Spark of Ages

Australia needs control over its intelligence layer, not just its data. We explore SCX’s sovereign AI cloud, Project Magpie’s cultural reasoning, and why inference economics and time-to-market beat hype-driven buildouts.• sovereign AI as control and context, not just security• SCX’s inference cloud and partnership with SambaNova• Project Magpie fine-tuning the reasoning layer for Australia• training vs inference split to optimize cost and speed• tokens per kilowatt as the core unit economics• open source vs closed models in enterprise adoption• retrofitting existing data centers with pre-assembled racks• moving pilots to production through cost, control, and confidence• regional strategy across Southeast Asia and exportable tokens• agents shifting work to domain teams, doing more not just cutting costs• candid MBA debate on value, narrative, and people skills• playful Spark Tank on pickleball and rapid-fire personal insightsWhat if a nation’s most critical asset isn’t oil, power, or spectrum—but intelligence? We sit down with Southern Cross AI (SCX) founder David Keane, co-founder and CSO Akash Agrawal, and SambaNova’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer Abhi Ingle to unpack how a sovereign AI cloud can protect context, culture, and control while still competing on cost and speed. From Australia’s national needs to regional demand across Southeast Asia, we chart a pragmatic route from vision to working systems.David explains why SCX is built around inference as a service and how Project Magpie fine-tunes the reasoning layer so models “think like an Australian,” reflecting local law, language, and norms. Abhi breaks down training vs inference in plain English, clarifying why pretraining might live on massive GPU clusters while high-throughput, energy-efficient inference thrives on SambaNova’s ASIC-based systems. Akash digs into enterprise realities—data sovereignty, runaway costs, and integration roadblocks—and makes the case for open source models you can fork, fine-tune, and operate within your perimeter.We get practical about tokens per kilowatt as the new ROI, pre-assembled racks that drop into existing data centers, and managed services that cut time-to-market from years to months. We explore why most buyers don’t care which chip is under the hood—they care about latency, reliability, and price—and how that shifts competition from hardware logos to delivered outcomes. Go to SCX.ai to experience the future of sovereign AI.Remember, in order to win the “$1,000 token credit" you'll have to explain what a magpie is in the comments, and the team at SCX will judge the winner!David Keane - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakeane/David serves as the Founder & CEO of SouthernCrossAI (SCX.ai), an Inference-as-a-Service platform dedicated to establishing sovereign, scalable, and cost-efficient AI infrastructure tailored for Australian requirements.Akash Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aagarwal/Currently, Akash serves as the Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of SouthernCrossAI (SCX.ai).Abhi Ingle - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingle-abhi/Abhi Ingle - Currently, Abhi serves as the Chief Product & Strategy Officer (CPSO) at SWebsite: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

We sit down with Jeff Perry, CRO at Carta, to explore how growth leaders redefine success when capital tightens, buyers get smarter, and AI reshapes cost structures.  We unpack how growth has changed, why IPO-ready now means post-IPO durable, and how Carta scaled from a cap table tool to an ERP-like platform for private capital while staying efficient and customer-first. Jeff shares concrete tactics for moving upmarket, using AI wisely, and building teams that perform under pressure.• redefining fast growth and IPO readiness in private markets• evolving from SMB velocity to enterprise endurance• expanding from cap tables to fund admin and private credit• measuring meetings as a leading productivity indicator• using curated events and customer proofs over vanity metrics• aligning sales, marketing and product around shared pipeline• adding K-1 tax and LP data products to deepen value• AI as a force for 10x productivity, not headcount cuts• disciplined acquisitions to accelerate the CFO ERP vision• leadership choices: pausing sales, saying no when not readyIPO dreams used to hinge on hitting 100 million ARR. That world is gone.  Jeff takes us from Carta’s earliest days digitizing stock certificates to building a networked platform that now powers cap tables, fund administration, LP data, and private credit—an evolving ERP for the office of the private capital CFO.We dig into the hard pivots after the 2021 surge: why “more capacity” stopped working, how meetings per AE became a reliable leading indicator, and where curated events and customer-led storytelling outperform saturated digital tactics. Jeff explains the move upmarket into venture and private equity, the new enterprise seller profile it requires, and the partnership with marketing to identify real switching intent. He also shares how acquisitions like Accelex and Sirvatus support an end-to-end vision across funds, LPs, and loan servicing.AI looms large throughout. Jeff contrasts application-layer SaaS with AI-native companies carrying heavy compute costs, and why that bifurcation changes CAC, payback, and headcount plans. Rather than using AI to cut roles, he shows how Carta uses it to 10x productivity—accelerating RFPs, territory coverage, and performance workflows—while standardizing experiments so wins become reusable process. Along the way, we unpack bold leadership choices: pausing sales to protect implementation quality, and walking away from a marquee IPO transition when the product wasn’t ready.If you care about efficient growth, enterprise GTM, and building products that compound value across a connected market, this conversation delivers practical playbooks and memorable lessons on performing under pressure. Follow, share with a teammate, and leave a quick review to help more operators find the show.Jeff Perry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-perry-380233/Jeff is a proven revenue superstar, whose career journey spans Oracle and DocuSign.  