The ROI Lie: Why Smart Leaders Bet on Six Capitals

Greg Galle

Hey there—welcome to Next Moves with AI, where we decode the future of intelligent innovation and how to lead it. I’m Greg Galle.

Daniel Buritica

And I’m Daniel Buritica. In this series, we explore the strategies, tools, and mindset shifts that help leaders and teams navigate complexity, unlock capital, and make smarter, bolder moves.

Greg Galle

Today’s conversation? It’s a big one. We're taking on the traditional ROI mindset—and showing you why smart leaders are betting on something far more powerful: building capital across six dimensions.

Greg Galle

You’ll hear real stories, practical tools—and how our AI Assistant, the Serious Capital Builder, can help you see what’s really worth it.

Daniel Buritica

So, we all throw around ROI like it’s the ultimate scorecard, right? But what if—and just bear with me—what if we’ve been optimizing for the wrong kind of return?

Greg Galle

That’s the heart of it, isn’t it? Most organizations aren’t just struggling to decide what to invest in—they’re struggling to understand how to value what they’re investing in. And traditional ROI? Honestly? It’s a limited lens.

Daniel Buritica

Exactly. We’ve gotten stuck—narrowed in on financial metrics like they’re the only story. But the bigger picture? It’s more dynamic, more meaningful... and way more complex than just dollars and cents.

Greg Galle

That’s why we’re digging into what we call Serious Capital. This is a more complete way to think about innovation—one that includes human, intellectual, political, reputational, social, and financial. It’s how Leaders of Next are redefining value.

Daniel Buritica

And if you’re just joining us—welcome to Next Moves with AI. I’m Daniel Buritica.

Greg Galle

And I’m Greg Galle. This episode is part of our series spotlighting the Serious Capital Builder—an AI assistant that helps teams see the full picture before making innovation bets.

Daniel Buritica

Because the real question behind every bold move isn’t just, “What’s the ROI?” It’s: Is it really worth it?

Daniel Buritica

So Greg, let’s talk about it. Everyone’s talking innovation, but most of the time? We’re using a totally outdated playbook. Like, we’re still measuring success just in dollars. That’s it. Doesn’t that feel... small?

Greg Galle

It’s not just small—it’s risky. We end up treating things like human capital, social capital, reputational capital—even political and intellectual capital—like they’re optional. Like fluff. And they’re not. These are the elements that often make or break the long-term success of an innovation.

Daniel Buritica

Exactly. And when organizations ignore these forms of capital, they do one of two things: they either throw piles of money at overhyped ideas—like WeWork—or they miss out on opportunities that could’ve been game-changers, like what we’ve seen with Unilever.

Greg Galle

So here’s the real question: How do you know if an innovation is actually worth it? Sure, profitability matters. But what about resilience? What about long-term impact? With traditional tools, we just don’t have a way to weigh those trade-offs effectively.

Daniel Buritica

Which is why we built the Serious Capital Builder. If you’re out there asking, “Is this idea worth my time, my team, my reputation?”—this tool gives you a structured, holistic way to answer that.

Greg Galle

And we designed it to be accessible. Whether you’re a VP of strategy or part of a cross-functional team, the Builder slips right into your workflow. It’s like a strategic GPS—built for today’s complexity.

Daniel Buritica

Because here’s the truth: innovation isn’t just finance’s job. Everyone has a stake in this. And we all need better tools to navigate what’s next.

Daniel Buritica

Which brings us to a case study we all know: WeWork. If you want a perfect example of what happens when you over-index on one form of capital and ignore the others? This is it.

Daniel Buritica

Oh yeah. They were riding high—crazy valuation, billions in funding. But underneath? Cracks everywhere. No defensible IP, no governance structure, and eventually? No trust. All gas, no brakes.

Daniel Buritica

They focused purely on financial capital and market hype—while reputational, intellectual, and even social capital were crumbling. They sold themselves as a tech company, but really? They were just leasing office space with good branding.

Daniel Buritica

And the minute public scrutiny hit—leadership chaos, wild spending—their reputational capital imploded. The culture they built turned into a liability overnight.

Daniel Buritica

If they had used something like the Serious Capital Builder, they would’ve seen those imbalances. Tools like the Total Impact Drill or the Capital Converter could’ve surfaced those hidden risks—long before the IPO collapse.

Daniel Buritica

Exactly. And that’s what the Builder gives you—not just diagnostics, but a way to rebalance before things spiral. You don’t just get a score. You get a strategic path forward.

Daniel Buritica

Alright, let’s flip it. Let’s talk about someone who’s getting it right. For me, Unilever is one of the best examples of capital intelligence in action.

Greg Galle

Totally agree. Unilever’s not just talking the talk—they’ve built sustainability and capital balance into their core business model. They’re making strategic decisions across all six capitals, not just financial.

Daniel Buritica

And you can see it in how they build brand equity. I mean, Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty”? That’s social and reputational capital coming together—and creating actual market advantage.

Greg Galle

Exactly. Or their work on reducing water usage and supply chain emissions. That’s long-term investment in the environment—which impacts human, political, and social capital. And guess what? It’s also creating stronger customer loyalty, reducing regulatory risk, and boosting brand trust.

Daniel Buritica

And let’s be real—they’ve got the performance metrics to back it all up. This isn’t soft ESG talk. This is business strategy—with impact across the board.

Greg Galle

And it all ties back to structured clarity. They’ve figured out how to make strategic decisions that serve multiple forms of value—and that’s exactly what the Serious Capital Builder helps any organization do.

