ScreamingBox Technology & Business Rundown

ScreamingBox
ScreamingBox Technology & Business Rundown

Join us for interesting conversations about technology and the business of IT.

  1. HR Strategies and PEO's for Tech Companies Needing Scale Up and GROW

    JUN 30

    HR Strategies and PEO's for Tech Companies Needing Scale Up and GROW

    In this podcast Dave Erickson and Botond Seres are going to explore HR Strategies for Tech Companies - with Suzanna Martinez - Founder & President of PEO For The CEO With over 20 Years of HR experience in the Professional Employer Organization industry, Suzanna is very experienced in guiding businesses through vendor consolidation and cost-saving solutions - that empower leadership teams to focus on growth. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs scale with confidence by leveraging outsourced HR infrastructure that works. In 2020, Suzanna founded PEO For The CEO, a national brokerage firm that helps growing companies streamline HR, payroll, benefits, and compliance - through strategic Professional Employer Organization (PEO) partnerships. Before that she worked for large companies such as Trinet and ADP as a PEO business consultant and in HR service sales - providing comprehensive HR solutions to small and medium-sized firms. SUMMARY TIMELINE 0:00 HR Industry Background and Challenges 3:51 Current HR Trends and Compliance Issues 7:55 Impact of AI on HR and Healthcare Complexities 11:03 Popular Benefits and Retirement Plans 17:18 Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Talent 28:57 PEO Industry and Client Selection 31:44 PEO Services and Compensation Strategies 44:59 Future of PEOs and Final Thoughts46:28 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Suzanna Martinez = https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannamartinezpeofortheceo/ Website = https://www.peofortheceo.com/ Guest Bio – Suzanna MartinezSuzanna Martinez is the Founder and President of PEO For The CEO, a national brokerage firm that helps growing companies streamline HR, payroll, benefits, and compliance through strategic PEO (Professional Employer Organization) partnerships. With over 20 years of experience in the PEO industry, Suzanna specializes in guiding businesses through vendor consolidation and cost-saving solutions that empower leadership teams to focus on growth. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs scale with confidence by leveraging outsourced HR infrastructure that works.

    48 min
  2. Scaling SaaS Product Development and Engineering for Successful GROWTH!

    JUN 2

    Scaling SaaS Product Development and Engineering for Successful GROWTH!

    In this podcast Botond Seres and Dave Erickson examine techniques to grow SaaS product development and engineering  with Drew Harris - Fractional Chief Technology & Product Officer of The1DrewHarris.com As a former SaaS CEO and seasoned technology leader, Drew has built, scaled, and optimized SaaS products that have powered businesses from startup to $100M products. From pioneering subscription-based video training to scaling an event management SaaS, his company, QuantumDelta, helped customers unlock new revenue streams and achieve massive growth - like taking a single-location franchise to over 100 locations nationwide. Now, as a fractional product and technology leader, Drew helps SaaS companies avoid common pitfalls and build high-performing engineering teams. He brings years of hands-on experience in Agile development, performance testing, and strategic product roadmaps to create software that delivers stability, efficiency, and growth. SUMMARY TIMELINE 0:00 Scaling SaaS Product Development and Engineering2:06 Guest Background: First work with a SaaS product or company5:53 Making features more applicable to a wide customer base8:35 Challenges of Scaling from MVP to Production 13:40 Building Trust and Alignment in Teams 23:43 Strategies for building team trust28:19 How to use data and KPIs to build trust between management and teams42:37 Agile and trying to balance speed with stability49:43 Incorporating Quality and Performance Testing 57:17 The Role of AI in SaaS 1:00:16 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Drew Harris = https://www.linkedin.com/in/the1drewharris/Website = https://www.the1drewharris.com LONG BIO Drew HarrisFractional Chief Technology & Product Officer of The1DrewHarris.com Drew Harris is a former SaaS CEO with deep experience in software engineering, product, and technology leadership. SaaS in the early days... QuantumDelta means measurable change, which was delivered to hundreds of customers. QuantumDelta consistently helped its customers grow and scale their businesses. A few of the innovations that QuantumDelta provided to its customers: * Create new revenue streams* Implementing E-commerce* Building subscription-based on-demand video training* Providing a robust self-service Event Management SaaS One of the best accomplishments came from the success of their fastest-growing customer when QuantumDelta helped them scale their franchise from one to over a hundred locations nationwide. The franchise ran its businesses on QuantumDelta SaaS software for years. As the founding CEO and CTO, Drew faced challenges in keeping true to our SaaS model and serving their clients' greater good while allowing for innovative growth with our biggest and fastest-growing clients. As a consultant, Drew built numerous cloud and mobile solutions for his clients to help them, including an app for real-time vet medical records for show horses and trainers to provide vaccination proof for show events. As a technology founder, Drew has been involved in several SaaS companies, one of which is for the tax and accounting professional community to manage projects, tasks, and clients. Drew spent a decade in the corporate world as a product and engineering leader in growth-focused & impact-driven technology and SaaS companies, helping develop and implement roadmaps to enable innovation and growth. He experienced first-hand acquisitions, was part of an IPO, and helped a SaaS company achieve $100M ARR. As a Fractional Product and Technology leader for your growing SaaS company, Drew brings all of his experience to help you avoid the pitfalls and achieve greater impact as you work to improve the lives of others.

