Where Did All the Middle Managers Go?

In this episode of Mostly Growth, CJ, Kyle, and Ben start with Carl’s infamous “AWS from the car” rant before diving into a sharp, funny breakdown of corporate title inflation and the slow death of middle management. From “Founding BDRs” to self-proclaimed “VPs of vibes,” the crew dissects why org charts are flattening and how that changes leadership, accountability, and hiring. Then, in a classic Pricing Model Roast, they unpack why hybrid and usage-based models are both brilliant and broken, what outcome-based pricing gets wrong, and why take rates might secretly be the future. The trio closes with thoughts on momentum, AI urgency theater, and how to manage teams without burning them out—or yourself in the process.Timestamps:00:00 Carl from the Car on AWS01:04 Mostly Growth intro theme01:27 CJ’s flight back from LA (and the fake Wi-Fi warning)02:00 “I finally learned where Mississippi was”02:45 LA traffic and Nobu dinner with Ben04:08 Ben’s history lesson: why LA is a transportation nightmare06:34 “Clip it down” — segue to the main topic07:20 Title deflation and the death of middle management09:12 “Founding BDR” and generic LinkedIn titles11:00 The problem with VP title inflation12:31 The vanishing middle manager14:03 “Bonfire of the Middle Managers” and why it matters15:52 Shout-out to good managers everywhere18:00 Pricing Model Roast — lightning round19:49 Why hybrid pricing is the “best worst” model22:12 Usage vs. commitment pricing in the AI era25:09 Outcome-based pricing and cash-flow pain31:23 Take-rate pricing and marketplace dynamics33:29 Momentum is not a moat — but maybe it’s a boat36:22 How fast companies really move in AI38:38 Building urgency without burning out your team41:10 Business Partners: The LinkedIn follower illusion42:46 The optimal number of direct reports45:24 Pricing in the Real World — why book publishing is a scamEpisodes Referenced:The $1 Trillion AI Bubble: Nvidia, OpenAI, and the Feedback Loophttps://youtu.be/DMz-hC1K3BYDecoding the Psychology of Price in the Age of AI | Michael Staniszhttps://youtu.be/qNn9_07efN4996 Culture, Exploding AI Bills & SaaS Chaoshttps://youtu.be/qhrxDL0gsRoLinks:https://x.com/shamusmadan/status/1978471423522840643/photo/1https://www.economist.com/business/2025/10/05/bonfire-of-the-middle-managershttps://www.growthunhinged.com/p/7de0e352-fd0f-4f75-bc70-f1adaa483a4ahttps://investing101.substack.com/p/momentum-moathttps://www.amazon.com/Formula-Universal-Laws-Success/dp/0316505498https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kirbyman_how-do-you-build-a-moat-in-consumer-ai-you-activity-7376301424613363712-cB5p/https://x.com/joshua_xu_/status/1978837502787219578https://www.heygen.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23054911095&gbraid=0AAAAABiJW6bRhkaamVJe8PfOSFAoc1FHdhttps://www.economist.com/business/2025/09/18/how-many-reports-should-a-manager-have?giftId=a90f0234-f411-481f-98c7-c8f530ec33f9&utm_campaign=gifted_articlehttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships