The Unfair Advantage

In this episode of The Unfair Advantage , Don Packett and Kelvin Jonck return from a short season break to unpack why large language models (LLMs) have effectively become the ultimate brand influencers. Unlike traditional creators who rely on paid product placement, AI platforms operate on a "pull model" where consumers actively seek out their unbiased, unsolicited advice to make real-wo...

We’ve all been scrolling so long we’ve forgotten why we even opened our apps in the first place. 📱🧟‍♂️ In Episode 17 of The Unfair Advantage , Kelvin Jonck and Don Packett sit down with Jason Van Dyk , founder of the Sociable app, to talk about the massive gap between simply being "online" and being truly social. While every brand and platform is locked in a dogfight for three seconds...

Welcome to Episode 16 of The Unfair Advantage . While we start off lighthearted with some numerology on the "Sweet 16," this quickly becomes one of the most sobering and important conversations we’ve ever hosted. Kelvin Jonck and Don Packett are joined by Kyle Janse , a researcher from the Center for Analytics and Behavioral Change (CABC). Kyle, who comes from a legal background, explain...

What if you could do three full-time jobs and still have time to sleep? In Episode 15 of The Unfair Advantage, Kelvin Jonck and Don Packett sit down with tech legend Vincent Maher to discuss the "Time Compression" era of AI. From the early days of Vodacom’s The Grid to his current role as a multi-CEO, Vincent shares how he has "augmented" himself to move at a speed that was imp...

In Episode 14 of The Unfair Advantage, Kelvin Jonck and Don Packett sit down with Leigh Stefanski, Managing Director of Now Boarding, to tackle the tension between rapid AI acceleration and the foundational craft of UX/UI. From her journey through food blogging and Property24 to running a top-tier design studio, Leigh explains why the "What If" mindset is a business superpower and why em...

This episode is for anyone who’s ever ran out of drinks at a braai and wondered, "Why can't I just get this delivered?" Join us in The Unfair Advantage where, Don Packett and Kelvin Jonck sit down with the spectacularly awesome Enrico Ferrigolli, the co-founder of Bottles and now the Executive of Online at Pick n Pay. Enrico shares his incredible journey from Italy to South Africa, r...

Welcome to Episode 12 of The Unfair Advantage. In this episode, we're joined by our mate, the co-founder and CEO of Roger Wilco, Charlie Stewart, to unpack the findings of their latest CX report. Charlie doesn't hold back, diving into the biggest customer experience mistakes companies are making. We get into the hilarious "empathy gap" where brands think they're winning with...

Do your employees really love your product? Like, really? In this episode of The Unfair Advantage, Don Packett and Kelvin Jonck chat with Kaylin Phillips, the Digital Product Manager at Netstar. Kaylin reveals a core strategy for building a product that sticks: dogfooding. Kaylin unpacks what it means to "eat your own dog food" and why getting your employees to use your product is the ul...

Welcome to Episode 10 of The Unfair Advantage. In this episode, Don Packett and Kelvin Jonck dive into the paradoxical idea of speed in business and marketing. The conversation is sparked by a clip from our previous episode with Kate Syuma, which gets Don thinking about his old "Speed Kills" theory and why he completely changed his mind. This is a deep dive into how customer insight, soc...

It turns out your customers are already creating it for you. In this episode of The Unfair Advantage, hosts Don Packett and Kelvin Jonck dive into a spicy story about Tabasco and the untapped power of unsolicited social data . Kelvin unpacks a real-world case study, revealing how they helped the hot sauce brand find surprising new customer insights and a brilliant, unplanned partnership. From disc...

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on why so many data projects fail, and it’s not the tech. We chat with Terishia Reddy, the Head of Data at Pick n Pay, about the big disconnect between data teams and business leaders, why "corporate theatre" needs to end, and the surprising KPIs that will give you an unfair advantage. If you're a data leader, analyst or insights team looking for rea...

