In this episode we discuss: The economics of VC funds. We are joined by Edward Barrow, Co-Founder & CEO @ Cloud Capital.

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We chat about the following with Edward Barrow:

1. Why do so many fast-growing companies only realise cloud spend is a problem once it’s already out of control?
2. What actually breaks when finance and engineering don’t share a common language around cloud costs?
3. Is “visibility” into cloud spend enough, or does it create a false sense of control?
4. How should operators think about financial risk when infrastructure spend is variable by design?
5. What does good cloud cost governance look like without slowing teams down?

1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebarrow/
2. https://www.cloudcapital.co/

Ed has spent his career helping high-growth tech companies align strategy with execution — first in marketing tech, and now in cloud finance.

After co-founding Idio, an AI-driven platform used by global B2B brands, he led the business through rapid growth, M&A, and a successful exit to Episerver (now Optimizely). Post-acquisition, he helped shape global product and M&A strategy across multiple acquisitions and 400% growth.

Today, Ed is the co-founder and CEO of Cloud Capital, where he helps finance and engineering leaders forecast and optimize cloud spend — without taking on financial risk. The platform gives finance teams clarity and control while enabling engineering to move fast without waste. Ed and his team are building the cloud finance layer for the next generation of tech companies — turning cloud spend into a strategic advantage, not a liability.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

00:00–04:10 – Setting the scene: operator fatigue, reality after the “honeymoon phase,” and why this conversation matters now

06:05 – Ed Barrow’s background: from AI startup founder to cloud finance problem-solver

09:30 – The real problem with cloud spend: why “usage-based pricing” breaks traditional finance models

13:45 – Finance vs engineering: how misaligned incentives create hidden waste

18:20 – Why visibility alone doesn’t change behaviour (and what actually does)

22:50 – The risk operators don’t see: cloud spend as an uncapped financial liability

27:40 – Forecasting cloud costs without slowing teams down

32:10 – What good cloud governance looks like in high-growth companies

36:30 – Turning cloud spend into a strategic advantage, not just a cost-control exercise

In this episode we discuss: Discovering Your Strengths and Living The Life That You Want. We are joined by Alicia Diamond, COO and Transformation Leader.

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We chat about the following with Alicia Diamond:

1. What happens when you stop waiting for “perfect clarity” and start sharing half-formed ideas with your team?
2. How much operational value is lost because your best thinking happens outside formal meetings?
3. Are your leadership decisions driven by energy and context — or by calendar availability?
4. What if the real bottleneck in your organisation isn’t process, but permission to think out loud?
5. How do you create space for strategic thinking when the operational noise never really stops?

1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-diamond/
2. https://aliciadiamond.substack.com/
3. https://www.aliciadiamond.com

Alicia has been the right-hand, “figure it out” partner to 5 CEOs as a 2x COO and 2x Chief of Staff. She's helped visionary CEOs across diverse industries to get their most transformative ideas unstuck and into action. Highlights include launching the Long-Term Stock Exchange and proving the bottom-line impact for listed clients and founding/managing the Chinese factory behind a portfolio of direct-to-consumer brands.

She sharpened her operational prowess under the scrutiny of top-tier investors including a16z, Founders Fund, Collaborative Fund, Obvious Ventures while working in the Lean Startup methodology, at Eric Ries' startup stock exchange.

Recently, Alicia expanded from working in tech into partnering with SMB owners. She helps visionary owners achieve their growth goals through scalable technology, best-in-class operating practices, and people-first leadership.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here.

05:45 — The power of unplanned conversations

06:55 — Why half-formed ideas are a leadership superpower

08:30 — Meetings vs momentum

11:00 — Energy as an operational constraint

14:15 — The danger of over-polished thinking

18:00 — Creating environments where ideas can be safely unfinished

22:10 — Leadership presence over process

26:30 — Rethinking how and when strategy happens

30:45 — What operators can do differently tomorrow

In this episode we discuss: The COO's Guide to The Jigsaw Puzzle Company. We are joined by Cameron Herold, he is the founder of the COO Alliance and author of the Second in Command.

We chat about the following:

1. How can a COO use the “jigsaw puzzle” metaphor to bring clarity and alignment to a fast-growing company?
2. What should a new COO actually do in their first 30, 60, and 90 days to build trust and avoid missteps?
3. How do COOs become the “leash, not the choke collar”, supporting visionary CEOs without slowing them down?
4. What simple systems can COOs introduce early on that create long-term impact without overwhelming the business?
5. How do you determine whether you’re truly operating as a COO… or actually a VP of Ops or GM in disguise?

References:

Cameron Herold

COO Alliance

YouTube Channel

Biography:

Founder of the COO Alliance & Invest In Your Leaders Course

Author of Vivid Vision & The Second In Command

Meet Cameron Herold, the mastermind behind the exponential growth of hundreds of companies. As the founder of the COO Alliance and the Invest In Your Leaders course, Cameron is a dynamic consultant who has coached some of the biggest names in business, including Sprint Telecom and a monarchy in the Middle East. Known as the "CEO Whisperer", Cameron has a reputation for guiding his clients to double their profits and revenue in just three years or less.

Cameron's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age, and by 35, he had helped build his first two $100 million dollar companies. But his greatest achievement came as the COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, where he engineered the company's spectacular growth from $2 million to $106 million in revenue and from 14 to 3,100 employees - all in just six years.

Cameron is not just a successful business leader, but also a captivating speaker. The current publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard, stated "Cameron Herold is the best speaker I've ever heard...he hits grand slams”.

When he's not on stage, Cameron continues to teach through his Second In Command podcast and his bestselling books, including Vivid Vision, Meetings Suck, Free PR, Double Double, and The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs.

Cameron is a top-rated international speaker and has been paid to speak in 26 countries and on all 7 continents, including Antarctica in early 2022. He is also the top-rated lecturer at EO/MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program and a powerful and effective speaker at CEO and COO leadership events worldwide.

Summary:

00:03:35 – The COO as a jigsaw puzzle builder

00:11:29 – How to use AI as a COO (and where it goes wrong)

00:11:52 – Advice for the first 90 days

00:14:26 – Why early relationship-building matters

00:15:20 – “Be the leash, not the choke collar”

00:16:20 – How to say “no” without shutting people down

00:28:00 – What’s missing in EOS & how COOs fill the gap

00:32:42 – Pick satellite projects, not messy ones

00:33:16 – Avoid big disruptive changes early

00:36:00 – Are you really a COO… or something else?

00:59:23 – Final takeaway