Episodes

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44. Corey Ferengul & Mike Shannon on Raising Less, Moving Faster, and Building in the AI Era

44. Corey Ferengul & Mike Shannon on Raising Less, Moving Faster, and Building in the AI Era

Episode 44 · · 32:26

In this episode of Momentum Mode, Corey Ferengul sits down with co-host Mike Shannon to go deep on what it really looks like to be a second-time founder in the AI era, from how you t...

43. Mike Shannon & Corey Ferengul on AI Psychosis & Why CEOs Are Getting Ahead of the Technology

43. Mike Shannon & Corey Ferengul on AI Psychosis & Why CEOs Are Getting Ahead of the Technology

Episode 43 · · 27:23

In this episode, Mike Shannon and Corey Ferengul go one-on-one to unpack a provocative article claiming your CEO is suffering from AI psychosis and whether the diagnosis holds up aga...

42. Alex Kelleher, Founder & CEO of Quantum Rise, on Why AI Is a Growth Strategy

42. Alex Kelleher, Founder & CEO of Quantum Rise, on Why AI Is a Growth Strategy

Episode 42 · · 32:43

Most executives are asking the wrong question about AI. It's not "how do I cut headcount?" It's "how do I grow without adding it proportionally?" Alex Kelleher, Founder & CEO of Quan...

41. The Lifestyle Business Insult and Why the Right Answer Is More Complicated Than You Think

41. The Lifestyle Business Insult and Why the Right Answer Is More Complicated Than You Think

Episode 41 · · 21:20

Should you raise millions and blitz-scale, or build slow, stay lean, and keep control? Mike and Corey dig into one of the most consequential decisions a founder makes: how much money...

40. The AI-Ready Organization: What Leaders Must Do Right Now

40. The AI-Ready Organization: What Leaders Must Do Right Now

Episode 40 · · 22:59

What should you actually DO about AI as a leader right now? Not the hype, the real strategic decisions.In this episode, Mike and Corey break down the most pressing question executive...

39. M&A Readiness: What Buyers Actually Look For Before Writing a Check

39. M&A Readiness: What Buyers Actually Look For Before Writing a Check

Episode 39 · · 19:42

In this episode of Momentum Mode, Corey Ferengul and Mike Shannon draw on their own experience on both sides of the table, as founders, executives, and investors, to break down what ...

38. M&A Executive and Stanford Alum Ann Perry on Why Integration Determines Deal Success

38. M&A Executive and Stanford Alum Ann Perry on Why Integration Determines Deal Success

Episode 38 · · 32:40

In this episode of Momentum Mode, Corey Ferengul and Mike Shannon sit down with Ann Perry, M&A consultant and former corporate development leader at companies including VMware, Intel...

37. Deloitte M&A Leader Marty Pletkin on the One Factor That Determines Deal Success

37. Deloitte M&A Leader Marty Pletkin on the One Factor That Determines Deal Success

Episode 37 · · 28:21

In this episode of Momentum Mode, Corey Ferengul and Mike Shannon sit down with Marty Pletkin, Managing Director of Corporate Development at Deloitte, to unpack what really determine...

36. Anthony Knierim on The Discipline Behind Durable Growth

36. Anthony Knierim on The Discipline Behind Durable Growth

Episode 36 · · 22:59

Most companies don’t fail because of a lack of ambition.They stall because they outgrow their structure.In this episode of Momentum Mode, Corey Ferengul and Mike Shannon sit down wit...

35. Stephen Master, MD at GTCR and 7x Board Director, on how Private Equity Creates Value

35. Stephen Master, MD at GTCR and 7x Board Director, on how Private Equity Creates Value

Episode 35 · · 23:27

34. FourKites President of Product, Priya Rajagopalan, on Why Scaling Means Letting Go Without Losing the Customer

34. FourKites President of Product, Priya Rajagopalan, on Why Scaling Means Letting Go Without Losing the Customer

Episode 34 · · 27:39

33. Landon Campbell, Chicago’s “Forward-Deployed” VC: Why the Next Moat Is Built Shoulder to Shoulder With Customers

33. Landon Campbell, Chicago’s “Forward-Deployed” VC: Why the Next Moat Is Built Shoulder to Shoulder With Customers

Episode 33 · · 27:02

32. Guest Tom Alexander on A Face Up World: Culture, Loyalty, and the New Rules of Work

32. Guest Tom Alexander on A Face Up World: Culture, Loyalty, and the New Rules of Work

Episode 32 · · 40:24

Most companies say “people are our most important asset,” but few can prove it. Tom Alexander is trying to change that.As co-founder and CEO of Holistic, Tom is building tools to hel...

31. Guest John Moakley on Pattern Recognition, Private Equity, and Playing the Long Game

31. Guest John Moakley on Pattern Recognition, Private Equity, and Playing the Long Game

Episode 31 · · 35:28

John Moakley has spent decades building, running, and investing in data-driven companies—long before “data science” had a name. In this conversation, John joins Mike and Corey to pul...

30. Guest Ira Weiss on Boardroom Strategy, Leadership Fit, and the Power of Persistence

30. Guest Ira Weiss on Boardroom Strategy, Leadership Fit, and the Power of Persistence

Episode 30 · · 24:42

What does a board member really look for in a CEO? What signals competence, and what quietly erodes confidence?In this episode, Mike and Corey sit down with returning guest Ira Weiss...

29. Guest Anar Isman on Turning a Mission into $70M in Revenue

29. Guest Anar Isman on Turning a Mission into $70M in Revenue

Episode 29 · · 33:01

Anar Isman didn’t start Ageless RX to build a business—he started it to challenge one of humanity’s most accepted limitations: aging. What began as personal curiosity turned into a m...

28. Guest Andrew Gunderman on Building an Empire of Relationships

28. Guest Andrew Gunderman on Building an Empire of Relationships

Episode 28 · · 32:44

From a farm town in Ohio to penthouse events with billionaires in Chicago—Andrew Gunderman’s journey is anything but ordinary. By his early twenties, he had already founded and sold ...

27. Managing Uncertainty: Control, Contingency, and the CEO’s Real Job

27. Managing Uncertainty: Control, Contingency, and the CEO’s Real Job

Episode 27 · · 24:47

Uncertainty isn’t just a buzzword -- it’s basically the operating environment for every leader in 2025. From economic volatility to the unknowns of AI’s impact, executives are naviga...

26. Guest Arnav Dalmia on Finding Product-Market Fit Where No One Was Looking

26. Guest Arnav Dalmia on Finding Product-Market Fit Where No One Was Looking

Episode 26 · · 28:24

Arnav Dalmia didn’t set out to build a fitness brand for older adults—but listening to customers led him there. In this conversation, Arnav joins us to unpack the unlikely evolution ...

25. More Than a Notetaker: Building AI That Actually Works for People

25. More Than a Notetaker: Building AI That Actually Works for People

Episode 25 · · 22:18

In this episode, Corey and Mike dive deep into one of the defining trends shaping AI’s next chapter: verticalization. They explore why general-purpose AI isn’t enough—and how the mos...