"The old way of selling is already dead." - Mark Walker

In this episode of Tech Scenes, we sit down with Mark Walker, CEO of Nue.io, to talk about how the future of software, AI, and pricing is reshaping how go-to-market teams operate. Mark shares his lessons from leading SaaS and compliance companies, building execution-driven cultures, and navigating fast-moving tech cycles. From sales innovation to team alignment, we unpack how dynamic teams are winning in a world of rapid change.

Mark brings deep experience from his time leading Strongpoint, Blanketware, and other high-growth companies, where he’s helped teams scale through smarter systems and sharper focus. At Nue.io, he’s now tackling how RevOps can enable teams to adapt quickly, price creatively, and execute with confidence. Whether you're a founder, operator, or team lead, Mark’s playbook for managing complexity while staying customer-centric is worth taking notes on.

We also explore what it takes to build a culture that gets things done—where clarity, collaboration, and cadence replace chaos. From AI’s disruptive force to the very human elements of leadership, this episode cuts across strategy and mindset, giving you insight into the modern operating model of high-performance teams.

Chapters:

00:00 The Future of Software and AI

01:20 Introducing New: A Revolutionary System

02:33 Understanding User Personas and Use Cases

05:00 Navigating the Rate of Change in Pricing Models

08:13 The Evolution of Sales Strategies

10:02 Lessons from SaaS and System Integration

14:00 The Shift in Pricing Models

17:06 AI's Impact on Software Development

20:08 Running New: Interoperability and Flexibility

22:46 Adapting to Rapid Change in Organizations

25:59 Enabling Teams for Success

32:09 Cross-Functional Collaboration in Teams

35:13 The Importance of Pausing for Reflection

37:05 Focus and Clarity in Team Objectives

41:06 Leveraging Individual Strengths in Teams

46:54 The Seriousness of Project Management

50:55 Execution as a Core Principle

54:45 The Desert Island Album

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/

#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #vbos #nueio #revops #startup #SaaS #ceo #leadership #techscenes #execution #pricingstrategy #teamalignment #growthcompany #venturebacked #jeffjamesmartin

"You can tell someone’s values when things go badly." - Donald Davidoff

In this episode, Donald Davidoff shares the journey of building REBA™, a modern analytics company changing how the rental housing industry uses data. From founding the industry-defining LRO system to launching REBA™, Donald brings a deep history of innovation, leadership, and strategic thinking. We talk about the role of core values in decision-making, building culture in growth-stage startups, and how REBA™ is creating clarity through better coordination, OKRs, and customer focus.

The conversation also dives into the rental housing industry's lag in adopting modern tech, how REBA™ helps leaders make better decisions faster, and the transition from startup mode to scale. Donald unpacks lessons on internal service, process design, team dynamics, and why reverse engineering objectives can unlock alignment across functions.

Takeaways:

• You can tell someone's values when things go badly.

• Strong leaders must balance zooming in and out.

• The rental housing industry is traditionally behind in technology.

• REBA™ aims to connect data systems for better decision-making.

• Cultural fit is crucial in hiring processes.

• Documenting goals helps teams stay on track.

• Organizational clarity supports cross-functional success.

• Process should serve the team, not hinder it.

• Internal customer service matters as much as external.

• Music matters: yes, he picked Meat Loaf.

Chapters:

00:00 Values Revealed in Adversity

02:50 The Transition from Startup to Growth

06:00 Revolutionizing the Rental Housing Industry

12:07 The Birth of REBA™: Timing and Vision

18:07 Building a Strong Company Culture

23:04 Setting the Vision and Objectives

26:34 The Importance of Coordination and Focus

28:25 Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

32:01 Creating Clarity in Organizational Structure

36:24 Balancing Process and Flexibility

41:05 Customer Success and Internal Service

44:44 Desert Island Album Choice

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies™:

https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your venture-backed team with the Peak Operating System™:

https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie – https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #vbos #reba #donalddavidoff #analytics #startupgrowth #leadership #founder #ceo #rentals #multifamily #realestate #teamculture #kpi #okr #customerexperience #venturecapital #techscenes #jeffjamesmartin

