Ready, Fire, Aim
Ready, Fire, Aim
Podcast Description
Ready, Fire, Aim is a podcast for action-takers. Those who understand that imperfect action is better than no action at all.
Hosted by Thad Barnes, founder of Epoch Digital Media, the show explores what it really takes to grow and adapt in today’s fast-moving world of business and technology. We talk with founders, operators, and thought leaders who know that waiting for perfect can kill momentum — and that launching fast, learning, and iterating is where real growth happens.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on entrepreneurship, leadership, product management, and resilience, with episodes featuring practical insights such as startup survival strategies, the role of AI in business growth, and actionable tips for aspiring product managers. Examples include discussions on building a culture-driven startup amidst uncertainty and tips for entering product management careers.
Ready, Fire, Aim is a podcast for action-takers. Those who understand that imperfect action is better than no action at all. Hosted by Thad Barnes, founder of Epoch Digital Media, the show explores what it really takes to grow and adapt in today’s fast-moving world of business and technology. We talk with founders, operators, and thought leaders who know that waiting for perfect can kill momentum — and that launching fast, learning, and iterating is where real growth happens.
🚀 What if your AI could THINK like a C-suite executive — not just follow instructions?
In this episode of Ready, Fire, Aim, host Thad sits down with Victor Kovalev, AI scientist, 3x IPO veteran, and co-founder of Scale-Agentic, to unpack a completely new approach to go-to-market strategy. Victor reveals why the secret sauce behind his AI platform ISN’T a large language model — and breaks down the 5 levels of AI that most founders, marketers, and business leaders have never heard of.
Whether you’re a startup founder drowning in GTM tools, a sales leader trying to scale outbound, or just curious about where AI is ACTUALLY heading — this conversation will change how you think about artificial intelligence in business.
🔥 In this episode you’ll learn: ✅ Why tool adoption fails — and what actually works instead ✅ The CFO lunch story that changed everything at Redbubble ✅ How Scale-Agentic’s “Agent Scout” operates like a human GTM executive ✅ The difference between agentic AI and true strategic AI ✅ Victor’s 5 levels of AI framework — and why most companies are stuck at level 1 ✅ How to get BCG-level market intelligence in 1 week instead of 3 months
💡 If you’re building with AI, leading a GTM team, or exploring how to hire your first AI executive — don’t miss this one.
👇 Connect with Victor Kovalev & Scale-Agentic: 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kovalevvictor/
👇 Connect with Thad Barnes: 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thadbarnes/
📩 Want to be a guest on Ready, Fire, Aim? Reach out!
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 — Intro & Victor’s background: from robotic search-and-rescue to Silicon Valley
01:29 — Running Yelp’s mobile teams to a top-10 app in the world
02:18 — Moving to Australia to CTO a unicorn through IPO
03:15 — Why smart teams still fail at adopting technology
05:19 — The Redbubble story: tools failed, lunch meetings succeeded
06:18 — Aligning personal KPIs with company goals
07:46 — How a CTO bridges the gap between tech and business
08:29 — A tale of failure and success at Redbubble
10:10 — Embedding data scientists in teams instead of pushing tools
12:52 — The overlooked power of listening UP to your boss
14:06 — What Scale-Agentic is and why it exists
15:30 — Why people are drowning in GTM tools
17:11 — Building an AI executive, not another AI tool
18:01 — Meet Agent Scout: the AI GTM executive
20:27 — What’s under the hood: LLMs vs. the real secret sauce
21:59 — How humans make high-stakes decisions with crappy data
22:28 — The evolutionary heuristics engine explained
23:36 — Your brain’s “task scheduler” and why AI needs one too
27:28 — The 5 levels of AI: from copilots to superintelligence
30:18 — Why Scale-Agentic is two steps ahead of the industry
33:55 — Why single agents should do single tasks
36:12 — The founder spending half his time duct-taping GTM tools
38:35 — Iterative change: 6 months with a human vs. days with AI
40:01 — 24 research pieces in one week vs. 3 months from consultants
40:38 — What onboarding Agent Scout looks like
44:17 — Scale-Agentic’s ideal customer profile
46:00 — Funding plans and what’s next
48:31 — Final thoughts and where to connect
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIStartup #GoToMarket #GTMStrategy #AgenticAI #SalesAutomation #B2BSales #StartupFounder #AIExecutive #ScaleAgentic #LLM #AITools #GrowthHacking #TechStartup #SaaS #AIinBusiness #Entrepreneurship #ReadyFireAim #Podcast #VictorKovalev #Leadership #CTO #ProductLedGrowth #FutureOfAI #AIStrategy
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