Stay ConnectedNon-obvious ideas that move the world. Auren Hoffman hosts leaders across tech, business, markets, and government.
Summation is the permanent home for the relentlessly curious.
Auren is CEO of NQB8, GP at Flex Capital, Chairman of Dialog; former CEO of SafeGraph and LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP).
Copyright: © 2024 "World of DaaS"
This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers The Only Right Way to Ask for an Intro (Everything Else Is Wrong)by Auren Hoffman. He explains why clarity of purpose, proper framing, and respect for people’s time are essential when seeking intros for jobs, partnerships, or mentorship. Getting this right makes the difference between a strong connection and a missed opportunity.
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Tyler Denk is the co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, a newsletter platform that has grown to over $20 million in annual revenue in under four years. He was the second employee at Morning Brew, where he built the growth infrastructure that helped scale the company to 3.5 million subscribers before its $75 million acquisition by Business Insider in 2020. He’s also the creator of big desk energy, a newsletter with over 100k subscribers.
In this episode of World of DaaS, Tyler and Auren discuss:
Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.
You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Tyler Denk on X at @denk_tweets.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)
This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief looks at GDPR compliance for non-EU and non-UK companies. Firms handling resident data in these regions are required to appoint local representatives who serve as points of contact for regulators and individuals exercising their data rights. This step is critical for ensuring compliance with both GDPR and UK GDPR.
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Gokul Rajaram is a founding partner at Marathon Management Partners and former product leader who helped build Google AdSense and Facebook's advertising platform. He serves on the boards of Pinterest, Coinbase, and The Trade Desk, and previously led product teams at Square and DoorDash.
In this episode of World of DaaS, Gokul and Auren discuss:
Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.
You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Gokul Rajaram on X at @gokulr.
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)
This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief explores the evolving role of synthetic data in AI. Synthetic datasets are increasingly used to safeguard privacy, cut costs, and speed up model training, particularly in testing rare scenarios. But challenges remain, including risks of carrying over biases from real-world data and the need for careful validation to ensure reliable outcomes.
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Patrick Lencioni is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. He is the author of 13 books, which have sold over 9 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.
As President of the Table Group, Pat spends his time speaking and writing about leadership, teamwork, and organizational health and consulting with executives and their teams. After more than twenty years in print, his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, remains a fixture on national best-seller lists. His most recent book, The Six Types of Working Genius, was released in September 2022, and he is also the host of the popular business podcast, At The Table with Patrick Lencioni.
In this episode of World of DaaS, Patrick and Auren discuss:
Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.
You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Patrick Lencioni on X at @patricklencioni, on Linkedin and on YouTube.
Take the Working Genius Assessment here: https://workinggenius.me/show
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)
This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers Anthropic’s settlement with a group of authors over copyright claims. The case centered on the use of copyrighted works in training AI systems and reflects the mounting legal and IP challenges shaping generative AI.
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This episode is a rebroadcast of host Auren Hoffman's appearance on the CMO Confidential Podcast.
Auren shares why he believes vendor management is the #1 skill for future executives—and why most companies should rent world-class capabilities rather than hire executives they can’t fully utilize. From “scaffolding” young talent to his provocative views on procurement’s negative value, Booz Allen, MBAs, and the transformation of private equity, this episode is packed with contrarian insights for CMOs, CEOs, and founders alike.
🧠 Don’t miss Auren’s candid takes on why many traditional business functions are stuck in the past—and what leaders should do instead.
🔔 Subscribe for more insider lessons on what it really takes to thrive in the C-suite.
⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: Auren Hoffman’s Background & Career Path
01:45 - The Most Important Executive Skill: Vendor Management
05:22 - Why Renting Talent Beats Hiring for Most Companies
08:40 - Scaffolding: A Framework for Developing Talent
12:10 - The Case Against Procurement: “A Negative Value Function”
16:03 - Why He Would Short Booz Allen
18:35 - Private Equity’s Shift from Builders to Financial Engineers
23:14 - The Problem with MBAs and Why ROI is Often Negative
26:40 - How Executives Should Rethink Internal Capabilities
29:08 - Final Thoughts & Rapid-Fire Takes
Auren Hoffman, SafeGraph, LiveRamp, CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, vendor management, procurement, scaffolding talent, executive hiring strategy, Booz Allen, private equity critique, MBA ROI, modern leadership skills, B2B marketing, executive leadership, future of work, marketing strategy, marketing podcast, business podcast, CEO advice, CMO podcast, talent development, rent vs hire, startup strategy, enterprise strategy, marketing leadership, SafeGraph CEO, Auren Hoffman interview
This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief looks at new research from MIT, which finds that 95% of generative AI pilot programs inside companies are failing to deliver meaningful financial impact.
The issue is not model quality but enterprise integration and a steep organizational learning gap. The report shows ROI is strongest in back-office automation even as most budgets flow to sales and marketing, and that success comes from buying specialized solutions and forming strategic partnerships rather than building in-house.
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Rujul Zaparde is the co-founder and CEO of Zip, the $2.2 billion AI platform for procurement trusted by OpenAI, Anthropic, Snowflake, and hundreds of leading enterprises. He previously co-founded FlightCar, which raised over $40 million and was acquired by Mercedes-Benz. A former Airbnb product manager and Y Combinator visiting partner, Rujul has built Zip into the category-defining leader in procurement orchestration.
In this episode of World of DaaS, Rujul and Auren discuss:
Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to http://worldofdaas.com/ for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X at @worldofdaas
You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Rujul Zaparde on Linkedin at @rujulz
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant https://thepodcastconsultant.com
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