Back

Explore every episode of the podcast Founder's Framework

Dive into the complete episode list for Founder's Framework. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

Rows per page:

1–50 of 64

TitlePub. DateDuration
The Math of Trust — feat. Kris Snyder (EP. 64)14 août 202601:12:28

Ten years in, Mark Abbott sits down with Ninety co-founder Kris Snyder to talk honestly about what they built, what they would do differently, and what still is not solved. They get into why Ninety reached roughly $40M in ARR without a single salesperson, an idea Kris carried over from his first job out of college at McMaster-Carr, and why they eventually conceded that the "we don't sell, we serve" era had to end. 

Kris walks through the Math of Trust, the three-part model the two of them developed around 2020 that treats character as binary, competency as a score, and connection as a percentage, and shares what happened when a leadership team rated a colleague's character at zero. 

They also cover the Five Stages of Development, why nearly the entire EOS world is stuck in stage three, and why leadership development almost never happens by osmosis. The most candid stretch is about what they got wrong: going fully remote across 36 states, holding onto fractional leaders long past their usefulness, and the trap of covering for a direct report instead of replacing them.

Key topics:
* The Math of Trust: character times competency times connection, and why a zero on character ends the equation
* Reaching $40M ARR with no sales team, and knowing when that model has run out
* The Five Stages of Development, and why most EOS companies are stuck at stage three
* Why leadership development rarely happens on its own, and what to do about it
* The difference between coaching, mentoring, and judging, and why leaders conflate all three
* Going fully remote as the "non-gift" of the pandemic

About Kris Snyder:
Kris Snyder is a co-founder of Ninety and an EOS implementer who has been building companies since the dot com era. His first job out of college was at McMaster-Carr, the multi-billion dollar, century-old distributor that famously operates without any salespeople, an experience that directly shaped Ninety's early go-to-market approach. He spent 13 years in Entrepreneurs' Organization, including board service running its mentorship program, and he made his first investment in Ninety in December 2019, following it with a six-figure check in the opening weeks of the pandemic.

→ Follow Kris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krissnyder/

Mentioned in this episode:
- "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886
- "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756
- "You Can Negotiate Anything" by Herb Cohen, who ran negotiation training at Mark's early bank: https://www.amazon.com/You-Negotiate-Anything-Herb-Cohen/dp/0806541229
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Jane Loevinger's stages of ego development, referenced as the intellectual roots of Ninety's Five Stages framework

Resources:
→ Subscribe to Mark's Founder's Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT
→ Subscribe to Ninety's EOS Newsletter: https://www.ninety.io/impact-moments
→ Try Ninety free: https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=you…

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott
→ Follow Kris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krissnyder/

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:58 - AI as agency, and what Claude changes about hard problems
06:26 - Are we solving complexity, or creating it?
07:58 - Ideas are worthless without someone who owns them
10:22 - Humans are at the edge of creativity
11:02 - Creativity as a process, and Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act"
13:15 - McMaster-Carr and the origin of "we don't sell, we serve"
16:02 - Why Ninety never had incentive plans
20:34 - COVID as a gift, and the EOS Worldwide breakthrough
23:20 - Writing a six-figure check in the first weeks of the pandemic
23:58 - From Maslow to the Five Stages of Development
28:07 - Why most of the EOS world is stuck at stage three
35:25 - Leadership development does not happen by osmosis
37:42 - Finding a mentor, and what mentorship actually requires
41:03 - Coaching versus judging
45:55 - The Math of Trust
53:42 - What a genuinely healthy team looks like
55:24 - The CEO who fired his COO the next day
56:18 - Ego, empathy, and covering for people you should replace
1:01:42 - The "non-gift" of a fully remote team
1:05:28 - Fractional leadership, and holding on too long
1:09:01 - What each of them is most proud of

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Family Business, Built to Last — feat. Sara Stern13 juil. 202601:04:52

Most people meet a family business with a raised eyebrow, assuming nepotism, dysfunction, and the kind of dinner-table drama that makes for good television. Mark Abbott sits down with family business expert Sara Stern to make the opposite case: family businesses are among the most enduring and value-creating institutions on the planet, and the very thing critics mock is often the reason they last. Sara walks through the three-circle model of family, business, and ownership, the underrated role of the "chief emotional officer" who protects a family's traditions, and why holding relatives to the same standard is an act of love rather than favoritism. Mark connects it to his own work on rituals, artifacts, and the long game, including a simple framework for the four kinds of conversations every leader has and why mixing them up is where things break down. It adds up to a wide-ranging talk about culture, leadership, and playing a hundred-year game in a world obsessed with the next quarter.

