In this episode, Cuvama CEO MG Gurbaxani joins Jeet Mukherjee and Tracy Dent to break down myths in value based selling and what it takes to succeed when AI is no longer a differentiator.
Learn how to sell on value versus features, what CROs are saying behind closed doors about the pressure to scale sales with automation, and how to maintain the human element of discovery.
Topics:
Chapters
00:00 Introductions
02:38 The value selling illusion and what CEOs think is happening
11:21 How to navigate a large buying center
20:51 CRO insights on AI and value selling
35:46 Stories of how value quantification builds pricing power
44:08 What B2B SaaS CEOs need to get right in H2
About MG
MG Gurbaxani is the co-founder and CEO of Cuvama, a Customer Value Management platform designed to help B2B GTM teams uncover and communicate value at scale. Over the last two decades, he has guided more than 80 global B2B clients across industries to sharpen pricing strategies, accelerate sales cycles, and enhance customer retention. Cuvama is MG’s answer to the persistent failures he witnessed in value-based selling - transforming his advisory IP into software that empowers sales teams to drive real business outcomes.
Connect with MG: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mg-gurbaxani/
Connect with Jeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
About Cuvama
Cuvama is a London-based Customer Value Management platform that empowers B2B sales and customer success teams to sell business outcomes, not just products. Founded in 2022, Cuvama guides teams to run expert discovery, link buyer needs to impact, and reinforce success post-sale. By codifying your unique value proposition into structured workflows, Cuvama enables consistent messaging, higher win‑rates, better pricing, and improved customer lifetime value.
https://cuvama.com/
About Holden Advisors
Holden Advisors is a boutique consulting firm specializing in B2B pricing and sales performance. We help companies understand their value through the eyes of their customers and use these insights to develop, price, and sell solutions that meet evolving market demands.
Our tailored strategies are designed to improve differential value and go-to-market execution. With decades of expertise in value-based pricing, sales implementation, and negotiation, we partner with companies to build and protect their pricing power.
https://holdenadvisors.com/
Many B2B companies still rely on cost-plus pricing. For good reason! It’s clear, it’s simple to explain and defend, and it’s predictable.
But when buyers use it as an excuse to call you a commodity and demand discounts, it can lead to extremely thin margins and dilute your pricing power.
In this episode, Tracy Dent and Jeet Mukherjee discuss five levers to escape the cost-plus pricing trap without blowing up your commercial model.
Key topics covered:
If your commercial team struggles to defend pricing in the face of buyer pressure, this episode will help you start making the shift one step at a time.
Chapters
00:00 Introductions
01:32 Why cost plus pricing still dominates
06:05 When buyers call you a commodity
11:45 Handling price negotiations at the time of renewal
19:39 Reframing price from SKUs to outcomes
22:38 Understanding your quality of revenue
25:49 Rules-based pricing that reflects value
https://holdenadvisors.com/how-to-break-out-of-the-cost-plus-pricing-trap/
Connect with Jeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
ABOUT HOLDEN ADVISORS
Holden Advisors is a boutique consulting firm specializing in B2B pricing and sales performance. We help companies understand their value through the eyes of their customers and use these insights to develop, price, and sell solutions that meet evolving market demands.
Our tailored strategies are designed to improve differential value and go-to-market execution. With decades of expertise in value-based pricing, sales implementation, and negotiation, we partner with companies to build and protect their pricing power.
Learn more at www.holdenadvisors.com
In this episode, we unpack the impact of AI on SaaS pricing, differentiation, and value - and a rundown of pricing related pops and flops.
From Notion’s bundling strategy to the GenAI price war and Reddit’s data lawsuit against Anthropic, this episode digs into how commoditization is forcing B2B software leaders to rethink what they’re really selling—and what buyers are still willing to pay for.
Roundtable episode with host Tracy Dent and in-house pricing experts Jeet Mukherjee, Pete Morelli, and Richard Klein.
