January 2025 — Business Podcast Archive and Shows — The Soul of Enterprise

January 2025

Episode #524: Próspera — Interview with Lonis Hamaili

In this episode of “The Soul of Enterprise,” hosts Ron Baker and Ed Kless engage with Lonis Hamaili, Vice President of Growth at Próspera, to explore the innovative concept of startup cities and their potential to revolutionize business environments. Próspera, located on Roatán Island, Honduras, offers a unique platform for entrepreneurs, featuring efficient business setup processes, favorable tax regimes, and a flexible regulatory system designed to foster rapid growth and innovation. The discussion delves into how Próspera’s e-Governance platform enables seamless business management, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on building their ventures. Loni shares insights into the community’s development, the opportunities it presents for startups, and the vision behind creating a dynamic, forward-thinking environment that supports both business and lifestyle aspirations.

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

  • Our guest today, Lonis, wrote an article called, “Why I Left Silicon Valley for a Honduran Startup City” for FEE. More here: https://fee.org/articles/why-i-left-silicon-valley-for-a-honduran-startup-city/  

  • Today I learned that Prospera is the world's only startup CITY with significant legal freedoms. https://www.prospera.co

  • What is the perceived advantage of Prospera, the startup city? The key enablers of progress are minimal government, strong property rights, and a lot of personal freedom.

  • There are taxes in Prospera but that is their business model. They generate revenue and returns for a shareholder to the extent that they generate enough useful economic activity.

Segment two

Segment three

Segment four

  • Lonis addressed the concerns in this NY Times article titled, “The For-Profit City That Might Come Crashing Down” In the spirit of what Prospera represents, here is the link without a paywall: https://archive.is/pMGIP 

  • Prospera gives power to the people and is a decentralized power. It is a grassroots project started by economists and business leaders. As you can imagine, some politicians feel threatened. 

  • A big THANK YOU to Lonis Hamaili for joining us today. Prospera is a startup city in Roatan, Honduras that is largely unrestricted and open for business. Learn more here https://www.prospera.co/en 

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits. 

Episode #523: Pricing Spineometers — Second interview with Tim Smith

In this enlightening episode, Ron and Ed sit down with Tim Smith, a leading pricing expert and author from Wiglaf Pricing. Together, they dive into the impact of philosopher John Rawls’ Theory of Justice on economic decisions and pricing strategies. Tim shares insights into how Rawls’ principles, like fairness and the “veil of ignorance,” can shape corporate pricing decisions, from the boardroom to the balance sheet. Join us as we explore pricing Spineometers, CEO decision-making, and the ethical considerations behind profitable pricing in today’s market.

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

Segment two

  • A snippet of pricing GOLD from Tim Smith today: Anybody who has to sell something on a long term contract and doesn't know the input cost, and is a significant portion of the price, should consider index based pricing. 

  • “There's a feeling among Wall Street and among many executives, that price is simply a function of supply and demand. That you don't need to worry about it. The market will take care of it.” —Tim Smith, pricing expert at Wiglaf Pricing

  • Where does pricing belong in an organization? “It's definitely industry dependent. What I want is that pricing person to have a direct line to the CEO.” —Tim Smith

  • “When I'm just trying to match supply and demand, what they actually found is that they'll raise the prices for the Uber and but that doesn't actually increase the supply of Uber drivers. It just makes money for Uber.” —Tim Smith

Segment three

  • Is dynamic pricing fair? “What's fair is culturally relevant so, in the United States, I can't do price fixing and in Saudi Arabia, I’m encouraged to do price fixing.” —Tim Smith

  • “In a global corporation, you can take your best practices that you already have from other countries and apply them back to the wherever you live. And this is the need for building a pricing community within a corporation” —Tim Smith

  • Does pricing follow strategy or does it lead it? “It’s both. One of the problems I see often in medical tech is they try to make the best thing in the world. But the ASCs want the cheapest thing. So you have a disconnect of what you're making vs the market

Segment four

  • “Under a free market society that’s properly regulated (there's a role for government), anybody who enters into a transaction is doing so because it leaves them BETTER OFF.” —Tim Smith

  • “Milton Friedman said the only purpose of a company is to produce profits. That is its job. That is the very definition of a corporate psychopath.” —Tim Smith

  • A big THANK YOU to Tim Smith for joining us today. Check out more of his work at Wiglaf Pricing https://wiglafpricing.com/  

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits. 

Episode #522: Best Books of 2024

It's that time of year again! Join Ron and Ed as they dive into the standout books of 2024, sharing personal favorites, groundbreaking reads, and thought-provoking titles that shaped our year. From business insights and innovative thinking to inspiring narratives, we'll highlight books that captivated our curiosity and expanded our perspectives. Whether you're looking for your next read or just enjoy book talk, this episode will give you a curated list of must-reads to wrap up the year in style.

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

Segment two

Segment three

  • By the way, Ron and Ed do NOT share their best book lists prior to the live recording. They BOTH picked “The Heart of a Cheetah” by Magatte Wade as number 3 on their list

  • “Businesses create jobs. Jobs pay people money. And when Africans have money, they will no longer be poor.” —Magatte Wade https://amzn.to/4gO52Lj 

  • Book 2 from Ed: Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie https://www.amazon.com/Orbiting-Giant-Hairball-Corporate-Surviving/dp/0670879835 

  • Book 2 from Ron: A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander https://amzn.to/3WdiKPI 

Segment four

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits. 

Episode #521: 2024 The Year in Review

In this annual tradition, Ed and Ron look back on 2024, unpacking the year's most impactful trends, business transformations, and economic shifts. From breakthroughs in AI to evolving tax regulations and the latest developments in technology, they reflect on the standout themes that defined this year. Tune in as they explore what these changes mean for the future, the insights gained along the way, and the lessons learned. Perfect for listeners who want to capture the essence of 2024's business landscape in one insightful episode.

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

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The Soul of Enterprise show hosts, Ron Baker and Ed Kless, are on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) at @ronaldbaker and @edkless, respectively (and obviously).