Maximizing Business Value

I got this line from a CIO in 2019. He meant that they had bought a new server—one server—and it was sitting in a mostly empty rack in a data science manager’s office. It was on a closed network (consumer grade router wired into each team member’s office) that couldn’t be accessed remotely “for security reasons.” Punchline: There was no data on it yet and they hadn’t gotten approval to migrate any datasets. It was a basic install of Redhat with empty MySQL and MongoDB instances. 1% of businesses are ready for AI, while 99%, including some of the biggest companies in the world, are still trying to understand data and the cloud. What should we do? Start with business value. Each technical transformation must have a value-centric justification. Connect infrastructure to the data and AI product roadmap. Develop infrastructure while building and delivering products. Each phase must deliver value, and the product roadmap has initiatives that turn each technology investment into business impacts. It makes the connection clear. If the business wants this revenue and these cost savings, we must invest in these tools. If you’re told, “No, just make do with what we have,” show which initiatives are no longer feasible, either because they cost too much or take too long to be delivered without the infrastructure to support them. Connect investments with the high returns data and AI initiatives can deliver, and you’ll be able to justify a G-650 instead of working on a Dell Ductapeon server. #DataEngineering #DataScience #ProductManagement

𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 -- 𝑮𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝑰 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔. 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒕 6/7 Setting Clear Objectives for AI Integration = Measuring ROI When implementing AI initiatives, it's crucial to ➡ establish clear, measurable objectives, ➡seamlessly integrate AI into existing processes, ➡ continuously measure ROI to ensure alignment with business goals. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭����𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 To ensure that AI initiatives are successful, start by setting clear, measurable objectives that align with your overall business goals: ✅ Setting targets for cost reduction through automation and optimization. For instance, a McKinsey report indicates that AI-driven predictive maintenance can reduce maintenance costs by up to 20% and cut unplanned downtime by 50%. ✅Enhancing customer experience by leveraging AI for personalized recommendations, chatbots, and 24/7 support. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of customer service interactions will be handled by AI, leading to faster response times and higher customer satisfaction. ✅Generating new revenue streams by using AI to identify market opportunities and develop innovative products. PwC studies show that AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, highlighting its potential for creating new business opportunities. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 For AI to deliver its maximum value, it needs to be seamlessly integrated into existing business processes: ✅Mapping out existing workflows to identify areas where AI can be most beneficial, such as repetitive, time-consuming tasks that can be automated. ✅Designing a strategic integration plan that minimizes disruptions while maximizing the benefits of AI technologies. Start with pilot projects to test the integration process and refine your approach based on feedback and initial results. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐎𝐈 To justify AI investments, it's essential to establish and continuously monitor metrics that measure the return on investment: ✅Tracking direct financial gains, such as cost savings from automation, increased sales from personalized marketing, or new revenue streams from AI-driven products. ✅Measuring indirect benefits like improvements in customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and employee productivity. For example, AI can streamline customer service operations, leading to faster response times and higher customer satisfaction ratings. ✅Implementing a robust monitoring system to continuously track these metrics, regularly evaluating the success of AI implementations, and making necessary adjustments to optimize performance and outcomes. This structured methodology helps organizations harness the full potential of AI, driving both innovation and efficiency. What would you add?

Stop being the IT department’s repair shop—start leading strategic change. You’re more than just tech support—here’s how to prove it. Tech leaders, it's time to rewrite your role. You're not just the person who keeps the lights on - you're the visionary who illuminates new paths forward. Here's how to make that shift: 𝟭. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Every project should answer: "How does this drive our strategy?" When you present, lead with outcomes, not gigabytes. Show how IT propels the company forward. 𝟮. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Be curious. Learn what keeps other leaders up at night. Then, offer solutions they haven't even dreamed of yet. Your value skyrockets when you solve problems beyond the server room. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Don't wait for permission to innovate. Pilot new ideas that could transform the business. Be the catalyst for "what if" conversations that open new possibilities. 𝟰. 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 Capture the impact of your work in terms the C-suite cares about. Revenue generated. Costs saved. Customer satisfaction improved. Let the numbers tell your story. 𝟱. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 Inject tech insights into high-level planning. Show how IT isn't just a support function - it's a cornerstone of future success. Your perspective is essential. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙇𝙞𝙚: - 32% of IT pros feel they lack leadership skills to advance. It's time to invest in yourself. (Global Knowledge) - 70% want leadership roles, but only 40% get needed development. Seek mentors and training. (Gartner) - IT leaders with business savvy are 2.5x more likely to reach the C-suite. Master the big picture. (Deloitte) The shift from "fix it" to "future it" won't happen overnight. But with persistence and vision, you'll transform not just your role, but your entire organization's relationship with technology. Pick one of these steps. Implement it this week. Share your results. Let's change the narrative together.

