How to fix the organizational flaw that hurts NRR, Growth, and Competitiveness [Eli Portnoy & Erik Schreter]

Eli Portnoy, serial entrepreneur and founder of BackEngine, joins Inside Venwise to unpack why customer-centricity is no longer optional—and how most B2B companies are getting it wrong. Drawing on his experience founding and exiting two data-driven startups—Thinknear ($22.5M acquisition) and Sense360 ($44M acquisition)—Eli explains the high cost of losing touch with customers as organizations scale.In today’s hyper-competitive environment, systematic customer feedback isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a growth imperative. Eli shares research showing that companies with mature feedback systems are 6.5x more likely to significantly outperform their peers, yet most lack clear ownership and process. He outlines how to fix this structural flaw by:Assigning a clear owner for customer insightsCreating lightweight, high-velocity feedback loopsEngaging CEOs directly in weekly customer conversationsAvoiding the “feedback trap” of acting on isolated anecdotesUsing AI to distill customer interactions into actionable, org-wide insightsPacked with practical guidance and founder-tested frameworks, this episode is a playbook for CEOs and leaders who want to move from gut feel to data-driven, customer-led decision making—and build resilient, market-leading businesses in the process.