Under his leadership as CRO at Carta, Carta’s annual recurring revenue scaled from approximately $20 million ARR to $450 million ARR. Jeff attended Santa Clara University where he received a B.S. in Political Science and where he also played NCAA baseball.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

We map the data, policy, and funding failures that created the women’s health gap and lay out a California-led plan to fix it with research built for women, agile AI governance, and voter-backed capital. The goal: better outcomes, lower costs, and a template to repair healthcare at large.• two percent venture funding and underpowered trials• AI amplifying bias without sex-specific datasets• misdiagnosis, adverse drug reactions, and cost burden• why subgroup analysis must be mandated• ballot initiatives as a research funding engine• learning from California’s stem cell model• WHIC’s scope: basic science to real‑world translation• agile governance for AI and data privacy• workforce constraints versus knowledge deficits• value‑based care’s attribution math problem• women’s health as a system-wide blueprint• tangible moonshot: closing the measured gapIf anyone is out there is interested in becoming the part of future healthcare for women in California, we welcome your input. We welcome your views, your time, and your treasure to be part of this campaign that's going to change the course of history for women's health in California, if not the United States.  Please reach out to Bhairavi or Rick on LinkedinThe numbers are brutal: women receive a fraction of research attention, a sliver of venture funding, and face later diagnoses with higher adverse drug reactions—then AI threatens to accelerate the bias baked into that history. We take this on head‑first with Bhairavi Parikh, a serial medtech founder behind the proposed Women’s Health Institute of California (WHIC), and Rick Arney, co-author of California’s landmark privacy laws and a strategist who knows how to turn public will into policy.We unpack why clinical trials still fail to power for sex differences, how underrepresentation turns into misdiagnosis and higher costs, and what it will take to build datasets and decision tools that actually work for women. From agile AI governance to rigorous privacy protections, we explore how to enable research without sacrificing trust, and why California’s ballot initiative model—proven in the state’s stem cell program—offers a practical way to fund the missing science and speed real-world translation. Bhairavi Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhairavi-parikh-9732071/Founder of the Women’s Health Institute of California (WHIC), a proposed statewide research initiative which we’ll be discussing in depth today.  She is also the Founder and CEO of Clarity Health Alliance.  Previously Bhairavi served as COO at Health Rhythms and Wildflower Health. As a serial founder, Bhairavi has built multiple med tech companies, including CellScape and Apieron, collectively raising over $75 millionRichard Arney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-arney-3a23731a/A recognized authority on privacy, having co-authored the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Rick previously served as BlackRock’s Global Head of Alternatives Distribution and led BlackRock’s hedge fund product strategy and served as Head of Investment Strategy for the Global Market Strategies Group, which managed BlackRock’s largest ($10B AUM) hedge fund.  Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

The B2B SaaS market is experiencing a significant slowdown with growth rates dropping, while traditional marketing channels deliver diminishing returns in an increasingly saturated landscape.• Marketing benchmarks show companies growing faster than 20% spend 10-15% of revenue on marketing, while slower-growing firms spend only 7-9%• Digital channels like SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (pay per click), and email are seeing declining performance metrics despite increased spending• Today's B2B buyer completes 80% of their journey independently, yet companies still allocate 70% of go-to-market resources to sales• "What's old is new again" – smaller, intimate events and personalized interactions are outperforming scalable digital tactics• Successful companies balance brand marketing (awareness) and demand generation (conversion) equally• Effective positioning requires elevating problems to the executive level by articulating significant business impact• AI isn't changing what we should measure but enables better personalization at scale across industries and personas• The brand versus demand debate represents a false