How to Win podcast with Peep Laja Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/how-to-win Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories. No fluff. No filler. Just strategies and tactics from founders, executives, and marketers. Learn about building moats, growing audiences, scaling businesses, and differentiating from the competition. New guests every week. Hosted by Peep Laja, founder at Wynter, Speero, CXL. © 2021 Peep Laja 0f610368-3f9a-5a32-bc59-084cfa282b82 no Peep Laja Introducing How to Win en Wed, 23 Jul 2025 09:35:32 -0500 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:02:43 -0600 https://howtowin.transistor.fm/ https://img.transistor.fm/xFR6ZePotIwgB8x9z5wc4aF7GSVeq4jlm_MkayhH_jc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzIyNTE3LzE2MjU1/MDE5ODUtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg How to Win podcast with Peep Laja https://howtowin.transistor.fm/ episodic Peep Laja Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories. No fluff. No filler. Just strategies and tactics from founders, executives, and marketers. Learn about building moats, growing audiences, scaling businesses, and differentiating from the competition. New guests every week. Hosted by Peep Laja, founder at Wynter, Speero, CXL. Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories. saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Peep Laja No Yes Dark Social 3 3 1 1 Dark Social full 1c8d47b8-89ed-46e0-8d59-72c7d79db3c7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c0dde2ad In this episode, Peep Laja is joined by Kathleen Booth and Dave Gerhardt to unpack the real buying behavior behind B2B SaaS in 2025. They break down the power of dark social, peer communities, and brand storytelling in an era where Google is no longer the first stop. Learn how to win trust, get talked about, and drive growth—without a single paid ad.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Buyers No Longer Start on Google
[00:01:00] Dark Social Isn’t New
[00:02:00] Community Beats Search
[00:03:00] Trust Comes From Peers
[00:04:00] Why “Dark Social” Caught On
[00:05:30] How Real Word-of-Mouth Works
[00:06:30] Winning Starts With Being Mentioned
[00:07:15] LinkedIn’s Real Role in Buying
[00:08:30] You Can’t Game the System
[00:09:30] Influencing the Influencers
[00:10:30] Brand and Peer Trust Collide
[00:11:30] Build a Narrative, Not Just Features
[00:12:30] What to Spend on Community
[00:14:00] Create Shareworthy Artifacts
[00:15:00] Showing Up Consistently Matters
[00:16:30] Case Study: Carabiner Group
[00:17:30] Making the ROI Case
[00:19:00] Track What Actually Matters
[00:20:00] Key Takeaways: How to Win

]]> In this episode, Peep Laja is joined by Kathleen Booth and Dave Gerhardt to unpack the real buying behavior behind B2B SaaS in 2025. They break down the power of dark social, peer communities, and brand storytelling in an era where Google is no longer the first stop. Learn how to win trust, get talked about, and drive growth—without a single paid ad.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Buyers No Longer Start on Google
[00:01:00] Dark Social Isn’t New
[00:02:00] Community Beats Search
[00:03:00] Trust Comes From Peers
[00:04:00] Why “Dark Social” Caught On
[00:05:30] How Real Word-of-Mouth Works
[00:06:30] Winning Starts With Being Mentioned
[00:07:15] LinkedIn’s Real Role in Buying
[00:08:30] You Can’t Game the System
[00:09:30] Influencing the Influencers
[00:10:30] Brand and Peer Trust Collide
[00:11:30] Build a Narrative, Not Just Features
[00:12:30] What to Spend on Community
[00:14:00] Create Shareworthy Artifacts
[00:15:00] Showing Up Consistently Matters
[00:16:30] Case Study: Carabiner Group
[00:17:30] Making the ROI Case
[00:19:00] Track What Actually Matters
[00:20:00] Key Takeaways: How to Win

]]> Mon, 19 May 2025 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1287 In this episode, Peep Laja is joined by Kathleen Booth and Dave Gerhardt to unpack the real buying behavior behind B2B SaaS in 2025. They break down the power of dark social, peer communities, and brand storytelling in an era where Google is no longer the first stop. Learn how to win trust, get talked about, and drive growth—without a single paid ad.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Buyers No Longer Start on Google
[00:01:00] Dark Social Isn’t New
[00:02:00] Community Beats Search
[00:03:00] Trust Comes From Peers
[00:04:00] Why “Dark Social” Caught On
[00:05:30] How Real Word-of-Mouth Works
[00:06:30] Winning Starts With Being Mentioned
[00:07:15] LinkedIn’s Real Role in Buying
[00:08:30] You Can’t Game the System
[00:09:30] Influencing the Influencers
[00:10:30] Brand and Peer Trust Collide
[00:11:30] Build a Narrative, Not Just Features
[00:12:30] What to Spend on Community
[00:14:00] Create Shareworthy Artifacts
[00:15:00] Showing Up Consistently Matters
[00:16:30] Case Study: Carabiner Group
[00:17:30] Making the ROI Case
[00:19:00] Track What Actually Matters
[00:20:00] Key Takeaways: How to Win

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Speed's Advantage 2 2 6 6 Speed's Advantage full 6f14b54c-7334-4728-a9f6-cd6223985e90 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c4d64586 Peep Laja dives into why speed is a critical and often underrated competitive advantage in today's fast-paced business world. Learn how to make swift decisions, conduct rapid experiments, ship products and campaigns quickly, and gather market feedback efficiently. Drawing from historical military strategies and modern business practices, Peep explains how speed can help you stay ahead of the competition. Tune in to discover actionable insights on fostering a culture of speed within your organization, optimizing decision-making processes, and enhancing market agility.

Chapters

[00:00:00] Intro and Importance of Speed
[00:01:15] Competitive Noise and Clones
[00:02:15] Aggressiveness and Fast Action
[00:03:15] Blitzkrieg in Business
[00:04:45] Faster Decision Making
[00:06:00] Chinese Car Manufacturers
[00:07:00] OODA Loops
[00:08:00] Innovate Faster
[00:09:15] Reducing Waiting Time
[00:10:00] Bezos Decision Speed Matrix
[00:12:30] Democratizing Decision Making
[00:14:30] Meeting Reduction
[00:16:45] Copycats and Innovation
[00:18:45] Personal Experimentation Failures
[00:21:45] Final Thoughts

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> Peep Laja dives into why speed is a critical and often underrated competitive advantage in today's fast-paced business world. Learn how to make swift decisions, conduct rapid experiments, ship products and campaigns quickly, and gather market feedback efficiently. Drawing from historical military strategies and modern business practices, Peep explains how speed can help you stay ahead of the competition. Tune in to discover actionable insights on fostering a culture of speed within your organization, optimizing decision-making processes, and enhancing market agility.

Chapters

[00:00:00] Intro and Importance of Speed
[00:01:15] Competitive Noise and Clones
[00:02:15] Aggressiveness and Fast Action
[00:03:15] Blitzkrieg in Business
[00:04:45] Faster Decision Making
[00:06:00] Chinese Car Manufacturers
[00:07:00] OODA Loops
[00:08:00] Innovate Faster
[00:09:15] Reducing Waiting Time
[00:10:00] Bezos Decision Speed Matrix
[00:12:30] Democratizing Decision Making
[00:14:30] Meeting Reduction
[00:16:45] Copycats and Innovation
[00:18:45] Personal Experimentation Failures
[00:21:45] Final Thoughts

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2024 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1357 Peep Laja dives into why speed is a critical and often underrated competitive advantage in today's fast-paced business world. Learn how to make swift decisions, conduct rapid experiments, ship products and campaigns quickly, and gather market feedback efficiently. Drawing from historical military strategies and modern business practices, Peep explains how speed can help you stay ahead of the competition. Tune in to discover actionable insights on fostering a culture of speed within your organization, optimizing decision-making processes, and enhancing market agility.

Chapters

[00:00:00] Intro and Importance of Speed
[00:01:15] Competitive Noise and Clones
[00:02:15] Aggressiveness and Fast Action
[00:03:15] Blitzkrieg in Business
[00:04:45] Faster Decision Making
[00:06:00] Chinese Car Manufacturers
[00:07:00] OODA Loops
[00:08:00] Innovate Faster
[00:09:15] Reducing Waiting Time
[00:10:00] Bezos Decision Speed Matrix
[00:12:30] Democratizing Decision Making
[00:14:30] Meeting Reduction
[00:16:45] Copycats and Innovation
[00:18:45] Personal Experimentation Failures
[00:21:45] Final Thoughts

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Nail and Scale 2 2 5 5 Nail and Scale full 01a3fd58-e82d-4cb6-ab2b-930e11c73ead https://share.transistor.fm/s/6b7c7888 In this episode, Peep Laja emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding your target market and ideal customer profile (ICP) to drive growth in B2B SaaS. He advocates for ongoing research to inform effective messaging, breaks down the key components of high-converting copy, and shares how tools like Wynter enable teams to get fast feedback and align around the ICP. By implementing these strategies, companies can speed up feedback loops and gain a competitive edge.

[00:00:00] Intro: Winning through market understanding
[00:01:22] Importance of regular market research
[00:02:30] From annual to ongoing micro-testing
[00:04:00] Optimizing for speed to insights
[00:05:30] Getting budget for market research
[00:06:30] Building mental availability
[00:08:00] Balancing short and long-term efforts
[00:09:00] Positioning vs. messaging
[00:10:28] Four layers of effective messaging
[00:12:30] Addressing buyer uncertainty
[00:14:00] Communicating customer value
[00:15:00] Importance of strong copywriting
[00:16:30] Characteristics of good copy
[00:17:00] Achieving team alignment
[00:18:00] Speeding up feedback loops

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> In this episode, Peep Laja emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding your target market and ideal customer profile (ICP) to drive growth in B2B SaaS. He advocates for ongoing research to inform effective messaging, breaks down the key components of high-converting copy, and shares how tools like Wynter enable teams to get fast feedback and align around the ICP. By implementing these strategies, companies can speed up feedback loops and gain a competitive edge.

[00:00:00] Intro: Winning through market understanding
[00:01:22] Importance of regular market research
[00:02:30] From annual to ongoing micro-testing
[00:04:00] Optimizing for speed to insights
[00:05:30] Getting budget for market research
[00:06:30] Building mental availability
[00:08:00] Balancing short and long-term efforts
[00:09:00] Positioning vs. messaging
[00:10:28] Four layers of effective messaging
[00:12:30] Addressing buyer uncertainty
[00:14:00] Communicating customer value
[00:15:00] Importance of strong copywriting
[00:16:30] Characteristics of good copy
[00:17:00] Achieving team alignment
[00:18:00] Speeding up feedback loops

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> Mon, 27 May 2024 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1132 In this episode, Peep Laja emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding your target market and ideal customer profile (ICP) to drive growth in B2B SaaS. He advocates for ongoing research to inform effective messaging, breaks down the key components of high-converting copy, and shares how tools like Wynter enable teams to get fast feedback and align around the ICP. By implementing these strategies, companies can speed up feedback loops and gain a competitive edge.

[00:00:00] Intro: Winning through market understanding
[00:01:22] Importance of regular market research
[00:02:30] From annual to ongoing micro-testing
[00:04:00] Optimizing for speed to insights
[00:05:30] Getting budget for market research
[00:06:30] Building mental availability
[00:08:00] Balancing short and long-term efforts
[00:09:00] Positioning vs. messaging
[00:10:28] Four layers of effective messaging
[00:12:30] Addressing buyer uncertainty
[00:14:00] Communicating customer value
[00:15:00] Importance of strong copywriting
[00:16:30] Characteristics of good copy
[00:17:00] Achieving team alignment
[00:18:00] Speeding up feedback loops

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Start in a Niche 2 2 4 4 Start in a Niche full ff24c8d2-f475-4b05-8247-ba4a7057e50c https://share.transistor.fm/s/1df44d9b In this episode, Peep dives into why niching down is the key to success for early-stage B2B SaaS companies. He explains how focusing on solving a specific problem for a targeted market, rather than competing directly with industry giants, allows startups to gain traction and dominate their niche. Peep emphasizes that niching down isn't about limiting your dreams, but rather a proven strategy to break into a competitive market and lay the foundation for future growth.

Chapters:
[00:00] - Introduction
[00:30] - Why niching down is crucial for early-stage SaaS
[03:30] - Capturing a small market first
[08:39] - The importance of differentiation
[11:59] - Real-world examples of successful niching
[18:03] - Niching is about focus, not limiting dreams
[22:10] - Case study: Lattice's niche in performance management
[25:28] - When to consider an all-in-one solution
[29:44] - Choosing a company name that allows growth
[31:09] - Identifying a profitable niche
[33:30] - Conclusion


My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> In this episode, Peep dives into why niching down is the key to success for early-stage B2B SaaS companies. He explains how focusing on solving a specific problem for a targeted market, rather than competing directly with industry giants, allows startups to gain traction and dominate their niche. Peep emphasizes that niching down isn't about limiting your dreams, but rather a proven strategy to break into a competitive market and lay the foundation for future growth.

Chapters:
[00:00] - Introduction
[00:30] - Why niching down is crucial for early-stage SaaS
[03:30] - Capturing a small market first
[08:39] - The importance of differentiation
[11:59] - Real-world examples of successful niching
[18:03] - Niching is about focus, not limiting dreams
[22:10] - Case study: Lattice's niche in performance management
[25:28] - When to consider an all-in-one solution
[29:44] - Choosing a company name that allows growth
[31:09] - Identifying a profitable niche
[33:30] - Conclusion


My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> Mon, 20 May 2024 00:05:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2046 In this episode, Peep dives into why niching down is the key to success for early-stage B2B SaaS companies. He explains how focusing on solving a specific problem for a targeted market, rather than competing directly with industry giants, allows startups to gain traction and dominate their niche. Peep emphasizes that niching down isn't about limiting your dreams, but rather a proven strategy to break into a competitive market and lay the foundation for future growth.

Chapters:
[00:00] - Introduction
[00:30] - Why niching down is crucial for early-stage SaaS
[03:30] - Capturing a small market first
[08:39] - The importance of differentiation
[11:59] - Real-world examples of successful niching
[18:03] - Niching is about focus, not limiting dreams
[22:10] - Case study: Lattice's niche in performance management
[25:28] - When to consider an all-in-one solution
[29:44] - Choosing a company name that allows growth
[31:09] - Identifying a profitable niche
[33:30] - Conclusion


My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Scientific Laws of Marketing 2 2 3 3 Scientific Laws of Marketing full 0deda806-f682-4f95-bb20-7fb39ea882e6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/61abdd15 In this episode, Peep Laja explores the scientific laws of marketing, focusing on building mental and physical availability for brands. Drawing from the works of Professor Byron Sharpe and the Ehrenberg Bass Institute, Laja emphasizes the importance of being top of mind and easily found when potential customers are ready to make a purchase.

The episode features insights from marketing experts who provide real-world examples. Peep also discusses distinctive brand assets, the limitations of hyper-targeting in B2B marketing, and the duplication of purchase law. He concludes by offering practical advice on increasing brand awareness and making target customers remember the brand when they need its product.

00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Mental and physical availability concepts
04:40 - Brand building with Paul Dorsey
05:45 - Buying triggers
07:05 - HockeyStack's content marketing strategy
11:00 - Physical availability in B2B SaaS
12:00 - Distinctive brand assets
18:45 - SurveyMonkey's rebranding story
20:10 - B2B brands lack distinctive assets
21:00 - Meaningless distinctiveness vs. differentiation
22:20 - Identifying customer values with Wynter
23:00 - Reaching all buyers in a category
24:30 - Limitations of hyper-targeting
26:00 - Category reach and lead generation
27:45 - Ad reach and frequency
28:50 - Duplication of purchase law
30:00 - Conclusion

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> In this episode, Peep Laja explores the scientific laws of marketing, focusing on building mental and physical availability for brands. Drawing from the works of Professor Byron Sharpe and the Ehrenberg Bass Institute, Laja emphasizes the importance of being top of mind and easily found when potential customers are ready to make a purchase.

The episode features insights from marketing experts who provide real-world examples. Peep also discusses distinctive brand assets, the limitations of hyper-targeting in B2B marketing, and the duplication of purchase law. He concludes by offering practical advice on increasing brand awareness and making target customers remember the brand when they need its product.

00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Mental and physical availability concepts
04:40 - Brand building with Paul Dorsey
05:45 - Buying triggers
07:05 - HockeyStack's content marketing strategy
11:00 - Physical availability in B2B SaaS
12:00 - Distinctive brand assets
18:45 - SurveyMonkey's rebranding story
20:10 - B2B brands lack distinctive assets
21:00 - Meaningless distinctiveness vs. differentiation
22:20 - Identifying customer values with Wynter
23:00 - Reaching all buyers in a category
24:30 - Limitations of hyper-targeting
26:00 - Category reach and lead generation
27:45 - Ad reach and frequency
28:50 - Duplication of purchase law
30:00 - Conclusion

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> Mon, 13 May 2024 00:03:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1683 In this episode, Peep Laja explores the scientific laws of marketing, focusing on building mental and physical availability for brands. Drawing from the works of Professor Byron Sharpe and the Ehrenberg Bass Institute, Laja emphasizes the importance of being top of mind and easily found when potential customers are ready to make a purchase.

The episode features insights from marketing experts who provide real-world examples. Peep also discusses distinctive brand assets, the limitations of hyper-targeting in B2B marketing, and the duplication of purchase law. He concludes by offering practical advice on increasing brand awareness and making target customers remember the brand when they need its product.

00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Mental and physical availability concepts
04:40 - Brand building with Paul Dorsey
05:45 - Buying triggers
07:05 - HockeyStack's content marketing strategy
11:00 - Physical availability in B2B SaaS
12:00 - Distinctive brand assets
18:45 - SurveyMonkey's rebranding story
20:10 - B2B brands lack distinctive assets
21:00 - Meaningless distinctiveness vs. differentiation
22:20 - Identifying customer values with Wynter
23:00 - Reaching all buyers in a category
24:30 - Limitations of hyper-targeting
26:00 - Category reach and lead generation
27:45 - Ad reach and frequency
28:50 - Duplication of purchase law
30:00 - Conclusion

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Winning Beyond the Product 2 2 2 2 Winning Beyond the Product full 34bd0c91-3532-469c-8ce2-923f0e508c4c https://share.transistor.fm/s/bc9610de This episode explores the critical factors that define market leadership, from being first in a category to leveraging innovation and strategic marketing. Hear from experts like David Aaker, Mark Ritson, and Byron Sharp on how top brands maintain dominance and why small brands face uphill battles. Discover actionable insights on standing out, staying top of mind, and converting prospects into loyal customers.

[00:00:00] Intro: Winning in B2B SaaS

[00:01:23] David Aaker on Market Stability

[00:03:00] Mark Ritson: Challenges for Small Brands

[00:04:08] Byron Sharp's Law of Double Jeopardy

[00:06:30] The Importance of Mental Availability

[00:09:30] Innovation vs. Excess Share of Voice

[00:12:15] Case Study: Monday.com's Marketing Spend

[00:17:08] LG's Failed Market Strategy

[00:19:00] Creating a Unique Market Position

[00:22:00] Staying Top of Mind Strategically

[00:25:39] Creative Low-Cost Marketing Tactics

[00:30:00] Outro: Key Takeaways

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/


]]> This episode explores the critical factors that define market leadership, from being first in a category to leveraging innovation and strategic marketing. Hear from experts like David Aaker, Mark Ritson, and Byron Sharp on how top brands maintain dominance and why small brands face uphill battles. Discover actionable insights on standing out, staying top of mind, and converting prospects into loyal customers.

[00:00:00] Intro: Winning in B2B SaaS

[00:01:23] David Aaker on Market Stability

[00:03:00] Mark Ritson: Challenges for Small Brands

[00:04:08] Byron Sharp's Law of Double Jeopardy

[00:06:30] The Importance of Mental Availability

[00:09:30] Innovation vs. Excess Share of Voice

[00:12:15] Case Study: Monday.com's Marketing Spend

[00:17:08] LG's Failed Market Strategy

[00:19:00] Creating a Unique Market Position

[00:22:00] Staying Top of Mind Strategically

[00:25:39] Creative Low-Cost Marketing Tactics

[00:30:00] Outro: Key Takeaways

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/


]]> Mon, 06 May 2024 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1826 This episode explores the critical factors that define market leadership, from being first in a category to leveraging innovation and strategic marketing. Hear from experts like David Aaker, Mark Ritson, and Byron Sharp on how top brands maintain dominance and why small brands face uphill battles. Discover actionable insights on standing out, staying top of mind, and converting prospects into loyal customers.

[00:00:00] Intro: Winning in B2B SaaS

[00:01:23] David Aaker on Market Stability

[00:03:00] Mark Ritson: Challenges for Small Brands

[00:04:08] Byron Sharp's Law of Double Jeopardy

[00:06:30] The Importance of Mental Availability

[00:09:30] Innovation vs. Excess Share of Voice

[00:12:15] Case Study: Monday.com's Marketing Spend

[00:17:08] LG's Failed Market Strategy

[00:19:00] Creating a Unique Market Position

[00:22:00] Staying Top of Mind Strategically

[00:25:39] Creative Low-Cost Marketing Tactics

[00:30:00] Outro: Key Takeaways

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/


]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Differentiation: How To Stand Out 2 2 1 1 Differentiation: How To Stand Out full ba6bbd52-0d03-4630-9700-3ac8c0952ef9 https://share.transistor.fm/s/8b8f59b7 In this new style of "How To Win", Peep Laja discusses the importance of differentiation in today's highly competitive B2B SaaS market. He explores various strategies for standing out, such as focusing on brand, taking a polarizing stance, being radically transparent, and leveraging personal brands. Laja emphasizes that differentiation is a CEO-level problem and that companies must build their vision around being unique rather than simply copying competitors.

Chapter Markers: 

00:00:00 - Introduction 
00:01:00 - MarTech landscape and sameness 
00:02:30 - Differentiating beyond features 
00:05:00 - Competing to be unique 
00:07:15 - Limited consideration sets 
00:09:00 - Commitment to differentiation 
00:10:15 - Three types of standout brands 
00:13:00 - Eight traits of commodity brands 
00:15:00 - Personal brands for differentiation 
00:17:30 - Strategies from "Differentiate or Die" 
00:20:15 - Jillion down on what works 
00:20:45 - Differentiation as a CEO problem

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> In this new style of "How To Win", Peep Laja discusses the importance of differentiation in today's highly competitive B2B SaaS market. He explores various strategies for standing out, such as focusing on brand, taking a polarizing stance, being radically transparent, and leveraging personal brands. Laja emphasizes that differentiation is a CEO-level problem and that companies must build their vision around being unique rather than simply copying competitors.

Chapter Markers: 

00:00:00 - Introduction 
00:01:00 - MarTech landscape and sameness 
00:02:30 - Differentiating beyond features 
00:05:00 - Competing to be unique 
00:07:15 - Limited consideration sets 
00:09:00 - Commitment to differentiation 
00:10:15 - Three types of standout brands 
00:13:00 - Eight traits of commodity brands 
00:15:00 - Personal brands for differentiation 
00:17:30 - Strategies from "Differentiate or Die" 
00:20:15 - Jillion down on what works 
00:20:45 - Differentiation as a CEO problem

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2024 09:25:45 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1312 In this new style of "How To Win", Peep Laja discusses the importance of differentiation in today's highly competitive B2B SaaS market. He explores various strategies for standing out, such as focusing on brand, taking a polarizing stance, being radically transparent, and leveraging personal brands. Laja emphasizes that differentiation is a CEO-level problem and that companies must build their vision around being unique rather than simply copying competitors.

Chapter Markers: 

00:00:00 - Introduction 
00:01:00 - MarTech landscape and sameness 
00:02:30 - Differentiating beyond features 
00:05:00 - Competing to be unique 
00:07:15 - Limited consideration sets 
00:09:00 - Commitment to differentiation 
00:10:15 - Three types of standout brands 
00:13:00 - Eight traits of commodity brands 
00:15:00 - Personal brands for differentiation 
00:17:30 - Strategies from "Differentiate or Die" 
00:20:15 - Jillion down on what works 
00:20:45 - Differentiation as a CEO problem

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja The Secret Sauce to $80M Bootstrapped - with AppSumo's Noah Kagan 1 1 80 80 The Secret Sauce to $80M Bootstrapped - with AppSumo's Noah Kagan full ec8d7f38-76fa-4ddf-a8c5-dd95031c6934 https://share.transistor.fm/s/5254422d This week on How To Win: Noah Kagan of AppSumo, a platform for digital marketplace deals focusing on software aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. They have bootstrapped to over $80 million in revenue. You’ll hear insights on scaling business by focusing on what works, the importance of staying true to your core values, and the strategy behind AppSumo's success. Discover how AppSumo thrived where others didn't and why focusing on the customer always pays off. Find out how AppSumo navigates competition and continues to grow by doubling down on effective strategies​​.

Key Points:

  1. [00:03:36] "How does AppSumo compete with lower prices?"
  2. [00:08:33] "How did strategic choices evolve with growth?"
  3. [00:10:57] "How does focusing on what works help?"
  4. [00:14:42] "Do cheaper products lead to higher sales?"
  5. [00:15:18] "Why focus on solopreneurs despite challenges?"
  6. [00:19:30] "Key to AppSumo's successful marketing strategy?"



Mentioned:

Noah Kagan

AppSumo
Noah Kagan's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Noah Kagan of AppSumo, a platform for digital marketplace deals focusing on software aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. They have bootstrapped to over $80 million in revenue. You’ll hear insights on scaling business by focusing on what works, the importance of staying true to your core values, and the strategy behind AppSumo's success. Discover how AppSumo thrived where others didn't and why focusing on the customer always pays off. Find out how AppSumo navigates competition and continues to grow by doubling down on effective strategies​​.

Key Points:

  1. [00:03:36] "How does AppSumo compete with lower prices?"
  2. [00:08:33] "How did strategic choices evolve with growth?"
  3. [00:10:57] "How does focusing on what works help?"
  4. [00:14:42] "Do cheaper products lead to higher sales?"
  5. [00:15:18] "Why focus on solopreneurs despite challenges?"
  6. [00:19:30] "Key to AppSumo's successful marketing strategy?"



Mentioned:

Noah Kagan

AppSumo
Noah Kagan's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1367 This week on How To Win: Noah Kagan of AppSumo, a platform for digital marketplace deals focusing on software aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. They have bootstrapped to over $80 million in revenue. You’ll hear insights on scaling business by focusing on what works, the importance of staying true to your core values, and the strategy behind AppSumo's success. Discover how AppSumo thrived where others didn't and why focusing on the customer always pays off. Find out how AppSumo navigates competition and continues to grow by doubling down on effective strategies​​.

Key Points:

  1. [00:03:36] "How does AppSumo compete with lower prices?"
  2. [00:08:33] "How did strategic choices evolve with growth?"
  3. [00:10:57] "How does focusing on what works help?"
  4. [00:14:42] "Do cheaper products lead to higher sales?"
  5. [00:15:18] "Why focus on solopreneurs despite challenges?"
  6. [00:19:30] "Key to AppSumo's successful marketing strategy?"



Mentioned:

Noah Kagan

AppSumo
Noah Kagan's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja From Zero to Unicorn: Factorial HR's Strategic Success - with Factorial HR's Bernat Farrero 1 1 79 79 From Zero to Unicorn: Factorial HR's Strategic Success - with Factorial HR's Bernat Farrero full c6158696-dcf4-47cd-ac9c-f66a5d4e4bcd https://share.transistor.fm/s/017b75df This week on How To Win: Bernat Farrero of Factorial HR, sharing insights on revolutionizing HR for SMBs. You’ll hear about the importance of simplifying complex HR processes for small and medium businesses, Factorial HR's strategic approach to scaling internationally while addressing localized needs, and how they navigated the challenges of rapid growth and product development to meet the diverse needs of their global clientele.

Key Points:

  1. [00:01:21] Why start as an all-in-one from day one?
  2. [00:02:24] Does diversification improve SMB retention?
  3. [00:03:36] Was targeting SMBs your initial customer profile?
  4. [00:10:03] Time from 1 million to 10 million in revenue?
  5. [00:12:09] How has prioritizing growth changed for you?
  6. [00:14:15] How closely do you watch competitors?
  7. [00:15:54] Why expand beyond HR into finance?
  8. [00:17:24] Do all added products boost revenue and retention?
  9. [00:18:00] What are the trade-offs of expanding your product?
  10. [00:18:54] Why has Factorial HR succeeded in a competitive market?
  11. [00:20:24] Top three lessons for B2B SaaS founders?




Mentioned:

Bernat Farrero

Factorial HR
Bernat Farrero's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Bernat Farrero of Factorial HR, sharing insights on revolutionizing HR for SMBs. You’ll hear about the importance of simplifying complex HR processes for small and medium businesses, Factorial HR's strategic approach to scaling internationally while addressing localized needs, and how they navigated the challenges of rapid growth and product development to meet the diverse needs of their global clientele.

Key Points:

  1. [00:01:21] Why start as an all-in-one from day one?
  2. [00:02:24] Does diversification improve SMB retention?
  3. [00:03:36] Was targeting SMBs your initial customer profile?
  4. [00:10:03] Time from 1 million to 10 million in revenue?
  5. [00:12:09] How has prioritizing growth changed for you?
  6. [00:14:15] How closely do you watch competitors?
  7. [00:15:54] Why expand beyond HR into finance?
  8. [00:17:24] Do all added products boost revenue and retention?
  9. [00:18:00] What are the trade-offs of expanding your product?
  10. [00:18:54] Why has Factorial HR succeeded in a competitive market?
  11. [00:20:24] Top three lessons for B2B SaaS founders?




Mentioned:

Bernat Farrero

Factorial HR
Bernat Farrero's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 19 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1442 This week on How To Win: Bernat Farrero of Factorial HR, sharing insights on revolutionizing HR for SMBs. You’ll hear about the importance of simplifying complex HR processes for small and medium businesses, Factorial HR's strategic approach to scaling internationally while addressing localized needs, and how they navigated the challenges of rapid growth and product development to meet the diverse needs of their global clientele.

