Wisdom From Wizards with Nitin Kartik

Would you rather focus your roadmap on user demand or internal vision? That's the question we recently discussed with Rich Sheridan, CEO at Menlo Innovations.

Rich chooses user demand because customers are the experts on the problems you are trying to solve. But he also leaves room for visionary leadership. After all, customers can tell you where the shoe pinches, but they may not sketch the next sneaker.

For CEOs thinking about writing a book, there is a useful parallel. Listen closely to what your audience needs, then bring the vision and experience only you can provide. That combination turns a book from a lengthy corporate brochure into something people may actually read.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards.

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

Would you rather have a team that over communicates or over delivers? That's the question we recently discussed with Jennifer Schielke, CEO at Summit Group Solutions.

Jennifer chooses over communication, and her reasoning is one every CEO should hear.

Over delivery may look great on the scoreboard, but if your team is exhausted by halftime, the strategy is not sustainable. Strong communication keeps everyone in position, prevents costly own goals, and helps the team perform without burning out its best players.

The same applies when writing a book. A CEO does not need to sprint through every chapter like it is stoppage time. Clear communication and the right support produce a better result than heroic last-minute chaos.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at:

https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

Would you rather handle a failed launch or a failed hire? That's the question we recently discussed with Eric Chang, CEO at Claira.

Eric chooses the failed launch.

Why? A launch is like a missed shot on goal. You study the replay, adjust the formation, and take another shot. In an early-stage AI company, experimentation is part of the game.

A failed hire can be more like losing your goalkeeper in the first ten minutes. On a small team, every person shapes culture, morale, and momentum.

CEOs thinking about writing a book face a similar choice. A weak chapter can be rewritten. The wrong collaborator can turn the whole project into extra time with no snacks.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

Would you rather be loved by engineers or by customers? That's the question we recently discussed with Drew Sechrist, CEO at Connect The Dots.

Drew’s answer is refreshingly simple: customers.

Engineers may build the elegant product. They may admire the architecture, the clean code, the beautiful design. But customers are the ones who write the checks.

For CEOs thinking about writing a book, there’s a big lesson here.

Don’t write the book your internal “engineering team” would applaud in the locker room.

Write the book your customers would actually buy, read, quote, and pass around like a perfect World Cup assist.

Because a clever idea is nice. But a customer-centered idea puts points on the board.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

Would you rather dominate a niche or shape a category? That's the question we recently discussed with Bonnie Hagemann, CEO at EDA Inc.

Bonnie’s answer? Both.

Her company is building CultureView, an AI platform that replaces the need for traditional culture engagement surveys. Since they are first in the space, the opportunity is not just to win a niche, but to define the category.

That’s a useful lesson for CEOs thinking about writing a book.

Your book can help you own a specific problem your buyers already care about. But the bigger prize is using it to shape how people think about the whole category.

Basically, your book should not just say, “Look at me.” It should say, “Here’s the new way to think about this.” Much classier. Slightly less desperate.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, @Spotify,YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

Would you rather partner with innovators or hire them? That's the question we recently discussed with Andrew Devlin, CEO at Pitchhub.

Andrew shares that the best innovation often happens at the edges of the ecosystem. Partners bring speed, leverage, fresh thinking, and, best of all, they do not require you to add another person to the Monday morning meeting calendar. Small mercy.

The same applies to your book.

You do not have to build every capability inside your company before you can move faster.

You do not need to become a publishing expert, cover designer, launch strategist, editor, and Amazon category wizard overnight. Partnering with the right people can help you turn your expertise into authority faster.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

#CEO #Founder #BusinessBook #ThoughtLeadership #WisdomFromWizards #BestsellingAuthor

Would you rather promote loyalty or push for ambition? That's the question we recently discussed with Mark Michael, CEO at DevHub.

Mark shares a refreshingly honest take: loyalty sounds noble, but leaders can overdo it. Sometimes the best thing a company can do is become the launchpad for someone’s ambition.

That’s a powerful mindset for CEOs thinking about writing a book.

Your book should not just ask people to stay loyal to your brand forever, like a clingy golden retriever with a CRM login. It should inspire ambitious people to see you as the guide, the catalyst, and the person who helps them level up.

Loyalty is nice.

Ambition scales.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at:

https://WisdomFromWizards.com/x

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

#CEO #ThoughtLeadership #Leadership #BusinessBooks #WisdomFromWizards #BestsellingAuthor #ExecutiveBranding #FounderBrand

Would you rather win market share in a declining industry or hold steady in a booming one? That's the question we recently discussed with Ari Tulla, CEO at Elo Health.

Ari shares a simple but powerful answer: find the wave.

As a surfer and rock climber, he knows effort matters, but direction matters more. You can paddle heroically on a flat ocean and still go nowhere. Very motivational, except for the going nowhere part.

For CEOs thinking about writing a book, the same lesson applies.

Your book should not just document what you know. It should help you catch the wave your market is already moving toward.

AI. Health. Trust. Leadership. Category creation. Buyer confusion.

The right book helps you own the conversation before your competitors even wax their boards.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

#CEO #ThoughtLeadership #BusinessBooks #BestsellingAuthor #Leadership #AI #WisdomFromWizards

Would you rather have a leadership style that inspires loyalty or one that drives performance at any cost? That's the question we recently discussed with Milind Katti, CEO at Demand Farm.

Milind chooses loyalty.

Not the “please like me, I brought donuts” kind of loyalty.

He talks about loyalty as self-drive, motivation, intent, and effort. The inputs that eventually create performance.

That’s a powerful insight for CEOs thinking about writing a book.

Because a great CEO book should not just say, “Look at my results.”

It should reveal how you think. How you lead. What you value when pressure shows up wearing a quarterly target spreadsheet.

Performance matters. Of course it does.

But a book that only talks about outcomes can feel like a victory lap. A book that explains your leadership philosophy can become a legacy asset.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

#CEO #Leadership #BusinessBooks #ThoughtLeadership #BestsellingAuthor #ExecutiveBranding

Would you rather dominate one geography or diversify across five? That's the question we recently discussed with Jason Pearsall, Founder of Club Caddie.

Jason chooses focus.

For Club Caddie, that means North America, especially the United States. Why? One language. One currency. One major set of expectations. One market deep enough to build a real machine without turning the team calendar into a 24-hour support smoothie.

That same lesson applies to CEOs thinking about writing a book.

A great business book does not need to speak to everyone on Earth. In fact, if it tries to, it often ends up sounding like it was written by a committee trapped in a conference room with stale muffins.

The stronger play is to dominate one clear audience.

One buyer.

One pain.

One promise.

One category you want to own.

Then your book becomes a positioning asset, not a polite stack of pages.

Check out more such insights in my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!

#CEO #ThoughtLeadership #BusinessBooks #AuthorBrand #WisdomFromWizards