Key topics:
Chapters
00:00 Introductions
01:09 Price pops and flops: Amex, Chase, Cox Internet, and Notion AI
12:29 G2 buyer behavior report and where we are in the AI market lifecycle
https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/G2-2025-Buyer-Behavior-Report-AI-Always-Included.pdf
19:36 When AI becomes a commodity, how can a business differentiate itself?
https://techstrong.ai/articles/when-ai-becomes-a-commodity-how-can-a-business-differentiate-itself/
21:49 Monetizely: The Gen AI price war is coming and customers will lose
https://www.getmonetizely.com/blogs/the-genai-price-war-is-coming-and-customers-will-lose
27:03 WSJ: Reddit sues Anthropic, Alleges unauthorized use of site’s data
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/reddit-lawsuit-anthropic-ai-3b9624dd?
https://fortune.com/2025/06/11/nvidia-jensen-huang-disagress-anthropic-ceo-dario-amodei-ai-jobs/
https://searchengineland.com/openai-may-pay-reddit-70m-for-licensing-deal-451882
Connect with Jeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Connect with Pete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermorelli/
Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardfgklein/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
Learn more at www.holdenadvisors.com
How do you build a sales team that doesn’t crumble under pressure? 30-year sales veteran Vanessa Giuliani joins Holden Advisors CEO Brian Doyle and host Tracy Dent to unpack real-world lessons from high-stakes negotiations across the US, UK, and Canada.
From poker-playing procurement tactics to sales team transformation, this episode is full of stories and takeaways for sales leaders up against tough procurement teams and challenging negotiations.
Topics covered:
ABOUT VANESSA
Vanessa has been leading teams for 30 years with in-depth experience in financial services, data management, software, technology, credit, and fraud. Most recently, she was the general manager of an international business unit of a multi-billion dollar Fortune 1000 company.
With experience with large and complex organizations like Equifax and CIBC Bank, she has built new revenue streams, set up data exchanges, product transfer between countries, migrations, transformations, and developing new lines of business from the ground up. Connect with Vanessa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-giuliani-/Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianadoyle/Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
ABOUT HOLDEN ADVISORS
Holden Advisors is a boutique consulting firm specializing in B2B pricing and sales performance. We help companies understand their value through the eyes of their customers and use these insights to develop, price, and sell solutions that meet evolving market demands.
Our tailored strategies are designed to improve differential value and go-to-market execution. With decades of expertise in value-based pricing, sales implementation, and negotiation, we partner with companies to build and protect their pricing power.
Learn more at www.holdenadvisors.com
In this episode of If Prices Could Talk, Tracy Dent is joined by Greg James and Jeet Mukherjee to break down the economic, strategic, and emotional factors shaping the autonomous vehicle industry.
What’s the difference between Tesla’s feature-based pricing and Waymo’s per-mile approach? How does trust impact pricing power? What happens when legacy companies are forced to compete in platform economics?
This episode explores the economic and emotional levers driving how we think about value, and what they mean for leaders facing disruption from AI.
Key Themes:
ABOUT GREG
Granted with 14 patents, Greg is a 30-year industry veteran who has led engineering teams at companies like Intel, Verizon, and Google. Throughout his career, he has led mechanical design teams, enabled customers to manufacture with Intel's advanced SMT and socketed chips, and developed and delivered thermal and mechanical solutions for mobile PCs.
Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryajames/
Connect with Jeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
01:01 The rise of Waymo
08:02 Understanding the value drivers
17:23 What is entropy in auto pricing? Complexity, confusion, and value erosion
33:40 Platform economics and labor disruption; pricing the unknown
38:13 Cost per mile and what customers actually pay for
43:10 Final takeaways and B2B learnings from AV innovation
Research referenced:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15389588.2025.2499887#abstract
https://www.moneygeek.com/resources/costs-of-car-ownership/
Join us to unpack the biggest pricing and strategy headlines from the last few weeks. From Klarna’s AI stumble and rising credit defaults to Airbnb’s push to become a full-service travel platform — we explore what these moves mean for value perception, customer trust, and margin pressure. Plus: the implications of Dick’s potential acquisition of Foot Locker, and new consumer sentiment trends out of Europe.
Topics include:
Roundtable episode with Jeet Mukherjee, Pete Morelli, Richard Klein, and Tracy Dent.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
01:21 PYMTS.com: Klarna Marks 100 Million Customers as Losses Nearly Double https://www.pymnts.com/earnings/2025/klarna-marks-100-million-customers-as-losses-nearly-double/
11:29 TechCrunch: OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT search with shopping features https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/28/openai-upgrades-chatgpt-search-with-shopping-features/
23:18 Reuters: Dick's Sporting to buy Foot Locker for $2.4 billion to fight soft demand https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/dicks-sporting-goods-acquire-foot-locker-24-billion-2025-05-15/
30:25 WSJ: He Revolutionized Travel. Can Airbnb’s Founder Redesign Your Entire Life? https://www.wsj.com/style/airbnb-services-experiences-founder-brian-chesky-341005e4
36:49 Price flops: Uber, Forever 21, Apple, Wendy’s
In this episode, Chris Anderson joins Tracy Dent and Jeet Mukherjee to break down what it takes to lead a pricing transformation inside a PE-backed company.
From board pressure and sales resistance to customer risk and internal politics, Chris shares the emotional and strategic complexity of navigating pricing change - especially when the spreadsheet says one thing, and the reality says another.
Chris has over 25 years of experience in software and technology development, consulting, and executive leadership. In the last ten years, he served as CEO of AIA Contract Documents, and prior to that, was the CEO of Building Systems Design, Inc. He specializes in building and customizing software products, eCommerce, web based solutions, and technical team building and development.
We discuss:
Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-anderson-6267ab15
Connect with Jeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
Learn more about Holden Advisors:
In this episode, we explore what happens when pricing meets volatility — from SaaS boardrooms to EV factories and grocery aisles.
Join host Tracy Dent alongside Jeet Mukherjee, Pete Morelli, and new Holden Advisors Senior Director Richard Klein as they break down some of the most important business stories of the week through the lens of pricing, strategy, and value.
Topics covered:
Learn more about Holden Advisors: www.holdenadvisors.com
Connect with Jeet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Connect with Pete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermorelli/
Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardfgklein/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
Chapters
00:00 Introductions and welcome to Richard
02:23 How AI agents are rewriting the SaaS playbook https://news.crunchbase.com/ai/rethinking-unit-economics-saas-playbook-sagie/
07:56 TechCrunch: Windsurf slashes prices as competition with Cursor heats up
https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/23/windsurf-slashes-prices-as-competition-with-cursor-heats-up/
The Verge: Why are companies lining up to buy Chrome? https://www.theverge.com/chrome/656613/google-chrome-buyers-openai-yahoo-perplexity
16:24 The Washington Post: Trump praises Bezos after Amazon denies plan to show tariffs’ costs https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/04/29/amazon-trump-tariffs-leavitt/
Fortune: Albertsons tells suppliers to eat the cost of tariffs: ‘We are not accepting cost increases’ https://fortune.com/2025/04/25/albertsons-suppliers-tariffs-price-cost/
25:48 Tariff impact on consumer confidence
26:52 The Verge: The $20,000 American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen https://www.theverge.com/electric-cars/655527/slate-electric-truck-price-paint-radio-bezos
30:44 TechCrunch: Uber, Volkswagen pair up to launch robotaxi service in US with self-driving, electric microbuses https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/uber-and-volkswagen-pair-up-to-launch-robotaxi-service-with-self-driving-electric-microbuses/
Futurism: Kawasaki Shows Off Concept for Rideable Horse Robot
https://futurism.com/the-byte/kawasaki-rideable-horse-robot
36:12 Pricing flops
In this episode, Tracy sits down with Scott Leick, SVP of Finance & Analytics at RhythmScience, and Patrick McCullough, Partner at Holden Advisors, to discuss pricing, analytics, negotiations, and new product launches.
We discuss:
About Scott
Scott Leick is the SVP of Finance and Marketing at RhythmScience. He has almost 25 years of experience in pricing at companies from the Fortune 50 to Series A SaaS startups, including executive roles at Medtronic, C.H. Robinson, and Acutus Medical.
Learn more about RhythmScience: https://www.rhythm360.io
Learn more about Holden Advisors: https://www.holdenadvisors.com
Connect with Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwleick/
Connect with Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmccullough-holdenadvisors/
Connect with Tracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
04:01 How data builds sales confidence in B2B
17:26 Lessons from price wars
27:55 How to price new tech without undervaluing innovation
35:16 Pricing discipline when sales pushes for volume
37:36 How PE ownership is reshaping purchasing power
51:10 Advice for navigating pricing pressure and defending value
In this episode of If Prices Could Talk, Josh Read, COO of IDverse, and Brian Doyle, CEO of Holden Advisors, join Tracy Dent to unpack the realities of high-stakes B2B negotiations. From handling procurement pressure to identifying buyer types and navigating cultural dynamics in global deals, this episode brings stories from the front lines of enterprise selling, and how AI and analytics are changing the game and what stays timeless about value-based negotiation.
We discuss:
ABOUT JOSH
Josh is the Global Chief Operating Officer of IDVerse – A LexisNexis Risk Solutions Company. IDVerse enables businesses to verify identities globally with industry-leading AI-driven Identity Verification Platform. They innovate at the forefront of identity verification and fraud prevention, helping businesses create secure, seamless, and inclusive digital experiences. With over 30 years of leadership experience across Sales, Product, and Operations in Software, Data, and ICT B2B organizations, Josh has scaled global businesses, optimized operations, and driven commercial growth in highly complex and regulated industries.
