In this episode, host Rick Watson is joined by Mark Rubin, CEO of Kasama, to cut through the noise of the current agency landscape. Mark brings decades of experience from his time at Lyons Consulting, Precision Design Studios, and Moku Collective to discuss why the "AI Gold Rush" might be a trap and why replatforming your e-commerce site might be a mistake in 2026.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. The PE Cycle: Mark’s firsthand experience with private equity acquisitions and the "ticking clock" that begins once the checks clear.
2. The AI Trap: Why clients are demanding AI provisions in contracts and how it’s creating a "margin pressure" that forces agencies to move from deliverables to results-based models.
3. Hiring in the AI Era: The challenges of vetting developers who use AI tools and why "hiring slow and firing fast" is more important than ever.
4. To Replatform or Not?: Mark’s controversial take on why brands should maximize their current tech stacks rather than chasing a "sexy" new platform that may result in a massive internal distraction.

0:00 – Introduction: Cutting through the Agency Noise

2:15 – Mark’s Journey: From .NET Developer to CEO

5:30 – The Reality of Private Equity and "The Clock"

9:45 – Is the AI Gold Rush a Trap for Agencies?

14:20 – The Evolution of Agency Pricing: Time & Materials vs. Results

18:10 – Why You Probably Shouldn’t Replatform This Year

22:45 – Closing Thoughts: Focus on the Basics

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