Maximizing Business Value

You're a #CTO. Your board asks: "What's our ROI on AI coding tools?" Your answer: "40% of our code is AI-generated!" They respond: "So what? Are we shipping faster? Are customers happier?" Most CTOs are measuring AI impact completely wrong. Here's what some are tracking: - Percentage of AI-generated code - Developer hours saved per week - Lines of code produced - AI tool adoption rates These metrics are like measuring how fast your assembly line workers attach parts while ignoring whether your cars actually start. Here's what you SHOULD measure instead: 1. Delivered business value 2. Customer cycle time 3. Development throughput 4. Quality and reliability 5. Total cost of delivery (not just development) 6. Team satisfaction Software development isn't a typing competition—it's a complex system. If AI makes your developers 30% faster but your deployment takes 2 weeks and QA adds another week, your customer delivery improves by maybe 7%. You've speed up the wrong part. The solution: A/B test your teams. Give half your teams AI tools, measure business outcomes over 2-3 release cycles. Track what customers actually experience, not how much developers produce. Companies that measure business impact from AI will pull ahead. Those measuring vanity metrics will wonder why their expensive tools aren't moving the needle. Stop measuring how much code AI generates. Start measuring how much faster you deliver value to customers. What are you actually measuring? And is it moving your business forward? -> Follow me for more about building great tech organizations at scale. More insights in my book "All Hands on Tech"

I've been chatting with a bunch of young founders lately and a curious theme keeps cropping up. Many founders think their primary role is to be the "idea person." To dream big, sketch grand visions and map out exciting roadmaps. I very much get it. Ideas feel energising, intoxicating even. But here's a little secret from decades in the trenches. Ideas are the easiest part of building a business. Truly. Your real job is to be the execution person. Your daily grind is navigating setbacks, embracing pivots, staying patient during frustrating delays and figuring out how to survive when the market changes faster than you can say product-market fit. Ideas might spark the fire, sure, but execution is what keeps it burning through stormy nights and unpredictable days. My 25 years of experience has taught me that dreams without relentless execution remain just dreams. So don't just be the founder who lights the spark. Be the one who carries the torch. 💡 #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship

If Indian retail wants to win, it must shift its focus from discounts to this, Recently, in a conversation about retail strategy, someone asked me, “Why do so many brands struggle to build long-term loyalty?” The answer is simple: They’re addicted to discounts. Price cuts create a temporary spike in sales. But what happens when the sale ends? Customers move on to the next discount. There’s no loyalty in a race to the bottom. If a brand’s only value proposition is being the cheapest, it’s not a brand, it’s a commodity. And commodities don’t build relationships. The strongest retail brands win on something deeper: ✅ Product innovation: If your product isn’t unique, no discount can save you. UNIQLO doesn’t rely on markdowns, it invests in technology-driven fabrics like HeatTech and AIRism, making its products essential rather than seasonal. ✅ Customer Experience: Shopping isn’t just about the product, it’s also about how customers feel. IKEA built an entire ecosystem around its stores, cafes, play areas, interactive showrooms, turning shopping into an experience people return for, even when they don’t “need” anything. ✅ Community Building: The most powerful brands don’t have customers, they have believers. Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee; it sells familiarity and personalisation. People go there for the experience of “their” drink, their name on a cup, their place to work or meet. That’s not a transaction, it’s a relationship. + The brands that rely on discounts are playing defense.  + The brands that invest in differentiation are playing to win. So the real question isn’t how much you can lower your price; it's how much value you can create. #retailleadership #beyonddiscounts #brandbuilding

