

The Watson Weekly: eCommerce Strategy & News
Watson Weekly
Stop reading the headlines and start understanding the frameworks.
The Watson Weekly is the premier resource for eCommerce executives, delivering sharp, independent strategy on the industry's most critical developments. Join 20-year veteran Rick Watson as he cuts through the noise to help you understand not just what is happening, but why it matters to your business.
Broadcasting three times a week:
Mondays: Strategic deep dives into earnings, mergers, and market shifts.
Wednesdays: Candid interviews with C-Suite luminaries and tech innovators.
Fridays: Join the Watson Weekend for Spirited debates on controversial topics with co-host Jessica Lesesky.
From AI implementation and marketplace dynamics to supply chain logistics and retail operations, we cover the entire commerce landscape. Whether you are a CEO, VP, or operator, this is your competitive advantage in audio form.
The Watson Weekly is the premier resource for eCommerce executives, delivering sharp, independent strategy on the industry's most critical developments. Join 20-year veteran Rick Watson as he cuts through the noise to help you understand not just what is happening, but why it matters to your business.
Broadcasting three times a week:
Mondays: Strategic deep dives into earnings, mergers, and market shifts.
Wednesdays: Candid interviews with C-Suite luminaries and tech innovators.
Fridays: Join the Watson Weekend for Spirited debates on controversial topics with co-host Jessica Lesesky.
From AI implementation and marketplace dynamics to supply chain logistics and retail operations, we cover the entire commerce landscape. Whether you are a CEO, VP, or operator, this is your competitive advantage in audio form.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 1, 2025 • 13min
September 1st, 2025: Best Buy Relaunches Its Marketplace, Target Earnings: Like a Slow-Moving Train Wreck, Upcoming RMW Commerce Events in Second Half of the Year, and Walmart Raises Revenue Guidance in Earnings Call
Today on our show:Best Buy Relaunches Its MarketplaceTarget Earnings: Like a Slow-Moving Train WreckUpcoming RMW Commerce Events in Second Half of the YearWalmart Raises Revenue Guidance in Earnings Call- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Aug 25, 2025 • 29min
August 25th, 2025: Shipping Smackdown: Nate Skiver on the Parcel Industry's Biggest Myth
Join Rick and special guest Nate Skiver, founder of LPF Spend Management, as they dive into a fiery discussion about the state of shipping in e-commerce. In this spicy wing-eating challenge, Nate debunks a major shipping myth and shares his expertise from over two decades in the retail and consulting world.In this episode, we explore:The biggest myth in shipping and why it's finally dying a slow death.How the e-commerce market has changed, creating more options beyond the "big three" carriers.The role of regional carriers and why more retailers are turning to them.How shipping technology advancements are making multi-carrier shipping easier to manage.Grab a glass of milk and get ready for a fast-paced, insightful conversation that will change the way you think about your shipping strategy!Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Aug 18, 2025 • 14min
August 18th, 2025: We Once Made a Deal with Google. The Deal Has Changed, The Unspoken AI Enthusiasm Gap At Large Companies, The Road Ahead for Commerce.com, and An Update On Gnawing Your Arm Off, or Replatforming
Today on our show:We Once Made a Deal with Google. The Deal Has ChangedThe Unspoken AI Enthusiasm Gap At Large CompaniesThe Road Ahead for Commerce.comAn Update On Gnawing Your Arm Off, or Replatforming- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Aug 11, 2025 • 16min
August 11th, 2025: Amazon Reports Earnings, Dogged by AI Questions, Shopify Q2 Earnings Show Its Not Going Anywhere, Klaviyo Delivers Growth, But Efficiency Still Lacking, and Recap from Austin: Auctane’s Spicy Innovation Delivered Event
Today on our show:Amazon Reports Earnings, Dogged by AI QuestionsShopify Q2 Earnings Show Its Not Going AnywhereKlaviyo Delivers Growth, But Efficiency Still LackingRecap from Austin: Auctane’s Spicy Innovation Delivered Event- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 4 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Aug 4, 2025 • 12min
August 4th, 2025: Bigcommerce Rebrands as Just Commerce, UPS Q2 Earnings Highlights Strange Economic Times, Last Flight of the Aggregator: OpenStore Valuation Burns, and Amazon Pulled out of Google Shopping for AI, not for Advertising
Today on our show:Bigcommerce Rebrands as Just CommerceUPS Q2 Earnings Highlights Strange Economic TimesLast Flight of the Aggregator: OpenStore Valuation BurnsAmazon Pulled out of Google Shopping for AI, not for Advertising- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Jul 17, 2025 • 55min
The CEO Spot: From Silicon Chips to Supply Chains – Dipti Desai’s Mission to Modernize EDI
In this debut episode of The CEO Spot, Rick Watson sits down with Dipti Desai, Founder and CEO of crstl, for an unfiltered look into one of the most quietly powerful protocols in commerce—EDI.From her early days as an electrical engineer in Silicon Valley to building mission-critical infrastructure for today’s omni-channel brands, Dipti shares the journey that led her to found crstl—a SaaS network designed to modernize the way suppliers and retailers communicate.We explore:The surprising origin story of crstl during the PPE crisisWhy EDI is more like the English language than a piece of legacy techThe difference between the application layer and the protocol layer—and why it mattersHow penalties, complexity, and digital transformation are reshaping supplier operationsWhy crstl doesn’t charge by seat and how it's enabling real collaboration at scaleThe future of B2B commerce in an age of AI, API, and protocol convergenceWhether you’re a founder, brand operator, or just EDI-curious, this episode unpacks how structured data exchange is fueling the future of retail—and why ignoring the "boring" infrastructure could be your biggest mistake.

Jul 14, 2025 • 13min
July 14th, 2025: NRF Files Suit Against NY State Law, Why Is There No Best Practice for ECommerce Org Structure, Amazon Quietly Cornering Market on Robot Patents, and LuluLemon in Markdown Hell
Today on our show:NRF Files Suit Against NY State LawWhy Is There No Best Practice for ECommerce Org StructureAmazon Quietly Cornering Market on Robot PatentsLuluLemon in Markdown Hell- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Jun 30, 2025 • 13min
June 30th, 2025: Klarna CEO Claims They Will Be a Super App, Walmart Investor Event Sheds New Light, Should You Put a Chatbot In Front Of Your Retail Store, and Musings from CommerceNext and Mirakl’s Summit
Today on our show:Klarna CEO Claims They Will Be a Super AppWalmart Investor Event Sheds New LightShould You Put a Chatbot In Front Of Your Retail StoreMusings from CommerceNext and Mirakl’s Summit- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Jun 23, 2025 • 11min
June 23rd, 2025: Saks Global Still Sounds in Trouble, Facebook Says eCommerce is Great -- For Other People, Jassy’s AI Memo Was a Snoozefest, In a Good Way, and Amazon Extending Prime Day Doesn’t Give me Warm Fuzzies
Today on our show:Saks Global Still Sounds in TroubleFacebook Says eCommerce is Great -- For Other PeopleJassy’s AI Memo Was a Snoozefest, In a Good WayAmazon Extending Prime Day Doesn’t Give me Warm Fuzzies- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly

Jun 16, 2025 • 9min
June 16th, 2025: Palantir Partners with Bolt, Amazon Releases AI Video Generation Tools, Sezzle Sues Shopify For AntiCompetitive Practices, and Walmart Releases New AI Tools
Today on our show:Palantir Partners with BoltAmazon Releases AI Video Generation ToolsSezzle Sues Shopify For AntiCompetitive PracticesWalmart Releases New AI Tools- and finally, The Investor Minute which contains 5 items this week from the world of venture capital, acquisitions, and IPOs.Today's episode is sponsored by Mirakl.https://www.rmwcommerce.com/ecommerce-podcast-watsonweekly