dichotomy – both work synergistically to drive growthThe rules of B2B marketing are being rewritten before our eyes. In this revealing conversation with marketing benchmark expert Omar Akhtar and go-to-market guru AJ Gandhi, we unpack the surprising reality that most B2B SaaS companies are facing: we're effectively in a recession. Growth rates have plummeted from over 30% to just 11-20%, while traditional digital channels deliver diminishing returns despite increased spending.What's behind this troubling trend? Market saturation, poor tool integration, rapid commoditization, and fundamental shifts in buyer behavior all play a role.The most compelling insight? Companies growing faster than 20% annually are investing 10-15% of revenue in marketing, with a balanced approach between brand awareness and demand generation.Whether you're managing a marketing team, leading sales, or driving overall growth strategy, this episode offers critical benchmarks and tactical approaches for navigating today's challenging landscape. AJ Gandhi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjaigandhi/AJ Gandhi is a distinguished Go-To-Market (GTM) leader and executive community builder. He currently serves as a Board Member for Plum Acquisition Corp.  Additionally, he is a Limited Partner at Stage 2 Capital and GTMfund.  AJ is also a co-founder of the GTM Leader Society.  Just recently, AJ served as Chief Growth Officer for Marlin Equity Partners and held significant roles at Salesforce, Ring Central, Bain & and McKinsey.  AJ is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School.Omar Akhtar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarbilalakhtar/Omar Akhtar is the Founder and Principal Analyst at Benchmarker, leading research on marketing excellence for B2B tech. Previously, he was Head of Research at Altimeter, a Prophet Company, where he advised Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, and Netflix, on marketing, data, and content strategies. Omar got his undergraduate degree in economics from Ohio Wesleyan, and then got a Masters in Journalism from Columbia.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

We explore the monumental shift from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) as AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity become the new front doors to the internet, fundamentally changing how customers discover businesses online.• Traffic patterns are transforming as users get answers directly from AI without clicking through to websites• Content optimized for AI interpretation requires different approaches than traditional keyword-focused SEO• Organizations must shift from optimizing for keywords to building comprehensive topic frameworks• Users coming from AI platforms are more informed and show higher conversion rates despite lower overall traffic• Measuring success requires new metrics beyond traditional organic traffic numbers• Authority signals are evolving from backlinks to expertise indicators and authoritative source citations• Quality content formatted properly for AI consumption can be picked up and highlighted within days• Forward-thinking brands are experimenting with FAQ formats and structured content that AI models prefer• The future belongs to specialists who demonstrate deep expertise in specific niches• Human oversight remains essential to prevent recursive loops of "AI generating content for AI"The digital landscape is experiencing its most significant transformation since the rise of Google, as AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity increasingly become users' first stop for information. This fundamental shift challenges everything we thought we knew about digital visibility.In this eye-opening discussion, we decode the evolution from traditional SEO to what experts variously call GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AEO, or AIO. Our guests Rishi Mallik, Chief Growth Officer at Workato, and Eric Nalbone, client strategy lead at Position2, share frontline insights into how this transition is reshaping marketing strategies and customer journeys.The conversation reveals how forward-thinking organizations are adapting to a world where traffic patterns are dramatically changing. Rishi describes seeing approximately 20% of Workato's traffic now self-reported as coming from generative AI platforms.  Meanwhile, Eric challenges us to reconsider success metrics, asking provocatively: "If revenue is up but traffic is down, isn't that a win for everyone?"We explore the tactical shifts required to thrive in this new environment: moving from keyword-centric content to topic frameworks, optimizing content structure for AI interpretation, and rethinking how authority and expertise signals are communicated. You'll discover why FAQ formats perform well with AI models, how "borrowing authority" through explicit citation differs from traditional backlink strategies, and why creating comprehensive content hubs trumps isolated keyword-targeted pages.Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Rishi Mallik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishimallik/Rishi Mallik is currently the Chief Growth Officer at Workato, an AI-driven integration platform that automates workflows across enterprises, recognized as a Gartner and Forrester leader in the automation space. He is an expert in growth marketing and go-to-market strategies, known for his ability to drive rapid transformation and is quickly becoming an expert in democratizing Gen AI within organizations. With over a decade at Workato and prior experience in mobile anWebsite: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