Key Points:

  1. [00:01:21] Why start as an all-in-one from day one?
  2. [00:02:24] Does diversification improve SMB retention?
  3. [00:03:36] Was targeting SMBs your initial customer profile?
  4. [00:10:03] Time from 1 million to 10 million in revenue?
  5. [00:12:09] How has prioritizing growth changed for you?
  6. [00:14:15] How closely do you watch competitors?
  7. [00:15:54] Why expand beyond HR into finance?
  8. [00:17:24] Do all added products boost revenue and retention?
  9. [00:18:00] What are the trade-offs of expanding your product?
  10. [00:18:54] Why has Factorial HR succeeded in a competitive market?
  11. [00:20:24] Top three lessons for B2B SaaS founders?




Mentioned:

Bernat Farrero

Factorial HR
Bernat Farrero's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Scaling Beyond $100M and Creating New Categories - with Pendo's Todd Olson 1 1 78 78 Scaling Beyond $100M and Creating New Categories - with Pendo's Todd Olson full 9b8ae35f-a78e-4fdc-b097-f70cb4eca047 https://share.transistor.fm/s/21b00b84 This week on How To Win: Todd Olson of Pendo, revealing the secrets behind building a product-led growth company. You’ll hear how Pendo's focus on product experience revolutionized customer interaction, the importance of integrating customer feedback into product development for sustained growth, and the strategic approach to scaling a software company beyond traditional boundaries.

Key Points:

  1. [00:03:15] "What propelled your initial revenue growth?"
  2. [00:06:42] "Challenges in transitioning to enterprise clients?"
  3. [00:10:58] "Impact of product decisions on company scale?"
  4. [00:15:24] "Strategies for expanding product functionality?"
  5. [00:18:37] "Approach to building a scalable team?"
  6. [00:19:12] "Strategy behind bowling pin model?"
  7. [00:22:45] "Insights on maintaining company culture?"




Mentioned:

Todd Olson

Pendo
Todd Olson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Todd Olson of Pendo, revealing the secrets behind building a product-led growth company. You’ll hear how Pendo's focus on product experience revolutionized customer interaction, the importance of integrating customer feedback into product development for sustained growth, and the strategic approach to scaling a software company beyond traditional boundaries.

Key Points:

  1. [00:03:15] "What propelled your initial revenue growth?"
  2. [00:06:42] "Challenges in transitioning to enterprise clients?"
  3. [00:10:58] "Impact of product decisions on company scale?"
  4. [00:15:24] "Strategies for expanding product functionality?"
  5. [00:18:37] "Approach to building a scalable team?"
  6. [00:19:12] "Strategy behind bowling pin model?"
  7. [00:22:45] "Insights on maintaining company culture?"




Mentioned:

Todd Olson

Pendo
Todd Olson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 12 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1581 This week on How To Win: Todd Olson of Pendo, revealing the secrets behind building a product-led growth company. You’ll hear how Pendo's focus on product experience revolutionized customer interaction, the importance of integrating customer feedback into product development for sustained growth, and the strategic approach to scaling a software company beyond traditional boundaries.

Key Points:

  1. [00:03:15] "What propelled your initial revenue growth?"
  2. [00:06:42] "Challenges in transitioning to enterprise clients?"
  3. [00:10:58] "Impact of product decisions on company scale?"
  4. [00:15:24] "Strategies for expanding product functionality?"
  5. [00:18:37] "Approach to building a scalable team?"
  6. [00:19:12] "Strategy behind bowling pin model?"
  7. [00:22:45] "Insights on maintaining company culture?"




Mentioned:

Todd Olson

Pendo
Todd Olson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Building a $180M PR Powerhouse with MuckRack's Gregory Galant 1 1 77 77 Building a $180M PR Powerhouse with MuckRack's Gregory Galant full a4137ae7-23fe-4f45-b2b9-bf9e6f417ad7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/75a0c23e This week on How To Win: Gregory Galant of Muck Rack, discusses the journey of transforming a podcasting venture into a leading software solution for public relations professionals. You’ll hear insights on the importance of building strong journalist relationships, the strategic pivot from service to software, and the value of slow, deliberate growth in the tech industry.

Key Points:

  1. [00:04:21] "Time to first million in revenue?"
  2. [00:05:51] "Early days buyer understanding?"
  3. [00:07:12] "Shift to sales-led approach?"
  4. [00:09:36] "Product and sales balance for growth?"
  5. [00:10:12] "Changes post-$10 million revenue?"
  6. [00:13:48] "Market size doubt at $10 million?"
  7. [00:18:09] "Reasons for outlasting competitors?"
  8. [00:20:24] "Top advice for B2B founders?"




Mentioned:

Gregory Galant

Muck Rack
Gregory Galant's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Gregory Galant of Muck Rack, discusses the journey of transforming a podcasting venture into a leading software solution for public relations professionals. You’ll hear insights on the importance of building strong journalist relationships, the strategic pivot from service to software, and the value of slow, deliberate growth in the tech industry.

Key Points:

  1. [00:04:21] "Time to first million in revenue?"
  2. [00:05:51] "Early days buyer understanding?"
  3. [00:07:12] "Shift to sales-led approach?"
  4. [00:09:36] "Product and sales balance for growth?"
  5. [00:10:12] "Changes post-$10 million revenue?"
  6. [00:13:48] "Market size doubt at $10 million?"
  7. [00:18:09] "Reasons for outlasting competitors?"
  8. [00:20:24] "Top advice for B2B founders?"




Mentioned:

Gregory Galant

Muck Rack
Gregory Galant's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 05 Feb 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1479 This week on How To Win: Gregory Galant of Muck Rack, discusses the journey of transforming a podcasting venture into a leading software solution for public relations professionals. You’ll hear insights on the importance of building strong journalist relationships, the strategic pivot from service to software, and the value of slow, deliberate growth in the tech industry.

Key Points:

  1. [00:04:21] "Time to first million in revenue?"
  2. [00:05:51] "Early days buyer understanding?"
  3. [00:07:12] "Shift to sales-led approach?"
  4. [00:09:36] "Product and sales balance for growth?"
  5. [00:10:12] "Changes post-$10 million revenue?"
  6. [00:13:48] "Market size doubt at $10 million?"
  7. [00:18:09] "Reasons for outlasting competitors?"
  8. [00:20:24] "Top advice for B2B founders?"




Mentioned:

Gregory Galant

Muck Rack
Gregory Galant's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Disrupting the B2B Marketplace -- with TrustRadius's Vinay Bhagat 1 1 76 76 Disrupting the B2B Marketplace -- with TrustRadius's Vinay Bhagat full 1fa43b69-397b-406d-a626-8d437ce7e22c https://share.transistor.fm/s/c11fd868 This week on How To Win: Vinay Bhagat of TrustRadius, revolutionizing B2B software buying with in-depth user reviews. You’ll hear how TrustRadius overcame the challenge of creating a trusted review platform in a saturated market, the strategic decisions that led to successful monetization, and the importance of focusing on quality over quantity to cater to both software vendors and buyers.

Key Points:

[00:02:30] - Inspiration behind your business model?
[00:03:15] - Tackling initial cold start problem?
[00:04:00] - Scaling outreach effectively?
[00:05:15] - Competitive landscape at inception?
[00:08:45] - Monetization through content syndication?

[00:10:00] - No initial go-to-market strategy?
[00:13:30] - Differentiation strategy in sales?
[00:14:15] - Building a differentiated audience?

[00:15:00] - Creating a buyer-centric platform?

[00:18:00] - Strategy for targeting large tech companies?

[00:18:45] - Focus on thought leadership and content?

[00:19:45] - Advice for B2B founders?
[00:20:15] - Balancing bootstrap with funding?

[00:24:30] - TrustRadius's keys to winning?



Mentioned:

Vinay Bhagat

TrustRadius.com
Vinay Bhagat's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Vinay Bhagat of TrustRadius, revolutionizing B2B software buying with in-depth user reviews. You’ll hear how TrustRadius overcame the challenge of creating a trusted review platform in a saturated market, the strategic decisions that led to successful monetization, and the importance of focusing on quality over quantity to cater to both software vendors and buyers.

Key Points:

[00:02:30] - Inspiration behind your business model?
[00:03:15] - Tackling initial cold start problem?
[00:04:00] - Scaling outreach effectively?
[00:05:15] - Competitive landscape at inception?
[00:08:45] - Monetization through content syndication?

[00:10:00] - No initial go-to-market strategy?
[00:13:30] - Differentiation strategy in sales?
[00:14:15] - Building a differentiated audience?

[00:15:00] - Creating a buyer-centric platform?

[00:18:00] - Strategy for targeting large tech companies?

[00:18:45] - Focus on thought leadership and content?

[00:19:45] - Advice for B2B founders?
[00:20:15] - Balancing bootstrap with funding?

[00:24:30] - TrustRadius's keys to winning?



Mentioned:

Vinay Bhagat

TrustRadius.com
Vinay Bhagat's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1545 This week on How To Win: Vinay Bhagat of TrustRadius, revolutionizing B2B software buying with in-depth user reviews. You’ll hear how TrustRadius overcame the challenge of creating a trusted review platform in a saturated market, the strategic decisions that led to successful monetization, and the importance of focusing on quality over quantity to cater to both software vendors and buyers.

Key Points:

[00:02:30] - Inspiration behind your business model?
[00:03:15] - Tackling initial cold start problem?
[00:04:00] - Scaling outreach effectively?
[00:05:15] - Competitive landscape at inception?
[00:08:45] - Monetization through content syndication?

[00:10:00] - No initial go-to-market strategy?
[00:13:30] - Differentiation strategy in sales?
[00:14:15] - Building a differentiated audience?

[00:15:00] - Creating a buyer-centric platform?

[00:18:00] - Strategy for targeting large tech companies?

[00:18:45] - Focus on thought leadership and content?

[00:19:45] - Advice for B2B founders?
[00:20:15] - Balancing bootstrap with funding?

[00:24:30] - TrustRadius's keys to winning?



Mentioned:

Vinay Bhagat

TrustRadius.com
Vinay Bhagat's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja The Differentiation Advantage - with Retention.com's Adam Robinson 1 1 75 75 The Differentiation Advantage - with Retention.com's Adam Robinson full 40e5477f-a0e3-4af5-8828-ce1e48cc1d91 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f909e8d2 This week on How To Win: Adam Robinson of Retention.com, an innovative leader in the email marketing space. You’ll hear about the journey of identifying a market gap and creating a differentiated product in a competitive environment, the importance of strategic focus on a specific target market, particularly in e-commerce, and the implementation of focused go-to-market strategies for sustained growth and market penetration.

Key Points:

[01:48] - What was your first market product?
[02:51] - How did it become a standalone product?
[04:12] - Who's the primary buyer for this?
[07:30] - Post-revenue, how did strategy evolve?
[15:00] - How did you achieve business differentiation?
[16:48] - Top three advice for B2B founders?
[18:45] - What's behind Retention.com's winning strategy?

Mentioned:

Adam Robinson

Retention.com
Adam Robinson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Adam Robinson of Retention.com, an innovative leader in the email marketing space. You’ll hear about the journey of identifying a market gap and creating a differentiated product in a competitive environment, the importance of strategic focus on a specific target market, particularly in e-commerce, and the implementation of focused go-to-market strategies for sustained growth and market penetration.

Key Points:

[01:48] - What was your first market product?
[02:51] - How did it become a standalone product?
[04:12] - Who's the primary buyer for this?
[07:30] - Post-revenue, how did strategy evolve?
[15:00] - How did you achieve business differentiation?
[16:48] - Top three advice for B2B founders?
[18:45] - What's behind Retention.com's winning strategy?

Mentioned:

Adam Robinson

Retention.com
Adam Robinson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 22 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1180 This week on How To Win: Adam Robinson of Retention.com, an innovative leader in the email marketing space. You’ll hear about the journey of identifying a market gap and creating a differentiated product in a competitive environment, the importance of strategic focus on a specific target market, particularly in e-commerce, and the implementation of focused go-to-market strategies for sustained growth and market penetration.

Key Points:

[01:48] - What was your first market product?
[02:51] - How did it become a standalone product?
[04:12] - Who's the primary buyer for this?
[07:30] - Post-revenue, how did strategy evolve?
[15:00] - How did you achieve business differentiation?
[16:48] - Top three advice for B2B founders?
[18:45] - What's behind Retention.com's winning strategy?

Mentioned:

Adam Robinson

Retention.com
Adam Robinson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Finding Your Focus - with Blackthorn's Chris Federspiel 1 1 74 74 Finding Your Focus - with Blackthorn's Chris Federspiel full 5a0a3776-7fb0-497e-aeed-2ba24cc23fe5 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9101b05e This week on How To Win: Chris Federspiel of Blackthorn.io, a company specializing in Salesforce integration and application development. You’ll hear about Blackthorn's strategic approach to the Salesforce ecosystem, the critical role of customer feedback in shaping their product development, and the journey of focusing their offerings to achieve significant growth in the competitive SaaS market.

Key Points:


00:00:16 How did Blackthorn achieve its growth?
00:01:30 How long to build first product?
00:03:36 Time to hit 1 million ARR?
00:04:21 Target customers for your products?
00:06:09 Explain go-to-market strategy?
00:08:18 Go-to-market for growth acceleration?
00:09:54 Current product lineup?
00:14:10 Target customer segment evolution?
00:16:09 Effective customer acquisition channels?
00:17:42 Monitoring competition?
00:19:12 Unsuccessful strategic bets?
00:21:45 Importance of company focus?
00:22:12 What set Blackthorn apart from others?
00:24:00 Top advice for B2B founders?
00:25:57 How did Blackthorn win?

Mentioned:

Chris Federspiel

Blackthorn.io
Chris Federspiel's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Chris Federspiel of Blackthorn.io, a company specializing in Salesforce integration and application development. You’ll hear about Blackthorn's strategic approach to the Salesforce ecosystem, the critical role of customer feedback in shaping their product development, and the journey of focusing their offerings to achieve significant growth in the competitive SaaS market.

Key Points:


00:00:16 How did Blackthorn achieve its growth?
00:01:30 How long to build first product?
00:03:36 Time to hit 1 million ARR?
00:04:21 Target customers for your products?
00:06:09 Explain go-to-market strategy?
00:08:18 Go-to-market for growth acceleration?
00:09:54 Current product lineup?
00:14:10 Target customer segment evolution?
00:16:09 Effective customer acquisition channels?
00:17:42 Monitoring competition?
00:19:12 Unsuccessful strategic bets?
00:21:45 Importance of company focus?
00:22:12 What set Blackthorn apart from others?
00:24:00 Top advice for B2B founders?
00:25:57 How did Blackthorn win?

Mentioned:

Chris Federspiel

Blackthorn.io
Chris Federspiel's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 08 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1613 This week on How To Win: Chris Federspiel of Blackthorn.io, a company specializing in Salesforce integration and application development. You’ll hear about Blackthorn's strategic approach to the Salesforce ecosystem, the critical role of customer feedback in shaping their product development, and the journey of focusing their offerings to achieve significant growth in the competitive SaaS market.

Key Points:


00:00:16 How did Blackthorn achieve its growth?
00:01:30 How long to build first product?
00:03:36 Time to hit 1 million ARR?
00:04:21 Target customers for your products?
00:06:09 Explain go-to-market strategy?
00:08:18 Go-to-market for growth acceleration?
00:09:54 Current product lineup?
00:14:10 Target customer segment evolution?
00:16:09 Effective customer acquisition channels?
00:17:42 Monitoring competition?
00:19:12 Unsuccessful strategic bets?
00:21:45 Importance of company focus?
00:22:12 What set Blackthorn apart from others?
00:24:00 Top advice for B2B founders?
00:25:57 How did Blackthorn win?

Mentioned:

Chris Federspiel

Blackthorn.io
Chris Federspiel's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Finding Your Ideal Customer Profile - with Keap's Clate Mask 1 1 73 73 Finding Your Ideal Customer Profile - with Keap's Clate Mask full 0c710ccb-3c5b-42a5-9f77-dcdba1314e8f https://share.transistor.fm/s/fb77e297 This week on How To Win: Clate Mask of Keap, marketing automation and CRM platform for small businesses. You'll hear how Keap found the right customers, why they combined software with services, and how Keap evolved its marketing over time.

Key Points:

01:15 Building the initial product based on own business needs
03:00 Pivoting to serve small businesses dealing with chaos
04:30 Evolving from just marketing automation to full business automation
07:15 Renaming the company to reflect simplicity and ease of use
09:45 Sticking to core small business customers amid pressure
13:00 Combining software, services, and strategy for customer success
22:30 Embracing partners and gradual upmarket moves for growth

Mentioned:

Clate Mask's Linkedin
Clate Mask's X
Keap

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Clate Mask of Keap, marketing automation and CRM platform for small businesses. You'll hear how Keap found the right customers, why they combined software with services, and how Keap evolved its marketing over time.

Key Points:

01:15 Building the initial product based on own business needs
03:00 Pivoting to serve small businesses dealing with chaos
04:30 Evolving from just marketing automation to full business automation
07:15 Renaming the company to reflect simplicity and ease of use
09:45 Sticking to core small business customers amid pressure
13:00 Combining software, services, and strategy for customer success
22:30 Embracing partners and gradual upmarket moves for growth

Mentioned:

Clate Mask's Linkedin
Clate Mask's X
Keap

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1392 This week on How To Win: Clate Mask of Keap, marketing automation and CRM platform for small businesses. You'll hear how Keap found the right customers, why they combined software with services, and how Keap evolved its marketing over time.

Key Points:

01:15 Building the initial product based on own business needs
03:00 Pivoting to serve small businesses dealing with chaos
04:30 Evolving from just marketing automation to full business automation
07:15 Renaming the company to reflect simplicity and ease of use
09:45 Sticking to core small business customers amid pressure
13:00 Combining software, services, and strategy for customer success
22:30 Embracing partners and gradual upmarket moves for growth

Mentioned:

Clate Mask's Linkedin
Clate Mask's X
Keap

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Moving Upmarket for Growth - with Process Street's Vinay Patankar 1 1 72 72 Moving Upmarket for Growth - with Process Street's Vinay Patankar full c36ee059-7bde-4981-bae2-eb4f134fe2f7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0aaffcf0 This week on How To Win: Vinay Patankar of Process Street, a workflow management software company. You'll hear why they didn't monetize for the first 2 years, how going upmarket increased retention and revenue, and why they focused the product on specific use cases.

Key Points:
01:15 Identifying market need from personal frustration
03:00 Deciding not to monetize for 2 years to optimize fundraising
06:15 Recognizing larger customers have higher retention and expansion
07:00 Transitioning from SMB to mid-market and enterprise
14:30 Having over 50% of revenue from inbound channels
15:00 Needing specialized use cases to differentiate amid competition
19:00 Advising founders to get very clear on product and go-to-market strategy

Mentioned:

Process Street
https://www.process.st/

Vinay Patankar's Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinaypatankar

Vinay Patankar on X
https://twitter.com/vinayp10?lang=en

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Vinay Patankar of Process Street, a workflow management software company. You'll hear why they didn't monetize for the first 2 years, how going upmarket increased retention and revenue, and why they focused the product on specific use cases.

Key Points:
01:15 Identifying market need from personal frustration
03:00 Deciding not to monetize for 2 years to optimize fundraising
06:15 Recognizing larger customers have higher retention and expansion
07:00 Transitioning from SMB to mid-market and enterprise
14:30 Having over 50% of revenue from inbound channels
15:00 Needing specialized use cases to differentiate amid competition
19:00 Advising founders to get very clear on product and go-to-market strategy

Mentioned:

Process Street
https://www.process.st/

Vinay Patankar's Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinaypatankar

Vinay Patankar on X
https://twitter.com/vinayp10?lang=en

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 06:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1460 This week on How To Win: Vinay Patankar of Process Street, a workflow management software company. You'll hear why they didn't monetize for the first 2 years, how going upmarket increased retention and revenue, and why they focused the product on specific use cases.

Key Points:
01:15 Identifying market need from personal frustration
03:00 Deciding not to monetize for 2 years to optimize fundraising
06:15 Recognizing larger customers have higher retention and expansion
07:00 Transitioning from SMB to mid-market and enterprise
14:30 Having over 50% of revenue from inbound channels
15:00 Needing specialized use cases to differentiate amid competition
19:00 Advising founders to get very clear on product and go-to-market strategy

Mentioned:

Process Street
https://www.process.st/

Vinay Patankar's Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinaypatankar

Vinay Patankar on X
https://twitter.com/vinayp10?lang=en

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Building a $15M+ Community - with Pavilion's Sam Jacobs 1 1 71 71 Building a $15M+ Community - with Pavilion's Sam Jacobs full d5317977-2156-4ab4-a300-486d1714ec22 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f3a0e0bd This week on How To Win: Sam Jacobs of Pavilion, who built a $15 million community learning business from scratch. You’ll hear how he leveraged LinkedIn for organic growth, the importance of creating sub-communities, and key mistakes he made after raising VC money that took the focus away from his core customers.

Key moments:

00:50 - Describing what the company does
06:20 - Describing the issues with e-learning
11:30 - Issues with raising money
14:20 - Cutting back
17:40 - Explaining how to grow communities
22:30 - Advice for founders
24:30 - Lessons learned

Mentioned:
Pavilion

Sam Jacobs's LinkedIn
Sam Jacobs's X

My Links:

X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Sam Jacobs of Pavilion, who built a $15 million community learning business from scratch. You’ll hear how he leveraged LinkedIn for organic growth, the importance of creating sub-communities, and key mistakes he made after raising VC money that took the focus away from his core customers.

Key moments:

00:50 - Describing what the company does
06:20 - Describing the issues with e-learning
11:30 - Issues with raising money
14:20 - Cutting back
17:40 - Explaining how to grow communities
22:30 - Advice for founders
24:30 - Lessons learned

Mentioned:
Pavilion

Sam Jacobs's LinkedIn
Sam Jacobs's X

My Links:

X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 04 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1503 This week on How To Win: Sam Jacobs of Pavilion, who built a $15 million community learning business from scratch. You’ll hear how he leveraged LinkedIn for organic growth, the importance of creating sub-communities, and key mistakes he made after raising VC money that took the focus away from his core customers.

Key moments:

00:50 - Describing what the company does
06:20 - Describing the issues with e-learning
11:30 - Issues with raising money
14:20 - Cutting back
17:40 - Explaining how to grow communities
22:30 - Advice for founders
24:30 - Lessons learned

Mentioned:
Pavilion

Sam Jacobs's LinkedIn
Sam Jacobs's X

My Links:

X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Bootstrapped to IPO - with Backblaze's Gleb Budman 1 1 70 70 Bootstrapped to IPO - with Backblaze's Gleb Budman full 07e39ae6-2053-49a0-8a9a-d3ea1f5fd027 https://share.transistor.fm/s/3f2b5a6a This week on How To Win: Gleb Budman of Backblaze, which offers affordable, easy cloud storage. You’ll hear how bootstrapping forced them to make efficient decisions, how focusing on underserved mid-market customers helped them compete with Amazon, and how building their own platform gave them a structural advantage.

Timestamps:
01:45 Focusing on underserved mid-market
02:15 Low pricing from efficient infrastructure
07:45 Content and community marketing
11:30 Bootstrapping forced efficiency
13:20 Building own platform from bootstrapping
16:15 Staying power and not getting ahead

]]> This week on How To Win: Gleb Budman of Backblaze, which offers affordable, easy cloud storage. You’ll hear how bootstrapping forced them to make efficient decisions, how focusing on underserved mid-market customers helped them compete with Amazon, and how building their own platform gave them a structural advantage.

Timestamps:
01:45 Focusing on underserved mid-market
02:15 Low pricing from efficient infrastructure
07:45 Content and community marketing
11:30 Bootstrapping forced efficiency
13:20 Building own platform from bootstrapping
16:15 Staying power and not getting ahead

]]> Mon, 27 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1107 This week on How To Win: Gleb Budman of Backblaze, which offers affordable, easy cloud storage. You’ll hear how bootstrapping forced them to make efficient decisions, how focusing on underserved mid-market customers helped them compete with Amazon, and how building their own platform gave them a structural advantage.

Timestamps:
01:45 Focusing on underserved mid-market
02:15 Low pricing from efficient infrastructure
07:45 Content and community marketing
11:30 Bootstrapping forced efficiency
13:20 Building own platform from bootstrapping
16:15 Staying power and not getting ahead

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Raising Prices 50X - with indinero's Jess Mah 1 1 69 69 Raising Prices 50X - with indinero's Jess Mah full 417e0b86-d59a-4a6c-a419-666ca854d0c0 https://share.transistor.fm/s/bd304bd4 This week on How To Win: Jess Mah of indinero, a fintech company providing automated bookkeeping and accounting services. You'll hear how she focused on high-paying niche verticals, pivoted to find product-market fit, and how she brought in an experienced CEO.

Key Points:

01:45 Pivoting to a new customer segment willing to pay more
03:00 Combining QuickBooks, Mint.com and luxury concierge service
04:15 Seeing product issues by observing customers use it
08:00 Focusing on customer health and early churn indicators
10:30 Customizing marketing and sales for each vertical
16:15 Replacing yourself earlier as CEO with a more experienced leader

Mentioned:

LinkedIn

Twitter

indinero
Mahway

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Jess Mah of indinero, a fintech company providing automated bookkeeping and accounting services. You'll hear how she focused on high-paying niche verticals, pivoted to find product-market fit, and how she brought in an experienced CEO.

Key Points:

01:45 Pivoting to a new customer segment willing to pay more
03:00 Combining QuickBooks, Mint.com and luxury concierge service
04:15 Seeing product issues by observing customers use it
08:00 Focusing on customer health and early churn indicators
10:30 Customizing marketing and sales for each vertical
16:15 Replacing yourself earlier as CEO with a more experienced leader

Mentioned:

LinkedIn

Twitter

indinero
Mahway

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:56:06 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1350 This week on How To Win: Jess Mah of indinero, a fintech company providing automated bookkeeping and accounting services. You'll hear how she focused on high-paying niche verticals, pivoted to find product-market fit, and how she brought in an experienced CEO.

Key Points:

01:45 Pivoting to a new customer segment willing to pay more
03:00 Combining QuickBooks, Mint.com and luxury concierge service
04:15 Seeing product issues by observing customers use it
08:00 Focusing on customer health and early churn indicators
10:30 Customizing marketing and sales for each vertical
16:15 Replacing yourself earlier as CEO with a more experienced leader

Mentioned:

LinkedIn

Twitter

indinero
Mahway

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Getting the Timing Right - with Jellyfish's Andrew Lau 1 1 68 68 Getting the Timing Right - with Jellyfish's Andrew Lau full bb00e071-f7e8-493e-8bd1-92e005fa56b3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/7b2981c8 This week on How To Win: Andrew Lau of Jellyfish, the engineering management platform. You'll hear how they validated the problem space, figured out product-market fit, and used founder-led sales to generate traction.

Key Points:
2:03 - Getting first revenue with founder-led selling

4:12 - Seeing massive growth after increasing COVID demand

6:33 - Focusing on customer needs over competitors

8:46 - Timing is everything - being patient

10:58 - Staying focused on your team and customers

12:33 - Acknowledging timing and people are key combinations

14:52 - Funding marketing appropriately at different times

22:41 - Timing is everything as operator, people are everything as investor

Mentioned:

Jellyfish
Andrew Lau

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Andrew Lau of Jellyfish, the engineering management platform. You'll hear how they validated the problem space, figured out product-market fit, and used founder-led sales to generate traction.

Key Points:
2:03 - Getting first revenue with founder-led selling

4:12 - Seeing massive growth after increasing COVID demand

6:33 - Focusing on customer needs over competitors

8:46 - Timing is everything - being patient

10:58 - Staying focused on your team and customers

12:33 - Acknowledging timing and people are key combinations

14:52 - Funding marketing appropriately at different times

22:41 - Timing is everything as operator, people are everything as investor

Mentioned:

Jellyfish
Andrew Lau

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:17:37 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1335 This week on How To Win: Andrew Lau of Jellyfish, the engineering management platform. You'll hear how they validated the problem space, figured out product-market fit, and used founder-led sales to generate traction.

Key Points:
2:03 - Getting first revenue with founder-led selling

4:12 - Seeing massive growth after increasing COVID demand

6:33 - Focusing on customer needs over competitors

8:46 - Timing is everything - being patient

10:58 - Staying focused on your team and customers

12:33 - Acknowledging timing and people are key combinations

14:52 - Funding marketing appropriately at different times

22:41 - Timing is everything as operator, people are everything as investor

Mentioned:

Jellyfish
Andrew Lau

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Landing Bigger Clients - with UserGems' Christian Kletzl 1 1 67 67 Landing Bigger Clients - with UserGems' Christian Kletzl full 2047e395-a994-4c2c-8820-b1bd5bd32dd6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/ae7024fb Summary

This week on How To Win: Christian Kletzl of UserGems, champion tracking software for sales. You'll hear the process they went through to find the product their clients were willing to pay for, how they make themselves appear bigger than they are, and more.

Key Points


00:30 - Appearing larger by using ads, content, LinkedIn, conferences

01:00 - Pivoting multiple times before finding product-market fit

01:30 - First customer paying $50k, taking 3 months to get second

02:15 - Becoming workflow company based on customer feedback

03:00 - Enabling workflows with routing, notifications, messaging

04:15 - Going sales-led to getting feedback and sales quickly

05:00 - Moving upmarket for better economics

06:30 - Creating more value like selling furniture over lumber

07:30 - Getting Salesforce access to enabling workflows

09:00 - Pushing workflow steps to driving success

12:00 - Workflow products having better retention

13:30 - Hitting $1M revenue in 12-18 months

14:15 - Clipboard Health pivoting successfully

16:00 - Testing crazy versions when growth stalling

19:00 - Appearing bigger through LinkedIn, ads, case studies

22:15 - Focusing on use case despite competitors

23:45 - Building moat with brand recognition and revenue impact

25:15 - Saying no to unfit customers


Mentioned:

Christian Kletzl's LinkedIn
UserGems


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary

This week on How To Win: Christian Kletzl of UserGems, champion tracking software for sales. You'll hear the process they went through to find the product their clients were willing to pay for, how they make themselves appear bigger than they are, and more.

