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"

"When I was at Splunk, we built a business value process, and a couple of magical things happened: - Number 1, our ACV increased 2X. We documented this over *thousands* of business cases. - Then a 2nd thing happened at Splunk. Our sales cycles were 50% faster... we slowed down to speed up. We avoided obstacles at the end of the cycle. Now, you might say, 'Okay, well, that was just one company.' But then I went to Databricks and we did the same thing again. We had those same results, and another interesting thing happened. It changed our win rate. And I'm not talking 50% higher. I'm talking 5.8X higher." This was Doug May on the Revenue Builders Podcast. Sharing how he introduced a business case process to message value to the revenue orgs he's been part of leading. → Notice, he called out 3 of 4 sales velocity drivers: Velocity = ( # Opps x ACV x Win Rate % ) / Cycle Time One program, influencing 3 out of 4 drivers in a major way. To give you an example of the before / after, let's pick some numbers. Say you're starting with: - # Opps = 100 - ACV = $50K - Win Rate = 25% - Cycle Time = 150 Days That velocity = ( 100 x $50K x 25% ) / 150 = $8.3K But after? Applying the same impact Doug shared, you get: - # Opps = 100 - ACV = $100K - Win Rate = 38% (we'll just be conservative with 50% here ) - Cycle Time = 75 Days Velocity = ( 100 x $100K x 38% ) / 75 = $50K A difference of 6X. So if you're feeling like constantly filling the top of the funnel is hard and expensive, here's a "process" metric to think about. (In addition to measuring velocity by deals with vs. without a business case.) → % Stage 2* Deals With a Business Case ← (*depending on how you define stage 1 vs. 2, this may vary. The point is, how many deals are starting the value process *early*?) As that upstream metric improves, you'll find... - Deeper discovery expands scope (ACV) - Enabling technical champions to drive urgency (Cycle) - Stronger competitive position / decision to act (Win Rate) ...and a lot of happy sellers hitting quota. TL;DR: If you're still sleeping on building your sales-led motion around the business case *as your process* — vs. seeing it as just a stage or single activity in the process — you're leaving an insane amount of revenue on the table. As much as 6X. Doug, brilliant conversation my friend.

Major Airlines are now charging solo flyers up to 70% more; here are some tips on how you can avoid paying extra American Airlines, Delta, and United are reportedly charging more when you book by yourself as opposed to with a group or as a couple. The reason? Revenue managers believe you are more likely to be a business traveler when flying by yourself, as opposed to a group more probably leisure customers. There is nothing new about airlines targeting routes and timing that are lower in price elasticity. I have noted for decades that you pay a big premium for a same day round trip on European business routes for example. In the USA, the "Saturday night Stayover" rule has unlocked significantly lower fares under the assumption that a business flyer will not want to give up their weekend away from home. Now what about this "solo flyer pays more" new "enhancement?" The frequent flyer blog site "View from the Wing" provides examples on AA routes out of Charlotte, where identical timings return the following fare quote: $511 per person if booked for two people $765 for one person Continuing to look at AA and flights out of Charlotte, 2 passengers flying together in August to Fort Meyers pay $210 each, while a solo flyer pays $422. In other words, "1 for the price of 2," ++! The Economist noted this week that "American is deploying the technique the most enthusiastically, sparking outrage in the travel blogosphere." USA Today in their business travel column expanded: "We stumbled upon a new pricing strategy that was not very widespread but no less troubling at the nation’s three largest airlines." As businesses watch their T&E budgets more carefully than ever before, and managers are hesitant to spend on flights, here are a few suggestions that the creative frequent flyers have come up with: 1) Book for two passengers 2) Call the airline and split the PNR (Passenger Record) in two 3) Cancel the second passenger and refund the ticket Note that this could lead to an audit however and you being required to pay the fare difference, which is far from an optimal outcome. A better approach: 1. Use flight search engines in the "incognito" mode (Google Flights I find to be especially good for this.) 2. Avoid airlines that are applying the surcharge (so especially AA at the moment it seems.) 3. Understand if you can arrange to fly with a colleague (if possible.) If you are planning overseas trips, note it is thought to be more expensive if you reserve your ticket on a Sunday (regardless of day of travel,) and/or if you use an iOS device. Why? Handheld device (especially Apple) customers are thought to be less price sensitive it seems. Lastly, consider alternatives: for example, in Europe and much of Asia, High Speed Rail is far lower impact environmentally. If you are organizing a conference, select locations where fares are lower. What are your approaches to saving on business travel? Photo: Shot on my iPhone. Strategy is Mastery.

