Zoltan A. Vardy

The Launch Code

• The Launch Code: a proven sales blueprint for B2B founders to consistently close 3+ high-ticket clients per quarter.
• Applied by 200+ startups across 26 countries to turn sales from guesswork into a repeatable growth engine.
• Delivered through a video course, 1:1 mentoring, group accelerator programs & workshops.

B2B Sales Strategist & Founder

• Startup & Tech Conferences: Dublin Tech Summit, EU Startups Summit, Arctic15, TechChill, TNW, Wolves Summit, PODIM, How To Web.
• Accelerators & VCs: Startup Wise Guys, Supercharger Ventures, Design Terminal, ReaktorX, Speedinvest, Kindred Capital, Euroventures, Fil Rouge. 
• Organizations: Venture Cafe, HBBA, United Way

Keynote Speaker - Sales, Growth & Entrepreneurship

Antavo Enterprise Loyalty Cloud

• Support founders, leadership team, and investors to accelerate Antavo's global expansion.
• Antavo is an enterprise loyalty SaaS technology with clients like BMW, KFC, Kathmandu and BrewDog in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.

Chairman

Investor & Board Member

Mentor Equity LLC

• Investor and board member of B2B enterprise technology startups based in Europe.
• Portfolio - Dexory (AI data analytics in logistics), Antavo (loyalty program SAAS tech platform)
• Exit: Brainient (video advertising technology), sold to Teads (2016).

Angel Investor & Board Member

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

• Led global ad sales teams for international TV division, 12 offices and 50+ channels across EMEA, APAC and LatAm. 
• Grew TV and digital ad revenues +20%, unified global sales organization, developed digital commercial strategy and negotiated multi-market ad partnerships.

Sr. Vice President, Global Ad Sales, NBCUniversal International Networks

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE

• P&L responsibility for 900-employee, $150m revenue division with TV channels in Hungary (TV2, FEM3), Romania (Prima TV, Kiss TV) and a TV production company. Private-equity backed (KKR, Permira) company, bought SBS Broadcasting in June, 2007.

CEO, Central & Eastern Europe

• Generated record revenues and profits by relaunching flagship general entertainment channel, reducing costs during economic downturn, and launching cable channel portfolio.

CEO, TV2 Hungary

SBS Broadcasting

• Oversaw ad revenues of $1.1 bil for 19 TV channels in Nordic, Benelux & Central Europe; negotiated group-wide advertising deals with marketers and media agencies.

Vice President, Advertising Sales

• Led 60-person commercial team in super-charging revenues by 50% to $150 mil over 3 years alongside declining viewing share.

Commercial Director, TV2 Hungary

eEurope Media

• Developed business plan and raised $1.5 mil from angel investors to launch a network of consumer Internet portals in Central Europe; built and managed staff of 30, created exclusive partnerships with Google and Hewlett Packard; sold business to strategic buyers.

Co-Founder & CEO

CBS Corporation

GM & Vice President, CBS Plus

Turner Broadcasting

Business Development Manager, Europe

USA TODAY

Marketing Manager, Europe & Asia

I teach B2B founders how to close more enterprise deals faster using The Launch Code 🚀 Generated $2 billion in B2B revenue in my 30-year career📣 Speak about B2B sales & entrepreneurship

Struggling to sell your B2B tech product, even though you know it’s great?

I’ve been there. After 30 years in B2B sales — from leading $150M revenue teams at NBCUniversal to building my own startup — I’ve closed $2B in revenue by learning how to make skeptical buyers say “yes.”

That’s why I built The Launch Code, a proven blueprint trusted by 200+ founders in 26 countries to turn sales from a constant struggle into a repeatable growth engine. It’s designed to help founders win 3+ high-ticket clients per quarter.

👉 I created The Launch Code by blending my two worlds:

• Corporate sales leadership at the highest level

• Startup founder grit, speed, and focus

The result: a sales system that gives startup founders corporate-level structure without losing startup agility.

What you’ll learn with me:

✅ How to FOCUS your offer & message so buyers instantly get it

✅ How to STRUCTURE your sales process so you close more with less stress

✅ How to SCALE your sales so you stop doing it all yourself

Who I work with:

• Early-stage founders → use my video course + mentoring to land your first consistent high-ticket clients.

• Scaleup founders → work 1:1 with me to scale faster, build a high-performing team & break revenue ceilings.

Why listen to me?

🔹 Closed $2B+ in revenue
🔹 Carried $150M revenue responsibility as SVP at NBCUniversal 
🔹 Built & sold my own company
🔹 Investor in multiple startups
🔹 Author of The Launch Code & keynote speaker

📩 DM me if you’re ready to win 3+ high-ticket clients per quarter and turn sales into your growth engine.

• The Launch Code is a blueprint that helps B2B tech founders sell and market to enterprise customers.
• Worked with 200+ founders from 26 countries.
• I share The Launch Code via a personal mentoring program, an on-demand course and a course + mentoring package.
• Startup accelerators can choose a course + group coaching package.

“When do I give up?”
I ask myself that at least once a quarter.

When things hit harder than expected.
When a prospect or partner shuts me down.
When something I really counted on... doesn’t happen.

But somehow, I always pick up the pieces and keep moving.
Founders ask me this question too — a lot.

Because “never give up” can be dangerous advice.
Blind persistence can kill your startup just as fast as quitting too soon.

So here’s what I tell them:
✅ If you're still learning, improving, and seeing progress → keep going.
⚠️ If you're repeating, losing money, or drained of motivation → pause, pivot, or reset.

Giving up isn’t failure.
It’s strategy.
It’s how you make space for your next big win.

This is the side of entrepreneurship no one glamorizes, but every founder knows.
👉 When did you know it was time to quit?
👇 Let’s talk in the comments.

#FounderStruggles #Resilience #Entrepreneurship #Startuplife

B2B Sales Strategist for Tech Founders | Win 3+ High-Ticket Clients per Quarter | Closed $2B in Revenue | Author of The Launch Code | Keynote Speaker

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This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for more than just good fortune.

I’m thankful for the decisions that changed my life, even when they felt risky.

🙏 I had the courage to walk away from a comfortable corporate career in my late 40s.
Starting over wasn’t easy. But it was right.

🙏 I get to share my knowledge with incredible startup founders, and help them turn their dreams into reality.

🙏 I’ve built a life where financial stress no longer runs the show.
It took years of hard work, discipline, and yes...a bit of luck.

🙏 I’m physically healthy and energized enough to pursue the work I care about.
That’s a privilege I don’t take for granted.

🙏 I’m surrounded by a loving wife and daughter who believe in me and support my purpose, especially on the hard days.

None of this happened overnight. But every step was worth it.

👉 What’s one thing you’re grateful for this year that didn’t come easy?

#Thanksgiving #Gratitude #EntrepreneurLife #Founders #StartupJourney #Reflection

Last week, I fired a brand new client — no regrets.

He wasn’t prepared to listen to my advice.
He was rude, dismissive, and resistant to feedback.

Ironically, his business was about helping others “clarify their focus.”
But when I asked him to define his own... he listed 20 things.
When I suggested choosing one, he pushed back. Hard.

That’s when I knew: we weren’t aligned.
And alignment isn’t a luxury. It’s a requirement.

After mentoring 200+ founders, I’ve learned:
→ The best client relationships are built on mutual respect
→ Shared values and shared trust.
 
When those don’t exist, it’s better to walk away.
Early. Clean. Honest.

Because great outcomes only happen when you’re building with the right people.

📸 This is me — standing firm in that decision.
Respect is non-negotiable.

Would you have fired him, too, or tried to make it work?

#b2bsales #founders #entrepreneurship #focus #clientrelationships

I thought publishing my book was the finish line. I was wrong.
Turns out, the real work begins after the launch.

📖𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 𝘾𝙤𝙙𝙚

Last week, I wrapped up an eight-month European promotional period with one final talk at Venture Café London.

𝟭𝟴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝟭𝟭 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.
From Finland to Spain, Germany to Estonia, I shared The Launch Code with founders, dreamers, and doers.

I stood on stages and in countries I'd never been.
I met readers I’ll never forget.
I signed and sold hundreds of books to founders building what’s next.

And I hit walls.