Key Points


00:30 - Appearing larger by using ads, content, LinkedIn, conferences

01:00 - Pivoting multiple times before finding product-market fit

01:30 - First customer paying $50k, taking 3 months to get second

02:15 - Becoming workflow company based on customer feedback

03:00 - Enabling workflows with routing, notifications, messaging

04:15 - Going sales-led to getting feedback and sales quickly

05:00 - Moving upmarket for better economics

06:30 - Creating more value like selling furniture over lumber

07:30 - Getting Salesforce access to enabling workflows

09:00 - Pushing workflow steps to driving success

12:00 - Workflow products having better retention

13:30 - Hitting $1M revenue in 12-18 months

14:15 - Clipboard Health pivoting successfully

16:00 - Testing crazy versions when growth stalling

19:00 - Appearing bigger through LinkedIn, ads, case studies

22:15 - Focusing on use case despite competitors

23:45 - Building moat with brand recognition and revenue impact

25:15 - Saying no to unfit customers


Mentioned:

Christian Kletzl's LinkedIn
UserGems


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:30:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1685 Summary

This week on How To Win: Christian Kletzl of UserGems, champion tracking software for sales. You'll hear the process they went through to find the product their clients were willing to pay for, how they make themselves appear bigger than they are, and more.

Key Points


00:30 - Appearing larger by using ads, content, LinkedIn, conferences

01:00 - Pivoting multiple times before finding product-market fit

01:30 - First customer paying $50k, taking 3 months to get second

02:15 - Becoming workflow company based on customer feedback

03:00 - Enabling workflows with routing, notifications, messaging

04:15 - Going sales-led to getting feedback and sales quickly

05:00 - Moving upmarket for better economics

06:30 - Creating more value like selling furniture over lumber

07:30 - Getting Salesforce access to enabling workflows

09:00 - Pushing workflow steps to driving success

12:00 - Workflow products having better retention

13:30 - Hitting $1M revenue in 12-18 months

14:15 - Clipboard Health pivoting successfully

16:00 - Testing crazy versions when growth stalling

19:00 - Appearing bigger through LinkedIn, ads, case studies

22:15 - Focusing on use case despite competitors

23:45 - Building moat with brand recognition and revenue impact

25:15 - Saying no to unfit customers


Mentioned:

Christian Kletzl's LinkedIn
UserGems


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Growing a SaaS Under HEAVY Competition - with Livestorm's Gilles Bertaux 1 1 66 66 Growing a SaaS Under HEAVY Competition - with Livestorm's Gilles Bertaux full 33451938-fd63-41ed-9da3-67cf57ce93b4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/7989188a This week on How To Win: Livestorm's Gilles Bertaux, a meeting and webinar platform. You'll hear how Livestorm succeeded despite many well-known competitors. How they got their first customers. And how they grew past $10 million in revenue.

Key Points

1:00 - How Gilles got the idea for Livestorm and validated it with customers
2:00 - Getting the first set of customers
3:15 - Reaching $1 million ARR in 2-2.5 years
3:45 - Growth during COVID-19 pandemic 
4:30 - Differences between Livestorm and virtual event platforms 
5:45 - Importance of recurring revenue products
6:00 - Anti-active usage products retention rates
7:00 - Differentiation in the webinar space
8:00 - European privacy laws advantage
9:30 - Messaging differentiation vs. business strategy differentiation
10:00 - Shipping features fast vs. carefully
13:00 - Prioritizing features based on positioning
14:15 - Strategy changes after hitting $10 million revenue 
16:00 - Lessons learned over 7 years
17:30 - How Livestorm won

Mentioned:

Livestorm
Gilles Bertaux on X
Gilles Bertaux on LinkedIn

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Livestorm's Gilles Bertaux, a meeting and webinar platform. You'll hear how Livestorm succeeded despite many well-known competitors. How they got their first customers. And how they grew past $10 million in revenue.

Key Points

1:00 - How Gilles got the idea for Livestorm and validated it with customers
2:00 - Getting the first set of customers
3:15 - Reaching $1 million ARR in 2-2.5 years
3:45 - Growth during COVID-19 pandemic 
4:30 - Differences between Livestorm and virtual event platforms 
5:45 - Importance of recurring revenue products
6:00 - Anti-active usage products retention rates
7:00 - Differentiation in the webinar space
8:00 - European privacy laws advantage
9:30 - Messaging differentiation vs. business strategy differentiation
10:00 - Shipping features fast vs. carefully
13:00 - Prioritizing features based on positioning
14:15 - Strategy changes after hitting $10 million revenue 
16:00 - Lessons learned over 7 years
17:30 - How Livestorm won

Mentioned:

Livestorm
Gilles Bertaux on X
Gilles Bertaux on LinkedIn

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 30 Oct 2023 08:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1104 This week on How To Win: Livestorm's Gilles Bertaux, a meeting and webinar platform. You'll hear how Livestorm succeeded despite many well-known competitors. How they got their first customers. And how they grew past $10 million in revenue.

Key Points

1:00 - How Gilles got the idea for Livestorm and validated it with customers
2:00 - Getting the first set of customers
3:15 - Reaching $1 million ARR in 2-2.5 years
3:45 - Growth during COVID-19 pandemic 
4:30 - Differences between Livestorm and virtual event platforms 
5:45 - Importance of recurring revenue products
6:00 - Anti-active usage products retention rates
7:00 - Differentiation in the webinar space
8:00 - European privacy laws advantage
9:30 - Messaging differentiation vs. business strategy differentiation
10:00 - Shipping features fast vs. carefully
13:00 - Prioritizing features based on positioning
14:15 - Strategy changes after hitting $10 million revenue 
16:00 - Lessons learned over 7 years
17:30 - How Livestorm won

Mentioned:

Livestorm
Gilles Bertaux on X
Gilles Bertaux on LinkedIn

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Rebuilding the ICP - with Wonder's Guy Cohen 1 1 65 65 Rebuilding the ICP - with Wonder's Guy Cohen full d77a3508-c6df-4c35-835c-370d21ebe887 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c2a52967 This week on How To Win: Guy Cohen, CEO of Wonder an on-demand secondary research platform. They built the company to 8M in revenue, realized their ICP was wrong, tore it down and rebuilt again. That's what we break down in this episode.

Key Points:
00:02:29 Failed many times, learned hard lessons, narrowed target.
00:04:28 Innovative marketing approach convinces lighthouse customers.
00:09:12 Canaries told us we were wrong, now what?
00:11:02 SMB business scaled pre-COVID but had issues.
00:14:54 Friction, pricing, and quality debated; race against time.
00:18:27 AI: Extinction risk or growth accelerator?
00:22:37 Voice to customer, sales, mistakes, choosing, committing.
00:23:40 Closing thoughts.

Mentioned:
Guy Cohen's LinkedIn
Wonder

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> This week on How To Win: Guy Cohen, CEO of Wonder an on-demand secondary research platform. They built the company to 8M in revenue, realized their ICP was wrong, tore it down and rebuilt again. That's what we break down in this episode.

Key Points:
00:02:29 Failed many times, learned hard lessons, narrowed target.
00:04:28 Innovative marketing approach convinces lighthouse customers.
00:09:12 Canaries told us we were wrong, now what?
00:11:02 SMB business scaled pre-COVID but had issues.
00:14:54 Friction, pricing, and quality debated; race against time.
00:18:27 AI: Extinction risk or growth accelerator?
00:22:37 Voice to customer, sales, mistakes, choosing, committing.
00:23:40 Closing thoughts.

Mentioned:
Guy Cohen's LinkedIn
Wonder

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:56:12 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1439 This week on How To Win: Guy Cohen, CEO of Wonder an on-demand secondary research platform. They built the company to 8M in revenue, realized their ICP was wrong, tore it down and rebuilt again. That's what we break down in this episode.

Key Points:
00:02:29 Failed many times, learned hard lessons, narrowed target.
00:04:28 Innovative marketing approach convinces lighthouse customers.
00:09:12 Canaries told us we were wrong, now what?
00:11:02 SMB business scaled pre-COVID but had issues.
00:14:54 Friction, pricing, and quality debated; race against time.
00:18:27 AI: Extinction risk or growth accelerator?
00:22:37 Voice to customer, sales, mistakes, choosing, committing.
00:23:40 Closing thoughts.

Mentioned:
Guy Cohen's LinkedIn
Wonder

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja The Multi-Product Strategy - with Podia's Spencer Fry 1 1 64 64 The Multi-Product Strategy - with Podia's Spencer Fry full 2592a1db-cd64-4fe7-ac98-a6d1655e19ca https://share.transistor.fm/s/4ac6bae7 Summary 
This week on How To Win: Spencer Fry of Podia, the all-in-one platform for publishing, promoting, and selling content online. You'll learn how Podia succeeded in the face of heavy competition. Why the benefits of having multiple products outweigh the downsides for Podia. How Podia's long-term investment affects everything from product creation to marketing decisions. And more.

Key Points
[00:05:00] - Selling courses, downloads, and webinar access all in one place.

[00:07:45] - The long-term view is distilled across the entire team.

[00:10:45] - COVID led to their biggest month ever, 3-4 times bigger than before.

[00:14:30] - Having multiple products.

[00:20:30] - Website and email revenues compared to course sales.

[00:21:15] - Customer progression: from website, then email, before selling products.


Mentioned:
Podia
Spencer Fry on LinkedIn

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary 
This week on How To Win: Spencer Fry of Podia, the all-in-one platform for publishing, promoting, and selling content online. You'll learn how Podia succeeded in the face of heavy competition. Why the benefits of having multiple products outweigh the downsides for Podia. How Podia's long-term investment affects everything from product creation to marketing decisions. And more.

Key Points
[00:05:00] - Selling courses, downloads, and webinar access all in one place.

[00:07:45] - The long-term view is distilled across the entire team.

[00:10:45] - COVID led to their biggest month ever, 3-4 times bigger than before.

[00:14:30] - Having multiple products.

[00:20:30] - Website and email revenues compared to course sales.

[00:21:15] - Customer progression: from website, then email, before selling products.


Mentioned:
Podia
Spencer Fry on LinkedIn

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1512 Summary 
This week on How To Win: Spencer Fry of Podia, the all-in-one platform for publishing, promoting, and selling content online. You'll learn how Podia succeeded in the face of heavy competition. Why the benefits of having multiple products outweigh the downsides for Podia. How Podia's long-term investment affects everything from product creation to marketing decisions. And more.

Key Points
[00:05:00] - Selling courses, downloads, and webinar access all in one place.

[00:07:45] - The long-term view is distilled across the entire team.

[00:10:45] - COVID led to their biggest month ever, 3-4 times bigger than before.

[00:14:30] - Having multiple products.

[00:20:30] - Website and email revenues compared to course sales.

[00:21:15] - Customer progression: from website, then email, before selling products.


Mentioned:
Podia
Spencer Fry on LinkedIn

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Selling 1000s of SaaS Startups - with Acquire's Andrew Gazdecki 1 1 63 63 Selling 1000s of SaaS Startups - with Acquire's Andrew Gazdecki full 437802ca-227f-48b7-92ea-31d006178f0c https://share.transistor.fm/s/c1c37dc8 Summary
This week on How To Win: Andrew Gazdecki of Acquire.com, the startup acquisition marketplace. You'll hear: How Andrew lands Times Square advertising to promote startups on his platform. How he went from doing everything himself to quickly assembling a team to speed up his company's growth rate. How he discovered a big opportunity to create a new company in the mergers and acquisitions market. And so much more.

Key Points

  1. Marketplace launched by solo founder who works tirelessly. 02:04
  2. Marketing showcased through creativity, cost-effectiveness, and social proof. 05:52
  3. Personal experiences lead to a successful self-funded startup. 07:01
  4. Team rehired, subscription model initiated, challenges faced. 10:44
  5. Startup acquisitions streamlined using standardized tools and data-driven relevance. 13:39
  6. Rapid execution guides towards the right direction. 17:27
  7. User interviews standardized to analyze product usage. 21:47
  8. Feedback sought, emphasizing negative comments, to nurture a customer-centric culture. 23:16


Mentioned:
Acquire.com
X/Twitter: @agazdecki

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary
This week on How To Win: Andrew Gazdecki of Acquire.com, the startup acquisition marketplace. You'll hear: How Andrew lands Times Square advertising to promote startups on his platform. How he went from doing everything himself to quickly assembling a team to speed up his company's growth rate. How he discovered a big opportunity to create a new company in the mergers and acquisitions market. And so much more.

Key Points

  1. Marketplace launched by solo founder who works tirelessly. 02:04
  2. Marketing showcased through creativity, cost-effectiveness, and social proof. 05:52
  3. Personal experiences lead to a successful self-funded startup. 07:01
  4. Team rehired, subscription model initiated, challenges faced. 10:44
  5. Startup acquisitions streamlined using standardized tools and data-driven relevance. 13:39
  6. Rapid execution guides towards the right direction. 17:27
  7. User interviews standardized to analyze product usage. 21:47
  8. Feedback sought, emphasizing negative comments, to nurture a customer-centric culture. 23:16


Mentioned:
Acquire.com
X/Twitter: @agazdecki

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 09 Oct 2023 05:06:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1737 Summary
This week on How To Win: Andrew Gazdecki of Acquire.com, the startup acquisition marketplace. You'll hear: How Andrew lands Times Square advertising to promote startups on his platform. How he went from doing everything himself to quickly assembling a team to speed up his company's growth rate. How he discovered a big opportunity to create a new company in the mergers and acquisitions market. And so much more.

Key Points

  1. Marketplace launched by solo founder who works tirelessly. 02:04
  2. Marketing showcased through creativity, cost-effectiveness, and social proof. 05:52
  3. Personal experiences lead to a successful self-funded startup. 07:01
  4. Team rehired, subscription model initiated, challenges faced. 10:44
  5. Startup acquisitions streamlined using standardized tools and data-driven relevance. 13:39
  6. Rapid execution guides towards the right direction. 17:27
  7. User interviews standardized to analyze product usage. 21:47
  8. Feedback sought, emphasizing negative comments, to nurture a customer-centric culture. 23:16


Mentioned:
Acquire.com
X/Twitter: @agazdecki

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Growing a SaaS by Launching a Service - with Boast AI’s Lloyed Lobo 1 1 62 62 Growing a SaaS by Launching a Service - with Boast AI’s Lloyed Lobo full fdea7759-13ce-4f68-9ca9-7a757def4e08 https://share.transistor.fm/s/43c945ba Summary
This week on How To Win: Lloyed Lobo, founder of Boast AI, which helps companies find and claim tax credits from their R&D investments. LLoyed launched two different software companies, which failed. He followed it up with a service business, Boast, which took off.

You’ll hear why he thinks services are a better way to launch a company than software. We’ll dive into how he got his first customers by cold calling and we’ll discuss how he grew his company by publishing articles and organizing an event.

I’ll share how I used similar methods to grow my businesses.

Key points:

  1. Start by selling a service to learn what to build and get good at customer success (00:36)
  2. Pick an unsexy market that's not chased by trends (04:26)
  3. Validate the ideal customer profile and problem through paid consulting work (04:55)
  4. Product-market fit is when customers get an outcome and don't cancel (05:09)
  5. Build the first product iteration with no-code tools (05:50)
  6. Double down on what's working from 1 million to 10 million ARR (14:18)
  7. Owned media like newsletters and events builds real relationships (15:35)
  8. Alignment with co-founders and investors on values avoids issues (20:29)
  9. Communication + creation + consistency drives success (21:33)
  10. Boast won by starting as a service, focusing on one market, and building owned media (21:43)


Mentioned:

Boast.ai

From Grassroots to Greatness

Lloyed’s personal site

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary
This week on How To Win: Lloyed Lobo, founder of Boast AI, which helps companies find and claim tax credits from their R&D investments. LLoyed launched two different software companies, which failed. He followed it up with a service business, Boast, which took off.

You’ll hear why he thinks services are a better way to launch a company than software. We’ll dive into how he got his first customers by cold calling and we’ll discuss how he grew his company by publishing articles and organizing an event.

I’ll share how I used similar methods to grow my businesses.

Key points:

  1. Start by selling a service to learn what to build and get good at customer success (00:36)
  2. Pick an unsexy market that's not chased by trends (04:26)
  3. Validate the ideal customer profile and problem through paid consulting work (04:55)
  4. Product-market fit is when customers get an outcome and don't cancel (05:09)
  5. Build the first product iteration with no-code tools (05:50)
  6. Double down on what's working from 1 million to 10 million ARR (14:18)
  7. Owned media like newsletters and events builds real relationships (15:35)
  8. Alignment with co-founders and investors on values avoids issues (20:29)
  9. Communication + creation + consistency drives success (21:33)
  10. Boast won by starting as a service, focusing on one market, and building owned media (21:43)


Mentioned:

Boast.ai

From Grassroots to Greatness

Lloyed’s personal site

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 02 Oct 2023 05:01:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1335 Summary
This week on How To Win: Lloyed Lobo, founder of Boast AI, which helps companies find and claim tax credits from their R&D investments. LLoyed launched two different software companies, which failed. He followed it up with a service business, Boast, which took off.

You’ll hear why he thinks services are a better way to launch a company than software. We’ll dive into how he got his first customers by cold calling and we’ll discuss how he grew his company by publishing articles and organizing an event.

I’ll share how I used similar methods to grow my businesses.

Key points:

  1. Start by selling a service to learn what to build and get good at customer success (00:36)
  2. Pick an unsexy market that's not chased by trends (04:26)
  3. Validate the ideal customer profile and problem through paid consulting work (04:55)
  4. Product-market fit is when customers get an outcome and don't cancel (05:09)
  5. Build the first product iteration with no-code tools (05:50)
  6. Double down on what's working from 1 million to 10 million ARR (14:18)
  7. Owned media like newsletters and events builds real relationships (15:35)
  8. Alignment with co-founders and investors on values avoids issues (20:29)
  9. Communication + creation + consistency drives success (21:33)
  10. Boast won by starting as a service, focusing on one market, and building owned media (21:43)


Mentioned:

Boast.ai

From Grassroots to Greatness

Lloyed’s personal site

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Announcement: Summer Break 2023 1 1 Announcement: Summer Break 2023 bonus eda59b30-a783-482b-9c20-1bdcb0f14789 https://share.transistor.fm/s/2edc179c With summer around the corner, How to Win will be taking a brief hiatus. During this time, the team will be working behind the scenes to bring you more exciting insights from today’s top B2B SaaS entrepreneurs and CEOs when we return in Fall 2023 with a brand new season. In the meantime, catch up on past episodes of How to Win, and stay connected with me on LinkedIn and Twitter (links below). 


Thank you for tuning in and supporting the podcast—I look forward to seeing you back here very soon.

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL


]]> With summer around the corner, How to Win will be taking a brief hiatus. During this time, the team will be working behind the scenes to bring you more exciting insights from today’s top B2B SaaS entrepreneurs and CEOs when we return in Fall 2023 with a brand new season. In the meantime, catch up on past episodes of How to Win, and stay connected with me on LinkedIn and Twitter (links below). 


Thank you for tuning in and supporting the podcast—I look forward to seeing you back here very soon.

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL


]]> Wed, 24 May 2023 05:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 50 With summer around the corner, How to Win will be taking a brief hiatus. During this time, the team will be working behind the scenes to bring you more exciting insights from today’s top B2B SaaS entrepreneurs and CEOs when we return in Fall 2023 with a brand new season. In the meantime, catch up on past episodes of How to Win, and stay connected with me on LinkedIn and Twitter (links below). 


Thank you for tuning in and supporting the podcast—I look forward to seeing you back here very soon.

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL


]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No Peep Laja Cross-company collaboration with Pluralsight's Lindsay Bayuk 1 1 61 61 Cross-company collaboration with Pluralsight's Lindsay Bayuk full 3f15cb65-7869-4cc8-8ceb-244ab80b987f https://share.transistor.fm/s/59644a9d Summary:

This week on How to Win: Lindsay Bayuk, CMO at Pluralsight, an online technology learning platform designed to help teams upskill. Pluralsight was founded in 2004 and was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2021.


In this episode, Lindsay breaks down some of the strategies that have helped her as a CMO. We discuss communicating the importance of marketing to a CEO, how to align your company metrics, and why you should be wary of 'yes-men'. I weigh in on cross-company collaboration, the correct way to use customer research, and why a day not gathering customer intelligence is a day wasted.


Key Points:

  • Lindsay discusses what it's like being a CMO with a product marketing background (01:10)
  • Is life too short to work with a CEO who doesn't understand marketing? (03:10)
  • I dive into communicating the importance of marketing with a CEO with a quote from former Privy CMO Dave Gerhardt and Drift's David Cancel (03:51)
  • How does Lindsay communicate important marketing metrics cross-company? (05:38)
  • I talk about getting buy-in from across the company with a quote from Hubspot's Kipp Bodnar (09:31)
  • Lindsay lays out Pluralsight's successful messaging and positioning play (11:24)
  • I weigh in on how you should approach your positioning and messaging (13:34)
  • How does Lindsay use customer interviews to inform Pluralsight's positioning? (14:26)
  • I discuss how to use customer research in the right way (16:02)
  • How are Lindsay's teams structured and how does she juggle them all? (17:14)
  • I explain why you should surround yourself with people who challenge you with a quote from former astronaut Garrett Reisman (19:11)
  • Why does Lindsay think that "go-to-market is a team sport?" (20:54)
  • What are some of the mistakes Lindsay has made in her career? (22:24)
  • Wrap-up (23:48)

Mentioned:

Lindsay Bayuk Website

Lindsay Bayuk LinkedIn

Pluralsight Website

Pluralsight LinkedIn

Dave Gerhardt LinkedIn

David Cancel LinkedIn

Kipp Bodnar LinkedIn

Garrett Reisman LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How to Win: Lindsay Bayuk, CMO at Pluralsight, an online technology learning platform designed to help teams upskill. Pluralsight was founded in 2004 and was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2021.


In this episode, Lindsay breaks down some of the strategies that have helped her as a CMO. We discuss communicating the importance of marketing to a CEO, how to align your company metrics, and why you should be wary of 'yes-men'. I weigh in on cross-company collaboration, the correct way to use customer research, and why a day not gathering customer intelligence is a day wasted.


Key Points:

  • Lindsay discusses what it's like being a CMO with a product marketing background (01:10)
  • Is life too short to work with a CEO who doesn't understand marketing? (03:10)
  • I dive into communicating the importance of marketing with a CEO with a quote from former Privy CMO Dave Gerhardt and Drift's David Cancel (03:51)
  • How does Lindsay communicate important marketing metrics cross-company? (05:38)
  • I talk about getting buy-in from across the company with a quote from Hubspot's Kipp Bodnar (09:31)
  • Lindsay lays out Pluralsight's successful messaging and positioning play (11:24)
  • I weigh in on how you should approach your positioning and messaging (13:34)
  • How does Lindsay use customer interviews to inform Pluralsight's positioning? (14:26)
  • I discuss how to use customer research in the right way (16:02)
  • How are Lindsay's teams structured and how does she juggle them all? (17:14)
  • I explain why you should surround yourself with people who challenge you with a quote from former astronaut Garrett Reisman (19:11)
  • Why does Lindsay think that "go-to-market is a team sport?" (20:54)
  • What are some of the mistakes Lindsay has made in her career? (22:24)
  • Wrap-up (23:48)

Mentioned:

Lindsay Bayuk Website

Lindsay Bayuk LinkedIn

Pluralsight Website

Pluralsight LinkedIn

Dave Gerhardt LinkedIn

David Cancel LinkedIn

Kipp Bodnar LinkedIn

Garrett Reisman LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 11 Apr 2023 13:14:06 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1506 Summary:

This week on How to Win: Lindsay Bayuk, CMO at Pluralsight, an online technology learning platform designed to help teams upskill. Pluralsight was founded in 2004 and was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2021.


In this episode, Lindsay breaks down some of the strategies that have helped her as a CMO. We discuss communicating the importance of marketing to a CEO, how to align your company metrics, and why you should be wary of 'yes-men'. I weigh in on cross-company collaboration, the correct way to use customer research, and why a day not gathering customer intelligence is a day wasted.


Key Points:

  • Lindsay discusses what it's like being a CMO with a product marketing background (01:10)
  • Is life too short to work with a CEO who doesn't understand marketing? (03:10)
  • I dive into communicating the importance of marketing with a CEO with a quote from former Privy CMO Dave Gerhardt and Drift's David Cancel (03:51)
  • How does Lindsay communicate important marketing metrics cross-company? (05:38)
  • I talk about getting buy-in from across the company with a quote from Hubspot's Kipp Bodnar (09:31)
  • Lindsay lays out Pluralsight's successful messaging and positioning play (11:24)
  • I weigh in on how you should approach your positioning and messaging (13:34)
  • How does Lindsay use customer interviews to inform Pluralsight's positioning? (14:26)
  • I discuss how to use customer research in the right way (16:02)
  • How are Lindsay's teams structured and how does she juggle them all? (17:14)
  • I explain why you should surround yourself with people who challenge you with a quote from former astronaut Garrett Reisman (19:11)
  • Why does Lindsay think that "go-to-market is a team sport?" (20:54)
  • What are some of the mistakes Lindsay has made in her career? (22:24)
  • Wrap-up (23:48)

Mentioned:

Lindsay Bayuk Website

Lindsay Bayuk LinkedIn

Pluralsight Website

Pluralsight LinkedIn

Dave Gerhardt LinkedIn

David Cancel LinkedIn

Kipp Bodnar LinkedIn

Garrett Reisman LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Cultivating a growth practice with Mural's Lauren Schuman 1 1 60 60 Cultivating a growth practice with Mural's Lauren Schuman full 2459db2d-9aac-425c-b062-1fafb80f7055 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f2d1d739 Summary:

This week on How to Win: Lauren Schuman, VP of Product Growth at Mural. Founded in 2011, Mural was valued at $2B after their Series C funding round in 2021. Before joining Mural, Lauren served as Senior Director of Product Insights and Growth at Mailchimp.

In this episode, Lauren breaks down how she has steered Mural and Mailchimp toward cultivating a growth practice. We discuss finding the right problem to solve, the importance of experimentation, and why she hires curious people. I weigh in on the benefits of gathering qualitative data, why marketing is a game of attention, and the diverse potential of growth teams.


Key Points:

  • Why is nailing your ICP the most important part of building growth? (01:24)
  • How does Lauren find the 'right problem to solve'? (02:43)
  • How did Lauren use quantitative data models to make strategic decisions? (04:17)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of qualitative data gathering with a quote from Attentive's Brian Long (07:11)
  • Lauren talks about how Mural differentiates itself from the competition (09:22)
  • How has Lauren been using copy testing to improve Mural's website messaging? (12:36)
  • I discuss why marketing is a game of attention (13:35)
  • Lauren reflects on the importance of onboarding in a product-led tool (16:41)
  • I explain why motivation is more powerful than friction (19:49)
  • Lauren breaks down how Mural uses onboarding to increase customer understanding and motivation (20:26)
  • What is a painted door test? With a quote from Carta's Shubhi Nigam (22:46)
  • What did Lauren learn about building a growth team at Mailchimp? (23:45)
  • I weigh in on creating a growth team that excels with a quote from RockBoost's former founder and managing director Chris Out (26:34)
  • Why does Lauren look for curious people at the hiring stage? (27:52)
  • Wrap-up (29:39)

Mentioned:

Lauren Schuman LinkedIn

Mural Website

Mural LinkedIn

Getting more accurate customer feedback with Attentive's Brian Long

Shubhi Nigam LinkedIn

Chris Out LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How to Win: Lauren Schuman, VP of Product Growth at Mural. Founded in 2011, Mural was valued at $2B after their Series C funding round in 2021. Before joining Mural, Lauren served as Senior Director of Product Insights and Growth at Mailchimp.

In this episode, Lauren breaks down how she has steered Mural and Mailchimp toward cultivating a growth practice. We discuss finding the right problem to solve, the importance of experimentation, and why she hires curious people. I weigh in on the benefits of gathering qualitative data, why marketing is a game of attention, and the diverse potential of growth teams.


Key Points:

  • Why is nailing your ICP the most important part of building growth? (01:24)
  • How does Lauren find the 'right problem to solve'? (02:43)
  • How did Lauren use quantitative data models to make strategic decisions? (04:17)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of qualitative data gathering with a quote from Attentive's Brian Long (07:11)
  • Lauren talks about how Mural differentiates itself from the competition (09:22)
  • How has Lauren been using copy testing to improve Mural's website messaging? (12:36)
  • I discuss why marketing is a game of attention (13:35)
  • Lauren reflects on the importance of onboarding in a product-led tool (16:41)
  • I explain why motivation is more powerful than friction (19:49)
  • Lauren breaks down how Mural uses onboarding to increase customer understanding and motivation (20:26)
  • What is a painted door test? With a quote from Carta's Shubhi Nigam (22:46)
  • What did Lauren learn about building a growth team at Mailchimp? (23:45)
  • I weigh in on creating a growth team that excels with a quote from RockBoost's former founder and managing director Chris Out (26:34)
  • Why does Lauren look for curious people at the hiring stage? (27:52)
  • Wrap-up (29:39)

Mentioned:

Lauren Schuman LinkedIn

Mural Website

Mural LinkedIn

Getting more accurate customer feedback with Attentive's Brian Long

Shubhi Nigam LinkedIn

Chris Out LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 13 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1854 Summary:

This week on How to Win: Lauren Schuman, VP of Product Growth at Mural. Founded in 2011, Mural was valued at $2B after their Series C funding round in 2021. Before joining Mural, Lauren served as Senior Director of Product Insights and Growth at Mailchimp.

In this episode, Lauren breaks down how she has steered Mural and Mailchimp toward cultivating a growth practice. We discuss finding the right problem to solve, the importance of experimentation, and why she hires curious people. I weigh in on the benefits of gathering qualitative data, why marketing is a game of attention, and the diverse potential of growth teams.