In this episode, Jeet Mukherjee and Tracy Dent unpack how businesses can navigate today’s chaotic economy — from inflation and tariffs to supply chain risks and uncertainty. We explore how to manage volatility across your product portfolio and what leaders must do in the short term and over the next few years.
We discuss:
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
01:01 Tariff strategy vs. tactics in volatile markets
08:45 How to navigate price changes during tariff volatility
14:01 Cost plus and value based pricing during tariffs
18:55 Outdated assumptions about pricing during volatility
24:10 Getting the sales force ready
28:14 Navigating consumer confidence in B2B
35:10 Big picture strategies for US manufacturing
38:15 What to do if we reach stagflation
40:39 Advice for C-Level
In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Nagel, former President & GM of Jabra North America, to talk about building influence, securing buy-in for large-scale transformations, and aligning sales and pricing strategies with value.
Kelly shares hard-won lessons from her 30-year tech career, including insights from her time at Ingram Micro and Jabra, and takeaways from leading transformation while working to win hearts, minds, and margins.
About Kelly
With over 30 years of experience as a purpose-driven technology leader, Kelly specializes in empowering professionals to unlock their full potential and achieve exceptional results. As the Founder and CEO of Explore Beyond Coaching, she's focused on mentoring women in tech, guiding them to break through barriers and thrive in leadership roles.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
03:00 Building specialized sales teams with data and analytics; creating trust in relationships
14:29 Gaining buy-in on ambitious goals
20:02 Understanding motivations to influence across teams
27:25 Learnings from large scale contract negotiations
35:14 Changing trajectory in your career
In this episode, Adam Howatson, CEO of LogiSense and author of The Usage Economy, joins Pete Morelli and Tracy Dent to explore how usage-based pricing is helping companies future-proof their business models and win in markets where expectations are shifting fast.
We discuss:
Adam Howatson is the CEO of LogiSense, a leading provider of subscription-based billing and real-time usage rating solutions. He is a champion of the usage economy, a mix of subscription-based and usage-based billing models that provide businesses the agility they need to charge for any triggered event in the connected world.
Learn more at www.logisense.com
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
03:31 Why old models are failing
06:22 How usage-based pricing aligns with customer value
08:46 How to work your way up to adopting usage-based models
17:18 Company and consumer benefits of innovating with usage pricing
25:31 Building customer lifetime value through usage pricing
28:23 Leveraging for upselling and expanding revenue streams
30:36 Positive impact on sales cycles and pricing power
34:15 The 5 pricing archetypes to build from
39:33 Advice for CEOs exploring usage pricing
Welcome to the new age of demand creation - where authenticity, AI, and generational buying habits are rewriting the rules of pricing and selling. In this episode of If Prices Could Talk, Tracy Dent is joined by Jeet Mukherjee and Greg James to unpack why and how consumer demand is impacting enterprise buying behavior.
We discuss:
ABOUT GREG
Granted with 14 patents, Greg is a 30-year industry veteran who has led engineering teams at companies like Intel, Verizon, and Google. Throughout his career, he has led mechanical design teams, enabled customers to manufacture with Intel's advanced SMT and socketed chips, and developed and delivered thermal and mechanical solutions for mobile PCs.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
02:16 When B2B buying decisions feel like B2C
08:23 Enterprise influence through data vs. emotion and brand differentiation
13:32 Understanding demand creation and B2B2C, B2P
20:03 How buying habits are changing and the impact on pricing and sales
31:25 How changing consumerism is changing the economy
45:11 How capitalism and B2B will continue to evolve; Economy 2.0
In this episode, Jeet Mukherjee and Pete Morelli join Tracy Dent to break down headlines surrounding Southwest Airlines new strategy, Poppi’s sale to Pepsi, and Sycamore Partners’ acquisition of Walgreens.
We discuss:
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
00:46 Southwest Airlines change in strategy to compete with Big 3
What Happened to Southwest Airlines? A Deep Dive Into Its Decline
How much Southwest, major airlines make on checked bags
15:45 Walgreens gets purchased by Sycamore Partners after an 83% drop in value from peak
Where Did the Retail Giant Go Wrong?
