Why subscribe?
Most business analysis is written by people who have never had to sign the front of a check or manage a P&L. They report on the “what,” but they miss the “how” and the “why.”
I focus on business trust gaps: the costly disconnect between what a company promises and what its stakeholders—customers, employees, partners and investors—actually experience. I started Straight Business to analyze how these gaps form, how they hide in plain sight, and how they eventually bankrupt even the most promising organizations.
What is the Silo Tax?
When trust breaks down internally, companies incur a “Silo Tax.” This isn’t a line item on a P&L, but it’s real. It’s the friction that happens when:
Product builds what Marketing can’t hype.
Sales promises what Success can’t deliver.
Leadership ignores “Trust Debt” until it's almost irrecoverable.
I write about how to identify these gaps before they become terminal.
The Perspective
I’m not a journalist; I’m an operator. I write from the perspective of someone who has spent 20 years in the “engine room” of global business.
I’ve managed a $3.1B P&L at Dell, helped steer six successful exits (including deals with IBM, CVC, and Bayside), and am currently writing “The Trust Engine.” Throughout my career—from coder to C-Suite—I’ve seen how easy it is for a company to lose its way, and how hard it is to rebuild trust once it’s gone. This newsletter is where I share the raw, unspun observations of that journey.
I write about how to identify these gaps before they become terminal.
Why Subscribe?
If you are a leader, an investor, or an operator who wants to understand the “ground truth” of business—beyond the press releases and the PR spin—you are in the right place.
I publish twice a month. No propaganda. No corporate BS. Just straight business.
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Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.
Get In Touch
If you’re a CEO navigating the tension between bold promises and honest timelines, I’d like to hear your story.
