Podcasts about Saas

How do you turn trillions of user interactions into meaningful decisions without drowning in data? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Todd Olson, co-founder and CEO of Pendo, to talk about the future of product-led organizations and why AI is reshaping how software companies grow, build, and compete. Pendo tracks trillions of product usage events to help organizations understand how customers actually interact with their software. That level of data sounds powerful, but it also raises a challenge many teams face today. How do you turn massive data sets into clear signals that teams can act on without falling into analysis paralysis? Todd explains how Pendo approaches this problem by organizing product data around real user journeys, feature adoption, and areas where people drop off. Instead of leaving teams buried in dashboards, the goal is to surface insights that matter. Increasingly, AI is helping by acting as a kind of embedded analyst that highlights the patterns product teams should focus on. Our conversation also revisits the idea behind Todd's book, The Product-Led Organization. When it was published around the time of the pandemic, it argued that great products should do much of the heavy lifting traditionally done by sales or support teams. Looking back now, Todd believes the core idea remains intact. AI simply accelerates the model by allowing companies to experiment faster and scale product-driven experiences with far fewer people. But that shift is also creating tension in the software industry. We talk about the so-called reckoning in SaaS economics and the growing debate around whether AI will make traditional software companies obsolete. Todd offers a more measured perspective. While AI allows anyone to prototype software quickly, the companies that survive will still be the ones solving difficult problems, navigating compliance requirements, and building products that customers trust. Another theme we explore is geography and innovation. Pendo is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, far from the usual coastal tech hubs. Todd shares how building outside Silicon Valley has shaped the company's culture, talent strategy, and mindset. There are advantages to being close to the center of the AI boom, but there is also value in building away from the echo chamber. We also spend time unpacking the rise of AI-assisted development and the trend many people call "vibe coding." Todd believes AI will dramatically reshape product teams, but he also pushes back against the idea that humans will disappear from the development process. Engineers will still need to review code, teach AI systems best practices, and ensure security and reliability. One of the most interesting moments in our conversation comes near the end when Todd shares a belief that originality will become one of the most valuable assets in the age of AI. As automated content and automated code become easier to generate, he believes people will increasingly value craft, taste, and original thinking. So in a world where AI can generate almost anything with a prompt, the real question becomes far more human. What problems are actually worth solving? If you care about the future of software, product strategy, and how AI is reshaping the economics of building companies, this is a conversation that offers plenty to think about. And after listening, I would love to hear your perspective. As AI becomes embedded in every product and workflow, do you believe originality and craft will become the true differentiators in the software industry?

Atlassian announced that it is letting about 10% of its workforce go today. Management said it was because AI is making the company more efficient, but we're wondering if there is more to it than that. Plus, some napkin math on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve release and Dollar General's most recent earnings Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss: - Altassian's Layoffs - The challenges facing SaaS companies in an age of efficiency - Assessing the impact of the SPR release and how it changes our investing approach - Dollar General's earnings and its ongoing turnaround project Companies discussed: TEAM, XYZ, DG, FIVE, WMT, TGT Host: Tyler Crowe Guests: Matt Frankel, Jon Quast Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is a special midweek drop and the group chat is packed. This episode covers the forces quietly reshaping the economy right now — from AI slashing business costs overnight, to GLP-1 drugs gutting the snack industry, to private credit markets showing their first real cracks. The guys break down what is actually happening beneath the headlines, why sports viewership is at an all-time high, which consumer brands are quietly hitting $10 billion, and why the stock market may be setting up for a violent rally. No fluff, no filler — just the conversations happening in every serious group chat right now.   Topics Covered This Episode: 1. AI Is Replacing Your Entire Software Stack How using Claude cut one company's AWS bill from $9,500 a month down to a projected $500 — and what that means for every business owner still paying for legacy SaaS tools. Plus: Lovable jumps from a $300M to $400M run rate in a single month, and Anthropic adds $6 billion in run rate in two months. The AI economy is not coming — it is already here. 2. The GLP-1 Effect Is Hitting Corporate Earnings Campbell Soup's snack division dropped 6% in a single quarter with no obvious explanation other than 30 million Americans now on GLP-1 medications. The guys explore the downstream ripple effects — grocery aisles, fast food, supplement brands, and what retailers like Kroger do when people simply stop snacking. 3. Private Credit Is Cracking Blackstone, Blue Owl, and Cliffwater are all facing record redemption requests after two major auto suppliers backed by private credit funds went under. Is this an economy problem, a bad-lending problem, or a panic problem? The guys break it all down and explain why it matters even if you have never heard of private credit. 4. Sports Is on an Unprecedented Run Every sport — NFL, NBA, MLS, World Baseball Classic, UFC — is posting record ratings. The guys explain why gambling, fragmented media, and the death of cable news are all fueling the surge, and why the Tom Brady flag football league and the Gronk vs. Logan Paul beef are the perfect example of how modern sports entertainment actually works. 5. The $10 Billion Consumer Brands Nobody Is Talking About Quince hits a $10 billion valuation doing nearly $2 billion in revenue by going factory-direct to consumers. The guys break down why consumer investing is back, who is losing market share, and what the rise of brands like Keats and Whatnot means for traditional retail. 6. Millionaire Taxes, Fraud, and the Wealth Exodus Washington State's new 9.9% millionaire tax, the staggering scale of hospice care fraud in Los Angeles, and why billionaires — and now regular millionaires — are leaving high-tax states for Nevada, Texas, and Florida. The argument is simple: clean up the fraud first, and you would not need to raise taxes at all. 7. The Stock Market Rally Nobody Wants to Miss Goldman Sachs is calling for an extreme stock rally. The guys explain why $8.5 trillion sitting in money markets has nowhere else to go, why the US stock market is the only investable market left in the world, and why owning assets — not just earning a salary — is the only play that makes sense right now.   Group Chat News drops every week. Subscribe so you never miss the conversation.    

Raghu Bala is the CEO and Founder of Synergetics AI, a firm helping enterprises design and deploy agentic AI systems to drive growth, operational efficiency, and lasting competitive advantage. A serial entrepreneur with four startup exits, he has led Synergetics AI in developing cutting-edge solutions in autonomous and agentic AI, collaborating with organizations like MIT and HPE. Raghu previously held senior roles at Yahoo, InfoSpace, and PwC and holds degrees from The Wharton School and Stanford University. In this episode… Imagine a world where your digital twin shops for you, makes payments, and even negotiates on your behalf. Could AI agents transform both businesses and daily life by bringing seamless automation, security, and personalization? How are innovators building the infrastructure for this future? Raghu Bala, a seasoned entrepreneur and AI innovator, explains that agentic AI is redefining how enterprises and consumers interact with technology. He highlights that AI agents — autonomous digital entities — can automate workflows, manage transactions, and act independently across complex systems. With tools like LangTrain, AgentFlow, and AgentVM, these agents enable secure, efficient operations while paving the way for the agent economy. Raghu explains practical applications, from digital twins automating e-commerce purchases to AI supporting real-time addiction counseling in healthcare, illustrating how these systems can streamline tasks and unlock new opportunities. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Raghu Bala, CEO and Founder of Synergetics AI, to discuss building the agent economy, the evolution of autonomous AI, and the integration of digital twins in business. They explore secure AI workflows, real-world applications across industries, and the future of agent-driven commerce. Raghu also shares his favorite productivity tools and insights on aligning technology with company culture.

