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This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - http://quo.com/TWiSTLemon IO - https://lemon.io/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show: Jason is back from Davos and Tokyo! We are jumping right back in with a group of Clawdbot power users: Alex Finn, Matt Von Horn, and Dan Penguine.Clawdbot is a hot open source AI project that lets users automate… everything! Dan helped his automate his aging parent's tea shop, Matt built news sourcing bots, and Alex runs his one-man SAAS startup with Clawdbot as an AI employee!But with all of that power comes the responsibility of making sure you are not giving your AI too many authorizations that could come under fire! Whether fisching emails, “injections”, or bad decision making from incorrect information online.Check out how these 3 experts, Jason and Alex are thinking about the bleeding edge of AI!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing today's Clawdbot experts!(04:09) How Matt Von Horn makes “Skills” with Clawdbot(10:53) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST.(13:25) Dan Penguine's “Normy” use case: automating his parent's tea shop(19:50) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(22:23) Alex Finn breaks down how Clawdbot lets him run a one man startup(24:28) Alex Finn on Clawdbot autonomously building apps within his business(28:33) Security concerns with Clawdbot, can your AI get hacked?(32:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(35:07) Why is everyone buying Mac Minis?(37:39) How to think about LLM Token usage(46:02) Clawdbot will build CRMs, project management software, etc without being asked. Is this the end of SAAS?(46:58) Matt live uploads his new Clawdbot skill on aire!(48:22) Why was Clawdbot able to move so much quicker than Anthropic and OpenAI?(50:17) What is Clawdbot's business model as an open source AI?(53:27) Matt's recursive AI prompt loop and how AI prompts layer*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:53) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(19:50) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(32:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/
Get access to metatrends 10+ years before anyone else - https://qr.diamandis.com/metatrends Salim Ismail is the founder of OpenExO Dave Blundin is the founder & GP of Link Ventures Dr. Alexander Wissner-Gross is a computer scientist and founder of Reified – My companies: Apply to Dave's and my new fund:https://qr.diamandis.com/linkventureslanding Go to Blitzy to book a free demo and start building today: https://qr.diamandis.com/blitzy _ Connect with Peter: X Instagram Connect with Dave: X LinkedIn Connect with Salim: X Join Salim's Workshop to build your ExO Connect with Alex Website LinkedIn X Email Listen to MOONSHOTS: Apple YouTube – *Recorded on January 20th, 2026 *The views expressed by me and all guests are personal opinions and do not constitute Financial, Medical, or Legal advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Suneera Madhani is back, and the lessons hit different this time. Suneera breaks down what it really took to scale Stax Payments to a $1.1B exit, why she chose to step away when the next milestone was “obvious,” and how she's approaching her next company, Worth, with clearer boundaries and a bigger vision for impact.We talk founder to CEO identity shifts, why “people, process, profit” scales every business, how women get stuck majoring in minor details, and the focus framework she teaches thousands of founders through CEO School. If you're building in a season where ambition is high but alignment matters more than ever, this episode is your reset.Connect with Suneera Madhani:Instagram: @suneeramadhaniWebsite: https://suneeramadhani.com/
WBSRocks: Business Growth with ERP and Digital Transformation
Send us a textThis cluster of announcements illustrates how enterprise software vendors are converging on monetizable AI, composable ecosystems, and domain-specific depth rather than headline platform reinvention. Product expansions such as BillingPlatform's RevenueIQ suite, Epicor's outcomes-based ERP AI agent, and BlackLine's Verity for the CFO signal a shift toward AI that is tightly anchored to measurable financial and operational outcomes. At the same time, M&A and alliances—including IFS acquiring 7bridges, Salesforce's planned acquisition of Regrello, QAD partnering with Esker, and Versori partnering with Fluent Commerce—reinforce a strategy of filling execution gaps through targeted capabilities rather than broad-suite sprawl. Underpinning much of this activity, Oracle's deployment of GPT-5 across its database and SaaS portfolio underscores how foundational AI services are becoming embedded infrastructure, while workforce and go-to-market expansions from ActivTrak and Capacity's acquisition of KLaunch highlight continued investment in productivity, adoption, and execution at the edges of the enterprise stack.In today's episode, we invited a panel of industry analysts for a live discussion on LinkedIn to analyze current enterprise software stories. We covered many grounds, including the direction and roadmaps of each enterprise software vendor. Finally, we analyzed future trends and how they might shape the enterprise software industry.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdCqxl1NXBIQuestions for Panelists?
For years, we've heard about AI transforming software development. But what if that same level of agentic, AI-driven collaboration could be applied not just to writing code, but to writing your entire go-to-market playbook? Agility requires that your go-to-market teams operate at the speed of insight, not at the speed of manual data entry and fragmented workflows. This means empowering them with tools that don't just provide data, but automate action based on strategic intent. Today, we're going to talk about the concept of an 'agentic' go-to-market platform, where AI doesn't just assist, but actively collaborates with sales and marketing teams to automate entire workflows, from strategy to execution. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Marcio Arnecke, Chief Marketing Officer at Apollo.io. About Marcio Arnecke As Apollo.io's Chief Marketing Officer, Marcio Arnecke brings a visionary approach to scaling high-growth B2B SaaS marketing in the AI-driven sales landscape. With over two decades of experience driving revenue acceleration across global markets, he has consistently transformed early-stage technology companies into market-defining brands. Hisexpertise in AI-powered go-to-market strategies uniquely positions him to accelerate Apollo's mission of empowering sales teams through intelligent data and automation. Previously, he played a pivotal role in scaling marketing functions at SaaS giants like Intercom and Zendesk, where he drove remarkable growth from $40M to $1.7B, culminating in a successful IPO that raised $100 million in 2014. Leveraging his comprehensive background in demand generation, product marketing, and strategic storytelling, Marcio is focused on positioning Apollo as the go-to AI sales platform for SMB and mid-market teams. His approach combines data-driven insights with targeted narrative strategies, translating Apollo's technological capabilities into practical business value. Drawing from his global experience across Silicon Valley and international markets, Marcio aims to expand Apollo's brand and demonstrate how AI can meaningfully improve sales engagement for growing businesses. Marcio holds advanced degrees from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and Golden Gate University, complemented by a BS in Business Administration from Universidade Feevale in Brazil. Marcio Arnecke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcioarnecke/ Resources Apollo.io: https://www.apollo.io Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/agile 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/ 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://www.thecrmc.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agile Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show 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
Mixergy - Startup Stories with 1000+ entrepreneurs and businesses
When a new user signs up, most companies add them to a standard drip campaign. Ryan Carson found a better alternative: his AI agent sends customized drip messages to every new registrant. It helps his company close more business. It’s just one way he uses AI to act as his VP of marketing. In this interview, he breaks down how he automated his marketing. Ryan Carson is a three-time founder and longtime SaaS entrepreneur. He's currently the founder of Untangle, an AI-powered platform designed to help people navigate divorce with clarity and less conflict. With over 25 years of startup experience, Ryan now focuses on building highly specialized AI agents that combine software, automation, and real-world business workflows. Sponsored byZapier More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Max Junestrand is the Co-Founder and CEO @ Legora, the legal AI company that has scaled to $70M in ARR, 750 of the world's leading law firms as customers and over 300 employees in just 2 years. They have raised over $200M from some of the best in the business including Benchmark, General Catalyst, Redpoint and ICONIQ. AGENDA: 04:16 Why Does Everyone Think Harvey When They Hear Legal AI? 07:35 Why OpenAI is Toast? Switching to Anthropic! 11:47 24 Months: Which Foundation Models Will Win? 23:53 Lessons Scaling from Europe into the US 28:53 Do Americans Work As Hard As They Say? 32:20 Why Seat Models Are Not Dead in SaaS? 36:17 How to Use Competition To Drive a Fire in Your Team? 40:59 Is Legal AI a Winner-Take-All Market? How Does It End? 47:18 The Future of Law Firms: Do Juniors Get Fired? 53:19 How We Raised $200M and 3 Rounds with No Deck 57:21 Quickfire Round: Best Advice, Closest Mentor, Biggest Mindset Shift
Segment 1: Interview with Thyaga Vasudevan Hybrid by Design: Zero Trust, AI, and the Future of Data Control AI is reshaping how work gets done, accelerating decision-making and introducing new ways for data to be created, accessed, and shared. As a result, organizations must evolve Zero Trust beyond an access-only model into an inline data governance approach that continuously protects sensitive information wherever it moves. Securing access alone is no longer enough in an AI-driven world. In this episode, we'll unpack why real-time visibility and control over data usage are now essential for safe AI adoption, accurate outcomes, and regulatory compliance. From preventing data leakage to governing how data is used by AI systems, security teams need controls that operate in the moment - across cloud, browser, SaaS, and on-prem environments - without slowing the business. We'll also explore how growing data sovereignty and regulatory pressures are driving renewed interest in hybrid architectures. By combining cloud agility with local control, organizations can keep sensitive data protected, governed, and compliant, regardless of where it resides or how AI is applied. This segment is sponsored by Skyhigh Security. Visit https://securityweekly.com/skyhighsecurity to learn more about them! Segment 2: Why detection fails Caleb Sima put together a nice roundup of the issues around detection engineering struggles that I thought worth discussing. Amélie Koran also shared some interesting thoughts and experiences. Segment 3: Weekly Enterprise News Finally, in the enterprise security news, Fundings and acquisitions are going strong can cyber insurance be profitable? some new free tools shared by the community RSAC gets a new CEO Large-scale enterprise AI initiatives aren't going well LLM impacts on exploit development AI vulnerabilities global risk reports floppies are still used daily, but not for long? All that and more, on this episode of Enterprise Security Weekly. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-443
Tech has looked unstoppable thanks to AI winners—but a huge part of the market is telling a very different story. In this episode, Simon and Dan break down the brutal valuation reset hitting SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) stocks, with many major names down 30–50%+ despite still-solid underlying businesses. They explain the classic “moats” that made SaaS so powerful—switching costs, ecosystems, and data—and why AI agents and LLM-driven automation are now challenging the seat-based pricing model that many software companies depend on. The discussion moves through a rapid-fire list of well-known SaaS names to unpack what’s driving the drawdowns, where the market may be overreacting, and where the risk of disruption is real. Bottom line: some of these stocks may be turning into genuine value opportunities—but the old playbook may no longer apply, and investors need to underwrite what the business looks like 2–5 years from now, not what it used to be. Tickers mentioned: CSU, CRM, ADBE, NOW, ADSK, INTU, TEAM, WDAY, TWLO, DOCU, ADP Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Our New Youtube Channel! Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Fiscal.ai for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this weeks' Scale Your Sales Podcast episode, my guest is Simon Sharp. I'm CEO of Verto, a UK SaaS platform, the no 1 solution powering portfolio, programme and project management (P3M) across the UK public sector. An entrepreneur and GTM leader, I've co-founded RiskXchange, founded RockSec360 and held global revenue leadership roles scaling SaaS, cybersecurity, and fraud prevention companies from £1M to £100M+ worldwide. In today's episode of Scale Your Sales podcast, Simon examine how science-led, data-driven approaches—enhanced by AI—are reshaping revenue architecture and modern sales leadership. Explore what differentiates organizations that achieve predictable ARR growth from those that plateau, with a strong focus on customer-centric growth systems, meaningful client relationships, and the evolving role of technology in sales. Drawing on his experience scaling multiple PE-backed SaaS businesses and his work with Winning by Design methodologies, Simon shares practical insights into how AI is improving efficiency and customer focus. Welcome to Scale Your Sales Podcast, Simon Sharp. Timestamps: 06:04 Retention: The Key to SaaS 06:58 Customer-Centric Growth Strategy 10:31 AI Tools Streamline Sales Processes 14:00 Prioritizing Sales Team Coaching 17:48 Coaching Individuals Over Deals 23:22 Strong Investor Relationships Drive Growth 24:53 Business Strategy and Time Management 28:57 Building Habits Gradually Yields Results https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsharp360/ Janice B Gordon is the award-winning Customer Growth Expert and Scale Your Sales Framework founder. She is by LinkedIn Sales 15 Innovating Sales Influencers to Follow 2021, the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Customer Experience Nov 2020 and 150 Women B2B Thought Leaders You Should Follow in 2021. Janice helps companies worldwide to reimagine revenue growth thought customer experience and sales. Book Janice to speak virtually at your next event: https://janicebgordon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceBGordon Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast More on the blog: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/blog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScaleYourSales And more! Visit our podcast website https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast/ to watch or listen.