Key Points:

  • Why is nailing your ICP the most important part of building growth? (01:24)
  • How does Lauren find the 'right problem to solve'? (02:43)
  • How did Lauren use quantitative data models to make strategic decisions? (04:17)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of qualitative data gathering with a quote from Attentive's Brian Long (07:11)
  • Lauren talks about how Mural differentiates itself from the competition (09:22)
  • How has Lauren been using copy testing to improve Mural's website messaging? (12:36)
  • I discuss why marketing is a game of attention (13:35)
  • Lauren reflects on the importance of onboarding in a product-led tool (16:41)
  • I explain why motivation is more powerful than friction (19:49)
  • Lauren breaks down how Mural uses onboarding to increase customer understanding and motivation (20:26)
  • What is a painted door test? With a quote from Carta's Shubhi Nigam (22:46)
  • What did Lauren learn about building a growth team at Mailchimp? (23:45)
  • I weigh in on creating a growth team that excels with a quote from RockBoost's former founder and managing director Chris Out (26:34)
  • Why does Lauren look for curious people at the hiring stage? (27:52)
  • Wrap-up (29:39)

Mentioned:

Lauren Schuman LinkedIn

Mural Website

Mural LinkedIn

Getting more accurate customer feedback with Attentive's Brian Long

Shubhi Nigam LinkedIn

Chris Out LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Laying the foundation for long-term company alignment with Salsify's Rob Gonzalez 1 1 59 59 Laying the foundation for long-term company alignment with Salsify's Rob Gonzalez full 29ebbc21-9ffb-44c3-84cd-f8443692184b https://share.transistor.fm/s/20c5c8e3 Summary:

This week on How To Win: Rob Gonzalez, co-founder and CMO of Salsify, a commerce experience management platform that helps its clients win on the 'digital shelf.' Salsify defines the digital shelf as: "The collection of diverse and rapidly evolving digital touch points used by shoppers to engage with brands and discover, research, and purchase products.”


Rob co-founded Salsify in 2012 and has grown the company to over 740 employees serving a roster of high-profile clients. Salsify concluded their Series F funding in 2022, securing $200M in funding which brought their valuation to over $1B.

In this episode, Rob breaks down some of the strategies that have helped Salsify win, and some of the mistakes they've made along the way. We discuss diversifying customer acquisition channels, promoting employee autonomy, and why you might be under-charging your customers.

I weigh in on the increasing costs of customer acquisition, transitioning to a multi-product team, and employee surveys. 

Key Points:

  • Rob discusses the customer acquisition channels that worked in the early days of Salsify (01:21)
  •  When is it the right time to change your customer acquisition tactics? (04:58)
  • I reflect on the rising cost of customer acquisition (06:04)
  • Rob discusses what he calls 'market engagement rate' (07:37)
  • What has Rob learned about being a multi-product company after Salsify's recent acquisitions? (09:29)
  • My thoughts on running a multi-product company with a quote from Okta's Chief Product Officer Diya Jolly (11:55)
  • What practical advice does Rob have for founders trying to create a positive work culture? (14:01)
  • I talk about surveying your employees with a quote from employee management expert Don Phin (16:48)
  • How do you reinforce a positive culture consistently? (18:24)
  • I discuss the benefits of increasing employee autonomy (24:13)
  • Rob reflects on Salsify's pricing strategy with a quote from the Tim Ferriss Show, featuring Andreessen Horowitz's Marc Andreessen (25:13)
  • Why does Rob believe the next ten years of marketing will be defined by community and not content? (30:14)
  • Wrap-up (32:04)

Mentioned:

Rob Gonzalez LinkedIn

Salsify Website

Salsify LinkedIn

The Digital Shelf Institute Website

The Digital Shelf Institute LinkedIn

Diya Jolly LinkedIn

Don Phin LinkedIn

The Tim Ferriss Show


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How To Win: Rob Gonzalez, co-founder and CMO of Salsify, a commerce experience management platform that helps its clients win on the 'digital shelf.' Salsify defines the digital shelf as: "The collection of diverse and rapidly evolving digital touch points used by shoppers to engage with brands and discover, research, and purchase products.”


Rob co-founded Salsify in 2012 and has grown the company to over 740 employees serving a roster of high-profile clients. Salsify concluded their Series F funding in 2022, securing $200M in funding which brought their valuation to over $1B.

In this episode, Rob breaks down some of the strategies that have helped Salsify win, and some of the mistakes they've made along the way. We discuss diversifying customer acquisition channels, promoting employee autonomy, and why you might be under-charging your customers.

I weigh in on the increasing costs of customer acquisition, transitioning to a multi-product team, and employee surveys. 

Key Points:

  • Rob discusses the customer acquisition channels that worked in the early days of Salsify (01:21)
  •  When is it the right time to change your customer acquisition tactics? (04:58)
  • I reflect on the rising cost of customer acquisition (06:04)
  • Rob discusses what he calls 'market engagement rate' (07:37)
  • What has Rob learned about being a multi-product company after Salsify's recent acquisitions? (09:29)
  • My thoughts on running a multi-product company with a quote from Okta's Chief Product Officer Diya Jolly (11:55)
  • What practical advice does Rob have for founders trying to create a positive work culture? (14:01)
  • I talk about surveying your employees with a quote from employee management expert Don Phin (16:48)
  • How do you reinforce a positive culture consistently? (18:24)
  • I discuss the benefits of increasing employee autonomy (24:13)
  • Rob reflects on Salsify's pricing strategy with a quote from the Tim Ferriss Show, featuring Andreessen Horowitz's Marc Andreessen (25:13)
  • Why does Rob believe the next ten years of marketing will be defined by community and not content? (30:14)
  • Wrap-up (32:04)

Mentioned:

Rob Gonzalez LinkedIn

Salsify Website

Salsify LinkedIn

The Digital Shelf Institute Website

The Digital Shelf Institute LinkedIn

Diya Jolly LinkedIn

Don Phin LinkedIn

The Tim Ferriss Show


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2003 Summary:

This week on How To Win: Rob Gonzalez, co-founder and CMO of Salsify, a commerce experience management platform that helps its clients win on the 'digital shelf.' Salsify defines the digital shelf as: "The collection of diverse and rapidly evolving digital touch points used by shoppers to engage with brands and discover, research, and purchase products.”


Rob co-founded Salsify in 2012 and has grown the company to over 740 employees serving a roster of high-profile clients. Salsify concluded their Series F funding in 2022, securing $200M in funding which brought their valuation to over $1B.

In this episode, Rob breaks down some of the strategies that have helped Salsify win, and some of the mistakes they've made along the way. We discuss diversifying customer acquisition channels, promoting employee autonomy, and why you might be under-charging your customers.

I weigh in on the increasing costs of customer acquisition, transitioning to a multi-product team, and employee surveys. 

Key Points:

  • Rob discusses the customer acquisition channels that worked in the early days of Salsify (01:21)
  •  When is it the right time to change your customer acquisition tactics? (04:58)
  • I reflect on the rising cost of customer acquisition (06:04)
  • Rob discusses what he calls 'market engagement rate' (07:37)
  • What has Rob learned about being a multi-product company after Salsify's recent acquisitions? (09:29)
  • My thoughts on running a multi-product company with a quote from Okta's Chief Product Officer Diya Jolly (11:55)
  • What practical advice does Rob have for founders trying to create a positive work culture? (14:01)
  • I talk about surveying your employees with a quote from employee management expert Don Phin (16:48)
  • How do you reinforce a positive culture consistently? (18:24)
  • I discuss the benefits of increasing employee autonomy (24:13)
  • Rob reflects on Salsify's pricing strategy with a quote from the Tim Ferriss Show, featuring Andreessen Horowitz's Marc Andreessen (25:13)
  • Why does Rob believe the next ten years of marketing will be defined by community and not content? (30:14)
  • Wrap-up (32:04)

Mentioned:

Rob Gonzalez LinkedIn

Salsify Website

Salsify LinkedIn

The Digital Shelf Institute Website

The Digital Shelf Institute LinkedIn

Diya Jolly LinkedIn

Don Phin LinkedIn

The Tim Ferriss Show


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Fostering a learning mindset in your company culture with Quantive's Casey Carey 1 1 58 58 Fostering a learning mindset in your company culture with Quantive's Casey Carey full 13c03abd-65fb-480b-876c-9988a82010a7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/985496a6 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Casey Carey, CMO at Quantive and expert in B2B, e-commerce, and growth marketing. From heading up scaled marketing departments at giants like Google to helping build teams from the ground up at scrappy startups, Casey's expansive career has given him a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on as a marketing executive. 


In this episode, Casey shares some of that knowledge with us as we discuss creating a culture that prioritizes learning from failure, the importance of timing, and why he believes brand investment is more important now than ever. I weigh in on hiring for cognitive ability, cultivating a learning mindset, and getting inside a buyer's consideration set.


Key Points:

  • Why do some companies win and others don't? (01:22)
  • How does Casey recruit the best talent? (02:59)
  • I talk about Google's people analytics with a quote from the former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, Laszlo Bock (04:59)
  • How does Casey facilitate a highly collaborative, cross-functional culture? (06:48)
  • I explore creating a learning mindset with a quote from Diaspora Ventures' Marvin Lao (09:58)
  • Casey discusses how he cultivates a learning mindset in his teams (12:55)
  • How do you balance the acceptance of failure with the need for quality? (15:24)
  • I weigh in on the "fail fast, fail often" mindset with a quote from Photobox's Jody Ford (16:00)
  • What does Casey attribute Quantive's success to? (18:32)
  • I discuss the importance of timing and luck with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (22:48)
  • Casey stresses the importance of finding your niche (25:40)
  • Why does Carey think that, in B2B, branding is more important than ever? (27:10)
  • I reflect on how to get inside a buyer's consideration set with a quote from author Byron Sharp (29:09)
  • How do you win the brand preference war? (30:37)
  • Wrap-up (31:28)

Mentioned:

Casey Carey LinkedIn

Quantive Website

Quantive LinkedIn

Laszlo Bock LinkedIn

Marvin Lao Twitter

Jody Ford LinkedIn

Geoffrey Moore Website

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

Byron Sharp Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Casey Carey, CMO at Quantive and expert in B2B, e-commerce, and growth marketing. From heading up scaled marketing departments at giants like Google to helping build teams from the ground up at scrappy startups, Casey's expansive career has given him a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on as a marketing executive. 


In this episode, Casey shares some of that knowledge with us as we discuss creating a culture that prioritizes learning from failure, the importance of timing, and why he believes brand investment is more important now than ever. I weigh in on hiring for cognitive ability, cultivating a learning mindset, and getting inside a buyer's consideration set.


Key Points:

  • Why do some companies win and others don't? (01:22)
  • How does Casey recruit the best talent? (02:59)
  • I talk about Google's people analytics with a quote from the former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, Laszlo Bock (04:59)
  • How does Casey facilitate a highly collaborative, cross-functional culture? (06:48)
  • I explore creating a learning mindset with a quote from Diaspora Ventures' Marvin Lao (09:58)
  • Casey discusses how he cultivates a learning mindset in his teams (12:55)
  • How do you balance the acceptance of failure with the need for quality? (15:24)
  • I weigh in on the "fail fast, fail often" mindset with a quote from Photobox's Jody Ford (16:00)
  • What does Casey attribute Quantive's success to? (18:32)
  • I discuss the importance of timing and luck with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (22:48)
  • Casey stresses the importance of finding your niche (25:40)
  • Why does Carey think that, in B2B, branding is more important than ever? (27:10)
  • I reflect on how to get inside a buyer's consideration set with a quote from author Byron Sharp (29:09)
  • How do you win the brand preference war? (30:37)
  • Wrap-up (31:28)

Mentioned:

Casey Carey LinkedIn

Quantive Website

Quantive LinkedIn

Laszlo Bock LinkedIn

Marvin Lao Twitter

Jody Ford LinkedIn

Geoffrey Moore Website

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

Byron Sharp Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1973 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Casey Carey, CMO at Quantive and expert in B2B, e-commerce, and growth marketing. From heading up scaled marketing departments at giants like Google to helping build teams from the ground up at scrappy startups, Casey's expansive career has given him a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on as a marketing executive. 


In this episode, Casey shares some of that knowledge with us as we discuss creating a culture that prioritizes learning from failure, the importance of timing, and why he believes brand investment is more important now than ever. I weigh in on hiring for cognitive ability, cultivating a learning mindset, and getting inside a buyer's consideration set.


Key Points:

  • Why do some companies win and others don't? (01:22)
  • How does Casey recruit the best talent? (02:59)
  • I talk about Google's people analytics with a quote from the former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, Laszlo Bock (04:59)
  • How does Casey facilitate a highly collaborative, cross-functional culture? (06:48)
  • I explore creating a learning mindset with a quote from Diaspora Ventures' Marvin Lao (09:58)
  • Casey discusses how he cultivates a learning mindset in his teams (12:55)
  • How do you balance the acceptance of failure with the need for quality? (15:24)
  • I weigh in on the "fail fast, fail often" mindset with a quote from Photobox's Jody Ford (16:00)
  • What does Casey attribute Quantive's success to? (18:32)
  • I discuss the importance of timing and luck with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (22:48)
  • Casey stresses the importance of finding your niche (25:40)
  • Why does Carey think that, in B2B, branding is more important than ever? (27:10)
  • I reflect on how to get inside a buyer's consideration set with a quote from author Byron Sharp (29:09)
  • How do you win the brand preference war? (30:37)
  • Wrap-up (31:28)

Mentioned:

Casey Carey LinkedIn

Quantive Website

Quantive LinkedIn

Laszlo Bock LinkedIn

Marvin Lao Twitter

Jody Ford LinkedIn

Geoffrey Moore Website

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

Byron Sharp Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Creating a high-quality customer experience with vFairs' Muhammad Younas 1 1 57 57 Creating a high-quality customer experience with vFairs' Muhammad Younas full 88006b8f-d5b9-42cb-ba42-846b806e62ba https://share.transistor.fm/s/343624c9 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs, an all-in-one events platform that allows users to conduct virtual, in-person, and hybrid events. Founded in 2016, vFairs experienced accelerated growth during the pandemic and ballooned to over 250 employees with offices located around the world.


In this episode, Muhammad breaks down some of the strategies that have helped vFairs win. We discuss hiring for hyper-growth, the power of word of mouth, and why delivering high-quality customer support is essential. I weigh in on hiring for talent and training for skill, why providing an exceptional customer experience is good for business, and the importance of conducting regular customer interviews.


Key Points:

  • What is the virtual events space like post-pandemic? (01:12)
  • Muhammad explains why he decided to bootstrap vFairs (02:13)
  • Muhammad discusses hiring aggressively during a period of hyper-growth (03:37)
  • I weigh in on the adage 'hire for talent, train for skill' (04:27)
  • Muhammad talks about vFairs word-of-mouth inbound strategy (05:15)
  • Muhammad stresses the importance of high-quality customer service and support in a self-service product (08:30)
  • I discuss the role of customer support in SaaS retention and adoption with a quote from ISG's John Boccuzzi Jr. (09:53)
  • Muhammad breaks down vFairs plans to expand their outbound sales (11:47)
  • How do referral incentives work at vFairs? (13:18)
  • I break down some word-of-mouth strategies with a quote from Animalz's Devin Bramhall (14:16)
  • How does vFairs use its deep product offering to help its customers? (15:50)
  • I weigh in on the importance of talking to your customers with a quote from author Justin Wilcox (19:08)
  • Muhammad talks about vFairs differentiation (21:21)
  • Why is customer retention so important to vFairs? (23:29)
  • Wrap-up (26:04)

Mentioned:

Muhammad Younas LinkedIn

vFairs Website

vFairs LinkedIn

John Boccuzzi Jr. LinkedIn

How Devin Bramhall helped Animalz scale from $1m to $16m ARR... by doing the unscalable

Justin Wilcox LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs, an all-in-one events platform that allows users to conduct virtual, in-person, and hybrid events. Founded in 2016, vFairs experienced accelerated growth during the pandemic and ballooned to over 250 employees with offices located around the world.


In this episode, Muhammad breaks down some of the strategies that have helped vFairs win. We discuss hiring for hyper-growth, the power of word of mouth, and why delivering high-quality customer support is essential. I weigh in on hiring for talent and training for skill, why providing an exceptional customer experience is good for business, and the importance of conducting regular customer interviews.


Key Points:

  • What is the virtual events space like post-pandemic? (01:12)
  • Muhammad explains why he decided to bootstrap vFairs (02:13)
  • Muhammad discusses hiring aggressively during a period of hyper-growth (03:37)
  • I weigh in on the adage 'hire for talent, train for skill' (04:27)
  • Muhammad talks about vFairs word-of-mouth inbound strategy (05:15)
  • Muhammad stresses the importance of high-quality customer service and support in a self-service product (08:30)
  • I discuss the role of customer support in SaaS retention and adoption with a quote from ISG's John Boccuzzi Jr. (09:53)
  • Muhammad breaks down vFairs plans to expand their outbound sales (11:47)
  • How do referral incentives work at vFairs? (13:18)
  • I break down some word-of-mouth strategies with a quote from Animalz's Devin Bramhall (14:16)
  • How does vFairs use its deep product offering to help its customers? (15:50)
  • I weigh in on the importance of talking to your customers with a quote from author Justin Wilcox (19:08)
  • Muhammad talks about vFairs differentiation (21:21)
  • Why is customer retention so important to vFairs? (23:29)
  • Wrap-up (26:04)

Mentioned:

Muhammad Younas LinkedIn

vFairs Website

vFairs LinkedIn

John Boccuzzi Jr. LinkedIn

How Devin Bramhall helped Animalz scale from $1m to $16m ARR... by doing the unscalable

Justin Wilcox LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2023 06:39:44 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1638 This week on How To Win: Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs, an all-in-one events platform that allows users to conduct virtual, in-person, and hybrid events. Founded in 2016, vFairs experienced accelerated growth during the pandemic and ballooned to over 250 employees with offices located around the world. In this episode, Muhammad breaks down some of the strategies that have helped vFairs win. We discuss hiring for hyper-growth, the power of word of mouth, and why delivering high-quality customer support is essential. I weigh in on hiring for talent and training for skill, why providing an exceptional customer experience is good for business, and the importance of conducting regular customer interviews. This week on How To Win: Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs, an all-in-one events platform that allows users to conduct virtual, in-person, and hybrid events. Founded in 2016, vFairs experienced accelerated growth during the pandemic and ballooned to over 250 saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Building a brand from the ground up with Oyster HR's Kevan Lee 1 1 56 56 Building a brand from the ground up with Oyster HR's Kevan Lee full a383c10e-059c-47fe-8d45-a0d4f1270428 https://share.transistor.fm/s/349f69b2 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Kevan Lee, Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster HR, a management platform for globally distributed teams. Before joining Oyster, Kevan spent six years as VP of Marketing at Buffer, a social media management platform that helps brands and businesses engage with their online audience. Kevan is an expert in brand strategy, marketing leadership, and category creation and shares his expertise through regular appearances at events and on podcasts.


In this episode, Kevan walks us through some key marketing strategies from across his career. We discuss differentiating your brand story, the benefits of handling PR in-house, and why the category you choose matters. I weigh in on the power of organic social, investing in original research, and why you should strive to be a category of one.


Key Points:

  • What marketing strategies worked at Buffer? (01:32)
  • Advice for building a brand from scratch (04:08)
  • Kevan talks brand story structure (05:25)
  • I weigh in on the issue of sameness across brand stories (07:40)
  • Kevan emphasizes the importance of 'the why' with a quote from Simon Sinek (08:32)
  • Kevan lays out the important pieces of the Buffer marketing engine (11:36)
  • Kevan reflects on Buffer's success with in-house PR (12:02)
  • I weigh the benefits of PR investment with a quote from Axia Public Relations' Jason Mudd (13:37)
  • How is Oyster's marketing machine set up? (14:54)
  • I explore a successful organic social case study from creative agency Rise at Seven (17:06)
  • Kevan talks about Google and LinkedIn paid social (19:11)
  • How has timing impacted Kevan's career? (20:13)
  • Kevan discusses the creation of the Global Employment category (21:51)
  • I discuss the idea of being a category of one with a quote from Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal and Palantir (23:44)
  • What bets haven't paid off at Oyster? (26:02)
  • Wrap-up (30:31)

Mentioned:

Kevan Lee LinkedIn

Oyster HR Website

Oyster HR LinkedIn

Buffer Website

Buffer LinkedIn

Donald Miller's StoryBrand Framework

Simon Sinek Website

Jason Mudd LinkedIn

Rise at Seven Website

Peter Thiel LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Kevan Lee, Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster HR, a management platform for globally distributed teams. Before joining Oyster, Kevan spent six years as VP of Marketing at Buffer, a social media management platform that helps brands and businesses engage with their online audience. Kevan is an expert in brand strategy, marketing leadership, and category creation and shares his expertise through regular appearances at events and on podcasts.


In this episode, Kevan walks us through some key marketing strategies from across his career. We discuss differentiating your brand story, the benefits of handling PR in-house, and why the category you choose matters. I weigh in on the power of organic social, investing in original research, and why you should strive to be a category of one.


Key Points:

  • What marketing strategies worked at Buffer? (01:32)
  • Advice for building a brand from scratch (04:08)
  • Kevan talks brand story structure (05:25)
  • I weigh in on the issue of sameness across brand stories (07:40)
  • Kevan emphasizes the importance of 'the why' with a quote from Simon Sinek (08:32)
  • Kevan lays out the important pieces of the Buffer marketing engine (11:36)
  • Kevan reflects on Buffer's success with in-house PR (12:02)
  • I weigh the benefits of PR investment with a quote from Axia Public Relations' Jason Mudd (13:37)
  • How is Oyster's marketing machine set up? (14:54)
  • I explore a successful organic social case study from creative agency Rise at Seven (17:06)
  • Kevan talks about Google and LinkedIn paid social (19:11)
  • How has timing impacted Kevan's career? (20:13)
  • Kevan discusses the creation of the Global Employment category (21:51)
  • I discuss the idea of being a category of one with a quote from Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal and Palantir (23:44)
  • What bets haven't paid off at Oyster? (26:02)
  • Wrap-up (30:31)

Mentioned:

Kevan Lee LinkedIn

Oyster HR Website

Oyster HR LinkedIn

Buffer Website

Buffer LinkedIn

Donald Miller's StoryBrand Framework

Simon Sinek Website

Jason Mudd LinkedIn

Rise at Seven Website

Peter Thiel LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2023 07:51:42 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1902 This week on How To Win: Kevan Lee, Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster HR, a management platform for globally distributed teams. Before joining Oyster, Kevan spent six years as VP of Marketing at Buffer, a social media management platform that helps brands and businesses engage with their online audience. Kevan is an expert in brand strategy, marketing leadership, and category creation and shares his expertise through regular appearances at events and on podcasts. In this episode, Kevan walks us through some key marketing strategies from across his career. We discuss differentiating your brand story, the benefits of handling PR in-house, and why the category you choose matters. I weigh in on the power of organic social, investing in original research, and why you should strive to be a category of one. This week on How To Win: Kevan Lee, Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster HR, a management platform for globally distributed teams. Before joining Oyster, Kevan spent six years as VP of Marketing at Buffer, a social media management platform that helps brands saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Reassessing your metrics with Earl Grey Capital's Matt Sornson 1 1 55 55 Reassessing your metrics with Earl Grey Capital's Matt Sornson full 1e4c438b-b361-453f-9766-1639a199c200 https://share.transistor.fm/s/25fe461c Summary:
This week on How To Win: Matt Sornson, co-founder of Clearbit. He spent seven years across multiple leadership roles at the company and now serves on the board. His new day job is being a partner at Earl Grey Capital, an early-stage venture fund.

In this episode, Matt breaks down five key lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss customers hacking your product, how to scrutinize your metrics, and the benefits of implementing an outbound sales strategy earlier. I weigh in on consistently releasing new products, going through the motions, and value-based pricing.


Key Points:

  • Lesson One: If you build it, they will come (01:19)
  • I weigh in on why you should consistently launch new products (03:26)
  • Lesson Two: Trust the hackers (04:18)
  • I discuss the potential of hackers with a quote from ScreenCloud's Mark McDermott (06:19)
  • Lesson Three: Customer success cannot be delegated (07:20)
  • I talk about rethinking your metrics with a quote from Brian Burns, host of the Brutal Truth About Sales Podcast (12:17)
  • Lesson Four - Pricing should be based on complexity (13:58)
  • What is value-based pricing? A quote from ProfitWell's Patrick Campbell (18:04)
  • Lesson Five: Start outbound as soon as possible (19:47)
  • Wrap-up (24:28)

Mentioned:

Matt Sornson LinkedIn

Earl Grey Capital Website

Clearbit Website

Making the pivot upmarket with ScreenCloud’s Mark McDermott

The Brutal Truth About Sales Podcast

Patrick Campbell LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Matt Sornson, co-founder of Clearbit. He spent seven years across multiple leadership roles at the company and now serves on the board. His new day job is being a partner at Earl Grey Capital, an early-stage venture fund.

In this episode, Matt breaks down five key lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss customers hacking your product, how to scrutinize your metrics, and the benefits of implementing an outbound sales strategy earlier. I weigh in on consistently releasing new products, going through the motions, and value-based pricing.


Key Points:

  • Lesson One: If you build it, they will come (01:19)
  • I weigh in on why you should consistently launch new products (03:26)
  • Lesson Two: Trust the hackers (04:18)
  • I discuss the potential of hackers with a quote from ScreenCloud's Mark McDermott (06:19)
  • Lesson Three: Customer success cannot be delegated (07:20)
  • I talk about rethinking your metrics with a quote from Brian Burns, host of the Brutal Truth About Sales Podcast (12:17)
  • Lesson Four - Pricing should be based on complexity (13:58)
  • What is value-based pricing? A quote from ProfitWell's Patrick Campbell (18:04)
  • Lesson Five: Start outbound as soon as possible (19:47)
  • Wrap-up (24:28)

Mentioned:

Matt Sornson LinkedIn

Earl Grey Capital Website

Clearbit Website

Making the pivot upmarket with ScreenCloud’s Mark McDermott

The Brutal Truth About Sales Podcast

Patrick Campbell LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 23 Jan 2023 10:25:09 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1525 This week on How To Win: Matt Sornson, co-founder of Clearbit. He spent seven years across multiple leadership roles at the company and now serves on the board. His new day job is being a partner at Earl Grey Capital, an early-stage venture fund. In this episode, Matt breaks down five key lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss customers hacking your product, how to scrutinize your metrics, and the benefits of implementing an outbound sales strategy earlier. I weigh in on consistently releasing new products, going through the motions, and value-based pricing. This week on How To Win: Matt Sornson, co-founder of Clearbit. He spent seven years across multiple leadership roles at the company and now serves on the board. His new day job is being a partner at Earl Grey Capital, an early-stage venture fund. In th saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Five steps to grow your business with Catalyst Software's Mark Kosoglow 1 1 54 54 Five steps to grow your business with Catalyst Software's Mark Kosoglow full e21a1a2c-acd5-4ba3-929f-f50885c1e70f https://share.transistor.fm/s/7d76e5f6 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Mark Kosoglow, B2B SaaS thought leader and CRO of the customer success platform Catalyst Software. Founded in 2017, Catalyst's founders saw a need to create a tool that integrated customer success tools into a platform that was easy to learn and implement. To date, Catalyst has raised over $45M in funding and employs more than 100 people. Before Catalyst, Mark spent 8 years at the sales execution platform Outreach where he led their sales team as VP and later Senior VP of sales. 


In this episode, Mark breaks down his five-step growth process. We discuss pipeline generation, engineering company processes, and creating moments of impact for your customers. I weigh in on the importance of understanding your ICP, why you should always be striving to learn new things, and the retention economy.

Key Points:

  • Step One - Choosing your ICP (01:37)
  • I weigh in on how to decide which customer segment to target (04:17)
  • How does ACV play into Mark's strategy? (05:18)
  • Step Two - Generating a pipeline (07:32)
  • I discuss why you shouldn't be afraid to be a student with a quote from author Tom Vanderbilt (08:19)
  • Mark lays out his SDR-heavy approach to sales (09:33)
  • Step Three - Converting the pipeline (11:26)
  • Why if you want to scale it, you should teach it and repeat it with a quote from Databox's Peter Caputa (15:38)
  • Step Four - Retaining customers (17:39)
  • I talk about the new retention economy (21:25)
  • Step Five - Optimization (22:18)
  • Mark explains why one person should be in charge of the customer journey (24:10)
  • Wrap-up (27:55)

Mentioned:

Mark Kosoglow LinkedIn

Catalyst Software LinkedIn

Catalyst Software Website

Tom Vanderbilt Twitter

How building methodically is helping Peter Caputa and Databox disrupt the business marketing analytics industry


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Mark Kosoglow, B2B SaaS thought leader and CRO of the customer success platform Catalyst Software. Founded in 2017, Catalyst's founders saw a need to create a tool that integrated customer success tools into a platform that was easy to learn and implement. To date, Catalyst has raised over $45M in funding and employs more than 100 people. Before Catalyst, Mark spent 8 years at the sales execution platform Outreach where he led their sales team as VP and later Senior VP of sales. 


In this episode, Mark breaks down his five-step growth process. We discuss pipeline generation, engineering company processes, and creating moments of impact for your customers. I weigh in on the importance of understanding your ICP, why you should always be striving to learn new things, and the retention economy.

Key Points:

  • Step One - Choosing your ICP (01:37)
  • I weigh in on how to decide which customer segment to target (04:17)
  • How does ACV play into Mark's strategy? (05:18)
  • Step Two - Generating a pipeline (07:32)
  • I discuss why you shouldn't be afraid to be a student with a quote from author Tom Vanderbilt (08:19)
  • Mark lays out his SDR-heavy approach to sales (09:33)
  • Step Three - Converting the pipeline (11:26)
  • Why if you want to scale it, you should teach it and repeat it with a quote from Databox's Peter Caputa (15:38)
  • Step Four - Retaining customers (17:39)
  • I talk about the new retention economy (21:25)
  • Step Five - Optimization (22:18)
  • Mark explains why one person should be in charge of the customer journey (24:10)
  • Wrap-up (27:55)

Mentioned:

Mark Kosoglow LinkedIn

Catalyst Software LinkedIn

Catalyst Software Website

Tom Vanderbilt Twitter

How building methodically is helping Peter Caputa and Databox disrupt the business marketing analytics industry


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 16 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1752 This week on How To Win: Mark Kosoglow, B2B SaaS thought leader and CRO of the customer success platform Catalyst Software. Founded in 2017, Catalyst's founders saw a need to create a tool that integrated customer success tools into a platform that was easy to learn and implement. To date, Catalyst has raised over $45M in funding and employs more than 100 people. Before Catalyst, Mark spent 8 years at the sales execution platform Outreach where he led their sales team as VP and later Senior VP of sales. In this episode, Mark breaks down his five-step growth process. We discuss pipeline generation, engineering company processes, and creating moments of impact for your customers. I weigh in on the importance of understanding your ICP, why you should always be striving to learn new things, and the retention economy. This week on How To Win: Mark Kosoglow, B2B SaaS thought leader and CRO of the customer success platform Catalyst Software. Founded in 2017, Catalyst's founders saw a need to create a tool that integrated customer success tools into a platform that was ea saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Developing a long-term view with Userlytics Corporation's Alejandro Rivas-Micoud 1 1 53 53 Developing a long-term view with Userlytics Corporation's Alejandro Rivas-Micoud full 71cec58a-c4b9-4c7a-b13a-41434d9ab382 https://share.transistor.fm/s/4b4f21e7 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Alejandro Rivas-Micoud, Founder & CEO of Userlytics Corporation, a UX testing platform founded in 2009.

