Bryan J. Kaus

The Goodwill Equation How chasing near-term wins erodes the resilience and trust that build lasting value

The long game is simple: build systems that earn trust at scale.

Use AI behind humans, not between them and customers.
Most are chasing quarterly optics. The big winners play the long game.

The Goodwill Equation - how resilience beats extraction. www.thepointtaken.com/p/the-goodwi...

Finding chanterelles brought me to my uncle's café in rural New Jersey—those pots of soup we made after foraging across the Pennsylvania river.

Tonight: Escoffier-style chanterelle velouté. Seared tenderloin, whipped potatoes, roasted squash.

I cook to create and to remember.

We opened our home to friends these past weekends—college friends, old friends, new connections.

Hospitality isn’t just food or celebration. It’s showing up: a meal, a text, listening.

Be happy in triumph. Cheer in struggle. That shared humanity makes life beautiful.

Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization [Conway, Ed] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization

Worth the read: amzn.to/464705Z

Just finished Material World by Ed Conway - six “basic” materials (salt, sand, iron, copper, oil, lithium) that quietly run our world. Eye-opening reminder that the future of energy, tech & trade rests on foundations we rarely consider. Highly recommend.

KDP’s Corporate Two-Step: Buy for Scale, Split for Focus - what the KDP move teaches corporate operators

Keurig Dr Pepper drops $18B on JDE Peet's then immediately plans to split the company in two. Most "shuffle the deck" stories fail because they confuse activity with progress
Analysis: thepointtaken.substack.com/p/kdps-corpo...

Pixels vs. P&L: Logos, Outrage, and Operating Reality - What Cracker Barrel's Dust-Up Teaches Leaders

When a logo becomes lightning: Cracker Barrel’s rebrand drew outrage. Context: the category is bleeding (Fridays + Red Lobster filed Ch. 11). The work isn’t pixels—it’s P&L. How leaders separate signal from noise ↓
thepointtaken.substack.com/p/pixels-vs-...

#Leadership #CrackerBarrel

Thriving Beyond the Cycle Two Engines, One Strategy - Porsche’s Optionality Play Amid Auto Downturn

New at The Point Taken: Porsche SE’s defense pivot is risk engineering, not rebranding. I translate it into a boardroom playbook + front-line actions (supplier options, policy-agnostic offers, reliability gains).

Read: thepointtaken.substack.com/p/porsche-de...

— Bryan J. Kaus | 23.5 Strategies

The Outsiders Playbook: Why Unconventional Leaders Are Winning (And How You Can Think Like One)

Three “unexpected” CEO hires this month prove a point:
Boards win when they hire for the constraint, not the résumé. From @harleydavidson to JLR to telehealth—unconventional works.

Here’s why → thepointtaken.substack.com/p/the-outsid...

#Leadership #CEOSuccession #talent #management

Just finished Ron Chernow's Mark Twain biography - wow! 📚Twain embodies the imperfect American story and humanity's capacity for growth. Had flaws and prejudices but showed we can evolve and leave indelible marks despite imperfections. Worth the read: amzn.to/4lb89y3

We're Building AI Wrong —and It Could Cost Us Everything By Bryan J.

AI is accelerating—but are we building it wisely?

In my latest Substack, I break down 4 overlooked risks that could hollow out our workforce and judgment for a generation.

This isn’t hype. It’s strategy—and it matters now more than ever.

thepointtaken.substack.com/p/were-build...

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi

The more I grow, the more I realize: real leadership starts within.

Not with fixing others. But by transforming ourselves.

What shift are you ready to make?