Jason Cohen is a four-time founder (including two unicorns, one being WP Engine) and an investor in over 60 startups, and has been sharing his lessons on company building at A Smart Bear for nearly 20 years. In this episode, Jason shares his methodical five-step framework for diagnosing stalled growth—a problem that faces almost every team.We discuss:1. Jason's five-step framework: logo retention, pricing, NRR, marketing channels, target market2. A small tweak that'll double response rates on your cancellation surveys3. Why “it's too expensive” is almost never the real reason customers cancel4. The “elephant curve” of growth5. How repositioning the same product can increase revenue 8x6. When to reconsider if growth is even the right goal for your business—Brought to you by:10Web—Vibe coding platform as an APIStrella—The AI-powered customer research platformBrex—The banking solution for startups—Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-your-product-stopped-growing—Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0—Where to find Jason Cohen:• Preorder Jason's book: https://preorder.hiddenmultipliers.com/• X: https://x.com/asmartbear• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncohen• Blog: https://longform.asmartbear.com• Website: https://wpengine.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Jason Cohen(05:19) Jason's writing journey(08:25) Questions to ask when your product stops growing(18:17) Getting real customer feedback(20:27) Analyzing cancellation reasons(26:54) Onboarding and activation(29:35) Quick summary(35:46) Revisiting pricing strategies(41:46) Positioning strategies(47:52) Why pricing is inseparable from your strategy(52:06) The importance of net revenue retention (NRR)(01:00:25) Asking whether or not this is good for the customer(01:04:34) Leveraging existing customers(01:06:42) Are your acquisition channels saturated? The “elephant curve”(1:09:41) Why all marketing channels eventually decline(01:12:04) Direct vs. indirect marketing channels(1:13:36) Getting creative with new channels(01:19:04) Do you actually need to grow?(01:25:57) Deciding when to quit(01:29:27) Book announcement(01:33:21) AI corner(01:34:35) Contrarian corner(01:37:43) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Tyler Cowen's website: https://tylercowen.com• How to Perform a Customer Churn Analysis (and Why You Should): https://www.groovehq.com/blog/learn-from-customer-churn• Linear: https://linear.app• Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira• Patrick Campbell's post on X about pricing: https://x.com/Patticus/status/1702313260547006942• The art and science of pricing | Madhavan Ramanujam (Monetizing Innovation, Simon-Kucher): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-and-science-of-pricing-madhavan• Pricing your AI product: Lessons from 400+ companies and 50 unicorns | Madhavan Ramanujam: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/pricing-and-scaling-your-ai-product-madhavan-ramanujam• Pricing your SaaS product: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy• M&A, competition, pricing, and investing | Julia Schottenstein (dbt Labs): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/m-and-a-competition-pricing-and-investing• “Sell the alpha, not the feature”: The enterprise sales playbook for $1M to $10M ARR | Jen Abel: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-enterprise-sales-playbook-1m-to-10m-arr• Buffer: https://buffer.com• AG1: https://drinkag1.com• How to find hidden growth opportunities in your product | Albert Cheng (Duolingo, Grammarly, Chess.com): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-find-hidden-growth-opportunities-albert-cheng• How Duolingo reignited user growth: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth• The Elephant in the room: The myth of exponential hypergrowth: https://longform.asmartbear.com/exponential-growth• HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• Adjacency Matrix: How to expand after PMF: https://longform.asmartbear.com/adjacency/• Ecosystem is the next big growth channel: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/ecosystem-is-the-next-big-growth• ChatGPT apps are about to be the next big distribution channel: Here's how to build one: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/chatgpt-apps-are-about-to-be-the• 10 contrarian leadership truths every leader needs to hear | Matt MacInnis (Rippling): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/10-contrarian-leadership-truths• Breaking the rules of growth: Why Shopify bans KPIs, optimizes for churn, prioritizes intuition, and builds toward a 100-year vision | Archie Abrams (VP Product, Head of Growth at Shopify): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/shopifys-growth-archie-abrams• Geoffrey Moore on finding your beachhead, crossing the chasm, and dominating a market: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/geoffrey-moore-on-finding-your-beachhead• ER on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/ER-Season-1/dp/B0FWK5WJQ4• The Pitt on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/The-Pitt-Season-1/dp/B0DNRR8QWD• Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai• Anker: https://www.anker.com—Recommended books:• Will: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Smith/dp/1984877925• Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price: https://www.amazon.com/Monetizing-Innovation-Companies-Design-Product/dp/1119240867• Hidden Multipliers: Small Things That Accelerate Growth: https://preorder.hiddenmultipliers.com• On Writing Well: The Essential Guide to Mastering Nonfiction Writing and Effective Communication: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548• Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition: The Updated Version of the Insightful Guide on Bringing Cutting-Edge Products to the Mainstream: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com
Following on the discussion of the Cloud 1.0 to Cloud 2.0 transition, we explore what that future cloud might look like. SHOW: 996SHOW TRANSCRIPT: The Cloudcast #996 TranscriptSHOW VIDEO: https://youtube.com/@TheCloudcastNET NEW TO CLOUD? CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS" SHOW NOTES:Q1 - What didn't Cloud 1.0 achieve from the grand vision?Q2 - What seemed promising but might have been the wrong timing? Q3 - Why didn't more SaaS get bundled by the hyperscalers?Q4 - Does multi-cloud become easier?Q5 - Do primitives continue to be the core offering, or do more integrated offerings dominate the landscape?Q6 - Do a bunch of existing primitives get turned off to make room for new AI capabilities (DC capacity)?Q7 - Is security on by default? Q8 - Do more private/sovereign capabilities get offered?Q9 - What are the new AI capabilities that nobody has even thought of yet?Q10 - How does the mix of AI workloads get distributed across clouds, or across private and public? FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netBluesky: @cloudcastpod.bsky.socialTwitter/X: @cloudcastpodInstagram: @cloudcastpodTikTok: @cloudcastpod
What does it actually take to build trust with developers when your product sits quietly inside thousands of other products, often invisible to the people using it every day? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sat down with Ondřej Chrastina, Developer Relations at CKEditor, to unpack a career shaped by hands-on experience, curiosity, and a deep respect for developer time. Ondřej's story starts in QA and software testing, moves through development and platform work, and eventually lands in developer relations. What makes his perspective compelling is that none of these roles felt disconnected. Each one sharpened his understanding of real developer friction, the kind you only notice when you have lived with a product day in and day out. We talked about what changes when you move from monolithic platforms to API-first services, and why developer relations looks very different depending on whether your audience is an application developer, a data engineer, or an integrator working under tight delivery pressure. Ondřej shared how his time at Kentico, Kontent.ai, and Ataccama shaped his approach to tooling, documentation, and examples. For him, theory rarely lands. Showing something that works, even in a small or imperfect way, tends to earn attention and respect far faster. At CKEditor, that thinking becomes even more interesting. The editor is everywhere, yet rarely recognized. It lives inside SaaS platforms, internal tools, CRMs, and content systems, quietly doing its job. We explored how developer experience matters even more when the product itself fades into the background, and why long-term maintenance, support, and predictability often outweigh short-term feature excitement. Ondřej also explained why building instead of buying an editor is rarely as simple as teams expect, especially when standards, security, and future updates enter the picture. We also got into the human side of developer relations. Balancing credibility with business goals, staying useful rather than loud, and acting as a bridge between engineering, product, marketing, and the outside world. Ondřej was refreshingly honest about the role ego can play, and why staying close to real usage is the fastest way to keep yourself grounded. If you care about developer experience, internal tooling, or how invisible infrastructure shapes modern software, this conversation offers plenty to reflect on. What have you seen work, or fail, when it comes to earning developer trust, and where do you think developer relations still get misunderstood? Useful Links Connect with Ondrej Chrastina Learn more about CK Editor Thanks to our sponsors, Alcor, for supporting the show.
