Episodes

  • Differentiating in Data Protection
    Jun 7 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    About the Guest

    Spencer Kupferman is CEO of PKWARE, an end-to-end data security platform that gives organizations a way to protect data on endpoints, cloud systems, and on-premise infrastructure.

    To learn more about the company, go to https://www.pkware.com/

    Inside the Episode

    in this episode Spencer talks about the crowded state of cybersecurity market, how PKWARE is staying focused from a product and go-to-market standpoint, and thereby differentiating in a market where demand is high, but supply is even higher. Spencer leaves with some great advice on how organizations should handle their weaknesses.

    Topics by Timestamp

    1:32 – Spencer’s journey to becoming CEO

    11:16 – Differentiating in the crowded Cybersecurity market

    18:18 – On leveraging channel sales to increase distribution

    27:17 – Product Features: To build or not to build

    37:59 – Hindsight: focus on strengths, forget fixing weaknesses

    Resources Mentioned
    • KGK’s Complimentary One Day Assessment
    • PKWARE
    • The Gartner Hype Cycle
    • Thompson Street Capital Partners

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    42 mins
  • Solving Real Human Problems Using AI
    May 23 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    About the Guest

    Seth Dobrin holds a Doctorate in Human Genetics and pioneered the use of early data and machine learning algorithms while leading large scale research operations at Monsanto, served as IBM’s first Global Chief AI Officer and is now CEO of AI advisory firm Qantm AI and General Partner of AI venture studio Silicon Sands.

    He’s also the author of the upcoming book AI iQ for a Human-Focused Future.

    Inside the Episode

    In this episode of "Hindsight," host Kanhai Kapadia interviews Seth Dobrin, the Founder and CEO of Qantm AI. This conversation serves as a reflection on strategic thinking within the AI domain, emphasizing practical wisdom over theoretical perfection, and advocating for a balanced approach to integrating AI into business and decision-making processes.

    Topics by Timestamp

    1:24 – Going from Geneticist to AI Leader

    7:11 – A practical view on the ways AI will create value

    17:53 – Chat GPT’s origin, issues, implications

    26:43 – Investing $500M to put AI on the right track

    29:37 – A human perspective on AI

    Resources Mentioned
    • KGK’s Complimentary One Day Assessment
    • Qantm AI
    • Silicon Sands Venture Studio
    • ChatGPT
    • XPRIZE Foundation
    • Monsanto
    • IBM

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    41 mins
  • How To Make Sure People Are Following You
    May 9 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    About the Guest

    Michael Brannock is the Chairman, Co-Founder & former CEO of the AREVO Group family of companies. Michael began his career as a title insurance underwriter before moving into commercial banking. He then joined WorkForce Unlimited, the original AREVO Group company founded by his mother, and grew the business to over $60 million in annual sales.

    Inside the Episode

    In this episode of "Hindsight," host Kanhai Kapadia interviews Michael Brannock, the Chairman, Co-Founder & former CEO of the AREVO Group family of companies. The conversation revolves around Michael's experiences overcoming revenue concentration, evolving from an execution focus to a leadership focus, and how he overcame both the personal and practical challenges of appointing someone to replace himself as CEO.

    Topics by Timestamp

    1:10–Michael gives an overview of AREVO Group

    3:13–Culture as a success factor

    4:33–Learning to get people to follow you

    20:09–Overcoming revenue concentration at AREVO

    21:43–Creating resilience through a strong sales function

    25:35–Prioritizing sales, infrastructure, and people

    35:44–How financial discipline can keep ego in check

    38:19–The silver lining of replacing yourself as CEO

    Resources Mentioned
    • KGK’s Complimentary One Day Assessment
    • AREVO Group
    • WorkForce Unlimited

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    42 mins
  • Delivering Value, Not Just Technology
    May 3 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    About the Guest

    Joel Russell is the founder and CEO of eimagine, a full-service consultancy headquartered in Indiana that partners with clients to deliver value through IT solutions and serves large scale customers in both government and the private sector. Joel founded eimagine in 1998, just four years after graduating from Stanford with a BA in public policy, and has grown the company to over 150 employees.

    Follow Joel by subscribing to his Youtube channel for a weekly 2-5 min. video on the many issues related to leading a business and delivering IT solutions that create value.

    Inside the Episode

    In this episode of "Hindsight," host Kanhai Kapadia interviews Joel Russell, founder and CEO of eimagine. They discuss the emphasis of investing in relationships (internal, external, partners) for growth, highlighting the blend of process and soft skills, and how to grow a company to $30 million in revenue, by focusing on customers and nurturing a learning culture among employees.

    Topics by Timestamp

    1:19 – Why competitive sports turns out leaders

    3:01 - The genesis of eImagine

    5:54 – Providing a business perspective on IT

    9:20 – Agile vs. Waterfall and the impact on success

    16:34 – Earning client trust through project course correction

    20:57 – Creating value in the public sector

    22:58 – How to “double-click” on client relationships

    31:13 – Joel’s Hindsight: talent, inflection points, and methodology

    34:30 – How eimagine benefits from its advisory board

    Resources Mentioned
    • Chase
    • Dan Sullivan, Strategic Coach
    • Tim Roberts, Sandler Training
    • eimagine Better Video Series
    • KGK’s Complimentary One Day Assessment

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    39 mins
  • Designing a More Cost-Effective Data Analytics Solution for Consumer Brands
    Apr 22 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    About the Guest

    Daasity CEO & Co-Founder Dan LeBlanc is an analytics, customer experience, and business technology expert who is passionate about helping consumer brands achieve their goals by making more informed decisions.

