Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending May 30, 2025

1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK: AI Metrics: This is a great one from David Kellogg, who recently presented at SaaS Metrics Palooza 2024 on "The Impact of AI on SaaS Metrics"  slides in a PDF version here.  The event he presented at is actually whacked full of good talks so well worth the (somewhat weird) on-demand replay you can get access to here.


2. NCT: Crack open your tech dictionaries, I have a new acronym to lob your way. OKRs are old school.  Ravi Mehta's NCT (Narrative, Commitments, Tasks) model simplifies goal setting. So, instead of vague objectives, start with a clear Narrative explaining the "why" behind each goal. Next, set 3-5 measurable quarterly commitments, with Tasks as actionable steps. The difference is that OKRs can be overly ambitious, but NCTs focus on achievable milestones that align closely with strategic priorities, more Agile in a way as course corrections are easier (and it increases team accountability).


3. CONFLICTS: David Kellogg suggests designing our businesses to surface essential conflicts. Instead of reducing conflicts, leaders should identify which ones add value and make sure they are heard. For example, separating Sales and Customer Success encourages transparency around upselling conflicts. By purposefully structuring teams, leaders can maintain productive tensions that drive growth and reduce irrelevant friction.


4. INCIDENT MANAGEMENT:  We all have incidents and accidents, and incident reviews are critical to improving system reliability and teams, but many of us fall short of making these sessions productive. According to The Pragmatic Engineer, some of the best practices (which I have adopted and now use) include creating a blameless environment to encourage honest assessments, focusing on learning rather than punishment, and ensuring incident reviews are actionable. The template I reference is from Atlassian - they have a very detailed Incident Management book, aaaand you can generate your own template here.


5. CASH MANAGEMENT: Here is Part 1 of a 3-part Guide to Cash Management for Startups, which highlights bank account strategies at different Stages. The startup phase needs basic checking and savings accounts for operational expenses and emergencies, maintaining liquidity, managing cash flow, and keeping financial controls strict. It prioritizes simplicity and security in banking structures.


6. AI WARS (2025): The big public cloud giants are doubling down on AI. AWS, GCP, and Azure are now well in bed with leading LLMs (all three have invested in Anthropic) while also building rival foundation models and AI accelerators. This CB Insights report maps out the battlefronts: infrastructure, partnerships, custom silicon, and AI sec. Looks to be about $250B+ of capex on the table, and OpenAI's $500B Stargate ambitions, plus the crazy io news, are a looming threat.


7. DEVS: a16z outlines nine developer trends shaping up the AI era - from AI agents and LLM-native IDEs to "Bring Your Own Model" platforms. AI integrations with codebases are absolutely reshaping workflows and platform choices alike. And, of course, the smart money is watching these shifts closely.


8. BIZ DEV: Read this before your next "strategic" partnership. Business development does not necessarily equal sales. Jason Cohen breaks down startup biz dev into five distinct types, from co-marketing to integrations. And ya know, most BD flops come from mismatched expectations.


9. EQUITY: Founder equity convos are hard - especially when your co-founder is also your friend, but it ain't equal. This breakdown offers a calm, thoughtful approach to handling founder splits without ruining the relationship.


10. CASE STUDY: Palantir's moat isn't just tech—it's time. This teardown argues Palantir's edge lies in deeply embedded systems, long cycles, and government-grade entrenchment. A strong example of sticky enterprise sales done right.


POD OF THE WEEK: Great growth and marketing lessons from the early days at OpenAI and Stripe on building differentiated strategies that can actually work.