Position Squared introduces StudioX, an innovative 3D rendering platform designed specifically for marketers in consumer electronics, computing, and automotive industries who need high-quality product visualizations without technical expertise or lengthy production cycles.• Purpose-built to address the speed, accuracy, and consistency demands of product marketers• Democratizes 3D rendering by consolidating complex workflows into a single browser-based platform• Enables marketers to generate product angles, zoom into details, and create exploded views without specialized skills• Eliminates dependency on external design teams and multiple software platforms• Creates photo-realistic renders that properly showcase product design details, textures, and materials• Significantly reduces time from weeks to days or even hours for generating marketing visuals• Particularly valuable when physical products are still in production or limited prototypes are available• Ensures products always look authentic while maintaining creative flexibility• Future roadmap includes AI-assisted shot generation for rapid creation of lifestyle visualsVisit position2.com to learn more about Studio X and schedule a trial to experience how it can transform your product marketing visualization process.Studio X emerges as a game-changing solution for marketers struggling with the limitations of traditional product visualization methods. Born from Position Squared's own pain points in delivering high-quality 3D content to clients, this browser-based platform transforms how marketers bring products to life visually.The frustration is universal among product marketers: getting stunning, accurate product visualizations typically requires weeks of back-and-forth with specialized teams, multiple software platforms, and significant technical expertise. Studio X shatters these barriers by consolidating everything into a single, user-friendly interface that democratizes 3D rendering. Marketers can now generate photorealistic product images from any angle, create exploded views showing internal components, and highlight specific product features—all without specialized 3D skills.What sets Studio X apart from generic rendering tools is its industry-specific focus and enterprise-grade quality controls. As Vikram Raghavachari explains, "Your product is your hero. It has to look exactly or better than what it should be and accurate at the same time."Rajesh "M" Muthyalu:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshmuthyalu/Rajesh Muthyalu (or "M") is an award-winning creative professional with a 20-year track record in the digital space and currently our Experience Design team Position². M is a leader in transforming brands with creative excellence and strategic digital solutions. M has received multiple industry awards, notably being recognized as one of the 'Top 10 Chief Creative Officers' by CEO Insights.Vikram Raghavachari:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghavacharivikram/Vikram leads our Computing Systems Business unit for Position2. Vikram possesses a deep understanding of how marketing and sales integrate to achieve ultimate growth potential. He was a senior Product Marketing Leader at Lenovo and Intel. He was our client before leading our client facinWebsite: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

Brad Stroh, co-CEO and co-founder of Achieve, shares how he's built one of the most impactful fintech companies by taking a completely different path from the typical Silicon Valley playbook. Through bootstrapping rather than chasing venture capital, Brad and his co-founder have created a mission-driven business that has served over 1.5 million people and resolved $18 billion in debt since 2002.• Understanding the information asymmetry in financial services that disadvantages consumers making major financial decisions• How Achieve flips traditional asset management by focusing on liability management for the underserved• The evolution of consumer debt over two decades through multiple economic cycles• Applying AI to create "zero-click financial services" that automatically optimize consumer finances• The importance of saying no to opportunities that don't align with core mission• Brad's leadership philosophy centered on being intentional and deliberate• Making the shift from viewing monthly payments to understanding total cost of debt• How economic uncertainty and inflation are affecting consumer financial stability• The importance of balancing regulation with innovation in financial servicesWhen everyone else was chasing venture capital and quick exits back in 2002, Brad and his Stanford Business School classmate Andrew Hauser made the radical decision to bootstrap their company. Their reasoning was profound yet simple: they wanted to build something meaningful that would last decades, not just until the next funding round. This patient approach has paid extraordinary dividends.Brad shares how banks leverage vast data resources and experience to maximize profits from consumers who may only go through major financial transactions a handful of times in their lives. By flipping this dynamic and democratizing financial knowledge, Achieve helps struggling and striving families navigate their way to stability.The conversation explores how consumer debt has evolved through multiple economic cycles – from the dot-com bust through the Great Recession and pandemic. Brad offers fascinating insights on current economic conditions and the transformative potential of AI in financial services.If you've enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and comment on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Brad Stroh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfordstroh/Brad Stroh, the Co-CEO and co-founder of Achieve, starting the company back in 2002 out of Stanford Business School.  