Explore every episode of the podcast Founder's Framework
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Can’t Delegate the Hard Stuff feat. Audra Stanton | 10 Nov 2025 | 00:46:26 | |
Founders can delegate a lot, but not everything. Mark Abbott sits down with Audra Stanton, Head of Product at Ninety, for a candid conversation about the work founders must own. From team drift to cultural misalignment, they explore how leadership shows up in the hard moments. In this episode:
Connect: Subscribe for more founder-first insight every week. Resources: | |||
| How AI Is Transforming Work, Culture, and Leadership | 24 Oct 2025 | 00:47:27 | |
AI isn’t just changing how we work, it’s reshaping what it means to work. In this episode, Mark and Cole explore how AI is impacting small and mid-sized businesses, leadership, and culture.
Whether you’re a founder, team leader, or simply curious about the future of work, this conversation will challenge how you think about technology, culture, and leadership. | |||
| OS Anarchy: Why Alignment Breaks as You Scale | 03 May 2025 | 00:52:34 | |
One team uses Asana. Another’s on Monday. A new hire swears by ClickUp. This is what we call OS Anarchy — when every department runs its own tools and processes, creating friction, fragmentation, and a whole lot of rework. In this episode of the Founder’s Framework podcast, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott dig into what happens when you don’t have a Unifying Operating System. It’s a conversation about systems, scaling, and the subtle ways misalignment slows you down. Whether you're leading a team of 10 or 1,000, the principles here can help you simplify, clarify, and unify as you grow. What you’ll learn: Resources:
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| Investors Are (Almost) Forever | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:47:39 | |
Raising money is one thing. Choosing investors who truly align with your company’s values, strategy, and long-term vision is another. In this episode, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott explore why investor relationships often outlast everything else and what founders need to consider before signing a term sheet. From alignment on Forever Agreements to spotting red flags, this is a conversation about choosing the right partners for the journey ahead. What you’ll learn: → Why investor relationships often last longer than your founding team Resources: → Lean more about Forever Agreements Connect: → Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott | |||
| When Brands Drift: Why Alignment Starts (and Ends) with You | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:56:48 | |
You can’t scale what you can’t define, and few things test that truth more than Brand Drift. In this episode, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott unpack one of the most common challenges growing companies face: the slow, often invisible slide into brand misalignment. Vision starts clear. Messaging feels right. But as the team expands, the offering matures, and the world shifts, you realize the story you're telling no longer matches the company you're building. So what do you do? Scrap it all? Start over? Not quite. This episode is about how founders can recognize brand drift, re-anchor the business without abandoning its essence, and realign their messaging with the Work that truly matters. What you’ll learn: Resources: | |||
| Forever Agreements: Preserving the Core | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:49:13 | |
In a world of constant change, great companies stay grounded by knowing what should never change.
