Proprietary Strategy Framework: Productive Obsession vs. Destructive Fixation — The Five-Test Diagnostic STAGNATION ASSASSIN / CHAPTER 5 / OBSESSION, WEAPONIZED PRODUCTIVE vs. DESTRUCTIVE Both involve intense focus. Both consume significant time and energy. Only one creates value. Here’s the five-test distinction. PRODUCTIVE OBSESSION DESTRUCTIVE FIXATION TEST 01 BOUNDED BY REALITY Can you name 3 pieces […] Read More

The Stagnation Assassin MBA: A Free Alternative Business Education for Operators Todd Takes: Traditional MBAs teach you to analyze problems. Operators have to fix them. The Stagnation Assassin MBA is the curriculum I wish I’d had when I walked onto my first turnaround and realized none of what I learned in school applied to what […] Read More

Historical Business Case Audits: Forensic Leadership Analysis from a Fortune 500 Operator Todd Takes: Academic case studies ask “what happened.” Forensic audits ask “what decision, on what specific Tuesday, with what specific information in the room, caused the failure.” The first question is history. The second question is instruction. There is a specific kind of […] Read More

Business Book Reviews by a Fortune 500 Operator: The Stagnation Assassin Framework Todd Takes: Most business book reviews tell you whether the book is well written. Operators need to know whether the book is usable. Those are not the same question, and the people who review books well usually can’t answer the second one. I […] Read More

Business Stat of the Day: Data-Driven Insights for Operators Todd Takes: Most operators consume business news by skimming headlines. A single number, put in the right context, will change your thinking more than an hour of headline skimming. The Stat of the Day is an experiment in replacing the news skim with the stat skim. […] Read More

The 15 Best Business Podcasts of 2026 Todd Takes: Most “best business podcast” lists are written by people who don’t listen to business podcasts. This one is written by someone who hosts one, studies the industry, and can tell the difference between a show that teaches operators something and a show that just interviews famous […] Read More

10 Award-Winning Business Podcasts You Should Be Listening To Todd Takes: Podcast awards don’t guarantee quality, but they’re a useful filter. Shows that have won multiple independent awards have been vetted by judges who had to make a case to their peers, which is a higher bar than the popularity contests that dominate the podcast […] Read More

7 Business Podcast Sub-Series Formats That Keep Listeners Subscribed Todd Takes: Most business podcasts lose listeners not because the content is bad but because the format is static. One show, one format, one cadence. The shows that retain listeners over years tend to use sub-series formats that give the same audience different reasons to keep […] Read More

The Commanders: 7 Best Manufacturing Associations and Leadership Programs for 2026 2026 Takeaway: The best manufacturing associations and leadership programs in 2026 don’t just offer networking — they offer strategic intelligence, peer accountability, and exposure to the operators who are actually winning. Dues are only worth paying if the room is full of disruptors, not […] Read More