When a company hands you something valuable for free, the first explanation you reach for is some version of generosity-with-an-angle...and that feeling of "having won" is exactly what stops you from asking the next question - What is this free thing actually for? The good thing however is that once you understand what that FREE is really for, you can't unsee it.

Table of contents:

0:00 - In this episode

0:32 - The strategy: "Commoditize your complements"

0:39 - What's a complement?

1:00 - When the complement gets cheaper, people tend to buy more of the thing it pairs with.

1:46 - Welcome back to #AppliedStuff

2:03 - Why free?…generosity-with-an-angle?!

2:31 - Why would anyone spend real money making someone else's product cheap?

3:59 - Strategy explained in simple words + Example

4:57 - 2 Lookalike Tricks that are NOT this

6:01 - What’s the difference?

6:32 - Caveats

7:32 - How much real money has been made

7:38 - IBM's ~$1 billion bet on Linux

8:04 - Google & Android

8:35 - Survivorship bias

9:01 - Not every free thing is a complement (when you're the product)

9:20 - Bottomline

10:23 - Thank you!

#AppliedStuff

Where ideas meet practical application.

————

P.S.If you'd like to support this channel, please rate it on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Podcasts. You'll also find my social media at the very bottom of the description or in the channel bio if you'd like to connect. Your support truly means a lot to me, thank you! =)

🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff for deep dives into strategy, operating mechanics & real-world business thinking.

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DisclaimerThe content presented on this channel is provided strictly for discussion purposes. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal, financial, economic, or any professional advice. By consuming this content, you acknowledge that you remain fully responsible for your own decisions. I disclaim any liability for outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of the information presented. The information may contain errors or omissions and is provided without warranty of accuracy or completeness.

You’ve probably read the headlines by now - “Spirit Airlines failed because customers finally got tired of paying for every bag and seat” or “The fee model had finally collapsed under its own weight”…And yes, there’s a piece of truth in it. But the operational story, the one that actually failed Spirit Airlines, sits a layer below: in the unit economics of an ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) - a model that strips the fare down to the bone and charges for everything that used to come included & In what happens to that model when a business optimizes every variable to the edge and leaves itself nothing to absorb the next shock. It’s also a story about capital structure, about the moment a company looks at its own balance sheet and realizes that the people it owes money to - its senior bondholders, the creditors with the strongest claim on whatever's left - no longer have interests that line up with yours. And why not even a federal rescue package could help that situation. Let us see what happened with Spirit Airlines :)Table of Contents:

0:00 - What is going on with Spirit Airlines?

00:17 - Why headlines are misleading

01:06 - In this episode: How Spirit made money, What’s wrong with Spirit´s business model, How key stakeholders interests affected the case & Efficiency tradeoffs

01:49 - Welcome back to #AppliedStuff

02:07 - How Spirit Airlines actually made money and Why the "ultra-low-cost" label is a little misleading

02:40 - The fare was bait? (UNBUNDLING explained)

03:36 - What Spirit's operating identity looked like (unit cost, cabin & fleet choices, high load factors, hub-and-spoke network?)

05:35 - What Spirit Airlines bet on

06:02 - Why optimization can be a risk

07:08 - The customer trap & pricing power defense

07:49 - Why fee fatigue didn't actually kill Spirit

08:22 - A bit of context

08:30 - 2022: the Spirit-Frontier merger collapses

08:38 - The JetBlue pivot: a $3.8B deal

08:54 - January 2024: a federal judge blocks Spirit´s deal with JetBlue on antitrust grounds

09:08 - July 2023: Pratt & Whitney discloses the A320neo engine defect

09:35 - By 2025: average Spirit aircraft utilization drops from ~11 to 8 hours a day

10:02 - November 2024: Spirit files Chapter 11 for the first time

10:09 - March 2025: emerges — and is back in bankruptcy five months later

10:17 - March 2026: a new restructuring plan (a bet that prices would come down)

10:39 - Late April 2026: the plan collapses

11:05 - The thing I want to be careful about

11:49 - The federal ~ $500M rescue?

12:10 - Who was really in charge of the future of Spirit Airlines

12:45 - Why priority matters in this case

12:56 - What happens when a company like Spirit gets in trouble (capital stack, senior debt, equity, queue for getting paid back if things break)

13:40 - What federal financing has to do with all that?

