vs. women's. We called it personalization, but it was really segmentation. Fast forward to now. We have exponentially more data and better models, but we're still segmenting and calling it personalization. AI makes segmentation faster and more accessible, but it's still segmentation. Erin Mills: But did you get the jumpsuit? Amanda Berger: (laughs) No, I did not get the jumpsuit. But maybe I will. The Philosophy Degree That Predicted the Future Erin Mills: You started as a philosophy major taking "man versus machine" courses. What would your college self say? And did philosophy prepare you in ways a business degree wouldn't have? Amanda Berger: I actually love my philosophy degree because it really taught me to critically think about issues like this. I don't think I would have known back then that I was thinking about "where does the machine end and where does the human begin"—and that this was going to have so many applicable decision points throughout my career. What you're really learning in philosophy is logical thought process. If this happens, then this. And that's fundamentally the foundation for AI. "If you're short, you should get your outfit tailored." "If you have a customer with predictive churn indicators, you should contact that customer." It's enabling that logical thinking at scale. The Metrics That Actually Matter: Leading vs. Lagging Indicators Erin Mills: You've called NRR, churn rate, and NPS "lagging indicators." That's going to ruffle boardroom feathers. Make the case—what's broken, and what should we replace it with? Amanda Berger: By the time a customer churns or tells you they're gonna churn, it's too late. The best thing you can do is offer them a crazy discount. And when you're doing that, you've already kind of lost. What CS teams really need to be focused on is delivering value. If you deliver value—we all have so many competing things to do—if a SaaS tool is delivering value, you're probably not going to question it. If there's a question about value, then you start introducing lower price or competitors. And especially in enterprise, customers decide way, way before they tell you whether they're gonna pull the technology out. You usually miss the signs. So you've gotta look at leading indicators. What are the signs? And they're different everywhere I've gone. I've worked for companies where if there's a lot of engagement with support, that's a sign customers really care and are trying to make the technology work—it's a good sign, churn risk is low. Other companies I've worked at, when customers are heavily engaged with support, they're frustrated and it's not working—churn risk is high. You've got to do the work to figure out what those churn indicators are and how they factor into leading indicators: Are they achieving verified outcomes? Are they healthy? Are there early risk warnings? CSAT: The Most Underrated Metric Ken Roden: You're passionate about customer satisfaction as a score because it's granular and actionable. Can you share a time where CSAT drove a change and produced a measurable business result? Amanda Berger: I spent a lot of my career in security. And that's tough for attribution. In e-commerce, attribution is clear: Person saw recommendations, put them in cart, bought them. In hiring, their time-to-fill is faster—pretty clear. But in security, it's less clear. I love this example: We all live in houses, right? None of our houses got broken into last night. You don't go to work saying, "I had such a good night because my house didn't get broken into." You just expect that. And when your house didn't get broken into, you don't know what to attribute that to. Was it the locked doors? Alarm system? Dog? Safe neighborhood? That's true with security in general. You have to really think through attribution. Getting that feedback is really important. In surveys we've done, we've gotten actionable feedback. Somebody was able to detect a vulnerability, and we later realized it could have been tied to something that would have cost $4 million to settle. That's the kind of feedback you don't get without really digging around for it. And once you get that once, you're able to tie attribution to other things. Bringing CS Into the Sales Cycle: The 70% Rule Erin Mills: You're a religious believer in bringing CS into the sales cycle. When exactly do you insert CS, and how do you build trust without killing velocity? Amanda Berger: With bigger customers, I like to bring in somebody from CX when the deal is at the technical win stage or 70% probability—vendor of choice stage. Usually it's for one of two reasons: One: If CX is gonna have to scope and deliver, I really like CX to be involved. You should always be part of deciding what you're gonna be accountable to deliver. And I think so much churn actually starts to happen when an implementation goes south before anyone even gets off the ground. Two: In this world of technology, what really differentiates an experience is humans. A lot of our technology is kind of the same. Competitive differentiation is narrower and narrower. But the approach to the humans and the partnership—that really matters. And that can make the difference during a sales cycle. Sometimes I have to convince the sales team this is true. But typically, once I'm able to do that, they want it. Because it does make a big difference. Technology makes us successful, but humans do too. That's part of that balance between what's the machine and what is the human. The Art of Getting Customers to Articulate Their Goals Ken Roden: One challenge CS teams face is getting customers to articulate their goals. Do customers naturally say what they're looking to achieve, or do you have a process to pull it out? Amanda Berger: One challenge is that what a recruiter's