On this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray sits down with Ben Stein, co-founder and CEO at Double, to dive into the world of SaaS finance, automation, and the evolving tech landscape for accounting teams. Ben Stein shares his journey from his early days as a CFO at an AR startup, to launching Double—a cutting-edge month-end close management platform that automates everything from transaction categorization to flux analysis. The conversation covers Double's rapid growth, including its $13 million in capital raised, the strategic importance of AI in their platform, and the lessons learned from their Series A fundraising. Ben Stein also opens up about the challenges and learnings around company rebranding, finding the right investor–founder fit, and the metrics he relies on to steer the business. Whether you're part of an outsourced accounting team or building the finance function inside a high-growth SaaS business, this episode is packed with actionable insights on scaling finance operations, go-to-market strategies, and the future of accounting tech. Tune in to hear why listening to customers, focusing on the right product, and getting your metrics right can make all the difference in building and scaling a SaaS company. Show Notes: 00:00 Month-End Close Automation Tool 06:00 "AI Unlocks Growth Opportunities" 06:56 "Choosing Board Members Wisely" 10:36 "Client-Based Pricing Explained" 12:57 Finance Insights: Prioritize Simplicity Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/double-raises-6-5-million-series-a Ben Stein's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfstein/ Double's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/doublehq/ Double's Website: https://doublehq.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

Join Fredrik Mattsson, CEO of Inamo, for a deep dive into one of the most common—and costly—mistakes in software development: building too much. With over a decade of experience in enterprise SaaS and digital transformation, Fredrik has seen firsthand how "feature bloat" slows down engineering teams and confuses users. In this episode, we explore how modern product teams are shifting away from "building and hoping" toward an evidence-led approach, using AI to turn qualitative user feedback into actionable insights before a single line of code is written.

There are loads of apps that post to social media. So how did Nevo David get Postiz to take off? He started selling it to AI agents Nevo David is the founder of Postiz, an open-source social media scheduling platform designed for automation and AI-driven workflows. By leaning into open source, building tools for agents like OpenClaw, and simplifying integrations through a CLI interface, Nevo turned a crowded product category into a fast-growing bootstrapped SaaS. Today Postiz generates over $45K in monthly recurring revenue while continuing to evolve for the emerging agent ecosystem. Sponsored byZapier More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint

The tech industry is split between two fantasies  – that AI writes production software while you get coffee, and that everything AI touches is slop. The reality is messier and more interesting: AI tools are force multipliers for people who already know what good looks like, and an expertise amplifier disguised as an easy button. ... Read more »

Theory Ventures GP Tomasz Tunguz talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about Nvidia's $2 billion bet on Nebius and Meta's new custom AI chips. We also talk with Citi's Tyler Radke about Oracle's accelerating AI-driven cloud business and E-comm Reporter Ann Gehan about OpenAI's ChatGPT apps and early struggles in online shopping, and we get into OpenAI's Sora video model, its integration into ChatGPT, and the soaring costs of AI with Stephanie Palazzolo. Lastly, we chat about how AI is reshaping SaaS sales, ROI, and boardroom expectations with PwC's Dallas Dolen.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/ai-cloud-company-nebius-gets-2-billion-nvidia-investmenthttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-plans-launch-sora-video-ai-chatgpt-strategy-shifthttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openais-betting-chatgpt-apps-people-need-find-firstSubscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agendaTITV airs weekdays on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Follow us:X: https://x.com/theinformationIG: https://www.instagram.com/theinformation/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@titv.theinformationLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theinformation/

Human brain cells fused with silicon are literally playing Doom right now (Cortical Labs CL1). AI agents write full production apps 250× faster than human teams. Systems like DAC compile entire SaaS products, 100k+ lines of code from one prompt in under 50 hours, zero humans.This is wetware computing, autonomous code generation, and the coming era of bot-vs-bot customer service: your AI negotiates with company AIs in the background, booking jobs and closing deals without you ever intervening.High tech. Low life. Creativity is now the last human bottleneck. When the bots start talking to each other, you're no longer in the loop.Here's the LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/caffcx

My guest today is Shyam Sankar, the CTO of Palantir Technologies. In this conversation, we explore the ideas that shape how Shyam thinks about technology, talent, and national power. We discuss the origins of Palantir's forward-deployed engineering model and the lessons he learned from Alex Karp about identifying people's "superpowers". We also talk about Shyam's fascination with the "heretics" of American history, the unconventional builders who challenged bureaucracy and created many of the systems that powered America's military and industrial success. Shyam argues that the United States must reindustrialize after decades of moving production overseas, and explains what we can learn from America's industrial past. In a new Colossus profile, our Editor in Chief Jeremy Stern tells the story of how Shyam became one of the most important but largely unseen figures behind Palantir, tracing his journey from immigrant roots to employee #13 and the architect of the company's success and distinctive culture. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- ⁠Ramp's⁠ mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, ⁠Vanta⁠ continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Visit ⁠vanta.com/invest⁠.  ----- ⁠WorkOS⁠ is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. Visit⁠⁠ ⁠WorkOS.com⁠⁠⁠ to transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- ⁠Rogo⁠ is an AI-powered platform that automates accounts payable workflows, enabling finance teams to process invoices faster and with greater accuracy. Learn more at ⁠Rogo.ai/invest⁠. ----- ⁠Ridgeline⁠ has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgeline.ai⁠. ----- 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 (00:02:43) Intro: Shyam Sankar (00:03:24) Defining Heretics in US Military History (00:05:01) The Story of Hyman Rickover (00:09:55) Formative Experiences & Worldview (00:14:50) Components of American Greatness (00:17:56) How to Unlock Talent (00:25:56) Palantir's Distinct Culture (00:28:15) Origin of Forward Deployed Engineering (00:34:24) What Does Palantir Actually Do? (00:36:19) Example: Airbus (00:40:20) State of the US Military Today (00:47:33) The U.S. Needs to Reindustrialize (00:52:19) Perspective of China (00:55:56) Our Key Asymmetric Advantages (01:00:57) Executive Orders for a Day (01:02:37) Negative Aspects of US Culture (01:04:47) Managing Rapid Pivots (01:09:17) Where Will AI Value Accrue? (01:12:37) Undeclared State of Emergency (01:15:45) Surprising Aspects of Palantir (01:17:50) To Do or To Be (01:18:50) Reflecting on Fatherhood (01:19:46) The Kindest Thing

Ryan Levesque built a SaaS company, had a life-changing exit offer fall apart at the 11th hour, and then realized something that shook him:  he'd started hating his business, and as a result, he'd started hating himself. What followed was a radical reorientation: making a public confession to his audience that none of his emails over the past seven years had actually been written by him, moving to a Vermont farm, and writing every word of his newsletter without AI.  This is a conversation about what it costs to take your voice back and why the unscalable things are the only real moat left in a post AI world. RESOURCES: Ryan's newsletter » CONNECT WITH ME Newsletter Instagram TikTok X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook  

Dale Renner is the Founder and CEO of Redpoint Global, a software company that helps businesses collect, organize, and use customer data to improve marketing, customer experiences, and business decisions. Since 2006, he has led the company's vision of enabling marketers to orchestrate meaningful customer interactions across channels using advanced data capabilities. Dale brings more than 25 years of experience in CRM consulting, data processing, and analytics software. Earlier in his career, he was a global managing partner at Accenture, where he founded the firm's Global CRM practice. In this episode… Clean data rarely gets the spotlight in AI discussions, yet it often determines whether AI succeeds or fails. Companies invest heavily in analytics and automation, but fragmented data can undermine even the most advanced systems. What happens when organizations finally unify and master their customer data? Dale Renner, a veteran enterprise software entrepreneur and data strategy expert, explains that AI only works when the underlying data is reliable and unified. He emphasizes that companies often rush toward analytics and machine learning before fixing foundational data issues, which leads to faster but flawed results. Clean, governed data enables organizations to personalize experiences, make accurate decisions, and scale engagement across millions of customers. He also notes that industries with massive datasets — like healthcare, finance, and insurance — especially benefit from strong data architecture. Without that foundation, even the most advanced AI tools struggle to deliver meaningful outcomes. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Dale Renner, Founder and CEO of Redpoint Global, to talk about how clean unified data powers AI and better customer experiences. They discuss the origins of the customer data platform, transforming fragmented data into actionable insights, why regulated industries rely on robust data governance, and how AI is shaping enterprise sales and marketing.