Key topics:

  • Why family businesses endure, and why the stigma gets it backwards
  • The three-circle model and the "chief emotional officer"
  • Rituals, traditions, and artifacts as the real fabric of culture
  • Holding family members to the same standard as everyone else
  • The four types of conversations: coaching, managing, training, and social
  • Playing the long game: 100-year thinking and legacy

About Sara Stern:
Sara Stern is a family business expert and EOS Implementer who has built her career helping family enterprises thrive. Before becoming an implementer she spent roughly a decade with a family business institute, and she is known in the EOS community as the person who champions family businesses rather than groaning about them. Find her at sarahbstern.com and on LinkedIn.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • The Three Circle Model of the Family Business System (Tagiuri & Davis, Harvard, 1978): johndavis.com
  • Elliott Jaques, time span of discretion, from "Requisite Organization": Amazon
  • The Drama Triangle (victim, persecutor, rescuer) and The Empowerment Dynamic (creator, challenger, coach), from "The Power of TED*" by David Emerald: Amazon
  • Radio Flyer (a multi-generational family business example)
  • LVMH and Warren Buffett (durable, enduring-asset examples)

Connect:
Follow Mark on LinkedIn
Follow Sara on LinkedIn
Sara's website: sarahbstern.com

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Building Alongside a Founder — feat. Michelle Rose26 juin 202601:07:15

When Mark Abbott posted a Craigslist ad for a part-time assistant back in 2015, he had no idea he was hiring one of the people who would help define the soul of Ninety. In this special episode, Mark sits down with Michelle Rose to retrace more than a decade of building the company from a one-person coaching practice and a rotating cast of assistants into a platform that helped thousands of organizations survive and grow through COVID. They talk candidly about the messy early years of fractional leadership and outsourced engineering, the farm outside Atlanta where every quarterly planning session ended around a six-hundred-pound cast-iron fire pit, and the hard-won lesson that culture is built by the people who care enough to solve the problem behind the problem. At the center of it all is a simple idea Mark keeps coming back to: your job is never just to do your job, it is to help the team win.

Key topics:

  • The Craigslist hire and the earliest, scrappiest days of building Ninety (90)
  • Why fractional leadership and a "different company every six months" are so hard to scale
  • Building a culture of service that was never written into the core values
  • "Your job is to help the team win": the mindset that separates who thrives from who struggles
  • COVID as the turning point that made both the platform and the relationships matter more than ever
  • Mission versus job, and the real cost of a founder stepping out of every interview

About Michelle Rose:
Michelle Rose is one of Ninety's longest-tenured team members, joining Mark Abbott as a part-time assistant more than a decade ago and growing alongside the company into a leader across its implementer and client relationships. She is known internally for a deep commitment to service, relationship-building, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

Mentioned in this episode:
Kolbe A Index (the assessment Mark references in the hiring process): https://www.kolbe.com

Connect:
Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
Follow Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleerose

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Building Ninety: 10 Years Through the Eyes of Our First FTE — feat. Christine Watts12 juin 202601:03:00

Ninety almost didn't get to build the software that now runs thousands of companies. Mark Abbott marks the company's 10-year anniversary with Christine Watts, Ninety's first full-time employee, tracing the journey from a $500-a-month marketing budget and two college-age engineers to a platform used by roughly 4,000 organizations. They get honest about the years when every feature and every blog post needed EOS Worldwide's approval, the "beautiful mess" of bringing technology into a world that resisted it, and the ultimatum that pushed Ninety to build its own Plan B. Christine explains how customer experience became the company's north star without anyone ever formally deciding it, why COVID turned into the unexpected tipping point behind nearly 200% growth, and what a decade of constant role changes taught her about ambiguity, humility, and herself.

