Agency Management

And Why You Must Build CYA Into Everything You Do Selling search software directly to brands is one thing. Selling it through agencies is something entirely different. I wrote this from a series of emails I sent to industry fronds that were trying to get large agency groups and holding companies to offer their software […]

Why Contribution Value Beats Contract Value — Every Time Most organizations make decisions based on contract value — price, scope, deliverables, and outputs — but I argue that a focus on “Contribution Value” will increase your client win and retention rates. I introduced the concept of contribution value in Epiphany 23, “Contribution Value vs. Contract Value.”

Most agencies think clients cancel because “performance dipped” or “a competitor undercut price.”That’s rarely the truth. After decades of seeing why relationships fall apart—from enterprise retainers to fast-moving SaaS accounts—I’ve learned this: clients don’t cancel because they want a new vendor. They cancel because something stopped making sense. There are four core reasons, and if

Why SaaS Software Needs Extra Layers of CYA Hreflang implementation is notoriously fragile. It touches multiple systems, depends on various teams, and spans dozens of moving parts across markets. When it fails, the default assumption is simple: blame the vendor. That’s why we had to engineer CYA (Cover Your Assets) protections directly into Hreflang Builder.

If Part One, “Software Compliance & Ownership Essentials,” was about building software the right way, this article is about proving it when it counts. Enterprise clients, investors, and acquirers aren’t just buying a product; they’re buying confidence: confidence in your ownership, your governance, your risk profile, and your ability to scale without exposing them to

Most software founders focus on features, velocity, and go-to-market. But beneath the hood, your product must be legally ownable, compliantly built, and risk-contained—or you’ll face deal-breaking issues later. It is this second part of the job that many developers overlook. In this first article, I’ll walk through the essential steps every agency or product builder

While earning my master’s degree, I took two courses simultaneously, one on leadership, the other on mergers and acquisitions. Coincidentally, each required a paper on a major failure I had experienced. For M&A, the assignment was to analyze why most acquisitions fail. For leadership, I had to describe a situation where the absence of leadership

What Are Integration Incentives? In many acquisitions, especially in professional services, software, and agency deals, buyers structure integration incentives to keep founders and key talent motivated after the deal closes. These incentives are often tied to hitting revenue goals, retaining clients, cross-selling services, or reaching operational milestones like systems alignment or cost savings. They typically

The Reality Facing Smaller SEO Agencies AI has rapidly shifted the ground beneath SEO. Agencies that once thrived on technical audits and content calendars are now watching core deliverables become commoditized or outright automated. Compounding the pressure, many companies are reducing their outsourced marketing budgets, leveraging AI tools internally, and bringing previously outsourced services in-house.

Most business owners dream of a big exit. But when acquisition talks begin, many are blindsided, not by the offer but by the questions buyers ask. And worse, by what they don’t ask. They’re not buying your clever brand name. They’re buying your systems, your team, and most importantly, your revenue predictability. Often, founders overestimate