In this episode, Alejandro breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss creating a strong corporate culture, deciding not to use VCs, and why people overestimate the impact of things in the short term and underestimate their value in the long term. I weigh in on the idea of 'culture eats strategy for breakfast', being your own VC, and how the best companies have high revenue per employee.

Key Points:

  • Lesson One - Culture eats strategy for breakfast (01:03)
  • What does 'culture eats strategy for breakfast' actually mean? With a quote from COUNTRY Financial's Ben Kobulnicky (03:39)
  • Lesson Two - User experience is the most important investment you can make (05:07)
  • Lesson Three - Turning to VCs for capital should be a last resort (07:40)
  • I explain how I bootstrapped Wynter with a quote from Cloudinary's Itai Lahan (09:49)
  • Lesson Four - When scaling, be conservative when hiring (11:49)
  • I discuss how really successful companies have high revenue per employee (14:26)
  • Lesson Five - People underestimate the importance of thinking long-term (15:29)
  • Lesson Six - Sometimes it pays to go global (18:21)
  • Wrap-up (19:52)

Mentioned:

Alejandro Rivas-Micoud LinkedIn

Userlytics Website

The Drucker Institute Website

Ben Kobulnicky Youtube

Itai Lahan LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Alejandro Rivas-Micoud, Founder & CEO of Userlytics Corporation, a UX testing platform founded in 2009.

In this episode, Alejandro breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss creating a strong corporate culture, deciding not to use VCs, and why people overestimate the impact of things in the short term and underestimate their value in the long term. I weigh in on the idea of 'culture eats strategy for breakfast', being your own VC, and how the best companies have high revenue per employee.

Key Points:

  • Lesson One - Culture eats strategy for breakfast (01:03)
  • What does 'culture eats strategy for breakfast' actually mean? With a quote from COUNTRY Financial's Ben Kobulnicky (03:39)
  • Lesson Two - User experience is the most important investment you can make (05:07)
  • Lesson Three - Turning to VCs for capital should be a last resort (07:40)
  • I explain how I bootstrapped Wynter with a quote from Cloudinary's Itai Lahan (09:49)
  • Lesson Four - When scaling, be conservative when hiring (11:49)
  • I discuss how really successful companies have high revenue per employee (14:26)
  • Lesson Five - People underestimate the importance of thinking long-term (15:29)
  • Lesson Six - Sometimes it pays to go global (18:21)
  • Wrap-up (19:52)

Mentioned:

Alejandro Rivas-Micoud LinkedIn

Userlytics Website

The Drucker Institute Website

Ben Kobulnicky Youtube

Itai Lahan LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2023 03:45:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1262 This week on How To Win: Alejandro Rivas-Micoud, Founder & CEO of Userlytics Corporation, a UX testing platform founded in 2009. In this episode, Alejandro breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss creating a strong corporate culture, deciding not to use VCs, and why people overestimate the impact of things in the short term and underestimate their value in the long term. I weigh in on the idea of 'culture eats strategy for breakfast', being your own VC, and how the best companies have high revenue per employee. This week on How To Win: Alejandro Rivas-Micoud, Founder & CEO of Userlytics Corporation, a UX testing platform founded in 2009. In this episode, Alejandro breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss creating a saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Identifying your company's leverage with SmartAsset's Brian Bourque 1 1 52 52 Identifying your company's leverage with SmartAsset's Brian Bourque full 34f0582f-a18e-41e1-a3e6-2638b7de6ca3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/06dbe700 Summary:
This week on How To Win: Brian Bourque, SVP of Marketing at SmartAsset, where they've grown a lead generation business from $0 to $100M+ in revenue primarily through paid acquisition marketing and SEO. Brian has a ton of experience leading profitable paid acquisition teams in quantitative, direct-response marketing businesses. He's an advocate of using behavioral psychology, tech, data, and creativity to find exciting, new approaches to business. 


In this episode, Brian breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss why tactics aren't strategy, why the internet is bigger than you think, and, for lesson one, why scaling is about realizing where the leverage lies in each part of your company. I give my thoughts on what a good strategy looks like, the concept of pattern interrupt, and why if they 'zig', you should 'zag'.


Key Points:

  • Lesson One - Scaling is about realizing where the leverage lies in each part of your company (01:17)
  • How do you find out which points of leverage are the best? (02:51)
  • I weigh in on the overuse of the term 'scaling' (05:15)
  • Lesson Two - Tactics are not the same as strategy (05:53)
  • I talk about the differences between tactics and strategy with a quote from author Richard P. Rumelt (08:15)
  • Lesson Three - There is value in asking, "What would need to be true to achieve X?" (09:42)
  • I give my thoughts on finding your way to 'X' with a quote from author Roger Martin (12:08)
  • I recall a story from Matt Epstein, former VP of Marketing at Zenefits, about impossible goals with a quote from Matt (14:07)
  • Lesson Four - The internet is larger than you think (15:44)
  • Lesson Five - At scale, everyone is a competitor (18:09)
  • I discuss the concept of pattern interrupt with a quote from Mutiny's Jaleh Rezaei (20:41)
  • Lesson Six - When they 'zig', you 'zag' (22:11)
  • I explain why you should always 'zag' with a quote from author Marty Neumeier (22:55)
  • Wrap up (24:40)

Mentioned:

Brian Bourque LinkedIn

Brian Bourque Twitter

Brian Bourque's Newsletter

Richard P. Rumelt 's Good Strategy Bad Strategy - The Difference and Why It Matters

Roger Martin's A New Way To Think

Matt Epstein LinkedIn

Content, community, and customer acquisition with Mutiny's Jaleh Rezaei

Marty Neumeier's ZAG


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Brian Bourque, SVP of Marketing at SmartAsset, where they've grown a lead generation business from $0 to $100M+ in revenue primarily through paid acquisition marketing and SEO. Brian has a ton of experience leading profitable paid acquisition teams in quantitative, direct-response marketing businesses. He's an advocate of using behavioral psychology, tech, data, and creativity to find exciting, new approaches to business. 


In this episode, Brian breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss why tactics aren't strategy, why the internet is bigger than you think, and, for lesson one, why scaling is about realizing where the leverage lies in each part of your company. I give my thoughts on what a good strategy looks like, the concept of pattern interrupt, and why if they 'zig', you should 'zag'.


Key Points:

  • Lesson One - Scaling is about realizing where the leverage lies in each part of your company (01:17)
  • How do you find out which points of leverage are the best? (02:51)
  • I weigh in on the overuse of the term 'scaling' (05:15)
  • Lesson Two - Tactics are not the same as strategy (05:53)
  • I talk about the differences between tactics and strategy with a quote from author Richard P. Rumelt (08:15)
  • Lesson Three - There is value in asking, "What would need to be true to achieve X?" (09:42)
  • I give my thoughts on finding your way to 'X' with a quote from author Roger Martin (12:08)
  • I recall a story from Matt Epstein, former VP of Marketing at Zenefits, about impossible goals with a quote from Matt (14:07)
  • Lesson Four - The internet is larger than you think (15:44)
  • Lesson Five - At scale, everyone is a competitor (18:09)
  • I discuss the concept of pattern interrupt with a quote from Mutiny's Jaleh Rezaei (20:41)
  • Lesson Six - When they 'zig', you 'zag' (22:11)
  • I explain why you should always 'zag' with a quote from author Marty Neumeier (22:55)
  • Wrap up (24:40)

Mentioned:

Brian Bourque LinkedIn

Brian Bourque Twitter

Brian Bourque's Newsletter

Richard P. Rumelt 's Good Strategy Bad Strategy - The Difference and Why It Matters

Roger Martin's A New Way To Think

Matt Epstein LinkedIn

Content, community, and customer acquisition with Mutiny's Jaleh Rezaei

Marty Neumeier's ZAG


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 13 Dec 2022 08:28:10 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1549 This week on How To Win: Brian Bourque, SVP of Marketing at SmartAsset, where they've grown a lead generation business from $0 to $100M+ in revenue primarily through paid acquisition marketing and SEO. Brian has a ton of experience leading profitable paid acquisition teams in quantitative, direct-response marketing businesses. He's an advocate of using behavioral psychology, tech, data, and creativity to find exciting, new approaches to business. In this episode, Brian breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss why tactics aren't strategy, why the internet is bigger than you think, and, for lesson one, why scaling is about realizing where the leverage lies in each part of your company. I give my thoughts on what a good strategy looks like, the concept of pattern interrupt, and why if they 'zig', you should 'zag'. This week on How To Win: Brian Bourque, SVP of Marketing at SmartAsset, where they've grown a lead generation business from $0 to $100M+ in revenue primarily through paid acquisition marketing and SEO. Brian has a ton of experience leading profitable paid saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Getting inside your ideal customer's limited consideration set with Peep Laja 1 1 51 51 Getting inside your ideal customer's limited consideration set with Peep Laja full c6713f62-c887-4f67-9595-ae893b7a049f https://share.transistor.fm/s/445faa95 Summary:
This week on How To Win: I'm taking the opportunity to dive deeper into something we've touched on in previous episodes, but never given the complete attention it deserves: how to get inside the limited consideration set of your ideal customers. I'll share how to create mental availability beyond your product, how to position yourself in the market, and unpack the B2B Message Layers™ framework. You'll also hear input from Drift's David Cancel, Andreessen Horowitz's Andrew Chen, and author of Obviously Awesome, April Dunford.


Key Points:

  • What does the brand landscape look like today? (00:42)
  • Why the creation of new subcategories led to a boom in the Japanese beer market with a quote from author David Aaker (02:51)
  • People buy based on mental availability, not personal experience (05:17)
  • Three ways to get inside people's limited consideration set:
    • Innovation (08:15)
    • Excess share of voice (10:28)
    • Winning on things beyond the product (12:38)
  • 'The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs' with a quote from Andreessen Horowitz's Andrew Chen (15:44)
  • The importance of pattern interruption (17:20)
  • How to go after the category kings (19:05)
  • How to create a category with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (21:06)
  • What is positioning? With a quote from 'Obviously Awesome' author April Dunford (23:25)
  • How do you win on positioning? (24:15)
  • Staying top of mind with mental availability (26:31)
  • Why you can't make people buy by using a magic copywriting formula with a quote from copywriting expert Roy Furr (29:03)
  • I lay out my B2B Message Layers™ framework (30:55)
  • Wrap-up (33:26)

Mentioned:

David Aaker Twitter

Andrew Chen LinkedIn

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

April Dunford Website

Roy Furr LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: I'm taking the opportunity to dive deeper into something we've touched on in previous episodes, but never given the complete attention it deserves: how to get inside the limited consideration set of your ideal customers. I'll share how to create mental availability beyond your product, how to position yourself in the market, and unpack the B2B Message Layers™ framework. You'll also hear input from Drift's David Cancel, Andreessen Horowitz's Andrew Chen, and author of Obviously Awesome, April Dunford.


Key Points:

  • What does the brand landscape look like today? (00:42)
  • Why the creation of new subcategories led to a boom in the Japanese beer market with a quote from author David Aaker (02:51)
  • People buy based on mental availability, not personal experience (05:17)
  • Three ways to get inside people's limited consideration set:
    • Innovation (08:15)
    • Excess share of voice (10:28)
    • Winning on things beyond the product (12:38)
  • 'The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs' with a quote from Andreessen Horowitz's Andrew Chen (15:44)
  • The importance of pattern interruption (17:20)
  • How to go after the category kings (19:05)
  • How to create a category with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (21:06)
  • What is positioning? With a quote from 'Obviously Awesome' author April Dunford (23:25)
  • How do you win on positioning? (24:15)
  • Staying top of mind with mental availability (26:31)
  • Why you can't make people buy by using a magic copywriting formula with a quote from copywriting expert Roy Furr (29:03)
  • I lay out my B2B Message Layers™ framework (30:55)
  • Wrap-up (33:26)

Mentioned:

David Aaker Twitter

Andrew Chen LinkedIn

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

April Dunford Website

Roy Furr LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:13:04 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2108 This week on How To Win: I'm taking the opportunity to dive deeper into something we've touched on in previous episodes, but never given the complete attention it deserves: how to get inside the limited consideration set of your ideal customers. I'll share how to create mental availability beyond your product, how to position yourself in the market, and unpack the B2B message layers framework. You'll also hear input from Drift's David Cancel, Andreessen Horowitz's Andrew Chen, and author of 'Obviously Awesome', April Dunford. This week on How To Win: I'm taking the opportunity to dive deeper into something we've touched on in previous episodes, but never given the complete attention it deserves: how to get inside the limited consideration set of your ideal customers. I'll shar saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Six tips for building your business with Jellyfish's Kyle Lacy 1 1 50 50 Six tips for building your business with Jellyfish's Kyle Lacy full d2a00cfa-c4f4-49c8-888b-c6e20397c348 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9d3d316a Summary:
This week on How To Win: Kyle Lacy, Chief Marketing Officer at Jellyfish and former CMO at Lessonly, a sales training and coaching platform. Lessonly was acquired by Seismic in 2021. Kyle also served as the Director of Global Content Marketing at Salesforce after its acquisition of ExactTarget in 2014. Before its acquisition, Lessonly made $24M in revenue and had a team of 230 that migrated over to Seismic. Lessonly was used by 1,200 B2B customers. In this episode, Kyle breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss making the customer the hero, why you should always be willing to experiment and take risks, and why you should encourage your teams to grow their relationships. I give my thoughts on the power of customer feedback, building a strong brand moat, and trusting your team to be creative.

Key Points:

  • Lesson One - The importance of a meaningful story (01:08)
  • I explain why your company's story is more than just "marketing fluff" (04:06)
  • Seismic's Doug Winter explains how they created a category around sales enablement (05:12)
  • Lesson Two - Make your customers your heroes (07:36)
  • I dive into why customer feedback is essential for your company with a quote from Red Hat's Claire Delalande (09:17)
  • Lesson Three - Revenue first, brand second (10:47)
  • My thoughts on why every marketer also needs to be a brand marketer (12:48)
  • Lesson Four - When it comes to brand, be experiential and irrational (13:30)
  • Rory Sutherland explains why some business problems require logic, and some require irrationality (15:04)
  • I unpack why creative work sometimes requires thinking outside the bounds of a standard operating procedure (17:12)
  • Lesson Five - Encourage alignment through shared goals (17:32)
  • I define what product marketing really is, and why it's so important (22:19)
  • Lesson Six - Invest in your team's careers (22:50)
  • I talk through why personal relationships are essential to career growth with a quote from Verhaal Brand Design's Philip VanDusen (24:40)
  • Wrap up (27:07)

Mentioned:

Kyle Lacy LinkedIn

Kyle Lacy Twitter

Jellyfish LinkedIn

Jellyfish Website

Seismic + Lessonly Website

Salesforce Website

Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter

Claire Delalande LinkedIn

Rory Sutherland's Alchemy

Philip VanDusen LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:
This week on How To Win: Kyle Lacy, Chief Marketing Officer at Jellyfish and former CMO at Lessonly, a sales training and coaching platform. Lessonly was acquired by Seismic in 2021. Kyle also served as the Director of Global Content Marketing at Salesforce after its acquisition of ExactTarget in 2014. Before its acquisition, Lessonly made $24M in revenue and had a team of 230 that migrated over to Seismic. Lessonly was used by 1,200 B2B customers. In this episode, Kyle breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss making the customer the hero, why you should always be willing to experiment and take risks, and why you should encourage your teams to grow their relationships. I give my thoughts on the power of customer feedback, building a strong brand moat, and trusting your team to be creative.

Key Points:

  • Lesson One - The importance of a meaningful story (01:08)
  • I explain why your company's story is more than just "marketing fluff" (04:06)
  • Seismic's Doug Winter explains how they created a category around sales enablement (05:12)
  • Lesson Two - Make your customers your heroes (07:36)
  • I dive into why customer feedback is essential for your company with a quote from Red Hat's Claire Delalande (09:17)
  • Lesson Three - Revenue first, brand second (10:47)
  • My thoughts on why every marketer also needs to be a brand marketer (12:48)
  • Lesson Four - When it comes to brand, be experiential and irrational (13:30)
  • Rory Sutherland explains why some business problems require logic, and some require irrationality (15:04)
  • I unpack why creative work sometimes requires thinking outside the bounds of a standard operating procedure (17:12)
  • Lesson Five - Encourage alignment through shared goals (17:32)
  • I define what product marketing really is, and why it's so important (22:19)
  • Lesson Six - Invest in your team's careers (22:50)
  • I talk through why personal relationships are essential to career growth with a quote from Verhaal Brand Design's Philip VanDusen (24:40)
  • Wrap up (27:07)

Mentioned:

Kyle Lacy LinkedIn

Kyle Lacy Twitter

Jellyfish LinkedIn

Jellyfish Website

Seismic + Lessonly Website

Salesforce Website

Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter

Claire Delalande LinkedIn

Rory Sutherland's Alchemy

Philip VanDusen LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2022 07:30:41 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1689 This week on How To Win: Kyle Lacy, Chief Marketing Officer at Jellyfish and former CMO at Lessonly, a sales training and coaching platform. Lessonly was acquired by Seismic in 2021. Kyle also served as the Director of Global Content Marketing at Salesforce after its acquisition of ExactTarget in 2014. Before its acquisition, Lessonly made $24M in revenue and had a team of 230 that migrated over to Seismic. Lessonly was used by 1,200 B2B customers. In this episode, Kyle breaks down six important lessons he’s learned throughout his career. We discuss making the customer the hero, why you should always be willing to experiment and take risks, and why you should encourage your teams to grow their relationships. I give my thoughts on the power of customer feedback, building a strong brand moat, and trusting your team to be creative. This week on How To Win: Kyle Lacy, Chief Marketing Officer at Jellyfish and former CMO at Lessonly, a sales training and coaching platform. Lessonly was acquired by Seismic in 2021. Kyle also served as the Director of Global Content Marketing at Salesfor saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Feedback loops and free product offerings with PandaDoc's Mikita Mikado 1 1 49 49 Feedback loops and free product offerings with PandaDoc's Mikita Mikado full cf6b1c89-9f32-497c-8fcc-a3c72486cf94 https://share.transistor.fm/s/ab839fd9 Summary:

This week on How To Win: Mikita Mikado, CEO of PandaDoc. PandaDoc is an all-in-one document workflow automation platform. They launched in 2013, were valued at $1B in 2021, and have a projected revenue of $55M this year. They have 390 employees across the US and Belarus. In this episode, we discuss how they used customer feedback to pivot PandaDoc successfully, their decision to make part of their product free, and how balancing external opportunities with a strong internal culture helped them win. I share my experience of pivoting Wynter in its first year, creating high-quality feedback loops, and the importance of building a company culture of high standards, care, and accountability.


Key Points:

  • Mikita on founding PandaDoc (01:03)
  • The winding road to the first million (03:21)
  • I share my experience of pivoting Wynter with a quote from author Steve Blank (05:28)
  • Which customer acquisition channels did PandaDoc use in the beginning? (08:05)
  • How did conversations with customers change PandaDoc's approach? (10:36)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of creating high-quality customer feedback loops with a quote from Meta's Daniel Strazzulla (11:26)
  • Mikita talks about PandaDoc's slow growth and its free product offering (14:13)
  • I discuss using a free product offer as a moat with a quote from ProfitWell's Patrick Campbell (15:46)
  • How does PandaDoc win against the competition? (16:36)
  • Mikita lays out why external opportunities and internal company culture have been important to PandaDoc (18:22)
  • I stress the importance of a strong company culture with a quote from Dock's Alex Kracov (20:04)
  • Mikita gives his three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (21:49)
  • Wrap-up (24:33)

Mentioned:

Mikita Mikado LinkedIn

PandaDoc Website

Steve Blank Youtube

Daniel Strazzulla LinkedIn

How Patrick Campbell plans to take Profitwell to $100 million+ in revenue

How Alex Kracov made Lattice a go-to name for HR professionals

TechCrunch Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How To Win: Mikita Mikado, CEO of PandaDoc. PandaDoc is an all-in-one document workflow automation platform. They launched in 2013, were valued at $1B in 2021, and have a projected revenue of $55M this year. They have 390 employees across the US and Belarus. In this episode, we discuss how they used customer feedback to pivot PandaDoc successfully, their decision to make part of their product free, and how balancing external opportunities with a strong internal culture helped them win. I share my experience of pivoting Wynter in its first year, creating high-quality feedback loops, and the importance of building a company culture of high standards, care, and accountability.


Key Points:

  • Mikita on founding PandaDoc (01:03)
  • The winding road to the first million (03:21)
  • I share my experience of pivoting Wynter with a quote from author Steve Blank (05:28)
  • Which customer acquisition channels did PandaDoc use in the beginning? (08:05)
  • How did conversations with customers change PandaDoc's approach? (10:36)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of creating high-quality customer feedback loops with a quote from Meta's Daniel Strazzulla (11:26)
  • Mikita talks about PandaDoc's slow growth and its free product offering (14:13)
  • I discuss using a free product offer as a moat with a quote from ProfitWell's Patrick Campbell (15:46)
  • How does PandaDoc win against the competition? (16:36)
  • Mikita lays out why external opportunities and internal company culture have been important to PandaDoc (18:22)
  • I stress the importance of a strong company culture with a quote from Dock's Alex Kracov (20:04)
  • Mikita gives his three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (21:49)
  • Wrap-up (24:33)

Mentioned:

Mikita Mikado LinkedIn

PandaDoc Website

Steve Blank Youtube

Daniel Strazzulla LinkedIn

How Patrick Campbell plans to take Profitwell to $100 million+ in revenue

How Alex Kracov made Lattice a go-to name for HR professionals

TechCrunch Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2022 03:47:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1552 This week on How To Win: Mikita Mikado, CEO of PandaDoc. PandaDoc is an all-in-one document workflow automation platform. They launched in 2013, were valued at $1B in 2021, and have a projected revenue of $55M this year. They have 390 employees across the US and Belarus. In this episode, we discuss how they used customer feedback to pivot PandaDoc successfully, their decision to make part of their product free, and how balancing external opportunities with a strong internal culture helped them win. I share my experience of pivoting Wynter in its first year, creating high-quality feedback loops, and the importance of building a company culture of high standards, care, and accountability. This week on How To Win: Mikita Mikado, CEO of PandaDoc. PandaDoc is an all-in-one document workflow automation platform. They launched in 2013, were valued at $1B in 2021, and have a projected revenue of $55M this year. They have 390 employees across the saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Diversifying your product offering with Kovai.co's Saravana Kumar 1 1 48 48 Diversifying your product offering with Kovai.co's Saravana Kumar full 6cec9fd0-28d2-4038-9f7e-9ab3adcafaea https://share.transistor.fm/s/341ce0d1 Summary:

This week on How To Win: Saravana Kumar, CEO of Kovai.co, a software company offering multiple enterprise and B2B SaaS products including, a customer success product, a self-service knowledge base product, and enterprise software for Microsoft BizTalk and Azure Serverless platforms. Founded in, 2011, Kovai.co has over 240 employees across the UK and India. This year Kovai.co's annual revenue has topped $10 million. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of true thought leadership, diversifying your product offering, and winning in your niche. I give my thoughts on the benefits of hiring T-shaped people, the concept of mental availability, and finding riches in the niches.


Key Points:

  • Saravana talks about the beginnings of Kovai.co (01:01)
  • How did Saravana use his blog to acquire his first customers? (03:11)
  • Saravana reflects on becoming a Microsoft MVP (04:50)
  • I weigh in on true thought leadership with a quote from Orbit Media Studios' Andy Crestodina (06:07)
  • How did Saravana scale customer acquisition beyond the first million? (07:27)
  • Why did Kovai.co become a multi-product company? (09:15)
  • Saravana discusses the need to launch products for different ICPs (13:08)
  • I give my thoughts on the concept of T-shaped people with a quote from author Mike Clayton (14:02)
  • Saravana breaks down his strategy to stay ahead of the copycats (16:00)
  • I stress the importance of understanding customers' mental availability with a quote from Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates (18:51)
  • What were some of the strategic decisions that paid off for Kovai.co? (21:15)
  • I lay out Animalz VP Ryan Law's five content marketing strategies for niche industries (22:54)
  • Saravana gives three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (22:36)
  • Wrap-up (25:18)

Mentioned:

Saravana Kumar LinkedIn

Saravana Kumar Microsoft MVP Profile

Saravana Kumar Blog

Kovai.co LinkedIn

Kovai.co Website

Kovai.co Integrate Summit Page

MVP Global Summit

Andy Crestodina Bio

Mike Clayton Website

Will Leach's Marketing to Mindstates

Ryan Law Blog


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How To Win: Saravana Kumar, CEO of Kovai.co, a software company offering multiple enterprise and B2B SaaS products including, a customer success product, a self-service knowledge base product, and enterprise software for Microsoft BizTalk and Azure Serverless platforms. Founded in, 2011, Kovai.co has over 240 employees across the UK and India. This year Kovai.co's annual revenue has topped $10 million. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of true thought leadership, diversifying your product offering, and winning in your niche. I give my thoughts on the benefits of hiring T-shaped people, the concept of mental availability, and finding riches in the niches.


Key Points:

  • Saravana talks about the beginnings of Kovai.co (01:01)
  • How did Saravana use his blog to acquire his first customers? (03:11)
  • Saravana reflects on becoming a Microsoft MVP (04:50)
  • I weigh in on true thought leadership with a quote from Orbit Media Studios' Andy Crestodina (06:07)
  • How did Saravana scale customer acquisition beyond the first million? (07:27)
  • Why did Kovai.co become a multi-product company? (09:15)
  • Saravana discusses the need to launch products for different ICPs (13:08)
  • I give my thoughts on the concept of T-shaped people with a quote from author Mike Clayton (14:02)
  • Saravana breaks down his strategy to stay ahead of the copycats (16:00)
  • I stress the importance of understanding customers' mental availability with a quote from Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates (18:51)
  • What were some of the strategic decisions that paid off for Kovai.co? (21:15)
  • I lay out Animalz VP Ryan Law's five content marketing strategies for niche industries (22:54)
  • Saravana gives three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (22:36)
  • Wrap-up (25:18)

Mentioned:

Saravana Kumar LinkedIn

Saravana Kumar Microsoft MVP Profile

Saravana Kumar Blog

Kovai.co LinkedIn

Kovai.co Website

Kovai.co Integrate Summit Page

MVP Global Summit

Andy Crestodina Bio

Mike Clayton Website

Will Leach's Marketing to Mindstates

Ryan Law Blog


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:55:59 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1577 This week on How To Win: Saravana Kumar, CEO of Kovai.co, a software company offering multiple enterprise and B2B SaaS products including, a customer success product, a self-service knowledge base product, and enterprise software for Microsoft BizTalk and Azure Serverless platforms. Founded in, 2011, Kovai.co has over 240 employees across the UK and India. This year Kovai.co's annual revenue has topped $10 million. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of true thought leadership, diversifying your product offering, and winning in your niche. I give my thoughts on the benefits of hiring T-shaped people, the concept of mental availability, and finding riches in the niches. This week on How To Win: Saravana Kumar, CEO of Kovai.co, a software company offering multiple enterprise and B2B SaaS products including, a customer success product, a self-service knowledge base product, and enterprise software for Microsoft BizTalk and saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Content, community, and customer acquisition with Mutiny's Jaleh Rezaei 1 1 47 47 Content, community, and customer acquisition with Mutiny's Jaleh Rezaei full c0e5d5c8-4569-46ab-ac66-b060b2335649 https://share.transistor.fm/s/e8dca970 Summary:

This week on How To Win: Jaleh Rezaei, CEO and co-Founder of Mutiny. Mutiny is a no-code AI and personalization platform for marketers. Mutiny launched in 2018, raised their Series A in 2021 with Sequoia Capital, and their Series B this year with Tiger Global. They now have over 70 employees. In this episode, we discuss how they carved out and dominated their niche, the benefits of building a community around your product, and why continually innovating to add value should be part of your long-term strategy. I weigh in on building a great business in an existing category, increasing your customer value footprint, and competing to be unique.


Key Points:

  • Jaleh talks about how she spotted a gap in the market during her time at Gusto (01:03)
  • How does Mutiny go beyond A/B Testing? (04:30)
  • What is Mutiny's go-to-market strategy? (05:50)
  • I discuss building a business in an existing category with a quote from Professor Jonathan Byrnes (09:09)
  • Jaleh breaks down Mutiny's unique customer acquisition-focused marketing (10:50)
  • I weigh in on the importance of new customer acquisition with a quote from Professor Byron Sharp (11:52)
  • Jaleh lays out Mutiny's long-term strategy (13:02)
  • I stress the importance of adding customer value with a quote from Unbounce's Tamara Grominsky (15:38)
  • Jaleh discusses Mutiny's strategy to differentiate faster (16:48)
  • I weigh in on competing to be unique with a quote from business strategist and Harvard Professor Michael Porter (18:38)
  • Jaleh gives three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (20:15)
  • Wrap-up (25:02)

Mentioned:

Jaleh Rezaei LinkedIn

Jaleh Rezaei Twitter

Mutiny LinkedIn

Mutiny Website

M2

Professor Jonathan Byrnes and John Wass' Choose Your Customer

Professor Byron Sharp's How Brands Grow

Tamara Grominsky on how Unbounce are pairing marketer and machine to create a new category and fend off the competition

Michael Porter's Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How To Win: Jaleh Rezaei, CEO and co-Founder of Mutiny. Mutiny is a no-code AI and personalization platform for marketers. Mutiny launched in 2018, raised their Series A in 2021 with Sequoia Capital, and their Series B this year with Tiger Global. They now have over 70 employees. In this episode, we discuss how they carved out and dominated their niche, the benefits of building a community around your product, and why continually innovating to add value should be part of your long-term strategy. I weigh in on building a great business in an existing category, increasing your customer value footprint, and competing to be unique.