What you’ll learn:
→ Read more on Forever Agreements: 6 Ingredients Founders Use to Build Damn Good, If Not Great, Companies
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| Strong Opinions Loosely Held | 07 Mar 2025 | 00:42:37 | |
Great founders hold strong opinions, but they also know when to change their minds. In this episode, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott explore how high-performing leaders evolve their thinking, challenge their biases, and refine their decision-making over time. They break down the balance between conviction and adaptability — and why staying too rigid can hold you and your company back. What you’ll learn:
Resources: | |||
| What it Takes to Be a Founder | 21 Feb 2025 | 01:14:20 | |
Not everyone is built to be a founder. It takes more than a great idea — it requires resilience, self-awareness, and the ability to make tough decisions every day. In this episode, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott break down what it really takes to be a founder and how the Founder Mode Workbook helps you develop the mindset and strategies to build a lasting company. What you'll learn:
Resources: | |||
| Bringing Your Vision to Life | 24 Jan 2025 | 00:57:56 | |
Explore the challenges of aligning vision, leadership, and organizational growth in a scalable way. Mark and Cole discuss the importance of building an agreements-based culture, fostering the right kind of communication, and strategically timing key leadership hires to ensure your shared vision is executed effectively. | |||
| The 9 Essential Characteristics of Great Companies | 09 Jan 2025 | 01:13:04 | |
In this episode, Mark and Cole discuss common attributes of truly great companies. These include the importance of leveraging agreements in favor of expectations, the need for a passionate commitment to the work, and more. The conversation stresses the significance of continuous learning, resilience, and cultivating strong relationships with the people on your team. | |||
| 2024: A Year in Review | 27 Dec 2024 | 01:04:04 | |
This episode reflects on the challenges and milestones of the past year, specifically the importance of scaling thoughtfully, maintaining team alignment, and preparing for the next phase of growth. The conversation wraps up with Mark and Cole sharing their excitement surrounding some upcoming initiatives for 2025. | |||
| If You’re Not Growing, You’re Dying | 13 Dec 2024 | 00:59:43 | |
Mark shares how the laws of physics also apply to business: If you’re not growing, you’re dying. The conversation touches on balancing ambition with practicality as well as the importance of strategic planning so founders can avoid entropy and build lasting, impactful companies. | |||
| The EQ Gym: Building Emotional Intelligence at Work with MyGrow’s Theran Knighton-Fitt | 03 Oct 2025 | 01:12:44 | |
Emotional intelligence is not learned in a seminar. It is trained like a muscle. In this Founder’s Framework Podcast episode, Mark Abbott talks with Theran Knighton-Fitt, Co-Founder of MyGrow, about what they call the “EQ Gym,” a practical way for people to grow emotional intelligence inside companies.
For founders trying to scale culture while building systems, this conversation shows why emotional fitness is just as critical as operational efficiency.
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| Founder Modes | 29 Nov 2024 | 00:49:23 | |
As the Founder Mode series continues, Mark and Cole discuss the importance of recognizing and scheduling time for different modes to leverage productivity and minimize inefficiencies. They also highlight the value of empathy and self-awareness for founders of companies at any stage. | |||
| High-Impact Annual Planning: A Blueprint for Success | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:55:18 | |
This episode digs into the importance of trust and transparency in the annual planning process, specifically how these elements support alignment and accountability across all levels of an organization. The conversation highlights how teams benefit from assessing core competencies and addressing uncertainties. | |||
| Entering a Founder Mindset | 01 Nov 2024 | 01:09:05 | |
Explore the delicate nature of leadership transitions, particularly surrounding the role of a visionary within an organization. Learn about the challenges founders may face when stepping back from leadership roles and the importance of owning responsibilities while nurturing team relationships. | |||
| Exploring Founder Mode | 18 Oct 2024 | 00:46:51 | |
Learn more about the trending topic of "founder mode” as Mark and Cole explore the distinctions between visionary and legacy founders and the various mindsets that all founders must navigate. The conversation highlights how chaotic leadership can result when founders aren't self-aware and the importance of being adaptable to build fluidity and reduce anxiety. | |||
| Align Structure and Strategy with Stratified Systems Theory | 04 Oct 2024 | 00:37:42 | |
Dive into the key concepts of Stratified Systems Theory (SST), which describes how organizations create structured hierarchies as they grow more complex. Mark Abbott emphasizes that each stratum requires distinct competencies and problem-solving approaches, with leaders in higher strata focusing on integration, system development, and long-term market foresight. | |||