Over the past 20-plus years, Achieve has served over 1.5 million people, resolved over $18 billion in debt, and funded over $10 billion in loans. Achieve is approaching a billion dollars in annual revenue with over $7 billion in cumulative revenue and 2,800 employees.Before embarking on this entrepreneurial journey, Brad graduated from Amherst College in 1996 with majors in Literature and Economics, and then graduated from Stanford Business School in 2002.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

Mandy Dhaliwal, CMO at Nutanix, shares her journey transforming a technical infrastructure company into a leader in hybrid multi-cloud solutions, driving market value from $5 billion to $20 billion through strategic marketing and positioning.• Simplifying complex technology messaging from "hybrid multi-cloud" to the customer-friendly "run anything anywhere"• Implementing agentic AI on the Nutanix website to provide 24/7 global customer support and real-time market feedback• Building credible brand identity by standing out with bold visual choices while focusing on substance and customer value• Aligning marketing with broader business objectives through cross-functional collaboration and shared revenue goals• Empowering internal technical experts and executives as marketing channels and amplifying authentic customer stories• Balancing work and family by taking five years off to raise her son while maintaining career momentum• Moving from imposter syndrome to "empowerment syndrome" by educating stakeholders about marketing's strategic valueEver wonder how a tech company transforms from a $5 billion infrastructure provider to a $20 billion cloud leader? The secret might just be in its marketing strategy.Mandy Dhaliwal, CMO at Nutanix, pulls back the curtain on her remarkable journey reshaping how enterprises approach hybrid multi-cloud solutions and AI deployment. With 25 years of technology marketing experience and a Level Two sommelier certification, Mandy brings unique perspective to brand transformation and customer engagement."When I arrived, everyone talked about hybrid multi-cloud, but I said 'I don't know a single CIO who wakes up wanting to buy that,'" Mandy reveals. Instead, she championed clear, customer-centric messaging: "One platform to run apps and data anywhere." This fundamental shift from technical jargon to value-driven communication helped quadruple Nutanix's market value.She shares candidly about elevating authentic customer voices, breaking through the "sea of sameness" with bold branding decisions, and building cross-functional alignment between marketing, sales, and product teams.Beyond marketing strategy, Mandy offers refreshing insights on work-life integration, including her decision to take five years off to raise her son without missing a career beat. Check out Nyla, the AI agent at nutanix.com, and see how they're making AI deployment simpler for enterprises with our "run anything anywhere" platform.Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Mandy Dhaliwal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/1mandydhaliwal/As the Chief Marketing Officer for Nutanix, she leads the global marketing strategy.  She's been a key leader in Nutanix's remarkable progress, quintupling its market value from roughly $5B to $20B, proving that marketing, branding, positioning has a hand in driving valuation.Before joining Nutanix, Dhaliwal held the CMO position at Boomi and Fugue, and she has also been a senior marketing leader at BlazeMeter, SOASTA, EMC, and Legato Systems.She attended Simon Fraser University for undergrad and holds an MBA in Technology Management from Pepperdine University and notably, a level two certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

Subscribe now to get more insights delivered to your inbox from today's most innovative business leaders and marketing pioneers who are redefining how companies grow in the digital age.Bill Macaitis shares his expertise on Product-Led Growth (PLG), revealing insights from his time as CMO at Slack, Zendesk, and SVP of Marketing at Salesforce where he helped drive remarkable growth through customer-centric strategies.