Ever wondered which South African banking apps actually make sense? Yeah, us too. In this episode, Don and Kelvin are joined by product and payments pro, Shaheen Khatieb, who gives us the full story on his viral LinkedIn series. He's been brutally rating all the major South African banking apps, and his insights are honest and spot on. What we get into: Which SA bank has an onboarding process that...

Welcome to Episode 6 of The Unfair Advantage. In this episode, hosts Don Packett and Kelvin Jonck are chatting to Kate Syuma, the founder of Growthmates and former Head of Growth Product Design at Miro. Kate shares her amazing career journey, from a seed-stage startup in Russia to leading a massive team in Amsterdam, offering a unique look into Miro's hyper-growth story. The conversation goes...

Welcome to Episode 5 of The Unfair Advantage . Hosts Kelvin Jonck and Don Packett expose the self-service analytics dilemma , a "silent killer of productivity" that leaves teams stuck between simple reports and complex requests. They reveal why an overburdened analytics team and a quiet backlog are major red flags. This episode isn't just about the problem; it's about the solution. Learn how to br...

Welcome to Episode 4 of The Unfair Advantage. In this one, we’ve got our very first guest, Annalize van Deijl, Head of CRM at Mr D, joining Kelvin Jonck (CEO at YOUKNOW Technologies) and Don Packett (COO) for a lekker chat about shiny tools, tech readiness, and why fancy dashboards won’t fix bad processes. If you’ve ever been tempted by the next big thing in Martech, Annalize’s story and practical...

Welcome to Episode 3 of The Unfair Advantage. A quick, practical listen for South African marketers, product folks and retention teams who know loyalty is more than just a sale. Hosted by Kelvin Jonck (CEO at YOUKNOW Technologies) and Don Packett (COO), this one unpacks why Value Moments should be your new obsession. So, what are Value Moments? They’re those small, repeatable moments where your cu...

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Unfair Advantage , your 15-minute power-up on all things PLG, made for marketers, product teams, and growth leads building brands in South Africa (and beyond). Hosted by Kelvin Jonck (CEO at YOUKNOW Technologies) and Don Packett , this episode dives straight into the world of product-led growth. Not the theory, the practice. The tactics you can actually use. Right now....

The Unfair Advantage Podcast – EP01: Why African Brands Need Product-Led Growth: The Leapfrog Mindset for Growth in Africa Welcome to Episode 1 of The Unfair Advantage. A 15-minute power session for anyone building, marketing, or scaling brands in South Africa (and beyond). Hosted by Kelvin Jonck (CEO at YOUKNOW Technologies) and Don Packett, this episode unpacks why Africa’s biggest edge isn’t ju...

In this episode, Kelvin speaks to Carlos Serra, the most connected man in the MarTech industry.  Carlos tells us of his days in Silicon Valley and how he joined SocialBro to help create the #1 Audience Intelligence tool in the world, Audiense. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)

This is our sixth episode in a series of video interviews with leaders from the world of social media, marketing, Insights tech, with our special guest, Sean Riley, CEO of Ad Dynamo & Blue Robot. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)

This is our fifth episode in a series of video interviews with leaders from the world of social media, marketing and insights tech, with our special guest, Mike Stopforth, Director at Beyond Binary. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)

This is our second episode in a series of video interviews with leaders from the world of social media, marketing and insights tech, with our special guest, Giles Palmer, Chief Executive Officer at Brandwatch. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)

This is our second episode in a series of video interviews with leaders from the world of social media, marketing and insights tech, with our special guest, Sebastian S Hedencrona, Chief Growth Officer at GWI. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)

This is our second episode in a series of video interviews with leaders from the world of social media, marketing and insights tech, with our special guest, Pierre Cassuto, Global CMO and CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa at Humanz. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)

Kelvin Jonck Managing Director at YOUKNOW Digital interviews Pieter Berner Chief Revenue Officer at Continuon. While these episodes may not be a part of our main podcast, they're still insightful and a good listen if you've got the time ;)