"Get in front of a customer and talk to them." - Brian McMahonTech Scenes with Brian McMahon, CEO and Co-founder of Pickle.In this episode, we dive into the evolution of Pickle—from a social polling app to a fast-growing peer-to-peer rental marketplace. Brian shares what he and his co-founder learned the hard way, how they kept the product lean, and what it takes to build a marketplace with strong customer feedback loops, KPIs, and team culture.👉 Like the episode? Subscribe and drop a comment. We’d love to hear your take.Key Takeaways:Pickle is a rental marketplace, like Airbnb for clothes and goods.Their original concept was a social polling platform.Building a marketplace requires managing local dynamics.Bootstrapping helped them run lean and stay customer-focused.They prioritize fast feedback loops and in-person customer engagement.Scaling culture means communication has to be tight.Fundraising was challenging—but led to critical investor insights.KPIs and OKRs are essential to team alignment and growth.Chapters:00:00 – Founders' Journey and Early Mistakes01:12 – Introducing Pickle: The Rental Marketplace03:25 – Marketplace Dynamics and Expansion Strategy05:47 – Pivoting from Social Polling to Rental Marketplace07:31 – Bootstrapping and Lean Operations09:00 – Customer Engagement Through Direct Interaction12:26 – Feedback Loops and Product Iteration14:04 – Scaling the Team and Maintaining Culture18:19 – Fundraising Experience and Investor Relations24:22 – Learning from Experienced Investors30:26 – Establishing KPIs and OKRs for GrowthLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies™: https://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™: https://www.collective-genius.com/Music by Andrew Applepie – https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie#pickle #marketplace #founderjourney #startup #entrepreneurship #techscenes #venturebacked #kpis #okrs #collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #startupgrowth #founderstory #scalingstartups

"You're better off picking a big problem—and solving it better than anyone else." - Ken BagnallIn this episode of Tech Scenes Santa Monica, Jeff James Martin sits down with Ken Bagnall, CEO and Co-founder of Silent Push, to explore the changing landscape of cybersecurity and the power of preemptive threat intelligence.Ken shares his journey from founding The Email Laundry to leading product at FireEye and ultimately building Silent Push, a company that leverages Indicators of Future Attack™ (IOFA™) to expose threat actor infrastructure before it can be weaponized. The conversation uncovers how startups can succeed by staying laser-focused on solving complex, high-impact problems, why cybersecurity is riddled with noise, and how boards can either amplify or distract a company’s mission.Key TakeawaysStartups should aim to solve large, meaningful problems with precision and clarity.Cybercrime is global, persistent, and has deep economic implications.Silent Push’s IOFA™ model provides early visibility into threat actor behavior.A focused go-to-market strategy is essential in a noisy cybersecurity industry.Success requires proximity to the threat actor and constant innovation.Noise in cybersecurity often comes from inexperienced or misaligned players.Experienced board members can offer strategic clarity and reduce distractions.Proactive defense is the future—waiting for attacks is no longer sustainable.A strong, aligned team fuels execution and market differentiation.Staying ahead of evolving threats requires both technology and discipline.Chapters00:00 – The Importance of Problem-Solving in Startups01:57 – Understanding Threat Intelligence and Cybersecurity07:34 – The Scale of Cybercrime and Its Global Impact09:05 – Monitoring Threat Actors: Strategies and Technologies11:16 – Go-to-Market Strategies in Cybersecurity19:09 – Building a Focused and Innovative Team24:06 – Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape27:33 – The Role of Board Members in Cybersecurity Startups30:35 – The Future of Cybersecurity and Market TrendsResourcesLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie#TechScenes #KenBagnall #SilentPush #Cybersecurity #ThreatIntelligence #Startups #Innovation #AI #Entrepreneurship #EarlyStage #VentureCapital #Cybercrime #DigitalDefense #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem™ #JeffJamesMartin #StartupLeadership

"Treat every human different—and build your frameworks from there." - Amos Schwartzfarb

In this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff James Martin sits down with Amos Schwartzfarb, former managing Director of Techstars Austin and author of Sell More Faster and Levers, to explore what it really takes to scale a startup from founder-led sales to full-blown success.

Amos shares stories from his own wild entrepreneurial journey—from packing boxes for one of the first e-commerce companies to becoming one of Texas’s most active early-stage investors. The conversation dives deep into frameworks for sales, metrics that matter, and how to balance hard data with human nuance when building teams. They also talk about the joy of coaching, the discovery process, and how music—and leadership—are both about learning to harmonize.