When I started my first company in 2011, there were two paths: 1. Bootstrap everything. 2. Raise VC money and chase hyper-growth. I took a third path. Here’s how: ~~ I call it Seed-Strapping: • Raise a small seed round to gain social proof, investor connections, and initial runway. • Build a profitable, capital-efficient company. • Never raise again. It’s sustainable growth without the pressure to “grow at all costs.” == When I built StackCommerce, I raised $800K. That was it. We scaled to $100M+ annual revs without raising another dime. Here’s exactly how Seed-Strapping works (and how you can do it too): == 1. Raise a small seed round—but think like a bootstrapper. Why raise? Social proof, connections, and initial runway. How much? Just enough to get to profitability ($500K–$2M can do it). VCs are helpful at this stage, but don’t let them push you to over-raise or over-spend. == 2. Make profitability your North Star. Seed-Strapping works because it’s about financial independence. From day one: • Focus on recurring revenue. • Cut unnecessary costs ruthlessly. • Reinvent how you grow: organic > paid, efficiency > speed. At Stack, we tracked cash flow weekly and avoided any “growth at all costs” decisions. == 3. Build the right business model. Seed-Strapping doesn’t work for every company. Focus on business models that: • Are high-margin (SaaS, marketplaces, DTC brands with pricing power). • Have good cash cycles and low fixed costs. • Monetize quickly (avoid years of R&D or delayed revenue). If your model requires huge capital to work, this isn’t the path for you. == 4. Spend where it matters. Seed-Strapping is about prioritization. Here’s where I spent money: • Sales: Hired founder-level talent and focused on enterprise deals. • Tech: Built fast, but avoided overbuilding. • Customer acquisition: Invested in organic channels like affiliates and partnerships. Where I didn’t spend: • Fancy offices, big PR firms, or massive brand awareness paid campaigns. == 5. Think like a bootstrapped founder. Even after raising: • Test ideas fast before over-investing. • Push team accountability—every dollar has to prove ROI. • Focus on profitability milestones, not vanity metrics. == 6. Leverage your investors strategically. With Seed-Strapping, you’re not raising follow-ons, so your investors should do more than write checks: • Use their connections to unlock partnerships and deals. • Ask them to make customer introductions. • Treat them as advisors, not just financial backers. == 7. Avoid the “raise or die” trap. In the traditional VC model, companies are pressured to chase their next round constantly. Seed-Strapping frees you from this treadmill. Instead, you can: • Operate on your terms. • Grow sustainably. • Build a company you can be proud of (without sacrificing ownership). == Is Seed-Strapping right for you? If you’re starting a SaaS, marketplace, or DTC brand, it’s worth considering. Follow Josh Payne for more!

Some of you have heard me say that there are only two types of pricing discounts: smart and stupid. And you want to get rid of the stupid ones. Stupid discounts are bad for five reasons: 1. They eat directly into your margin. 2. They lower the value perception of your product and service. 3. They create pricing inconsistencies. 4 They encourage customers to haggle and reward the wrong type of customers with lower prices. 5.Because of (3) and (4), sales cycles in B2B markets tend to be longer and focused on price, not on value. Today, I want to emphasize the second point- discounts lower the value perception of your products and services. There is sufficient empirical evidence that this is true across product categories, customer segments, and cultures. One remarkable study did not only measure the perception of discounted products but also actual performance. The study by Shiv, Carmon, and Ariely explored how discounts influence consumers' perceptions and actual experiences with a product. The researchers demonstrated that when participants purchased an energy drink at a discounted price, they performed worse on cognitive tasks compared to those who paid full price for the same drink. This phenomenon was attributed to participants' expectations about the efficacy of the product, which were influenced by its price. Study Design The research consisted of three experiments designed to test the hypothesis that lower prices negatively impact perceived and actual efficacy due to placebo effects: - Participants: Individuals were recruited and randomly assigned to different pricing conditions. - Product: The energy drink used in the study was marketed to enhance mental acuity and cognitive performance. - Procedure: Participants were told they would consume an energy drink before completing a series of word-jumble puzzles (e.g., solving anagrams). The drink was offered at either its regular price or a discounted price. Participants then consumed the drink and completed the puzzles within a set time limit. - Outcome Measures: Cognitive performance was measured by the number of puzzles solved correctly. Participants also rated the perceived effectiveness of the drink on a scale. Key Findings Participants who paid full price for the energy drink solved more puzzles on average than those who purchased it at a discounted price. The results indicated that the lower price activated weaker expectations about the product's efficacy, which in turn led to poorer performance. This effect was consistent across all experiments, supporting the role of expectancy in mediating placebo effects. The key takeaway from this and other studies is obvious: your price serves as an indicator of quality, whether it makes sense or not. Price discounts cost you five times. Shiv, B., Carmon, Z., & Ariely, D. (2005). Placebo effects of marketing actions: Consumers may get what they pay for. Journal of Marketing Research, 42(4), 383-393. DOI:10.1509/jmkr.2005.42.4.383. #pricing