BONUS: Thinking Like an Architect in the Age of AI-Assisted Coding How can engineers leverage AI to write better code—and think like architects to build systems that truly scale? In this episode, Brian Childress, a CTO and software architect with over 15 years of experience, shares hard-won lessons from teams using AI coding tools daily, and explains why the real challenge isn't just writing code—it's designing systems that scale with users, features, and teams. The Complexity Trap: When AI Multiplies Our Problems "Most engineering projects and software engineers themselves lean more towards complexity, and I find that that complexity really is multiplied when we bring in the power of AI and its ability to write just tons and tons and tons of code." Brian has observed a troubling pattern: AI tools can generate deeply nested components with complex data flows that technically work but are nearly impossible to understand or maintain. When teams don't guide AI through architectural decisions, they end up with code that becomes "a little too complex for us to understand what is actually going on here." The speed at which AI produces code makes understanding the underlying problem even more critical—we can solve problems quickly, but we must ensure we're solving them the right way. In this segment, we mention our longer AI Assisted Coding podcast series. Check that out for further insights and different perspectives on how our software community is learning to make better use of AI Assisted Coding tools. Vibe Coding Has Its Place—But Know Its Limits "Vibe coding is incredibly powerful for designers and product owners who want to prompt until they get something that really demonstrates what they're trying to do." Brian sees value across the entire spectrum from vibe coding to architect-driven development. Vibe coding allows teams to move from wireframes and Figma prototypes to actual working code much faster, enabling quicker validation with real customers. The key distinction is knowing when to use each approach: Vibe coding works well for rapid prototyping and testing whether something has value Architect thinking becomes essential when building production systems that need to scale and be maintained What Does "Thinking Like an Architect" Actually Mean? "When I'm thinking more like an architect, I'm thinking more around how bigger components, higher level components start to fit together." The architect mindset shifts focus from "how do I work within a framework" to "what is the problem I'm really solving?" Brian emphasizes that technology is actually the easiest part of what engineers do—you can Google or AI your way to a solution. The harder work is ensuring that the solution addresses the real customer need. An architect asks: How can I simplify? How can I explain this to someone else, technical or non-technical? The better you can explain it, the better you understand it. AI as Your Thought Partner "What it really forces us to do is to be able to explain ourselves better. I find most software engineers will hide behind complexity because they don't understand the problem." Brian uses AI as a collaborative thought partner rather than just a code generator. He explains the problem, shares his thought process, and then strategizes back and forth—looking for questions that challenge his thinking. This approach forces engineers to communicate clearly instead of hiding behind technical jargon. The AI becomes like having a colleague with an enormous corpus of knowledge who can see solutions you might never have encountered in your career. Simplicity Through Four Shapes "I basically use four shapes to be able to diagram anything, and if I can't do that, then we still have too much complexity. It's a square, a triangle, a circle, and a line." When helping colleagues shift from code-writing to architect-thinking, Brian insists on dead simplicity. If you can diagram a system—from customer-facing problems down to code component breakdowns, data flow, and integrations—using only these four basic shapes, you've reached true understanding. This simplification creates that "light bulb moment" where engineers suddenly get it and can translate understanding into code while in flow state. Making AI Work Culturally: Leading by Example "For me as a leader, as a CTO, I need to show my team this is how I'm using it, this is where I'm messing up with it, showing that it's okay." Brian addresses the cultural challenge head-on: mid-level and senior engineers often resist AI tools, fearing job displacement or having to support "AI slop." His approach is to frame AI as a new tool to learn—just like Google and Stack Overflow were in years past—rather than a threat. He openly shares his experiments, including failures, demonstrating that it's acceptable to laugh at garbage code while learning from how it was generated. The Guardrails That Make AI Safe "If we have all of that—the guardrails, the ability to test, automation—then AI just helps us to create the code in the right way, following our coding standards." The same engineering practices that protect against human errors protect against AI mistakes: automated testing, deployment guardrails, coding standards, and code review. Brian sees an opportunity for AI to help teams finally accomplish what they've always wanted but never had time for—comprehensive documentation and thorough automated test suites. Looking Ahead: More Architects, More Experiments, More Failures "I'm going to see more engineers acting like architects, more engineers thinking in ways of how do I construct this system, how do I move data around, how do I scale." Brian's 2-3 year prediction: engineers will increasingly think architecturally because AI removes the need to deeply understand framework nuances. We'll have more time for safeguards, automated testing, and documentation. But expect both sides of the spectrum to intensify—more engineers embracing AI tools, and more resistance and high-profile failures from CEOs vibe-coding production apps into security incidents. Resources for Learning Brian recommends staying current through YouTube channels focused on AI and developer tools. His top recommendations for developer-focused AI content: IndyDevDan NetworkChuck AI Jason His broader advice: experiment with everything, document what you learn as you go, and be willing to fail publicly. The engineers who thrive will be those actively experimenting and learning. About Brian Childress Brian Childress is a CTO and software architect with over 15 years of experience working across highly regulated industries including healthcare, finance, and consumer SaaS products. He brings a non-traditional background to technology leadership, having built his expertise through dedication and continuous learning rather than formal computer science education. Brian is passionate about helping engineers think architecturally and leverage AI tools effectively while maintaining simplicity in system design. You can link with Brian Childress on LinkedIn.
In this episode of Dividend Talk, we break down fresh warnings, dividend hikes, and the big stories in EuropeDividend growth investors need to understand right now.We start with the first earnings of the season, led by Johnson & Johnson, and dig into what its latest results tell us about dividend reliability, pipeline strength, and long-term growth. From there, we cover Fastenal and a mini dive into why its business model may be far more durable than “nuts and bolts” suggests, plus a closer look at the Swedish powerhouse Investor AB and its long-term compounding track record.Along the way, we also discuss:Recent dividend hikes from Essity, Tryg, Investor AB, L3Harris, and Valero EnergyWhether Europe's proposed wealth and unrealised gains taxes threaten long-term compoundingWhat Davos, Ray Dalio, gold, and shifting globalpower structures mean for dividend investorsThe role of gold, Bitcoin, and defensive assets in adividend-focused portfolioETF-based global dividend strategies vs.individual stock selectionHow we personally size positions and manageportfolio riskWhether owning highly profitable dividend payersraises ethical questionsListener Q&A on SaaS stocks, Evolution AB,airports, and portfolio construction
Klik je týždenný komentovaný prehľad technologických správ, o udalostiach, ktoré sa udiali vo svete IT, médií a sociálnych sietí. Moderátori: Ondrej Podstupka, Martin Hodás Discord diskusný server nájdete tu: https://discord.gg/eqeqBcw2V8 Linky: AI segment YouTube si posvieti na AI slop - https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/the-future-of-youtube-2026/ Reklamy v ChatGPT - https://www.wired.com/story/openai-testing-ads-us/ Gemini bude poháňať asistenta od Apple https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/apple-google-ai-siri-gemini.html SaaS firmy strácajú hodnotu https://finance.yahoo.com/news/no-reasons-own-software-stocks-140000103.html Asus končí so smartfonmi https://www.gsmarena.com/confirmed_asus_is_exiting_the_smartphone_market_-news-71158.php Tesla Tesla oficiálne prišla na Slovensko https://www.sme.sk/auto/c/tesla-oficialne-prichadza-na-slovensky-trh-na-nabrezi-dunaja-ukaze-svetelnu-sou Vesmír Blue Origin oznámil vlastnú satelitnú megakonšteláciu https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/21/bezos-blue-origin-satellite-internet-spacex-amazon.html Spravili sme chybu, máte pripomienku? Napíšte nám na klik@sme.sk Kapitoly 00:00 Úvod01:26 AI segment (Reklamy v Chat GPT, YouTube chce potlačiť AI slop, softvér stráca hodnotu)36:58 Tesla na Slovensku46:38 Bezos rozbieha konkurenciu pre svoje vlastné satelity55:34 ZáverSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, we discuss Claude and the ongoing AI acceleration, AI's impact on VC and SaaS, and the latest draft of the CLARITY Bill. We also dig into BitGo's upcoming IPO, Polygon's latest acquisitions, the Farcaster Sale, Larry Fink's WEF comments, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire:https://x.com/theempirepod -- Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here: https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:55) Claude And The AI Acceleration (11:53) Leveraging Expertise, Competing Models & Company Structure (21:02) AI's Impact On VC And SaaS (31:590 Ads (Coinbase) (32:44) Unpacking The CLARITY Bill (41:00) BitGo's IPO (53:53) Polygon Acquisitions (01:00;47) Farcaster Sale & Decentralized Social (01:08:30) Larry Fink And Content Of The Week -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