goal is might be really different than what the CFO's goal is. Whose outcome is it? One reason you want to get involved during the sales cycle is because customers tell you what they're looking for then. It's very clear. And nothing frustrates a company more than "I told you that, and now you're asking me again? Why don't you just ask the person selling?" That's infuriating. Now, you always have legacy customers where a new CSM comes in and has to figure it out. Sometimes the person you're asking just wants to do their job more efficiently and can't necessarily tie it back to the bigger picture. That's where the art of triangulation and relationships comes in—asking leading discovery questions to understand: What is the business impact really? But if you can't do that as a CS leader, you probably won't be successful and won't retain customers for the long term. AI as Companion, Not Replacement: The Employ Philosophy Erin Mills: At Employ, you're implementing AI companions for recruiters. How do you think about when humans are irreplaceable versus when AI should step in? Amanda Berger: This is controversial because we're talking about hiring, and hiring is so close to people's hearts. That's why we really think about companions. I earnestly hope there's never a world where AI takes over hiring—that's scary. But AI can help companies and recruiters be more efficient. Job seekers are using AI. Recruiters tell me they're getting 200-500% more applicants than before because people are using AI to apply to multiple jobs quickly or modify their resumes. The only way recruiters can keep up is by using AI to sort through that and figure out best fits. So AI is a tool and a friend to that recruiter. But it can't take over the recruiter. The Delegation Framework: What Do You Hate Doing? Ken Roden: How do you position AI as companion rather than threat? Amanda Berger: There's definitely fear. Some is compliance-based—totally justifiable. There's also people worried about AI taking their jobs. I think if you don't use AI, AI is gonna take your job. If you use AI, it's probably not. I've always been a big fan of delegation. In every aspect of my life: If there's something I don't want to do, how can I delegate it? Professionally, I'm not very good at putting together beautiful PowerPoint presentations. I don't want to do it. But AI can do that for me now. Amazingly well. What I'm really bad at is figuring out bullets and formatting. AI does that. So I think about: What are the things I don't want to do? Usually we don't want to do the things we're not very good at or that are tedious. Use AI to do those things so you can focus on the things you're really good at. Maybe what I'm really good at is thinking strategically about engaging customers or articulating a message. I can think about that, but AI can build that PowerPoint. I don't have to think about "does my font match here?" Take the parts of your job that you don't like—sending the same email over and over, formatting things, thinking about icebreaker ideas—leverage AI for that so you can do those things that make you special and make you stand out. The people who can figure that out and leverage it the right way will be incredibly successful. Making the Case to Keep Humans in CS Ken Roden: Leaders face pressure from boards and investors to adopt AI more—potentially leading to roles being cut. How do you make the case for keeping humans as part of customer success? Amanda Berger: AI doesn't understand business outcomes and motivation. It just doesn't. Humans understand that. The key to relationships and outcomes is that understanding. The humanity is really important. At HackerOne, it was basically a human security company. There are millions of hackers who want to identify vulnerabilities before bad actors get to them. There are tons of layers of technology—AI-driven, huge stacks of security technology. And yet no matter what, there's always vulnerabilities that only a human can detect. You want full-stack security solutions—but you have to have that human solution on top of it, or you miss things. That's true with customer success too. There's great tooling that makes it easier to find that needle in the haystack. But once you find it, what do you do? That's where the magic comes in. That's where a human being needs to get involved. Customer success—it is called customer success because it's about success. It's not called customer retention. We do retain through driving success. AI can point out when a customer might not be successful or when there might be an indication of that. But it can't solve that and guide that customer to what they need to be doing to get outcomes that improve their business. What actually makes success is that human element. Without that, we would just be called customer retention. The Framework: When to Use Digital vs. Human Touch Erin Mills: We'd love to get your framework for AI-powered customer experience. How do you make those numbers real for a skeptical CFO? Amanda Berger: It's hard to talk about customer approach without thinking about customer segmentation. It's very different in enterprise versus a scaled model. I've dealt with a lot of scale in my last couple companies. I believe that the things we do to support that long tail—those digital customers—we need to do for all customers. Because while everybody wants human interaction, they don't always want it. Think about: As a person, where do I want to interact digitally with a machine? If it's a bot, I only want to interact with it until it stops giving me good answers. Then I want to say, "Stop, let me talk to an operator." If I can find a document or video that shows me how to do something quickly rather than talking to a human, it's human nature to want to do that. There