The IT Business Analyst Journey: From Zero to Hero When I switched from #SoftwareDeveloper to #ITBusinessAnalyst, I thought the role was all about gathering requirements and documenting what stakeholders asked for. Simple, right? Well … not exactly😅 With experience, I realized that the great IT BAs don’t just take notes, they ask the right questions, challenge assumptions and drive real business value. Here’s how the evolution happens: ✨ Junior: "Tell me what you need and I’ll document it!" (Executes tasks without questioning the bigger picture.) ✨ Mid-Level: "Why do we need this? What’s the goal?" (Starts connecting dots and identifying gaps.) ✨ Senior: "Let’s focus on the problem we’re solving first." (Shifts from gathering requirements to shaping solutions.) ✨ Expert: "I saw this challenge coming, here’s a solution that aligns with our strategy." (Proactively influences decisions and drives impact.) The real growth happens when you shift from being reactive to proactive, from requirement taker to decision maker😉 💡 My advice? Don’t just document - think, challenge and create value. That’s how you grow! #ITBA #FromZeroToHero #BAJourney #BusinessAnalyst

In automotive, everyone stares at the same KPIs. Units. Gross. CSI. Nothing wrong with that, but KPIs only tell you where you landed. They don’t tell you how much you left on the table. Jay Abraham calls them OPIs.  Overlooked Performance Indicators. The tiny leverage points inside a dealership that almost no one pays attention to. And he’s right. Because when we started examining our own operation through that lens, here’s what we saw: Most of the biggest opportunities weren’t new initiatives. They were already happening… just not maximised. Things like: - How many service customers get an equity scan, every single day. - How quickly calls are returned. - How many unsold showroom ups get re-engaged the same day. - How many customers are actually aware they can leave service in a new car with a lower payment. - How many of yesterday’s RO customers got a follow-up. These aren’t budget items. They’re behaviour items. And when you improve several of these by just 10%? It’s not 10% growth. It compounds. Jay calls it multiplicative, and he’s not exaggerating. We saw it firsthand. No new building. No new staff. No miracle inventory. Just a team willing to question everything, tighten every gap, and squeeze every ounce of value out of the opportunities we already had. The result? One of the best months we’ve ever had. Because we got better at the invisible work that drives the visible numbers. That’s the real lesson here: The dealership doesn’t transform because of a single big move. It transforms because the team stops walking past the small ones. If you’re running a dealership, here’s a question worth asking: What are the OPIs in your business and who’s watching them?