Young Entrepreneur John Magnor Shares B2B, SAAS and AI-Driven Business Success Strategies Youtube.com/@johnpmag About the Guest(s): John Magnor is a successful 24-year-old entrepreneur, primarily focused on building and scaling B2B companies, including software and service providers. With a career that began at 16, he has devoted himself over the past years to expand businesses through developing robust sales teams and streamlining marketing systems. John is the founder of Magner Equity Partners, aiming to create a portfolio of businesses scalable enough to be sold to private equity. His entrepreneurial journey is motivated by a passion for the business game and the art of marketing and sales. Episode Summary: In this riveting episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss engages with John Magnor, a young yet remarkably proficient entrepreneur who has made significant impacts in the B2B industry. Broadcasting from Buenos Aires, John shares his journey from a 16-year-old eager to break norms to becoming a key player in software and service-associated entrepreneurship. This episode shines a light on John’s unique approach to scaling B2B companies, underlining the importance of sales and marketing in business growth. John Magnor narrates his story, highlighting foundational motivations stemming from personal needs and family influence. The discussion flows into the importance of learning sales and marketing, with Chris echoing the sentiment, noting their pivotal role in any business venture. The conversation naturally gravitates towards the future trajectory of businesses, exploring the intricacies of AI technology in revolutionizing traditional market landscapes. With an impressive track record and insightful perspectives, John discusses his investment strategies and shares an exclusive look into his upcoming project, Nova, an AI-driven sales trainer and role player. Key Takeaways: John Magnor started his entrepreneurial journey at a young age, driven by the desire to deviate from the norm and make a mark in the B2B scene by leveraging his skills in sales and marketing. Magnor Equity Partners focuses on helping businesses scale by refining their sales processes and marketing systems, aiming to add them to John's expanding portfolio. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a crucial element in modern business strategies, offering unparalleled opportunities for growth and efficiency. The interplay between AI, sales, and marketing can drastically improve training and operational efficiency, as evidenced by the introduction of Nova, an innovative AI sales training platform. Chris Voss and John stress the importance of a solid business foundation, emphasizing the benefits of starting young and evolving with market changes. Notable Quotes: “Once you learn sales, you can work anywhere. Sales is an invaluable skill.” – John Magnor “AI is here to stay; companies not utilizing it are left in the dust.” – John Magnor “Business is the best sport…you can do this until you kick the grave.” – John Magnor “Build a foundation in your youth. It creates an amazing arc for the rest of your life.” – Chris Voss “Knowing sales and marketing is crucial. They are the building blocks of successful business ventures.” – John Magnor
Today on the show, we have Matthew Tharp, CEO of Hunter.io, the all-in-one email outreach platform used by over 4 million people to identify prospects and run cold email campaigns. Previously, Matthew was VP of Worldwide Retention at LogMeIn, where he owned NRR across nine products—giving him a rare masterclass in retention challenges at different stages and scales.In this episode, we uncover why retention isn't a problem you solve when growth stalls—it's DNA you build from day one. Matthew shares the paradox of his career: building a company with 95%+ annual retention that got acquired, versus joining a high-growth PLG business with churn issues that needed solving before scaling further.We explore why over-indexing on either growth or retention creates problems, how to identify the usage patterns that predict churn in the first three weeks, and why every company that tries to fix retention late struggles. The lesson: balance from the beginning beats transformation later.We also discuss how Hunter achieved 3X growth this year by going back to basics—running a rigorous ICP analysis, choosing battles they could win instead of markets where competitors were spending $100M, and layering new customer segments without creating product bloat.Finally, we dig into cold outreach data: why email lists under 100 people dramatically outperform larger ones, why shorter emails force the clarity that drives replies, and how constraints—not scale—are the real performance lever in outbound.As always, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me directly at andrew@churn.fm, and don't forget to follow us on X.Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.
In episode #348 of SaaS Metrics School, Ben Murray responds to a thoughtful LinkedIn comment that challenged a common assumption: that a well-structured SaaS P&L tells the whole story. While a properly built chart of accounts and SaaS P&L are foundational, Ben explains where hidden risks can still exist beneath clean financial statements. Using real-world examples from SaaS founders and finance teams, this episode explores how revenue commingling, misclassified expenses, role overlap, and customer concentration can quietly distort decision-making—despite an “immaculate” P&L. Resources Mentioned LinkedIn SaaS P&L Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/benrmurray_saas-activity-7418308514533552128-l2eG/ SaaS P&L Blog Post: SaaS Metrics Course: What You'll Learn Why a clean SaaS P&L can still hide structural business risk How revenue commingling and miscoding undermine financial clarity When and how to reclass employee costs across departments Why materiality matters more than perfection in early-stage accounting How customer concentration risk often surfaces late in due diligence Why It Matters A SaaS P&L is only as useful as the assumptions behind it Poor expense classification can distort margins and unit economics Misunderstanding departmental cost ownership leads to flawed decisions Customer concentration can materially impact valuation and investor confidence Strong financial systems require both structure and experienced oversight
Deepak Sindwani is Managing Partner at Wavecrest Growth Partners, an active growth equity firm backing bootstrapped and lightly funded SaaS founders. They work with practical founders who've built profitable businesses to $5–$20M ARR and want help growing without VC pressure or losing control. Wavecrest invests in vertical SaaS companies growing 30–60% annually, typically profitable or breakeven. They help founders scale sales, pricing, analytics, and leadership teams while staying capital efficient. Investments are usually $10–$30M total, with founders often taking some liquidity while continuing to lead. Even with the excitement around AI-first companies from VCs, Deepak sees efficient growth equity in practical vertical SaaS as a great investment and a big opportunity for founders. AI is helping serious practical founders, not making them irrelevant. Key Takeaways Capital Efficiency Matters — Wavecrest only backs profitable or breakeven SaaS companies that already respect the business model fundamentals. Founder Liquidity Helps — Taking some money off the table reduces stress and helps founders make better long-term decisions. Vertical SaaS Wins — Deep industry knowledge and data create defensibility AI-first competitors struggle to replicate. AI Is Additive — Software plus AI and data creates more value than AI replacing SaaS systems of record. No One-Size Playbook — Growth equity works best when strategies are customized, not forced by rigid PE-style playbooks. Quote from Deepak Sindwani, Managing Partner at Wavecrest Growth Partners "We don't think B2B SaaS is dead. It may create great headlines to say, AI eats software. We think software plus AI is the right approach. Software, AI plus data. So they're harvesting and creating that data moat that is going to help make them defensible. "Then, using the AI tools, why not use the AI tools to provide more automation for customers? That's what we really think AI does: increase the ability to automate the use of their product and to get value. "Every company that we're involved with has some AI initiative. How am I changing how I run my business? How am I changing marketing and sales and finance and customer success using AI? Every company is doing something in every function in terms of new tools and tests." Links Deepak Sindwani on LinkedIn Wavecrest Growth on LinkedIn Wavecrest Growth Partners website Podcast Sponsor – Lighter Capital This podcast is sponsored by Lighter Capital. In the last 15 years, Lighter Capital has helped over 600 software and SaaS founders secure simple, non-dilutive financing to grow a little faster—without giving up any precious equity or board seats to investors. Simple debt funding from Lighter Capital can range from $50K to $10 million, with straightforward terms, no personal guarantees or covenants, and up to a 4-year payback period. Go to LighterCapital.com to apply and get a quick pre-qualification. Then talk with their experienced team to create a practical funding plan to achieve your goals. 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.
The "improve 1% every day" mantra sounds inspiring until you realize it mostly gets people tweaking button colors and reorganizing task managers. Real improvements in early-stage businesses come from unexpected moments—like a single customer conversation that reveals you've been doing something wrong for six months. Instead of chasing unmeasurable micro-improvements, talk to one customer every day. That's where assumptions clash with reality, where you learn their language, and where you discover the insights that actually move the needle.This episode of The Bootstraped Founder is sponsored by Paddle.comThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/the-1-improvement-myth-why-customer-conversations-beat-micro-improvements-every-time/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/433-the-1-improvement-myth Check out Podscan, the Podcast database that transcribes every podcast episode out there minutes after it gets released: https://podscan.fmSend me a voicemail on Podline: https://podline.fm/arvidYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comHere are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw
On this episode of The Biz-to-Biz Podcast, host Allen Kopelman sits down with Michael Bernicker, founder of Rooming, to explore how the company is transforming the way people live, rent, and connect through flexible housing solutions.Michael breaks down the inspiration behind Rooming, how the platform simplifies shared living, and why flexibility, affordability, and community are becoming must-haves in today's housing market. From solving real-world housing challenges to building a tech-enabled marketplace, this conversation dives into what it takes to launch a solution that meets modern lifestyle demands.In this episode, you'll learn:What Rooming is and how it's redefining shared and flexible livingThe problem Rooming set out to solve in today's housing marketHow technology and community play a role in scalable housing solutionsLessons learned while building and growing a real estate tech platformWhether you're a founder, investor, real estate professional, or just curious about the future of housing, this episode delivers valuable insights on innovation, entrepreneurship, and building solutions that truly meet market needs.