    Inside the Episode

    In this episode of “Hindsight”, host Kanhai Kapadia interviews Dan LeBlanc, CEO of Daasity, a data analytics platform for consumer brands. They discuss the challenges of running a venture-backed company in a rapidly changing business environment while remaining focused on the company’s mission to deliver value to customers.

    Topics by Timestamp

    0:57–Market changes that consumer brands are facing

    7:47 – Examples of how the right data can positively affect operating results

    12:50 – Using multi-channel attribution to direct company strategy

    17:00 – Delivering on the profitable growth expectations of capital markets

    19:39 – Leveraging your community’s wisdom to become a more effective CEO

    23:44 – How to remain scrappy as your company grows and professionalizes

    Resources Mentioned
    • KGK’s Complimentary One Day Assessment - Learn about KGK’s complimentary 1-day assessment of your company’s revenue, profit, and value creation opportunities.
    • 511 Tactical
    • Movement Watches
    • Daasity | ELT & Analytics for Consumer Brands

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    27 mins
  • Transforming Premier International from Lifestyle Business to Growth-Driven Data Services Leader
    Apr 8 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    About the Guest

    Craig Wood is an accomplished business executive, board member, author, and people-centric leader with over 30 years of experience founding, managing, growing, and leading companies at all stages. He serves as the CEO of Premier International, an award-winning IT consulting firm that helps reduce the risk associated with complex data challenges through innovative technology and consulting services.

    Inside the Episode

    In this episode of "Hindsight," host Kanhai Kapadia interviews Craig Wood, CEO of Premier International, about the company's evolution from a lifestyle business to a growth-focused organization. They discuss Craig's leadership journey, the history of Premier International, using EOS as a catalyst for growth, and finding harmony between private equity ownership and an employee-first culture.

    Topics by Timestamp

    00:30 The People and Experiences Behind Craig’s Leadership Style

    04:53 The Genesis of Premier International

    09:10 Gaining the Traction to Grow

    15:06 Adding Vision and Capital

    20:38 Cultural and Service Transformation

    29:23 Discussing Data’s Potential and Premier’s Market Position

    42:32 Culture's Tangible Impact on Business, and comparisons with Salesforce and Workday

    Resources Mentioned
    • Craig Wood on Linkedin
    • Workday
    • salesforce.com
    • EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)
    • Premier International
    • KGK & Company's Free One-Day Assessment

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Building The World’s Best Data Drilling Operation with Brian O’Keefe
    Jan 30 2024
    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    Inside the Episode

    Inside this episode, Brian shares his experience going from Sergeant Major in the Army to learning and becoming CEO of a $40M data services company over an 18-month period.

    About the Guest

    Brian O’Keefe is CEO of Vertical Knowledge (VK), a data products, insights, and intelligence company. VK gives data-savvy organizations across all sectors the ability to collect, refine, and apply publicly available data to solve problems, make decisions, and gain advantage.

    Topics by Timestamp

    0:00 Kanhai Introduces Brian

    1:18 Brian Explains What Vertical Knowledge (VK) Does and Who it serves (VK)

    1:56 Understanding Who is And Isn’t a VK Customer

    3:56 Overview of Public Data That VK Collects

    5:17 Key Success Factors in Public Data Collection

    14:29 Why PE said yes to an unproven CEO

    16:39 Learned the business from the ground up in 6-9 months.

    22:33 Restructuring VK – Why, How, and Lessons Learned

    33:41 Brian’s hindsight on addressing technical debt vs. premature optimization, using the P&L to make better decisions, and the CEO retaining accountability for results.

    40:15 Strategies for scaling up, from $40M

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    45 mins
  • Accelerating Analytics8’s Growth by Being Focused and Being Bold
    Jan 12 2024

    Originally recorded in May 2021

    Best Way to Listen

    Visit the episode page for a 1-2 min. overview of the episode, our analysis of the strategic management takeaways within, and for an improved podcast listening experience.

    Inside the Episode

    In this episode, David shares how Analytics8 began and how the company is thriving in the fast-evolving analytics industry by combining increasingly deeper business and technology capabilities.

    About the Guest

    David Fussichen is the CEO of Analytics8, a data analytics consulting firm which combines expertise with data, business problem-solving, and technology to provide clients the full breadth of capabilities that are required to transform into a smarter, data-driven organization. If you’re looking for a sounding board on how to accelerate your efforts to leverage data, learn about Analytics8’s Data Strategy Session by going to https://www.analytics8.com/ and clicking the “Data Strategy Session” button.

    Topics by Timestamp

    00:00 The genesis of Analytics8

    7:07 David’s definition of hiring “good people” and the value of diversity

    17:17 The Analytics8 value proposition

    21:24 Discussing the evolution of the analytics market

    24:04 The company’s strategy to double sales

    27:31 Past lessons on the importance of calculated, focused growth

    35:27 Strategies that are helping scale service delivery

    41:52 David shares some tougher moments of building the right team

    47:07 Pressing David for hindsight yields more insight

    53:03 Circling back to discuss the future role of technology partners and business expertise

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    59 mins