CEO: Our campaigns aren’t scaling we need better ads. Me: Maybe! But the issue could come from any of these 4 layers too. Yes, it might be poor execution weak content, wrong format, bad targeting. Or maybe your funnel’s off. Or the offer just isn’t resonating. Or honestly… you never nailed your audience in the first place. Let’s be real: Performance issues usually start deeper than performance. Because here’s the thing: You can’t optimize your way out of a broken marketing foundation. - No A/B test will fix an irrelevant offer. - No ad creative will work without positioning clarity. - No automation will convert if your audience isn’t understood. CEO: So what should we actually do to grow? Me: Step back. Run your stack like a full-stack marketer: 1. Start with market insight: Who exactly are you marketing to? What do they struggle with? AI helps marketers listen smarter and synthesize faster. 2. Define the offer + funnel strategy: What’s your promise? Where are you leading them and why should they care? AI gives you faster, deeper strategic drafts and feedback loops. 3. Launch real assets that match the funnel: From SEO to reels to landing pages build what supports your journey. AI is your creative co-pilot here... fast, scalable, multi-format. 4. THEN optimize: Track, test, and scale what works. AI spots what’s working (or not) faster than manual dashboards. You don’t need a “5th layer” for AI. AI is the electricity that powers every layer. Because stacking tools ≠ marketing. Full-stack strategy is what drives real growth. Want to build like a full-stack marketer? → Start deep. Don’t just fix the copy. Fix the stack. ♻️ Repost it to share with your network. Follow me Madhav Mistry for insights on full stack marketing My full-stack tool stack: Research & Insight: Semrush, Brand24, SparkToro, Google Trends Strategy & Planning: Notion, Miro, Canva Whiteboard, Lately.AI Execution: Meta Ads, HubSpot, Pictory, OpusClip, Zapier, Lately.AI, Hootsuite, Figma, Canva Growth Ops: Google Looker Studio, Amplitude, Mixpanel, VWO, Airtable

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫: How to avoid bottom-funnel issues in B2B sales? According to Forrester, 74% of deals stall in the late stages, and that’s where the big revenue slips happen. Most CROs – myself included in my earlier career – get caught up in obsessing over the top of the funnel. We track meetings, the number of calls, and the pipeline generation. But let’s be honest: If your #sales teams can’t close the deal, then none of that matters. So how should SDRs approach deal closure? Here are some practical tips directly from a CRO's desk: After years of leading revenue teams, one truth stands out: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞. Every interaction becomes an opportunity to educate, solve, and build trust. Instead of pushing for a signature, they guide prospects through a journey where each step feels purposeful, relevant, and aligned with the buyer’s goals. This approach not only drives conversions but fosters long-term relationships rooted in mutual respect and shared success. Last week at HubSpot's INBOUND 2025, CEO Yamini Rangan reminded us all that 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬. The message was clear: Companies don’t just invest in another tool — they invest in results such as retention, growth, and efficiency. To compete, vendors must align across functions to deliver tangible value to customers. 𝐌𝐚𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲: in #B2B sales, decisions are rarely made in isolation, but involve multiple stakeholders — each with different priorities, levels of influence, and concerns. To navigate this effectively, it’s critical to identify and understand the roles of champions, blockers, and decision-makers within the account. Tailoring your messaging to each persona — whether it's equipping champions with internal selling tools, addressing blockers’ concerns with empathy and data, or aligning with decision-makers on strategic outcomes — transforms your approach from transactional to consultative. 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲. In complex B2B sales, objections are not roadblocks — they’re in fact buying signals. The most effective closers don’t wait for resistance to surface at the final stages; they actively seek it out early. This proactive approach allows sellers to address friction head-on — whether it’s budget constraints, competing priorities, or stakeholder skepticism — and turn potential deal-killers into opportunities for deeper engagement and trust-building. How do you prevent investing tons of resources and time into a deal - only to see it being blocked at the last minute? keen to hear your insights and best practices.

Many companies see pricing and tariffs as unrelated, but they are closely linked. Pricing is a lever you can control, while tariffs are external forces you need to manage. Understanding how both influence your costs, customer perception, and profit margins gives you a clearer path to growth. Pricing is more than just setting a number. It communicates value, confidence, and market position. Tariffs affect your underlying costs and must be included in your pricing strategy. Ignoring them can reduce profitability and weaken your competitive edge without you realizing it. To stay competitive in a global market, your pricing strategy must be flexible, informed by data, and aware of tariff implications. It is not enough to react. You need to plan ahead, test scenarios, and adjust as markets shift. The businesses that do this effectively are not just resilient—they often come out stronger. #PricingStrategy #Tariffs #BusinessGrowth #GlobalTrade #RevenueOptimization #Profitability #SupplyChain