גיא קצוביץ' מארח את עמית קרפ (Bessemer Venture Partners), ינאי אורון (Vertex Ventures) וברק שוסטר (Battery Ventures) לדיון סוער על האירועים שמעצבים מחדש את ענף ההייטק וההון סיכון בישראל ובעולם. הפרק עוסק בהחלטה המעוררת מחלוקת של Wix להחזיר את העובדים לחמישה ימי עבודה מהמשרד והשפעתה על התרבות הארגונית והפרודוקטיביות.המשתתפים מנתחים את הדוחות הכספיים של OpenAI שצומחת לקצב של 20 מיליארד דולר ARR, דנים באיום הישיר של סוכני בינה מלאכותית (AI Agents) על מודל ה-SaaS המסורתי ועל ענקיות כמו סיילספורס (Salesforce), ובוחנים את המהלך החדש של אנטרופיק (Anthropic) עם Claude Co-work שמשנה את פני התוכנה.(00:00) - פתיחה(01:50) - Wix: עבודה מהמשרד נגד עבודה מהבית(11:05) - ניתוח דוחות OpenAI והכנסות מפרסום ב-ChatGPT(32:55) - משבר מניות SaaS ועתיד חברות התוכנה(42:07) - קלוד קו-וורק (Claude Co-work) וסוכני AI(51:06) - עתיד עולם העבודה ומהפכת ה-AIלאינסטגרם של גיא: https://bit.ly/48OziEHלפודקאסט באינסטגרם: https://bit.ly/4oND8Toלפודקאסט באפל: https://apple.co/3Lfv8Mbלפודקאסט בספוטיפיי: https://bit.ly/47Th96H
ITPM Flash provides insight into what professional traders are thinking about in the markets RIGHT NOW! The market is selling SaaS indiscriminately — and AI fear is driving the narrative. In this episode of ITPM Flash, Dieter breaks down why not all SaaS is exposed to AI in the same way, and how the current selloff is confusing white-collar software with software built for the physical economy. He focuses on ServiceTitan, a SaaS platform serving the trades industry, and explains why its customers can't simply replace it with AI agents or in-house tools. When software is embedded in dispatch, payroll, inventory, and payments, switching isn't trivial — and AI doesn't change that. The result? A business with high switching costs, sticky demand, and a long growth runway that's being sold off alongside far more vulnerable SaaS models.
Mews just raised $300 million in a Series D, valuing the company at $2.5 billion — one of the largest hotel tech raises ever. But this conversation isn't about hype. In this GMH exclusive, Wil Slickers sits down for a third time with Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews, to unpack what this funding actually unlocks and why Richard believes much of hospitality technology has been built on the wrong assumptions for decades. They dig into why hotels still struggle with data ownership, how PMS platforms became gatekeepers instead of enablers, and why AI will only work if the industry fixes its foundations first. Richard also explains why RevPAR may be the industry's “original sin,” why guest experience should be a measurable output, and why fully autonomous hotels are the wrong goal. This is a wide-ranging, philosophical, and practical conversation about: • What Mews' $300M raise really changes • Why hotel tech copied the wrong SaaS playbook • Data standards, open APIs, and industry gatekeeping • AI agents, automation, and what should (and shouldn't) be automated • Why hospitality is more human than ever, even in an AI world Extra Links Related or Mentioned in This Episode: My first episode with Richard in 2021 My second episode with Richard in 2023 Skift Article around the $300M fund raise Connect with Airline Weekly LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airline-weekly/ X: https://x.com/Airline_Weekly/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airlineweekly/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries.
In this episode, we're joined by Madhav Bhandari, VP Marketing at Storylane, the demo automation platform helping B2B teams show their product before prospects ever talk to sales. Storylane is a profitable, fully remote SaaS with 50 employees, and a clear path toward $20M+. Madhav shares how Storylane broke out of the “race to average” in an insanely crowded martech and sales tech market, not by spending more, but by building a repeatable system for pattern interruption. We unpack how they used unconventional SEO, brand plays, and GTM experiments to grow brand searches from 1,500 to 12,000 per month, drive massive inbound, and turn marketing into a true growth engine. We spoke with Madhav about why great products aren't enough anymore, how to become the first vendor prospects discover, and how to build a marketing portfolio that consistently produces breakout ideas instead of chasing one-hit wonders. Here are some of the key questions we address: Why visibility, not budget, is the real advantage in crowded SaaS markets What pattern interruption actually means and how to systematize it How Storylane grew brand searches 8x and created an unfair inbound advantage Why traditional SEO and blog strategies are too slow, and what replaced them How to build a marketing portfolio instead of chasing viral one-offs Where pattern interruption should live and why leadership must own it
Damien Tanner (founder of Pusher, now building Layercode) is back for a reunion 17 years in the making. Damien officially returns to The Changelog to discuss the seismic shift happening in software development. From the first sponsor of the podcast to frontline builder in the AI agent era, Damien shares his insights on why SaaS is dying, why code review is a bottleneck (and non-existent for some), and how small teams can now build giant things.
No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Machine Learning | Technology | Startups
Why are there only a handful of companies in the world with over $10 billion in pure-play software revenue? CJ Desai believes the reason is that products are replaceable, but platforms are forever. For No Priors' very first live from MongoDB.local SF, Sarah Guo is joined by CJ Desai, CEO and President of software developer MongoDB, to discuss the shifting landscape of enterprise software. CJ discusses whether AI will erode the value of software, and what truly constitutes a “moat” in the age of generative AI. CJ also talks about why AI adoption with Fortune 500-sized companies is still lagging, the importance of customer relationships, and why the “bear thesis” on SaaS may be overblown. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @cj_mongodb | @MongoDB Chapters: 00:00 – Cold Open 00:58 – CJ Desai Introduction 01:38 – The AI Stack and the Future of Software 04:18 – Why Platforms, Not Products, Are Sticky 09:59 – Vibe Coding and the Threat of On-Demand Apps 12:15 – Paths to Success for Software Vendor Incumbents 14:24 – How CJ Chose MongoDB 18:55 – Debunking the SaaS Bear Thesis 22:07 – Fortune 500 Perspectives on AI Value 24:24 – Can AI Native Startups Replace Systems of Record? 28:10 – The Importance of Customer Relationships 31:46 – Managing Through Massive Technology Transitions 36:37 – Conclusion
Tiered pricing is becoming the simplest way to sell AI-powered SaaS without turning your pricing page into a technical explanation. In my interview with Dan Balcauski, founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, we talked about why AI is forcing new pricing decisions earlier than ever—and why "good, better, best" packaging often works because it keeps buying decisions clear while helping companies manage real AI costs. The AI era is making pricing margin-aware again. Tiered pricing helps you protect margins without forcing buyers to learn your cost structure. About Dan Balcauski Dan Balcauski is the founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, where he helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. He is a TopTal certified Top 3% Product Management Professional and helps teach Kellogg Executive Education course on Product Strategy. Over the last 15 years, Dan has managed products across the full lifecycle—from concept incubation to launch, platform transitions, maintenance, and end of life—across consumer and B2B companies ranging from startups to publicly traded enterprises. He previously served as Head of Product at LawnStarter and was a Principal Product Strategist at SolarWinds. Why Tiered Pricing Is Winning in the AI Era For years, SaaS companies could price mostly around value because marginal costs were relatively stable. AI changes the math. Dan points out that companies are now cutting meaningful monthly checks to model providers, and leadership teams can't pretend cost-to-serve is irrelevant anymore. That's a big reason tiered pricing is showing up everywhere right now. It gives teams a way to: Keep the offer simple for buyers Put premium capabilities where they belong Create a natural upgrade path that aligns with value and cost Most importantly, tiered pricing keeps you out of the weeds. The customer conversation stays focused on outcomes, not infrastructure. What Makes Tiered Pricing Actually Work Dan's point isn't "just shove AI into the top tier." Tiered pricing works when plan differences are easy to understand and tied to value drivers customers already recognize. Here are three practical patterns from the discussion that hold up well in the AI era. 1) Put AI in higher tiers when it boosts a user's output If an AI feature makes a person more effective—faster drafting, better triage, higher quality responses—tiering can be straightforward. The buyer already understands why a "Better" or "Best" plan costs more: it changes the capability of the team. This is also why seat-based pricing can still make sense for many AI-enhanced tools. If the value driver is still "help my team do better work," then users/seats remain an intuitive anchor. If AI increases team productivity, tiered pricing can stay aligned to seats—because seats still map to value. 2) Use add-ons when AI changes the value driver Sometimes AI doesn't just "help" the user—it replaces work entirely. When that happens, forcing it into the same tier structure can distort value and create confusion. Dan points to Intercom as a strong example of handling this well: The core support platform stays priced per user (agents), because the value driver is agent effectiveness. Their AI agent ("Fin AI") is priced separately because the agent isn't involved—the value is the number of issues the AI resolves. That's why per-resolution pricing makes sense. 3) Don't make buyers learn token math Dan's strongest warning is about token pricing. Customers don't want to learn what tokens are, and sales teams don't want to explain them—especially when you're selling a business outcome like faster support or better customer experience. Token-based pricing also shifts the conversation away from value and toward your vendor bill. As Dan puts it, customers don't care about your infrastructure costs, and pushing that complexity into the buying motion adds friction. If your tiered pricing requires a footnote explaining tokens, you're adding sand in the gears. A Tiered Pricing Checklist for AI Features Here's a simple way to apply this immediately: Good: Core workflow value, minimal AI (or AI where costs are predictable) Better: AI that boosts team output (speed, quality, throughput) Best: AI that drives outcomes at scale (automation, deflection, resolution) Add-on: Use when AI has a different value driver than the base product (example: per-resolution) Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Setting Your Development Pricing Fixed or Hourly Project Pricing A Project Management and Pricing Guide for Success Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content
In this episode, Jeff Mains sits down with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, to challenge the conventional wisdom around goal-setting, KPIs, and OKRs. Radhika reveals why chasing metrics can actually distort behavior and undermine long-term growth, introducing a powerful alternative: treating growth like a puzzle rather than a scorecard.The conversation explores how well-intentioned targets create perverse incentives, why measures should be tools for insight rather than evaluation, and how a curiosity-driven approach—using the OHLA framework (Observe, Hypothesize, Learn, Adapt)—helps teams make smarter decisions in real-world conditions. Radhika shares compelling examples from OpenAI, maritime SaaS platforms, and robotics companies to illustrate how puzzle-solving beats goal-setting for sustainable growth.Whether you're drowning in dashboards or hitting targets while feeling like something's off, this episode offers a refreshing lens on progress, leadership, and building momentum without the performance theater.Key Takeaways[0:00] - Episode introduction and overview of why goal-setting may be backfiring[4:48] - The fundamental problem with KPIs and OKRs: Goodhart's Law and Campbell's Law explained[6:28] - Dutt's Law: "A measure is only useful as a tool for insight, not a yardstick for evaluation"[7:16] - Real-world example: How OpenAI's user engagement targets led to dangerous "sycophantic AI"[10:37] - The hidden dangers of hitting targets while ignoring negative indicators[11:44] - Introduction to puzzle-setting vs. goal-setting mindset[12:09] - The OHLA framework explained: Observe, Hypothesize, Learn, Adapt[17:51] - Case study: Why improving filters wouldn't have solved the real problem[28:47] - The performance theater trap: Why jumping to solutions feels comfortable but fails[30:28] - How to get customer meetings when people say "you should already know this"[33:00] - Why in-person observation matters more when mental models differ[36:27] - Growth comes from matching user mental models, not forcing adoption of yours[37:47] - The Tesla UI example: When "cool" design ignores user mental models[37:47] - Top-down vs. bottom-up: How to introduce puzzle-solving in organizations[39:27] - Why leaders fear losing control and how to address it[43:01] - Vision-driven vs. iteration-led: Crafting a detailed, actionable vision statement[45:41] - Example vision statement that tells the whole story without mentioning the product[48:03] - Why detailed visions create ownership better than memorable slogans[50:01] - One mindset shift founders can make this week to reduce performance theaterTweetable Quotes"When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. We've known this since 1975, yet we keep setting goals for metrics.""A measure is only useful as a tool for insight, not a yardstick for evaluation. That's the critical mindset shift.""When you set targets, everyone's incentive is to show you they've hit that target. You don't look at the negative numbers to see what's actually happening.""Puzzles trigger curiosity and questioning. If you already know the answers, there's no puzzle. That's the...
