In this episode, the crew digs into a messy but necessary topic: what does ethical auditing even mean in a market overrun with automation shortcuts, low-effort SOC 2 audits, and firms that self-declare “quality” without proving it?

With Troy actively auditing today and Kendra working with auditors in real time, the team breaks down where rigor actually shows up, where the system is broken, and why SOC 2’s value is slipping as fast as demand for speed is rising.

03:00 – “Quality theater” and firms self-labeling as high quality

04:10 – Who defines quality—auditors or customers?

05:00 – The four-hour SOC 2 audit example

06:00 – The danger of “better than the worst” logic

07:00 – What thorough auditing actually looks like (Kendra’s experience)

09:30 – SOC 2 inconsistency across auditors and firms

11:00 – Should audit firms be objectively measured?

15:00 – Kendra’s “secret shopper auditor” idea

19:20 – Automation platforms producing shallow “green checkmark” results

22:00 – Drive-by auditors rubber-stamping automated data

26:00 – Peer review and “enhanced oversight” gaps

33:00 – Why the industry isn’t incentivized to fix the quality problem

39:00 – Ethical auditors exist—but the system doesn’t reward them

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