Driving Growth Through User-Generated Data, With Steven Nelemans
Release Date: 04/05/2022
Big Bet Leadership in the Age of AI
Measure Success Podcast
High-stakes initiatives fail more than 80% of the time, yet leaders still have to pursue them to grow. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox talks with John Rossman, former Amazon executive and author of Big Bet Leadership, about how leaders should approach bold, risky transformation efforts in the age of AI. John shares why leaders must stop chasing predictability, treat strategy as a set of hypotheses, and focus on one critical bet at a time. The discussion covers AI strategy, experimentation, leadership discipline, and how organizations avoid dilution of focus....
info_outline
Why Most AI Efforts Miss the Mark
Measure Success Podcast
AI is everywhere, but most businesses are using it the wrong way. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox sits down with Eli Portnoy, co-founder and CEO of BackEngine.ai, to talk about the real gap between AI hype and real-world results. Eli explains why generic AI outputs fail, why context matters more than tools, and how sales and go-to-market strategies must evolve in a crowded, low-trust environment. They also discuss how outbound sales has changed, why easy channels stop working, and what leaders can do today to build relevance, trust, and long-term growth. If you want...
info_outline
How To Scale Sales: Avoid Mistakes
Measure Success Podcast
This episode is sponsored by , liberating entrepreneurs through fractional sales execution. Today, Steve helps growth-stage companies break through revenue barriers while giving founders the freedom to focus on building extraordinary businesses. Founder-led businesses often grow fast, then stall. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl Cox sits down with Steve Caton, Founder and CEO of Altezza Solutions, to discuss why sales becomes the biggest bottleneck for growing companies. Steve shares why hiring salespeople often fails, how founders unintentionally trap...
info_outline
The Real Truth About Private Equity Growth
Measure Success Podcast
Selling to private equity is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of a new phase of growth. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox, CEO of 40 Strategy and 40 Accounting sits down with Neel Bhargava, founding partner at NB Group, to unpack how private equity partnerships really work for founder- and family-owned businesses. Neel shares how his firm approaches growth-focused investing, why rolling equity is critical, and how conservative use of debt protects long-term value. The conversation also explores what typically changes in the first 18 months after an...
info_outline
The Funding Mistake That Kills Deals
Measure Success Podcast
In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox sits down with real estate investor and educator Jay Conner to break down private money and why it has been the foundation of his business since 2009. Jay explains how private money works, who private lenders really are, and why having capital ready changes everything about deal execution. He shares a real world case study where preparation and access to funding made a fast, profitable exit possible when traditional financing would have failed. Listeners will learn why mindset matters as much as mechanics, how conservative strategy...
info_outline
Strategy Is Not About Doing More
Measure Success Podcast
In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox sits down with John Whitt, founder of Business Whitt and author of Checkmate, to explore how strategic thinking, leadership, and generosity intersect. John explains how lessons from competitive chess apply directly to business. Small advantages, disciplined execution, and resource placement matter more than chasing quick wins. The conversation covers clarity in goal setting, identifying constraints, testing ideas before scaling, and leading with generosity as a competitive edge. Listeners will gain practical insight into building...
info_outline
How Smart Leaders Use AI to Execute Better
Measure Success Podcast
AI is changing how companies grow, how leaders lead, and how strategy gets executed. In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox sits down with Klee Kleber, co-founder and partner at Build Group, to discuss what leaders need to understand right now. Klee shares why expertise is becoming a commodity, why implementation is still the biggest challenge, and how operator-led strategy creates real value. They cover how AI is reshaping product development, go-to-market strategy, and leadership, along with why human judgment, trust, and execution still matter. This episode is a clear...
info_outline
AI, Sales, and the Power of Human Connection
Measure Success Podcast
In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J Cox talks with Gabe Lullo, CEO of Alleyoop, about the real role of outbound sales in today’s market. They discuss how AI is changing sales without replacing human connection, why founders should stay close to revenue early, and how content builds trust before the first conversation ever happens. Gabe shares lessons from scaling a remote SDR organization and explains how fractional sales teams help growing companies create momentum without overspending. This conversation is practical, honest, and focused on strategy over tactics. If you...
info_outline
Why AI Is Reshaping Leadership Today
Measure Success Podcast
In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl sits down again with CEO and author Trey Taylor for a candid conversation on AI, culture, and the future of leadership. Trey explains why AI is no longer optional, how leaders can avoid lazy thinking, and what’s driving the rapid rise of Latino-owned businesses in the U.S. He shares insights on balancing culture, people, and numbers—his signature “three things”—while adapting to tools that change faster than organizations can keep up. Trey also gives practical examples of AI improving operations, decision-making, and customer...
info_outline
Where Do Leaders Go For Real Growth?
Measure Success Podcast
In this episode, Carl J. Cox talks with global speaker and executive coach Dona Amelia about why leaders need safe spaces to grow. Dona shares her upbringing in rural Indonesia, her rise as a performer and executive, and how those experiences shaped her belief that leaders can only grow when they have a place to speak honestly, ask real questions, and receive support without judgment. She explains how peer networks, shared experiences, and diverse perspectives help executives make better decisions and avoid isolation at the top. If you’ve ever felt pressure to know everything or carry...
info_outlineIn This Episode…
Many people might think a company’s great ideas come from its leaders. But the best companies? They draw their biggest ideas from the ones who know the market best: their users.
In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox talks with Steven Nelemans, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who has used the power of user-sourced data to build his current company, Luna. Luna is a SaaS platform that finds the perfect leads for their users, then writes a personalized outreach message to those leads.
But when it comes to new features or new goals for the company, Steven said it can be powerful to listen to what customers are saying – and that the more companies stray away from that data (and towards focusing only on competitors), the less likely it is that company will actually succeed.
In this episode, we also talk more about how to sustainably grow a company (and how fast is TOO fast to grow), obstacles Steven faced in building his first startup that he didn’t want to repeat at his second, and how Luna’s users are actually driving how the company’s AI system is “trained.” Tune into the full episode!
Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Learn:
- How AI is getting “smarter,” plus how Steven’s company uses those tools
- How software users can actually be the ones to “train” an AI system, and how they inform and inspire new features from a company
- Steven’s beginning in the startup world at 19 years old, and how he used what he learned then to inform his current company
- The inspirational power of Silicon Valley
- The obstacle Steven experienced with his first company that he didn’t want to repeat at his next
- The importance of metrics when it comes to measuring growth and product market fit
- How to sustainably grow a company and why it’s important to focus on your customers, not your competitors
- What Steven does to balance his work life with his personal life and stay energized in each
- How to measure personal success, plus the power of weekly planning and reflection