Key Points:

  • Jaleh talks about how she spotted a gap in the market during her time at Gusto (01:03)
  • How does Mutiny go beyond A/B Testing? (04:30)
  • What is Mutiny's go-to-market strategy? (05:50)
  • I discuss building a business in an existing category with a quote from Professor Jonathan Byrnes (09:09)
  • Jaleh breaks down Mutiny's unique customer acquisition-focused marketing (10:50)
  • I weigh in on the importance of new customer acquisition with a quote from Professor Byron Sharp (11:52)
  • Jaleh lays out Mutiny's long-term strategy (13:02)
  • I stress the importance of adding customer value with a quote from Unbounce's Tamara Grominsky (15:38)
  • Jaleh discusses Mutiny's strategy to differentiate faster (16:48)
  • I weigh in on competing to be unique with a quote from business strategist and Harvard Professor Michael Porter (18:38)
  • Jaleh gives three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (20:15)
  • Wrap-up (25:02)

Mentioned:

Jaleh Rezaei LinkedIn

Jaleh Rezaei Twitter

Mutiny LinkedIn

Mutiny Website

M2

Professor Jonathan Byrnes and John Wass' Choose Your Customer

Professor Byron Sharp's How Brands Grow

Tamara Grominsky on how Unbounce are pairing marketer and machine to create a new category and fend off the competition

Michael Porter's Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2022 03:30:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1592 This week on How To Win: Jaleh Rezaei, CEO and co-Founder of Mutiny. Mutiny is a no-code AI and personalization platform for marketers. Mutiny launched in 2018, raised their Series A in 2021 with Sequoia Capital, and their Series B this year with Tiger Global. They now have over 70 employees. In this episode, we discuss how they carved out and dominated their niche, the benefits of building a community around your product, and why continually innovating to add value should be part of your long-term strategy. I weigh in on building a great business in an existing category, increasing your customer value footprint, and competing to be unique. This week on How To Win: Jaleh Rezaei, CEO and co-Founder of Mutiny. Mutiny is a no-code AI and personalization platform for marketers. Mutiny launched in 2018, raised their Series A in 2021 with Sequoia Capital, and their Series B this year with Tiger Gl saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Identifying the ICP with the greatest need with Aircall's Jonathan Anguelov 1 1 46 46 Identifying the ICP with the greatest need with Aircall's Jonathan Anguelov full c2884e5e-a201-46e7-83f1-dab92d61def2 https://share.transistor.fm/s/033ef098 Summary:

This week on How to Win: Jonathan Anguelov, co-founder & CSO at Aircall, a cloud-based call center and phone system that seamlessly integrates with common productivity and help desk tools. Since its founding in 2014, Aircall has raised over $226M in funding and now sits at over $100M ARR with over 700 global employees. In this episode we discuss the massive opportunity Aircall saw in the market, how they got an early leg up on the competition by being specific about their ICP, and why innovation remains a core part of their strategy. I share my thoughts on the wisdom of entering a market with lots of demand, how to choose which JTBD to focus on when your product support multiple, and why there is so much value in hiring folks with deep expertise (even if they come with a higher price tag). 


Key Points:

  • Jonathan explains the opportunity Aircall saw in the market (01:13)
  • Jonathan describes the competitive landscape that Aircall initially entered (03:16)
  • I explore the benefits of entering a high-demand market with a quote from Terminus' Sangram Vajre (05:13)
  • Jonathan maps out Aircall's go to market strategy (06:53)
  • I take a look at choosing a job to be done to focus on with a quote from Olivine Marketing's Raechel Lambert (09:27)
  • How Aircall nailed their ICP and identified their greatest need (10:43)
  • I unpack what a go to market strategy is with a quote from DemandMaven's Asia Matos (13:20)
  • How does Aircall allocate their funding strategically? (16:42)
  • I discuss the value of hiring for experience with a quote from Malcolm Gladwell on the ten thousand hour rule (18:30)
  • What advice does Jonathan have for fellow founders? (21:48)
  • Wrap up (24:59)

Mentioned:

Jonathan Anguelov LinkedIn

Jonathan Anguelov Twitter

Aircall Website

Aircall LinkedIn

Marketing a movement over a product with Terminus' Sangram Vajre

Raechel Lambert LinkedIn

Asia Matos LinkedIn

Malcolm Gladwell Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How to Win: Jonathan Anguelov, co-founder & CSO at Aircall, a cloud-based call center and phone system that seamlessly integrates with common productivity and help desk tools. Since its founding in 2014, Aircall has raised over $226M in funding and now sits at over $100M ARR with over 700 global employees. In this episode we discuss the massive opportunity Aircall saw in the market, how they got an early leg up on the competition by being specific about their ICP, and why innovation remains a core part of their strategy. I share my thoughts on the wisdom of entering a market with lots of demand, how to choose which JTBD to focus on when your product support multiple, and why there is so much value in hiring folks with deep expertise (even if they come with a higher price tag). 


Key Points:

  • Jonathan explains the opportunity Aircall saw in the market (01:13)
  • Jonathan describes the competitive landscape that Aircall initially entered (03:16)
  • I explore the benefits of entering a high-demand market with a quote from Terminus' Sangram Vajre (05:13)
  • Jonathan maps out Aircall's go to market strategy (06:53)
  • I take a look at choosing a job to be done to focus on with a quote from Olivine Marketing's Raechel Lambert (09:27)
  • How Aircall nailed their ICP and identified their greatest need (10:43)
  • I unpack what a go to market strategy is with a quote from DemandMaven's Asia Matos (13:20)
  • How does Aircall allocate their funding strategically? (16:42)
  • I discuss the value of hiring for experience with a quote from Malcolm Gladwell on the ten thousand hour rule (18:30)
  • What advice does Jonathan have for fellow founders? (21:48)
  • Wrap up (24:59)

Mentioned:

Jonathan Anguelov LinkedIn

Jonathan Anguelov Twitter

Aircall Website

Aircall LinkedIn

Marketing a movement over a product with Terminus' Sangram Vajre

Raechel Lambert LinkedIn

Asia Matos LinkedIn

Malcolm Gladwell Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2022 10:04:17 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1602 This week on How to Win: Jonathan Anguelov, co-founder & CSO at Aircall, a cloud-based call center and phone system that seamlessly integrates with common productivity and help desk tools. Since its founding in 2014, Aircall has raised over $226M in funding and now sits at over $100M ARR with over 700 global employees. In this episode we discuss the massive opportunity Aircall saw in the market, how they got an early leg up on the competition by being specific about their ICP, and why innovation remains a core part of their strategy. I share my thoughts on the wisdom of entering a market with lots of demand, how to choose which JTBD to focus on when your product support multiple, and why there is so much value in hiring folks with deep expertise (even if they come with a higher price tag). This week on How to Win: Jonathan Anguelov, co-founder & CSO at Aircall, a cloud-based call center and phone system that seamlessly integrates with common productivity and help desk tools. Since its founding in 2014, Aircall has raised over $226M in f saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Peep Laja Making the jump to a 'professional CEO' with Maxio's Randy Wootton 1 1 45 45 Making the jump to a 'professional CEO' with Maxio's Randy Wootton full 36b38cf2-2df8-476d-9d55-d693d4574cb2 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d64986af Summary:

This week on How to Win: Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, a platform offering subscription and revenue management solutions to SaaS companies. Founded in 2022, Maxio is the product of a merger between SaaSOptics and Chargify, brought together by private equity investment firm Battery Ventures. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of transitioning to a non-founder CEO, how assessing your business honestly is essential, and the idea of competing against non-consumption. I share my thoughts on the benefits of hiring a 'professional CEO' and how developing a core focus builds resilience. 


Key Points:

  • Randy talks about the merger that formed Maxio (01:11)
  • Randy breaks down the art of choosing companies for a merger (04:01)
  • I weigh in on the uniqueness of every merger with a quote from Seismic's Doug Winter (06:48)
  • Randy talks about the experience of being a 'professional CEO' (08:06)
  • I explore the differences between a founder and professional CEO (09:14)
  • Randy maps out Maxio's strategy (10:28)
  • I lay out some of the key aspects of a successful strategy with a quote from Roger Martin (13:28)
  • Randy describes how he shares his strategic vision with his leaders and teams (14:40)
  • I break down the V2MOM with a quote from Salesforce's Marc Benioff (16:44)
  • How is Maxio going to win? (18:14)
  • A quote from Clayton Christensen about his theory of non-consumption (19:36)
  • Randy reflects on the importance of understanding client growth stages (21:44)
  • I discuss how having a core focus is linked to resilience (24:28)
  • What are the strategic trade-offs that Maxio is making? (25:31)
  • Wrap up (28:24)

Mentioned:

Randy Wootton LinkedIn

Maxio Website

Maxio LinkedIn

Battery Ventures Website

Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter

Roger Martin's Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

Marc Benioff's V2MOM

Clayton Christensen's Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How to Win: Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, a platform offering subscription and revenue management solutions to SaaS companies. Founded in 2022, Maxio is the product of a merger between SaaSOptics and Chargify, brought together by private equity investment firm Battery Ventures. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of transitioning to a non-founder CEO, how assessing your business honestly is essential, and the idea of competing against non-consumption. I share my thoughts on the benefits of hiring a 'professional CEO' and how developing a core focus builds resilience. 


Key Points:

  • Randy talks about the merger that formed Maxio (01:11)
  • Randy breaks down the art of choosing companies for a merger (04:01)
  • I weigh in on the uniqueness of every merger with a quote from Seismic's Doug Winter (06:48)
  • Randy talks about the experience of being a 'professional CEO' (08:06)
  • I explore the differences between a founder and professional CEO (09:14)
  • Randy maps out Maxio's strategy (10:28)
  • I lay out some of the key aspects of a successful strategy with a quote from Roger Martin (13:28)
  • Randy describes how he shares his strategic vision with his leaders and teams (14:40)
  • I break down the V2MOM with a quote from Salesforce's Marc Benioff (16:44)
  • How is Maxio going to win? (18:14)
  • A quote from Clayton Christensen about his theory of non-consumption (19:36)
  • Randy reflects on the importance of understanding client growth stages (21:44)
  • I discuss how having a core focus is linked to resilience (24:28)
  • What are the strategic trade-offs that Maxio is making? (25:31)
  • Wrap up (28:24)

Mentioned:

Randy Wootton LinkedIn

Maxio Website

Maxio LinkedIn

Battery Ventures Website

Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter

Roger Martin's Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

Marc Benioff's V2MOM

Clayton Christensen's Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2022 04:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1786 This week on How to Win: Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, a platform offering subscription and revenue management solutions to SaaS companies. Founded in 2022, Maxio is the product of a merger between SaaSOptics and Chargify, brought together by private equity investment firm Battery Ventures. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of transitioning to a non-founder CEO, how assessing your business honestly is essential, and the idea of competing against non-consumption. I share my thoughts on the benefits of hiring a 'professional CEO' and how developing a core focus builds resilience. This week on How to Win: Randy Wootton, CEO of Maxio, a platform offering subscription and revenue management solutions to SaaS companies. Founded in 2022, Maxio is the product of a merger between SaaSOptics and Chargify, brought together by private equit saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Engineering the product mindset with 3Pillar Global's David DeWolf 1 1 44 44 Engineering the product mindset with 3Pillar Global's David DeWolf full adb2b1e8-b08f-4ca2-9547-f265db78db1d https://share.transistor.fm/s/4fea4288 Summary:


This week on How to Win: David DeWolf, President and CEO of 3Pillar Global, a software product development company. 3Pillar Global was founded in 2006 and now has over 2000 employees with annual revenue of over $100M. In this episode, we discuss going beyond a great product offering, why leaders should regularly reinvent themselves, and why scaling company culture is key to successful growth. I weigh in on innovating for customer value, why you should always be generous with your knowledge, and why success depends on being clear when it comes to your obstacles.


Key Points:

  • How David created his own software product niche based on client satisfaction (01:04)
  • I share my thoughts on innovating for customer value with a quote from Nest's Tony Fadell (03:17)
  • David breaks down the problem of commoditization in software development and how 3Pillar Global sets itself apart (07:19)
  • I discuss what makes a great product team with a quote from the Silicon Valley Product Group's Marty Cagan (09:03)
  • How 3Pillar Global communicates its market niche (10:22)
  • I stress why you should always be generous with your knowledge with a quote from Seamless.AI's Brandon Bornancin (12:27)
  • David talks about some of the strategic trade-offs that 3Pillar Global has made (15:58)
  • I explain why to be successful, you need to understand your obstacles (17:40)
  • David discusses how he managed to scale to over 2000 employees (18:47)
  • I weigh in on hiring people that can solve your business's problems with a quote from Scaling Up's Verne Harnish (21:03)
  • How David has positioned himself and 3Pillar Global as thought leaders (23:52)
  • Wrap up (27:44)

Mentioned:

David DeWolf LinkedIn

David DeWolf Bio

3Pillar Global Website

3Pillar Global LinkedIn

Tony Fadell Twitter

David DeWolf and Jessica S. Hall's The Product Mindset

Marty Cagan Twitter

CES Website

Focus-fueled growth with Seamless.AI's Brandon Bornancin

Verne Harnish Twitter


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:


This week on How to Win: David DeWolf, President and CEO of 3Pillar Global, a software product development company. 3Pillar Global was founded in 2006 and now has over 2000 employees with annual revenue of over $100M. In this episode, we discuss going beyond a great product offering, why leaders should regularly reinvent themselves, and why scaling company culture is key to successful growth. I weigh in on innovating for customer value, why you should always be generous with your knowledge, and why success depends on being clear when it comes to your obstacles.


Key Points:

  • How David created his own software product niche based on client satisfaction (01:04)
  • I share my thoughts on innovating for customer value with a quote from Nest's Tony Fadell (03:17)
  • David breaks down the problem of commoditization in software development and how 3Pillar Global sets itself apart (07:19)
  • I discuss what makes a great product team with a quote from the Silicon Valley Product Group's Marty Cagan (09:03)
  • How 3Pillar Global communicates its market niche (10:22)
  • I stress why you should always be generous with your knowledge with a quote from Seamless.AI's Brandon Bornancin (12:27)
  • David talks about some of the strategic trade-offs that 3Pillar Global has made (15:58)
  • I explain why to be successful, you need to understand your obstacles (17:40)
  • David discusses how he managed to scale to over 2000 employees (18:47)
  • I weigh in on hiring people that can solve your business's problems with a quote from Scaling Up's Verne Harnish (21:03)
  • How David has positioned himself and 3Pillar Global as thought leaders (23:52)
  • Wrap up (27:44)

Mentioned:

David DeWolf LinkedIn

David DeWolf Bio

3Pillar Global Website

3Pillar Global LinkedIn

Tony Fadell Twitter

David DeWolf and Jessica S. Hall's The Product Mindset

Marty Cagan Twitter

CES Website

Focus-fueled growth with Seamless.AI's Brandon Bornancin

Verne Harnish Twitter


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2022 03:51:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1769 This week on How to Win: David DeWolf, President and CEO of 3Pillar Global, a software product development company. 3Pillar Global was founded in 2006 and now has over 2000 employees with annual revenue of over $100M. In this episode, we discuss going beyond a great product offering, why leaders should regularly reinvent themselves, and why scaling company culture is key to successful growth. I weigh in on innovating for customer value, why you should always be generous with your knowledge, and why success depends on being clear when it comes to your obstacles. This week on How to Win: David DeWolf, President and CEO of 3Pillar Global, a software product development company. 3Pillar Global was founded in 2006 and now has over 2000 employees with annual revenue of over $100M. In this episode, we discuss going be saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Going after greenfield opportunities with FullStory's Scott Voigt 1 1 43 43 Going after greenfield opportunities with FullStory's Scott Voigt full ea43d986-e0a1-4b5d-a388-f3d7f5c8cd29 https://share.transistor.fm/s/5bc7c86b Summary:


This week on How to Win: Scott Voigt, founder and CEO of FullStory, a digital experience intelligence platform that combines quantitative and qualitative data to drive digital growth. Founded in Atlanta in 2014, FullStory now serves over 3200 customers and has consistently increased their ARR by over 70% year over year. In August, the company wrapped up a $25M funding round bringing their total amount raised to around $200M. In this episode, we discuss how FullStory repositioned early on when they found a better-fit customer segment, why a focus on enterprise clients has been essential to their growth, and how an excellent user experience is creating a strong flywheel for them. I share insights on the theory of the flywheel effect, the importance of repetition in marketing, and how to stay ahead of copycats looking to clone your product. 


Key Points:

  • How FullStory pivoted on their original marketing tool when they caught sight of a stronger opportunity (01:19)
  • I weigh in on the advantages of changing up your strategy when you're not seeing the growth you want (05:35)
  • Scott describes FullStory's initial, highly personalized outbound strategy (07:04)
  • How FullStory's shift upmarket influenced their strategy (09:46)
  • My take on why to consider going after enterprise clients early, with a quote from Seismic's Doug Winter (13:44)
  • How FullStory made the leap to become more than just a point solution (16:10)
  • I explain how to develop messaging that will serve you now, and as you grow (18:00)
  • Why FullStory's flywheel hinges on its user experience (19:10)
  • I define the term "flywheel effect," with a quote from Jim Collins (21:14)
  • My thoughts on why repetition is essential to any marketing strategy, with a quote from Dan Kennedy (23:41)
  • How FullStory is maintaining their lead on clones (25:57)
  • Wrap up (31:00)

Mentioned:

Scott Voigt LinkedIn

Scott Voigt Bio

FullStory Website

FullStory LinkedIn

Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter

Jim Collins' "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't"

Dan Kennedy's "Magnetic Marketing"


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:


This week on How to Win: Scott Voigt, founder and CEO of FullStory, a digital experience intelligence platform that combines quantitative and qualitative data to drive digital growth. Founded in Atlanta in 2014, FullStory now serves over 3200 customers and has consistently increased their ARR by over 70% year over year. In August, the company wrapped up a $25M funding round bringing their total amount raised to around $200M. In this episode, we discuss how FullStory repositioned early on when they found a better-fit customer segment, why a focus on enterprise clients has been essential to their growth, and how an excellent user experience is creating a strong flywheel for them. I share insights on the theory of the flywheel effect, the importance of repetition in marketing, and how to stay ahead of copycats looking to clone your product. 


Key Points:

  • How FullStory pivoted on their original marketing tool when they caught sight of a stronger opportunity (01:19)
  • I weigh in on the advantages of changing up your strategy when you're not seeing the growth you want (05:35)
  • Scott describes FullStory's initial, highly personalized outbound strategy (07:04)
  • How FullStory's shift upmarket influenced their strategy (09:46)
  • My take on why to consider going after enterprise clients early, with a quote from Seismic's Doug Winter (13:44)
  • How FullStory made the leap to become more than just a point solution (16:10)
  • I explain how to develop messaging that will serve you now, and as you grow (18:00)
  • Why FullStory's flywheel hinges on its user experience (19:10)
  • I define the term "flywheel effect," with a quote from Jim Collins (21:14)
  • My thoughts on why repetition is essential to any marketing strategy, with a quote from Dan Kennedy (23:41)
  • How FullStory is maintaining their lead on clones (25:57)
  • Wrap up (31:00)

Mentioned:

Scott Voigt LinkedIn

Scott Voigt Bio

FullStory Website

FullStory LinkedIn

Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter

Jim Collins' "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't"

Dan Kennedy's "Magnetic Marketing"


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2022 03:36:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1949 This week on How to Win: Scott Voigt, founder and CEO of FullStory, a digital experience intelligence platform that combines quantitative and qualitative data to drive digital growth. Founded in Atlanta in 2014, FullStory now serves over 3200 customers and has consistently increased their ARR by over 70% year over year. In August, the company wrapped up a $25M funding round bringing their total amount raised to around $200M. In this episode, we discuss how FullStory repositioned early on when they found a better-fit customer segment, why a focus on enterprise clients has been essential to their growth, and how an excellent user experience is creating a strong flywheel for them. I share insight on the theory of the flywheel effect, the importance of repetition in marketing, and how to stay ahead of copycats looking to clone your product. This week on How to Win: Scott Voigt, founder and CEO of FullStory, a digital experience intelligence platform that combines quantitative and qualitative data to drive digital growth. Founded in Atlanta in 2014, FullStory now serves over 3200 customers an saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Focus-fueled growth with Seamless.AI's Brandon Bornancin 1 1 42 42 Focus-fueled growth with Seamless.AI's Brandon Bornancin full cd0f6bf8-6c76-4288-80f3-42ff8e7f7203 https://share.transistor.fm/s/d6c9bea2 Summary:

This week on How to Win: Brandon Bornancin, founder and CEO of Seamless.AI, a platform focused on sales, lead generation, and prospecting via an advanced search engine. Launched in 2018, Seamless.AI grew out of a list-building agency called Seamless Contacts founded three years earlier. Seamless.AI recently completed a nearly $100M funding round, and in under four years has earned a billion dollar valuation. In this episode, we take a look at Seamless' decision to stay focused on their core product, the outbound sales strategy that has allowed them such rapid growth, and the upside of entering a big category with a lot of competition. I weigh in with the model I used to grow a SaaS company from an agency, winning through relentless focus, and the importance of thought leadership in today's marketing strategies. 


Key Points:

  • Seamless.AI's early days as a list building agency (01:13)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of starting a SaaS company by offering a manual service, and the model I've used to grow from there (03:34)
  • Brandon describes the competitive landscape Seamless entered into, and why they weren't afraid to compete in a big category (08:15)
  • I share my thoughts on the advantages of tapping into pre-existing demand, with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (10:14)
  • Brandon explains how staying focused led to early success for Seamless (11:56)
  • My advice on winning through relentless focus, with a quote from Qualtrics' Ryan Smith (14:04)
  • Brandon takes us through Seamless' main competitive advantage (15:47)
  • How a robust content marketing strategy has been key to Seamless' success (19:22)
  • My thoughts on creating demand and awareness through thought leadership (20:50)
  • Brandon unpacks Seamless.AI's targeted outbound sales strategy (21:33)
  • Wrap up (27:45)

Mentioned:

Brandon Bornancin LinkedIn

Brandon Bornancin Twitter

Seamless.AI Website

Seamless.AI LinkedIn

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

Ryan Smith LinkedIn

Qualtrics Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Summary:

This week on How to Win: Brandon Bornancin, founder and CEO of Seamless.AI, a platform focused on sales, lead generation, and prospecting via an advanced search engine. Launched in 2018, Seamless.AI grew out of a list-building agency called Seamless Contacts founded three years earlier. Seamless.AI recently completed a nearly $100M funding round, and in under four years has earned a billion dollar valuation. In this episode, we take a look at Seamless' decision to stay focused on their core product, the outbound sales strategy that has allowed them such rapid growth, and the upside of entering a big category with a lot of competition. I weigh in with the model I used to grow a SaaS company from an agency, winning through relentless focus, and the importance of thought leadership in today's marketing strategies. 


Key Points:

  • Seamless.AI's early days as a list building agency (01:13)
  • I weigh in on the benefits of starting a SaaS company by offering a manual service, and the model I've used to grow from there (03:34)
  • Brandon describes the competitive landscape Seamless entered into, and why they weren't afraid to compete in a big category (08:15)
  • I share my thoughts on the advantages of tapping into pre-existing demand, with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (10:14)
  • Brandon explains how staying focused led to early success for Seamless (11:56)
  • My advice on winning through relentless focus, with a quote from Qualtrics' Ryan Smith (14:04)
  • Brandon takes us through Seamless' main competitive advantage (15:47)
  • How a robust content marketing strategy has been key to Seamless' success (19:22)
  • My thoughts on creating demand and awareness through thought leadership (20:50)
  • Brandon unpacks Seamless.AI's targeted outbound sales strategy (21:33)
  • Wrap up (27:45)

Mentioned:

Brandon Bornancin LinkedIn

Brandon Bornancin Twitter

Seamless.AI Website

Seamless.AI LinkedIn

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

Ryan Smith LinkedIn

Qualtrics Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 06 Sep 2022 14:21:33 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1762 This week on How to Win: Brandon Bornancin, founder and CEO of Seamless.AI, a platform focused on sales, lead generation, and prospecting via an advanced search engine. Launched in 2018, Seamless.AI grew out of a list-building agency called Seamless Contacts founded three years earlier. Seamless.AI recently completed a nearly $100M funding round, and in under four years has earned a billion dollar valuation. In this episode, we take a look at Seamless' decision to stay focused on their core product, the outbound sales strategy that has allowed them such rapid growth, and the upside of entering a big category with a lot of competition. I weigh in with the model I used to grow a SaaS company from an agency, winning through relentless focus, and the importance of thought leadership in today's marketing strategies. This week on How to Win: Brandon Bornancin, founder and CEO of Seamless.AI, a platform focused on sales, lead generation, and prospecting via an advanced search engine. Launched in 2018, Seamless.AI grew out of a list-building agency called Seamless Conta saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Industry experience as a competitive advantage with Spryker's Alexander Graf 1 1 41 41 Industry experience as a competitive advantage with Spryker's Alexander Graf full e6732c8d-9abb-419e-882b-80e2d6cdb819 https://share.transistor.fm/s/9f0d1caf Key Points:

  • How Alexander and his co-founder got their start with Spryker (01:20)
  • How Spryker adjusted to marketing to multiple decision makers after they passed the $1M ARR mark (05:06)
  • My advice on managing your marketing while addressing a large stakeholder base, with a quote from Ismail Madni (08:21)
  • Alexander discusses Spryker's different competitive strategies for addressing incumbent companies vs. up-and-comers (09:48)
  • How Spryker is competing on brand to become the "Tesla of the commerce industry (11:15)
  • I weigh in on the importance of branding, with a quote from Lattice's Alex Kracov (12:48)
  • Alexander explains why experience and years in the industry are such a powerful moat for Spryker (14:34)
  • Alexander discusses how difficult it is to pin down which sales efforts are working most effectively (16:04)
  • I explain why it is nearly impossible to identify the causal factors of success, with a quote from Les Binet (18:08)
  • Alexander explains why Spryker benefitted from getting their start in Germany (22:13)
  • My advice on how to hire the best team members (24:14)
  • Wrap up (28:05)

Mentioned:

Alexander Graf LinkedIn

Spryker LinkedIn

Spryker Website

Ismail Madni Twitter

How Alex Kracov made Lattice a go-to name for HR professionals"The Long and the Short of it: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies" byLes Binet and Peter Field

Big 5 personality test


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How Alexander and his co-founder got their start with Spryker (01:20)
  • How Spryker adjusted to marketing to multiple decision makers after they passed the $1M ARR mark (05:06)
  • My advice on managing your marketing while addressing a large stakeholder base, with a quote from Ismail Madni (08:21)
  • Alexander discusses Spryker's different competitive strategies for addressing incumbent companies vs. up-and-comers (09:48)
  • How Spryker is competing on brand to become the "Tesla of the commerce industry (11:15)
  • I weigh in on the importance of branding, with a quote from Lattice's Alex Kracov (12:48)
  • Alexander explains why experience and years in the industry are such a powerful moat for Spryker (14:34)
  • Alexander discusses how difficult it is to pin down which sales efforts are working most effectively (16:04)
  • I explain why it is nearly impossible to identify the causal factors of success, with a quote from Les Binet (18:08)
  • Alexander explains why Spryker benefitted from getting their start in Germany (22:13)
  • My advice on how to hire the best team members (24:14)
  • Wrap up (28:05)

Mentioned:

Alexander Graf LinkedIn

Spryker LinkedIn

Spryker Website

Ismail Madni Twitter

How Alex Kracov made Lattice a go-to name for HR professionals"The Long and the Short of it: Balancing Short and Long-Term Marketing Strategies" byLes Binet and Peter Field

Big 5 personality test


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 06 Jun 2022 03:53:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1777 This week on How to Win: Alexander Graf, co-founder and co-CEO of Spryker, an e-commerce platform for B2B and B2C enterprise marketplaces. Founded in Germany in 2014, Spryker raised $130M in Series C funding in 2020 and now sits at 650 global employees with 100% growth, year over year. In this episode, we look into how Spryker turned years and years of industry experience into a deep moat, and the strategy behind their investment in brand image. I share my thoughts on the importance of a strong brand, why identifying the causal factors of success can be difficult, and my tips on how to hire the right people. This week on How to Win: Alexander Graf, co-founder and co-CEO of Spryker, an e-commerce platform for B2B and B2C enterprise marketplaces. Founded in Germany in 2014, Spryker raised $130M in Series C funding in 2020 and now sits at 650 global employees wi saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Developing a distinctive marketing tone with CB Insights' Anand Sanwal 1 1 40 40 Developing a distinctive marketing tone with CB Insights' Anand Sanwal full 01c4d4c2-6f0c-472d-a363-54b28779d680 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f5d20bec Key Points:

  • How CB Insights got its start (01:13)
  • Anand explains when he realized the target market for CB Insights had shifted (03:33)
  • My thoughts on the transient nature of the market, and why successful companies should be prepared to adapt with a quote from Bridgefy's Jorge Rios (05:03)
  • Anand explains CB Insights' unique approach to content marketing (07:00)
  • I discuss the need for more creativity and more hard work in marketing (09:40)
  • Anand describes the competitive landscape CB Insights in playing in (10:30)
  • Why Anand believes experience and pain tolerance gives them a competitive advantage (12:36)
  • I explain how excellence and mediocrity are both habits that are developed over time (15:00)
  • Anand explains why figuring out your priorities as a company is key to success (16:19)
  • My take on the importance of knowing where to focus resources, with a quote from Steve Jobs (18:23)
  • Anand talks through the moats CB Insights is developing (20:31)
  • I describe the law of increasing returns with a quote from Prof. Brian Arthur (22:29)
  • Anand explain how content is still the anchor of CB Insights' marketing strategy (24:16)
  • Why a personalized newsletter from Anand tested better than a more generic option (25:49)
  • Anand's advice for other founders and CEOs (28:20)
  • Wrap up (31:09)

Mentioned:

