This week: An episode designed by the stories that made the year 2025 one of the most turbulent in memory. In January, Retail Dive hit the button, telling us store closures were going to be “En Vogue”. Trends we don’t want to see. But C’Est la Vie. Why are we speaking French? We also welcomed show friend Kelly Goetsch to talk to us about the surprise introduction of the onX standard introduces 12 core order-management primitives, built on Model Context Protocol (MCP) — described as “the USB-C port for AI.” MCP enables simple, universal connections between systems and AIs, outperforming traditional REST API integrations.
A quiz show. Here are some notes from our producer Vinny O’Brien.
This wasn’t a normal episode. There was no keynote energy.No polished guest narrative.
No tidy beginning-middle-end. Instead, we turned the industry into a game show.
Not because it was funny, but because it was honest.
Jeopardy Part Deux was fun. Jess Lesesky is finding her feet as a modern, female Alex Trebek with a sprinkle of Will Ferrell Trebek. This show felt like this year to actually live inside it. And we had Nick Kaplan.
But, we also had an audible on the show. Rick sent a text. Something emerged.
No one else is doing it.
Kelly Goestch is a huge, pragmatic and thoughtgul voice in our community. When he tells us he launched an order exchange with over 60 committed partners processoing $1TN in GMV, we thought we should have a chat.
The launch of onX (Order Network eXchange) Standard along with the Commerce Operations Foundation, created to connect selling and fulfillment systems.
Today’s commerce landscape is fragmented: brands sell across numerous channels (marketplaces, platforms, social, AI-generated experiences) while fulfilling through multiple warehouses and 3PLs. Yet there is no interoperability standard between selling channels, OMSs, WMSs, ERPs, or fulfillment providers. Each integration is a custom “weld,” making it slow and costly to onboard new channels or sync inventory and fulfillment options.
The onX standard introduces 12 core order-management primitives, built on Model Context Protocol (MCP) — described as “the USB-C port for AI.” MCP enables simple, universal connections between systems and AIs, outperforming traditional REST API integrations.
To maintain and govern this new standard, Kelly Goetsch created the Commerce Operations Foundation, a vendor-neutral 501(c)(6) nonprofit responsible for IP stewardship, evolution of the spec, reference implementations, and advancing industry adoption.
Then he stuck around for Jeopardy.
Should we do this every week? Who won?
TThe board wasn’t random.
The categories weren’t jokes.
They reflected the actual fault lines of the year:
Chapter 11 - it used to be floor 13.
Sam Alt Delete -no more to be said.
M&A used to be exciting.
Did Tobi Really Say This - the All money on AI approach to poker, as per Tobi.
NKOTB -hanging tough with just enough of the Right Stuff.
The Pictures are Easy. As great as Rick is, he needs a leg up every now and again.
The year in pictures, not so easy, apparently.
Why This Matters Now (And Why NRF Is the Pivot Point)
NRF isn’t just an event anymore. It’s the annual stress test for the industry’s psychology. We want to help with it.
The stories we surfaced in this episode are the stories that will walk onto stages at NRF:
– Who controls access?
– Who owns attention?
– Who creates trust?
– Who builds the next layer of commerce?
We.
Are.
ALL.
Challengers.
From the Backlot (Producers’ Meanderings)
From the Backlot – Producer’s View
There’s a moment in every year where the noise becomes signal.
This episode was that moment.
Not because it was neat —
but because it was human.
A chaotic board of questions somehow told a cleaner truth than most whitepapers:
The industry isn’t breaking.
It’s molting.
Skin coming off.
New shape forming.
And discomfort everywhere.
If NRF is where the industry shows its face,
then Watson Weekend is where it quietly admits what it’s thinking.
That’s the job.
That’s the privilege.
And that’s why these stories matter.
NEXT EPISODE:
Friday December 5th Noon Eastern Time. Beer o Clock on GMT.
Credits - where due
Produced by my good self, Kaylea Sepulvado and Libby Dallis
Music by RYAL - the creation of the wonderful Jacquelyn Laufer and Aaron Nevezie
Show Sponsor Rithum