SaaS Revolution Show with Alex Theuma and Andrew Zhyvolovych, CEO and Founder of Precoro. Together, they unpack a 10-year journey of building a B2B SaaS business to nearly $10M in ARR. Andrew shares how his early career in car sales, finance, and Groupon shaped his mindset as a founder, and how those lessons helped him build Precoro through disciplined execution, customer-funded growth, and a strong “sports team” culture. You'll learn: - How Precoro grew from idea to nearly $10M ARR - Why revenue is the best form of market validation - How to build and motivate a high-performance team - What AI really means for B2B SaaS today - Why cold calling is making a comeback - How Andrew plans to scale to $100M ARR This episode is packed with practical insights for SaaS founders, operators, and anyone building a serious B2B business. Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward:
Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, we're excited to welcome Nicolas Christiaen, CEO and co-founder of Donna, the AI assistant revolutionizing the lives of field sales teams. Ben Murray sits down with Nicolas Christiaen (introduced as Nicolas in the episode) to dive into Donna's journey from inception in late 2023 to its rapid growth and latest $5 million seed round. You'll hear how Donna leverages AI to boost sales rep productivity, seamlessly integrates with CRMs, and is gaining traction across verticals like medical devices, CPG, manufacturing, and insurance. Nicolas Christiaen reveals their data-driven approach to finding ideal customer segments, lessons learned from fast-paced fundraising, and why partnerships with global consulting firms like Deloitte and PwC are fueling their go-to-market strategy. If you're keen to learn about what's driving growth for AI-powered SaaS, how to balance vertical focus, and why healthy SaaS margins are still possible with AI, this conversation is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Tune in to find out how Donna is scaling up in 2026 and what's next for this ambitious SaaS startup! Show Notes: 00:00 "Sales, Efficiency, and Acquisition" 05:05 "Adapting AI for Industry Needs" 06:45 "24/7 AI Assistant Support" 10:14 "Global Launch Leads to Growth" 14:59 "Early Success with Partners" 19:18 "Outbound Strategy with Multi-Channel Approach" 22:08 AI Costs Will Decrease Over Time 23:50 AI Companies Will Streamline Operations Links: Nicolas Christiaen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaschristiaen/ Donna's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/donna-by-dealside Donna's Website: https://www.askdonna.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
(0:00) Jason and Sacks welcome Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (1:31) Future of AI copilots and agents, impact on white collar work (8:01) How Microsoft has scaled revenue and profits with flat headcount (10:50) The extreme competition in AI: Microsoft, xAI, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic (12:39) Views on diffusion, how the US tech stack can win globally (19:59) OpenAI deal, owning the IP, thoughts on open-source winning AI, Microsoft's AI stack, do they need a foundation model? (26:08) What SaaS adoption looks like in the age of AI Follow Satya: https://x.com/satyanadella Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg Intro Video Credit: https://x.com/TheZachEffect
In this feed drop from The Six Five Pod, a16z General Partner Martin Casado discusses how AI is changing infrastructure, software, and enterprise purchasing. He explains why current constraints are driven less by technical limits and more by regulation, particularly around power, data centers, and compute expansion.The episode also covers how AI is affecting software development, lowering the barrier to coding without eliminating the need for experienced engineers, and how agent-driven tools may shift infrastructure decision-making away from humans.Watch more from Six Five Media: https://www.youtube.com/@SixFiveMedia Resources:Follow Martin Casado on X: https://twitter.com/martin_casado Follow Patrick Moorhead on X: https://twitter.com/PatrickMoorheadFollow Daniel Newman on X: https://twitter.com/danielnewmanUV Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find 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.
Dr. Margarita Fedorova outlines how genetic, environmental, and pathological factors interact in Parkinson's disease and what this means for patient counseling. Show citation: Blauwendraat C, Morris HR, Van Keuren-Jensen K, Noyce AJ, Singleton AB. The temporal order of genetic, environmental, and pathological risk factors in Parkinson's disease: paving the way to prevention. Lancet Neurol. 2025;24(11):969-975. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(25)00271-6 Show transcript: Dr. Margarita Federova: Welcome to Neurology Minute. My name is Margarita Fedorova, and I'm a neurology resident at the Cleveland Clinic. Today we're exploring a framework for understanding how genetic, environmental, and pathological factors interact in Parkinson's disease and what this means for how we counsel our patients. A personal view paper by Blauwendraat and colleagues, published in The Lancet Neurology in September 2025, addresses a critical question. We've identified over 100 genetic loci for Parkinson's, but how do they act? The common saying is genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger, but this paper suggests the relationship may be more complex. The key tool here is alpha-synuclein seeding amplification assays or SAAs. These detect misfolded alpha-synuclein protein in cerebrospinal fluid. Over 90% of Parkinson's patients test positive for misfolded alpha-synuclein using this assay. But here's what's notable. 2% to 16% of neurologically healthy older adults also test positive with prevalence increasing with age. This means there are more asymptomatic people with detectable alpha-synuclein pathology than people with actual Parkinson's disease. Most of these asymptomatic individuals will never develop symptoms. This raises an important question. What determines who converts to a disease and who doesn't? By integrating SAA results with genetic data, researchers can examine whether genetic factors drive initial protein misfolding or whether they modulate the response to pathology triggered by environmental or random events. Preliminary data suggests polygenic risk scores don't strongly associate with SAA positivity in healthy older adults. In other words, people with high genetic risk for Parkinson's aren't necessarily more likely to have misfolded alpha-synuclein if they're healthy. This suggests most Parkinson's genetic risk factors may not be causing initial misfolding. Instead, they may be determining what happens afterward, such as whether the pathology progresses to clinical disease. LRRK2 mutations support this model. About 33% of LRRK2 related Parkinson's patients are SAA-negative compared to only 7% in sporadic disease. This means many people with LRRK2 mutations develop Parkinson's without the typical alpha-synuclein pathology. LRRK2 mutations also show varied pathology. Sometimes alpha-synuclein, sometimes tau, sometimes neither. This suggests LRRK2 may modulate responses to different initiating events rather than directly causing protein misfolding. What does this mean for us as clinicians? Asymptomatic SAA-positive individuals could represent a window for intervention. If we can understand what protects them from converting to disease or what triggers that conversion, we could enable earlier identification of at risk individuals and potentially intervene before symptoms develop. The authors call for large scale studies using SAAs in older populations, combined with genetic analysis and longitudinal follow-up. By integrating pathological biomarkers with genetic and environmental data, we can better understand the temporal sequence of events in development of Parkinson's. This approach could fundamentally change how we think about disease prevention and early intervention, potentially allowing us to identify at risk individuals before symptoms appear and develop targeted prevention strategies. That's your neurology minute for today. Keep exploring, and we'll see you next time. If you want to read more, please find the paper by Cornelis Blauwendraat et al titled The Temporal Order of Genetic, Environmental and Pathological Risk Factors in Parkinson's Disease: Paving the Way to Prevention, published online in September 2025 in Lancet Neurology.
