CxC Ep32: Private Equity’s AI Reality Check - with Lee McCabe (Claymore Partners)

CxC Ep32: Private Equity’s AI Reality Check - with Lee McCabe (Claymore Partners)

This week on Code x Connor, we’re joined by Lee McCabe of Claymore Partners to discuss the convergence of AI and private equity, why firms are struggling to create operational value, and the growing disconnect between AI hype and real-world business fundamentals. Lee is a partner at Claymore Partners, a digital-first growth advisory firm helping private equity and their portfolio companies drive operational improvement through technology, data, and digital transformation. Prior to Claymore, Lee held leadership roles at Expedia, Meta, and Alibaba, and has spent over 25 years working across growth, operations, and digital strategy. In this episode, we discuss: → Why private equity can no longer rely on financial engineering alone → The operational changes PE firms need to survive the current market → Why most companies still lack the data foundations required for AI → How AI amplifies both strong and broken business processes → The growing risks around enterprise AI costs, token usage, and infrastructure constraints → OpenAI and Anthropic’s partnerships with private equity firms → The disconnect between AI deployment headlines and actual business readiness → Where AI is already creating measurable enterprise value → How PE firms could use AI for pattern recognition, deal sourcing, and operational analysis → What private equity can learn from venture capital branding and media strategies → The rise of digital-first PE firms focused on operational transformation Be sure to follow us to get the latest information, and schedule a meeting with us through www.codestrap.com! * Claymore Partners * Website: https://www.claymorepartners.com/ [https://www.claymorepartners.com/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/claymorepartners/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/claymorepartners/] * Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leemccabe/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leemccabe/] * Codestrap * Dorian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/] * Connor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/] * CodeStrap (X): https://x.com/Codestrap_ai [https://x.com/Codestrap_ai] * CodeStrap (LI): https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap [https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap]

CxC Ep31: DevEx Matters: Snowflake Gets It Right With Cortex Code - with Umesh Unnikrishnan (Snowflake)

This week on Code x Connor, we’re joined by Umesh Unnikrishnan of Snowflake to discuss the evolution from vibe coding to agentic engineering, how AI is reshaping developer workflows, and why trusted data platforms are becoming the control plane for the agentic enterprise. Umesh is the Head of Developer Experiences at Snowflake, where he's focused on building and scaling Cortex Code, Snowflake’s data-native AI coding agent, helping builders go from idea to production faster. Prior to Snowflake, he held leadership positions at Google, Microsoft, and Pinterest making complex data and AI systems intuitive for developers. He has also been an investor and operator in high-growth startups. Snowflake is powering the shift to the agentic enterprise, where AI doesn’t just generate insights, but takes action on trusted data. With tools like Snowflake Intelligence for business users and Cortex Code for builders, Snowflake serves as the control plane for enterprises bringing data, AI, and governance together in a single platform. In this episode, we discuss: → The shift from vibe coding prototypes to production-ready agentic engineering → How Cortex Code helps developers build and manage complex data pipelines faster → Why governance, auditability, and security matter for enterprise AI systems → The growing importance of context engineering and AI-native developer workflows → How Snowflake is positioning itself as the control plane for the agentic enterprise → Why APIs, markdown documentation, and command-line tooling are critical for AI agents → The rise of agent-first developer experience and AI-native software design → Why enterprises are rethinking token usage, ROI, and AI infrastructure costs → How AI is accelerating migrations from legacy systems like Oracle and SQL Server → Why the future of software development requires broader “full stack builder” skill sets → The role of monorepos, platform engineering, and scalable developer systems in the AI era Be sure to follow us to get the latest information, and schedule a meeting with us through www.codestrap.com! * Snowflake * Website: https://www.snowflake.com/ [https://www.snowflake.com/en/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snowflake-computing [https://www.linkedin.com/company/snowflake-computing] * Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/umeshunni/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/umeshunni/] * Codestrap * Dorian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/] * Connor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/] * Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminrogojan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminrogojan/] * CodeStrap (X): https://x.com/Codestrap_ai [https://x.com/Codestrap_ai] * CodeStrap (LI): https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap [https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap]