Anand Sanwal LinkedIn

Anand Sanwal Twitter

CB Insights LinkedIn

CB Insights Website

Jorge Rios LinkedIn

Bridgefy Website

OKCupid Website

Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight

Harry Dry Twitter

Growth.Design

Steve Jobs

Prof. Brian Arthur


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How CB Insights got its start (01:13)
  • Anand explains when he realized the target market for CB Insights had shifted (03:33)
  • My thoughts on the transient nature of the market, and why successful companies should be prepared to adapt with a quote from Bridgefy's Jorge Rios (05:03)
  • Anand explains CB Insights' unique approach to content marketing (07:00)
  • I discuss the need for more creativity and more hard work in marketing (09:40)
  • Anand describes the competitive landscape CB Insights in playing in (10:30)
  • Why Anand believes experience and pain tolerance gives them a competitive advantage (12:36)
  • I explain how excellence and mediocrity are both habits that are developed over time (15:00)
  • Anand explains why figuring out your priorities as a company is key to success (16:19)
  • My take on the importance of knowing where to focus resources, with a quote from Steve Jobs (18:23)
  • Anand talks through the moats CB Insights is developing (20:31)
  • I describe the law of increasing returns with a quote from Prof. Brian Arthur (22:29)
  • Anand explain how content is still the anchor of CB Insights' marketing strategy (24:16)
  • Why a personalized newsletter from Anand tested better than a more generic option (25:49)
  • Anand's advice for other founders and CEOs (28:20)
  • Wrap up (31:09)

Mentioned:

Anand Sanwal LinkedIn

Anand Sanwal Twitter

CB Insights LinkedIn

CB Insights Website

Jorge Rios LinkedIn

Bridgefy Website

OKCupid Website

Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight

Harry Dry Twitter

Growth.Design

Steve Jobs

Prof. Brian Arthur


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 30 May 2022 03:27:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1971 This week on How to Win: Anand Sanwal, co-founder and CEO of Attentive, a business intelligence platform that enables organizations to make technology decisions faster and with more confidence. Launched in 2010, CB Insights is on track to hit $100M ARR this year, with over 400 employees and thousands of customers. In this episode, we unpack CB Insights' highly successful content strategy, and discuss why the ability to prioritize has been essential to their growth. I weigh in with my thoughts on the importance of focus, how to monitor changes in the market so you can choose the right time to pivot, and why more creativity and hard work is needed in marketing. This week on How to Win: Anand Sanwal, co-founder and CEO of Attentive, a business intelligence platform that enables organizations to make technology decisions faster and with more confidence. Launched in 2010, CB Insights is on track to hit $100M ARR th saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Getting more accurate customer feedback with Attentive's Brian Long 1 1 39 39 Getting more accurate customer feedback with Attentive's Brian Long full ebb8d5e9-54f3-4b4a-a21e-d673f463d31f https://share.transistor.fm/s/82dfb9ee Key Points:

  • How Brian got started with Attentive (01:04)
  • My thoughts on the advantages of being vertical-specific with a quote from Steve Blank (02:52)
  • Brian explains the competitive landscape Attentive was playing in at the start (04:23)
  • Why selling should start with identifying the major problems facing your target customers (05:30)
  • I discuss how to identify your customer's pain points and use that knowledge to outsell your competitors (06:15)
  • Brian shares how Attentive saw early success with their outbound sales efforts (07:21)
  • My thoughts on staying relevant to your customers (10:39)
  • How Attentive is approaching a competitive landscape that is changing faster than ever before (13:49)
  • I explain the importance of keeping up with an ever-evolving competitive landscape with a quote from LinkedIn's Jeff Weiner (15:04)
  • Brian explains his strategy for getting accurate customer feedback (19:10)
  • I unpack why customer feedback is so important in the era of saturated markets with a quote from Databox's Peter Caputa (22:51)
  • Brian describes Attentive's website messaging strategy, and where he thinks others go wrong (24:53)
  • My advice on choosing your website messaging strategy, and why you should test your messaging (26:14)
  • Brian's advice for other founders and CEOs (27:25)
  • Wrap up (28:56)

Mentioned:

Brian Long LinkedIn

Brian Long Twitter

Attentive LinkedIn

Attentive Website

Steve Blank LinkedIn

Jeff Weiner LinkedIn

How building methodically is helping Peter Caputa and Databox disrupt the business marketing analytics industry


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How Brian got started with Attentive (01:04)
  • My thoughts on the advantages of being vertical-specific with a quote from Steve Blank (02:52)
  • Brian explains the competitive landscape Attentive was playing in at the start (04:23)
  • Why selling should start with identifying the major problems facing your target customers (05:30)
  • I discuss how to identify your customer's pain points and use that knowledge to outsell your competitors (06:15)
  • Brian shares how Attentive saw early success with their outbound sales efforts (07:21)
  • My thoughts on staying relevant to your customers (10:39)
  • How Attentive is approaching a competitive landscape that is changing faster than ever before (13:49)
  • I explain the importance of keeping up with an ever-evolving competitive landscape with a quote from LinkedIn's Jeff Weiner (15:04)
  • Brian explains his strategy for getting accurate customer feedback (19:10)
  • I unpack why customer feedback is so important in the era of saturated markets with a quote from Databox's Peter Caputa (22:51)
  • Brian describes Attentive's website messaging strategy, and where he thinks others go wrong (24:53)
  • My advice on choosing your website messaging strategy, and why you should test your messaging (26:14)
  • Brian's advice for other founders and CEOs (27:25)
  • Wrap up (28:56)

Mentioned:

Brian Long LinkedIn

Brian Long Twitter

Attentive LinkedIn

Attentive Website

Steve Blank LinkedIn

Jeff Weiner LinkedIn

How building methodically is helping Peter Caputa and Databox disrupt the business marketing analytics industry


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 23 May 2022 08:00:54 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1830 This week on How to Win: Brian Long, co-founder and CEO of Attentive, an SMS marketing solution. Since being founded in 2016, Attentive had grown to over 1300 employees and recently raised $470M in Series E funding with a total of $866M raised to date. In this episode, we discuss Attentive's vertical focus, obsession with customer feedback, and success with their outbound sales efforts. I share my thoughts on playing in market verticals, adjusting to a rapidly evolving competitive landscape, and how startups should be thinking about their website messaging. This week on How to Win: Brian Long, co-founder and CEO of Attentive, an SMS marketing solution. Since being founded in 2016, Attentive had grown to over 1300 employees and recently raised $470M in Series E funding with a total of $866M raised to date. In saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Winning in a large target market with Cognism's James Isilay 1 1 38 38 Winning in a large target market with Cognism's James Isilay full 404a0c42-b44a-4343-9e39-876f11e7e49a https://share.transistor.fm/s/a8981e7a Key Points:

  • James explains how his trading background led him to founding Cognism (01:04)
  • Cognism's first major pivot (02:25)
  • My thoughts on early pivots with a quote from Eric Ries (03:39)
  • James describes how Cognism's market size meant there was plenty of growth opportunity, despite competition (06:24)
  • I explain the advantage of starting your business outside the hyper-competitive US market with a quote from Jean-René Boidron (07:18)
  • James talks through why friendly, warm relationships with your early customers is key (08:53)
  • My opinion on networking and why you should begin marketing efforts years before your product is available (09:57)
  • I unpack why even mediocre companies can succeed if they have excellent product-market fit, with a quote from Wealthfront's Andy Rachleff (12:28)
  • James discusses the importance of mentorship (13:28)
  • My advice on seeking out mentors (14:21)
  • Why Cognism did things in the early days that wouldn't scale, with a quote from Y Combinator's Paul Graham (16:26)
  • My thoughts on building out your brand narrative once you've identified your competitive edge (18:55)
  • James describes the moats Cognism is building for the future (23:57)
  • Advice James would give to fellow SaaS founders (26:40)
  • Wrap up (28:09)

Mentioned:

James Isilay LinkedIn

James Isilay Twitter

Cognism LinkedIn

Cognism Website

Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Expanding internationally into market openings with Kameleoon's Jean-René Boidron

Andy Rachleff LinkedIn

Paul Graham Twitter


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • James explains how his trading background led him to founding Cognism (01:04)
  • Cognism's first major pivot (02:25)
  • My thoughts on early pivots with a quote from Eric Ries (03:39)
  • James describes how Cognism's market size meant there was plenty of growth opportunity, despite competition (06:24)
  • I explain the advantage of starting your business outside the hyper-competitive US market with a quote from Jean-René Boidron (07:18)
  • James talks through why friendly, warm relationships with your early customers is key (08:53)
  • My opinion on networking and why you should begin marketing efforts years before your product is available (09:57)
  • I unpack why even mediocre companies can succeed if they have excellent product-market fit, with a quote from Wealthfront's Andy Rachleff (12:28)
  • James discusses the importance of mentorship (13:28)
  • My advice on seeking out mentors (14:21)
  • Why Cognism did things in the early days that wouldn't scale, with a quote from Y Combinator's Paul Graham (16:26)
  • My thoughts on building out your brand narrative once you've identified your competitive edge (18:55)
  • James describes the moats Cognism is building for the future (23:57)
  • Advice James would give to fellow SaaS founders (26:40)
  • Wrap up (28:09)

Mentioned:

James Isilay LinkedIn

James Isilay Twitter

Cognism LinkedIn

Cognism Website

Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Expanding internationally into market openings with Kameleoon's Jean-René Boidron

Andy Rachleff LinkedIn

Paul Graham Twitter


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 16 May 2022 03:32:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1773 This week on How to Win: James Isilay, co-founder and CEO of Cognism, a sales intelligence and data platform. Founded in 2015, Cognism has seen explosive growth, going from $13.6M to $31M in revenue in the last year alone and sitting at over 320 employees. In this episode, we discuss the advantages of choosing a large target market and an essential product, and James explains how Cognism is targeting their ideal customer with a focused brand narrative. I share my thoughts on the "dos and don'ts" of mentorship, pivoting in the early days of your business, and how to tell the story of what makes your company unique. This week on How to Win: James Isilay, co-founder and CEO of Cognism, a sales intelligence and data platform. Founded in 2015, Cognism has seen explosive growth, going from $13.6M to $31M in revenue in the last year alone and sitting at over 320 employees saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Marketing a movement over a product with Terminus' Sangram Vajre 1 1 37 37 Marketing a movement over a product with Terminus' Sangram Vajre full 5091ee09-1ceb-4686-8722-6aa496446774 https://share.transistor.fm/s/a814cda7 Key Points:

  • Sangram explains the problem he identified that inspired Terminus (01:00)
  • How Sangram developed the FlipMyFunnel framework in Terminus' first year (02:31)
  • My thoughts on community creation as a moat (04:37)
  • I explain the benefits of developing your company around a clear point of view (07:19)
  • Why Terminus defined their category as account base marketing, rather than the narrower niche of account-based advertising (08:19)
  • I unpack the importance of having both focus and broader resilience in your company with a quote from Strava's Mark Gainey (09:44)
  • Sangram describes three stages companies go through: problem-market fit, product-market fit, and platform-market fit (11:39)
  • Terminus' approach to acquisition (14:00)
  • I describe the advantages of growing via acquisition with a quote from Cisco's former Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Padmasree Warrior (15:40)
  • How Terminus continued to build demand through community events (18:58)
  • I explain why having a strong point of view is so compelling, with a quote from Celonis' Dave Peterson (20:36)
  • Why Terminus embraces competitors as a sign of a healthy category (22:28)
  • Why creating a new subcategory may be easier than winning a brand preference war (25:10)
  • Wrap up (31:59)

Mentioned:

Sangram Vajre LinkedIn

Sangram Vajre Twitter

Terminus LinkedIn

Terminus Website

Mark Gainey LinkedIn

Padmasree Warrior LinkedIn

Dave Peterson LinkedIn

MailChimp

August

Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity by Frank Slootman


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Sangram explains the problem he identified that inspired Terminus (01:00)
  • How Sangram developed the FlipMyFunnel framework in Terminus' first year (02:31)
  • My thoughts on community creation as a moat (04:37)
  • I explain the benefits of developing your company around a clear point of view (07:19)
  • Why Terminus defined their category as account base marketing, rather than the narrower niche of account-based advertising (08:19)
  • I unpack the importance of having both focus and broader resilience in your company with a quote from Strava's Mark Gainey (09:44)
  • Sangram describes three stages companies go through: problem-market fit, product-market fit, and platform-market fit (11:39)
  • Terminus' approach to acquisition (14:00)
  • I describe the advantages of growing via acquisition with a quote from Cisco's former Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Padmasree Warrior (15:40)
  • How Terminus continued to build demand through community events (18:58)
  • I explain why having a strong point of view is so compelling, with a quote from Celonis' Dave Peterson (20:36)
  • Why Terminus embraces competitors as a sign of a healthy category (22:28)
  • Why creating a new subcategory may be easier than winning a brand preference war (25:10)
  • Wrap up (31:59)

Mentioned:

Sangram Vajre LinkedIn

Sangram Vajre Twitter

Terminus LinkedIn

Terminus Website

Mark Gainey LinkedIn

Padmasree Warrior LinkedIn

Dave Peterson LinkedIn

MailChimp

August

Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity by Frank Slootman


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 09 May 2022 03:13:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2027 This week on How to Win: Sangram Vajre, co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Terminus, an account based marketing platform. Terminus was founded in 2014 and experienced exponential growth after hitting $1M in ARR in their first year. Since then, they have acquired five companies and have expanded to around 350 employees. In this episode, Sangram describes how Terminus created a category by starting a movement with a clear point of view, and the strategies they have used since to boost their success. I share my thoughts on community creation, why having a well-articulated point of view is compelling, and the importance of having both focus and resilience in your organization. This week on How to Win: Sangram Vajre, co-founder and Chief Evangelist of Terminus, an account based marketing platform. Terminus was founded in 2014 and experienced exponential growth after hitting $1M in ARR in their first year. Since then, they have a saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Aligning your business to your customers' interests with HoneyBook's Oz Alon 1 1 36 36 Aligning your business to your customers' interests with HoneyBook's Oz Alon full ef464f7c-6954-43c5-8a48-760b2363b9ba https://share.transistor.fm/s/25537a77 Key Points:

  • How HoneyBook got its start (00:58)
  • Oz explains why he views competitors as incentive for improvement (02:27)
  • Why HoneyBook is shifting strategies to invest in category creation (04:31)
  • My thoughts on category and subcategory creation with a quote from Guillaume Cabane (06:08)
  • I explain why choosing an ideal customer and being the best at catering to their specific needs is a winning strategy (11:51)
  • Oz relates what he learned from HoneyBook's failed experiments (12:45)
  • I discuss the experimenter's mindset, with a quote from author Annie Duke (14:04)
  • Oz maps out the four main sales channels that are productive for HoneyBook (15:59)
  • I explain why word of mouth is the most important channel for B2B marketers with a quote from Metadata's Jason Widup (19:53)
  • Oz explains HoneyBook's obsession with their customers, and why he feels that gives them a competitive advantage (22:00)
  • My thoughts on the value of doing things that don't scale in the early days of your business, with a quote from Airbnb's Joe Gebbia (25:11)
  • Oz advises founders to focus on aligning their business models with their customers' interests (29:11)
  • Wrap up (30:40)

Mentioned:

Oz Alon LinkedIn

HoneyBook LinkedIn

HoneyBook Website

Figma Website

Klaviyo Website

Gorgias

How Guillaume 'G' Cabane identifies growth opportunities for businesses

"Thinking in Bets" by Annie Duke

Jason Widup

Metadata Website

Joe Gebbia Twitter

Airbnb Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How HoneyBook got its start (00:58)
  • Oz explains why he views competitors as incentive for improvement (02:27)
  • Why HoneyBook is shifting strategies to invest in category creation (04:31)
  • My thoughts on category and subcategory creation with a quote from Guillaume Cabane (06:08)
  • I explain why choosing an ideal customer and being the best at catering to their specific needs is a winning strategy (11:51)
  • Oz relates what he learned from HoneyBook's failed experiments (12:45)
  • I discuss the experimenter's mindset, with a quote from author Annie Duke (14:04)
  • Oz maps out the four main sales channels that are productive for HoneyBook (15:59)
  • I explain why word of mouth is the most important channel for B2B marketers with a quote from Metadata's Jason Widup (19:53)
  • Oz explains HoneyBook's obsession with their customers, and why he feels that gives them a competitive advantage (22:00)
  • My thoughts on the value of doing things that don't scale in the early days of your business, with a quote from Airbnb's Joe Gebbia (25:11)
  • Oz advises founders to focus on aligning their business models with their customers' interests (29:11)
  • Wrap up (30:40)

Mentioned:

Oz Alon LinkedIn

HoneyBook LinkedIn

HoneyBook Website

Figma Website

Klaviyo Website

Gorgias

How Guillaume 'G' Cabane identifies growth opportunities for businesses

"Thinking in Bets" by Annie Duke

Jason Widup

Metadata Website

Joe Gebbia Twitter

Airbnb Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 02 May 2022 03:13:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1954 This week on How to Win: Oz Alon, founder and CEO of HoneyBook, a client management software for small businesses. Founded in 2013, HoneyBook recently completed their Series E funding valued at $2.4B. In this episode, we discuss HoneyBook's obsession with their customers, and how they stayed ahead of competitors by aligning their product with the interests of their target audience, supporting them initially in ways that wouldn't scale. I share my thoughts on category creation, the experimenter's mindset, and why word of mouth is the most important channel for B2B marketers. This week on How to Win: Oz Alon, founder and CEO of HoneyBook, a client management software for small businesses. Founded in 2013, HoneyBook recently completed their Series E funding valued at $2.4B. In this episode, we discuss HoneyBook's obsession with saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter 1 1 35 35 Playing to your strengths and strengthening your brand identity with Seismic's Doug Winter full b4bdb0d7-7a38-41e0-8dd2-deaa9d1a45a6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/1cc28e72 Key Points:

  • Doug explains how Seismic's founders saw a market opening (00:55)
  • How Seismic created a category and helped define a new word (02:43)
  • How the founders played to their strengths and industry experience (04:37)
  • My thoughts on founders playing to their strengths, and a quote from Unqork's Gary Hoberman (06:38)
  • How Seismic achieved product-market fit (08:35)
  • I explain why you need to be the best at something specific if you want to win (09:28)
  • "Contacts become contract" and a quote from YC's Michael Seibel (11:08)
  • Why Doug believes the saying "only the paranoid survive" (13:11)
  • How Seismic usurped the category leaders by acquiring them (14:36)
  • My thoughts on creating categories and subcategories with a quote from Prof. David Aaker (16:05)
  • Why Seismic is so focused on keeping their customers happy to avoid commoditization (19:14)
  • Doug's thoughts on staying true to your brand identity (20:47)
  • I explain the importance of prioritizing brand identity (21:50)
  • Seismic's acquisition strategy (25:00)
  • My thoughts on strategic acquisitions with a quote from LegalZoom's John Suh (26:27)
  • Wrap up (31:35)

Mentioned:

Doug Winter LinkedIn

Seismic LinkedIn

Seismic Website

Establishing authority via industry experience with Unqork’s Gary Hoberman

Michael Seibel LinkedIn

Professor David Aaker

John Suh LinkedIn

LegalZoom


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Doug explains how Seismic's founders saw a market opening (00:55)
  • How Seismic created a category and helped define a new word (02:43)
  • How the founders played to their strengths and industry experience (04:37)
  • My thoughts on founders playing to their strengths, and a quote from Unqork's Gary Hoberman (06:38)
  • How Seismic achieved product-market fit (08:35)
  • I explain why you need to be the best at something specific if you want to win (09:28)
  • "Contacts become contract" and a quote from YC's Michael Seibel (11:08)
  • Why Doug believes the saying "only the paranoid survive" (13:11)
  • How Seismic usurped the category leaders by acquiring them (14:36)
  • My thoughts on creating categories and subcategories with a quote from Prof. David Aaker (16:05)
  • Why Seismic is so focused on keeping their customers happy to avoid commoditization (19:14)
  • Doug's thoughts on staying true to your brand identity (20:47)
  • I explain the importance of prioritizing brand identity (21:50)
  • Seismic's acquisition strategy (25:00)
  • My thoughts on strategic acquisitions with a quote from LegalZoom's John Suh (26:27)
  • Wrap up (31:35)

Mentioned:

Doug Winter LinkedIn

Seismic LinkedIn

Seismic Website

Establishing authority via industry experience with Unqork’s Gary Hoberman

Michael Seibel LinkedIn

Professor David Aaker

John Suh LinkedIn

LegalZoom


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 25 Apr 2022 10:39:21 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2009 This week on How to Win: Doug Winter, co-founder and CEO of Seismic, a sales enablement platform that helps teams become more productive and engage with buyers in more compelling ways. Founded in 2010, Seismic has expanded globally, with offices in North America, Australia, and Europe. Today, Seismic boasts 1300 employees and a $280M ARR run rate. In this episode, Doug shares how Seismic achieved success by committing to keeping their specific subset of customers extremely happy, and by staying true to their brand identity. I share my thoughts on understanding your strengths as a founder, why maintaining a strong network will help in the early days of growing a business, and the power of a crystal clear brand identity. This week on How to Win: Doug Winter, co-founder and CEO of Seismic, a sales enablement platform that helps teams become more productive and engage with buyers in more compelling ways. Founded in 2010, Seismic has expanded globally, with offices in North saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Expanding internationally into market openings with Kameleoon's Jean-René Boidron 1 1 34 34 Expanding internationally into market openings with Kameleoon's Jean-René Boidron full b4e66b65-2471-40d3-90eb-fc5feebb3cc0 https://share.transistor.fm/s/8b1c17e6 Key Points:

  • Jean-René explains how Kameleoon got its start (01:07)
  • How Kameleoon got an advantage by establishing itself outside of the dominant North American market (02:40)
  • My thoughts on finding market openings and targeting a specific set of customers (05:34)
  • Why Kameleoon keeps its core strategy the same globally, which some localized differences (07:00)
  • I explain the advantages of being more local with a quote from Prof. Richard Lynch (09:06)
  • Jean-René explains the market verticals Kameleoon is focused on (13:22)
  • Why word of mouth is a pillar of Kameleoon's marketing strategy (15:27)
  • I explain why building mental availability is essential to generating more word of mouth (16:42)
  • Why Kameleoon prefers to go "slow in the right direction" over "fast in the wrong one" (18:04)
  • My thoughts on why product differentiation is important, but not enough to win you the game, with a quote from Gong's Chris Orlob (19:16)
  • Jean-René explains why smaller markets don't see as much commoditization as large ones (21:43)
  • Why Kameleoon was hesitant to rely on lots of VC funding in the early days (24:46)
  • My thoughts on the challenges of over-funding startups with a quote from Jason Calacanis (26:23)
  • Wrap up (28:57)

Mentioned:

Jean-René Boidron LinkedIn

Jean-René Boidron Twitter

Kameleoon LinkedIn 

Kameleoon Website

VWO

Optimizely

Salesforce

Baidu

Prof. Richard Lynch Website

Gong

Chris Orlob LinkedIn

Jason Calacanis LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Jean-René explains how Kameleoon got its start (01:07)
  • How Kameleoon got an advantage by establishing itself outside of the dominant North American market (02:40)
  • My thoughts on finding market openings and targeting a specific set of customers (05:34)
  • Why Kameleoon keeps its core strategy the same globally, which some localized differences (07:00)
  • I explain the advantages of being more local with a quote from Prof. Richard Lynch (09:06)
  • Jean-René explains the market verticals Kameleoon is focused on (13:22)
  • Why word of mouth is a pillar of Kameleoon's marketing strategy (15:27)
  • I explain why building mental availability is essential to generating more word of mouth (16:42)
  • Why Kameleoon prefers to go "slow in the right direction" over "fast in the wrong one" (18:04)
  • My thoughts on why product differentiation is important, but not enough to win you the game, with a quote from Gong's Chris Orlob (19:16)
  • Jean-René explains why smaller markets don't see as much commoditization as large ones (21:43)
  • Why Kameleoon was hesitant to rely on lots of VC funding in the early days (24:46)
  • My thoughts on the challenges of over-funding startups with a quote from Jason Calacanis (26:23)
  • Wrap up (28:57)

Mentioned:

Jean-René Boidron LinkedIn

Jean-René Boidron Twitter

Kameleoon LinkedIn 

Kameleoon Website

VWO

Optimizely

Salesforce

Baidu

Prof. Richard Lynch Website

Gong

Chris Orlob LinkedIn

Jason Calacanis LinkedIn


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 19 Apr 2022 07:18:09 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1838 This week on How to Win: Jean-René Boidron, President and CEO at Kameleoon, an A/B testing, full-stack, and personalization platform that provides fast, secure solutions to help enterprise teams maximize customer engagement and conversion. Founded out of France in 2012, Kameleoon is now a global company with a team of over 185 employees, serving over 500 brands worldwide. In this episode, Jean-René walks us through the decision to focus on non-English speaking market openings before expanding globally, and why Kameleoon has chosen to raise brand awareness via prioritizing product quality, betting that a high quality product will generate more word of mouth. I share my thoughts on making the most of market openings, why being more local can be a strong competitive strategy, and why product differentiation is important, but no longer enough on its own. This week on How to Win: Jean-René Boidron, President and CEO at Kameleoon, an A/B testing, full-stack, and personalization platform that provides fast, secure solutions to help enterprise teams maximize customer engagement and conversion. Founded out of saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Acting and adapting quickly with CaptivateIQ’s Mark Schopmeyer 1 1 33 33 Acting and adapting quickly with CaptivateIQ’s Mark Schopmeyer full ea2b9183-d27b-4b4d-8109-333b1b47f281 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b25cf3d4 Key Points:

  • Mark explains how CaptivateIQ's co-founders came from the problem (01:03)
  • Mark explains why CaptivateIQ went through three distinct versions early in the company's life (06:25)
  • My thoughts on why it is better to launch a product before it is ready, rather than be too late (07:00)
  • Why CaptivateIQ had such early success with an outbound sales movement (08:17)
  • I explain why you should invest in people who have skillsets you don't, with a quote from Alibaba's Jack Ma (10:10)
  • Mark talks through CaptivateIQ's inbound sales efforts (12:18)
  • I weigh in on why content marketing is so important, and why companies can no longer rely on review sites to fuel sales (13:09)
  • Mark explains CaptivateIQ's dedication to innovation in order to stay ahead of the competition (16:54)
  • My thoughts on why companies need to bet on things far into the future, with a quote from Harvard Professor David Collis (18:54)
  • Mark advises founders just starting out to focus on the core problem and avoid distractions (24:09)
  • Wrap up (27:17)

Mentioned:

Mark Schopmeyer LinkedIn

CaptivateIQ Website

CaptivateIQ LinkedIn

Reed Hoffman LinkedIn

Jack Ma Twitter

Alibaba Website

Prof. David Collis Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Mark explains how CaptivateIQ's co-founders came from the problem (01:03)
  • Mark explains why CaptivateIQ went through three distinct versions early in the company's life (06:25)
  • My thoughts on why it is better to launch a product before it is ready, rather than be too late (07:00)
  • Why CaptivateIQ had such early success with an outbound sales movement (08:17)
  • I explain why you should invest in people who have skillsets you don't, with a quote from Alibaba's Jack Ma (10:10)
  • Mark talks through CaptivateIQ's inbound sales efforts (12:18)
  • I weigh in on why content marketing is so important, and why companies can no longer rely on review sites to fuel sales (13:09)
  • Mark explains CaptivateIQ's dedication to innovation in order to stay ahead of the competition (16:54)
  • My thoughts on why companies need to bet on things far into the future, with a quote from Harvard Professor David Collis (18:54)
  • Mark advises founders just starting out to focus on the core problem and avoid distractions (24:09)
  • Wrap up (27:17)

Mentioned:

Mark Schopmeyer LinkedIn

CaptivateIQ Website

CaptivateIQ LinkedIn

Reed Hoffman LinkedIn

Jack Ma Twitter

Alibaba Website

Prof. David Collis Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2022 08:58:39 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1710 This week on How to Win: Mark Schopmeyer, co-founder and co-CEO at CaptivateIQ, a commission management platform built to help teams power their incentive programs. Founded in 2017, CaptivateIQ has since expanded to 250 employees. They have just closed their Series C Funding with $100M, now sitting at a total of $165 million total throughout all rounds, raised at a valuation of $1.25B. In this episode, Mark explains why they sped into launching a version of the product that has since seen two more versions aimed at increased scalability, how they have aligned as a company through a deep understanding of the job to be done, and what early hiring bets have played off for them in the long run. I share my thoughts on why it's okay to launch with a version of your product that isn't quite ready yet, why you should consider hiring people who are smarter and better than you in their areas of expertise, and why innovation is an important strategic element for any company looking to stick around for the long run. This week on How to Win: Mark Schopmeyer, co-founder and co-CEO at CaptivateIQ, a commission management platform built to help teams power their incentive programs. Founded in 2017, CaptivateIQ has since expanded to 250 employees. They have just closed th saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Laying the foundation for rapid growth with Oyster’s Tony Jamous 1 1 32 32 Laying the foundation for rapid growth with Oyster’s Tony Jamous full 304df03a-8042-49e8-8fb8-21e3df263bee https://share.transistor.fm/s/b1e22c52 Key Points:

  • Tony describes the opportunity in the market he saw for a company like Oyster (01:05)
  • My thoughts on speed as a competitive advantage with a quote from Hopin's Johnny Boufarhat (04:35)
  • How Oyster managed to scale fast when met with massive demand (07:25)
  • Tony describes Oyster's internal recruitment strategies (08:40)
  • My thoughts on what makes a winning company culture, with a quote from Sequoia Capital's Alfred Lin (10:06)
  • Why Oyster is obsessed with being the best employer, and enabling their customers to be that too (13:56)
  • How an ambitious mission statement is helping Oyster win customers' hearts and minds (15:31)
  • I explain the value of a strong mission statement, with a quote from Patagonia's Vincent Stanley (16:34)
  • Why Oyster emphasizes practicing what they preach and being an HR gold standard (19:13)
  • Tony explains the factors that drove Oyster's rapid growth (21:40)
  • I explain the advantage of joining a booming marketing with high demand (22:56)
  • Why Oyster hired a Series F team for a Series B company (23:49)
  • Wrap up (26:30)

Mentioned:

