Perspectives

25 Years of Thinking

Evergreen analysis on IT infrastructure, blockchain, enterprise strategy, and conscious business. Not trends — principles.

Tony Greenberg

Founder & CEO · Published since 2010

25 years at the intersection of enterprise IT, blockchain, and conscious business. Harvard, USC, Forbes, Business Insider.

2021

Sep 15

Hiding Fees in the Transparent Age Is Just Bad Business

Speaking As a Tool For Getting Things Done

Jun 16

Your Words are Hammers

Speaking As a Tool For Getting Things Done

2020

May 4

Marc Andreessen Rebuttal 2020

Hypocrisy is the compliment vice pays to virtue. La Rochefoucauld The original article here: Thrilled to see the other Marc Weinstein assessment here By Tony Greenberg & Alex Veytsel of RampRate Marc Andreessen has made a call to action around building big in response to our current crisis. First, some areas of agreement: it’s not like we haven’t… Read More »Marc Andreessen Rebuttal 2020

2018

Jul 26

Enterprise Blockchain: Can Big Business Co-opt an Existential Threat?

The core difference was in whether the blockchain is an awesome technology with an ideological movement building around it, or a rethinking of how people interact and collaborate with each other supported, but by no means defined by, an as-yet immature technology.

Apr 16

The Ball and Blockchain: Obstacles to a World-Changing Trajectory

The blockchain decentralization revolution may not be the first, but it is well-funded, and led by people that think big. With a dream and billions in funding, what can go wrong? Distractions, disputes, and hubris top the list, with a very dishonorable mention for the industry’s problem of hucksters.

Mar 29

What Solutions are Best Built with Blockchain or NOT

Obviously, not all solutions are a fit. No one is going to be building the next spreadsheet with blockchain. Rather, you need to focus on areas where one of the core strengths of the technology amplifies the value of the solution – or better yet, creates it in a place where centralized approaches are failing.

Mar 21

A Historical Perspective on Blockchain

The blockchain has a small circle of bitcoin billionaires that can break the mold. Some are open advocates of the technology’s revolutionary potential, like Puerto Rico crypto-utopia crowd. Some prefer to remain more anonymous. But make no mistake, the goal of the blockchain game is not to make..

2017

Dec 15

Is There Such a Thing as Price Gouging and Price Fixing in IT?

In the wake of hurricanes, as the deluge recedes, regulators see a rising flood of complaints about price gouging for necessities such as water and gas. And despite contrary opinions from some economists, 34 states have anti-gouging laws on the books.

Jul 21

The Myth of the RFP for Everything at Half Price

The Myth of the RFP By Tony Greenberg A long time ago in a business not so far away, a king sat considering his fate. The weather had been poor during the last growing season, the peasants were getting restless, and neighboring kingdoms were either disappearing into the abyss or raising …

Mar 3

Smoking Gun Questions To Ask Your IT Sourcing Broker

Why RampRate Does Better Than Other Advisors While other entities such as brokers, agents, systems integrators, sourcing advisors, and internal procurement departments can tackle similar challenges, none of them have the full combination of data, technology expertise, objectivity, and …

2016

Aug 13

IT Buyers Say “We are OK.” Are you Sure? Part 1

IT Buyers Say “We are OK.” Are you Sure? Part 1 After 15 years of running a consultancy for the world’s most powerful firms, there is one thing that still irks me. Every day we propose ways to make the lives of people we work with better and give them the tools data and methodology… Read More »IT Buyers Say “We are OK.” Are you Sure? Part 1

Aug 12

So now that we admit we have a problem Part 2

How do we avoid making things worse with the It solutions? In the last post, I talked about IT, finance, and sourcing managers not wanting to admit they have a problem. But even those who know they need help don’t always get it. Why? IT solutions – The last barrier to cross is trust in… Read More »So now that we admit we have a problem Part 2

Aug 11

HOW FAST-GROWTH COMPANIES ARE MOST LIKELY TO FALL PART 3

How fast growth companies are most likely to fall Into the trap of not seeking help - and how they can take the time to be more than OK We previously talked about the IT and sourcing teams’ reluctance to admit problems or fix them when they know there is an issue –… Read More »How fast-growth companies are most likely to fall

Jul 17

The CIO's guide to smarter vendor negotiation

Vendor Negotiation Original Posted on CIOs From IDG Negotiating deals with IT vendors is never easy, but it is a skill you can learn. Experts in the art of negotiating say it’s important to understand the vendor’s pain points, look out for hidden costs and keep your emotions in check. For the CIOs, the basic… Read More »The CIO’s guide to smarter vendor negotiation

Jul 6

Would You Hire Someone Who Led a Rebellion?

Leadership: Top X lists are generally clickbait tripe. But we need people, I need to interview them, so “Top 5 Interview Questions” sounds worth clicking. And then I read this: When I asked “tell me about something you’ve led,” one of the candidates paused and then answered, “I once led a revolt against management in… Read More »Would You Hire Someone Who Led a Rebellion?

May 16

Mini Episode Tony Greenberg Ceo of RampRate

May 3, 2016 – Original article MINI-EPISODE – HOW TO THINK WHEN $100M’S ARE ON THE LINE | TONY GREENBERG CEO OF RAMPRATE We’re trying something a little different this week. In addition to our normal, full-length interview we’re doing a mini-episode with highlights of our favourite moments of interviews. So if you want the… Read More »Mini Episode Tony Greenberg Ceo of RampRate

2015

Dec 13

The Buyers & Sellers Honesty Dance 2

Buyers & Sellers: In the first part of our series, we examined the implications of IT buyers negotiating positions rather than interests. Neglecting to examine seller motivations and organizational structures that may give them an edge. In this installment, we take a look at sales missteps that stem from an ignorance of the organizational pressures… Read More »The Buyers & Sellers Honesty Dance 2