14:06 - Creditors´ perspective

14:51 - Bondholders vs. Federal Rescue

15:26 - BOTTOMLINE

16:21 - Important caveats

17:25- Fuel hedging explained

17:55 - Lucky streak ≠ healthy business model

19:05 - 2 possible takeaways from Spirit case

19:09 - Takeaway 1

19:27 - Takeaway 2

19:59 - Closing

20:32 - Disclaimer

#AppliedStuff Where ideas meet practical application.

————P.S.If you'd like to support this channel, please rate it on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Podcasts. You'll also find my social media at the very bottom of the description or in the channel bio if you'd like to connect. Your support truly means a lot to me, thank you! =)🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff for deep dives into strategy, operating mechanics & real-world business thinking.FOLLOW ME LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/liliya-yakhneva-5a693220b

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Your revenue is down and everyone's saying "we need more leads." When revenue is falling, the natural instinct is to push harder on sales...but what if the problem lies in operations?Content Breakdown:0:01 - The Operations Problem disguised as a Sales Problem

0:18 - In this episode

0:50 - Welcome to #AppliedStuff

1:18 - WHY revenue drops get blamed on sales by default

2:04 - Example: Industrial Equipment Company losing revenue with a healthy pipeline

3:06 - The Organizational Trap: why it's easier to blame sales

3:33 - The 3 places where operations hides behind sales

3:40 - Fulfillment / Delivery & Service

4:04 - In simple terms (Fulfillment / Delivery & Service)

4:21 - E-commerce example: when delivery and returns destroy repeat purchases

5:37 - Capacity / Workload Constraints

5:50 - In simple words (Capacity / Workload Constraints)

6:14 - Kitchen example: 100 Hungry Clients

6:53 - Operating Costs that Make Selling more Unprofitable

7:29 - The $50 Product Example: how a 15% discount can erase your margin

8:10 - Why Promotions Aren't always Bad - but you need the full economics

8:37 - The Reverse-Diagnosis Method: working backwards to find the real bottleneck

9:03 - Step 1: check Confirmed Orders & Bookings

9:22 - Step 2: check Fulfillment & Retention

10:08 - Step 3: check Capacity & Workload

10:33 - Step 4: check Cash Conversion

10:53 - Step 5: the Sales Process

11:40 - The Most Expensive Mistake in Business is not a bad quarter - it's...

12:24 - Important Caveats: when this framework does and doesn't apply

14:05 - Bottomline

15:12 - Disclaimer

#AppliedStuffWhere ideas meet practical application.———— P.S. If you'd like to support this channel, please rate it on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Podcasts. You'll also find my social media at the very bottom of the description or in the channel bio if you'd like to connect. Your support truly means a lot to me, thank you! =)

🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff for deep dives into strategy, operating mechanics & real-world business thinking.DisclaimerThe content presented on this channel is provided strictly for discussion purposes. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal, financial, economic, or any professional advice. By consuming this content, you acknowledge that you remain fully responsible for your own decisions. I disclaim any liability for outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of the information presented. The information may contain errors or omissions and is provided without warranty of accuracy or completeness.FOLLOW ME LinkedIn:   / liliya-yakhneva-5a693220b   FOLLOW #APPLIED STUFFLinkedin ENG:   / applied-stuff-official-page-in-english  Spotify ENG: https://open.spotify.com/show/6fPbay1...

Is «flexibility» really leverage or is it weakening your business position? The assumption is simple: the more options you have, the more leverage you hold…But is it always true? Not exactly. There is a hidden cost to being flexible. If your counterpart believes you can change your mind, they assume that eventually, you will. And if they believe that, they will put you to the test. They will push for better terms, ask for discounts, delay payments, or demand scope changes, and trust me, they will test your boundaries simply because they know you have the «flexibility» to move. In this episode of #AppliedStuff, I break down the real operating mechanics behind Strategic Commitment - a game theory concept from "The Art of Strategy" by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff.Using the famous “Game of Chicken” case, we explore what happens when a business voluntarily restricts its own options & Why that can completely change how the market treats you.We cover: • Why excessive optionality can weaken your credibility • How suppliers price volatility into your contracts • “Take-or-Pay” agreements • Why large capital investments change competitor behavior • Why standardization is also a form of commitment • And why every commitment is ultimately a risk-transfer decision#AppliedStuffWhere ideas meet practical application.————P.S.If you’d like to support this channel, please rate it on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Podcasts. You’ll also find my social media at the very bottom of the description or in the channel bio if you’d like to connect. Your support truly means a lot to me, thank you! =)🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff for deep dives into strategy, operating mechanics & real-world business thinking.DisclaimerThe content presented on this channel is provided strictly for discussion purposes. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal, financial, economic, or any professional advice. By consuming this content, you acknowledge that you remain fully responsible for your own decisions. I disclaim any liability for outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of the information presented. The information may contain errors or omissions and is provided without warranty of accuracy or completeness.