My “favorite”? I once traveled 1,180 kilometers over two days... to speak to four people and sell one book.

𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
➡️ Hearing MY words come to life in a stranger's voice in my audiobook.
✅ Signing a Hungarian publishing deal with Líra Group for 2026.

Would I do it again?
Absolutely.

Because true impact doesn’t happen in a single moment.
It’s built, brick by brick, one trust-building conversation at a time.

👉Swipe through for moments from the road.

What’s something you finished that changed your life?

#entrepreneurship #founders #authorlife #globalkeynote #startups

The Launch Code Promo Tour 2025

Basic professionalism is now a competitive advantage.
Crazy, right?

What comes naturally to you might feel like a revelation to others.

Paul Kulon from SummerJam once told me:
“God, you’re really great with follow-up!”

Urban Lapajne from PODIM thanked me for giving honest feedback — not because it was easy, but because it was real.

It made me realize:
The stuff that makes you look like a pro isn’t flashy.
It’s not loud.
It’s consistency.

✅ Sticking to deadlines
✅ Following up when you say you will
✅ Delivering what you promised

These aren’t “big” moves....but they build trust.
And trust builds everything else.

Your achievements might get attention.
But your behavior is what earns opportunity.

What’s one “basic” behavior that, in your eyes, sets true professionals apart?

👇 I’d love to learn from your perspective.

#leadership #professionalism #followthrough #founderlife #trust

Brilliant founders. Great products. But no traction?
It’s not a product problem — it’s a sales system problem.

That changed last week. 

🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽 kicked off inside the V4 Startup Force accelerator, uniting early-stage founders from:
🇨🇿 Contesaur.cz  
🇭🇺 Felm
🇵🇱 RunPixie.com  
🇸🇰 shealed  

Over four intense weeks, we're going beyond theory:

✅ 5 live mentoring sessions
✅ Hands-on playbook building
✅ Real-world sales simulations

Each founder gets access to The Launch Code — but more importantly, they build their own repeatable sales process, together.

One founder’s initial feedback:
"I’ll finally know what to say in sales calls without sounding like a robot."

If you run an accelerator or incubator and want your founders to stop guessing and start closing, let’s talk.

📩 Message me to see how The Launch Code can plug into your program.

Let’s equip the next generation of founders with the skills they need to sell.

#b2bsales #startups #foundertraining #accelerators #launchcode

Imagine paying to get punched in the gut... and calling it a win.

That’s entrepreneurship.

Anastasiia H. said it better than I ever could:

“Entrepreneurship: the only roller coaster where you pay for the ride, get punched in the gut, and still stand in line for another go.”

After decades in the game, I still haven’t found a better description.

🎢 The highs? Unreal.
🥊 The lows? Unforgiving.
🔁 And yet… we get back in line. Every time.

Because once you’ve felt that rush, there’s no going back to "safe."

👉 What’s been your most unforgettable ride as a founder?

Drop your story below. I’d love to hear it 👇

#entrepreneurship #founders #startuplife #resilience #leadership #growth

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(24) Venture Café London: Posts | LinkedIn

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Talks about #b2bsales, #startups, #entrepreneurship, #salesandmarketing, and #businessdevelopment

AI-Driven Ops | GTM Operations | Workflow Automation | HubSpot CRM | Customer Success Enablement

Most founders don’t struggle because of their product.

They struggle because of their message.

If your customers don’t instantly get why you matter, they’ll move on, no matter how good your solution is.

That’s what I talked about at Podim Conference, where we broke down how clarity and structure turn chaos into consistent sales.

But the conversation doesn’t stop there.

Because the same myths keep holding founders back:
❌ That you can build a unicorn in 9–5 hours
❌ That AI can sell for you

The truth?
AI can speed you up, but if your fundamentals are broken, it’ll just help you fail faster.
And balance is great, but commitment still wins.

I unpacked all this in my latest newsletter.

Which do you think is the bigger myth right now: AI replacing sales or success without sacrifice?

Every founder I meet has one goal: sell more. But most miss the real reason they’re not closing more deals. It’s not the product, it’s not the market…

How 200+ startups fixed their sales with one simple shift

Podim Conference

Your sales team doesn’t need another motivational talk.
They need the startup mindset to close big deals faster.