| Stages of Development: Stage 5 | 20 Sep 2024 | 00:28:28 | |
In the final installment of our Stages of Development series, Mark and Cole cover the challenges of leadership transitions in Stage 5 companies, particularly when moving from a visionary founder to a new leader. The hosts share insights on the importance of finding a successor who understands the company's long-term vision in addition to having a point of view for the future, ideally looking 10-20 years ahead. | |||
| Stages of Development: Stage 4 | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:27:54 | |
Learn about the challenges companies face when transitioning into Stage 4, particularly around leadership structure and organizational alignment. The conversation touches on the complexities of maintaining company culture and the importance of knowing when to invest in the right people and systems for sustainable growth. | |||
| Stages of Development: Stage 3 | 06 Sep 2024 | 00:26:50 | |
Continuing our Stages of Development series, today’s focus is on Stage 3, where companies begin to get serious about scaling. The hosts introduce a framework for understanding these stages based on revenue projections and organizational confidence, from 90 days to 10 years. This episode also touches on the mindset necessary for founders to guide their organizations effectively. | |||
| Stages of Development: Stage 2 | 23 Aug 2024 | 00:28:49 | |
Mark and Cole discuss the first transition within the Stages of Development. They also explore how core competencies evolve during this stage, which can encourage behaviors such as refining your company's vision and starting to think more intentionally about company culture and long-term goals. | |||
| Stages of Development: Stage 1 | 16 Aug 2024 | 00:22:40 | |
This episode kicks off a new series on the Stages of Development, one of Ninety’s foundational frameworks for measuring a company’s progress and charting its growth. Mark and Cole share an overview of this framework before diving into the specifics of Stage 1, emphasizing the importance of establishing product/market fit to attract both customers and investors. Stages of Development Guide On Stages of Development | |||
| The Truth About Founders and Freedom with Bob Glazer | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:56:54 | |
Everyone talks about freedom as the ultimate goal of entrepreneurship, but for most founders, it’s not that simple.
If you’re a founder wrestling with how to get out of the weeds and back to your vision, this conversation is for you. | |||
| On Competency, Commitment, and Capacity (CCC) | 09 Aug 2024 | 00:27:24 | |
This episode is all about the framework of Competency, Commitment, and Capacity (CCC). Learn how CCC is used to assess whether a person is well-suited for their role in an organization, a concept Mark calls "right person, right seat." He also highlights how understanding these factors can lead to more effective, objective hiring conversations. | |||
| Prepare for Your Exit with Enhanced Enterprise Value | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:29:48 | |
Learn more about the concept of "Exit," one of the 9 Core Competencies formerly known as "Enterprise Value." Mark goes over the importance of planning and preparing for a smooth, successful exit as a business owner or leader, touching on various aspects such as succession planning, investor expectations, and the disciplines necessary for running a business effectively. | |||
| Why Your Ideal Customer Profile Matters | 26 Jul 2024 | 00:28:12 | |
In this episode, Cole and Mark delve into the crucial topic of identifying and serving your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Their conversation covers how defining an ICP helps align a company's vision, culture, and Compelling Value Proposition. | |||
| Turn Data into Your Company’s Superpower | 19 Jul 2024 | 00:25:47 | |
It’s time to dive into the complexities of data management and its significance in business operations. Mark and Cole discuss how data, while often perceived as straightforward, is actually a powerful and intricate tool that requires careful handling. They also explore the need to balance quantitative insights with qualitative understanding to drive lasting success. | |||
| How Process Forms Alignment | 12 Jul 2024 | 00:21:48 | |
Discover the importance of processes in organizations, especially as they grow. Mark and Cole emphasize the need for clear, documented processes to prevent chaos and ensure that everyone in the organization is on the same page. By mastering Core Processes and implementing effective KPIs, companies can improve their overall efficiency and trust throughout teams. | |||
| Mapping Out Success with Goals | 05 Jul 2024 | 00:35:47 | |
Cole and Mark explore the concept of goals and their relationship to an organization's vision. They discuss how every goal you set (quarterly, annually, and beyond) should work together to guide progress and maintain focus. The conversation also touches on the importance of maintaining a thriving culture that aligns with the company's overall vision. | |||
| The Power of Hiring the Right People | 28 Jun 2024 | 00:27:29 | |
