Bob Tinker’s Post

This article touches briefly on our approach to AI. In a world where we are awash in a sea of OpenAI "wrapper" companies, many of which are productizing what are effectively weekend hackathon projects, I can't emphasize enough the importance of investing time and resources into in-house AI/ML. Even if you're just hosting internal lunch-and-learns on deep learning fundamentals to ramp up your engineers and get them excited to build these tools, those efforts will amortize incredibly well over time. (N.B. Friendly reminder that AI is so much more than just LLMs.)

Good news coming your 😎way…. During these crucial times, every small positive item is so valuable💥. The More that you work on valuing every small win (valuable conversation, new information discovery, or connection) the more meaningful each big win will be… Don’t wait for the big wins to start enjoying and rejoicing. Your clients and employees will be thankful for that attitude. Start small- be smart🥸. #b2bgrowth #hitech #positiveinfluence #clientsatisfaction

This one change earned Axios HQ $155k in pipeline and $38k in new business in a single quarter. Jessica Placencia-Perez found UserGems through a recent hire on her team—fitting considering job changes are one of our top signals. The team saw the past champion playbook in action and quickly understood the value of automating past champion outbound for generating new pipeline. Here's how we helped them in just one quarter 👇 🔴 Challenge: Axios HQ needed to uncover new ways to grow pipeline. 🟡 Solution: They implemented UserGems and created their own playbook to track past product users (both ICP and non-ICP) for new opportunities. 🟢 Results: $155k pipeline generated within the first quarter and 2 UserGems-influenced deals totaling $38k in new business. Now they're finding warm paths into accounts instead of trying to heat up cold leads.

Funding is tricky in the Alt-Net world, but that’s not dampening Matthew Hare’s ambition to build Zzoomm into a 1 million+ premises passed Alt-Net, despite the company halting all new build and laying off staff. Acquisition/merger is the key, Matthew tells me, and although he doesn’t share specific details, it’s clear he sees Zzoomm doing well from the Big Alt-Net Consolidation. Check out my interview with Matthew on my YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eKVpe2xm   Last time Matthew visited me at our HQ in Rochdale, he was CEO of Gigaclear, so he certainly knows his beans when it comes to building full fibre networks.   We cover lots of interesting ground, including:   * Zzoomm has stopped building, but would build more if the debt markets were not completely constipated, due to nexfibre and CityFibre filling up the banks’ loan books. * How big does an Alt-Net need to be to attract scale retailers like Zen Internet? * Where will Zzoomm fit in the big consolidation? * What will Zzoomm do long-term with its retail business? * Will BT Group’s finance people decide to buy wholesale from rural Alt-Nets rather than funding Openreach build? * Just how much personal money did Matthew put into Zzoomm?   Huge thanks Matthew for doing this interview – it was very insightful, very open, energetic, and a real pleasure. #fullfibre #altnet #gigabit #broadband #isp

Thanks for sharing Tim Davis - Neil Shah and Jay Patel - excellent conversation about #CEO choices into #IPO #shareholdervalue creation and the importance of establishing US presence (spoiler alert: #TAM). This episode should have been longer - more please London Stock Exchange #software

"At the risk of getting punched... " - Michael Sears "Delaware C Corp" - Ike Ikeme Ok, this week has been killing on the amount of amazing panelists and information. Y'all loved my notes from the last event so here are some more important notes from amazing people who sat on the panel for the Kinect Capital event yesterday about Term Sheets: 🏛 "Delaware C Corp" - Ike Ikeme 💼 The board is critical. Slide #2 in your deck better have a board that’s impactful and influential. No exceptions. - Ike Ikeme 🏛 "Delaware C Corp. Repeating myself here." - Ike Ikeme 🚪Founders looking to exit in more than five years should consider the benefit of Qualified Small Business Stock. Jerry Bregg, CPA 🏛 "Delaware C Corp. Seriously." - Ike Ikeme 📃 Get that cap table up to date and everything matches with the right dates. Get it right to see what is yours. - Karen Frame 🏛 "Delaware C Corp. Do I need to keep saying this?" - Ike Ikeme ✍ Delaware law is favorable to investors. It's where the majority of companies that get funded will be formed. - Michael Sears 🏛 "Delaware C Corp. Really though." - Ike Ikeme ❓"It depends" - Tyler MacKay (My favorite comment of the night) **What was the actual ratio you and Michael stated for the stock ratio? 🏛 Ike looks at the crowd, without saying anything, his eyes tell you, "Delaware C Corp." - Ike Ikeme 🥡 Unboxing your company might be something to consider with a crowd-funded option. Are you at a place in time that makes sense for your competitors to see what you're up to? - Karen Frame 📢 Don’t put your evaluation on the deck - Michael S 🏛 "Do I have to say it again? ... " - Ike Ikeme **Ike was hit non stop with the Delaware question and loved how he handled it! Also, someone help me tag Michael Sears in this, he did such a great job as an MC. Thanks to Ray Smithson & James Kemp from the Kinect team teaming up with Silicon Slopes

