CSI Chat

We are joined on CSI Chat by pricing expert and AI investor, Madhavan Ramanujam.  Madhavan is currently a GP at 49 Palms Ventures and previously he was a Managing Partner at Simon-Kucher & Partners, a global pricing strategy firm.  Madhavan is also the author of two terrific books on pricing, Monetizing Innovation and Scaling Innovation.   During our "Chat" with Madhavan, we touch on a number of areas: - The current "lay of the land" of Artificial Intelligence and what it means for technology companies.  What are the key characteristics of tech companies who will thrive in this new environment?  - The importance of pricing new products in the AI age.  What are the key elements of pricing AI related products in order to drive both customer adoption and revenue growth? - What are some great examples of companies who have priced products extremely well (such as Apple) and companies who have managed disruption (Microsoft).  What can we learn from both of these companies? I hope everyone enjoys the " CSI Chat" with Madhavan!  

We are joined by Scott Anthony who is a professor of strategy at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth where his research and teaching focus on the adaptive challenges of disruptive change.  Scott is also the author of the terrific book, "Epic Disruptions:  11 Innovations that Shaped our Modern World".  We have a terrific "CSI Chat" with Scott whereby we discuss the concept of "Disruption" and touch on: - A few specific case studies from his book, including Bethlehem Steel (a company that was disrupted) and Apple (a company that was the disruptor).  What can we learn from both of these examples? - What are the core characteristics of leaders and a workforce that can withstand disruption? - Generative AI and its impact as a "Disruptive Technology". I hope everyone enjoys the "CSI Chat" with Scott!  

We are joined by Anthony Scilipoti, the President and CEO of Veritas Investment Research.  Veritas Investment Research is Canada's leading independent equity research firm and is staffed entirely by CPAs.  We spend some time talking to Anthony about a variety of topics, including: The state of the markets today and where Anthony is seeing the "Red Flags".  Are there particular industries which Anthony feels are over valued?   How does the "Veritas Valuation Framework" identify companies that might be over valued?   What can we learn from past case studies of Nortel Networks and Valeant Pharmaceuticals.  Does history always repeat itself? I hope everyone enjoys our "CSI Chat" with Anthony!  

We are joined by Mike Abrashoff, a NY Times Best Selling Author, Leadership and Teamwork Expert and the former captain of USS Benfold.  Mike is the author of the best-selling book, "It's Your Ship:  Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy".  At 36, he was selected to be Commander of USS Benfold and was the most junior commanding officer in the Pacific fleet.   The challenges of this underachieving destroyer were staggering, with low morale and the highest turnover rate in the Navy.  Few thought the ship could improve. Yet 12 months later it was ranked #1 in performance -- using the same crew.  How did Mike do it?  By replacing command and control leadership with commitment and cohesion. The lesson was clear:  Leadership matters and culture is everything.  Since leaving the Navy, Mike has worked with over 1200 organizations instilling leadership initiatives at every level – achieving phenomenal change in unexpected places.  We talk to Mike about how we can apply these leadership strategies in the business world!  

We are joined by Kjetil Nyland, who along with Oddbjørn Dybvad and Adnan Hadžiefendić, wrote the terrific book "The Compounders: From Small Acquisitions to Giant Shareholder Returns".  Their book analyzes a group of high-performing companies, led by capital allocators, who operate using decentralized structures in fragmented markets, and redefine acquisitive growth.   During our "Chat" with Kjetil, we talk about: - What makes these "Compounders" so unique and why are so many of these companies based in Sweden?  Is there something in the water in Sweden? - The stories in the book of the authors meeting with the CEOs of these is legendary... from the CEOs making coffee for their guests to the "low key" nature of the offices, the folks that lead these companies are remarkable individuals.   - What are some of the key elements of a successful compounder?  Decentralization, ability to deploy capital at high rates of return, managers acting as owners.  We talk about several of these key elements. I hope everyone enjoys the "CSI Chat" with Kjetil!