In this week’s episode, Mark and Cole are pivoting to the importance of finding great people once your company structure is in place. Their conversation unpacks why having the right people in the right roles is crucial for creating enduring value and success and touches on the significance of trust, character, and connection in building a cohesive and resilient team. | |||
| Structure First, People Second | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:26:31 | |
Mark shares his views on the importance of “structure first, people second” when building a successful organization. The conversation also highlights common mistakes when developing structure and offers insights on avoiding these issues to build a robust foundation for success. | |||
| How to Have Truly Productive Meetings | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:29:19 | |
This week, we’re getting into the significance of meetings as one of the 9 Core Competencies of organizational success. Mark emphasizes that structured meetings are essential for alignment and problem-solving and shares the key elements meetings need to be productive. The episode also touches on the positive cultural impact of enjoyable and effective meetings, rather than the dreaded workplace obligations many people view them as. | |||
| The Importance of an Agreements-Based Culture | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:26:27 | |
In this episode, Mark and Cole discuss the importance of an agreements-based culture within companies. Mark shares his thoughts on the impact of climate and culture on business and the significance of transparent communication and feedback. Tune in to learn more about what an agreements-based culture is and how it can help shape your organization for the better. | |||
| Building Maz: Inside the Strategy Behind Ninety’s AI Tool | 25 Jul 2025 | 00:48:57 | |
Building an AI assistant sounds like the obvious next move in today’s market—but most tools miss the mark. In this episode of the Founder’s Framework podcast, Mark Abbott talks with Ninety’s Head of AI Products, TJ Kneale, about what it really took to build Maz, Ninety’s AI assistant designed to help teams run better. You’ll learn: This episode is full of lessons for founders building AI tools—or thinking about it. Connect: → Try Maz inside Ninety: https://www.ninety.io | |||
| How your Worldview Shapes your Entrepreneurial style | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:34:31 | |
Today, Mark and Cole Abbott embark on a discussion surrounding the concept of worldviews and, in turn, their impact on leaders and entrepreneurs. The conversation touches on various types of worldviews, including those shaped by religious beliefs, philosophical inquiry, and scientific understanding. Mark shares his thoughts on how these perspectives influence the different aspects of a business, shaping its path forward in both quantifiable and intangible ways. | |||
| An Introduction to the 5 Stages of Development | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:27:49 | |
This episode kicks off a new series on the five stages of organizational development. Mark and Cole Abbott begin to explore these stages, inspired by the work of organizational theorist Elliott Jaques. They touch on the increasing complexity and competency required at each stage, with key insights into the specifics of how businesses must strategically grow to support their long-term vision and operations. | |||
| The 9 Core Competencies Framework | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:31:27 | |
This week, Mark and Cole dive deep into the 9 Core Competencies crucial for building a successful company — vision, customer focus, goal setting, team dynamics, organizational structure, data management, effective meetings, streamlined processes, and enhancing enterprise value. Their conversation explores the significance of each individual competency and their collective contribution to organizational success. Mark shares what he views as the most challenging of these principles to maintain consistently, as well as which one CEOs make the common mistake of overlooking. | |||
| Creating your roadmap to success with frameworks | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:29:52 | |
Get ready to delve into the critical importance of frameworks in both personal and professional contexts. From explaining the conceptual structure of frameworks to discussing their practical applications, Mark provides insightful examples, including the use of RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) in project management and EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) in business development. | |||
| How visionary leadership impacts business success | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:30:34 | |
Continuing on the topics of 9 Core Competencies and vision, we discuss visionary leadership and its impact on business success. We also dive into the core principles of building a thriving company and draw upon insights from influential books like "Built to Last" by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. Learn how a cohesive vision, rooted in Core Values and purpose, serves as the guiding light for organizations. Explore the challenges of maintaining authenticity and trust as companies grow, and discover ways to integrate a compelling vision throughout your organization. | |||