I discovered my superpower at age 25 when I spoke on stage at an international sales event, sharing how I sold ads for Cartoon Network in Eastern Europe. 

I was nervous but ready.

That talk launched me to become a Vice President at CBS three years later.

Since then, I’ve led sales teams at TV2 and NBCUniversal, using speaking to align vision, drive revenue, and energize performance across global markets.

In the last six years, I’ve taken 50+ stages in a dozen countries, helping founders scale B2B sales.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀.

Whether it’s sales kickoffs, leadership offsites, or global conferences -- I’ll 
show your teams how to think, sell, and win like founders.

🎥 Here’s the 2.5-minute speaker reel - and imagine this on your stage.

Planning your next sales event? Message me.

And let’s create the kind of keynote they’ll talk about all year.

#CorporateEvents #PublicSpeaking #EntrepreneurialThinking #HRLeadership #B2BSales

5PM: Quit or Conquer?

Meetings are done.
Your to-do list? Still stacked.

This is the moment that separates dreamers from builders.

Do you scroll…
or do you show up and finish strong?

Because success isn’t built when it’s easy.
It’s forged in the quiet hour...
when no one’s watching and quitting feels justified.

The best founders I know don’t wait for motivation.
They commit.
Even when it’s unglamorous.
Even when it’s exhausting.

That’s how businesses are built.
That’s how founders grow.

So when 5PM hits, ask yourself:
Comfort or progress?

👇 What’s your 5PM ritual?

#founderlife #entrepreneurship #mindset #discipline #leadership #videocontent

Everyone’s trashing office work these days.

But I just spoke with the founder of a high-end lifestyle brand in the UK.

Her company has a full-time, in-office policy.

No hybrid. No WFH.

Has it made recruitment tougher? Yes.

But the founder’s stance is clear:

“If you don’t want to work side-by-side with your colleagues, you’re not a fit for our culture.”

And honestly? I get it.

I’ve led teams from ten to a thousand.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned:

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻.

Deals, ideas, and culture often happen between the meetings — not on Zoom.

These days I split my time between home and the office. 

But I’m a solopreneur.

And even then, I know: remote work isn’t always the productivity booster people think it is.

The key is knowing what really brings out your best -- not just what feels comfortable.

👉 Curious: would you work for a company that requires full-time office presence?

#leadership #companyculture #productivity #hiring #futureofwork

If you're building a startup, you already know how easy it is to get pulled in ten directions at once.

New ideas, new clients, new markets… everything looks like an opportunity.

But here’s the truth: most founders don’t struggle because of weak products or bad markets. They struggle because they lose focus.

And the same principle shows up at the top of the tech world.
The Magnificent Seven (Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla) now make up 36% of the S&P 500.

Not because they chased everything… but because each one doubled down on what they do best.

Cloud. Chips. AI. Mobility.

Relentless focus turned into momentum, momentum into dominance.
I
n this newsletter, I break down:
🔹 Why focus is the single most underrated growth strategy
🔹 A simple 5-step process to help you find yours
🔹 How narrowing mine changed my entire career
🔹 And what the Magnificent Seven can teach every founder about clarity

If you feel spread thin or “busy but not moving,” this one’s worth a read.

Because once you find your focus, growth stops feeling like guessing, and starts feeling like momentum.

View newsletter: Master your B2B startup sales

f you’re building a startup, you already know how easy it is to get pulled in ten directions at once… New ideas, new clients, new markets. Everything 

Open article: Losing momentum? Here’s how to get it back. by Zoltan A. Vardy • 3 min read

Losing momentum? Here’s how to get it back.

Ever noticed how tracking performance flips a switch in your brain?

I saw this firsthand when a founder I mentor started logging weekly sales data.

No new hires. No extra budget. Just focus.

In 30 days, revenue trends emerged. 
Leaky funnels got patched. 
Momentum returned.

Why? Because what you measure, you manage.

Peter Drucker nailed it:
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

It’s not glamorous, but it’s a discipline shift.

Founders who track metrics (sales, marketing, finance) don’t just stay informed. They stay in control.

When you ignore the numbers, you manage by gut.
And gut doesn’t scale.