In the halls of Gloomm, Inc., where the offices bore the scars of past battles, a new day dawned. Bea, Jake, and Sia met to forge a new path. But the air was tense, charged with an unknown energy. Into this space stepped a new figure, known only as Passive Aggressive. He moved through the offices with a quiet, unsettling grace, leaving a trail of discord in his wake. His presence was subtle, almost imperceptible, but the effect was palpable. Conversations stalled as he passed; plans became mired in doubt. Bea noticed it first. "There's a shift," she said one morning. "It's as if our efforts are being undone, but I can't figure out how or why." Jake frowned. "It's like fighting smoke. You see the damage, but you can't find the cause." Sia, who had seen leaders and visions rise and fall, observed quietly. "He's among us, planting seeds of discontent with whispers and half-truths. His attacks are never seen but always felt." "We’re facing an old adversary," Sia said. "They don’t fight with force, but subtlety. Passive Aggressive wants to unravel what we built, not through confrontation, but through the erosion of trust." "We must stand firm," Jake said. "Our strength is in our unity, our willingness to face challenges together." Bea stood up. "Let us not be defeated by shadows. We must expose them for what they are, and continue to build a new Gloomm that grows from openness and trust." Passive Aggressive's attempts to undermine and divide the employees became less effective as his methods were brought into the open. Yet, as Gloomm, Inc. adapted to this threat, it was clear that the battle was not over. Passive Aggressive retreated into the shadows, his presence a constant reminder of the complexities of human nature. In this world, shaped by stark reality, the fight for the soul of a company was not just about victory but about the journey, the unending quest to create something lasting. Stay tuned! Find out who is Passive Aggressive! Is it Sia, or maybe Jake? Can Bea come out of the shadows of her peers? Does Scooby Doo make a cameo? #Maxwell #VC #investor #workforcehealth #duediligence #employeeengagement

Fourteen years ago, we obtained our first business license and began the journey of developing Bluecom Solutions, an e-commerce and omnichannel enterprise. It's been a most fascinating and exhilarating journey - we've teetered on the brink of closure, worked with hundreds of clients, got acquired, broadened our team, enhanced our technological prowess, and embraced numerous new challenges. When Jensen Huang of Nvidia was asked about his experience growing Nvidia, he pointed out that it was a million times harder than anticipated. I can relate to that. But I've also learned a million things that I otherwise wouldn't have learned, and met a million* people I otherwise wouldn't have met. (*almost) I am deeply grateful for all the kind, lovely, interesting, intelligent, funny, ambitious, and all-around extraordinary people I've had the opportunity to work with - all my dedicated colleagues who have stayed with us through the good and the bad times, everyone at Dentsu and Merkle who have always been a pleasure to work with, and the many great partners and clients who supported and believed in us. As I pivot and embark on a new journey, I am eager to continue to learn and absorb as much as I can and utilize all that I've learned to its greatest potential - hopefully avoiding some of the mistakes of my previous entrepreneurial journeys. Change is the only constant in life, and as the pace of change is ever-increasing, I am excited to embrace new growth opportunities, for myself and others. #entrepreneurship #startup #ecommerce

🚀 Imagine having more time to focus on what you love about your business! That's where Thrivin steps in. We're all about making your life easier with our innovative A.I. and automation tools. Just like Jakob from Alcaster Hardware Store, who says: "Thrivin's team is dedicated, knowledgeable, and the results speak for themselves. Thank you, Thrivin!" Ready to be our next success story? 💼✨ Book a demo at thrivin.biz 🌐 #ClientSatisfaction #InnovativeSolutions #Thrivin #THRIVIN

“Having Thryv has been the biggest game changer for us and I really don’t think we’d be in the same spot without having Thryv.” 🙌 THIS ☝️ I hear something similar from many of my clients! Checkout this short video👇and you may very well decide at some point - you’d like a game changer for your business too. When that time comes, I’m here to answer any questions you may have. #businessowner #businesssuccess #Thryv