Walgreens is heading down a risky path
24:41 Poppi gets purchased by Pepsi for $2B
Pepsi Co Buys Prebiotic Soda Brand Poppi For Nearly $2 Billion
Can Pepsi’s poppi purchase help it go younger as Americans drink less soda?
Jeet’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/Pete’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermorelli/Tracy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
How does a global distributor with 6,000 stores and 850,000 SKUs scale a pricing strategy that works across independent and corporate-owned locations?
In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Josh Lowe, Senior Director of Price Setting & Analytics at Genuine Parts Company, to break down:
- How independent vs. company-owned stores affect pricing strategy
- Lessons from implementing Pricefx and partnering with systems integrator Experis
- The role of pricing maturity in B2B and how to move up the curve
- Aligning pricing with business goals without causing internal pushback
In this episode, Jeet Mukherjee and Pete Morelli join Tracy Dent to break down Ferrari’s differentiation and quality of revenue strategy, Honda & Nissan’s $60B deal collapse, and Nike's possible path to a comeback.
We discuss:
- How Ferrari became the most valuable carmaker in Europe at a $90B valuation
- What the Honda-Nissan failed merger tells us about the auto market
- How Nike’s new partnership is a comparison to their Michael Jordan era - and what it tells us about today's consumer markets
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introductions
00:31 WSJ:The Wild Economics Behind Ferrari’s Domination of the Luxury Car Market https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-wild-economics-behind-ferraris-domination-of-the-luxury-car-market-8427dff0
18:21 Forbes: Honda CEO Plays Hardball By Demanding That Nissan CEO Resign https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2025/02/22/honda-ceo-insists-nissan-ceo-must-resign-for-merger-to-go-ahead/
21:56 Predictions for the auto manufacturer market
26:26 The New York Times: Nike Bets Big on Kim Kardashian https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/style/nike-skims-kim-kardashian.html
Jeet’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Pete’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermorelli/
Tracy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
In this episode, host Tracy Dent is joined by Per Ohstrom, CMO and Partner at Chief Outsiders, and Pete Morelli, Partner at Holden Advisors, for a deep dive into private equity, pricing strategies, and industrial market trends.
We explore key challenges and opportunities for 2025, from the impact of tariffs on supply chains to the pitfalls of traditional cost-cutting strategies. We also discuss how private equity firms can unlock hidden value in their portfolio companies by focusing on pricing power, commercial excellence, and aligning stakeholders.
If you’re a private equity leader, industrial CEO, or commercial strategist, this episode will equip you with insights on navigating uncertainty, driving value, and creating sustainable growth.
ABOUT PER
Per is a CMO and Partner at Chief Outsiders, with 20+ years of international marketing and P&L leadership in $1-2 billion blue chip and private industrial companies. He supports CEOs that want to make their companies more market focused, building cross-functional teams that consistently perform. With a track record in manufacturing, construction equipment, equipment rental, MRO supplies, supply chain, specialty chemicals and other industries, he brings advanced marketing experience to industrials.
Per’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perohstrom/
Pete’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermorelli/
Tracy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
AGENDA TOPICS
00:00 Introductions
03:09 The current private equity landscape
07:50 Driving growth in industrials
15:13 Transitioning from cost-plus to value-based pricing
21:08 Aligning PE firms, portfolio company CEOs, and commercial strategy
28:41 Winning with sales and implementing price changes
34:00 Advice for PE and industrial leaders
In this episode, Jeet Mukherjee and Tracy Dent break down the numbers behind Super Bowl advertising, how companies justify multimillion-dollar ad spends, and what these marketing decisions reveal about consumer behavior.
AGENDA TOPICS
00:00 Introductions
00:44 Why companies spend millions on ads
08:28 When the $7M ad spot is worth it
11:00 Nike’s first Super Bowl ad in 27 years
17:34 Brand building impact of iconic ads
19:11 The disruption of live sports on streaming platforms
21:17 The future of pure play digital ad investments and B2B
Jeet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Tracy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/
Greg James joins us to discuss the role of AI in B2B markets. We talk about the recent disruption with DeepSeek, explore real-world applications of AI with pricing processes, and unpack expectations for AI adoption in the coming months and years.
Granted with 14 patents, Greg is a 30-year industry veteran who has led engineering teams at companies like Intel, Verizon, and Google. Throughout his career, he has led mechanical design teams, enabled customers to manufacture with Intel's advanced SMT and socketed chips, and developed and delivered thermal and mechanical solutions for mobile PCs.
Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryajames/
Jeet’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeet-mukherjee-58462a1/
Tracy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyleighdent/