"You can tell someone’s values when things go badly." - Donald Davidoff

In this episode, Donald Davidoff shares the journey of building REBA™, a modern analytics company changing how the rental housing industry uses data. From founding the industry-defining LRO system to launching REBA™, Donald brings a deep history of innovation, leadership, and strategic thinking. We talk about the role of core values in decision-making, building culture in growth-stage startups, and how REBA™ is creating clarity through better coordination, OKRs, and customer focus.

The conversation also dives into the rental housing industry's lag in adopting modern tech, how REBA™ helps leaders make better decisions faster, and the transition from startup mode to scale. Donald unpacks lessons on internal service, process design, team dynamics, and why reverse engineering objectives can unlock alignment across functions.

Takeaways:

• You can tell someone's values when things go badly.

• Strong leaders must balance zooming in and out.

• The rental housing industry is traditionally behind in technology.

• REBA™ aims to connect data systems for better decision-making.

• Cultural fit is crucial in hiring processes.

• Documenting goals helps teams stay on track.

• Organizational clarity supports cross-functional success.

• Process should serve the team, not hinder it.

• Internal customer service matters as much as external.

• Music matters: yes, he picked Meat Loaf.

Chapters:

00:00 Values Revealed in Adversity

02:50 The Transition from Startup to Growth

06:00 Revolutionizing the Rental Housing Industry

12:07 The Birth of REBA™: Timing and Vision

18:07 Building a Strong Company Culture

23:04 Setting the Vision and Objectives

26:34 The Importance of Coordination and Focus

28:25 Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

32:01 Creating Clarity in Organizational Structure

36:24 Balancing Process and Flexibility

41:05 Customer Success and Internal Service

44:44 Desert Island Album Choice

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies™:

https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your venture-backed team with the Peak Operating System™:

https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie – https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #vbos #reba #donalddavidoff #analytics #startupgrowth #leadership #founder #ceo #rentals #multifamily #realestate #teamculture #kpi #okr #customerexperience #venturecapital #techscenes #jeffjamesmartin

"Get in front of a customer and talk to them." - Brian McMahonTech Scenes with Brian McMahon, CEO and Co-founder of Pickle.In this episode, we dive into the evolution of Pickle—from a social polling app to a fast-growing peer-to-peer rental marketplace. Brian shares what he and his co-founder learned the hard way, how they kept the product lean, and what it takes to build a marketplace with strong customer feedback loops, KPIs, and team culture.👉 Like the episode? Subscribe and drop a comment. We’d love to hear your take.Key Takeaways:Pickle is a rental marketplace, like Airbnb for clothes and goods.Their original concept was a social polling platform.Building a marketplace requires managing local dynamics.Bootstrapping helped them run lean and stay customer-focused.They prioritize fast feedback loops and in-person customer engagement.Scaling culture means communication has to be tight.Fundraising was challenging—but led to critical investor insights.KPIs and OKRs are essential to team alignment and growth.Chapters:00:00 – Founders' Journey and Early Mistakes01:12 – Introducing Pickle: The Rental Marketplace03:25 – Marketplace Dynamics and Expansion Strategy05:47 – Pivoting from Social Polling to Rental Marketplace07:31 – Bootstrapping and Lean Operations09:00 – Customer Engagement Through Direct Interaction12:26 – Feedback Loops and Product Iteration14:04 – Scaling the Team and Maintaining Culture18:19 – Fundraising Experience and Investor Relations24:22 – Learning from Experienced Investors30:26 – Establishing KPIs and OKRs for GrowthLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies™: https://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™: https://www.collective-genius.com/Music by Andrew Applepie – https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie#pickle #marketplace #founderjourney #startup #entrepreneurship #techscenes #venturebacked #kpis #okrs #collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #startupgrowth #founderstory #scalingstartups

"You're better off picking a big problem—and solving it better than anyone else." - Ken BagnallIn this episode of Tech Scenes Santa Monica, Jeff James Martin sits down with Ken Bagnall, CEO and Co-founder of Silent Push, to explore the changing landscape of cybersecurity and the power of preemptive threat intelligence.Ken shares his journey from founding The Email Laundry to leading product at FireEye and ultimately building Silent Push, a company that leverages Indicators of Future Attack™ (IOFA™) to expose threat actor infrastructure before it can be weaponized. The conversation uncovers how startups can succeed by staying laser-focused on solving complex, high-impact problems, why cybersecurity is riddled with noise, and how boards can either amplify or distract a company’s mission.Key TakeawaysStartups should aim to solve large, meaningful problems with precision and clarity.Cybercrime is global, persistent, and has deep economic implications.Silent Push’s IOFA™ model provides early visibility into threat actor behavior.A focused go-to-market strategy is essential in a noisy cybersecurity industry.Success requires proximity to the threat actor and constant innovation.Noise in cybersecurity often comes from inexperienced or misaligned players.Experienced board members can offer strategic clarity and reduce distractions.Proactive defense is the future—waiting for attacks is no longer sustainable.A strong, aligned team fuels execution and market differentiation.Staying ahead of evolving threats requires both technology and discipline.Chapters00:00 – The Importance of Problem-Solving in Startups01:57 – Understanding Threat Intelligence and Cybersecurity07:34 – The Scale of Cybercrime and Its Global Impact09:05 – Monitoring Threat Actors: Strategies and Technologies11:16 – Go-to-Market Strategies in Cybersecurity19:09 – Building a Focused and Innovative Team24:06 – Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape27:33 – The Role of Board Members in Cybersecurity Startups30:35 – The Future of Cybersecurity and Market TrendsResourcesLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie#TechScenes #KenBagnall #SilentPush #Cybersecurity #ThreatIntelligence #Startups #Innovation #AI #Entrepreneurship #EarlyStage #VentureCapital #Cybercrime #DigitalDefense #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem™ #JeffJamesMartin #StartupLeadership