So here’s the question:
What’s one metric you track every single week—no excuses? 👇

#founderinsights #b2bgrowth #startuplife #scalingstartups #founders

Measure it, to manage it

If your value proposition sounds like this guy...
…it’s time for a rewrite.

Founders often want to explain everything:
✅ Every feature
✅ Every benefit
✅ Every audience

But in trying to say it all, you say… nothing.

A strong value proposition answers just 3 things:
1. What problem do you solve?
2. For whom?
3. Why are you better?

In one sentence.
Clear. Sharp. Repeatable.

Once you’ve got it?
Test it.
Watch people’s faces.
Then refine.

Clarity wins. Complexity kills.
So, how simple is your value proposition right now?

👇 First comment = practical help for B2B founders.

#startups #b2bsales #founders #positioning #valueproposition

Everyone’s so loud during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
More offers, more noise, more urgency.

So here’s the opposite of that ⬇️

If you want 2026 to look different, don’t buy more stuff.
Invest in clarity, focus, and systems that actually move your business forward.

That’s why I wrote The Launch Code, not as a trend, but as a practical, proven framework to help founders win high-ticket clients with confidence.

This week’s newsletter goes deeper into that idea:
📘 What The Launch Code is really about
A no-fluff conversation from my Sales Dojo Podcast episode: mindset, value proposition, and why so many founders secretly hate selling (and how to fix it).

📍 Behind the scenes of my European book tour
18 events, 11 countries, hundreds of founders, including the night I traveled 1,180 km to speak to four people… and still considered it a win.

🎯 Why the best investment isn’t a Black Friday deal
It’s structure.
It’s clarity.
It’s the habits that shape your business long after the discounts disappear.

If you want 2026 to be your most focused and predictable year yet, start here.

👉 Read the full newsletter and make your business blast off 🚀

It’s that time again…. Black Friday. Cyber Monday. A week where everyone is trying to sell you something, usually fast, loud, and without much meaning

Open article: If you want 2026 to be different, start here by Zoltan A. Vardy • 3 min read

If you want 2026 to be different, start here

Leaders Drive AI ROI & Adoption | Future-Proof Your Career & Organization – AWARE™ ➠ ACHIEVE™ ➠ ARISE™ (see About) | Training ➠ Upskilling ➠ AI Leadership | Executive Coach | Ex-Deloitte

Leaders: Find your First 1 Million Dollars in AI ROI.

I’ve led
• $6B+ ERP change leadership as a management consultant
• Clients served include Walmart, Seagate, 3M, Dupont, Daimler, Labcorp, Grupo Modelo & More
• Senior leaders coached in clarity, presence & strategic judgment
• Enterprise-wide implementation of future use-cases and workflows

As your Fractional Chief AI Officer for SMBs, I help:
→ Assess your AI “now” , 30-180 Day ROI Roadmap with proposed POC
→ Drive adoption of current GenAI (Copilot/ChatGPT) tools 
→ Prioritize and implement your use cases using agents & Automation
→ Increase your Revenue Per Employee, Capital Efficiency & Enterprise Valuation 
→ Build an AI first company: change management, champions & community

AWARE™ - Adopt AI, Accelerate ROI
Foundations | Teams | Pro
From readiness to measurable ROI in 30–180 days.

SMBs using AI see an average 41% increase in revenue - entrepreneur.com 

CAIOs can be budgeted as CAPEX (with AI tools) and not affect Effect EBITDA

Book a working session 
https://calendly.com/meanderingsapien/thereisnospoon

Cheers - Raja

Raja Sampathi

AI is not a software installation.
It’s a cultural transformation.

You can’t send a memo saying “We’re an AI-first company now”
and expect productivity to show up on Monday.

AI is not something you install.
It’s something you adopt.

ROI doesn’t come from tools.
It comes from how people actually use them -
in the tiny moments, in the daily work.

This is culture change.
And 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟.

⸻

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐞

This isn’t a sprint.
And it’s not a multi-year grind.
It’s High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Short, focused, consistent bursts.

Not “inspiration speeches.”
Not 50-page playbooks no one reads.

Just: 
→ Show your team how you use AI.
→ Share the micro-wins.
→ Share the confusion.
→ Share the adjustments.