In this episode:

  • The early years: product-market fit inside the EOS implementer community with almost no marketing
  • Building product under EOS Worldwide's approval, and the tension that came with it
  • COVID 2020 as the tipping point that finally proved the product
  • Customer experience as a core value no one ever formally decided on
  • The "Plan B" ultimatum and navigating the license fight without burning bridges
  • What 10 years and constant role changes taught Christine about leadership and ambiguity

About Christine Watts: Christine Watts is Ninety's first full-time employee, joining in January 2017. Over nearly a decade she has led marketing, client success, and product, served as chief of staff, and now serves as Ninety's Head of Professional Services. Connect with Christine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wattschristine/

Mentioned in this episode:

  • "Traction" by Gino Wickman
  • "The Discipline of Market Leaders" by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema

Try Ninety free: https://www.ninety.io/

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Why Leadership Is Never Aligned — feat. David Meyer29 mai 202601:00:36

Every leadership team thinks they're aligned. David Meyer, founder of Spoke Marketing, has run alignment exercises with over a hundred companies across 17 years, and not once have two leaders written the same answer when asked their company's single most important message. That discovery led David to develop what he calls "thresholds of change": the inflection points where a company's old story stops matching reality, whether driven by new technology, shifting buyer behavior, leadership transitions, or market disruption. In this conversation, Mark and David unpack why alignment breaks down, why emotion (not logic) is the true driver of change, and how founders can use a simple "now, next, later, never" framework to keep their teams pointed in the same direction during turbulent times.

Key topics:

  • Why 100% of leadership teams fail the alignment test
  • Thresholds of change: recognizing when your brand story no longer fits
  • The "now, next, later, never" framework for prioritization
  • Why founders get emotionally attached to what got them there
  • How throwing more tactics at misalignment makes it worse

About David Meyer:
David Meyer is the founder of Spoke Marketing, a brand strategy and positioning agency he started nearly 18 years ago. With some team members who've worked together for over 30 years, Spoke helps companies figure out not what they want to say, but what their customers want to hear. Their mantra: "You haven't told your story until someone else can tell it."
Website: spokemarketing.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/admeyer/

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

How to Build a Good Life While Building a Company — feat. Charles Lee15 mai 202600:53:43

What does it take to build a good life, not just a successful company?

In this episode of Founder's Framework, Mark Abbott sits down with Charles Lee, founder of Ideation and author of Design Your Good Life. Charles shares how growing up as the child of immigrant entrepreneurs shaped the way he thinks about work, creativity, and what really matters.

In this episode:

  • Why your greatest strength may be the thing you take for granted
  • How curiosity helps people move through transition
  • Why competence and confidence are not the same thing
  • What Kobe Bryant taught Charles about success and family
  • How to stay connected to what matters while building something meaningful

If you're building a company and trying to build a life you're proud of, this conversation is worth your time.

Resources:
Get Design Your Good Life by Charles Lee: https://www.charlestlee.com/design-your-good-life-book-landing-page#preorder-the-book
Subscribe to Mark's Founder's Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT
Try Ninety free: https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=youtube

Connect:
Follow Charles on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlestlee/
Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Why Your Weekly Meetings Don’t Work24 avr. 202600:44:34

Mark and Cole unpack a simple but uncomfortable truth: if your weekly meetings aren’t working, your company probably isn’t either.

This conversation breaks down why so many teams dread meetings, what’s actually going wrong beneath the surface, and how those patterns reflect deeper issues with alignment, leadership, and discipline.

They walk through real scenarios inside leadership teams, from visionaries disrupting focus mid-quarter to teams avoiding the hard conversations that actually move the business forward.

At the center of it all is one idea: the weekly meeting is not just a meeting. It’s a signal. And if you learn how to read it, it will tell you exactly what’s working and what’s not inside your company.

You’ll Learn:

  • Why most meetings feel like a waste of time
  • How misalignment shows up in weekly meetings
  • The role of the visionary in breaking or strengthening focus
  • Why teams avoid the issues that matter most
  • How great meetings create clarity, accountability, and momentum

How are your meetings? Take the Rate Our Meetings Quiz to find out

Do you like this content? Get our latest book, Meetings Kinda Suck


Resources
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter
→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter
→ Try Ninety free:  https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=you…

Connect:

→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

The Hidden Cost of Too Many Ideas20 mars 202600:38:13

Growth creates options, but it also creates complexity.

