Founder's Framework

Growth creates options, but it also creates complexity.In this Founder’s Framework episode, Mark Abbott and Cole Abbott unpack why so many companies get stuck doing more instead of doing what matters most. What starts as experimentation, ambition, or a flood of good ideas can quietly turn into friction, confusion, and wasted effort across the business.This conversation is about discipline. It’s about keeping the main thing the main thing, resisting the pull of novelty, and building organizations that value fewer, finer, better decisions over constant motion.You’ll hear:Why too many ideas create drag across teamsHow founders accidentally add complexity to the businessWhy “fewer and finer” is a better operating principleThe difference between projects and programs as companies growIf your company feels busy but not clear, this episode will help you rethink what’s actually moving the business forward.Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.Resources→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!→ Stages of Development QuizConnect:→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbottSubscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Mark Abbott sits down with Ninety’s head of product, Audra Stanton to discuss how founders should think about AI in their products and operations.As AI becomes part of nearly every business conversation, founders are facing real pressure from investors, customers, and competitors to incorporate it. The question is not whether AI matters. The question is how to approach it thoughtfully without losing focus on what actually makes a company strong.This episode explores the tension between innovation and discipline. It is a conversation about judgment, timing, change management, and keeping humans at the center of the company.They reference examples including Netflix and Blockbuster, Intercom’s decision to lean heavily into AI despite short term pain, and Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology as a reminder that innovation does not always equal product market fit.In this episode:How founders should think about AI in product versus operationsThe fear of being left behind and how to evaluate that riskWhy most companies using AI are not yet seeing meaningful ROIHow to navigate change without losing your core customerIf you are building a company meant to endure, this conversation will help you think more clearly about how and when to evolve.Resources→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT → Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter: https://www.ninety.io/impact-moments → Try Ninety free:  https://www.ninety.io/?utm_source=you…Connect:→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott→ Follow Audra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audra-stanton/Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Christine Watts, ProServe lead who helps cascade EOS and tell impact stories. Kris Snyder, experienced implementer who co-created the Impact Moments concept. They explain what an impact moment looks like in the room. They talk about how truth and tension shape culture. They outline formats for sharing stories and building community around EOS practices.

AI is changing how we work, but not by replacing people. It’s raising the bar for how we think.In this Founder’s Framework episode, Mark Abbott explores what AI reveals about our habits, clarity, and decision-making. It doesn’t remove the need for good judgment. It makes the gaps more obvious.This isn’t about fear or hype. It’s about learning how to think with AI in the loop and what that means for founders, teams, and culture.You’ll hear:Why founders are still responsible for making hard callsHow clear inputs lead to better AI outputsWhat it takes to build thinking teams in an AI-driven worldIf AI feels destabilizing, it might not be the tech, but what it’s showing us about how we work.Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.Connect:→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbottSubscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

What happens when growth slows and leaders are forced to make decisions they hoped they could avoid?In this episode, Mark Abbott reflects on the hard lessons of 2025, a year that forced difficult decisions, exposed cultural misalignment, and pushed leadership maturity to the forefront. From navigating high care versus high performance to making one-way door decisions under pressure, this conversation breaks down what founders must confront when uncertainty reveals what is really happening inside the company.You’ll hear:-Why ambiguity strains teams more than most founders expect-What “succeed or escalate” looks like in real leadership moments-Why accountability, ownership, and meeting size matter more as you scaleSubscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.Connect:→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott→ Follow Cole on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ColeAbbottResources:→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXTSubscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

What does it take to build a brand that actually scales?In this episode, Mark Abbott talks with Jed Morley, founder of Backstory Branding and author of Building a Brand That Scales. They dive deep into the role founders play in shaping brand and culture, and why alignment across both is non-negotiable if you want to build something that lasts.Jed shares how Nike first sparked his obsession with branding, why most founders delay the hard brand work for too long, and how he helps companies turn insight into real, compounding impact.You’ll hear:Why a brand is not your logo and what it actually isHow founder alignment drives both culture and brandThe questions leaders must answer to attract like-minded talentSubscribe for more founder-first conversations every week.Connect:→ Follow Jed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedmorley/ → Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbottResources: → Learn more about Backstory Branding: https://www.backstorybranding.com/ → Read Building a Brand That Scales: https://www.backstorybranding.com/books/building-a-brand-that-scales → Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

What does it take to turn a five-acre crop into a national brand?In this episode, Mark Abbott talks with Jessie and Adrian Capote of J&C Tropicals, a third-generation family business built on their father’s vision and grit. They open up about the near-collapse that nearly ended it all, the decisions that turned things around, and how they’ve evolved from surviving to leading with clarity, culture, and structure.You’ll hear:How their father’s hustle created a produce legacyWhat it took to rebuild after hitting rock bottomHow generational leadership keeps the company strongSubscribe for more founder-first conversations every week.Connect:→ Follow Jessie on LinkedIn: : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiecapote/→Follow Adrian on LinkedIn: : https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriancapote/→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbottSubscribe for more founder-first insight every week.Resources: → Learn more about J&C Tropicals: https://www.jctropicals.us/→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

Founders can delegate a lot, but not everything.Mark Abbott sits down with Audra Stanton, Head of Product at Ninety, for a candid conversation about the work founders must own. From team drift to cultural misalignment, they explore how leadership shows up in the hard moments.In this episode:Why escalation is a leadership signal, not a handoffWhat happens when people avoid friction instead of facing itHow to model alignment without micromanagingConnect:→ Follow Mark on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/MarkAbbott→ Follow Audra on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4qHhhyCSubscribe for more founder-first insight every week.Resources: → Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3JiAaXT Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!

AI is reshaping the nature of work and leadership. The conversation dives into how small businesses gradually adopt AI and the cultural factors that influence this shift. Employee archetypes play a crucial role in tailoring AI discussions and enhancing team collaboration. Ethical considerations and the need for leadership accountability emerge as significant themes. AI's potential to scale personal development is highlighted, alongside the importance of navigating economic transitions and fostering an innovative culture.

Emotional intelligence is not learned in a seminar. It is trained like a muscle.In this Founder’s Framework Podcast episode, Mark Abbott talks with Theran Knighton-Fitt, Co-Founder of MyGrow, about what they call the “EQ Gym,” a practical way for people to grow emotional intelligence inside companies.The conversation covers:Why most leadership training fails to create lasting changeThe difference between fixing systems and empowering peopleHow emotional intelligence shapes culture and performanceMyGrow’s ten-year founder journey and the lessons along the wayFor founders trying to scale culture while building systems, this conversation shows why emotional fitness is just as critical as operational efficiency.Learn more about MyGrow: https://mygrow.me Connect with Theran on LinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/theranknighton-fitt Subscribe for more founder-first conversations.Subscribe for more founder-first conversations every other week.→ Subscribe to Mark’s Founder’s Framework Newsletter→ Subscribe to Ninety’s EOS Newsletter  → Try Ninety free for 30 days!