On the podcast, I talk with Cem about the premium trap many apps fall into, why free trials work even for freemium products, and how ‘try for $0.00' actually outperforms ‘try for free'.Top Takeaways:
In this episode of Built to Divide, we pick up where the post-2008 housing machine left off—and show how the subscription economy (SaaS, streaming, “pay forever”) migrated into the built environment. Dimitrius Lynch traces the privatization movement from Milton Friedman's voucher logic and post–Brown v. Board backlash to modern power brokers like ALEC, corporate bill-writing, and the quiet reframing of citizens into customers.Then we explore build-to-rent communities engineered for “predictable cash flow,” housing-as-a-dashboard, and the rise of rentier capitalism—profits from controlling gates, not creating value. The episode connects BlackRock's infrastructure thesis and Aladdin risk platform, the 2008 recovery pipeline, and the long continuity from Bretton Woods → financialization → asset management dominance. Finally, we widen the lens to the next frontier: farmland financialization, where ownership detaches from stewardship and the right to live—and farm—becomes something you lease back.Episode Extras - Photos, videos, sources and links to additional content found during research.Episode Credits:Production in collaboration with Gābl MediaWritten & Executive Produced by Dimitrius LynchAudio Engineering and Sound Design by Jeff Alvarez
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 moreRodrigo Fernandez has helped 400+ SaaS companies drive over $1B in self-serve revenue and he's seen one problem kill growth over and over again: no one truly owns activation.In this episode, Rodrigo breaks down:Why “activation” is almost always misdefined (and who should actually define it)How teams confuse activity with value — and what to track insteadThe fatal flaws in bottom-up metrics and AI gimmicksWhat a real product activation journey looks like (solar system analogy and all)Why most PLG stacks are noisy, bloated, and doomed from the startIf you're stuck at $10M and can't see a path to $20M, this might be why.
Most AI pilots fail—at least, that's the headline. But today's guest is proving that doesn't have to be true.In this Watson Weekly interview, Rick Watson goes behind the scenes with Chris Kellner, CEO of DigitalGenius, to discuss how a decade-old AI pioneer is navigating the modern LLM explosion. We move past the hype to explore how AI is actually rewriting the playbooks for sales, marketing, and customer support.In this episode, you'll learn:* The "Locomotive" Metaphor: Why DigitalGenius didn't have to reinvent itself, but rather accelerated on existing tracks.* Sales & Marketing Rewired: How Chris's team uses AI for call coaching, MEDPIC scorecards, and CRM automation to let humans focus on high-value closing.* UK vs. US Market Mismatch: Why traditional outbound playbooks failed when crossing the Atlantic and what they did to fix it.*The Competition for Culture: How an internal "Agent-Building" competition spurred unexpected creativity across the company.3 Hard Lessons in AI Support: The essential checklist for any leader deploying AI in customer service today.Chapters00:00 – Intro: Turning AI buzz into customer wins 03:15 – Chris Kellner's journey from Banking to SaaS CEO 07:40 – Acceleration vs. Reinvention: Building the AI train line 14:20 – Rewiring GTM: AI call coaching and MEDPIC scorecards 22:10 – Market Mismatches: Lessons from scaling from the UK to the US 30:45 – Culture & Internal Adoption: The AI Agent competition 38:30 – Why most AI pilots fail (and how to make yours succeed) 45:15 – Build vs. Buy: When to go in-house and when to use a vendor 52:00 – Closing thoughts and key takeaways#watsonweekly #ai #customersupportThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
In this special episode of the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, the Partners come together to discuss how AI, new business models, and shifting global dynamics are reshaping startups and what founders should be preparing for as we head deeper into 2026 and beyond. From pragmatic AI adoption to new opportunities in services, SaaS, climate, and governance, this is a grounded conversation on what's actually changing and what still matters.⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction01:30 – What Prime Is Willing to Bet On03:20 – AI Models vs Real Value Creation07:35 – Automation, Services and Opportunity11:30 – Moats and Distribution in an AI-First World20:00 – Why Fundamentals Still Matter24:05 – SaaS, Services and India's Global Opportunity28:25 – How AI Will Change Venture Capital37:40 – Predicting the Defining Startups of 203042:05 – Climate, Energy and Big Problems Becoming Solvable45:40 – Boards, Governance and AI Ethics52:10 – Closing Thoughts for Founders Building in 2026
What does it really take to acquire 26 SaaS businesses—and keep them growing? In this episode, Jaryd Krause sits down with SaaS M&A professional Guillaume Lussato for a behind-the-scenes look at how successful software acquisitions actually happen. Guillaume breaks down his unconventional path from software sales at a cybersecurity company to sourcing and closing deals at Constellation Software, one of the most disciplined acquirers in the SaaS world. Guillaume reveals why the best SaaS acquisitions aren’t rushed deals but relationships built over years. He shares how patience, credibility, and consistent founder outreach led to his first acquisition at SaaS Group—a low-profile digital calendar tool called DacBoard—and why targeting under-the-radar SaaS companies can unlock outsized opportunities. The conversation dives deep into today’s hyper-competitive M&A environment, including how to stand out when every founder is being pitched. Guillaume unpacks the red flags most buyers miss, from risky customer concentration to weak net dollar retention, and explains SaaS Group’s clear acquisition framework—capital-efficient, product-led growth businesses with strong fundamentals. The episode wraps with a powerful discussion on how to balance organic growth with acquisitions, avoid overextension, and make smarter strategic decisions when scaling a portfolio of software companies. If you’re serious about SaaS acquisitions, this episode is a must-watch. Click through and watch the full video to learn exactly how Guillaume evaluates, sources, and scales SaaS businesses. Episode Highlights 02:52 Transition from Sales to M&A Origination 05:52 The Art of Deal Sourcing 09:04 Evaluating Founders and Their Businesses 11:47 Understanding Acquisition Criteria 15:10 Growth Strategies: M&A vs. Organic Growth 18:00 Identifying Red Flags in Due Diligence 21:06 Navigating Operational Complexity 23:57 AI Risks and Opportunities in Software 27:06 Balancing Capital Allocation and Diversification Key Takeaways ➥ You need to build relationships, build trust, build credibility. ➥ It can take a really long time to acquire a business. ➥ We try to identify red flags as early as possible. ➥ We don't manage our portfolio through spreadsheets; we're not finance people. ➥ Should we buy it? Why? For how much? About Guillaume Lussato Guillaume Lussato is a senior business development and M&A professional at saas.group, where he helps identify, acquire and scale profitable B2B SaaS companies. He hosts discussions on SaaS M&A, growth, and founder transitions and frequently speaks at industry events about how to grow without VC and what makes SaaS acquisitions succeed or fail. Guillaume focuses on sourcing deals, operational playbooks for scaling post-acquisition, and practical insights that matter to anyone buying online businesses to replace income, scale a portfolio, or prepare for exits. Connect with Guillaume Lussato ➥ https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaumelussato/ Resource Links ➥ Connect with Jaryd here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarydkrause➥ Buying Online Businesses Website - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com ➥ Download the Due Diligence Framework - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/freeresources/➥ Sell your business to us here - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/sell-your-business/ ➥ Google Ads Service - https://buyingonlinebusinesses.com/ads-services/ Buy & Sell Online Businesses Here (Top Website Brokers We Use)
In this episode of The Product Experience, host Randy Silver talks with Cristina Bustos, Product Manager and team lead at Swiss AviationSoftware, about her experience launching a native mobile application in one of the most regulated and high‑stakes industries in the world: commercial aviation.Cristina recounts how she moved from business analysis into product leadership and then navigated a gruelling product development process during the pandemic. Her team faced the dual challenge of winning over both paying customers and aviation regulators to replace paper‑based cockpit workflows with a real‑time digital solution.Chapters0:00 | Introduction and personal background 2:34 | Problem framing: launching a mobile app in aviation 4:00 | Winning founding customers before building code 6:10 | Consensus across customers and regulators 9:00 | Involving actual pilots in design 10:00 | Redesigning workflow not just digitising it 14:15 | Scope control and prioritisation 17:16 | Regulatory engagement and approval strategy 19:49 | A hackathon that wasn't a silver bullet 21:06 | Reflections: what she would do differently 25:22 | Balancing iteration with regulatory discipline 28:21 | Triple validate in the real world 29:53 | Signals of success and business impactOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.