    1h 2m
  3. How to 🔎 Recognizing 🔎 and 🛡️ Protect 🛡️ Your Business From Cyber-Fraud

    MAY 5

    How to 🔎 Recognizing 🔎 and 🛡️ Protect 🛡️ Your Business From Cyber-Fraud

    In this podcast, Dave Erickson and his knowledgeable co-host Botond Seres; are going to look for Cyber-Fraud and see how to deal with it, with Jason Costain the Director at Javloc Ltd. With over 25 years of leadership experience in safeguarding corporate assets, he has worked with some of the UK’s largest banks - to streamline operational fraud risk and enhance business performance through innovative strategies and advanced technologies - which allows them to navigate complex fraud threats while maintaining efficiency and growth. As the founder of Javloc, a consultancy that delivers cutting-edge solutions in fraud risk management and business resilience - Jason has helped individuals and businesses stay ahead of emerging risks by integrating state-of-the-art fraud defense systems, biometric authentication, and artificial intelligence into their risk management frameworks. Jason is also a recognized thought leader whose expert insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Daily Telegraph, and The Times. SUMMARY TIMELINE0:03 Cyber Fraud and Business Vulnerabilities 4:30 Common Types of Cyber Fraud7:14 Practical Measures for Businesses 11:46 Internal Fraud and Employee Behavior 16:50 Advanced Fraud Techniques and Prevention 17:04 The Role of AI in Fraud Prevention 22:05 Card Scan Skimmers32:22 Authentication Standards37:05 Email Security39:09 BYOD Devices46:11 AI and Cyber-Fraud54:21 Javloc Limited 55:41 Future of Fraud Prevention and Final Thoughts 59:11 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Jason Costain = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-costain-b529746/ Website = https://www.javloc.com/ Additional Bio:   Fraud Prevention ConsultantExecutive SummaryJason Costain is a banking fraud trouble-shooter, and the founder of Javloc Ltd, a consultancy specializing in fraud prevention and financial crime defense. Jason has leveraged over 30 years of expertise to assist banks and organizations in strengthening their defenses against fraud, and financial crime. Extended Description:Jason Costain is a leading fraud prevention expert with a career spanning more than three decades. Before founding Javloc Ltd, Jason led fraud and financial crime defense teams at prominent UK banks, where he played a pivotal role in combating emerging threats such as authorized push payment (APP) fraud and cryptocurrency-related scams. Jason holds an ICA Diploma inFinancial Crime Prevention, underscoring his commitment to staying at the forefront of the field. In 2023, Jason established Javloc Ltd to provide specialized consulting services aimed at helping financial institutions and businesses enhance their fraud detection and prevention capabilities. As the Director of Javloc, Jason focuses on implementing cutting-edge technologies and strategies to mitigate fraud risks. Throughout his career, Jason has demonstrated that significant improvements in fraud prevention can be achieved primarily through building skilled teams to exploit pre-existing technology that banks use.   Jason has been instrumental in driving innovations such as real-time payment monitoring systems, biometrics, AI-driven risk scoring, and customer-centric fraud education.  These measures have significantly reduced fraud losses across UK banks while improving customer protection standards. Jason actively contributed to shaping the UK's voluntary reimbursement code for scam victims and led NatWest Group’s response to scams, which has set a global benchmark for fraud prevention best-practice.   His work has encouraged banks to invest in customer-centric fraud detection technologies and adopt more robust reimbursement policies. Jason emphasizes the human element in fraud prevention, sharing stories of scam victims to highlight the importance of empathy in policy-making. Jason believes that sharing fraud prevention best practice between banks and educating customers about fraud risks is critical. Jason envisions a collaborative ecosystem where banks work with key players such as crypto firms, regulators, telcos and technology providers to create a hostile environment for fraudsters.  Through Javloc Ltd, he aims to lead this transformation by combining advanced technologies with customer-first strategies to build trust and resilience across industries. ScreamingBox Technology & Business Rundown was born from ScreamingBox’s desire to discuss, analyze, and share the impact technology has on business and the world. Our four hosts all have extensive technology backgrounds and growing businesses to succeed.

    1h 1m
  4. How To Deal With The STRESS of Business and Work So You Can FLOURISH!!