• PLG is about recognizing that people spend more time in products and infusing marketing, sales, and support directly into the product experience• Enterprise software often fails because it prioritizes features over usability, while successful PLG focuses on making products beautifully simple• Freemium models can transform free users into powerful marketing assets—at Slack, Bill saw 10 million free users as an extension of his marketing team• Teams need shared metrics beyond traditional funnel metrics to prevent "warfare" between sales and marketing departments• AI is transforming go-to-market strategies through personalization at scale, enabling outcome-based pricing, and lowering barriers for new businesses• Google faces a classic innovator's dilemma by clinging to search-based revenue while competitors deliver direct answers through AI• Successful PLG implementation requires company-wide commitment rather than just assigning a small "tiger team"Visit SaasCMOPro.com to access Bill's free educational content about product-led growth, freemium models, and modern B2B marketing strategies.When Bill Macaitis talks about product-led growth, he speaks from experience—not theory. As the marketing mastermind behind Slack's explosive expansion, Zendesk's IPO journey, and Salesforce's growth engine, Bill's insights cut through the noise of business buzzwords to reveal what actually works in today's tech ecosystem.Bill dismantles conventional wisdom about enterprise software sales, arguing that, "Most enterprise products suck. They're really hard to use."Bill makes a compelling case for freemium models, challenging the widespread fear of giving away products for free. At Slack, he viewed their 10 million free users not as lost revenue but as "a 10 million strong marketing team" who organically spread the word. The show also addresses the AI revolution reshaping marketing. From enabling personalized engagement at scale to facilitating outcome-based pricing models, AI is lowering barriers to entry for new businesses while forcing established companies to adapt. His assessment of Google's apparent reluctance to fully embrace AI answers ("a classic innovator's dilemma") serves as a powerful warning about the dangers of clinging to outdated business models.Whether you're a CMO wrestling with attribution models, a founder contemplating your first go-to-market strategy, or a business leader navigating technological disruption, Bill's insights will reshape how you think about growth in today's rapidly evolving landscape. Bill Macaitis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmacaitis/Bill's was the CMO and CRO at Slack Before that, he was the CMO at Zendesk, guiding them through the through their IPO, and Bill served as SVP of Marketing at Salesforce.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com

Indy Sen, ecosystem marketing lead at Canva, shares his journey through tech giants like Salesforce, Box, MuleSoft, Google, and now Canva, where he's applying his unique "messaging as an API" philosophy to build an ecosystem that serves as a powerful multiplier for the entire company.• Canva's mission of empowering the world to design has evolved from consumer beginnings to enterprise solutions• The ecosystem functions as a multiplier, helping source innovations from third-party developers and technology partners• Growth from zero to approximately 700 apps in just two years demonstrates the platform's appeal as a distribution mechanism• Design principles encourage developers to create experiences that can be completed in no more than five steps• The human connection will remain the ultimate competitive advantage even as AI transforms technology• Technical enablement must be paired with commercial enablement for ecosystem success• Creating psychological safety enables teams to work at their highest point of contribution• Zen leadership balances strategic thinking with empowering teams to navigate ambiguity• Building trust requires making decisions rather than prolonging indecision• Small acts of kindness cost nothing but are remembered far longer than professional achievementsWhat makes a technology ecosystem thrive in today's rapidly evolving landscape? For Indy Sen, the answer lies at the intersection of technical excellence and human connection.At the heart of his philosophy is what he calls "messaging as an API"—treating company messaging like clean, well-structured code that can be consistently deployed across an organization. This approach has proven incredibly effective in creating clarity around ecosystem value, both internally and externally. As Indy explains, "Ecosystem is a multiplier. It helps engender brand new innovations, source them from third-party innovators like developers and technology partners, and it's also a multiplier for the business."The conversation goes through practical go-to-market strategies, from Canva's developer experience principles to Indy's legendary "Cha-Ching" program at Salesforce that transformed how sales teams engaged with partners. We explore how modern platforms balance technical enablement (making APIs accessible) with commercial enablement (helping partners achieve business success), all while nurturing genuine human connections.Perhaps most compelling is Indy's perspective on leadership in the age of AI. His "Zen leadership" approach emphasizes psychological safety, decision-making amid ambiguity, and helping team members work at their "highest point of contribution." As he puts it, "Ambiguity is okay, indecision is not."Whether you're building a platform, leading a team, or simply interested in how technology ecosystems evolve, this conversation offers valuable insights into creating lasting value through human-centered innovation. Plus, don't miss Indy's surprisingly impressive performance in our Batman trivia challenge!Indy Sen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indysen/Indy's Sen started on the ground floor of the Salesforce AppExchange.  From there, he helped Box take on SharePoint, led developer relations at MuleSoft, did a tour of duty at Google Workspace, and even helped WeWork completely overhaul their product marketing beWebsite: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: sparkofages.podcast@position2.com