Useful Resources
Gartner ThinkCast Podcast

According to Gartner research, only 29% of strategy leaders believe their plans change quickly enough in the face of unforeseen change. In just the past few years, enterprises have had to navigate a global pandemic, economic volatility and generative AI — cosmic shifts that can affect everything from budgeting to staffing to supply chain. A nimble strategic plan is crucial for businesses to come out the other side unscathed — or better.

Useful Resources
The Crazy Ones Podcast

Founders, friends and fellow builders Alex Lieberman and Jesse Pujji know what it is to be a founder. The irrational confidence, relentless grind and creative ecstasy needed to build something. In this show, they dole out unfiltered opinions and advice on how to build businesses, and how the current state of the world helps or hurts founders.

Blog Posts
CovQ Digital Media Ecosystem Companies Insights 2023by Ralf Hirt

8W8 Global Business Builders developed in collaboration with more than 70 entrepreneurs, founders, executives, board members, investors, and academics the Compound Value Creator Quotient, aka CovQ or put simply: ‘the corporate IQ of a company,’ and is now releasing the CovQ Digital Media Ecosystem Companies Insights 2023. Digital Media ecosystem companies include the following categories: AdTech, MarTech, digital publishers and agencies, and related platforms.

Blog Posts
Corporate IQ Q&A, #CovQ

Can a company have a corporate IQ?  Yes, it can if you use data to assess, identify and deploy its attributes and value drivers through mission and value-creation-focused systems. 

Blog Posts
CovQ Insights of Exec Team Alignment Report: Communication is lacking measurement, data-driven tools, and structure, especially in hybrid/remote work environmentsby Ralf Hirt

Two recent Harvard Business Review titles were about strategy: ‘Strategies for Turbulent Times – A new way plan for the unknown’ and ‘How good is your Company at Change? You can improve your ability to adapt.’ Strategies have the sole purpose of delivering the company’s mission so everything needs to be cascaded and implemented into the organization starting at the very top. Therefore it is essential that executive management and also boards are aligned as much as possible and are proactive because this is the basis for all internal and external communication and for defining mission-critical priorities, strategies, actions, and goals.

Useful Resources
Marketecture Podcast. Get smart. Fast.

Marketecture is a new way to get smart about technology. Our team of real industry practitioners helps you understand the complex world of technology and make better vendor decisions through in-depth interviews with CEOs and product leaders at dozens of platforms.

Blog Posts
The Strategy Roller Coaster: YEAH!, urgh, damn, ouch, wow, well. Repeat!by Ralf Hirt

Over many years, I held operational executive roles and had the opportunity to speak to many business scalers of ambitious growth companies with respect to their challenges. What strategy execution is concerned the consensus was very clear. It is a roller coaster that goes like this:

January: The strategy just got ready, just. A couple of tweaks on the model still necessary but will take care of this asap. Annual Kick-off meeting: ‘YEAH, baby! It is going to be amazing. Everything is addressed, aligned, could not be more excited, troops are fired up. Killing it! Go, go, go!’

Useful Resources
Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast

Hugh MacArthur, head of Bain & Company’s Global Private Equity practice, interviews leading experts on the trends and opportunities that will redefine the private equity industry.

Blog Posts
CovQ Value Creation OS for Exec Teams of Growth Companies and Investors

CovQ empowers executive teams and boards of growth companies, PEs, SPACs, VCs, and consulting firms as well as businesses in transformation to deliver their mission and full potential. CovQ is a holistic, integrated, and cohesive business building infrastructure and value creation system encompassing a corporate IQ assessment system, framework, method, and knowledge embedded in SaaS to develop and execute mission-critical priorities and strategic initiatives, track and report progress, enable executive collaboration and alignment.