Financial Advisor Success · 2026-07-28 · 1h 40m
Building a highly successful advisory platform is less about running every department yourself and more about finding the right operational partners to turn big ideas into a structured reality. Today's milestone episode explores the personal frameworks, scaling pain points, and core values that propelled a solo blog into a powerhouse industry platform. Michael Kitces, co-founder of the 26-person Kitces.com platform, turns the microphone around for our 500th episode to be interviewed by financial planning nerd Adam Van Deusen. Unpacking his personal approach to time management, Michael breaks down the "look at the tape" tracking framework that helps pinpoint an entrepreneur's highest and best use. He also details his transformative shift away from direct people management by partnering with an operational "integrator" (inspired by Gino Wickman's Rocket Fuel ), and how building firm-wide metrics around the platform's QNR (Quality, Nerdy, Relevant) content standards gave him the confidence to hand off production.
Ep 502: Managing $240M As A 3-Person Team Through A Structured Meeting Approach with Wendy Ciehanski80 / 100
Ep 497: Growing From Solo To Siloed Partnership To A $3.3B Enterprise Ensemble (Without Taking Outside Capital) with Shane Morrow88 / 100
Ep 501: Navigating Succession Planning That Doesn't Turn Out As Expected (Even When You're Doing Everything Right) with Rick Kahler
Ep 499: 4Xing To $200M AUM In 4 Years While Staying Lean By Leveraging AI, Technology, And Outsourcing All You Can Let Go Of with Ryan Townsley
Ep 498: Hiring A COO And Creating Partnership Paths Early To Drive Enterprise Value On The Path To $3B AUM with Christine DeMao