Mark Gandy

The best book I’ve ever read on the topic of growth is by Ed Hess, and it’s aptly named Smart Growth. It’s not an anti-growth book, but through research, it dismantles the mental model of “Wall Street Rules” that states all public companies should grow continuously and smoothly. In this conversation, Ed addresses the better approach to the concept of “grow or die,” which includes continuous learning and improvement, which are pillars of smart growth.

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According to cognitive psychologist Gary Klien, people with a seemingly high sixth sense who consistently make the right decisions are experts at pattern recognition through years of experience in their respective fields. But where does that experience come from? How does that person achieve such experience? Soren Kaplan is the author of the 2023 book Experiential Intelligence. In this show, Soren explains the differences between experiential intelligence (XQ) and IQ and EQ (emotional intelligence).

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One of the most intriguing and thought-provoking management books I’ve ever read is the 1993 manuscript, Maverick by Ricardo Semler. After taking over his father’s business and teetering on failure, he turned the business around through democracy, profit sharing, and information for all employees. The results were resounding. Joining me on this show, is FP&A thought leader Daniele Martins who helps to uncover some of the big ideas in this book about participative leadership.

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Gareth Pronovost is my go-to expert on his YouTube channel, GAP Consulting, where he teaches his subscribers about Airtable, SmartSuite, automation techniques, and other great insights on no-code solutions. In this conversation about the rise of no-code applications, we learn Gareth’s inauspicious origin story in this domain space, where he is now one of the leading thought leaders in Airtable applications saving businesses thousands of hours annually in no-value processes.

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Technology with the advancement of generative AI is seemingly moving at a pace we’ve rarely seen with other innovations. How does any organization step back and figure out how to adopt digital and AI technologies to support its strategic objectives? That’s where Rewired comes in. The subtitle for this new book is The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI. Our guest is Eric Lamarre, one of the co-authors of this practical playbook.

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I’m unsure if I’ve ever mentioned this on the podcast, but I have an accounting background. However, I consider myself a corporate finance guy, not an accounting professional. I say this because I’m not a fan of accounting books unless they include some business history in the content. Even though it’s accounting-centric, I found More Than a Numbers Game by Tom King hard to put down because the business history in this book is fascinating and useful.

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My first impressions stuck with me when I went through my second reading of Next Generation Retail by Deborah Weinswig and Renee Hartmann. This fascinating book about the new technology behind product messaging and deliverability are not just for retailers and big brands. Anyone in direct-to-consumer manufacturing and professional services firms will gain many ideas from this book. Our discussion with Renee Hartmann spanned from the metaverse to retail media during this episode.

[Read more…] about Technology for the Next Generation of Retail and Beyond