Oxygen levels below 20% can cut broiler profits by 60%. Yet most producers never measure this invisible performance killer. I've been thinking about a 2003 study that still haunts the poultry industry today. Birds raised at just 12% oxygen reached only 138g at 14 days, while those breathing normal air achieved 371g. That's a crushing 62.8% weight reduction. Today's broiler strains are even larger than 22 years ago, making these oxygen impacts more severe than ever. Here's what's happening in your houses right now. High-density operations create perfect conditions for oxygen depletion through excessive carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide buildup. Your birds look fine while secretly underperforming. Most farmers focus on measuring harmful gas levels instead of oxygen directly. Smart move. But here's the missing piece: you also need continuous weight monitoring to quickly tell you if your ventilation or litter treatment decisions are actually making a difference. When birds naturally step onto automatic scales like our BAT2 Connect throughout the day, you get instant feedback on whether your air quality management is working. No guessing. No waiting weeks to discover problems. The most successful operations I know combine responsive ventilation strategies with real-time weight data to catch air quality issues before they become profit killers. Sometimes the biggest threats to your operation are the ones you can't see. Sources: Beker, A., Vanhooser, S. L., Swartzlander, J. H., & Teeter, R. G. (2003). Graded atmospheric oxygen level effects on performance and ascites incidence in broilers. Poultry science, 82(10), 1550-1553.

How Netflix, HBO, and Prime Are Changing the Music Industry, for Real. BUT, Can a song featured in a film or series generate income? Yes, and sometimes more than once. But only if your rights are properly managed and metadata is solid. Here’s what it takes: A) You must own or control part of the rights B) Your work must include all key metadata (ISRC, IPI, etc.) C) You must have sync licenses and be registered with a PRO or CMO >>> What revenue streams are involved? 1. Sync fee – One-time negotiated payment with studios 2. Performance royalties – From public airing of the film/show 3. Mechanical royalties – If the content is downloaded or sold 4. Streaming royalties – If the film/series is watched online >>> But how do songs get into a film or series? There are three main paths: 1. Custom-made score or commissioned music A music supervisor sends a creative and technical brief. A composer writes to the scene’s emotion and timing. 2. Music libraries or indie catalogs Platforms like Artlist, Epidemic Sound or even indie distributors allow licensed tracks to be used directly — especially when metadata is solid. 3. Curated by music supervisors or editors These professionals hunt for that perfect emotional match. Keeping your data updated with PROs and distributors increases your chances. >>> Why this matters (and why now): - In today’s streaming world, sync is not just exposure — it’s business - According to Deloitte 2024, 82% of Gen Z discovers music through UGC and video platforms - Only 23% of people find new music through streaming recommendations - Spanish and Latin American series on Netflix and Prime are helping revive indie catalogs >>> Real-life examples: - Stranger Things sent “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush back to the charts — 37 years later. - Euphoria made alternative tracks mainstream overnight. - Latin and Spanish-language series from Netflix and Prime helped revive indie artist catalogs with global impact. **** Sync is not just visibility. It’s revenue. But to make it work, your author rights and technical setup must be flawless. > Ana Tijoux – “1977” - Her song was featured in Breaking Bad, boosting global streams and awareness. - Originally a niche Latin hip-hop track, it reached audiences worldwide thanks to perfect sync placement. - The exposure led to tour opportunities, playlist additions, and licensing deals — all from a single TV scene. >>> If you’re an artist, composer, or music manager — sync licensing might be your most overlooked revenue stream. Ask yourself: D) Is your music properly registered? E) Are you visible in sync-ready platforms and libraries? F) Do you treat your song like an audiovisual product? In today’s entertainment ecosystem, understanding sync = understanding strategy. Let’s talk about that. #musicsync # #artistdevelopment #audiovisualstrategy #musicformedia #digitaldistribution #songwritercommunity #musiccreators

Learning from Airlines: Can Telcos Better Monetize Their Data? In both the airline and telecom industries, we navigate through a landscape characterized by high capital expenditures, stringent regulations, and a fragmented market. Airlines, however, have excelled in one key area: segmentation. By strategically segmenting passengers- first class, business, premium economy, and economy-they manage to extract varying levels of revenue and profitability from the same limited space on an aircraft. This segmentation isn’t just about seat preference; it’s about monetizing each square meter of an aircraft differently, depending on the passenger type. So, how can this apply to Telcos? Just as airlines maximize revenue per square foot, telecom operators could think about deeper segmentation in how they monetize networks. Currently, we see some level of differentiation—enterprise clients, business-critical services, and regular business users all receive varying levels of service and pricing. However, there might be an opportunity to dive deeper into this segmentation. What if Telcos could apply a more nuanced approach to data value? By considering not just who is using the data but how and why they are using it, Telcos could introduce more sophisticated pricing models. For instance, data used for mission-critical operations in a hospital could be valued and priced differently than data used by a small business for basic operations. This kind of deep segmentation could enable Telcos to not only better serve their clients but also maximize the revenue per gigabyte of data. Airlines have shown that a one-size-fits-all approach leaves money on the table. It’s time for Telcos to ask themselves: Are we truly maximizing the value of our ‘square meters’ of our networks? The answer could lie in a more finely tuned segmentation strategy.

Your sales team isn’t losing deals. They’re losing trust. Not because they lack effort. But because they lack the right approach. Tech founders know this struggle. Your engineers build cutting-edge products. Your sales team delivers polished pitches. Yet somehow — Deals stall. Leads ghost. Sales cycles stretch. The real problem? Your team is selling what your product does. ↳ Your buyers care about what it changes for them. And that disconnect? It’s dragging revenue down. The Fix? ↳ Consultative Selling. Instead of pushing features, Your team needs to start solving real problems. Here’s how we transformed a tech sales team in 30 days: ↳ Week 1: Understand your customer. - Stop guessing. Start diagnosing. - Dig into real pain points, not surface-level. Map your solution to their broader business goals. ↳ Week 2: Speak their language. - Cut the tech-speak. - Reframe features into outcomes. If your buyer can’t explain it in 30 seconds, it’s too complex. ↳ Week 3: Show real value. - Prove ROI before they ask. - Address objections before they arise. Make your solution the obvious next step. ↳ Week 4: Close and grow. - Guide the deal, don’t push it. - Set the foundation for long-term partnerships. Turn new clients into repeat customers. The result for my client? → 30% more qualified leads → 25% shorter sales cycles → Sales team closes without Founder If your team is still selling features, it’s time to shift the approach. Because the best sales teams don’t pitch. They advise. Need help? Book a 1:1 Power Hour with me from the Featured section. Found this valuable? ♻️ Repost to your network 🔔 Follow Surabhi Shenoy for more CEO insights -- Want to level up your CEO game? 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 — my Free Weekly Newsletter trusted by 1700+ Founders. Every Thursday, I share 1 actionable system to grow your business, increase its valuation, and have fun doing it. 🎁 BONUS: Get Rapid Growth Playbook (27 cheatsheets) Click "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" above this post or scan the QR code in the image.

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?

🚀 HUGE NEWS for Canadian Innovators! The 2025 Budget just supercharged SR&ED incentives! 🇨🇦 After 16 years of helping companies unlock government funding, I can tell you with confidence—these are some of the most significant SR&ED enhancements we've seen in years. Here's what just changed: 💰 Enhanced Credit Limit INCREASED to $6 MILLION (up from $3M!) This means eligible businesses can now claim the enhanced 35% refundable credit on up to $6M in R&D spending annually. That's potentially $2.1M back in your pocket. 📈 PUBLIC COMPANIES NOW ELIGIBLE Breaking news: Canadian public corporations can now access the enhanced 35% credit. This opens up massive opportunities for publicly-traded innovators who were previously excluded. 🏗️ Capital Expenditures are BACK Remember when you could claim equipment and machinery? It's officially restored. Your R&D infrastructure investments now qualify again. ⚡ Game-Changing Process Improvements: - NEW elective pre-claim approval (get technical approval BEFORE you spend) - Processing time CUT IN HALF to just 90 days - AI-powered reviews = fewer unnecessary audits - Less paperwork, faster decisions The bottom line? The government is investing an additional $440M ongoing to fuel Canadian innovation. They're making it easier, faster, and more valuable to claim SR&ED. If you're developing new products, improving processes, or solving technical challenges—you need to know about this. Question: Are you currently claiming SR&ED? Or leaving money on the table? Drop a comment or send me a message. Let's make sure you're maximizing these new benefits. #SREDTaxCredit #CanadianInnovation #Budget2025 #RAndD #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #TaxIncentives #CanadianBusiness

Everybody thinks growing a web3 project is easy if you have money. Polkadot's example illustrates why this is NOT the case: 👇 So Polkadot spent $37m on Marketing in Q1 and Q2 2024. Some of the top categories were: • $10m on Ads and Sponsorships • $7.9m on Events/Conferences • $4.9m on Influencers • $4.1m on Digital Ads Yet despite these huge marketing activities, Polkadot somehow seems quiet and invisible. So what is it that they could have done better? Here are the top 8 ones for me: 1/ Slash all soccer club and race car sponsorships. These don't attract web3 developers and builders. Seems like we didn't learn our lessons from 2021 when projects splashed money on renaming stadiums and sponsoring all sorts of sports teams. 2/ Use respected influencers to educate about the advantages of your chain. Explain in layman's terms WHY and HOW your chain is different from 100+ other L1s and L2s out there. Simply Tweeting common sense threads and posts will not bring adoption. 3/ Build an in-house team of core contributors and loyal ambassadors and invest in their growth. Let them become the thought leaders of tomorrow in their domain and promote your chain. This is a long-term initiative but will pay big time down the road. 4/ Dramatically increase your funding for Community Building. Enable a variety of educational and ambassadorial programs.  Again, it was the community that kept Solana alive in Dec 2022 when everyone thought it was dead. When you splash 10x more funds on sports team sponsorships, it's sending the wrong to your community. 5/ Increase grants to attract tier one teams to build the best web3 dApps with killer UI/UX. Offer incentives to the existing top projects to bridge to your chain as well. 6/ Allocate more funds to organize dozens of informal Polkadot gatherings targeted at developers across the continents. Empower your community ambassadors and evangelists in different countries. Let them bring the best builders and developers together for casual meetups. 7/ Slash the budget on digital ads. Traditional ads that work well for web2 startups usually don't result in good conversions for web3 projects. 8/ Completely rethink your Media strategy. If you spent millions but people can't remember hearing about you recently, then it didn't work. That's because simply promoting a chain doesn't work. Instead, promote a new chain specific innovation or user facing feature or at least get creative with ads. Coinbase/Base and Solana are killing at this, so learn from them. -- In short, money is important but it's all about HOW you are spending in. And promoting a web3 chain is not the same as scaling a web2 startup. What works in web2 doesn't always fly in web3 and vice versa. Image source: DefiIgnas on X P.S. Anything else you'd add to the list? Let me know below. Follow 👉 Aram Mughalyan & consider sharing ♻️ this post if you like it.