In this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, Jason sits down with Vikram Chalana, co-founder of Pictory, to talk about building an AI-powered video platform designed to simplify content creation for creators, educators, and businesses. Vikram shares how Pictory was built to remove the complexity from video production and content repurposing. We discuss scaling a SaaS company, leading product and engineering teams, and how AI is reshaping content creation workflows. The conversation also explores Vikram's earlier experience co-founding Winshuttle, lessons learned from building enterprise software, and how those insights shaped Pictory's product strategy. Jason and Vikram talk about the future of AI in media, founder discipline, and what it takes to turn a technical idea into a widely adopted product. This episode is especially valuable for founders, SaaS builders, product leaders, and anyone leveraging AI to scale content and business growth.  Topics Discussed  • Vikram's path into entrepreneurship  • Founding and scaling Pictory • Democratizing video creation with AI • Leading product and engineering teams • Lessons from building enterprise software • SaaS growth and customer adoption • AI's role in content repurposing • Startup discipline and execution • Building technology for creators and businesses • The future of AI-driven media Connect with Vikram Chalana LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramchalana/ Pictory Website: https://pictory.ai Connect with Jason Cavness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejasoncavnessexperience/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasoncavness Podcast: https://www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com  

Drew Marcon is the founder and CEO of Intelligems. Learn more about Intelligems at intelligems.io.FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with Andrew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.MORE STAFFINGRecruit, onboard, and train incredible virtual professionals in the Philippines with my friends at More Staffing by visiting ⁠https://morestaffing.co/af⁠.

The cybersecurity landscape has shifted dramatically since our 2024 manual, especially following the SaaS Apocalypse. While pure-play leaders like CrowdStrike, Fortinet, Cloudflare, and our newest addition, Rubrik, remain central to the Chip Stock Investor core basket, the industry is moving away from siloed products toward unified AI-driven platforms.Despite recent market volatility, cybersecurity remains a powerful secular trend with global spending expected to hit $250 billion this year as organizations rush to secure new AI infrastructure and manage the risks of automated decision-making agents. Investing in this space now requires looking beyond just the software to the entire supply chain, where "cloud rent" and integration fees are eating into traditional margins. With hyperscalers like Microsoft reporting massive cyber revenues and AI labs like OpenAI entering the fray, the traditional software moat is under siege. We break down why the most resilient software plays might actually be the infrastructure giants that control the distribution and compute layers of the modern security stack.Watch our previous cybersecurity video: https://youtu.be/3rcz8RKgURUJoin us on Discord with Semiconductor Insider, sign up on our website: www.chipstockinvestor.com/membershipSupercharge your analysis with AI! Get 15% of your membership with our special link here: https://fiscal.ai/csi/Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/b1228c12f284/sign-up-landing-page-short-formChapters:00:00 – Beyond the 2024 Manual: What's New in 2026? 01:00 – Our Core 5: The Cybersecurity Stock Basket 02:00 – Survival Analysis: Post-February "SaaS Apocalypse"03:15 – The $250 Billion Secular Trend 04:30 – AI Risk: Why Every Organization is Scared Right Now 06:00 – The Software Supply Chain: Product vs. Infrastructure 07:45 – The Microsoft Dominance: $37B in Cyber Revenue? 09:30 – Resellers & Consultants: Who Else is Taking a Cut? 11:00 – OpenAI & Anthropic: The New Cyber Players 12:15 – The Bottom Line: Are There Any Moats Left?If you found this video useful, please make sure to like and subscribe!****************************************Affiliate links that are sprinkled in throughout this video. If something catches your eye and you decide to buy it, we might earn a little coffee money. Thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction!Content in this video is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal.#Cybersecurity #Investing2026 #StockMarket #AI #CrowdStrike #PaloAltoNetworks #TechInvesting #ChipStockInvestorNick and Kasey own shares of PANW, FTNT, CRWD, RBRK

I sit down with Oliver Henry, a full-time employee who is generating hundreds of dollars in monthly recurring revenue from mobile apps he barely touches, thanks to an AI marketing agent he built on OpenClaw called Larry. We walk through how Larry autonomously creates TikTok slideshow content, reads analytics, iterates on hooks and CTAs, and feeds performance data back into the content loop. Oliver also shares how he packaged the entire system as a free, downloadable skill on Larry Brain so anyone can replicate it. By the end of the episode, you will understand the full “Larry Loop”—from content creation to conversion optimization and why skills are poised to reshape how we think about SaaS altogether. I'm hosting a free workshop so you can build your business in the age of AI. Sign up here: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/build-with-ai-2026 Links Mentioned: Larry Brain: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/Larry-brain QMD Skill: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/qmd-skill Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:25 – Background on Marketing IOS app with OpenClaw 06:43 – Larry's first posts and iterating 03:55 – Posting Strategy and First viral hit: 137K views 12:01 – Communicating with Larry via WhatsApp 12:53 – Mission control vs. single-agent workflow 14:36 – The CTA problem: views without conversions 17:07 – The Larry Loop explained: analytics → content → metrics → iterate 18:15 – Boomers, engagement bait, and the algorithm boost 20:33 – The importance of iteration 23:36 – How Larry brainstorms and validates new hooks 27:57 – The power of OpenClaw 30:04 – The vision for Larry 31:49 – Model choices: Claude vs. OpenAI and over-optimization 34:38 – OpenClaw vs. cloud alternatives (Manus, Cowork) 37:39 – Getting started: Larry Brain onboarding and 80+ skills 40:13 – Ernesto Lopez: $70K MRR using the Larry Loop 41:27 – Doing all of this with a full-time job 42:28 – QMD Skill for cutting token usage and closing thoughts Key Points An AI agent (Larry) built on OpenClaw autonomously creates TikTok slideshows, reads analytics, and iterates on content—driving hundreds of dollars in MRR with almost zero manual effort. The “Larry Loop” is a full-funnel feedback cycle: TikTok analytics feed into content creation, and app metrics feed back into the top of the funnel so the agent continuously improves. Posting TikTok content as a draft (rather than directly via API) lets you add trending sounds and avoids the algorithm penalty for bot-posted content. Hooks drive views; CTAs drive conversions. Diagnosing which is underperforming is the key to scaling. OpenClaw skills are locally owned, fully editable, and free from hosting or subscription costs—Oliver argues they will change how we think about SaaS. Picking a model (Claude or OpenAI) matters far less than learning how to work with it; 98% of users will see little difference between incremental model upgrades. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND OLIVER ON SOCIAL X: https://x.com/oliverhenry Larry Brain: https://www.larrybrain.com

On the podcast: how ElevenLabs turns every new feature launch into a growth engine, how they're deploying over a hundred million dollars in paid ads, and why directing AI agents is quickly becoming a core skill for marketers and solo founders.This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators.Top Takeaways:

Databox is an easy-to-use Analytics Platform for growing businesses. We make it easy to centralize and view your entire company's marketing, sales, revenue, and product data in one place, so you always know how you're performing. Learn More About DataboxSubscribe to our newsletter for episode summaries, benchmark data, and moreHow will AI change the way SaaS companies grow?But according to Adam Robinson, founder and CEO of Retention.com, AI is not the answer most founders think it is.Adam has built multiple SaaS companies and scaled Retention.com from $0 to $22M ARR in four years without funding. In this episode of Move the Needle, he explains why the companies that scale – and the ones that stall – are separated by one thing:Product-market fit.Listen to the episode to learn why AI won't fix your SaaS company, but product-market fit might.