are obvious limits. If I can change my flight on my phone app, I'm gonna do that rather than stand at a counter. Come back to thinking: As a human, what's the framework for where I need a human to get involved? Second, it's figuring out: How do I predict what's gonna happen with my customers? What are the right ways of looking and saying "this is a risk area"? Creating that framework. Once you've got that down, it's an evolution of combining: Where does the digital interaction start? Where does it stop? What am I looking for that's going to trigger a human interaction? Being able to figure that out and scale that—that's the thing everybody is trying to unlock. The 8-Hour Workflow Reduced to 30 Minutes Erin Mills: You've mentioned turning some workflows from an 8-hour task to 30 minutes. What roles absorbed the time dividend? What were rescoped? Amanda Berger: The roles with a lot of repetition and repetitive writing. AI is incredible when it comes to repetitive writing and templatization. A lot of times that's more in support or managed services functions. And coding—any role where you're coding, compiling code, or checking code. There's so much efficiency AI has already provided. I think less so on the traditional customer success management role. There's definitely efficiencies, but not that dramatic. Where I've seen it be really dramatic is in managed service examples where people are doing repetitive tasks—they have to churn out reports. It's made their jobs so much better. When they provide those services now, they can add so much more value. Rather than thinking about churning out reports, they're able to think about: What's the content in my reports? That's very beneficial for everyone. By 2027: The Hardest CX Role to Hire Erin Mills: Mad Libs time. By 2027, the hardest CX job to hire will be _______ because of _______. Amanda Berger: I think it's like these forward-deployed engineer types of roles. These subject matter experts. One challenge in CS for a while has been: What's the value of my customer success manager? Are they an expert? Or are they revenue-driven? Are they the retention person? There's been an evolution of maybe they need to be the expert. And what does that mean? There'll continue to be evolution on that. And that'll be the hardest role. That standard will be very, very hard. Lightning Round Ken Roden: What's one AI workflow go-to-market teams should try this week? Amanda Berger: Summarization. Put your notes in, get a summary, get the bullets. AI is incredible for that. Ken Roden: What's one role in go-to-market that's underusing AI right now? Amanda Berger: Implementation. Ken Roden: What's a non-obvious AI use case that's already working? Amanda Berger: Data-related. People are still scared to put data in and ask for themes. Putting in data and asking for input on what are the anomalies. Ken Roden: For the go-to-market leader who's not seeing value in AI—what should they start doing differently tomorrow? Amanda Berger: They should start having real conversations about why they're not seeing value. Take a more human-led, empathetic approach to: Why aren't they seeing it? Are they not seeing adoption, or not seeing results? I would guess it's adoption, and then it's drilling into the why. Ken Roden: If you could DM one thing to all go-to-market leaders, what would it be? Amanda Berger: Look at your leading indicators. Don't wait. Understand your customer, be empathetic, try to get results that matter to them. Key Takeaways The Human-AI Balance in Customer Success: AI doesn't understand business outcomes or motivation—humans do. The winning teams use AI to find patterns and predict risk, then deploy humans to understand why it matters and what strategic action to take. The Lagging Indicator Trap: By the time NRR, churn rate, or NPS move, customers decided 6 months ago. Focus on leading indicators you can actually influence: verified outcomes, engagement signals specific to your business, early risk warnings, and real-time CSAT at decision points. The 70% Rule: Bring CS into the sales cycle at the technical win stage (70% probability) for two reasons: (1) CS should scope what they'll be accountable to deliver, and (2) capturing customer goals early prevents the frustrating "I already told your sales rep" moment later. Segmentation ≠ Personalization: AI makes segmentation faster and cheaper, but true personalization requires understanding context, motivation, and individual circumstances. The jumpsuit story proves we're still just sophisticated bucketing, even with 2026's advanced models. The Delegation Framework: Don't ask "what can AI do?" Ask "what parts of my job do I hate?" Delegate the tedious (formatting, repetitive emails, data analysis) so humans can focus on strategy, relationships, and outcomes that only humans can drive. "If You Don't Use AI, AI Will Take Your Job": The people resisting AI out of fear are most at risk. The people using AI to handle drudgery and focusing on what makes them irreplaceable—strategic thinking, relationship-building, understanding nuanced goals—are the future leaders. Customer Success ≠ Customer Retention: The name matters. Your job isn't preventing churn through discounts and extensions. Your job is driving verified business outcomes that make customers want to stay because you're improving their business. Stay Connected To listen to the full episode and stay updated on future episodes, visit the FutureCraft GTM website. Connect with Amanda Berger: Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn Employ Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered advice. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and do not represent those of any company or business we currently work for/with or have worked for/with in the past.