Daniel Buritica

So Greg, let’s unpack it. What’s actually under the hood of the Builder that makes it such a game-changer?

Greg Galle

At its core, the tool maps all six capitals—human, intellectual, political, reputational, social, and financial. It doesn’t just measure them; it shows you how they interact. Where they’re in balance. Where you’re over-leveraging. Where you’ve got blind spots.

Daniel Buritica

So it’s kind of like a capital dashboard—with depth?

Greg Galle

Exactly. But it’s not static. It’s dynamic. The Builder helps you adapt in real-time—so if something changes mid-project, like a new policy, or a market trend, it you can recalibrate your capital priorities and strategies.

Daniel Buritica

And it doesn’t just throw data at you—it can suggest interventions?

Greg Galle

Yes. Say your initiative is missing social capital because you haven’t engaged the community—the Builder can recommend how to correct course. It’s like a second brain that helps you juggle the multiple dimensions of capital at once.

Daniel Buritica

I love that. You’re not just spotting issues. You’re getting a guide to help you build capital smarter. Got any real-world examples?

Greg Galle

Absolutely. One standout: New Orleans’ Gentilly Resilience District. It was part of the city’s post-Katrina disaster recovery and climate adaptation work. Originally, the plan leaned heavily on traditional cost-benefit analysis—flood protection, infrastructure upgrades, etc.

Greg Galle

But when the city used a broader, community resilience framework—supported by HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition—they realized they were missing something huge: social capital. Community trust had been eroded after decades of disinvestment and top-down planning.

Greg Galle

So they redesigned the initiative to prioritize community engagement. They held neighborhood design workshops, added green infrastructure co-developed with residents, and embedded job creation into the plan. The result? A solution that was still cost-efficient—but also strengthened trust, equity, and local ownership.

Daniel Buritica

That’s a game-changer. And what blows my mind is how versatile it is. Public, private, product innovation, ESG—it all clicks.

Daniel Buritica

Greg, this isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. Innovation’s evolving. It’s no longer about brainstorming the next big idea—it’s about building something resilient, integrated, and valuable on every level.

Greg Galle

Right. And if you’re only looking at financials, you’re flying blind. Today’s complexity—hybrid work, ESG demands, fragile brand trust—it requires a whole new kind of capital building.

Daniel Buritica

Totally. And if you tweak one piece—say, cut costs—you better know how that impacts your team’s morale, or your brand equity. It’s all connected.

Greg Galle

Exactly. That’s the danger of siloed thinking. Capital resilience is being tested on every front—human, social, reputational. One weak link can break the system.

Daniel Buritica

And once trust is gone? Forget it. Rebuilding it is like trying to fix a bridge while traffic’s still running over it.

Greg Galle

That’s why this conversation matters—urgently. The smartest teams today aren’t just innovating. They’re thinking more expansively about why they innovate.

Daniel Buritica

Alright Greg—real-world time. Hit us with some quick use cases. Where’s the Builder moving the needle?

Greg Galle

Let’s start public sector. Check this out: in Melbourne, Australia, the city launched a major initiative to expand urban green space—not just for beautification, but to reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and strengthen biodiversity.They used a tool called Nature in the City Strategy, which combined environmental, social, and health data to evaluate investments—not just cost per acre. What they found? Areas with more trees had better public health outcomes and stronger community satisfaction. By layering people and the planet in social capital, they were able to prioritize high-impact zones and future-proof their urban resilience strategy.

Daniel Buritica

That’s not just smarter. That’s life-changing.

Greg Galle

Now the private sector—check out Fairphone. They’re a Netherlands-based company building modular, sustainable smartphones designed for repairability, fair labor, and recyclability. Instead of optimizing just for margins or market share, they built a business model that maps across multiple capitals: social (by reducing e-waste) and human (through ethical sourcing), and reputational capital (with a fiercely loyal customer base). Their transparency reports show how they factor in impact across their supply chain—not just quarterly revenue.

Daniel Buritica

So, as we wrap—if there’s one thing we want you to take away today, it’s this: if you’re not thinking across all six capitals, you’re not just leaving money on the table—you’re letting impact, opportunity, and long-term success slip away.

Greg Galle

The old ROI mindset? Doesn’t cut it anymore. We’re in a world of complexity, and navigating it demands clarity across every form of value. The Serious Capital Builder helps you get there—fast.

Daniel Buritica

And this isn’t just for execs. This is for anyone—product teams, social impact leads, cross-functional innovators—anyone trying to make smarter, more resilient decisions.

Greg Galle

Because this isn’t about doing more—it’s about having more impact. More thoughtful, more strategic, more future-ready.

Daniel Buritica

So here’s the ask. If you’ve been nodding along today, thinking “This could change the game for us”—don’t just think it. Move. Try the Serious Capital Builder.

Greg Galle

And remember—intelligent innovation isn’t about certainty. It’s about the clarity required to build a next that matters.

Daniel Buritica

Thanks again for spending time with us on Next Moves with AI. If this episode sparked new ideas, share it with someone on your team—or someone who’s ready to rethink what “value” really means.

Greg Galle

And make sure to follow or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. That way, you’ll never miss what’s next.

Daniel Buritica

And if you want to keep the conversation going, we’d love to connect. Find us on LinkedIn—just search Nikolai Gregory Galle and Daniel Buritica.

Greg Galle

Alright, that’s a wrap. Keep asking bold questions. Keep building what matters.

Daniel Buritica

See you next time on Next Moves with AI.