| The importance of having an explicit vision in your organization | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:25:10 | |
In this episode, we explore why having a vision is crucial for founders launching a business. A clear vision not only guides marketing strategies but also defines target audiences and communicates Compelling Value Propositions effectively. We'll delve into the ways a well-defined vision shapes a high-trust, agreements-based culture, attracts Ideal Customers, and lays the groundwork for long-term growth. We’ll also discuss the importance of founders aligning their actions with their vision to establish credibility and trust, ultimately paving the way for success in their ventures. | |||
| Leveraging a Business Operating System Throughout Your Organization | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:27:35 | |
The benefits of adopting and intentionally running on a BOS (business operating system) are far more powerful the more it is utilized across the organization. It allows for better alignment from top to bottom. Join us as we discuss why it works, what we've learned, and where people often go wrong. | |||
| L10 Meetings with Mark Abbott | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:25:54 | |
On this episode, we discuss why L10 Meetings are so valuable to helping teams run effectively and efficiently. | |||
| Mark Abbott Discusses Why EOS Works | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:28:28 | |
On this episode, we discuss the fundamentals of a BOS and what makes EOS work. | |||
| Introducing: Founder's Framework | 20 Jun 2024 | 00:29:34 | |
We’re excited to introduce "Founder's Framework," our new content hub dedicated to teaching, empowering, and supporting business founders. Tune in for Mark’s thoughts on the importance of small and midsize businesses in a healthy society and the unique challenges founders face. The episode highlights frameworks' critical role in maintaining a company's vision and Core Values over time, ensuring long-term success and satisfaction. | |||
| Are You Building a Job or Building a Company? | 11 Jul 2025 | 01:15:23 | |
It’s one thing to start a business. It’s another to intentionally design a company that can grow and evolve beyond your daily effort. | |||
| The Truth About Building a Mobile App as a Startup | 27 Jun 2025 | 01:05:57 | |
Building a mobile app sounds like a natural step for product-led startups, but it’s not always the right move. In this episode of the Founder’s Framework podcast, Mark Abbott talks with Ninety’s Head of Product, Kyle Phillips, about what it really takes to build and maintain a mobile app. You’ll learn:
This candid conversation is packed with insights for any founder or product leader thinking about investing in mobile. | |||
| Intensity vs Consistency: Why Founders Burn Out | 13 Jun 2025 | 00:52:48 | |
In this episode of the Founder’s Framework podcast, Mark Abbott explores the tension between intensity and consistency in high-growth companies. Founders are often wired to push hard, but without consistency, that intensity becomes unsustainable and even damaging. Mark shares insights on how founders can build systems that support sustained growth, prevent burnout, and maintain alignment with their teams. Whether you're in the middle of a growth surge or trying to create more stability, this conversation will help you reflect on how to pace your leadership and guide your team more effectively. Resources:
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| Leading in the Age of Actualization | 30 May 2025 | 01:02:38 | |
Join us on the Founder’s Framework podcast as we dive deep with Mark Abbott, author of “Work 9.0: The Evolution of Work”, exploring the profound shifts shaping our workplaces—and our world. We stand at the intersection of two eras: leaving behind the Age of Information (Work 7.0) and embracing the Age of Understanding (Work 8.0), with our sights set on the transformative horizon of Self-Actualization (Work 9.0). In this episode, Mark unpacks what this transition means for visionary leaders seeking to build enduring, purpose-driven organizations that thrive amidst complexity and uncertainty. We’ll explore how trust, culture, and clarity can guide founders through this critical moment, positioning their companies not only to survive but to significantly matter. This is more than a conversation; it’s an urgent call to action for enlightened leaders ready to shape the future of Work—one defined by deep human fulfillment, meaningful contribution, and lasting impact. What you’ll learn: Resources: Connect: | |||
| Recession-Proof Leadership: Building an Anti-Fragile Company | 16 May 2025 | 00:47:54 | |
When a recession hits, will your company break, survive, or get stronger? In this episode of the Founder’s Framework podcast, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott unpack how the most resilient companies prepare for economic uncertainty. From zero-based budgeting and leadership alignment to antifragile culture and high-trust stakeholder relationships, this is your blueprint for weathering any storm and coming out stronger. You’ll learn: Resources: Connect: | |||