What a month it has been for our 7investing show!Throughout all of February, we focused on the semiconductor industry - looking for the investment opportunities who were best-poised to benefit from AI's endless demand for computing. We searched far and wide for those top stock ideas, and we featured some incredible guests to share their insights on the show all month.That included: 1) Feb 1: "The Eyes of AI"Emmet Savage and I looked into the new world of "Physical AI" and how it was using solid-state LiDAR to see all of its surroundings. Our stock of focus was Ouster $OUST.https://youtube.com/live/yYpByizVWc02) Feb 9: "The Future of the Chip Industry"Robert Quinn and I discussed Elon's TeraFab idea, space-based datacenters, and why the AI "bubble" is actually more of an AI "inflection point". Our stock of focus was Tesla $TSLA.https://youtube.com/live/Qmk84KLaX0Y3) Feb 16: "Why Infrastructure is the Real Winner in the Age of AI"John Rotonti and I discussed "SaaS-pocalypse" and why several vendors were hidden winners in the $3 trillion AI infrastructure spending through 2030. Our stocks of focus were Amphenol $APH and Trane Technologies $TT.https://youtube.com/live/zFTcaGY3rkM4) Feb 18: "NVIDIA vs AMD: The $1 Trillion AI Chip War Explained"Nick Rossolillo and I described the ambitious forecasts recently issued by chipmakers and the role of newcomers with creative new designs. Our stocks of focus were NVIDIA $NVDA and $AMD. https://youtube.com/live/_p0vhUR2JNY5) Feb 27: "From Fiber Optics Bust to AI Optics Boom: The $700B Optics Opportunity" Eric Bleeker and I discussed how co-packaged optics and advanced packaging could be game-changers for chip efficiency. Our stocks of focus were Applied Optoelectronics $AAOI and Lumentum $LITE. https://youtube.com/live/Paw4f6ay3AgA HUGE THANK YOU to all of our guests in February!We had some great conversations, answered some fun audience questions, and empowered investors to take a closer look at this red-hot chip sector.On today's March 2 show, I'll share the key takeaways from each of these shows mentioned above and then discuss the one semiconductor stock I ultimately selected as my official recommendation for March.

Ann Berry is joined by Zeta Global Co-founder & CEO David Steinberg to discuss how the company is using AI to transform digital marketing. Steinberg explains how Zeta's platform helps enterprises acquire, retain and monetize customers, why the company invested in AI years before the recent boom and how it built its consumer data cloud. They also discuss the “software apocalypse” narrative weighing on SaaS stocks, Zeta's push into connected TV advertising and how its new AI assistant Athena could further automate marketing decisions. 00:00 Zeta Global CEO David Steinberg Joins01:00 What Zeta's Marketing Platform Actually Does03:14 Why Zeta Pivoted to AI in 201707:30 Building a Massive Consumer Data Cloud08:34 How Zeta Uses Data to Target and Acquire Customers10:02 The “Software Apocalypse” and Tech Stock Selloff10:44 Zeta's Growth: Revenue, Cash Flow, and Scale12:06 Connected TV Advertising and Data Targeting13:45 Why AI Won't Replace Enterprise Software17:46 Introducing Athena: Zeta's AI Marketing Copilot19:02 Automating Marketing Strategy with AI21:06 The Path to $2.3B in Revenue22:14 Pricing Power and Return on Ad Spend26:03 M&A Strategy and Growth Through Acquisitions After Earnings is brought to you by Stakeholder Labs and Morning Brew.For more go to https://www.afterearnings.com Follow UsX: https://twitter.com/AfterEarningsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@AfterEarningsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterearnings_/ Reach OutEmail: afterearnings@morningbrew.com $ZETA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Lauren talks to the seller of a SaaS business created in December 2016 in the books niche. Listen in to find out how the business makes an average of $5,307.00 per month in net profit, why the seller has decided to sell, the lessons learned from running the business, and much more. Visit https://empireflippers.com/listing/91231 to learn more about this business.

Tu veux lancer ton média et ton produit scalable cette année ?➡️ Rejoins l'Incubateur SolopreneurBienvenue dans cet épisode solo sans filtre.Au programme aujourd'hui :✅ Pourquoi l'audience est plus importante que le produit

Ryan was a successful lawyer with a massive problem. He couldn't find a task management tool that worked for his firm, so he built one himself. He thought he'd solved the problem, but for 8 agonizing months, he couldn't sell a single subscription.In this episode, Ryan breaks down the gritty reality of bootstrapping Filevine into a $3B legal tech startup doing over $200M in revenue. He shares how a random Instagram ad campaign ended his sales drought, how he fought off a Tiger Global-backed competitor built on Salesforce, and how he's completely rewriting his company's architecture to win the AI legal tech war against the likes of Harvey and Legora.Why You Should ListenHow 8 months of zero sales almost broke him.Why building customizability into your core product is the ultimate defense.How to recruit top engineers when you have zero funding.Why SMBs often have "beer money but champagne tastes."How to pivot from SaaS to AI.Keywordsstartup podcast, startup podcast for founders, legaltech, product market fit, bootstrapping, B2B SaaS, enterprise sales, AI startup, founder story, finding pmf00:00:00 Intro00:07:20 Recruiting an Amazon Engineer with No Funding00:11:52 The First Conference and the "Terrible" MVP00:15:23 The Dark Months: Zero Sales from Cold Calling00:19:28 The GTM that Saved the Company00:27:36 Why In-Person Events Beat Cold Calling00:36:19 Moving Upmarket to Avoid Demanding SMBs00:37:32 Beating a $50M Salesforce-Backed Competitor00:46:45 Rewriting Filevine for the AI EraSend me a message to let me know what you think!

Je bestelde pakketje is elk moment te volgen. De infuuspomp in het ziekenhuis? Vaak niet. Dat kost verpleegkundigen dagelijks 15 tot 60 minuten, terwijl ze zoeken naar de juiste apparatuur. Track and trace-technologie biedt een oplossing. Met digitale tags, barcodes en slimme software weet je op elk moment waar het medische hulpmiddel is dat je nodig hebt. Technologie die in de logistiek en transportsector al jaren gebruikt wordt, maar in de zorg nu pas het verschil lijkt te maken. In deze aflevering van BNR Beter spreekt Nina van den Dungen met Martijn de Vries, innovatiemanager Medische Technologie bij UMC Utrecht, en Martin de Jong, directeur van CoperniCare. Het UMC Utrecht ontwikkelde een eigen systeem waarmee dagelijks al ruim 5000 apparaten worden gevolgd, van infuuspompen tot ziekenhuisbedden. CoperniCare beheert de zorglogistiek van 26 Nederlandse zorginstellingen en ziet voorraadniveaus met 10 tot 15 procent dalen na invoering. In deze aflevering gaat het over hoe de technologie werkt, wat het oplevert en waarom ziekenhuisbestuurders track and trace nog te weinig als strategisch onderwerp zien. En de volgende stap: Robots die de fysieke logistiek overnemen en een ziekenhuis dat zichzelf leert voorspellen. Over BNR Beter BNR Beter is het wekelijkse programma van BNR Nieuwsradio over een toekomstbestendige zorgsector. Elke week bespreekt presentator Nina van den Dungen met zorgprofessionals, ondernemers en beleidsmakers hoe de Nederlandse zorg met technologie, innovatie, regelgeving en wetenschap beter kan worden. BNR Beter is elke maandag om 15:30 op de radio te beluisteren bij BNR Nieuwsradio, en vanaf dat moment ook als podcast via deze feed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neste episódio do Vamos de Vendas, Gustavo Pagotto recebe Diego Cordovez, especialista em aquisição de clientes e geração de demanda, criador do Casts for Closers e cofundador da Meetime, para uma conversa profunda sobre como alinhar marketing e vendas usando dados, rituais e decisões baseadas em pipeline, e não apenas em volume de leads.Ao longo do episódio, Diego compartilha aprendizados de mais de uma década liderando marketing, pré-vendas e geração de demanda em empresas SaaS, além de explicar por que muitas operações falham ao priorizar métricas erradas. A conversa aborda como estruturar processos que conectem geração de demanda, qualificação e vendas de forma consistente, garantindo previsibilidade de receita e crescimento sustentável.

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector is experiencing a slowdown, with average valuation multiples dropping from over 15 times revenue in 2021 to under 7 times in 2024, leading to market corrections, layoffs, and cost-cutting. SaaS entrepreneurs are shifting focus from rapid growth to profitability, efficient growth strategies, and reduced burn rates, resulting in healthier businesses. Product development is increasingly centered on authentic value, with startups addressing real business challenges gaining more loyal customers. Layoffs at large tech firms have increased the availability of skilled talent for startups. Despite the downturn, global SaaS adoption is rising, with Gartner projecting 18 percent growth in enterprise SaaS spending for 2024. Key opportunities include vertical SaaS solutions for specific industries, AI-driven products, and expansion into emerging markets. Founders are advised to audit business models, prioritize sustainable metrics, invest in customer success, differentiate products, hire strategically, and remain flexible to evolving customer needs.Learn more on this news by visiting us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the podcast: why app economy disruption won't happen as fast as everyone seems to think, how AI is just as useful for defending against copycats as creating them, and why the real barrier to app success is still distribution, not code. This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators.Top Takeaways:

Is your traditional SaaS experience becoming obsolete? In this new 20-minute rapid-fire format, Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno, and Asad Zaman tackle a specific listener question: How does a senior operator transition from a legacy B2B SaaS role into a high-growth AI company? The market is shifting toward a meritocracy where recent hands-on capability outweighs decades of tenure on a CV. The hosts break down exactly how to position yourself for companies like CoreWeave and EliseAI. They discuss why hiding your lack of technical engineering skills is a mistake, how to build a portfolio of "work product" using low-code tools like Replit and Claude, and why being able to articulate the failures of AI models is actually the strongest signal of fluency. Key Takeaways: - Stop relying on a static resume and start building a portfolio of practical applications. As Sam Jacobs notes, the hiring landscape has shifted so that "your work product needs to speak for itself... demonstrating that you're capable of working with these tools, not theoretically, but practically through your conversations that you're having with hiring managers." - We are entering a career reset where agility beats seniority. Asad Zaman warns that "whenever there is a platform shift... the value of experience goes down a little bit," which creates a massive opportunity for younger leaders to "move up faster if you present in a very compelling manner because people are not looking at titles the same way." - Cultural currency matters as much as technical skill. To be taken seriously by founders in this space, you must consume information where they do. As Asad Zaman puts it, "If they find out that you're not on AI Twitter or AI X, I think they will think you're not a serious person... the information is not gonna be found in these old school channels." Connect with the Hosts: Host: Sam Jacobs - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/ Host: AJ Bruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/   Topline is not JUST a YouTube Channel! Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-newsletter Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack   Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:58 Viewer Q: Transitioning to AI 02:48 Show Work Product, Not Just CVs 04:36 Applying SaaS Principles to AI 05:58 The AI-First Mentality 08:58 Articulating AI Limitations 11:30 The Meritocracy Shift 13:55 Unexpected AI Wins 21:27 Staying Culturally Relevant 24:29 Summary: How to Get Hired  

Invest Like the Best: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- My guest today is John Arnold. John is probably the most famous energy trader of all time and certainly the most successful. One of the things John talks about is cultivating the best seat in your industry – the seat with the best perspective, the most information, the best systems..  John has been closely watching China's convergence in robotics, AI, and EVs, and shares his perspective from his recent trip to the country. We talk about the state of energy markets today – the misaligned goals and incentives, the NIMBYism that prevents building in America, and what he actually thinks about the wave of nuclear energy startups that everyone seems excited about.  John is also one of the most innovative philanthropists working today, applying that same analytical rigor to diagnosing structural failures across America — in healthcare, criminal justice, education, and beyond For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Visit vanta.com/invest.  ----- WorkOS is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. Visit ⁠WorkOS.com⁠ to transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- Rogo is the AI platform for finance. They're building agents for Wall Street that are trained to understand how bankers and investors actually do work: from diligence and modeling, to turning analysis into deliverables. To learn more, visit rogo.ai/invest. ----- Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgeline.ai. ----- 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 (00:02:43) Episode Intro (00:03:43) Learnings from John's Trip to China (00:06:28) The EV Industry in China (00:08:43) How Subsidies Create Intense Competition (00:10:54) US-China Relationship (00:12:42) The Cost of Greatness (00:14:52) Creating the Best Seat in the Market (00:19:30) Baseball Card Arbitrage (00:23:03) Trading Natural Gas Futures (00:24:59) Energy Market Making Explained (00:27:11) Why Energy is Exciting Again (00:31:14) Meeting the Increased Demand for Energy (00:32:53) Why Policy is the Biggest Threat to Progress (00:36:28) Fixing Energy Infrastructure in the US (00:39:29) Advanced Nuclear Technology (00:42:05) The Prospects of Energy Startups (00:43:44) Input Costs in Solar & Batteries (00:47:54) Geothermal Energy: The Most Exciting Sector (00:50:57) Housing Reform in the US (00:53:39) The Role of Philanthropic Foundations (00:57:00) Reforming the Criminal Justice System (01:03:48) Social Outcomes Downstream of Education (01:07:20) Misaligned Incentives in the Healthcare System (01:12:08) Journalism as a Public Good (01:14:17) The Kindest Thing

Mitchell Green is a legendary growth equity investor and the Founder and Managing Partner of Lead Edge Capital, a firm with over $5 billion in assets under management. Known as a relentless "money maker", Mitchell has led investments in the likes of Bytedance, Toast, Procore, Duo Security and more. AGENDA: 0:00 The SaaS Apocalypse: Why Incumbents Aren't Going to Zero 05:50 "Dead Money": Why Public Software Estimates Were Too High 08:15 Leverage is the Enemy: Lessons from the 1999 Retail Crash 11:50 The Truth About Growth Equity: Zeroes vs. 10X Returns 15:40 Mainframes to AI: Why Oracle and SAP Will Thrive 20:35 The "Stock-Based Comp" Scandal: Silicon Valley's Hidden Crime 24:35 ByteDance vs. The World: Why China Could Win the AI War 31:50 Selling is the Job: Why Buying is the Most Glamorous Part of VC 35:45 Too Many Tourists: Why 50% of VCs Shouldn't Be in the Business 44:10 The Gross Dollar Retention Rule: The Only Number That Matters in SaaS

On the podcast: product-driven retention as the foundation for lifecycle marketing, working backwards from results to nail activation, and why talking to individual users can lead you astray.This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators.Top Takeaways:

Core Reasons for Being Trapped: The primary reasons owners cannot leave their businesses include strong emotional attachment (37%), financial dependence on the business income (25%), inability to sell at a profitable price (20%), and a lack of suitable buyers (19%). According to LinkedIn. Workload and Burnout: Many owners are forced to work longer hours, with 60% struggling to get time off and 54% having given up hobbies and personal activities, according to Medium. For Laurie Barkman: Growing up, I launched my first services business at age 10, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and babysitting. In high school, I leaned into leadership, learned how to address challenges head-on, and made a lasting impact on my community. That drive to build winning teams took me to Cornell University, where I studied Industrial and Labor Relations. I began my career at Ingersoll-Rand, a global engineering firm, working shoulder-to-shoulder with engineers and plant teams to reengineer operational processes for productivity and cost improvements. It was there that I first saw how analytical and technical leaders think.   Later, I earned my MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, intentionally choosing a rigorous quantitative program to refine the analytical skills I knew I'd need to lead and advise in structured, technical environments. Over the years, I built a career spanning Fortune 500s and startups, leading teams through high-growth transformation, including time in logistics, SaaS, e-commerce, and operations, often in collaboration with engineers, data-driven founders, and technical teams.   The search was part of a long-term succession plan. A third-generation family business and leading transportation and logistics company in North America sought a new divisional CEO. In the interview process, I was told, “We're not interviewing you for the next 2 years…we're interviewing you for the next 20.” Playing the long game excited me. Taking on this role was a perfect storm of high expectations, internal resistance, and every eye was watching. I wasn't necessarily who they expected, but I knew how to create value. I steadied the ship and shifted mindsets towards transformation. Eventually, we guided the company to a successful sale to a Global Fortune 50 company. After the acquisition was completed, I stayed on as a senior executive and served on the Integration Steering Committee, advising on the launch of new e-commerce fulfillment services. Back to the original notion of staying in the company for 20 years. As things played out, my tenure was only three. Was I disappointed? Heck no. I realized that while we may have a plan, sometimes plans change for good reason. The acquisition “put some money in my jeans” and gave me the flexibility to pursue my entrepreneurial passions.   For more information: https://lauriebarkman.me/ LinkedIn: @LaurieBarkman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Rampell and Erik Torenberg speak with Mike Cannon-Brookes, cofounder and CEO of Atlassian, about how to make sense of the SaaS selloff, why not all software companies face the same AI-driven risks, and how Atlassian is thinking about the shift from records to processes. They also examine the real design challenge of getting everyday users to trust and benefit from AI agents in enterprise workflows.   Resources: Follow Alex Rampell on X:  https://twitter.com/arampell Follow Erik Torenberg on X:   https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Follow Mike Cannon-Brookes on X: https://twitter.com/mcannonbrookes Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever bought a ticket to a show and wondered why the experience still feels strangely disconnected, with one app for ticketing, another for marketing, another for refunds, and a dozen spreadsheets held together by late nights and good intentions? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Ritesh Patel, co-founder of Ticket Fairy, to talk about the technology behind live events and why it has lagged behind other industries in some surprisingly familiar ways. Ritesh makes the case that most organizers are operating more like creative founders than corporate operators, building "mini cities" for a weekend with tiny teams, tight budgets, and very little margin for error. That reality shapes every technology decision, and it explains why fragmented tools and siloed data can become a hidden tax on the business. Ritesh walks me through Ticket Fairy's full stack approach, bringing ticketing, marketing, CRM, logistics, and payments into a single system, and why unifying data changes the economics of running an event. We dig into practical examples that go beyond vague AI talk, including how small workflow fixes can speed up entry, improve the on-site experience, and even translate into real revenue uplift once you multiply time savings across thousands of attendees. We also get into where AI agents and large language models are already finding a foothold in events, particularly around unstructured documents like artist specs, supplier agreements, and operational paperwork that can swallow hundreds of hours. Ritesh shares why "AI-native" should mean more than a writing assistant in a text box, and what it looks like when AI becomes an extension of a lean events team, including a prototype voice agent designed to handle common ticket-holder questions without creating new support bottlenecks. If you're interested in the real business mechanics of events, and how SaaS, payments, data, and AI can quietly shape everything from entry lines to repeat attendance, this conversation offers a fresh way to think about an industry that touches all of us, even when we don't think of it as a tech story. And as a bonus, Ritesh leaves a music recommendation that sent me back to an album I had not played in years, Burial's Untrue, with "Archangel" as the track to start with. After listening, tell me this, where do you think unified data and practical AI will make the biggest difference in live experiences over the next couple of years, on the promoter side or the fan side, and why?

Learn How to Let Consumption Drives Revenue & Turn Content Into Your Most Powerful Sales Engine Consumption drives revenue and in this episode, we pull back the curtain on exactly why the businesses winning right now aren't the ones with the biggest ad budgets, but the ones building audiences that actually engage with their content. We're joined by two powerhouse guests who reveal the three ingredients guaranteed to drive revenue for creators, why the traditional marketing funnel born in the 1800s is officially dead, how AI is leveling the playing field for first-time sellers, and why the most overlooked hiring strategy might just be a Facebook Live stream. Whether you're selling digital products or scaling a service business, this episode will completely change how you think about content, community, and conversion. Justin Smith is the CEO of SamCart.com, where he helps tens of thousands of creators sell smarter, boost conversions, and maximize customer value at every touchpoint. With a background in seed-stage startups and high-growth SaaS companies, Justin has been a zero-to-one product builder, scaled companies to millions in revenue, and contributed to over $100M in capital raised. Ricky Regalado is a serial entrepreneur, visionary, and the driving force behind Rosalotto, a Latino-owned building services company expanding across 20+ states, as well as the founder of the niche hit podcast Cleaning and Cocktails, which now reaches over 2 million impressions per week across 30 countries. Both guests bring rare, real-world insight into what it actually takes to grow beyond seven figures. KEY TAKEAWAYS: The more content your audience consumes, the shorter your sales cycle becomes. Grit, compelling sales copy, and a warm audience are the three non-negotiables for creator success. Being world-class at your craft does not automatically translate into revenue without strong conversion copy. AI tools like ChatGPT helped SamCart jump onboarding conversions from 3% to 16% using AI-generated landing pages. The traditional short-form funnel is dead and today's buyers only operate in impulse purchase or long-term content relationship mode. Google's post-2020 data confirms buyers cycle through exploration and evaluation before committing, making consistent content non-negotiable. A community-driven brand is one of the most powerful and underutilised recruiting strategies available to growing businesses. Celebrating every role in your organisation, not just leadership, directly drives pride, performance, and retention. Growing your business is hard, but it doesn't have to be. In this podcast, we will be discussing top level strategies for both growing and expanding your business beyond seven figures. The show will feature a mix of pure content and expert interviews to present key concepts and fundamental topics in a variety of different formats. We believe that this format will enable our listeners to learn the most from the show, implement more in their businesses, and get real value out of the podcast. Enjoy the show. Please remember to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. Your support and reviews are important and help us to grow and improve the show. Follow Charles Gaudet and Predictable Profits on Social Media: Facebook: facebook.com/PredictableProfits Instagram: instagram.com/predictableprofits Twitter: twitter.com/charlesgaudet LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/charlesgaudet Visit Charles Gaudet's Wesbites:  www.PredictableProfits.com www.predictableprofits.com/community https://start.predictableprofits.com/community  

Join us on the STILL RELEVANT tour: https://simulationtheory.ai/16c0d1db-a8d0-4ac9-bae3-d25074589a80Join Simtheory: https://simtheory.ai

On the podcast: what the explosion in new apps means for the market, how the top 10% of apps grew 306% while the median barely beat inflation, and why hard paywalls convert 5X better than freemium.This conversation is focused on RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Head to https://www.revenuecat.com/state-of-subscription-apps to download the report.Top Takeaways:

On the podcast: breaking free from the paid acquisition treadmill, how to repurpose offline events into millions of online impressions, and why a celebrity partnership can go viral but still completely flop.This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators.Top Takeaways:

Episode Title: Tesla's Building A Robot Army — And A $1.5 Trillion Merger | Cern Basher Short Description: Bitcoin isn't money — it's a cyber security technology. And we're going to need it desperately. Cern Basher, CFA, breaks down why AI agents will choose Bitcoin, the Tesla robotaxi economics, the SpaceX–xAI mega-merger, and why Strategy might be the world's largest digital security company. Full Description: How do you constrain trillions of AI agents roaming the internet? Not with passwords and code — AI will hack all of that. You do it with physics. You do it with Bitcoin. In Part 2 of my conversation with Cern Basher — CFA charterholder, CIO of Brilliant Advice, and one of the sharpest analysts at the intersection of AI, Bitcoin, and macroeconomics — we go deep on Jason Lowery's classified Softwar thesis and why the US Department of Defence placed it under security review. Cern explains why Bitcoin is actually a cyber security protocol hiding in plain sight, disguised by the word "coin" in its name — just like gunpowder was disguised as medicine for years before engineers figured out what it really was. We also break down the deflationary tsunami hitting every industry — SaaS companies losing billions in market cap overnight, Salesforce and the consulting industry being hollowed out by AI agents, and why deflation is actually something we should celebrate, not fear. We already lived through it with the iPhone and we loved it. Cern shares his brilliant analogy for why Tesla is massively undervalued — a kid running a lemonade stand who's secretly training to become a surgeon, but Wall Street only sees the lemonade. We get into whether SpaceX and Tesla will merge, the economics of putting AI data centres in space, manufacturing pharmaceuticals in zero gravity, and the incredible opportunity for any individual to own a small fleet of robotaxis and replace their income. For New Zealand, this is a call to action. Be first. Be forward-thinking. Or watch other countries leapfrog us. In this episode we discuss: Bitcoin as a cyber security technology, not just money — and why that's even more valuable Jason Lowery's Softwar thesis — proof of work as digital defence Why AI agents unanimously choose Bitcoin for transactions The gunpowder analogy — Bitcoin's real use case is hiding in plain sight Google's centralised censorship of health and supplement companies OpenClaw and the Pandora's box of billions of AI agents SaaS is cooked — Salesforce, consulting, and legal getting hollowed out Deflation is good — the iPhone proved it and we all benefited The ice cutter disruption story — this is nothing new The K-shaped economy — will abundance lift the bottom 50%? Universal high income and making goods freely available like water Strategy (MicroStrategy) as the world's largest digital security company Tesla undervalued — the lemonade stand to surgeon analogy Will SpaceX and Tesla merge? Pros, cons, and what Cern is hearing AI data centres in space, pharma in zero gravity, and Starship economics Owning your own robotaxi fleet — replacing your income New Zealand's opportunity to leapfrog the world Links mentioned: Cern Basher on X: https://x.com/CernBasher Brilliant Advice: https://www.brilliantadvice.net Jason Lowery's Softwar thesis (MIT): https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/153030 Cern's GDP & Dematerialisation post: https://x.com/CernBasher/status/1913993658572984440 Part 1 of this episode: https://youtu.be/eh0hKibH6Zs

This week on The Chad & Cheese Podcast, the gang proves once again that you can't separate HR from the real world—especially when the real world feels like it's on fire. What starts as travel talk quickly spirals into global tension, disrupted plans, and a larger conversation about leadership in moments of chaos. Let's just say when flights get rerouted and headlines get louder, it's hard not to wonder how instability at the top trickles down to the rest of us. The trio doesn't pretend to have foreign policy solutions—but they do have opinions. Lots of them. Of course, it wouldn't be Chad & Cheese without a few sharp left turns. A certain fast-food giant's awkward attempt at relatability gets the roast treatment, sparking a conversation about authenticity in the age of executive social media. That dovetails nicely into a broader debate about AI-generated marketing campaigns—especially when “people companies” experiment with removing actual people from the picture. Bold move? Lazy shortcut? Marketing genius? The gang weighs in. On the industry side, several heavy hitters are making moves. One longtime ATS player is rolling out a fresh brand and a shiny AI layer meant to unify its platform—raising questions about whether this is a true product evolution or a well-timed narrative shift. Another HR tech roll-up with a portfolio of recognizable recruiting brands has a new CEO at the helm, bringing big AI and SaaS credentials to what some see as a complex integration puzzle. Meanwhile, a job board giant finally makes a major technical leadership hire after years of operating without one—prompting debate about product vision, innovation debt, and what it really takes to modernize at scale. Add in contrasting approaches to AI-driven workforce strategy from major financial and retail employers, a glimmer of revenue optimism from a familiar job platform, a dad joke that absolutely no one asked for, and the usual sponsor shoutouts—and you've got classic Chad & Cheese: equal parts insight, irreverence, and “did they really just say that?” Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Current Events 02:57 - Impact of War on Travel and Daily Life 05:59 - Fast Food and Cultural Reflections 08:48 - Advertising Trends and AI in Marketing 11:59 - Privacy Concerns and Societal Reflections 14:57 - Shoutouts and Personal Reflections 16:28 - Introduction to Traders and Travel Plans 18:32 - Industry Changes and iSIMS' New Brand Identity 28:41 - The Importance of Execution in Branding 32:05 - Leadership Changes at Employee and Future Prospects 36:58 - The Future of ATS and Customer Retention 39:41 - Challenges Facing Legacy ATS Providers 44:52 - Leadership Changes at Indeed 47:18 - AI's Impact on Employment 55:43 - ZipRecruiter's Recent Growth and Strategy

Simon Swords founded Fundipedia after starting in a backyard shed building bespoke software. Originally a custom development shop, his firm built a data governance platform for major buy-side asset managers including HSBC, Barclays, and Legal & General. Over time, Fundipedia evolved into a high-retention enterprise SaaS platform with strong net revenue retention and Rule of 40 performance. Simon navigated long consultative sales cycles, regulatory tailwinds, and a tightly networked financial services market to build a durable recurring revenue engine. After turning down an initial offer, Simon grew ARR further and ultimately sold in 2024 at approximately 10x ARR. He exited fully, used ChatGPT extensively in diligence, and now reflects on endurance, discipline, and surviving long enough for luck to compound. Key Takeaways Survive First — Don't make a mistake that kills you or the business. Staying alive creates the opportunity for luck to compound. Enterprise Patience — Two-year sales cycles are normal at the top end. Persistence and reputation matter more than speed. Rule Of 40 Discipline — Strong growth plus profitability gives founders leverage in exit timing and valuation. Problems Over Product — Founders obsess over product; buyers care about solving painful, expensive problems. Build To Exit Cleanly — Structure the company so it runs without you before you start acquisition conversations. Quote from Simon Swords, Founder of Fundipedia "I think the most important thing is not to make a mistake that kills you or the business. While you're in the arena and you've not been taken out yet, dragged off by the hyenas or lions, whatever they used back in the Roman days, you've still got a chance to make something magical happen. "You do something stupid, kill the business, kill your reputation, you're done. Entrepreneurs hate the word luck. I do feel luck. I am lucky. Of course I'm lucky. I have to be lucky. You make your own luck.  "But I'll tell you what I didn't do. I didn't make a mistake that killed me or the business and the entire way through. Even when I was going through hell, never, no matter how neurotic or anxious or all the negative kind of traits you can imagine would have flown through me. I never made a mistake that killed the business." Links Simon Swords on LinkedIn Fundipedia on LinkedIn Fundipedia website FE fundinfo website Podcast Sponsor – LaunchBay LaunchBay helps B2B software companies automate client onboarding and implementation so customers activate faster and everyone stays aligned. If your onboarding includes data collection, setup steps, approvals, training, or any level of customization, LaunchBay replaces the messy mix of emails, spreadsheets, and meetings with a clear, all-in-one onboarding system. Teams use LaunchBay to onboard clients faster, stay on top of follow-ups automatically, and deliver a smoother experience, without hiring more people or adding more tools. Visit launchbay.com/practical and get 25% off your first 3 months on any LaunchBay plan. 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.

What if your next breakthrough isn't more hustle, but ruthless focus on what actually matters?Scott Levy, Founder and CEO of ResultMaps, joins Sivana Brewer for a candid, zero-fluff conversation on why most CEOs and COOs are drowning in distraction and what separates “second in command” leaders who skyrocket growth from those stuck grinding. They pull apart why ambitious teams spiral into task overload, the critical metrics every department truly needs, and the battle-tested rituals that free up your brain for high-stakes decisions.Ready to step off the treadmill of constant fires, endless meetings, and “yet another platform” promises? This episode exposes the cost of delay and throws you a direct path out, real systems, real clarity, real results. If you wait, you risk another year of burnout and missed breakthroughs. Press play now for inside strategies unavailable anywhere else.Timestamped Highlights[00:54] – Why “good” content became too dangerous for Speaker A to binge (and what that reveals about focus)[02:09] – The real operations heartbreaks hidden behind entrepreneurial success stories[07:09] – Why small teams will devour giants in the AI revolution (the Special Forces lesson nobody teaches MBAs)[10:34] – The shockingly simple hack for bypassing bloated CRMs and running your pipeline on autopilot[12:02] – How to extract a Vivid Vision in 30 minutes—no trust falls required[16:13] – “Eff your feelings, follow the plan?” Dissecting the truth (and limits) of systemizing emotional chaos[26:52] – The fatal flaw of cascading goals—and what truly separates winners from burned-out operators[44:36] – The raw moment CEOs finally break—and why some refuse to suffer the same mistakes twice About the GuestScott Levy is the Founder and CEO of ResultMaps, a cutting-edge SaaS platform designed to help founders and leadership teams obliterate operational friction, scale clarity, and get real results. With a background spanning management consulting, software, and building systems for high-growth companies, Scott's passion is turning entrepreneurial chaos into decisive execution. He's especially known for integrating technology and coaching with powerful simplicity.

