Off the Grid, On the Record

Beyond Chat AI: The AI Playbook That Keeps Founders Focused

Solo or small team? Then you know the drill: 40 chat threads, half-finished docs, and no clear next step. In this episode, Samim Safaei, co-founder of SIIFT.AI [http://SIIFT.AI], breaks down how their “Founder’s Compass” turns messy ideas into structured, repeatable validation — without losing speed. We cover: * Why generic chat tools say “yes” to everything — and how SIIFT removes the fluff * The real blocker: information architecture (not another app) * Guided chat plus a structured canvas: brain dump in, clean strategy out * What beta users taught the team about UX, education, and overwhelm * Partnerships with accelerators and mentors to scale guidance (not replace it) * Privacy and IP: why paying for software beats paying with your data * Go-to-market goals, pricing philosophy, and where SIIFT goes next Guest: Samim Safaei — Co-founder, SIIFT.AI [http://SIIFT.AI] Topics: Early-stage ops, validation, founder workflows, AI tooling, product UX Learn more: siift.ai [http://siift.ai] Connect with Samim: LinkedIn (search “Samim Safaei”) If this episode saved you from another “where did I write that?” moment, share it with a founder friend and subscribe for more no-BS playbooks for building from zero to one.

Not Just Bake Sales: The $400B Nonprofit World—And the Data OS Powering It

Most people underestimate nonprofits. They’re not small or slow—they’re a $400B U.S. engine (trillions globally) that run on trust. Our guest Cyrus Kazi, co-founder & CEO of Quantably, explains why trust is a data problem—and how his team built an “operating system for impact” that finally connects collection, analysis, and reporting. We cover: * The multi-tool mess: why orgs juggle 17–25 disconnected apps—and what to do first * Data strategy > data entry: collecting only what serves outcomes (Theory of Change, operationalized) * Quantably’s “Impact LLM”: automated analysis for CEOs, CFOs, fundraisers—no stats degree required * Reporting that donors believe: SROI, audit-ready narratives, and younger data-native donors * GTM that works in this sector: partner channels (auditors, fundraising consultants) over cold outreach * The future: why “data entry” dies this decade—replaced by conversational capture and inference * Founder lessons: go to market right vs fast, vision-aligned teams, and knowing your limits Guest: Cyrus Kazi — Co-founder & CEO, Quantably Topics: Nonprofit ops, impact measurement, data strategy, SROI, AI for social good Learn more: quantably.com [http://quantably.com] Connect with Cyrus: LinkedIn (search “Cyrus Kazi”) | Email: ckazi@quantably.com [ckazi@quantably.com]

Kill the Meeting Chaos: How Tweenlin Uses AI to Free Your Calendar

Sick of living in your calendar? Founder Dario De Santis (Tweenlin) breaks down how his team is cutting the meeting overload—turning endless 1:1s and “quick syncs” into fast, human conversations without scheduling gymnastics. We dig into: * The real cost of meeting sprawl (and why remote work made it worse) * How Tweenlin’s AI deflects 1:1s and small-group meetings into on-the-fly conversations * What early pilots show: measurable productivity gains and “empty calendar” serenity * Selling true workflow change into 10k–100k-person enterprises * Why you don’t fail if you don’t give up: Dario’s 4-year founder journey from idea → Gartner “Cool Vendor” If your team complains about meetings, send them this. Guest: Dario De Santis — Founder & CEO, Tweenlin Topics: AI collaboration, meeting reduction, enterprise workflow, remote culture, productivity Connect with Dario: LinkedIn (search “Dario De Santis”) Learn more: Tweenlin Subscribe for more founder playbooks on building the future of work.

Stop Hiring, Start Automating: AI “Employees” That Scale You

On this episode of Off the Grid on the Record, I sit down with Trey DeMobile, founder of Immersive Agentics, to unpack how small teams (from 2–15 people) are plugging in AI “employees” to reclaim time, reduce busywork, and tighten security without adding headcount. We dig into practical, repeatable workflows—like an autonomous social media manager and a personalization enginethat drafts 1,000 custom emails in a few hours—plus where AI shines (high-volume, repetitive tasks) and where humans still win (empathy, relationship building, lateral problem-solving). What we cover: * Building AI “employees” from real job descriptions (qualifying, research, social, outreach) * Why the goal isn’t “replace people,” it’s free them to shake more hands & close more deals * The limits today: AI needs a “pitch,” struggles with human nuance, and shouldn’t fake being human * Security reality check: AI increases both attack velocity and defense—how to think about risk * Tool sprawl vs. training: why teams underinvest in AI fluency and overpay for features * Ideal fits: nonprofits, real estate, trades, solopreneurs—anyone who thrives on relationships * Culture shifts: upskilling entry roles to higher-value work as AI takes the grunt work Guest links: * Immersive Agentics — immersiveagenetics.com [http://immersiveagenetics.com] 👉 Subscribe for more founder stories on tech, security, and the future of work.

Inside the $1T Ad Machine: How Revenue Arc’s 50% Rev-Share Model Delivers 5–8× ROAS

This week on Off the Grid on the Record, I sit down with Andrew Barrow, founder of Revenue Arc, a white-label programmatic ad agency running campaigns for household names—and flipping the traditional agency model on its head with a 50% gross revenue share back to partners and lifetime referral commissions. Andrew pulls back the curtain on how programmatic really works (CTV, display, audio, premium publishers), why most brands overspend on fees, and how Revenue Arc’s model lets agencies earn from media instead of getting drained by it. We also cover the playbook behind consistent 5–8× ROAS (and a standout case that raised $145M on ~$2M ad spend), plus the AI systems that now spin up media plans in minutes. What we cover: * Programmatic in plain English: how every impression is auctioned in 1/100th of a second * The 50% gross rev-share + lifetime referrals (why partners often make more than the trader) * Budgets that work: why $500/day is a realistic floor for performance, and when to scale * Predictive modeling: targeting people before they’re in-market (and outpacing competitors) * The three biggest campaign killers: weak landing pages, bad targeting, and “not bought-in” leadership * Beating “engagement farms,” avoiding toxic optimization data, and tightening guardrails * AI as force-multiplier: media plans, decks, and daily optimizations generated in minutes If you’ve ever wondered how the ads you see on Hulu, top news sites, Spotify, and mobile apps actually get there—and how to run them profitably—this episode is your blueprint. 🔗 Connect with Andrew & Revenue Arc: * Website (Marketing): revenuearkmarketing.com [http://revenuearkmarketing.com] * Website (Corporate): revenueark.com [http://revenueark.com] 👉 More episodes: youtube.com/@yarekmatacz [http://youtube.com/@yarekmatacz]