In this Founder’s Framework episode, Mark Abbott and Cole Abbott unpack why so many companies get stuck doing more instead of doing what matters most. What starts as experimentation, ambition, or a flood of good ideas can quietly turn into friction, confusion, and wasted effort across the business.

This conversation is about discipline. It’s about keeping the main thing the main thing, resisting the pull of novelty, and building organizations that value fewer, finer, better decisions over constant motion.

You’ll hear:

  • Why too many ideas create drag across teams
  • How founders accidentally add complexity to the business
  • Why “fewer and finer” is a better operating principle
  • The difference between projects and programs as companies grow

If your company feels busy but not clear, this episode will help you rethink what’s actually moving the business forward.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.

Resources

→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

→ Stages of Development Quiz

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Should Founders Rebuild for AI? feat. Audra Stanton06 mars 202600:50:01

Mark Abbott sits down with Ninety’s head of product, Audra Stanton to discuss how founders should think about AI in their products and operations.

As AI becomes part of nearly every business conversation, founders are facing real pressure from investors, customers, and competitors to incorporate it. The question is not whether AI matters. The question is how to approach it thoughtfully without losing focus on what actually makes a company strong.

This episode explores the tension between innovation and discipline. It is a conversation about judgment, timing, change management, and keeping humans at the center of the company.

They reference examples including Netflix and Blockbuster, Intercom’s decision to lean heavily into AI despite short term pain, and Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology as a reminder that innovation does not always equal product market fit.

In this episode:

  • How founders should think about AI in product versus operations
  • The fear of being left behind and how to evaluate that risk
  • Why most companies using AI are not yet seeing meaningful ROI
  • How to navigate change without losing your core customer

If you are building a company meant to endure, this conversation will help you think more clearly about how and when to evolve.

Resources
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT
→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter: https://www.ninety.io/impact-moments
→ Try Ninety free:  https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=you…


Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Audra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audra-stanton/

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Introducing Impact Moments: A Podcast for the EOS Community20 févr. 202600:29:32

Mark Abbott sits down with Kris Snyder and Christine Watts to introduce Impact Moments, a new podcast from the team at Ninety, the EOS software platform companies have come to know, love, and trust for the past ten years.

This show is all about the real stories that shape culture, build clarity, and test leadership. These are the turning points inside EOS sessions and quarterlies that reveal what teams actually believe.

Created for EOS leaders, implementers, and teams, Impact Moments brings to life the moments that challenge alignment and strengthen culture when handled well.

Why now?
After years of working with more than 18,000 clients, the Ninety team wanted to share what they’ve seen up close. This podcast is a way to share those stories and support the broader EOS community.

In this episode:

  • What an “impact moment” looks like in the room
  • Why EOS success depends on how teams handle truth and tension
  • How storytelling preserves culture and accelerates growth
  • What to expect from the new show and who it’s built for

If you're running on EOS or helping others do it well, this is a podcast you’ll want to add to your queue. .

Resources
→ Subscribe to Impact Moments
→ Explore EOS support at Ninety: https://www.ninety.io/professional-services
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT
→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter: https://www.ninety.io/impact-moments
→ Try Ninety free:  https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=you…

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Kris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krsnyder
→ Follow Christine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemwatts 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

AI Doesn’t Replace Thinking. It Demands It30 janv. 202600:33:30

AI is changing how we work, but not by replacing people. It’s raising the bar for how we think.

In this Founder’s Framework episode, Mark Abbott explores what AI reveals about our habits, clarity, and decision-making. It doesn’t remove the need for good judgment. It makes the gaps more obvious.

This isn’t about fear or hype. It’s about learning how to think with AI in the loop and what that means for founders, teams, and culture.

You’ll hear:

  • Why founders are still responsible for making hard calls
  • How clear inputs lead to better AI outputs
  • What it takes to build thinking teams in an AI-driven world

If AI feels destabilizing, it might not be the tech, but what it’s showing us about how we work.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.

Connect:

→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott

→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

What 2025 Taught Us About Leadership Under Pressure16 janv. 202600:30:58

What happens when growth slows and leaders are forced to make decisions they hoped they could avoid?