Key Takeaways:

• Strong opinions, loosely held are crucial to evolving as a leader and operator.

• Coaching and mentorship create value far beyond tactical execution.

• Discovery never stops—you’re always figuring things out.

• Founder-led sales matter early on—nobody sells like the founder.

• Sales frameworks and metrics help teams build predictability and scale.

• OKRs build capability, while KPIs measure current state—they serve different purposes.

• Every person is different, and great leaders build around individuality, not uniformity.

• High-performing teams learn together—learning is a shared core behavior.

• The journey of entrepreneurship is personal, iterative, and often musical.

Chapters:

00:00 – Embracing Flexibility in Opinions
01:10 – The Joy of Coaching and Mentorship
02:52 – Frameworks for Business Success
04:47 – The Discovery Process in Startups
06:20 – Reflecting on Career Paths
07:50 – The Evolution of Business Plans
10:12 – Learning Through Business Planning
12:09 – The Importance of a Holistic View
13:31 – Metrics and Predictability in Sales
16:57 – Founder-Led Sales Strategies
20:12 – Understanding Sales Metrics
22:34 – Hiring the Right Sales Profiles
24:05 – Learning as a Core Team Behavior
24:52 – Journey to Techstars: A New Beginning
27:31 – Lessons from Mentoring Startups
30:00 – The Importance of Individuality in Teams
33:48 – Frameworks for Team Success
36:31 – Understanding OKRs vs. KPIs
40:39 – The Future Hippies of Punk: A Musical Journey

Resources:
Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies 🔗 https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ 🔗 https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie 🔗 https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#TechScenes #AmosSchwartzfarb #SellMoreFaster #LeversBook #Techstars #StartupMentorship #FounderLedSales #OKRs #KPIs #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #JeffJamesMartin #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem™ #Leadership #TeamAlignment #SalesStrategy #AustinTech

"They have no real way to know what’s selling—we’re here to fix that." - Jason Vego, CEO and Co-founder of Bevz

In this episode of Tech Scenes Studio City, Jeff James Martin sits down with Jason Vego, CEO and Co-founder of Bevz, to explore how one startup is transforming the $650B convenience store industry. Jason shares the Bevz origin story—how a fragmented, analog market inspired him to create the first-ever SaaS platform built specifically for corner stores, helping owners make smarter decisions using data, streamline inventory, and survive in a rapidly digitizing world.

The conversation dives into the emotional journey of a founder, including lessons learned from early product failures, the challenge of finding product-market fit, and the importance of saying no to stay focused. Jason opens up about the realities of serving underserved business owners, the human side of startup life, and what it really takes to build a company that supports the people behind the counter.

Key Takeaways:

Convenience stores face massive inventory management issues due to a lack of real-time data and tools.

Bevz brings modern tech, data, and partnerships to small stores often overlooked by Silicon Valley.

The pandemic accelerated digitization, forcing many stores to rethink how they do business.

Retail success depends on data-driven decisions and understanding product velocity at a hyperlocal level.

Small business owners carry emotional weight, and startups need to build empathy into their solutions.

Product-market fit is a winding journey, often paved with wrong assumptions and tough pivots.

Work-life balance is hard but essential, especially for founders scaling fast.

The best teams win through collaboration, clarity, and ruthless prioritization.

YouTube Chapters

00:00 – The Challenge of Predicting Inventory Needs

02:57 – Bevz: Revolutionizing Convenience Store Operations

05:57 – Navigating the Pandemic: A Pivot in Strategy

09:06 – Understanding Retailer Needs: The Importance of Inventory Management

12:04 – Data-Driven Decisions: Capturing Market Trends

14:56 – The Complexity of Convenience Store Inventory

18:07 – The Struggles of Small Business Owners

21:11 – The Journey of a Founder: Finding Product-Market Fit

23:53 – Balancing Work and Personal Life as a Founder

27:08 – The Importance of Team Collaboration and Focus

29:59 – The Power of Saying No: Prioritizing Goals

33:01 – Final Thoughts: Music and Reflection

Resources

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#TechScenes #Bevz #ConvenienceStoreTech #RetailInnovation #InventoryManagement #JasonVego #SmallBusinessSupport #StartupLeadership #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem™ #JeffJamesMartin #RetailTech #SaaS #ProductMarketFit #StartupGrowth #FoundersJourney #StudioCity #CStoreTech