    APR 1

    How To Deal With The STRESS of Business and Work So You Can FLOURISH!!

    In this podcast, Botond Seres and Dave Erickson are going to search for ways to deal with the stress of business - with Ryan Christensen, Founder of Ryan the Hypnotist. Ryan is a leading expert on using hypnosis to help high-performing professionals manage stress and unlock their full potential. With over two decades of being a military intelligence officer, Ryan has developed a unique methodology that goes beyond traditional hypnosis techniques. His work focuses on helping CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders break free from their limiting beliefs and helps them manage stress effectively and achieve lasting transformation. Ryan is also the author of Winner Peace: How to End Inner Conflict and Make Success Inevitable, a transformational book that guides readers through the process of reshaping their internal narratives to achieve lasting success. Before starting his career as a hypnotist, Ryan served as an intelligence specialist in the Marine Corps and Air National Guard, as well as 16 years as a Senior Intelligence Officer in Washington DC. His deep understanding of human behavior, decision-making, and high-pressure environments informs his approach to hypnosis, making it a powerful tool for business professionals dealing with stress, burnout, and the relentless demands of leadership. Timeline Summary:0:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 2:32 Ryan Christensen's Experience as a Military Intelligence Officer 6:09 Skills Needed to Handle Stress in High-Pressure Jobs 6:29 Transition from Intelligence Work to Hypnosis 8:38 Techniques for Managing Stress in Business 14:21 Recognizing and Managing Stress 16:27 Differences Between Relieving, Coping, and Eliminating Stress 35:06 Hypnosis as a Tool for Stress Management 35:19 Ryan Christensen's Book "Winner Peace" 43:35 Consulting Services and Client Profiles 46:29 The Future of Hypnosis 47:55 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Ryan Christensen = https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanwchristensen/ Guest Website = https://www.ryanthehypnotist.com/

    49 min
  5. Software As A Service SaaS, Product Value, Price and Positioning For SUCCESS

    MAR 3

    Software As A Service SaaS, Product Value, Price and Positioning For SUCCESS

    In this podcast Dave Erickson and his esteemed co-host Botond Seres are going to determine the value of a SasS Product with Dan Balcauski, Founder and Principal Consultant of Product Tranquility. In 2019, Dan founded Product Tranquility, where he helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs refine pricing and packaging strategies for new products. A TopTal - certified Top 3% Product Management Professional, he also contributes to the Kellogg Executive Education course on Product Strategy. For over 15 years, Dan has managed products across their life cycles, from concept to end-of-life, in industries including consumer internet, mobile, IT software, and hardware, serving companies from startups to multinational enterprises. Before founding Product Tranquility, Dan completed a solo round-the-world expedition to 21 countries, where he engaged in life-changing volunteer work. Previously, he was Head of Product at LawnStarter, a two-sided marketplace for lawn care, and he was also a Principal Product Strategist at SolarWinds, where he helped shape growth strategies after its $4B acquisition. Timeline Summary: 0:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 2:26 Dan's Transition from Engineering to Product Management 5:21 The Concept of Product Tranquility 7:09 Current Trends in SaaS Software 9:01 The Role of AI in SaaS Development 13:59 Pricing Strategies for SaaS Products20:57 When does the Freemium Model Actually Work? 31:50 Determining Value in SaaS Products 34:01 Customer Segmentation and Value Communication 41:02 Price setting based on competitor pricing versus finding a real value51:47 Pricing Discovery Methodologies 53:43 Willingness to Pay1:00:49 Evaluating and Adjusting Pricing 1:10:55 The Future of SaaS and AI1:15:35 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Dan Balcauski = https://www.linkedin.com/in/balcauski/ Website = https://www.producttranquility.com/#home

    1h 17m
  6. How to Productize a Digital Service Business for Additional 🚀📈 Growth and  💲 Profit 💲

    FEB 3

    How to Productize a Digital Service Business for Additional 🚀📈 Growth and 💲 Profit 💲

    In this podcast Dave Erickson and Botond Seres are going to try to grow their understanding of the Productization of Services - with Jay Melone, Founder & Growth Strategist of Profit Ladder. In 2010 Jay founded a digital agency called New Haircut, and spent 14 years as a B2B Service provider. After many years of struggling with business growth, he started productizing the services his business offered, and as a result was able to stabilize revenue and grow his company. After seeing the results he generated for his own business Jay started Profit Ladder, where he helps B2B Service providers grow their pipeline and profits by creating scalable offers from their high-ticket services. SUMMARY TIMELINE:0:00 Productizing Services: Introduction and Challenges2:00 Initial Motivations and Sales Challenge7:08 Productization Techniques and Client Engagement11:18 Identifying Services for Productization13:06 Productization of Service Flows and Retainers17:32 Steps to Productize Services 22:27 From One-to-One to One-to-Many29:58 Overcoming Fears and Challenges 49:42 The Future of Productization 56:03 Profit Ladder and Client Services57:10 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Jay Melone = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymelone/ Profit Ladder Newsletter = https://newsletter.profitladder.net/subscribe Website = https://profit-accelerator.profitladder.net/