In this episode, Mark Abbott reflects on the hard lessons of 2025, a year that forced difficult decisions, exposed cultural misalignment, and pushed leadership maturity to the forefront. From navigating high care versus high performance to making one-way door decisions under pressure, this conversation breaks down what founders must confront when uncertainty reveals what is really happening inside the company.

You’ll hear:

-Why ambiguity strains teams more than most founders expect
-What “succeed or escalate” looks like in real leadership moments
-Why accountability, ownership, and meeting size matter more as you scale

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.

Connect:

→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott

→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Resources:
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Why Brand and Culture Can’t Be Afterthoughts with Jed Morley05 déc. 202500:50:39

What does it take to build a brand that actually scales?

In this episode, Mark Abbott talks with Jed Morley, founder of Backstory Branding and author of Building a Brand That Scales. They dive deep into the role founders play in shaping brand and culture, and why alignment across both is non-negotiable if you want to build something that lasts.

Jed shares how Nike first sparked his obsession with branding, why most founders delay the hard brand work for too long, and how he helps companies turn insight into real, compounding impact.

You’ll hear:

  • Why a brand is not your logo and what it actually is
  • How founder alignment drives both culture and brand
  • The questions leaders must answer to attract like-minded talent

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every week.

Connect:
→ Follow Jed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedmorley/
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott

Resources:
 → Learn more about Backstory Branding: https://www.backstorybranding.com/
→ Read Building a Brand That Scales: https://www.backstorybranding.com/books/building-a-brand-that-scales
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

From Sweet Potatoes to a $100M Family Business feat. Jessie and Adrian Capote21 nov. 202501:17:55

What does it take to turn a five-acre crop into a national brand?

In this episode, Mark Abbott talks with Jessie and Adrian Capote of J&C Tropicals, a third-generation family business built on their father’s vision and grit. They open up about the near-collapse that nearly ended it all, the decisions that turned things around, and how they’ve evolved from surviving to leading with clarity, culture, and structure.

You’ll hear:

  • How their father’s hustle created a produce legacy
  • What it took to rebuild after hitting rock bottom
  • How generational leadership keeps the company strong

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every week.

Connect:

→ Follow Jessie on LinkedIn: : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiecapote/
→Follow Adrian on LinkedIn: : https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriancapote/

→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first insight every week.

Resources:
→ Learn more about J&C Tropicals: https://www.jctropicals.us/
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

You Can’t Delegate the Hard Stuff feat. Audra Stanton 10 nov. 202500:46:26

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:

  • Why escalation is a leadership signal, not a handoff
  • What happens when people avoid friction instead of facing it
  • How to model alignment without micromanaging

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Audra on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4qHhhyC


Subscribe for more founder-first insight every week.

Resources:
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

How AI Is Transforming Work, Culture, and Leadership24 oct. 202500:47:27

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.
They discuss:

  • How AI is organically transforming teams and tools inside Ninety
  • Why some organizations embrace AI while others resist it
  • The role of employee archetypes in understanding how people adopt new tech
  • The ethical and human implications of automation and job shifts
  • How leaders can guide their teams through massive technological change

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

The EQ Gym: Building Emotional Intelligence at Work with MyGrow’s Theran Knighton-Fitt03 oct. 202501:12:44

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.
The conversation covers:

  • Why most leadership training fails to create lasting change
  • The difference between fixing systems and empowering people
  • How emotional intelligence shapes culture and performance
  • MyGrow’s ten-year founder journey and the lessons along the way

For founders trying to scale culture while building systems, this conversation shows why emotional fitness is just as critical as operational efficiency.


Learn more about MyGrow: https://mygrow.me
Connect with Theran on LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/theranknighton-fitt


Subscribe for more founder-first conversations.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

The Truth About Founders and Freedom with Bob Glazer19 sept. 202500:56:54

Everyone talks about freedom as the ultimate goal of entrepreneurship, but for most founders, it’s not that simple.
In this episode of the Founder’s Framework podcast, Mark Abbott sits down with serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Bob Glazer to unpack the real truth about freedom in the founder’s journey.
They explore:

  • Why most founders feel less free after starting a business
  • The mental shifts required to escape the trap of “building yourself a job”
  • How to delegate, build trust, and scale without burning out
  • What true freedom looks like and how to design your business to support it

If you’re a founder wrestling with how to get out of the weeds and back to your vision, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Building Maz: Inside the Strategy Behind Ninety’s AI Tool25 juil. 202500:48:57

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:
→ The internal problem that sparked the idea for Maz
→ Why Ninety chose to build a purpose-built AI tool from scratch
→ What founders should consider before integrating AI into their product

This episode is full of lessons for founders building AI tools—or thinking about it.

