Ep 49: "Competitive Intelligence" - Tracy Berry

In this episode of Esoteric Curiosities, host Ken Gonzalez interviews Tracy Berry, a competitive intelligence (CI) expert, to discuss the importance and nuances of CI programs within organizations. They explore the essential skills and aptitudes for CI professionals, the core components of a CI program (the what, so what, now what, and what's next), and strategies for gaining executive support and funding. Tracy shares her background, including her time as an NSA intel officer, and emphasizes that CI should be independent of product marketing to maintain objectivity. The conversation highlights the increasing importance of CI in today's volatile business environment and offers advice on how to initiate conversations with executives to demonstrate the value of CI. The episode concludes with homework assignments for listeners to assess their organization's current CI efforts and consider the potential benefits of implementing or improving a CI program.