Everyone saw the headline: Walmart reached a trillion-dollar valuation. Most people stop there…but that is exactly where the interesting part begins!

In this episode of #AppliedStuff, I open the operational side of the Walmart story & explain why this case is so unusual from an economic point of view. Traditional retail usually does not get rewarded like this by the market, so what changed?

This episode explores the deeper mechanics behind the result, and why the answer matters far beyond Walmart itself.

If you like sharp business analysis, operating breakdowns, and applied stuff, you are in the right place.

🔔 Subscribe or Follow the show, and if you want to support the channel, please rate and review it on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music or Apple Podcasts. Your support really means a lot to me =)

#Applied Stuff

Where ideas meet practical application.

📌FOLLOW ME

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liliya-yakhneva-5a693220b 

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Disclaimer 

This content reflects my personal reflections and is provided for general informational purposes only.

It does not constitute financial, economic, legal, or other professional advice of any kind. The information may contain errors or omissions and is provided without warranty of accuracy or completeness.

Listeners should seek qualified professional advice before acting on any idea discussed here. I disclaim any liability for the use or misuse of this content. By interacting with this channel, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your own choices and outcomes. 

References to books, articles, and research remain the property of their respective authors and appear under EU fair use principles for commentary and review.

You may have thought this was a tech channel. It’s not. What you’ve been watching over the past episodes has never been random videos on AI - they were a short, public, and practical course for anyone (especially non-tech people) who wants to stop overthinking & start using ChatGPT. The advantage gap is already real, so here is your access - your head start. :)Now the question is: Is this the end? - Not at all! #AppliedStuff moves where it always intended to go - business, cases and strategy. AI, in my case, is not the destination. It’s part of the foundation we now need.And yes - that’s us sitting with Mateo Valero in the thumbnail. He is the director of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and this photo is there for a reason. In this episode, we zoom out. We connect the dots. We look at what AI really is, how it evolved, and what it means for you.Let’s begin!▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰Welcome to #AppliedStuff!My name is Liliya Yakhneva, and this is the place where ideas meet practical application 🙂▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰Content Breakdown00:07 - The thumbnail

00:10 - Mateo Valero?

00:43 - What to Expect

01:15 - Intro

01:27 - Why this episode exists

02:06 - Why ChatGPT

02:59 - The End?

03:45 - The Thumbnail Explained ;)

04:18 - Why AI hype disappoints

05:31 - AI You Use Every Day vs Supercomputers

06:08 - Jordi Torres & His book: "AI Explained to Humans"

07:09 - How AI Evolution Affects You Personally

07:45 - Rule-based AI

08:10 - Data-based AI

08:48 - Experience-based AI

09:37 - Optimization ≠ Understanding

10:20 - Compute-based AI

10:31 - The problem?

13:27 - Human Preference Modeling

14:32 - Alignment and hidden trade-offs

15:45 - The Grok case

17:03 - Safety & privacy

18:54 - What changes with AI…

19:08 - How to get more out of this ChatGPT course

20:06 - Disclaimer

20:47 - To be continued

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰LinkedIn ENG: @/applied-stuff-official-page-in-english/ LinkedIn ESP: @/applied-stuff/ Spotify ENG: https://open.spotify.com/show/6fPbay1...Spotify ESP: https://open.spotify.com/show/4438SBG...🔔Subscribe to follow the next chapter of Applied Stuff :)See you in the next one!

In this episode, we’ll look at why learning languages with ChatGPT by voice is overrated. What does work - with specific ChatGPT methods and real use cases. My honest take on Duolingo - what it can help you with, and where people completely overestimate it & How time, ego, KPIs are even connected to this topic.This episode is for anyone who wants to learn languages with AI in a way that’s efficient, honest, and results-driven without wasting time, money, or motivation. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear, step-by-step framework to accelerate language learning, reduce dependency on external constraints, and replace “feeling productive” with real progress.

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Welcome to #AppliedStuff!My name is Liliya Yakhneva, and this is the place where ideas meet practical application 🙂▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

Content Breakdown:

00:06 What to Expect

00:44 Welcome to #AppliedStuff!

01:10 Before tools or any methods…What “learning a language” actually means? (Don’t skip this one :)

01:29 The 4 Non-Negotiables in Language Learning

03:12 Why Tutors often slow learning without realizing it (Authority, bias, and why “good explanations” can still fail you.)

04:41 The Uncomfortable Truth about Immersion Nobody Talks About

05:51 Duolingo (What streaks and XP do to your behavior, although unconsciously.)

07:35 The Missing Piece None of These Methods Cover Alone(+ Why combining them changes everything.)

08:08 What ChatGPT actually does well (& What it doesn’t)

08:38 Why Learning Languages with ChatGPT by Voice Is Overrated

09:15 Why Text-based AI creates faster, cleaner learning loops

10:39 3 ChatGPT Methods to improve your language skills (Roleplay, Picture Description, and Level-up methods)

11:51 Why Structure is a MUST. CURRICULUM?!

12:20 How ChatGPT upgrades traditional grammar books (Asking the “why” until it finally clicks.)

13:19 Personal Special: Step-by-step language learning system that works

14:57 My favourite KPI in Language Learning

15:01 Time, Ego, and Why AI removes limitations to learning

15:19 Final takeaway: Learning vs Feeling productive

15:46 Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!🎄

15:55 Why Now is the Perfect Moment to start Learning a Language

16:19 Think Deeper & Act Smarter!

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LinkedIn ENG: https://www.linkedin.com/company/applied-stuff/ 

LinkedIn ESP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/applied-stuff/ 

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🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff so you don’t miss future episodes ;)Let me know in the comments below your take on learning languages

Everyone thinks they know how to use ChatGPT…until results start coming back inconsistent, shallow or completely off-target. In this episode, I walk you through the 5 most common ChatGPT mistakes. If you’ve ever felt that AI is overhyped, inconsistent, or “Not As Good As Everyone Says”, this episode is for you!

Welcome to #AppliedStuff! My name is Liliya Yakhneva, and this is the place where ideas meet practical application :)

Content Breakdown00:07 Do you really know how to use ChatGPT?00:54 Mistake #1: Your ChatGPT Personalisation Settings are Fighting Your Prompt02:09 Choose the right model (Thinking / Instant / Pro)02:27 Mistake #2: Talking to ChatGPT Like it’s Your “Bro”, Instead Of Using Operational Language a Machine Can Decode02:59 The 4 pillars of a strong prompt: Context, Role, Format & Constraints05:25 Hallucinations06:15 Mistake #3: You Do Not Give Examples to ChatGPT 06:29 Why Showing always beats Telling (+ How AI “sees” your examples)08:22 ChatGPT vs Gemini (+ My Personal advice)08:52 Mistake #4: You Are Not Breaking the Task Into Smaller Parts.10:08 How to Structure & Prioritise11:04 Mistake #5: Starting The Task Without Knowing What “Done” Looks Like12:08 Strategy over Prompts. Learn to Take Responsibility13:29 ChatGPT is a Brilliant As Long As You Treat It As It Is - a Tool14:10 Recap of the 5 Mistakes15:10 Thank you!

⸻🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff so you don’t miss the next episodes!

💬 Let me know in the comments which of the 5 mistakes was new to you?

Applied Stuff LinkedIn: @/applied-stuff-official-page-in-english/

Applied Stuff - Channel Disclaimer

This channel, Applied Stuff, is a personal project where I share my reflections and what I am learning on various topics including AI, business, etc. The content represents my personal journey as a learner and is intended for general reflection only. The information provided on this channel does not constitute professional, legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other regulated advice. Viewers should always seek independent advice from qualified professionals before acting on any ideas mentioned here. The information may contain errors or omissions and is provided without any warranty of accuracy or completeness.

By the time something trends, it’s usually too late to react! - So, here’s how to use AI to spot a trend right at its birth. In this episode, you’ll Learn several ways to use ChatGPT to Detect What’s really Happening out there in the world & What’s Coming Next (new patterns, terms, you name it!). We’ll connect the dots and explore real-world examples like Siemens×NVIDIA and the latest Deloitte data. Expect ChatGPT tips for productivity, practical prompts you can copy, and a mindset shift - from being reactive→ to actually becoming proactive about them.Aaaand, welcome to #AppliedStuff! My name is Liliya Yakhneva, and this is the place where ideas meet practical application :)In this episode of Applied AI, we turn ChatGPT→ into your Trend Radar, so you can spot what’s coming next long before the headlines catch up!

🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff so you don’t miss future episodes!

Content Breakdown00:00 One thing I’ve learnt…00:40 Welcome to #AppliedStuff!00:56 The problem with being obsessed with tracking metrics & focusing purely on fast wins01:43 Dashboards, limits & the “bigger picture” trap02:13 Siemens × NVIDIA: industrial AI & digital twins02:52 Beyond factories - Why this spills into SMEs03:16 The weekly ChatGPT prompt to use to spot a change, a trend03:47 Mark Twain insight04:21 What if I tell you that the real danger often comes from someone who doesn’t look like a threat? (Kodak, Fuji, Taxi Companies)04:35 Peripheral vision - Why to use it04:56 Deloitte 2025 data + implications05:20 Industries are cross-pollinating?!06:14 Peripheral vision + Proactive Prompt = ?07:22 Backcast 2030 → Now: rehearse inevitability with ChatGPT08:55 More bonus prompts to play with09:01 Bonus Prompt 1: “Follow the Money, Not the Marketing Flow”09:21 Bonus Prompt 2: “Simulation of a Trend Lifecycle”09:41 Ask ChatGPT for references & active links to check what you’re up to10:04 Bonus Prompt 3: “Ask ChatGPT to rate YOUR OWN INPUT”11:10 ChatGPT ≠ Panacea11:33 Thank you! Bye-bye

Are you Always Busy…BUT Rarely Actually Done? Learn how to use ChatGPT for productivity and AI automation to reclaim your time from the “small” tasks that quietly drain your life! This episode of Applied AI breaks down the invisible time traps that kill productivity & how ChatGPT prompts can fix them. You’ll see how to handle overwhelming documents, chaotic conversations, and endless spreadsheets. It’s not about doing more → It’s about removing friction from what you already do. Welcome to #AppliedStuff - the place where ideas meet practical application. I’m Liliya Yakhneva & In this episode of Applied AI, we explore how to save the one thing you’ll never get back: Your TIME Because what looks like 5 minutes today might cost you 2 weeks a year after all…

By the End, You’ll Understand:

1. How to identify and eliminate micro-tasks that waste hours.
2. How to turn any document into clear, actionable insights.
3. How to summarize messy discussions and extract key decisions.
4. How to make people understand you on the 1st try.
5. How to read data like a strategist not ´just´ an analyst.
6. How to protect your best ChatGPT work from disappearing.

🔔 Subscribe to #AppliedStuff so you don’t miss the next episode! What about you?) How are YOU using ChatGPT to save time? Please, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below - I would love to hear from you!Applied Stuff - Channel DisclaimerThis channel, Applied Stuff, is a personal project where I share my reflections and what I am learning on various topics including AI, business, psychology, etc. The content represents my personal journey as a learner and is intended for general reflection only. The information provided on this channel does not constitute professional, legal, financial, medical, psychological, or other regulated advice. Viewers should always seek independent advice from qualified professionals before acting on any ideas mentioned here. The information may contain errors or omissions and is provided without any warranty of accuracy or completeness. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I disclaim any liability for decisions, interpretations, actions, or consequences arising from the use or misuse of this content. By viewing or interacting with this channel, you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for your own choices and outcomes. Any references, quotations, or other works remain the property of their respective authors and copyright holders. Their inclusion on this channel is only for commentary, reflection, or contextual purposes, under the applicable copyright exceptions for quotation, commentary, criticism, or review as recognised under EU copyright law. When I mention or demonstrate AI tools such as ChatGPT, this does not represent endorsement, promotion, or marketing of those systems. I am sharing my personal learning experience. These tools are experimental and may produce false, misleading, or harmful content. They should never be relied upon as a replacement for professional advice in any field. It is also important to note that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly stated that ChatGPT conversations can be subpoenaed, meaning they are not legally confidential or privileged in the way communications with doctors, lawyers, or therapists might be (Altman, 2025, This Past Weekend with Theo Von podcast, cited in Perez, 2025, TechCrunch). Viewers should avoid sharing sensitive or private information with AI tools. If you are experiencing issues related to mental health, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts, please seek immediate support from qualified professionals. In Europe, you can dial 112 for emergency assistance. I disclaim responsibility for any harmful interpretation of my content in this regard. This channel reflects my own learning path. Viewers may consider it or not, reflect on it or not, but it should never be taken as authoritative instruction. My intent is to exchange reflections, not to provide direction.