Why Technology CEOs Need a Peer-Advisory Council
Jeff Lortz
May 13, 2026
1 Comment
Discover how a peer-advisory council can guide technology CEOs in navigating challenges and making informed decisions
Blog
/ CEO
Under Review: The CEO’s Guide to Balancing Brand vs Demand in Marketing Spend
Jeff Lortz
November 21, 2025
No Comments
How should SaaS CEOs balance brand vs demand generation? This article offers a practical framework for marketing budget allocation, showing how brand investment improves AI search visibility, strengthens pipeline, and drives sustainable SaaS growth.
Margins. Mandates. Mayhem: Why Operators Need Agility—Not Just Answers
Jeff Lortz
July 23, 2025
2 Comments
The first time I truly understood what it meant to be an operator under pressure, I was sitting in a boardroom staring at two numbers: rising input costs and an immovable growth target. We had just been told to cut 20% of our spend—while growing revenue 30% in the same
The Quiet Strength of Consistency in Leadership
The Agile Operator
December 2, 2024
No Comments
Change is exciting. Change is terrifying. For many organizations, it’s the default setting. Whether you’re scaling rapidly, pivoting into new markets, or leading a transformation, one truth holds firm: your team is watching. They watch your decisions. They watch your tone. They watch your values. They watch whether you practice
A Roadmap for 2025 Annual Business Planning
Jeff Lortz
September 23, 2024
2 Comments
The annual budget and business planning process is key for setting a company’s future direction, requiring strategic priorities, KPIs, departmental plans, and Q1 OKRs established through a collaborative, iterative six-step approach for success.
Mastering the Business Planning Cycle: A 12-Month Calendar
Jeff Lortz
September 3, 2024
5 Comments
The post details a 12-month business planning cycle, emphasizing agility and discipline through quarterly executive strategy meetings, department planning, and regular reviews for company alignment and goal achievement.
Fail Fast, Change Faster: How Hyper-Adaptive Leadership Turns Setbacks into Success
The Agile Operator
August 19, 2024
No Comments
Managing a technology company to meet investor expectations has never been more challenging. In this environment, conventional leadership models prioritizing stability and long-term planning over flexibility and rapid response are rapidly becoming obsolete. The SaaS leaders poised to excel in the coming decade will be those who adopt Hyper-Adaptive Leadership.
From Service to SaaS: The Case for Hiring Former Military Officers in Tech
The Agile Operator
August 5, 2024
2 Comments
Hiring former military officers in tech can give your company an edge. Junior Military Officers possess exceptional leadership, adaptability, and critical thinking skills, making them valuable in guiding teams and managing projects. By prioritizing attitude over technical skills and integrating JMOs into leadership roles, companies can leverage their exceptional capabilities
Clarity: Addressing the Crisis of Trust in Organizations
Jeff Lortz
July 14, 2024
No Comments
We live in the trust-crisis age. The onslaught of information, personalized to our liking, through mass and social media, can hardly be consumed, nevermind trusted. The posture of skepticism of messaging and information continues to rise. As leaders, we seek to build trust and loyalty within our teams. The benefits
Transforming Professional Services to Accelerate Customer-Led Growth
The Agile Operator
May 8, 2024
No Comments
In our post “Customer-Led Growth and Product-Led Growth: Friends or Foes?” we discuss how the emergence of Customer-Led Growth (CLG) as a leading strategy to fuel sustainable growth requires closely evaluating traditional roles and functions across the company. Some pundits believe that Professional Services (PS) no longer has a role
Why Technology CEOs Need a Peer-Advisory Council
Jeff Lortz
May 13, 2026
1 Comment
Discover how a peer-advisory council can guide technology CEOs in navigating challenges and making informed decisions
Under Review: The CEO’s Guide to Balancing Brand vs Demand in Marketing Spend
Jeff Lortz
November 21, 2025
No Comments
How should SaaS CEOs balance brand vs demand generation? This article offers a practical framework for marketing budget allocation, showing how brand investment improves AI search visibility, strengthens pipeline, and drives sustainable SaaS growth.
Margins. Mandates. Mayhem: Why Operators Need Agility—Not Just Answers
Jeff Lortz
July 23, 2025
2 Comments
The first time I truly understood what it meant to be an operator under pressure, I was sitting in a boardroom staring at two numbers: rising input costs and an immovable growth target. We had just been told to cut 20% of our spend—while growing revenue 30% in the same
The Quiet Strength of Consistency in Leadership
The Agile Operator
December 2, 2024
No Comments
Change is exciting. Change is terrifying. For many organizations, it’s the default setting. Whether you’re scaling rapidly, pivoting into new markets, or leading a transformation, one truth holds firm: your team is watching. They watch your decisions. They watch your tone. They watch your values. They watch whether you practice
A Roadmap for 2025 Annual Business Planning
Jeff Lortz
September 23, 2024
2 Comments
The annual budget and business planning process is key for setting a company’s future direction, requiring strategic priorities, KPIs, departmental plans, and Q1 OKRs established through a collaborative, iterative six-step approach for success.
Mastering the Business Planning Cycle: A 12-Month Calendar
Jeff Lortz
September 3, 2024
5 Comments
The post details a 12-month business planning cycle, emphasizing agility and discipline through quarterly executive strategy meetings, department planning, and regular reviews for company alignment and goal achievement.
Fail Fast, Change Faster: How Hyper-Adaptive Leadership Turns Setbacks into Success
The Agile Operator
August 19, 2024
No Comments
Managing a technology company to meet investor expectations has never been more challenging. In this environment, conventional leadership models prioritizing stability and long-term planning over flexibility and rapid response are rapidly becoming obsolete. The SaaS leaders poised to excel in the coming decade will be those who adopt Hyper-Adaptive Leadership.
From Service to SaaS: The Case for Hiring Former Military Officers in Tech
The Agile Operator
August 5, 2024
2 Comments
Hiring former military officers in tech can give your company an edge. Junior Military Officers possess exceptional leadership, adaptability, and critical thinking skills, making them valuable in guiding teams and managing projects. By prioritizing attitude over technical skills and integrating JMOs into leadership roles, companies can leverage their exceptional capabilities
Clarity: Addressing the Crisis of Trust in Organizations
Jeff Lortz
July 14, 2024
No Comments
We live in the trust-crisis age. The onslaught of information, personalized to our liking, through mass and social media, can hardly be consumed, nevermind trusted. The posture of skepticism of messaging and information continues to rise. As leaders, we seek to build trust and loyalty within our teams. The benefits
Transforming Professional Services to Accelerate Customer-Led Growth
The Agile Operator
May 8, 2024
No Comments
In our post “Customer-Led Growth and Product-Led Growth: Friends or Foes?” we discuss how the emergence of Customer-Led Growth (CLG) as a leading strategy to fuel sustainable growth requires closely evaluating traditional roles and functions across the company. Some pundits believe that Professional Services (PS) no longer has a role