Demonstrative leadership → drives adoption.

Your team learns by watching you.
Not hearing you.

⸻

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 = 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭

Every company has a graveyard of training videos no one has opened.

AI enablement cannot be “watch this module.”

It must be:
→ Context
→ Hands-on support
→ Shared best practices
→ Building internal champions
→ Protecting critical thinking
(Not outsourcing judgment to AI - ever.)

⸻

2026 is the year of AI ROI.
We plant the seeds in 2025.

Happy Friday Y’all - Raja Sampathi
Executive Coach | AI Leadership | AI Adoption

𝐏𝐒: still thinking if AI is the future?

The greatest ROI from AI transformation isn’t the tools - 
It’s you.

This is your chance to build legacy.
The kind people talk about for decades.

You’re leading in a moment where we’re shaping a technology that can think (or damn close). 

That’s going to ask you to step out of your comfort zone and do something that hasn’t been done before.

In doing that, you’re not just boosting efficiency.
You’re creating a cultural and economic shift for your organization.

If you’ve seen 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡, they thought they were fixing a broken horse.
But it wasn’t the horse that changed.
It was them. In a way, both did. 

AI is the same.
You don’t just implement it.
You evolve with it.

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
Executive Coach | AI Leadership | AI Adoption

Fractional Chief AI Officer | Creator of AWARE™ Driving AI ROI, Adoption & Revenue Per Employee | Ex-Deloitte

Become the Hunter, not the Hunted 

In 2026, AI prompting and fluency are table stakes.

The benefits are impossible to ignore:
→ 91% of SMBs using AI say it boosts revenue (Salesforce)
→ Smaller firms see higher returns than large enterprises (Wharton)
→ 85% of small business owners report higher efficiency and productivity (Goldman)

Join this statistic, not the one AI obsolescence 

If you’re new to AI and want a real productivity boost - 
enroll your team in 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄™ 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 workshop:

✔️ Future-proof your career with an AI-ready mindset
✔️ Lead AI conversations with clarity and confidence
✔️ Learn 3-5 AI workflows that save hours every week

Pilot price: $3,000 - expires after the next 3 clients.

Helping your team become AI Fluent is a holiday gift they’ll never forget. 

DM me 'AWARE' for full details.

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
AI Leadership | AI Adoption

PS: Do you think AI is still a passing fad ala Blockchain ?

Your million-dollar AI ROI is one lunch away.

Take your top performer to lunch.

Hit record. Ask:
What do you actually do?
What do you do exceptionally well?
What’s frustrating or slow?
Where can this be improved?

Upload that audio to ChatGPT.
Ask for 5 high-impact use cases you can act on this week.

That’s it. Those are use cases.
The best ones are already inside your business.

If you want this done across your whole team
That's exactly what 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄™ 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 delivers.

→ Master the tools you already have to get real work done faster
→ Drive ROI beyond productivity - innovation + new revenue
→ Overcome resistance and lead org-wide change with confidence

Pilot price: $4,500 - expires after the next 3 clients.

In 2026, you’ll define your competition, not be defined by them.

DM me 'AWARE' for full details.

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
AI Leadership | AI Adoption

𝐏𝐒: You are that AI Enthusiast Employee & Future Champion, you should be inviting your boss for for this lunch 

𝐏𝐏𝐒: I’m having lunch with this guy next week. He's an AI Champion,  what should I ask him?

Myths are for bedtime stories.
Let’s dispel the AI productivity ones.

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝟏 - AI Should NOT be Used just for Productivity Hacks 

I once led an ERP implementation where the sponsor kept saying: 
“We’ll start with the low-hanging fruit.”

But AI actually does have low-hanging fruit. And it’s immediate.

They buy back time. 
Time → becomes problem solving. 
Problem solving → becomes value.

With AI, the low-hanging fruit is the meal.

Your time saved is 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 you seek.

(ERP implementations have no low hanging fruit, the sponsor got let go)

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝟐 - You Need 47 AI Tools to See Results
Move over Fast & Furious, there are more AI tools being released than Vin Diesel sequels.

Here’s the truth: You don’t need a tool zoo. You need one or two tools - and fluency.