Every episode of season seven asked the same question: what advice would you give a SaaS founder who is just starting out and aiming to go from zero to 10K MRR? This summary brings together the most practical and battle-tested suggestions from dozens of founders, operators, and go-to-market leaders. The focus is squarely on what works early on—how to find your first customers, validate demand, price correctly, and build momentum without burning too much cash. Across the conversations, certain patterns emerged repeatedly, alongside a few conflicting insights that provide nuance. The episodes cover founder-led growth, go-to-market motion, pricing tactics, product-market fit, and building early traction, all directly from people who have done it. If your goal is 10K MRR for a B2B SaaS, this is the guidance they shared. And once you get there, the next episode in the series digs into the leap from 10K MRR to 10 million ARR. For now, here is the zero-to-10K playbook, as told by the guests.

In this potluck episode of Syntax, Wes and Scott answer your questions about keyboard shortcuts, choosing frameworks in the age of AI, markdown vs CMSs, backup strategies, moving countries for work, staying relevant as a developer, and more! Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 02:28 Do keyboard shortcuts actually improve productivity? Hyperkey 08:41 What is Error Lens, and why use it? Ep 956: Should I Keep Using WordPress? 11:44 How Scott is using a Svelte 5 service worker 14:52 Does tech stack choice still matter with AI coding? Ep 951: A first look at Remix 3 20:15 What stack should you choose for a greenfield SaaS? 22:38 What's the right stack for a band website? 28:24 Is moving countries for work worth the tradeoff? 34:59 Brought to you by Sentry.io 36:16 How should you manage commits with AI tools? 40:50 Is programming still a good career in the AI era? 47:03 How should you back up large files and media? Ep 949: Web Dev HORROR Stories + Spooky Trivia! (Spooky Stories Pt. 1) Ep 962: The Home Server / Synology Show 53:29 What backup setup works for small teams and clients? 55:14 How should you store sensitive files safely? 58:07 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs Sick Picks Scott: Philips LED Ultra Definition Wes: LEGO Builder App Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

The most future-ready marketing leaders aren't the ones chasing trends… they're the ones who can reinvent themselves every time the industry changes.Michelle Huff, Chief Marketing Officer at Alteryx, joins Marketing Trends to break down the mindset that kept her relevant through every major tech revolution, from Web1 to cloud, SaaS, PLG, and now AI. She explains how to balance curiosity with focus, why AI is really about automating judgment (not just tasks), and how she's redesigning her marketing org around agents, automation, and new workflows.Michelle also shares early results from Alteryx's AI experiments, how she's rebuilding a 700,000-person community, and why great leaders still start with the end user even as their buyer audiences expand. Key Moments:  00:00 – How to Stay Relevant Through Every Tech Shift03:42 – A Career Spanning Web1, Cloud, SaaS, and AI06:58 – Curiosity Is the Ultimate Career Advantage10:12 – When Leaders Should Tinker and When to Delegate13:28 – Building a Marketing Culture That Experiments16:41 – Why AI Is About Judgment, Not Just Automation20:07 – Inside an AI-Powered SDR Outbound Workflow23:34 – Do AI Agents Replace People or Elevate Them26:58 – Upskilling Teams in an AI-Driven Organization30:17 – Why Most AI Content Fails to Break Through33:36 – How to Stand Out in a Noisy B2B Market36:52 – Why Enterprise Brands Lose Touch With End Users39:48 – How Alteryx Built a 700,000-Person Community43:06 – Turning Community Into Competition and Learning46:32 – Early AI Wins That Drive Real Pipeline Impact  This episode is brought to you by Lightricks. LTX is the all-in-one creative suite for AI-driven video production; built by Lightricks to take you from idea to final 4K render in one streamlined workspace.Powered by LTX-2, our next-generation creative engine, LTX lets you move faster, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver studio-quality results without compromise. Try it today at ltx.studio Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Open source has always played a big role at 37signals. This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share why they're drawn to working in the open, and how that mindset carries into their newest product, Fizzy.Key Takeaways00:12 – Why open source continues to matter at 37signals05:12 – Sharing work publicly pushes quality higher09:55 – How open source fits into Fizzy's SaaS setup15:15 – Treating open source as a gift19:41 – Getting direct feedback in unfamiliar but fun ways 22:56 – How the team decides what goes into Fizzy and what doesn't24:34 – A Danish language lessonLinks and ResourcesFizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.doRecord a video question for the podcastBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

