NPS has been the gold standard for measuring client satisfaction and overall relationship health for years. Now, however, it’s time to rethink just how heavily we rely on NPS as a predictor of client relationships continuing and growing.
David DeWolf is the Founder & CEO of Knownwell. David founded and served for 16 years as CEO of 3Pillar Global, a digital product development organization that grew every year under his leadership. 3Pillar was named to the Inc. 5000, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the US, ten separate times. David twice oversaw the company’s sale to private equity companies while he served as CEO. David is an angel investor who backs companies and leaders who he believes have visions for companies that can change the world. He’s also an active and sought-after board member for high-growth tech companies and is currently a board member for 2X, Capango, and his alma mater, the Franciscan University of Steubenville. When not building or investing in technology companies, David enjoys traveling and spending quality time with his wife, Teresa, and their 8 children.
Insights by David
Driving NRR is Within Your Control. Stop Blaming AI Disruption
AI disruption is a convenient scapegoat for NRR compression, but the firms winning right now aren’t waiting for the market to stabilize. They’re doing what Ford did in 2008: facing the data with brutal honesty and fixing what’s actually broken.
The Cockpit Gap: Why Technical Genius is Failing the Commercial Mission
Promoting your best technicians into client-facing roles is a professional services tradition. It’s also the single greatest threat to NRR. The skills that make someone exceptional at the work rarely transfer to navigating the commercial relationship around it.
The Invisible Revenue Leak: Your Accidental Account Manager
Uncover how revenue leakage occurs when skilled finance professionals become “Accidental Account Managers” and struggle to drive strategic growth.
The Ghost in the Revenue Machine
If you peel back the glossy layers of your company’s high-growth S-curve, there just may be a ghost hiding in your revenue machine. Find out what it is and what you can do about it.
The AI Trap: Why AI Won’t Eliminate Work (And Why We Don’t Want It To)
Learn why the idea that AI will eliminate work is a myth, and why we shouldn’t want to see it happen in the first place. Our purpose and dignity depend on meaningful work, Knownwell CEO David DeWolf writes in this post.
The Client Relationship You Think You Have Is Not the One You Actually Have
The relationship you think you have with your clients is often not the one you actually have. Learn why understanding the difference between the two, and what to do about it, is so important in this blog post.
Breaking Down Operational Silos with AI
Learn how removing operational silos with AI can improve coherence and coordination in professional services firms.
Why Stale, Subjective Information is Killing Your Business Growth
Is stale, subjective information putting a drain on your company’s performance? It may well be without you even realizing it.
The Rise of the CCO: From Puzzlement to Imperative
A few days ago, a LinkedIn notification caught my eye. “Nicely done, fellow CCO! :-)” It was in response to this simple post. “I’m…