Your Copilot alone - used well - can unlock millions in value. 
(See post from Yesterday in comments)

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 𝟑 (𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞) - “AI is a Fad, We Can Wait and See”

AI adoption is not a tech race. It’s a behavioral race.

Your competition knows, believes that and is scaling accordingly.

Those who start learning now will think differently, work differently, and lead differently - long before the “wait and see” crowd even realizes the gap has formed.

By the time most leaders notice the shift, they’ll already be on the wrong side of it.

𝐷𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑.

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
Executive Coach | AI Leadership | AI Adoption

PS: Part 3: Mastery drops tomorrow

𝐏𝐏𝐒 - Which AI myth riles you the most?

There are 2 kinds of leaders who will read this Wharton study on AI ROI

One will Consider action, other will do something about it 
This is not (just) a software installation, it is a cultural transformation 

And at the heart of it all, are people, and leadership
Never been easier to go fast , try and succeed with - 
deliberate use cases

But the risks of not doing so is - obsolescence, that will be fast too 

Time is not just enough to be on right side of History
Tis time to Write History 

𝐆𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 to write history 

The full report is here - https://lnkd.in/gv5t9QrZ

AI can automate about 57% of current US work hours - McKinsey 
That should excite you. And scare you.

This is not a job loss story.
It’s a workflow redesign story.
And most leaders are playing defense.

Here’s the excitement:
→ If you redesign workflows (not just tasks), you can unlock serious value
→ AI fluency demand is up 7x in two years
→ By 2030, the US could unlock $𝟐.𝟗𝐓 𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞, if leaders prepare people and redesign work

Here’s the fear:
→ Digital and information work gets hit first
→ “Wait and see” becomes “too late” fast
→ Most skills still matter, but how you use them changes

3 Things you need to take away for 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 
→ AI Fluency is next key communication skill
→ AI Adoption needs to leadership led, Delegating to IT = 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 
→ Work becomes a partnership: people, agents, robots - all powered by AI.

The winners will not be the most technical.
They’ll be the fastest to redesign work around humans plus machines.

What is your plan?

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
AI Adoption | AI Leadership

𝐏𝐒: Have a 4th Takeaway for us? 
(see report in the comments)

Today is the forced closing of the company you led for 15 years.

It wasn’t a competitor that took you out.
It was a machine that made you extinct.

You ignored it. Called it a fad.
Then you panic-bought a few Copilot licenses and sent a memo:

“We’re an AI-first company.”

Nothing changed.
Because you delegated it like a software rollout.

Meanwhile, the world changed anyway.

Your AI-fluent employees brought you real proposals.
Clear use cases. Cycle-time cuts. A plan.
You sent them to IT.

They left.
And your best operators followed them out the door.

Two quarters later you missed forecast. Twice.
RFPs started asking for AI policy, turnaround time, and proof of adoption.
Your answers sounded like hope.

Your best products got commoditized.

Your competitor shipped, tested, and iterated before you finished breakfast.
Their cost of output dropped. Yours stayed human.

Then the final meeting.

Investors lost faith.
Not because you were lazy.
Because you were late.

Tomorrow you’re golfing with your buddies after a “retirement” you didn’t choose.
No war stories. Just resignation.

A machine took you out.
It wasn’t even a fair fight.

I don’t want this to be real for any CEO in 2026.

So let this stay fiction.

Tomorrow, I’ll show you what to do.

You’ve Spent Millions on AI
And the only ones seeing ROI are Nvidia and Oracle.

While your dollars cool chips in a West Texas data farm,
your board is asking:
Where’s the AI ROI?

All fingers point to you.
Not because it’s your fault.
But because it’s your responsibility.

AI adoption is not a tech problem.
It’s a change management problem.
More accurately, it’s a leadership problem.

I’ve led multi-million-dollar platform deployments as a management consultant.
AI is different.

It learns. It evolves.
And it scares people. Quietly.

So your biggest risk is not the model.
It’s the humans avoiding it.

Adoption does not happen with licenses and memos.
It happens when you (leaders) learn in public and make new behavior normal.

Want to lead the change, not ready yet ? 
There is a playbook you can grab from my Featured section 

Ready now to define the future? 
Send a DM, let’s explore how a 30 day audit can help your company. 