It’s time to reframe MOps as a product role, because GTM itself is a product. And it needs an owner. MOps isn’t just executing anymore. You’re designing the system. We’ve been the campaign troubleshooters, spreadsheet whisperers, and the CRM cleanup crew. But that job description is outdated. In the latest State of the MO Pro Report, 78% of respondents said their main responsibility is designing and optimizing operational policies. Another 74% listed data analysis and synthesis. Execution still matters—but strategy now leads. When no one in the C-suite owns the GTM stack, it creates gaps. That’s where MOps fits. But here’s the rub… We also saw a 9% decline in perceived organizational understanding of MOps in 2024. That’s a red flag. Even though MOps pros are already defining processes, leading data initiatives, and influencing planning and budget decisions, too many are still treated like tool admins instead of GTM architects. You’re already acting like a GTM Product Manager. Y ou just need the framework, the visibility, and the backing to make it official. So what’s next? 1. Start with a tech stack audit 2. Map your systems visually (Miro or Lucidchart work great) 3. Align your stakeholders around shared GTM goals The more you approach GTM as a product, the more clarity, efficiency, and impact you’ll bring to your org. I’ll keep unpacking this shift in the coming weeks—from frameworks to career paths to how we train the next generation of GTM PMs. 👉 Follow along weekly. Or better yet, join the conversation in the Marketing Ops Community. #MOps #GTM #MarketingOperations #ProductThinking #StateoftheMOPro

Our $2M project went flawlessly, 𝗯𝘂𝘁, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁. 🫨 Sound familiar? As IT leaders, we've all felt that pain. The perfect execution that somehow missed the mark on delivering real business value. Here's what 20 years of working with all kinds of companies has taught me: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗧 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. Consider this: 𝗖𝗜𝗢𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝟲𝟬% 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿. But that communication must go beyond uptime statistics and deployment metrics. Three key principles I've learned about maximizing and communicating IT value: 1️⃣ 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗜𝗧. Revenue growth, cost optimization, and risk management are universal languages. Speak them fluently. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. The most elegant solution delivers zero value if users aren't prepared or willing to embrace it. Build adoption strategies into every initiative. 3️⃣ 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 "𝗿𝘂𝗻" 𝗮𝗻𝗱 "𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲" 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. While transformation projects are exciting, 70% of IT budgets support daily operations. Both narratives matter. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. Success lies at the intersection of robust technology, meaningful metrics, and accelerated adoption. What's your experience with technology adoption's impact on value realization? SIM South Florida 🔵 #CIO #ITLeadership #BusinessValue #DigitalTransformation

🚨 Shipping fast isn't enough. If your AI roadmap doesn’t reflect enterprise value, you add technical debt. In my latest article, I share the moment that reshaped how I lead: A boardroom question that exposed the gap between technical excellence and business alignment. Inside the post: ✅ Why trust architecture, not just tech stack, wins enterprise deals 📈 How we linked GenAI features to NRR, OpEx reduction, and CAC payback 🛡️ How we made ethics, FinOps, and observability part of every deployment 💬 What boards want from technology leaders today This isn’t just about delivering, it’s about delivering what matters. Would love to hear how you're connecting tech to revenue and risk in your organization. #AILeadership #TechStrategy #DigitalExecution #EnterpriseValue #FinOps #TrustByDesign #ProductLeadership

Unveiling the Hidden 🕵️♂️🔍 How Overlooked Factors Can Undermine Your Business's Valuation and Deflate Bragging Rights   Imagine two climbers 🧗♀️🧗, both heading towards the summit of Mount Value. One is equipped with the best gear, moving confidently up the well-trodden path. The other lacks the right equipment and veers off into treacherous territories. The peak is the same for both – an optimal business valuation at the time of exit, sale, or funding. Yet, their journeys reveal a divergence, much like the path many business owners unwittingly find themselves on due to overlooked valuation factors. 📉 The Underestimated Risks: In the quest for business growth, key elements frequently diminish valuation, acting as silent deterrents in the eyes of buyers, investors, or loan officers. ➡Customer Concentration: Imagine 70% of your revenue tied to a single client. The departure of that client isn't just a setback; it's a valuation cliff dive. Yet many businesses were built this way. ➡Obsolete Technology: In a world where today's innovation is tomorrow's antique, businesses clinging to outdated tech are seen as sailing �� in treacherous waters without a compass. Admit it, you have some. ➡Inconsistent Financials: Fluctuating revenue and profit margins send a signal of unpredictability. Stability is a beacon 🔦 guiding investor confidence. This is especially true if your business does not have a natural seasonality. ➡Regulatory Compliance Issues: Unresolved legal and regulatory considerations are akin to hidden icebergs 🧊 that can sink the valuation ship before it even leaves port. ➡Contingent Liabilities: Like black mold lurking in the shadows, these potential obligations can erupt, transforming the seemingly smooth surface of your financial statements and a surefire way to have buyers running for cover. ➡Key Person Dependency: A business overly reliant on its founder or a key individual is like a plane ✈️ flying with just one engine. The risk of failure skyrockets. ➡Idle Assets: Sit quietly, siphoning value from the company. These are the pieces of machinery 🏗️ never turned on or the real estate investments gathering more dust than dollars. Towards a Resilient Valuation: The journey doesn't end with recognizing these pitfalls. Proactive steps include diversifying your customer base, investing in appropriate technology, ensuring financial regularity, complying with all applicable laws and regulations, and developing leadership depth to reduce key person dependency. 🎯 Conclusion: The gap between the perceived, the average, and real valuation of your business can be vast but is bridgeable with strategic foresight and action. Just as climbers prepare meticulously for their ascent, so too should business owners for their eventual exit or funding rounds. 💡 Question for You: Which factor do you think is most often underestimated by business owners in your industry when considering their company's value?

Are you really focusing on the metrics that matter most? For years, I measured success by growing ARR and team size - the classic tech company measuring stick. But a conversation with Greg Alexander, founder of Collective 54 (thanks Justin Wasserman for the intro), flipped my perspective. Greg’s advice? Focus on the metrics that matter for your business. For small, boutique service companies (like Executive Presence), it’s not about ARR. It’s about: ✅ Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA): Profitability is king. ✅ Revenue per employee: Efficiency beats expansion. In 2025, I’m making these my guiding themes: ▶️ Smarter decisions ▶️ Maximum efficiency ▶️ A laser focus on profitability Growth is great. But profitability and efficiency are what build something lasting.

We'll talk about our firms' top-line numbers. “We did $5 million last year." “We brought in $20 million.”   That’s great. But your top-line revenue's not the number I care about most.   Because as a business owner, how much money you bring in doesn’t matter nearly as much as how much money you keep. If you bring in $10 million but spend $9.5 million doing it, that's fine. But you're only operating at 5% profit. Not great.   Most lawyers don’t think about profitability. Many law firm owners don’t know how profitable their firms are off the top of their head. But profitability should be the first number you look at.   This is one of the concepts that mastermind groups have helped me embrace. I used to think in terms of revenues. I paid my lawyers and team based on revenue. I judged our success based on revenue. I paid myself based on revenue. And eventually I started asking why, if the firm was making so much money, I wasn't taking more of it home.   In mastermind groups like ours at Fireproof Performance, you can compare numbers with other firm owners. Not just your revenue, but your actual margins. And compare them to the group as well at national norms. What percentage are you spending on payroll? What’s your spend on case acquisition? What’s your profit %?   One guy stands up and says he’s bringing home 42% of every dollar the firm brings in. Another guy’s at 22%. And everybody’s listening, wondering how they get to that 42% camp.   When you’re operating in a vacuum, it’s easy to assume everything’s fine. But once you see how others are running their firms—and what’s possible—you start asking the right questions.   Where are we leaking money? Where could we tighten things up? How much money would I like to take home at the end of the year?   Once you start asking those questions, you're shifting from thinking in terms of revenue to profitability. That's a great start.

Can an in-house legal team's value be measured in terms of revenue? One of the key things that matter to a business, at the end of the day, is revenue. And every in-house lawyer knows it. Gone are the days when lawyers used to bill by the hour, spending their time on repetitive admin tasks, lengthy contract reviews or negotiations, minimizing every little risk, and so on... Now, lawyers optimize their time according to what drives business. Despite this, the legal team's KPIs rarely reflect this mindset shift. So, here are 4 outcome-driven metrics to track to showcase your team's impact on the bottom line: 1️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐬. 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 – The lower the spend to generate a specific amount of revenue, the better the legal team is at optimizing their resources. 2️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐯𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 – The closer you stick to your financial forecasts, the more efficient the legal team. 3️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐯𝐬. 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 – I’ve seen 3 member legal teams handling 100s of millions of dollars in ARR all because of a well-implemented CLM. 4️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 – How fast are business teams able to close contracts and bring in new revenue? Is legal a blocker or an enabler? This doesn't mean that legal should become an entirely revenue-driven function. A majority of high-value legal work remains strategic and qualitative in nature. But this does go a long way in showing your business counterparts and leadership that the legal function is also thinking and functioning like a business unit. Plus, it makes it easier for you to make your case for more budget for tools, resources, and headcount. How do you track your legal team's business impact?