    59 min
  7. The 🔒 SECRETS 🔒 of Pricing Strategies for Business GROWTH and Profitability

    JAN 6

    The 🔒 SECRETS 🔒 of Pricing Strategies for Business GROWTH and Profitability

    In this podcast Dave Erickson and Botond Seres are going to try to figure out how to price things - with Per Sjofors, Founder & CEO of Sjöfors & Partners, Inc. Per is the best-selling author of "The Price Whisperer - A Holistic Approach to Pricing Power" and a member and thought leader at the Forbes Business Council and the C-Suite Hero Club. He was recently identified as among the "The 10 Most Visionary Leaders Making a Difference in 2023" by Inc. Magazine and was recently identified as among the "Top 50 Global Thought Leaders in Sales" by Thinkers360. At his company Sjöfors & Partners, he leverages the proprietary AI software that they developed as well as predictive analytics, and value research - in order to align product features, marketing messages, and customer segments with optimal pricing levels. With over 700+ client engagements, his proven process has delivered remarkable client results, such as a doubling of growth rate and a 25% - 40% increase in margins. Summary Timeline:0:00 Introduction to the podcast topic of pricing strategies for business growth and profitability.0:53 Dave Erickson introduces the guest, Per Sjöfors, and provides background on his expertise in pricing strategies.2:31 Per Sjöfors shares his background and early experiences experimenting with pricing in various business roles. He explains the lack of practical pricing education in business school and his motivation to develop a successful pricing process.4:26 Discussion on the importance of understanding the target customer segment and how that affects pricing strategies. Per Sjöfors provides a case study example of a premium product that failed to meet pricing expectations.11:31 Exploration of different strategies for pricing in various market contexts, including the concept of price anchoring.15:14 Examination of how marketing, including brand and product marketing, impacts pricing strategies and customer willingness to pay.25:01 Discussion on the differences in selling to SMBs versus enterprises and the implications for pricing.27:26 Advice on approaching individual customers through various marketing channels and the importance of creating an emotional connection.30:36 Explanation of how sales channels and monetization strategies affect pricing decisions.34:09 In-depth discussion on the challenges of finding the optimal price point that balances profitability per sale and sales volume.43:25 Per Sjöfors shares insights on the limitations of dynamic pricing and the future of pricing strategies.56:19 Conclusion, with Per Sjöfors providing an overview of his company's services and the importance of a holistic approach to pricing.1:03:00 Outro If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Per Sjöfors = https://www.linkedin.com/in/persjofors/ The Price Whisperer - A Holistic Approach to Pricing Power = https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Price-Whisperer/Per-Sjofors/9781637351178 Website = https://sjofors.com/

    1h 5m
  8. Developing Ideas In To Business, How Business Coaches Help Engineers

    12/02/2024

    Developing Ideas In To Business, How Business Coaches Help Engineers

    In this podcast, Botond Seres and Dave Erickson look at how engineering types can make a business out of their product ideas, with podcast guest Vladimir Baranov, Founder of Human Interfaces. Vladimir is an Executive Coach  - for Founders and Technical Leaders. He has coached and mentored globally at various incubators and accelerators, with a primary focus on launching, developing, and sustaining startups. He's a serial entrepreneur, having founded three companies with successful exits in fintech and spacetech - demonstrating his proficiency in scaling businesses through various funding stages. His entrepreneurial journey has encompassed roles such as Founder, and many C-Level positions - and lends him a comprehensive perspective on creating optimal data and technology products and services. TIMELINE SUMMARY:0:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 2:01 Vladimir's Entrepreneurial Journey 3:46 Challenges for Technical Founders 5:40 Finding the Right Mentor or Coach 8:58 Market Validation and Overcoming Barriers 10:42 Balancing Coding and Market Validation 18:28 Finding the Right Marketing and Sales Partners 23:18 The Role of Coaching in Business Success 29:31 Scaling Up Startups 32:30 Funding Strategies for Startups 41:28 Lessons from Exit Strategies 43:38 The Future of Coaching 45:08 Vladimir's Coaching Business 46:21 Closing Remarks and Outro  If you have questions for our Podcast Hosts or Guest, you can reach them here: Dave Erickson = https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveerickson1/ Botond Seres = https://www.linkedin.com/in/botondseres/ GUEST: Vladimir Baranov = https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirbaranov/ For a complimentary coaching discovery session, check out - https://www.humaninterfaces.co/screamingbox

    48 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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