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow TJ on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/tjkneale

→ Try Maz inside Ninety: https://www.ninety.io
→ Subscribe for more conversations on building great companies.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Are You Building a Job or Building a Company?11 juil. 202501:15:23

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.

In this episode, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott sits down with Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth, to explore what it really means to build a company. They break down the trap of doing the work, the power of the Dreaming Room, and the eight personas every entrepreneur must grow through to build something that lasts.

You’ll learn:
→ Why the founder’s role is to design the business, not just do the work
→ How the 8 personas of entrepreneurship shape your evolution
→ Why clarity of vision matters more than systems alone

Resources:
→ Learn more about the Dreaming Room
→ Read The E-Myth Revisited
→ Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework Newsletter
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

The Truth About Building a Mobile App as a Startup27 juin 202501:05:57

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:

  • Why timing matters more than ambition when launching a mobile experience
  • The surprising tradeoffs startups face between web and native apps
  • Lessons learned from building Ninety’s own iOS and Android apps

This candid conversation is packed with insights for any founder or product leader thinking about investing in mobile.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Intensity vs Consistency: Why Founders Burn Out13 juin 202500:52:48

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:
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days: https://bit.ly/TryNinety
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework newsletter: https://bit.ly/FoundersFrameworkNewsletter


Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Leading in the Age of Actualization30 mai 202501:02:38

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:
→ What Work 9.0 is and why it matters
→ How to maintain culture as your company scales
→ Why clarity, trust, and shared systems are the foundation of great work

Resources:
→ Order the Work 9.0 book: Work 9.0: The Evolution of Work 
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days: The Leading Cloud-Based Business Operating System | Ninety
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework newsletter: Founder's Framework | Your Key to Building an Unstoppable Company 

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Recession-Proof Leadership: Building an Anti-Fragile Company16 mai 202500:47:54

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:
→ How to assess if your company is truly built to withstand a downturn
→ Why antifragility—not just resilience—should be your goal
→ How to use Forever Agreements to stay aligned when pressure hits

Resources:
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days: https://bit.ly/TryNinety
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/FoundersFrameworkNewsletter

Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott
→ Follow Ninety on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/NinetyLinkedIn

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

OS Anarchy: Why Alignment Breaks as You Scale03 mai 202500:52:34

One team uses Asana. Another’s on Monday. A new hire swears by ClickUp.
Everyone’s “getting work done,” but no one’s aligned.

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:
→ Why tool sprawl becomes a silent bottleneck in growing companies
→ How siloed systems lead to confusion, duplication, and cultural drift
→ What it means to build a Unifying Operating System and where to start

Resources:
→ Download the Vision Builders Workbook
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework newsletter
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days: The Leading Cloud-Based Business Operating System | Ninety 


Connect:
→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott
→ Follow Ninety on LinkedIn for more insights and updates: https://bit.ly/NinetyLinkedIn

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Investors Are (Almost) Forever18 avr. 202500:47:39

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
→ How to assess compatibility across character, competency, and connection
→ The role of Forever Agreements in choosing the right investors

Resources:

→ Lean more about Forever Agreements
→ Explore the Vision Builders Workbook
→ Subscribe to the Founder's Framework Newsletter
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days

Connect:

→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

When Brands Drift: Why Alignment Starts (and Ends) with You04 avr. 202500:56:48

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:
→ Why Brand Drift is a natural part of company growth and a signal, not a failure
→ What changes and what doesn’t as your Vision evolves
→ Why consistent messaging starts with internal alignment, not just marketing
→ The founder’s role as the Keeper of the Vision, especially in high-growth seasons

Resources:
→ Explore the Vision Builders Workbook: Vision Builders Workbook 
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework Newsletter: Founder’s Framework | Newsletter
→ Try Ninety free for 30 days: The Leading Cloud-Based Business Operating System | Ninety

Stay Connected:
→ Follow Mark Abbott on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott
→ Follow Cole Abbott on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbott

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Forever Agreements: Preserving the Core21 mars 202500:49:13

In a world of constant change, great companies stay grounded by knowing what should never change.


