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When You Promote Someone Too Fast, You Own the Aftermath

When You Promote Someone Too Fast, You Own the Aftermath

When You Promote Someone Too Fast, You Own the AftermathDavid J. Robertson
Published on: 02/07/2026

How do you handle the performance conversation? How do you talk about pay when the gap between compensation and output is real, visible, and uncomfortable? The answer starts somewhere most managers don't look...

Operations LeadershipFounders Memo
Your Business Owes You Three Things. Most Owners Will Only Collect One.

Your Business Owes You Three Things. Most Owners Will Only Collect One.

Your Business Owes You Three Things. Most Owners Will Only Collect One.David J. Robertson
Published on: 01/07/2026

Most business owners spend twenty years building toward an exit that never comes — because they skipped the two returns that make it possible. Here is what your business actually owes you.

Business FinanceLeadershipFounders Memo
Amplify, Don't Replace: What Three Weeks of Autonomous AI Taught Me

Amplify, Don't Replace: What Three Weeks of Autonomous AI Taught Me

Amplify, Don't Replace: What Three Weeks of Autonomous AI Taught MeDavid J. Robertson
Published on: 08/04/2026

You've heard the pitch. Robots will do your work. Cut your payroll. Solve problems you didn't know you had. Three weeks ago, I decided to test it. Not the hype. The reality.

Founders Memo
The Four Mental Stages of Sales Rep Performance

The Four Mental Stages of Sales Rep Performance

The Four Mental Stages of Sales Rep Performance David J. Robertson
Published on: 07/04/2026

Here is a description of one of the slides in a sales training presentation: This slide shows the emotional journey most salespeople go through when learning a new skill or trying

Sales