#719 If you've ever wondered how a SaaS business gets off the ground — or how math and spreadsheets can evolve into a powerful, profit-driving platform — this episode is for you! Host Brien Gearin sits down with Adam Callinan, founder of Pentane and host of the Growth Mavericks podcast, who shares his journey from building a multi-million dollar beverage accessory company (that landed a deal on Shark Tank) to launching a SaaS platform that helps consumer brands and service businesses optimize their profitability. Adam reveals how he scaled his first business to $8 million in revenue without employees or investors, the painful realities of running a startup, and how the operational tools he built for himself eventually became Pentane. You'll learn why he's cautious about AI, how Pentane gives clear, prescriptive financial recommendations, and why even non-sexy, service-based businesses deserve world-class tools to make smarter decisions! (Original Air Date - 5/8/25) What we discuss with Adam: + From coolie cups to software + Scaling to $8M with no employees + Behind-the-scenes of Shark Tank + Solving problems with spreadsheets + Why most SaaS is built backwards + Math > AI for financial clarity + How Pentane guides business decisions + Real-world use cases for Pentane + Helping service businesses with numbers + Building lean, profitable companies Thank you, Adam! Check out Pentane at ⁠Pentane.com⁠. Listen to the ⁠Growth Mavericks podcast⁠. Follow Adam on ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! To get access to our FREE Business Training course go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/training⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠millionaireuniversity.com/sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ready to churn less and win more?

As organizations race to adopt AI, many discover an uncomfortable truth: ambition often outpaces readiness. In this episode of the ITSPmagazine Brand Story Podcast, host Sean Martin speaks with Julian Hamood, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at TrustedTech, about what it really takes to operationalize AI without amplifying risk, chaos, or misinformation.Julian shares that most organizations are eager to activate tools like AI agents and copilots, yet few have addressed the underlying condition of their environments. Unstructured data sprawl, fragmented cloud architectures, and legacy systems create blind spots that AI does not fix. Instead, AI accelerates whatever already exists, good or bad.A central theme of the conversation is readiness. Julian explains that AI success depends on disciplined data classification, permission hygiene, and governance before automation begins. Without that groundwork, organizations risk exposing sensitive financial, HR, or executive data to unintended audiences simply because an AI system can surface it.The discussion also explores the operational reality beneath the surface. Most environments are a patchwork of Azure, AWS, on-prem infrastructure, SaaS platforms, and custom applications, often shaped by multiple IT leaders over time. When AI is layered onto this complexity without architectural clarity, inaccurate outputs and flawed business decisions quickly follow.Sean and Julian also examine how AI initiatives often emerge from unexpected places. Legal teams, business units, and individual contributors now build their own AI workflows using low-code and no-code tools, frequently outside formal IT oversight. At the same time, founders and CFOs push for rapid AI adoption while resisting the investment required to clean and secure the foundation.The episode highlights why AI programs are never one-and-done projects. Ongoing maintenance, data validation, and security oversight are essential as inputs change and systems evolve. Julian emphasizes that organizations must treat AI as a permanent capability on the roadmap, not a short-term experiment.Ultimately, the conversation frames AI not as a shortcut, but as a force multiplier. When paired with disciplined architecture and trusted guidance, AI enables scale, speed, and confidence. Without that discipline, it simply magnifies existing problems.Note: This story contains promotional content. Learn more.GUESTJulian Hamood, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at TrustedTech | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-hamood/Are you interested in telling your story?▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full▶︎ Spotlight Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight▶︎ Highlight Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlightKeywords: sean martin, julian hamood, trusted tech, ai readiness, data governance, ai security, enterprise ai, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand story podcast, brand spotlight Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vikram Seth is the Co-founder and Product Visionary at Ducknowl, a talent-screening and assessment platform that helps employers make faster, smarter, and more data-driven hiring decisions. He is also a Co-founder of Simpalm, a company that provides software and services focused on IT and staffing solutions. With more than a decade of management and IT staffing experience and a master's degree from Georgetown University, he brings deep expertise to digital innovation in recruitment. Vikram also supports sustainable organic farming in the Chicagoland area. In this episode… Building better hiring systems isn't just about speed — it's about finding ways to truly understand talent, reduce bias, and streamline decision-making. Many leaders still struggle with outdated processes that overlook talented individuals and waste time and resources. So how can technology and smarter talent solutions transform the way companies hire? Vikram Seth, a leader in technology-driven hiring innovation, believes companies improve dramatically when they look beyond resumes and adopt structured, consistent evaluation methods. He highlights how video screening, skill-based assessments, and integrity-focused tools help hiring teams gain clearer insight into candidates while reducing costly misjudgments. The result is a more efficient, equitable, and data-informed hiring workflow that helps businesses scale with confidence. Vikram also emphasizes the power of global talent and why embracing modern staffing models opens new doors for growth. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Vikram Seth, Co-founder and Product Visionary at Ducknowl, to discuss building better hiring systems through technology and smarter talent solutions. They explore how structured assessments mitigate bias, how global talent enhances operations, and how real-world staffing challenges drive innovative solutions. Vikram also talks about the mindset that shaped his entrepreneurial journey.

Join Nick Lamagna on The A Game Podcast with his guest Jordan Fleming! On this episode of The A Game Podcast: Real Estate Investing for Entrepreneurs, Nick Lamagna sits down with Jordan Samuel Fleming — real estate investor, SaaS founder, and the co-founder of smrtPhone, the all-in-one cloud phone system and power dialer built for real estate investors and high-volume sales teams. Jordan's story is anything but typical: a classically trained musician turned tech strategist who went from building systems in the Podio ecosystem to helping thousands of businesses tighten their follow-up, track every touchpoint, and scale from a couple deals a month to consistent high volume without burning out. You'll hear the real "behind the curtain" conversations that matter to investors right now:   ✅  Why most investors stall at 1–2 deals/month (and what the best operators do differently)   ✅  The fortune-in-the-follow-up framework: lead buckets, consistent touchpoints, and why your CRM is full of "found money"   ✅  How power dialing, call logs, recordings, and team accountability can expose leaks and immediately increase conversions   ✅  Real talk on cold calling, texting, and communication compliance — and why doing the basics well still wins   ✅  Where AI in real estate is going next (and how voice + automation will reshape acquisitions) Jordan also shares insights from his new book "Click. Call. Scale." — a practical playbook for building a phone-first sales system that helps real estate investors close more deals through better conversations, better data, and better process.  He also hosts the hit podcast That Real Estate Tech Guy. If you're wholesaling, flipping, buying rentals, running a acquisitions team, or building a real estate business that needs more leads and better conversions, this episode is a must. Connect with Jordan / smrtPhone + grab the resources mentioned: Links are in the show notes. Support the show: If you got value, please follow/subscribe on Apple Podcasts & Spotify, and share this episode with an investor or entrepreneur who's ready to scale. See the show notes to connect with all things Jordan!   Connect with Jordan: FREE Copy of the Book CLICK CALL SCALE Here! Jordan Fleming on Youtube Jordan Fleming on Instagram Jordan Fleming on Threads Jordan Fleming on Twitter Jordan Fleming on Facebook Jordan Fleming on LinkedIn That Real Estate Tech Guy Podcast     Connect with Smrtphone: www.smrtphone.io SmrtPhone On Youtube SmrtPhone on Facebook Smrtphone on Instagram Smrtphone on LinkedIn SmrtPhone on TikTok Smrtphone on Threads   --- Connect with Nick Lamagna www.nicknicknick.com Text Nick (516)540-5733 Connect on ALL Social Media and Podcast Platforms Here FREE Checklist on how to bring more value to your buyers