On the podcast: why web onboarding should sell the problem instead of the solution, how discounted paid trials are beating free trials, and why creative that flopped for app ads might crush it for web funnels.This conversation is shorter than usual and will be featured in RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps report. Each episode in this series will explore one crucial topic and share actionable insights from top subscription app operators.Top Takeaways:

What does it take to grow a SaaS business from $1 million to $5 million annual recurring revenue when your revenue has plateaued? Michael Sliwinski, founder of the productivity app Nozbe, joins Nathan Barry to diagnose the core issues his business faces and map out a clear path forward. Michael, who flew all the way from Europe for this conversation, dives into the challenges of competing in a crowded market, the impact of a product rebuild, and the search for a compelling new positioning. This episode is a masterclass in auditing your business, identifying roadblocks, and strategizing for breakthrough growth, especially for founders navigating a competitive landscape and aiming for their next big milestone.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:05 Michael's journey to Nozbe02:51 From side hustle to $1 million ARR04:47 The Japan growth explosion06:17 Rebuilding Nozbe from scratch10:14 Competing with industry giants12:58 Breaking down business metrics and building blocks19:07 Understanding max MRR and the S-curve22:42 The flatlining awareness and traffic25:02 Expansion and multi-seat customers29:43 Legacy customers on the old vs. new Nozbe30:52 Strong customer retention and low churn37:25 Key metrics and dashboard visibility39:46 Accountability through weekly revenue meetings42:07 The effectiveness of current content strategies46:27 Partnership success with a productivity consultant51:09 Direct sales for partners53:01 Reframing positioning for growth56:19 The core promise of Nozbe: The tool teams actually use59:43 The "boulder pushing" analogy1:02:18 Strategy for identifying and incentivizing new partners1:11:34 Tapping into true fans for new partner leads1:14:57 Michael's reflections and next stepsIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/showFollow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarryX: https://twitter.com/nathanbarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshowWebsite: https://nathanbarry.comKit: https://kit.com/?utm_campaign=29661554-nathan_barry_show&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=nathanbarryshow&utm_content=youtube_descriptionFollow Michael:X: https://twitter.com/msliwinskiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelsliwinskiMastodon: https://social.nozbe.com/@michaelNozbe: https://nozbe.comFeatured in this episode:Kit: https://www.kit.comNozbe: https://nozbe.comHighlights:02:17 – ZDNet feature blew up Nozbe05:13 – iPad app success in Japan09:27 – Impact and the $5M goal11:54 – Customer loyalty despite competitors22:15 – Demo meetings and their conversion rates32:27 – Customers prepaid until 204057:33 – Why simpler is better for teams

My guest today is John Arnold. John is probably the most famous energy trader of all time and certainly the most successful. One of the things John talks about is cultivating the best seat in your industry – the seat with the best perspective, the most information, the best systems..  John has been closely watching China's convergence in robotics, AI, and EVs, and shares his perspective from his recent trip to the country. We talk about the state of energy markets today – the misaligned goals and incentives, the NIMBYism that prevents building in America, and what he actually thinks about the wave of nuclear energy startups that everyone seems excited about.  John is also one of the most innovative philanthropists working today, applying that same analytical rigor to diagnosing structural failures across America — in healthcare, criminal justice, education, and beyond For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Vanta. Trusted by thousands of businesses, Vanta continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Visit vanta.com/invest.  ----- 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. Visit ⁠WorkOS.com⁠ to transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- This episode is brought to you by Rogo. Rogo is an AI-powered platform that automates accounts payable workflows, enabling finance teams to process invoices faster and with greater accuracy. Learn more at Rogo.ai/invest. ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgelineapps.com. ----- 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 (00:02:43) Episode Intro (00:03:43) Learnings from John's Trip to China (00:06:28) The EV Industry in China (00:08:43) How Subsidies Create Intense Competition (00:10:54) US-China Relationship (00:12:42) The Cost of Greatness (00:14:52) Creating the Best Seat in the Market (00:19:30) Baseball Card Arbitrage (00:23:03) Trading Natural Gas Futures (00:24:59) Energy Market Making Explained (00:27:11) Why Energy is Exciting Again (00:31:14) Meeting the Increased Demand for Energy (00:32:53) Why Policy is the Biggest Threat to Progress (00:36:28) Fixing Energy Infrastructure in the US (00:39:29) Advanced Nuclear Technology (00:42:05) The Prospects of Energy Startups (00:43:44) Input Costs in Solar & Batteries (00:47:54) Geothermal Energy: The Most Exciting Sector (00:50:57) Housing Reform in the US (00:53:39) The Role of Philanthropic Foundations (00:57:00) Reforming the Criminal Justice System (01:03:48) Social Outcomes Downstream of Education (01:07:20) Misaligned Incentives in the Healthcare System (01:12:08) Journalism as a Public Good (01:14:17) The Kindest Thing

Dan Nathan interviews veteran tech investor Dan Benton about how tech investing has changed since Benton's 1991 “20 rules” at Goldman Sachs and why he's releasing new “2026 rules,” alongside launching a Substack. Benton contrasts a pre-internet, sell-side, information-advantage era with today's commoditized data, retail tools, and faster markets, arguing investors now differentiate by identifying secular themes and sticking with them. He emphasizes tech as “the market,” the need to respect the Fed, and that momentum in tech is driven by multi-year estimate trajectories, revenue acceleration, and operating leverage, with valuation often secondary until growth decelerates. They discuss stock-based compensation distorting earnings quality, rotations within AI beneficiaries, crowding and risk-off selloffs, and uncertainties around hyperscaler CapEx and OpenAI's private-market marks. The conversation covers SaaS disruption risk, Tesla and SpaceX “selling the future,” China's advantages, and why markets are faster but not smarter. Links Rules For Tech Investing (1999 Edition) Follow Dan's SubStack: substack.com/@danbenton —FOLLOW USYouTube: @RiskReversalMediaInstagram: @riskreversalmediaTwitter: @RiskReversalLinkedIn: RiskReversal Media

What if the biggest bottleneck in your commerce strategy isn't the strategy itself, but the time it takes your team to actually perform the actions to execute it?Agility requires not just having the right insights, but also the operational capacity to act on them at the speed the market demands.Today, we're going to talk about a critical bottleneck many brands face: the delay between data-driven insight and real-world execution. Commerce teams are often drowning in data but struggle with the manual, time-consuming work of implementing changes, whether it's updating product pages or optimizing media spend. This has led to a major shift, where brands are looking beyond traditional agency models and toward a new paradigm of 'agentic AI'—using automated agents to handle execution, freeing up human experts to focus on what they do best: strategy.We are here at eTail Palm Springs, and to help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Himanshu Jain, Co-Founder and Head of Product, and Bill Schneider, VP Product Marketing at CommerceIQ. About Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Himanshu Jain is the Cofounder and Head of Product at CommerceIQ, a Series D agentic AI company based in the Bay Area. CommerceIQ is a leader in retail technology, having raised $200M from SoftBank and Insights Partners, and serving 10 of the top 12 CPG brands globally. He builds vertical AI and autonomous agent platforms that help the world's largest consumer brands win across ecommerce and omnichannel retail. Over the past decade, he has repeatedly taken AI products from zero to product–market fit, scaling them into multi-million-dollar businesses across retail media, pricing, supply chain, and digital shelf. With deep roots in machine learning, SaaS and enterprise strategy, he operates at the intersection of advanced AI systems and measurable commercial impact. Bill Schneider and Himanshu Jain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-schneider-b32a6a/ Resources CommerceIQ: www.commerceiq.ai The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect 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://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check 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

Building software is supposed to take years of coding, endless stress, and a long grind to profitability. Omar wanted to test that belief. After a decade running WebinarNinja, he set out to answer one bold question: can you build a real SaaS product in just 7 days using nothing but AI? In this episode, Omar shares his experiment to create a fully functional, ready‑to‑sell app powered entirely by AI. This is a very special kind of episode. You'll get to follow along as the process unfolded day by day, something that's never been done before on the show. Omar walks through the planning, the tools he used, the testing, and the problems he ran into along the way. You'll hear what worked, what didn't, and why clarity and focus matter more than speed. It's an inside look at an experiment designed to give you both inspiration and practical takeaways. Hit play at the top of the page and experience Omar's 7‑day AI SaaS experiment. The lessons inside could reshape how you think about building your next software idea. MBA2749 Can You Build A Profitable SaaS In 7 Days With Just AI? My Experiment With Proof!See Nicky AI in action - watch the demo on YouTube now! Guest CollaboratorChris Ashby - Telescope.design Founder of Telescope, guiding AI‑driven startups with impactful design and strategy. Tools Mentioned Leap OpenAI Stripe GitHub Cursor Wispr Flow Mux ChatGPT Windsurf Lovable Watch the episodes on YouTube: https://lm.fm/GgRPPHiSUBSCRIBEYouTube | Apple Podcast | Spotify | Podcast Feed Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.