Tom Murphy, CEO of Capital Cities/ABC excelled at capital allocation. Following the example set by Mr. Murphy, Don Burnette, Founder & CEO of Kodiak is implementing his version of Capital Cities/ABC capital allocation strategy as he grows Kodiak. 

Don Burnette joined The Road to Autonomy Founder Grayson Brulte on Autonomy Insights to discuss Kodiak’s focus on growing long-term profitable revenue and achieving industry best EBITA margins. Mr. Burnette is keeping a keen eye on expenses and ensuring that capital is allocated to growing the business, not frivolous expenses. 

By keeping costs low and offering valuable solutions to customers, Kodiak was able to expand into Defense and off-road autonomy in a deal with Atlas Energy in the Permian Basin. 

The deal with Kodiak is potentially profitable enough to sustain Kodiak as a business even without its other business lines (defense and on-road trucking). 

Kodiak is in the process of transforming from a R&D-focused company to an operations company. In the mold of Capital Cities/ABC, Kodiak implementing a capital allocation strategy that ensures long-term growth.

Recorded on Friday, July 26, 2024

Episode Chapters

• 0:00 Kodiak’s Expansion into Off-Road Autonomy 
• 2:39 The Decision to Diversify 
• 5:02 EBITA Margins 
• 6:42 Capital Cities/ABC of Autonomy 
• 10:06 Core Pillars of Kodiak’s Business 
• 11:32 What’s Next For Kodiak

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About The Road to Autonomy

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