Codestrap Collab: ForgeSight x SalesFoundation

Codestrap welcomes ForgeSight to the channel to discuss how AI-powered operational platforms are reshaping traditional SaaS and see a demo of CustomerForge, a jointly developed CRM solution built atop Palantir Foundry. Featuring Codestrap Founding Partner & Business Platform Lead Bryce Leszczynski, ForgeSight Co-Founder & CEO Chris Atack, and ForgeSight Forward Deployed Engineers Brett Adams and Adam Collins. Be sure to follow us to get our latest updates from Codestrap and learn about our technology and approach. Schedule a meeting with us through www.codestrap.com [http://www.codestrap.com] to see what we can do for your business. ForgeSight * Website: https://www.forgesight.com/ [https://www.forgesight.com/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i4cforgesight/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/i4cforgesight/] * Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisatack/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisatack/] * Brett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett20adams/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett20adams/] * Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam99collins/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam99collins/] Codestrap: * Bryce: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-leszczynski-350a6a113/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryce-leszczynski-350a6a113/] * CodeStrap (X): https://x.com/Codestrap_ai [https://x.com/Codestrap_ai] * CodeStrap (LI): https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap [https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap]

CxC Ep30: Building AI Systems That Don’t Break the Business - with Brian Fornelli (Conagra)

This week on Code x Connor, we’re joined by Brian Fornelli of Conagra Brands to discuss operationalizing AI in large enterprises, why companies are overcomplicating adoption, and where generative AI actually delivers value. Brian is a Senior Director of Data Solutions and Engineering at Conagra Brands, where he focuses on building production-grade machine learning systems and scalable software solutions that improve operational decision-making. With over 15 years of experience spanning applied machine learning, engineering, and enterprise systems, his work centers on deploying practical AI solutions that drive measurable outcomes in complex operational environments. In this episode, we discuss: → Why cross-functional teams outperform traditional enterprise org structures for AI → The risks of deploying probabilistic AI into real-world operations → Why most enterprise problems don’t need advanced AI → The importance of observability, governance, and traceability in AI systems → How enterprises balance platforms like Palantir, Databricks, and Snowflake → Why AI-generated software may matter more than AI-powered operations → The coming pricing, supply, and GPU challenges facing enterprise AI → Why organizations need better ways to measure AI ROI and productivity → The risks of unbounded “vibe coded” enterprise applications → Why deterministic systems and traditional ML still matter alongside LLMs Be sure to follow us to get the latest information, and schedule a meeting with us through www.codestrap.com! * Conagra * Website: https://www.conagrabrands.com/ [https://www.conagrabrands.com/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conagra-brands/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/conagra-brands/] * Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-fornelli/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-fornelli/] * Codestrap * Dorian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/] * Connor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/] * CodeStrap (X): https://x.com/Codestrap_ai [https://x.com/Codestrap_ai] CodeStrap (LI): https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap [https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap]

CxC Ep29: The Dilemma of AI Pricing - with Maciej Kraus (Movens Capital)

This week on Code x Connor, we’re joined by Maciej Kraus, partner at Movens Capital and Stanford guest lecturer, to discuss current AI pricing models, their limitations, and what comes next. Maciej is a PhD, VC partner, and pricing expert with 20+ years in strategy, sales, and monetization. He advises founders on value capture, guest lectures at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and co-authored Pricing Decoded. He blends data, psychology, and practical frameworks to turn pricing into a growth engine for tech and SaaS. In this episode, we discuss: → Why AI challenges the traditional SaaS model (cheap to build, expensive to run)→ The “Token AI” consumption model and its limitations → The potential threat of economic collapse→ Business models that will actually work in the future→ How subsidies and capital burn are distorting the market→ Output vs. outcome-based pricing → Hybrid pricing models and the future of AI pricing Be sure to follow us to get the latest information, and schedule a meeting with us through www.codestrap.com! * Movens Capital * Website: https://movenscapital.com/ [https://movenscapital.com/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movenscapital/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/movenscapital/] * Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maciejkraus/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maciejkraus/] * Codestrap * Dorian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorian-smiley-97a72a14/] * Connor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/connordeeks/] * Codestrap (X): https://x.com/Codestrap_ai [https://x.com/Codestrap_ai] * Codestrap (LI): https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap [https://www.linkedin.com/company/codestrap]