In this episode, Ninety Founder & CEO Mark Abbott and Brand Strategist Cole Abbott dive into the concept of Forever Agreements—the core commitments that define who you are as a company and act as the throughline across every stage of growth. These aren’t strategies or tactics. These are the foundational agreements that shape your culture, your identity, and your future.

What you’ll learn:

  • What Forever Agreements are and how they differ from everything else
  • The four foundational commitments: Compelling Why, Core Values, Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and Compelling Value Proposition
  • Why making these agreements explicit helps your company scale without losing its identity


Resources:

→ Read more on Forever Agreements: 6 Ingredients Founders Use to Build Damn Good, If Not Great, Companies 
→ Explore Compelling Why: 7 Reasons Founders Need a Compelling Why
→ Learn about Core Values: Grow or Die #6: Culture Matters 
→ Subscribe to the Founder's Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/FoundersFrameworkNewsl...
→ Get the Founder Mode Workbook: https://bit.ly/FounderModeWorkbook


Connect:

→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn
→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Strong Opinions Loosely Held07 mars 202500:42:37

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:

  • Why strong opinions should be earned, not assumed
  • How to challenge your own biases and avoid blind spots
  • The role of ego development in leadership
  • How to think in frameworks that allow for growth and change

Resources:
→ On Stages of Development
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework Newsletter
→ Get the Founder Mode Workbook

Connect:
Follow Mark on LinkedIn
Follow Cole on LinkedIn

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

What it Takes to Be a Founder21 févr. 202501:14:20

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:

  • Why being a founder requires more than just a great idea
  • The mindset and resilience needed to build a lasting company
  • Mistakes founders make and how to avoid them
  • How to use the Founder Mode Workbook to clarify your vision and strategy

Resources:
→ Get the Founder Mode Workbook
→ Download the Vision Builder’s Workbook
→ Subscribe to the Founder’s Framework newsletter

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Bringing Your Vision to Life24 janv. 202500:57:56

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

The 9 Essential Characteristics of Great Companies09 janv. 202501:13:04

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.

For more on this subject, check out our recent blog post: The 9 Essential Characteristics of Great Companies

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

2024: A Year in Review27 déc. 202401:04:04

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.

Ninety's Assessment Tool

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

If You’re Not Growing, You’re Dying13 déc. 202400:59:43

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Founder Modes29 nov. 202400:49:23

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

High-Impact Annual Planning: A Blueprint for Success15 nov. 202400:55:18

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. 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Entering a Founder Mindset01 nov. 202401:09:05

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Exploring Founder Mode18 oct. 202400:46:51

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Align Structure and Strategy with Stratified Systems Theory04 oct. 202400:37:42

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. 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Stages of Development: Stage 520 sept. 202400:28:28

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.

Referenced materials (PDF download):

Guide On Stages of Development

Stages of Development Brief 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Stages of Development: Stage 413 sept. 202400:27:54

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.

Referenced materials (PDF download):
Guide On Stages of Development

Stages of Development Brief

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Stages of Development: Stage 306 sept. 202400:26:50

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.

Referenced materials (PDF download):
Guide On Stages of Development

Stages of Development Brief

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Stages of Development: Stage 223 août 202400:28:49

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.

Referenced materials (PDF download):
Guide On Stages of Development

Stages of Development Brief 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Stages of Development: Stage 116 août 202400:22:40

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.

Referenced materials (PDF download):

Stages of Development Guide On Stages of Development
Stages of Development Brief Stages of Development 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

On Competency, Commitment, and Capacity (CCC)09 août 202400:27:24

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Prepare for Your Exit with Enhanced Enterprise Value02 août 202400:29:48

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. 

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Why Your Ideal Customer Profile Matters26 juil. 202400:28:12

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Turn Data into Your Company’s Superpower19 juil. 202400:25:47

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

How Process Forms Alignment12 juil. 202400:21:48

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Mapping Out Success with Goals05 juil. 202400:35:47

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.

Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.
→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter

→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  

→ Try Ninety free for 30 days!

© My Podcast Data · Independent project · Data from Apple & Spotify