A story about building market leadership by saying no to obvious growth—on purpose.This episode is for SaaS founders chasing international expansion—and questioning if dominating locally first makes more sense.Most SaaS companies chase international markets early. Get traction locally, then expand globally fast.Jim Whatmore, CEO of Joblogic, walked away from that playbook. He spent three years attending HVAC shows in the US, picked up customers, then stopped. He saved his marketing budget for UK and Ireland only. He turned down international revenue to dominate his home market first.From 11 people and £500K revenue in 2013 to 500 people today. Ten-year grind to £9M, then quadrupled in two years through four strategic acquisitions. Vista Equity Partners betting £100M+ on the execution.And this inspired me to invite Jim to my podcast. We explore how geographic restraint and strategic patience create market dominance. Jim shares his thinking about why he walked away from US customers, how staying trade-agnostic opened entire markets, and why he spent four years completely rebuilding his cloud platform while competitors kept betting on their old stack. And you'll discover why he bought competitors instead of trying to outbuild them.We also zoom in on three of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:Acknowledge you cannot please everyone – UK and Ireland only, walking away from US revenue Focus on the essence – Field engineer workflows are similar regardless of trade Master creating momentum – Quadrupled revenue in two years after a decade of patient buildingJim's story is proof that dominating your home market beats chasing global reach too early.Here's one of Jim's quotes that captures why geographic focus matters:"Our tagline for job logic is growing job logic, for us, it's personal, and it's personal because of the tenure of a lot of my team have been with us for a long time, and a lot of our customers have been with us for a long time. And there's a lot of value in that, that we're present and that we're on the ground, and that we know our customers, and that's more difficult to achieve in a different geo without a bulletproof strategy."By listening to this episode, you'll learn:Why walking away from international revenue accelerates home market dominanceWhen staying trade-agnostic beats vertical specialization in field serviceWhy acquiring competitors with legacy tech accelerates customer base growthWhat patience actually looks like when rebuilding platforms under competitive pressureGuest InfoFor more information about the guest from this week:Guest: Jim Whatmore, CEO at Joblogic Website: joblogic.com
This week is a special episode. Only David Senra could get me to be on the other side of the mic. Because I don't plan on being interviewed often, I wanted to share this conversation, which I so enjoyed, with our audience. It went in a very different direction than I expected. We barely talk about investing or interviewing. Instead, we talk about finding an organizing principle for life, undiscovered talent, and the idea that “the reward for good work is more work.” We also discuss the principles that guide how I think about building Invest Like the Best, Colossus, and Positive Sum. This conversation was originally recorded and released on David Senra, and I wanted to share on the Invest Like The Best feed as well. Please go follow what he's doing, there's no one like David. Enjoy! For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here. ----- 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 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 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 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 (00:04:26) Intro (00:05:14) The Joy of Championing Undiscovered Talent (00:07:33) How One Tweet Changed David's Life (00:10:16) The Upanishads Passage That Shaped Patrick's Worldview (00:15:32) Growth Without Goals (00:17:24) Why Media and Investing Are the Same Thing (00:33:05) The Search for True Understanding (00:35:36) The Daniel Ek Dinner That Launched David's Podcast (00:39:02) Making Your Own Recipe From the Ingredients of Great Lives (00:43:46) The Privilege of a Lifetime Is Being Who You Are (00:52:06) Bruce Springsteen (00:57:23) Clean Fuel vs Dirty Fuel: The Source of Your Ambition (01:01:43) The Unfair Advantage of Podcasting (01:04:12) Relationships Run the World (01:11:10) The Origin Story of Invest Like the Best (01:12:45) Building Colossus: Why Start a Magazine in 2025 (01:18:42) People Are More Interested in People Than Anything Else (01:22:12) Hiring Through Output (01:26:23) Learn, Build, Share, Repeat (01:30:01) The Daisy Chain: How Reading Books Led to Everything (01:33:15) Red on the Color Wheel: Sam Hinkie's Observation (01:40:17) Finding Your Superpower and Becoming More Yourself (01:45:06) Repetition Doesn't Spoil the Prayer: Teaching as Leadership (01:48:11) Life's Work: A Lifelong Quest to Build Something for Others (01:52:00) The Ten Roles Game and What Matters Most (01:59:12) Husband, Father, Grandfather (02:01:52) The Kindest Thing
Cold email isn't dead — but doing it the old way is.In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, we sit down with AJ Cassata, Co-Founder of Revenue Boost, to break down what's actually working in outbound lead generation today. AJ has helped 440+ startups, agencies, and SaaS companies build predictable revenue pipelines without relying on paid ads, social media algorithms, or massive budgets.We dive into:Why cold email still works — and why most people fail at itHow to build the right outbound list (and why tools matter less than strategy)Writing cold emails that stand out in crowded inboxesThe role of AI in personalization, research, and outbound scaleHow to turn cold outreach into a reliable top-of-funnel growth engineIf you're a founder, marketer, consultant, or agency owner looking to generate leads consistently — this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately.
Today I'm joined by Alexi Venneri, Co-founder and CEO of DAS Technology. We dig into why dealers are spending a record $29,000 a month on SaaS yet still feel buried by noise, how AI search is shifting power from SEO to reviews-driven GEO, and why “conversion” now matters more than attraction. Alexi breaks down her vendor agnostic philosophy, the idea of replicating perfect employees with tech, and what actually drives results in today's market. This episode is brought to you by: 1. Podium - Don't miss another lead. With Podium's AI BDC, dealerships are seeing an 80% increase in after-hours appointments by handling leads 24/7. Instantly respond to inquiries, book test drives, and let your team focus on what matters: closing deals. Learn how Podium can help you sell more cars @ https://www.podium.com/car-dealership-guy 2. Amazon Autos - Sell vehicles to online shoppers who can now buy or lease at Amazon Autos. Upload your inventory of new, used, and certified pre-owned vehicles to our online marketplace, where purchase-ready customers can browse, purchase online, then pick up at a local dealership. Learn more @ https://sell.amazon.com/programs/autos 3. DAS Technology - If you're already going to NADA, you might as well get invited to the best night of the week. DAS Technology is hosting a private party at Allegiant Stadium, and the only way to get a pass is by booking a short demo. You'll see how DAS uses AI and data to improve lead response, service retention, and marketing ROI, then enjoy a night with Daymond John, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and NFL legends Tim Brown and Brandon Marshall as well as once-in-a-lifetime experiences like attempting a field goal and ziplining across a professional football field! See the details at dastechnology.com/nada Check out Car Dealership Guy's stuff: For dealers: CDG Circles ➤ https://cdgcircles.com/ Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Dealership recruiting ➤ http://www.cdgrecruiting.com Fix your dealership's social media ➤ http://www.trynomad.co Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com For industry vendors: Advertise with Car Dealership Guy ➤ http://www.cdgpartner.com Industry job board ➤ http://jobs.dealershipguy.com Request to be a podcast guest ➤ http://www.cdgguest.com Topics: 01:20 How did Alexi start in the industry? 02:36 Why was DAS founded during recession? 07:55 Why are reviews and social media important? 16:28 What trends worry dealers today? 23:36 How should leaders manage vendors? 27:18 Why is conversion rate more important than attraction? 29:07 How does technology improve experience? 31:51 How does culture affect industry relationships? 37:10 What events is Alexi excited about? Car Dealership Guy Socials: X ➤ x.com/GuyDealership Instagram ➤ instagram.com/cardealershipguy/ TikTok ➤ tiktok.com/@guydealership LinkedIn ➤ linkedin.com/company/cardealershipguy Threads ➤ threads.net/@cardealershipguy Facebook ➤ facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077402857683 Everything else ➤ dealershipguy.com
What if the smallest monthly gift unlocks the biggest lifetime value? We're digging into our second Monthly Giving Prediction for 2026: lower entry points will become the norm in monthly giving - and they'll outperform the high-ask mindset many of us grew up with. Donors aren't less generous; they're less willing to overcommit. That's a signal, not a setback, and it's time to design programs around the easiest yes.We break down recent data trends from major giving moments showing growth in recurring signups alongside smaller average amounts, and explain why that's good news when you care about retention and lifetime value.Drawing on lessons from the subscription economy, we look at how streaming and SaaS brands prioritize momentum over pressure, starting with doable plans and earning trust over time. The same playbook works for nonprofits: invite people in with a low, human entry point, then nurture them with clear impact stories, flexible options, and upgrade moments that feel earned.This conversation is a practical roadmap for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and digital teams who want sustainable revenue, wider reach, and a supporter community that stays. Subscribe for more predictions, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help other nonprofits find the show.Letter Labs is the proud presenter of Missions to Movements. Letter Labs helps nonprofits build lasting donor relationships through real, handwritten mail that's fully automated - turning moments of intent into meaningful connection. From thank-yous to impact updates, they help you cut through with mail donors actually open, remember, and trus Register now for the FREE Monthly Giving Summit on February 25-26th, the only virtual event where nonprofits unite to master monthly giving, attract committed believers, and fund the future with confidence. The Mini Monthly Giving Mastermind: A high-touch Mini Mastermind + optional in-person retreat (May 6-8) for nonprofit leaders that have an existing monthly giving program and ready to take it to the next level with 1:1 and peer support. Apply now! Let's Connect! Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show! My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and susta...
In this episode of Confessions of Supply Chain Executives, host Chris Walton sits down with Kim Baudry, Market Development Director at Dematic, to unpack why 2025 wasn't a year of transformation for retail. It was a year of survival. Despite continued investment in automation and analytics, many retailers are more cautious than ever. Inventory levels are rising. Capital spending is slowing. And behind the scenes, fear, not strategy, is driving decisions. Kim calls 2025 a “vanilla” year. Stable on the surface, but defined by hesitation, uncertainty, and defensive plays. This episode breaks down where retail supply chains are stalling, why flexibility has replaced scale as the priority, and how labor inefficiencies and planning blind spots are quietly draining performance across warehouses and distribution networks. Key Topics covered: • Why 2025 became a “vanilla” year for retail investment • How fear and geopolitical uncertainty are driving excess inventory • Why just in time has quietly become just in case • The hidden cost of warehouse labor tied up in spreadsheets and planning • Why big bang automation is stalling and what is getting funded • The rise of flexible, brownfield friendly automation strategies • Robots as a Service and SaaS as lower risk entry points • Why AI and agentic decisioning may impact warehouses faster than any other function • What retailers must do to move from survival mode to strategic progress
Before Backstage became the industry standard for developer portals, Spotify's engineers relied on spreadsheets to navigate their massive microservices ecosystem.Tyson Singer, Spotify's Head of Technology and Platforms, joins us to trace the evolution of their internal developer experience from a necessity for order into the open-source giant Backstage and its new SaaS evolution, Portal. We dig into how they use golden paths to align autonomous squads and how their new AI Knowledge Assistant (AiKA) reduced internal support tickets by nearly 50% while protecting developer flow. Finally, Tyson shares his philosophy on sustainable innovation, explaining how to train an engineering organization to run a marathon at a sprinter's pace.LinearB: Measure the impact of GitHub Copilot and CursorFollow the show:Subscribe to our Substack Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelLeave us a ReviewFollow the hosts:Follow AndrewFollow BenFollow DanFollow today's stories:Spotify Engineering Blog: engineering.spotify.comSpotify Portal: backstage.spotify.comConfidence: confidence.spotify.comConnect with Tyson: LinkedInOFFERS Start Free Trial: Get started with LinearB's AI productivity platform for free. Book a Demo: Learn how you can ship faster, improve DevEx, and lead with confidence in the AI era. LEARN ABOUT LINEARB AI Code Reviews: Automate reviews to catch bugs, security risks, and performance issues before they hit production. AI & Productivity Insights: Go beyond DORA with AI-powered recommendations and dashboards to measure and improve performance. AI-Powered Workflow Automations: Use AI-generated PR descriptions, smart routing, and other automations to reduce developer toil. MCP Server: Interact with your engineering data using natural language to build custom reports and get answers on the fly.