The buzz about ROI from AI software investments is palpable, so Dave "CAC" Kellogg and Ray "Growth" Rike take on the topic of measuring Return on Investment on AI software investments. During today's episode, Dave and Ray discuss the details on measuring ROI including:

• Defining Return on Investment
• Soft vs Hard Benefits
• Productivity - the primary benefit of AI investments today
• Buy versus Build & Run - an old problem is new again
• ROI models need to go beyond payback period
• Look back reviews - the value vs the reality

Return on Investment (ROI) is not a new term - but one that is coming back into favor thanks to AI. If you are considering making or continuing an investment in AI software and project for your organization - this episode has something of value for you!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

9-9-6. A term to describe the work culture of working 9AM - 9PM six days a week. This term is most often associated with those founders, companies, and their employees that work in generational software opportunities - such as we see right now with AI Software.

Dave and Ray discuss 9-9-6 from multiple angles in today's episode including:

• What 9-9-6 is
• Where did it originate
• Why is it trending
• The importance of Winning in the early stage of a new software era
• Geoffrey Moore's segmentation of new enterprise software markets (Gorillas, Chimps and Monkeys)
• Historic examples of those companies that became category leader
• Why the grind is not the point - Winning is
• Why the choice of entering a 9-9-6 environment makes choosing the company even more important

If you are currently in an early-stage AI-Native software company or considering making the move - this episode is a must listen!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE) represents a fundamental reimagining of the technical role in high-stakes enterprise environments. At its core, an FDE is a software engineer embedded directly with customers to solve their most complex—and often ambiguous—problems.

Palantir is widely credited as the originator and early adopter of the FDE model, initially referring to these engineers as “Deltas.” In this episode, Dave “CAC” Kellogg and Ray “Growth” Rike explore multiple dimensions of the Forward-Deployed Engineer role, including:

• The origin of the FDE
• How the military influenced the term
• Whether the FDE belongs in a technology-enabled services company or a software company
• How an FDE differs from a traditional technical services consultant
• Where FDE expenses should be allocated—COGS vs. OPEX
• How those allocation decisions impact key metrics
• The hiring trends shaping the future of the FDE

If you’re building an AI-native application or an agentic AI company with outcome-based pricing, this episode is packed with insights and ideas on why a Forward-Deployed Engineer could be your next—and most important—hire.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.