"We’re building the digital Ellis Island—for the modern immigrant journey." - Amir HemmatIn this episode of Tech Scenes Santa Monica, Jeff James Martin sits down with Amir Hemmat, CEO and Co-Founder of Welcome Tech, to explore how technology, data, and deep cultural insight are transforming the immigrant experience in the United States. Welcome Tech, through its SABEResPODER® platform, serves over 9 million Hispanic immigrants annually—providing trusted information, services, and tools to help families thrive in a new country.Amir shares the inspiration behind the company’s mission, the challenges of building a scalable platform for underserved communities, and how data plays a pivotal role in delivering personalized, high-impact products. From venture capital realities to the responsibility of being a community-first business, the conversation provides a candid look at what it takes to turn purpose into platform—and why empathy and commitment are foundational to long-term success.Key Takeaways:Welcome Tech is building the infrastructure for immigrant households, starting with the Hispanic community in the U.S.The immigrant journey is too often left to chance—technology and data can provide needed structure and opportunity.Understanding cultural context is essential for creating trusted services.Listening to the community informs product design and ensures relevance.Not every startup should chase VC funding—mission clarity must come first.Flexibility and commitment are necessary to scale a purpose-driven platform.Data is at the core of service delivery, enabling more personalized, impactful support.Community-first thinking leads to stronger engagement and long-term value.Chapters:00:00 – Building the Future of Immigration12:02 – Understanding the Immigrant Experience24:08 – Data-Driven Solutions for Immigrants36:06 – The Vision for the Future38:51 – Personal Insights and ReflectionsResourcesLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie#TechScenes #WelcomeTech #ImmigrationTech #SocialImpact #AmirHemmat #SABEResPODER #HispanicCommunity #DigitalInclusion #PurposeDrivenBusiness #StartupLeadership #CollectiveGenius #PeakOperatingSystem #VentureBacked #DataDriven #ImmigrantExperience #JeffJamesMartin

"Fundraising is a full-time job—especially when you're building something this complex." - Karan Talati, Co-founder and CEO of First Resonance

In this episode of Tech Scenes Los Angeles, Jeff James Martin sits down with Karan Talati, Co-founder and CEO of First Resonance, to explore what it takes to lead a hardware startup at the edge of advanced manufacturing and AI. From his early days at Motorola to enabling rocket reusability at SpaceX, Karan shares how his obsession with data led to building ION, the Factory OS that’s powering the next generation of complex manufacturing—from lunar landers to robotic farms.

The conversation dives deep into the realities of being a first-time founder: the relentless demands of fundraising, the make-or-break importance of early hires, and how board composition and operational visibility evolve with scale. They also explore how AI is being thoughtfully integrated to optimize productivity in mission-critical environments like aerospace and defense.

Whether you're leading a startup, building physical products, or navigating your first raise, this episode offers hard-won insights into what it takes to scale teams, products, and vision in a space where complexity is the norm and adaptability is key.

Key Takeaways:

• Building a successful startup is all about getting the right people early—everything else flows from that.

• Fundraising isn’t just about pitch decks—it’s a seasonal, full-time job that requires timing and tenacity.

• Board composition should reflect where the company is headed, not just where it is today.

• Organizational visibility and clarity (through OKRs or otherwise) often erode as companies grow—and need continuous reinforcement.

• AI in manufacturing is not a silver bullet but a strategic lever when implemented thoughtfully.

• Change is constant in startups—founders must evolve with their companies to stay effective.

Chapters:
00:00 – Navigating the Funding Landscape
04:37 – Building Complex Solutions at First Resonance
09:00 – Lessons from First-Time Founding
12:12 – Organizational Growth and Structure
19:20 – The Importance of Board Composition
22:24 – The Challenges of Fundraising
31:58 – Leveraging AI in Manufacturing

Resources:

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#TechScenes #FirstResonance #ManufacturingTech #AIinManufacturing #StartupLife #KaranTalati #JeffJamesMartin #FundraisingTips #ComplexProducts #FactoryOS #HardwareStartups #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem