<![CDATA[AI for Business Leaders]]>Every company is being told to "use AI." Very few leaders have a playbook for what actually works.

AI for Business Leaders is the show where senior operators at commerce brands, technology companies, and venture firms share the one AI decision that changed their business, what worked, what failed, and what they'd do differently.

Hosted by Dennis Yao Yu, Founder & CEO of The Other Group, a strategic advisory firm that partners with commerce and AI companies to unlock revenue and solve go-to-market challenges. With 20+ years at the intersection of commerce, technology, and AI, Dennis brings on the founders, investors, and operators who are building what's next.

Each episode unpacks real decisions, not theorym, from leaders navigating AI adoption, go-to-market strategy, organizational change, and growth at the intersection of commerce and technology.

Whether you're a brand scaling DTC, a tech or AI founder finding product market fit, or an investor evaluating AI-native companies, this show is built for the leaders making those bets.

]]>www.getothergroup.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:07:46 GMTMon, 09 Feb 2026 02:06:41 GMT60Dennis Yao Yu<p><i>Every company is being told to "use AI." Very few leaders have a playbook for what actually works.</i></p><p></p><p><i>AI for Business Leaders is the show where senior operators at commerce brands, technology companies, and venture firms share the one AI decision that changed their business, what worked, what failed, and what they'd do differently.</i></p><p></p><p><i>Hosted by Dennis Yao Yu, Founder &amp; CEO of The Other Group, a strategic advisory firm that partners with commerce and AI companies to unlock revenue and solve go-to-market challenges. With 20+ years at the intersection of commerce, technology, and AI, Dennis brings on the founders, investors, and operators who are building what's next.</i></p><p></p><p><i>Each episode unpacks real decisions, not theorym, from leaders navigating AI adoption, go-to-market strategy, organizational change, and growth at the intersection of commerce and technology.</i></p><p></p><p><i>Whether you're a brand scaling DTC, a tech or AI founder finding product market fit, or an investor evaluating AI-native companies, this show is built for the leaders making those bets.</i></p><p></p>episodicDennis Yao Yudennis@getothergroup.comno<![CDATA[Gary Benerofe, GP at Mu Ventures, on the Future of Agentic Commerce]]>What separates a genuine AI commerce startup from AI theater? Gary Benerofe is the General Partner of Mu Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in the future of commerce. With over 20 years deploying capital across stages and asset classes, Gary brings a unique combination of operational expertise and investment acumen — what he calls "operating capital."

In this conversation, we cover:

  • What "operating capital" means and why it matters more than just a check
  • The pattern recognition behind picking venture-backed founders — magnetism, talent attraction, and repeat founder advantage
  • How Mu Ventures expanded from pure commerce enablement to any transaction that removes friction
  • OpenAI's instant checkout vs. Google's agent payments protocol — two completely different approaches to agentic commerce
  • Why Gary's AI red flag is when the AI IS the thing, rather than AI making the thing better
  • The return to grassroots brand building as CAC rises and attribution breaks down
  • TikTok Shop, experiential marketing, and why hand-to-hand combat is back
  • Why the next 5 years of commerce infrastructure will be defined by buyer-agent-to-buyer-agent transactions
  • The real etymology of Mu Ventures (hint: it involves Yale, quarters, and beer)

If you're a founder, operator, or investor trying to separate signal from noise in the AI commerce landscape, this is the investor's lens you need.

]]>84ed674b-d14d-4243-979f-05cf55c8f1edSat, 11 Apr 2026 16:13:22 GMT<p>What separates a genuine AI commerce startup from AI theater? Gary Benerofe is the General Partner of Mu Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in the future of commerce. With over 20 years deploying capital across stages and asset classes, Gary brings a unique combination of operational expertise and investment acumen — what he calls "operating capital."</p><p>In this conversation, we cover:</p><ul><li>What "operating capital" means and why it matters more than just a check</li><li>The pattern recognition behind picking venture-backed founders — magnetism, talent attraction, and repeat founder advantage</li><li>How Mu Ventures expanded from pure commerce enablement to any transaction that removes friction</li><li>OpenAI's instant checkout vs. Google's agent payments protocol — two completely different approaches to agentic commerce</li><li>Why Gary's AI red flag is when the AI IS the thing, rather than AI making the thing better</li><li>The return to grassroots brand building as CAC rises and attribution breaks down</li><li>TikTok Shop, experiential marketing, and why hand-to-hand combat is back</li><li>Why the next 5 years of commerce infrastructure will be defined by buyer-agent-to-buyer-agent transactions</li><li>The real etymology of Mu Ventures (hint: it involves Yale, quarters, and beer)<p></p></li></ul><p>If you're a founder, operator, or investor trying to separate signal from noise in the AI commerce landscape, this is the investor's lens you need.</p>no00:33:5017Gary Benerofe, GP at Mu Ventures, on the Future of Agentic Commercefull<![CDATA[The AI Maximalist Playbook: James Raybould on Building at the Speed of Ideas]]>James Raybould is the former SVP and General Manager of Turing Intelligence, the enterprise consulting and AI deployment division of Turing — a company valued at $2.2 billion that partners with frontier AI labs like OpenAI to help enterprises transform AI from proof-of-concept into proprietary intelligence.

Before Turing, James spent 13 years at LinkedIn, where he played a key role in two major acquisitions: the $1.6 billion Lynda.com deal that became LinkedIn Learning and the Glint acquisition that brought employee engagement tools into the platform.

In this episode, Dennis and James dig into:

  • What it actually means to be "AI forward" — not as a buzzword, but in daily practice (from kid's homework tutoring to athletic training plans)
  • The #1 pattern that separates enterprises that succeed with AI from those that get stuck
  • Why picking a narrow, metrics-driven use case beats trying to "AI-ify" an entire function
  • How AI is shifting from incremental efficiency gains to a complete rewrite of how companies operate
  • The coordination cost problem — and why removing human bottlenecks accelerates everything
  • Why the gap between an idea and a functioning product is now measured in minutes, not months
  • The people side: how leaders can help their teams move past fear and embrace AI as an amplifier

Whether you're a founder evaluating where to deploy AI first, or an executive trying to get your organization to move faster — this episode delivers practical, no-fluff insights from someone who's seen both sides: building AI products and deploying them inside the enterprise.

Connect with James on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamesraybould


Learn more about The Other Group: www.getothergroup.com

]]>2923de15-361e-494e-9f32-e59eab719b29Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:31:02 GMT<p>James Raybould is the former SVP and General Manager of Turing Intelligence, the enterprise consulting and AI deployment division of Turing — a company valued at $2.2 billion that partners with frontier AI labs like OpenAI to help enterprises transform AI from proof-of-concept into proprietary intelligence.</p><p></p><p>Before Turing, James spent 13 years at LinkedIn, where he played a key role in two major acquisitions: the $1.6 billion <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Lynda.com" target="_blank">Lynda.com</a> deal that became LinkedIn Learning and the Glint acquisition that brought employee engagement tools into the platform.</p><p></p><p>In this episode, Dennis and James dig into:</p><p></p><ul><li>What it actually means to be "AI forward" — not as a buzzword, but in daily practice (from kid's homework tutoring to athletic training plans)</li><li>The #1 pattern that separates enterprises that succeed with AI from those that get stuck</li><li>Why picking a narrow, metrics-driven use case beats trying to "AI-ify" an entire function</li><li>How AI is shifting from incremental efficiency gains to a complete rewrite of how companies operate</li><li>The coordination cost problem — and why removing human bottlenecks accelerates everything</li><li>Why the gap between an idea and a functioning product is now measured in minutes, not months</li><li>The people side: how leaders can help their teams move past fear and embrace AI as an amplifier</li><li></li></ul><p>Whether you're a founder evaluating where to deploy AI first, or an executive trying to get your organization to move faster — this episode delivers practical, no-fluff insights from someone who's seen both sides: building AI products and deploying them inside the enterprise.</p><p></p><p>Connect with James on LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/jamesraybould" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/jamesraybould</a></p><p><br />Learn more about The Other Group: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.getothergroup.com" target="_blank">www.getothergroup.com</a></p>no00:48:1416The AI Maximalist Playbook: James Raybould on Building at the Speed of Ideasfull<![CDATA[Charlie Ninegar, COO of DSS Games, on Getting People Off Their Phones and Growing Against the Grain]]>Charlie Ninegar is the COO of DSS Games, a fast-growing tabletop card games company on a mission to get people off their phones and back around the table. In this episode recorded live at eTail Palm Springs, we dig into how DSS Games stole market share while their category actually shrank, through relentless content quality, brand discipline, and a team-first approach to AI adoption.

Topics covered:

  • Growing in a shrinking market through content-first strategy
  • TikTok-first organic content: from 1,200 videos/year to fewer but higher-impact
  • Custom GPTs as a practical first step for AI adoption
  • Change management: why some young employees resist AI (and what to do about it)
  • The coming shift from "no AI in creative" to AI-assisted brand content
  • Why the AI arms race looks different outside the tech bubble

Sign up at www.getothergroup.com for early access to episodes, frameworks, and insights we don't publish anywhere else.

]]>1e035d71-7980-4c47-99b1-c392b41865edSat, 28 Mar 2026 18:30:36 GMT<p><b>Charlie Ninegar is the COO of DSS Games, a fast-growing tabletop card games company on a mission to get people off their phones and back around the table. In this episode recorded live at eTail Palm Springs, we dig into how DSS Games stole market share while their category actually shrank, through relentless content quality, brand discipline, and a team-first approach to AI adoption.</b></p><p></p><p><b>Topics covered:</b></p><ul><li>Growing in a shrinking market through content-first strategy</li><li>TikTok-first organic content: from 1,200 videos/year to fewer but higher-impact</li><li>Custom GPTs as a practical first step for AI adoption</li><li>Change management: why some young employees resist AI (and what to do about it)</li><li>The coming shift from "no AI in creative" to AI-assisted brand content</li><li>Why the AI arms race looks different outside the tech bubble</li></ul><p><b>Sign up at </b><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.getothergroup.com" target="_blank"><b>www.getothergroup.com</b></a><b> for early access to episodes, frameworks, and insights we don't publish anywhere else.</b></p>no00:15:5615Charlie Ninegar, COO of DSS Games, on Getting People Off Their Phones and Growing Against the Grainfull<![CDATA[Aman Advani of Ministry of Supply On Building Customer Loyalty Through Rapid Experimentation ]]>In this insightful interview, Iman from eTale shares how his apparel brand adapted to supply chain disruptions, leveraged AI for rapid testing and inventory management, and built customer loyalty through experimentation. Discover strategies for agility, AI integration, and maintaining innovation in a challenging market.

  • Supply chain agility and on-demand inventory
  • AI-driven rapid testing and decision-making
  • Building customer loyalty and increasing LTV
]]>4955479b-747c-4fcd-bda1-e9bcd31bb422Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:36:54 GMT<p>In this insightful interview, Iman from eTale shares how his apparel brand adapted to supply chain disruptions, leveraged AI for rapid testing and inventory management, and built customer loyalty through experimentation. Discover strategies for agility, AI integration, and maintaining innovation in a challenging market.</p><p></p><ul><li>Supply chain agility and on-demand inventory</li><li>AI-driven rapid testing and decision-making</li><li>Building customer loyalty and increasing LTV</li></ul>no00:11:5614Aman Advani of Ministry of Supply On Building Customer Loyalty Through Rapid Experimentation full<![CDATA[Angela Clark of Patagonia - How Patagonia Uses Storytelling and AI to Engage Customers ]]>In this interview, Angela Clark, VP of Digital at Patagonia, shares insights on how the brand navigates market disruptions, leverages storytelling, and integrates AI to enhance customer engagement and long-term brand loyalty.

  • Patagonia's response to tariffs and market disruptions
  • The role of storytelling in brand loyalty
  • AI and personalization in retail
]]>bd825ed4-28bc-49c1-815b-2c0d3a79fe23Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:27:24 GMT<p>In this interview, Angela Clark, VP of Digital at Patagonia, shares insights on how the brand navigates market disruptions, leverages storytelling, and integrates AI to enhance customer engagement and long-term brand loyalty.</p><p></p><ul><li>Patagonia's response to tariffs and market disruptions</li><li>The role of storytelling in brand loyalty</li><li>AI and personalization in retail</li></ul>no00:12:0913Angela Clark of Patagonia - How Patagonia Uses Storytelling and AI to Engage Customers full<![CDATA[VP of Phoenix Suns - 97% of Fans Will Never Visit Your Stadium, Now What? ]]>Only 2-3% of Manchester City fans will ever set foot in the stadium. So how do you build a business around the other 97%? Ron Li has spent his career figuring that out.

Body:

Ron Li is VP of Data Intelligence & Strategic Partnerships at the Phoenix Suns, where he oversees AI and data strategy across five properties — the Suns (NBA), Mercury (WNBA), Valley Suns (G League), Footprint Center, and the team's hospitality portfolio.

Before the Suns, Ron was employee #4 on the PGA Tour's international business team and helped build EA's competitive gaming division from scratch. He's also a former professional esports player.

In this episode, Ron breaks down:

  • Why sports teams can't think of themselves as an events business anymore
  • How the Suns use visual AI to measure sponsorship value in real-time
  • AI agents handling season ticket billing, lapsed fans, and new prospect lists
  • The Verizon 5G practice facility partnership and what "strategic" really means
  • Why a clean data foundation matters more than any AI tool
  • His hiring philosophy: curiosity over credentials
  • The e-bike analogy every business leader needs to hear


    If you lead a team figuring out where AI fits in your business, this conversation is a blueprint — not theory.

Subscribe at Spotify and Apple Podcast and follow AI for Business Leaders wherever you listen.

www.getothergroup.com to stay up to date for the latest

]]>043bddd4-0715-4589-a05d-ed05c10d083eWed, 04 Mar 2026 18:10:13 GMT<p><i>Only 2-3% of Manchester City fans will ever set foot in the stadium. So how do you build a business around the other 97%? Ron Li has spent his career figuring that out.</i></p><p></p><p><b>Body:</b></p><p>Ron Li is VP of Data Intelligence &amp; Strategic Partnerships at the Phoenix Suns, where he oversees AI and data strategy across five properties — the Suns (NBA), Mercury (WNBA), Valley Suns (G League), Footprint Center, and the team's hospitality portfolio.</p><p></p><p>Before the Suns, Ron was employee #4 on the PGA Tour's international business team and helped build EA's competitive gaming division from scratch. He's also a former professional esports player.</p><p></p><p>In this episode, Ron breaks down:</p><p></p><ul><li>Why sports teams can't think of themselves as an events business anymore</li><li>How the Suns use visual AI to measure sponsorship value in real-time</li><li>AI agents handling season ticket billing, lapsed fans, and new prospect lists</li><li>The Verizon 5G practice facility partnership and what "strategic" really means</li><li>Why a clean data foundation matters more than any AI tool</li><li>His hiring philosophy: curiosity over credentials</li><li>The e-bike analogy every business leader needs to hear<p><br />If you lead a team figuring out where AI fits in your business, this conversation is a blueprint — not theory.</p><p></p></li></ul><p>Subscribe at Spotify and Apple Podcast and follow AI for Business Leaders wherever you listen.</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.getothergroup.com" target="_blank">www.getothergroup.com</a> to stay up to date for the latest</p>no00:40:27VP of Phoenix Suns - 97% of Fans Will Never Visit Your Stadium, Now What? full