End 2025 as a future ready leader

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
AI Leadership | AI Adoption

𝐏𝐒: Are you in the camp that thinks AI cannot/does not think?

ChatGPT helped keep your gluten-allergy kid safe on your Rome vacation.
(could have saved his life)
Six months later, it not only saved your company, but is making it Thrive. 

What started as vacation planning became a business turning point.

You got curious about this AI thing and opened ChatGPT to plan Rome for your family: 

Your son has a gluten allergy, so it mapped safe places to eat in pasta paradise.
It even helped you find non-touristy fashion stores for your daughter, and it didn’t break the bank.

You came back knowing this was the future.

You bought ChatGPT Pro for your small business.
Not as a tool. As a new way of working.

You showed your team how you used it. In public. 

Then you hired a trainer who automated the mundane stuff
and gave every team member 8 hours back every week.

Those hours became innovation.

--> Sales cut cycle time in half.
--> Marketing output doubled with the same headcount.
--> Product tested ideas before building, and launched into demand.

Old customers paid more. New customers waitlisted.

You needed more capacity, so you used AI agents without adding overhead.
Revenue per employee doubled. Your ROI looked like a hockey stick.

The best part?
What used to be 12-hour grind days became nights with dinner and your family.

You weren’t just on the right side of history.
You wrote history.

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
AI Leadership | AI Adoption

2026 is the year of AI ROI - We are looking at a floor ROI of 600% on our trainings, you need to plan now in the last month of 2025 to get there

I knew immediately after meeting Shana Burg that I want to work with on AI enablement , she gets It! 

Book your workshops now to use your 2025 budgets and we will deliver it post vacation , we've priced it right at $3-4.5K  for instant/ speedy approval

Founder & Principal | Shana Burg Digital | AI Literacy & Training l Inclusive Education

To be AI successful in 2026 , you need to sow the seeds in 2025.

The majority of companies say they want to begin the transition to become “AI-first” in the next few years. But what does this actually mean?

AI-first companies don’t bolt AI onto old systems.

They redesign how work happens—processes, tools, and team habits—based on what AI can do today and what’s coming next.

As my colleague Raja Sampathi shared with me:

“A 100-person team with an average loaded cost of $100K only needs a 10% productivity lift to unlock $1M in value annually.”

We met at an Austin AI Alliance event, ran out of time, and ended up continuing the conversation on Zoom a few days later.

We’re both obsessed with one question:

How do we help leaders make the leap to deeply integrate AI?

Done well, the payoff includes:

⭐️ Better work–life balance

⭐️ Higher revenue per employee

⭐️ Stronger enterprise valuation

Raja and I are collaborating. This is for you if:

✔️ You’re already using Copilot, but need help identifying use cases and streamlining workflows across teams

✔️ You want to boost productivity without adding more meetings or more tools

✔️ You’re considering an organization-wide AI transformation and want a practical starting point

Raja has 19+ years in management consulting and executive coaching, helping senior leaders navigate transformation across industries.

I’m an educator, corporate trainer, and certified AI trainer who loves working with beginners and AI-curious teams.

If you want your teams ready for an AI-first future, book a call with us and let’s map out your first wins.

Want to find out more? Set up a call here: https://lnkd.in/g7TNJRCx

AI will give you answers. It won’t carry the consequences.
That part is still your job.

AI does not care about your people, your culture, or your business outcomes. 
It will respond with confidence either way - 𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑌𝑒𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑛

Your tool to stay ahead - Strategic Empathy 

It is just not being nice
→ It is signal detection
→ It is reading fear, resistance, politics, and fatigue
→ Then making decisions people can actually follow

In the age of AI, your edge is not speed. The machine wins speed. 

Your edge is clarity under pressure. 
It is staying steady when the room is anxious. 

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Do you have a plan to stay ahead, or do you just have tools?

Cheers - Raja Sampathi
AI Leadership | AI Adoption

Hot Take - You don't ask Michelangelo what kind of chisel he used to sculpt David  
Your systems matter more than your GenAI tool to get you the ROI you are seeking

AI might be coming for jobs
I think it should take some jobs before others 
What do you think?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

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