Tony Jamous LinkedIn

Tony Jamous Twitter

Oyster Website

Oyster LinkedIn

David Sacks LinkedIn

Hopin Website

Johnny Boufarhat LinkedIn

Alfred Lin LinkedIn

Vincent Stanley Website

Patagonia Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Tony describes the opportunity in the market he saw for a company like Oyster (01:05)
  • My thoughts on speed as a competitive advantage with a quote from Hopin's Johnny Boufarhat (04:35)
  • How Oyster managed to scale fast when met with massive demand (07:25)
  • Tony describes Oyster's internal recruitment strategies (08:40)
  • My thoughts on what makes a winning company culture, with a quote from Sequoia Capital's Alfred Lin (10:06)
  • Why Oyster is obsessed with being the best employer, and enabling their customers to be that too (13:56)
  • How an ambitious mission statement is helping Oyster win customers' hearts and minds (15:31)
  • I explain the value of a strong mission statement, with a quote from Patagonia's Vincent Stanley (16:34)
  • Why Oyster emphasizes practicing what they preach and being an HR gold standard (19:13)
  • Tony explains the factors that drove Oyster's rapid growth (21:40)
  • I explain the advantage of joining a booming marketing with high demand (22:56)
  • Why Oyster hired a Series F team for a Series B company (23:49)
  • Wrap up (26:30)

Mentioned:

Tony Jamous LinkedIn

Tony Jamous Twitter

Oyster Website

Oyster LinkedIn

David Sacks LinkedIn

Hopin Website

Johnny Boufarhat LinkedIn

Alfred Lin LinkedIn

Vincent Stanley Website

Patagonia Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 04 Apr 2022 04:43:14 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1694 This week on How to Win: Tony Jamous, co-founder and CEO at Oyster, an HR platform for hiring and managing a distributed team of remote workers. Founded just two years ago in 2020, Oyster has experience hyper-growth and now sits at over 300 team members, having raised both Series A and Series B funding in 2021 for a combined total of over $70M. In this episode, Tony shares how Oyster built a team and company culture that allowed them to act fast and scale quickly when the opportunity arose, and why having a strong, mission-oriented narrative permeate all aspects of the business has been key to their success. I share my thoughts on how to optimize for speed, why understanding the culture you want for your company is important both internally and publicly, and how a clear mission statement can be a powerful rallying cry to your audience. This week on How to Win: Tony Jamous, co-founder and CEO at Oyster, an HR platform for hiring and managing a distributed team of remote workers. Founded just two years ago in 2020, Oyster has experience hyper-growth and now sits at over 300 team members, saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Creating a growth-driving community with dbt Labs’ Tristan Handy 1 1 31 31 Creating a growth-driving community with dbt Labs’ Tristan Handy full ba8bf4de-fd4c-4a8e-9a8b-761d50521747 https://share.transistor.fm/s/daddff19 Key Points:

  • How dbt got its start as a consulting service (01:04)
  • Four key factors in a successful transition from consulting service to SaaS company (03:37)
  • Tristan explains why the services team at dbt remains strategic (08:55)
  • dbt's three main sales motions (10:00)
  • How dbt's massive Slack community aids their growth (10:53)
  • My thoughts on creating a successful community with a quote from Lemlist's Guillaume Moubeche (11:38)
  • Tristan explains dbt's unusual relationship with their competition (14:48)
  • dbt's open source business model (16:50)
  • I talk about what you need to consider with an open source business model, with a quote from Cloudera's founder, Mike Olsen (17:34)
  • Why Tristan believes community driven companies must be advancing the conversation in their field to succeed (21:17)
  • Tristan explains dbt Labs' marketing efforts (22:49)
  • dbt's approach to meet-ups and conferences (23:27)
  • I explain what I see as the true value of meet-ups and conferences with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (24:30)
  • Creating trust at scale (26:45)
  • Wrap up (28:10)

Mentioned:

Tristan Handy LinkedIn

Tristan Handy Twitter

dbt Labs LinkedIn

dbt Labs Website

Slack

Lemlist

Guillaume Moubeche LinkedIn

How mental availability helped Guillaume Moubeche grow Lemlist from $0 to $10 million in revenue

Mike Olsen LinkedIn

Cloudera 

David Cancel LinkedIn

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How dbt got its start as a consulting service (01:04)
  • Four key factors in a successful transition from consulting service to SaaS company (03:37)
  • Tristan explains why the services team at dbt remains strategic (08:55)
  • dbt's three main sales motions (10:00)
  • How dbt's massive Slack community aids their growth (10:53)
  • My thoughts on creating a successful community with a quote from Lemlist's Guillaume Moubeche (11:38)
  • Tristan explains dbt's unusual relationship with their competition (14:48)
  • dbt's open source business model (16:50)
  • I talk about what you need to consider with an open source business model, with a quote from Cloudera's founder, Mike Olsen (17:34)
  • Why Tristan believes community driven companies must be advancing the conversation in their field to succeed (21:17)
  • Tristan explains dbt Labs' marketing efforts (22:49)
  • dbt's approach to meet-ups and conferences (23:27)
  • I explain what I see as the true value of meet-ups and conferences with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (24:30)
  • Creating trust at scale (26:45)
  • Wrap up (28:10)

Mentioned:

Tristan Handy LinkedIn

Tristan Handy Twitter

dbt Labs LinkedIn

dbt Labs Website

Slack

Lemlist

Guillaume Moubeche LinkedIn

How mental availability helped Guillaume Moubeche grow Lemlist from $0 to $10 million in revenue

Mike Olsen LinkedIn

Cloudera 

David Cancel LinkedIn

Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 28 Mar 2022 05:57:46 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1806 This week on How to Win: Tristan Handy, founder and CEO of dbt Labs, an open source data transformation tool that allows data teams to quickly produce trusted data sets. Founded in 2016, dbt Labs has grown from a small consulting service to a SaaS product company now valued at $4.2 billion with a thriving Slack community of over 25 000 members. In this episode, Tristan explains how dbt found so much success through community-led growth and the challenges and opportunities to be found with an open source model. I share my thoughts on how to successfully transition from a consulting service to a SaaS business, and different ways to think about monetizing open source models. This week on How to Win: Tristan Handy, founder and CEO of dbt Labs, an open source data transformation tool that allows data teams to quickly produce trusted data sets. Founded in 2016, dbt Labs has grown from a small consulting service to a SaaS product saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Introducing new "must-haves" to the market with Klue’s Jason Smith 1 1 30 30 Introducing new "must-haves" to the market with Klue’s Jason Smith full 3cf14e66-d716-47c2-ac3d-9ededffb0b7b https://share.transistor.fm/s/39bc2849 Key Points:

  • Jason explains Klue's backstory (01:03)
  • My thoughts finding an opening in the market and and creating a new "job to be done" (03:47)
  • The three areas Jason focused on to get Klue to its first million (06:20)
  • I discuss the importance of customer research (09:10)
  • Jason explains how Klue educated the market about competitive enablement (10:05)
  • My thoughts on creating new "must-haves" to establish subcategories (11:23)
  • Jason explains how Klue is differentiating through authenticity (16:09)
  • Jason unpacks why market maturity is contributing to Klue's growth (16:56)
  • I talk about why proof and case studies are such powerful marketing tools (19:04)
  • Why Klue took their time expanding downmarket (20:44)
  • Jason explains why the bulk of Klue's VC funding is going to product development (22:50)
  • I explain why customer data should inform your integration choices (25:08)
  • My thoughts on why authenticity is a strong angle to differentiate with (28:38)
  • Jason explains why elevating the category is the ideal moat (29:23)
  • Wrap up (31:04)

Mentioned:

Jason Smith LinkedIn

Jason Smith Twitter

Klue Website

Klue LinkedIn

Klayvio Website

Convertkit Website

Clayton Christensen Website

David Aaker LinkedIn

Wade Foster LinkedIn

Zapier Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Jason explains Klue's backstory (01:03)
  • My thoughts finding an opening in the market and and creating a new "job to be done" (03:47)
  • The three areas Jason focused on to get Klue to its first million (06:20)
  • I discuss the importance of customer research (09:10)
  • Jason explains how Klue educated the market about competitive enablement (10:05)
  • My thoughts on creating new "must-haves" to establish subcategories (11:23)
  • Jason explains how Klue is differentiating through authenticity (16:09)
  • Jason unpacks why market maturity is contributing to Klue's growth (16:56)
  • I talk about why proof and case studies are such powerful marketing tools (19:04)
  • Why Klue took their time expanding downmarket (20:44)
  • Jason explains why the bulk of Klue's VC funding is going to product development (22:50)
  • I explain why customer data should inform your integration choices (25:08)
  • My thoughts on why authenticity is a strong angle to differentiate with (28:38)
  • Jason explains why elevating the category is the ideal moat (29:23)
  • Wrap up (31:04)

Mentioned:

Jason Smith LinkedIn

Jason Smith Twitter

Klue Website

Klue LinkedIn

Klayvio Website

Convertkit Website

Clayton Christensen Website

David Aaker LinkedIn

Wade Foster LinkedIn

Zapier Website


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1982 This week on How to Win: Jason Smith, co-founder and CEO of Klue, a competitive enablement software company. Since being founded in 2015, Klue has doubled or tripled every year and is now well into double digits in ARR with over 180 employees. In this episode, Jason shares how Klue designed their product with the value proposition of making their customers look good, and how they introduced a new "must-have" to the market, creating a subcategory. I share my thoughts on why observing consumer behavior to identify "jobs to be done" is key, why case studies and data are powerful marketing tools, and the pitfalls of focusing on what integrations and features ARE rather than what they allow you to DO. This week on How to Win: Jason Smith, co-founder and CEO of Klue, a competitive enablement software company. Since being founded in 2015, Klue has doubled or tripled every year and is now well into double digits in ARR with over 180 employees. In this epi saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Competing in a Crowded Space with Omnisend's Rytis Lauris 1 1 29 29 Competing in a Crowded Space with Omnisend's Rytis Lauris full 9c134188-7307-4519-9110-f86a2bc336bd https://share.transistor.fm/s/a8d2e531 Key Points:

  • Rytis explains the opening he saw in the market when starting Omnisend (01:13)
  • My thoughts on the importance of speed when entering a category without established competition (03:38)
  • The strategies that won Omnisend their first 100 000 customers (06:31)
  • Rytis describes Omnisend’s profitable agency partner program (07:37)
  • I discuss why partner programs can be difficult to pull off, and what agency partner are looking for (09:03)
  • Rytis explains how original research fuels Omnisend’s content strategy (10:31)
  • My thoughts on the benefits of original research in online content (11:47)
  • Rytis unpacks Omnisend’s pricing strategy (16:32)
  • I describe the advantages of being either the high or low-cost option in your market (17:46)
  • Rytis explains why bootstrapping the company gave Omnisend a competitive advantage (18:37)
  • My thoughts on the downsides of VC funding if your growth can’t catch up to your spend (19:22)
  • I explain why you need to be better AND different to compete in a saturated space (21:30)
  • Rytis explains the contributing factors in Omnisend’s rapid growth over the last two years (22:35)
  • I discuss how the law of double jeopardy benefits large companies (25:19)
  • Wrap up (29:11)

Mentioned:

Rytis Lauris LinkedIn

Rytis Lauris Twitter

Omnisend Website

Omnisend LinkedIn

Peter Caputa LinkedIn

Databox Website

Michele Linn LinkedIn

Mantis Research Website

Paul Dyson LinkedIn

Data2Decisions Website

How Shopify's Morgan Brown helps them stay ahead of the competition


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Rytis explains the opening he saw in the market when starting Omnisend (01:13)
  • My thoughts on the importance of speed when entering a category without established competition (03:38)
  • The strategies that won Omnisend their first 100 000 customers (06:31)
  • Rytis describes Omnisend’s profitable agency partner program (07:37)
  • I discuss why partner programs can be difficult to pull off, and what agency partner are looking for (09:03)
  • Rytis explains how original research fuels Omnisend’s content strategy (10:31)
  • My thoughts on the benefits of original research in online content (11:47)
  • Rytis unpacks Omnisend’s pricing strategy (16:32)
  • I describe the advantages of being either the high or low-cost option in your market (17:46)
  • Rytis explains why bootstrapping the company gave Omnisend a competitive advantage (18:37)
  • My thoughts on the downsides of VC funding if your growth can’t catch up to your spend (19:22)
  • I explain why you need to be better AND different to compete in a saturated space (21:30)
  • Rytis explains the contributing factors in Omnisend’s rapid growth over the last two years (22:35)
  • I discuss how the law of double jeopardy benefits large companies (25:19)
  • Wrap up (29:11)

Mentioned:

Rytis Lauris LinkedIn

Rytis Lauris Twitter

Omnisend Website

Omnisend LinkedIn

Peter Caputa LinkedIn

Databox Website

Michele Linn LinkedIn

Mantis Research Website

Paul Dyson LinkedIn

Data2Decisions Website

How Shopify's Morgan Brown helps them stay ahead of the competition


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2022 02:46:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1791 This week on How to Win: Rytis Lauris, co-founder and CEO of Omnisend, an all-in-one e-commerce marketing automation platform founded in 2014. Omnisend has expanded rapidly in the last two years, with ARR now hovering around $30M, 190 global employees, and more than 60 000 customers. In this episode, Rytis shares how Omnisend competes in a crowded space, the importance of timing, and how they built up their brand through original content. I add my thoughts on agency partner programs, the pros and cons of VC funding in a company’s early days, and the game is rigged to benefit larger companies. This week on How to Win: Rytis Lauris, co-founder and CEO of Omnisend, an all-in-one e-commerce marketing automation platform founded in 2014. Omnisend has expanded rapidly in the last two years, with ARR now hovering around $30M, 190 global employees, an saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Establishing authority via industry experience with Unqork’s Gary Hoberman 1 1 28 28 Establishing authority via industry experience with Unqork’s Gary Hoberman full 0ec369a6-e779-43be-b12d-ab720688ef5d https://share.transistor.fm/s/d96ff419 Key Points:

  • Gary’s path to Unqork (01:13)
  • Gary describes the competitive landscape of no code platforms (03:11)
  • Why Gary and his team’s enterprise experience is such a big advantage (04:56)
  • I discuss why going big is worthwhile when playing to win (07:41)
  • Gary talks through the ups and downs of Unqork’s fundraising (09:33)
  • I share my thoughts on handling early fundraising disappointment (12:06)
  • I describe the advantages of making the customer your hero (16:03)
  • How Unqork established themselves as the go-to for tier one customers (17:20)
  • I unpack Unqork’s cornered resource moat (18:18)
  • Gary explains how Unqork is defining a new space (19:33)
  • How Unqork is staying ahead of their competitors (22:29)
  • How uncomfortability leads to growth (24:20)
  • Wrap up (25:05)

Mentioned:

Gary Hoberman LinkedIn

Gary Hoberman Twitter

Unqork Website

Unqork LinkedIn

Paul Singh LinkedIn

“The Startup Playbook” by Will Herman

How Guy Yalif helped Intellimize grow and raise $30 million in Series B funding

“7 Powers” by Hamilton Helmer


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Gary’s path to Unqork (01:13)
  • Gary describes the competitive landscape of no code platforms (03:11)
  • Why Gary and his team’s enterprise experience is such a big advantage (04:56)
  • I discuss why going big is worthwhile when playing to win (07:41)
  • Gary talks through the ups and downs of Unqork’s fundraising (09:33)
  • I share my thoughts on handling early fundraising disappointment (12:06)
  • I describe the advantages of making the customer your hero (16:03)
  • How Unqork established themselves as the go-to for tier one customers (17:20)
  • I unpack Unqork’s cornered resource moat (18:18)
  • Gary explains how Unqork is defining a new space (19:33)
  • How Unqork is staying ahead of their competitors (22:29)
  • How uncomfortability leads to growth (24:20)
  • Wrap up (25:05)

Mentioned:

Gary Hoberman LinkedIn

Gary Hoberman Twitter

Unqork Website

Unqork LinkedIn

Paul Singh LinkedIn

“The Startup Playbook” by Will Herman

How Guy Yalif helped Intellimize grow and raise $30 million in Series B funding

“7 Powers” by Hamilton Helmer


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2022 06:14:41 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1608 This week on How to Win: Gary Hoberman, founder and CEO of Unqork. Founded in 2017, Unqork is an enterprise, no code platform that lets organizations build their own software quickly and efficiently, without having to write a single line of code. We hear from Gary about how Unqork established authority right off the bat by addressing the largest and most complex segment of their market first and how they leveraged the industry experience of their team to their advantage. I add my thoughts on the advantages of nurturing long term relationships that go beyond their current company with the individuals purchasing your product, finding the right fit with early investors, and the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. This week on How to Win: Gary Hoberman, founder and CEO of Unqork. Founded in 2017, Unqork is an enterprise, no code platform that lets organizations build their own software quickly and efficiently, without having to write a single line of code. We hear saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Making the pivot upmarket with ScreenCloud’s Mark McDermott 1 1 27 27 Making the pivot upmarket with ScreenCloud’s Mark McDermott full 4270dbb7-5f65-4799-a5e3-bf57674bab3f https://share.transistor.fm/s/7ce9d7ec Key Points:

  • How ScreenCloud came to be (01:11)
  • Mark describes the early competitive landscape of digital signage (03:07)
  • My opinion on how low-cost copycats could improve their messaging (04:33)
  • I explain why becoming irrelevant is a bigger risk than making a mistake (07:10)
  • ScreenCloud’s approach to content marketing (08:11)
  • My thoughts on why evangelizing category over product in a new category can help you win (09:10)
  • Why Mark knew moving upmarket was the right move for ScreenCloud (12:38)
  • I address the advantages of strategic pivots (14:09)
  • Mark goes through ScreenCloud’s acquisition channels (17:02)
  • Mark explains the moats ScreenCloud is relying on to stay competitive (19:52)
  • I unpack why brand marketing is importing for targeting out-of-market customers (21:58)
  • Mark predicts what consumer behavior will look like in 10 years (26:13)
  • Wrap up (27:57)

Mentioned:

Mark McDermott LinkedIn

Mark McDermott Twitter

ScreenCloud

Educating your target market with Appcues' Jackson Noel

Yamini Rangan LinkedIn

Paul J. D’Arcy LinkedIn

HubSpot

Miro


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How ScreenCloud came to be (01:11)
  • Mark describes the early competitive landscape of digital signage (03:07)
  • My opinion on how low-cost copycats could improve their messaging (04:33)
  • I explain why becoming irrelevant is a bigger risk than making a mistake (07:10)
  • ScreenCloud’s approach to content marketing (08:11)
  • My thoughts on why evangelizing category over product in a new category can help you win (09:10)
  • Why Mark knew moving upmarket was the right move for ScreenCloud (12:38)
  • I address the advantages of strategic pivots (14:09)
  • Mark goes through ScreenCloud’s acquisition channels (17:02)
  • Mark explains the moats ScreenCloud is relying on to stay competitive (19:52)
  • I unpack why brand marketing is importing for targeting out-of-market customers (21:58)
  • Mark predicts what consumer behavior will look like in 10 years (26:13)
  • Wrap up (27:57)

Mentioned:

Mark McDermott LinkedIn

Mark McDermott Twitter

ScreenCloud

Educating your target market with Appcues' Jackson Noel

Yamini Rangan LinkedIn

Paul J. D’Arcy LinkedIn

HubSpot

Miro


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:39:22 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1695 This week on How to Win: Mark McDermott, co-founder and CEO of ScreenCloud, a global digital signage platform helping businesses communicate with their staff and customers using screens. We hear from Mark about why ScreenCloud is looking out-of-market for their biggest expansion opportunities and how they’ve differentiated themselves from their low-cost competitors by moving upmarket and focusing on enterprise business. I add my thoughts on educating customers when creating a category, why strategic pivots can be huge opportunities for your business, and how low-cost copycats could upgrade their messaging to claim a larger share of the market. This week on How to Win: Mark McDermott, co-founder and CEO of ScreenCloud, a global digital signage platform helping businesses communicate with their staff and customers using screens. We hear from Mark about why ScreenCloud is looking out-of-market for saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Fostering founder brand as a competitive advantage with Dave Gerhardt 1 1 26 26 Fostering founder brand as a competitive advantage with Dave Gerhardt full d4a01680-5014-4c76-953c-6f2ad91799c4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/46026048 Key Points:

  • Dave explains why having a visible founder can set you apart (01:20)
  • I explain why nepotism is not a thing of the past, and how to cultivate yours (02:50)
  • Dave unpacks how founder story made a difference at Drift (03:22)
  • My thoughts on brand storytelling, and why your story is your strategy (06:02)
  • How Privy approached developing founder brand (07:44)
  • How Ben Jabbawy used his podcast as a content cache (09:30)
  • I explain why I put myself at the forefront when starting my company, CXL (10:33)
  • Dave explains the unquantifiable ROI of personal branding (13:05)
  • Dave dives into the risks of building a brand on an individual (16:04)
  • Dave talks about quality vs. quantity when it comes to social media (20:02)
  • My advice on social media strategy when you’re first starting out (22:10)
  • Why you should be prioritizing meaningful content on social media (25:15)
  • Wrap up (26:50)

Mentioned:

Dave Gerhardt LinkedIn

Dave Gerhardt Twitter

DGMG

“Founder Brand” by Dave Gerhardt

David Cancel Twitter

Drift

Ben Jabbawy Twitter

Privy

Andy Raskin Twitter

Rand Fishkin Twitter

Gary Vaynerchuk Twitter


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Dave explains why having a visible founder can set you apart (01:20)
  • I explain why nepotism is not a thing of the past, and how to cultivate yours (02:50)
  • Dave unpacks how founder story made a difference at Drift (03:22)
  • My thoughts on brand storytelling, and why your story is your strategy (06:02)
  • How Privy approached developing founder brand (07:44)
  • How Ben Jabbawy used his podcast as a content cache (09:30)
  • I explain why I put myself at the forefront when starting my company, CXL (10:33)
  • Dave explains the unquantifiable ROI of personal branding (13:05)
  • Dave dives into the risks of building a brand on an individual (16:04)
  • Dave talks about quality vs. quantity when it comes to social media (20:02)
  • My advice on social media strategy when you’re first starting out (22:10)
  • Why you should be prioritizing meaningful content on social media (25:15)
  • Wrap up (26:50)

Mentioned:

Dave Gerhardt LinkedIn

Dave Gerhardt Twitter

DGMG

“Founder Brand” by Dave Gerhardt

David Cancel Twitter

Drift

Ben Jabbawy Twitter

Privy

Andy Raskin Twitter

Rand Fishkin Twitter

Gary Vaynerchuk Twitter


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 21 Feb 2022 02:39:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1742 This week in a special episode of How to Win: Dave Gerhardt, author of the new book "Founder Brand", former VP of marketing at Drift and former CMO at Privy. Dave is one of the top minds in B2B marketing and an expert on using founder brand to gain competitive advantage. We hear from Dave about why having a visible founder can differentiate your company from the competition, and his advice for cultivating a strong social media strategy. I add my thoughts on the advantages of putting a founder at the forefront of your company story, cultivating your nepotism opportunities by building relationships via social media, and how to approach social content when you are just starting out. This week in a special episode of How to Win: Dave Gerhardt, author of the new book "Founder Brand", former VP of marketing at Drift and former CMO at Privy. Dave is one of the top minds in B2B marketing and an expert on using founder brand to gain compet saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Educating your target market with Appcues' Jackson Noel 1 1 25 25 Educating your target market with Appcues' Jackson Noel full 1a511958-c18f-4393-9d6a-a658d3b2bee9 https://share.transistor.fm/s/e4edacad Key Points: 

  • How Appcues got their start (01:13)
  • What to do when you realize you’re not that different from your competitors (03:06)
  • Why Appcues found early success through content marketing (05:45)
  • My thoughts on content marketing as a long-term play (07:15)
  • How Appcues approaches competitor awareness (08:30)
  • I explain why studying your competition is key to differentiating (09:38)
  • Why Appcues is focused on being the best experience builder in the market (11:57)
  • My take on how small brands can compete with dominating, big brands (13:30)
  • Appcues’ pricing strategy (14:48)
  • I explain why pricing is a huge growth lever, and why it’s hard to get right (15:51)
  • What Appcues is doing with the money they raised in their successful Series B round (17:21)
  • Why Jackson regrets betting on the ubiquity of product analytics (19:11)
  • I unpack why high-profit business models include high customer value (22:55)
  • Wrap up (26:28)

Mentioned:

Appcues Website

Appcues LinkedIn

Jackson Noel LinkedIn

Jackson Noel Twitter

Ben Horowitz Twitter

Ryan Law Twitter

“Love your competitors - how great businesses do strategy” Alex Smith

Twilio

Datadog

Patrick Campbell LinkedIn

Mixpanel

Kissmetrics

Google Analytics

Prof. Jonathan Byrnes

Pendo


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points: 

  • How Appcues got their start (01:13)
  • What to do when you realize you’re not that different from your competitors (03:06)
  • Why Appcues found early success through content marketing (05:45)
  • My thoughts on content marketing as a long-term play (07:15)
  • How Appcues approaches competitor awareness (08:30)
  • I explain why studying your competition is key to differentiating (09:38)
  • Why Appcues is focused on being the best experience builder in the market (11:57)
  • My take on how small brands can compete with dominating, big brands (13:30)
  • Appcues’ pricing strategy (14:48)
  • I explain why pricing is a huge growth lever, and why it’s hard to get right (15:51)
  • What Appcues is doing with the money they raised in their successful Series B round (17:21)
  • Why Jackson regrets betting on the ubiquity of product analytics (19:11)
  • I unpack why high-profit business models include high customer value (22:55)
  • Wrap up (26:28)

Mentioned:

Appcues Website

Appcues LinkedIn

Jackson Noel LinkedIn

Jackson Noel Twitter

Ben Horowitz Twitter

Ryan Law Twitter

“Love your competitors - how great businesses do strategy” Alex Smith

Twilio

Datadog

Patrick Campbell LinkedIn

Mixpanel

Kissmetrics

Google Analytics

Prof. Jonathan Byrnes

Pendo


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 14 Feb 2022 02:47:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1678 This week on How to Win: Jackson Noel is the Co-founder & CEO of Appcues, a user onboarding and product adoption software for product-led teams. We hear from Jackson about how Appcues built brand awareness and authority via a strong content strategy and why they’re focused on being a specialist in a market where competitors go wide. I add my thoughts on the long game of content marketing, the importance of knowing your competitors as well as your high value customers, and what to do when you realize you’re not that different from others in the market. This week on How to Win: Jackson Noel is the Co-founder & CEO of Appcues, a user onboarding and product adoption software for product-led teams. We hear from Jackson about how Appcues built brand awareness and authority via a strong content strategy a saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Entering a growing ecosystem with Postscript's Alex Beller 1 1 24 24 Entering a growing ecosystem with Postscript's Alex Beller full e9e3203f-40d3-46f0-b91a-1e157300174c https://share.transistor.fm/s/27959276 Key Points:

  • The origins of Postscript (01:05)
  • Why Postscript chose to build on top of Shopify’s platform (02:15)
  • My thoughts on the advantages of attaching yourself to a growing ecosystem (03:34)
  • Postscript’s initial, rapid growth (06:38)
  • Alex’s thoughts on the SMS marketing channel opening up(08:45)
  • I explain the law of double jeopardy, and how B2B buyers are satisficing (09:40)
  • Why Postscript’s product strategy is to stay ultra-focused (12:57)
  • My take on differentiating by building for a specific audience (13:56)
  • Postscript’s hiring strategy through a year of explosive growth (18:02)
  • My insight into common hiring missteps, and how to avoid them (20:43)
  • Why Alex wishes they’d built out Postscript’s go-to-market strategy sooner (23:51)
  • My thoughts on pricing strategy, and the advantages of a usage-based model (25:15)
  • What Postscript is building to carry them into the future (26:57)
  • Wrap up (27:50)

Mentioned:

Postscript

Alex Beller

Y Combinator

How SaaS investor Andrew Chen of a16z is helping entrepreneurs use network effects to tackle the cold start problem

Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science

Michael Seibel

Ezra Firestone

Kyle Poyar

Hubspot

Klaviyo

Hotjar

Drift

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • The origins of Postscript (01:05)
  • Why Postscript chose to build on top of Shopify’s platform (02:15)
  • My thoughts on the advantages of attaching yourself to a growing ecosystem (03:34)
  • Postscript’s initial, rapid growth (06:38)
  • Alex’s thoughts on the SMS marketing channel opening up(08:45)
  • I explain the law of double jeopardy, and how B2B buyers are satisficing (09:40)
  • Why Postscript’s product strategy is to stay ultra-focused (12:57)
  • My take on differentiating by building for a specific audience (13:56)
  • Postscript’s hiring strategy through a year of explosive growth (18:02)
  • My insight into common hiring missteps, and how to avoid them (20:43)
  • Why Alex wishes they’d built out Postscript’s go-to-market strategy sooner (23:51)
  • My thoughts on pricing strategy, and the advantages of a usage-based model (25:15)
  • What Postscript is building to carry them into the future (26:57)
  • Wrap up (27:50)

Mentioned:

Postscript

Alex Beller

Y Combinator

How SaaS investor Andrew Chen of a16z is helping entrepreneurs use network effects to tackle the cold start problem

Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science

Michael Seibel

Ezra Firestone

Kyle Poyar

Hubspot

Klaviyo

Hotjar

Drift

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 07 Feb 2022 02:56:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1762 This week on How to Win: Alex Beller is the Co-founder & President of Postscript, an eCommerce SMS platform for Shopify stores. We hear from Alex about the advantages of building a business on top of a successful, growing ecosystem and why they have chosen to focus their product on a very specific market segment. I add my insights on why it is important to get into the limited consideration set of category buyers, why strategic choices are all about trade-offs, and why scalable pricing models are a key component of successful go-to-market strategies. This week on How to Win: Alex Beller is the Co-founder & President of Postscript, an eCommerce SMS platform for Shopify stores. We hear from Alex about the advantages of building a business on top of a successful, growing ecosystem and why they have c saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Differentiating by understanding your uniqueness with Verblio's Steve Pockross 1 1 23 23 Differentiating by understanding your uniqueness with Verblio's Steve Pockross full ca3f4e11-8879-4341-abd5-746570f432f3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/22bf563a Key Points:

  • How Verblio got their start (01:02)
  • Steve explains who (and what) Verblio is competing against (04:35)
  • How Verblio is attracting top talent (07:33)
  • Steve talks about scaling while maintaining content quality (08:08)
  • What Verblio is doing to build brand reputation (08:37)
  • My thoughts on the importance of story-based marketing over fact-based marketing (09:06)
  • Steve talks about the sales channels Verblio is exploring at this stage in their growth (11:42)
  • My take on why timing is so important when entering a rapidly growing market (13:42)
  • Steve’s thoughts on product strategy and competing on value (15:00)
  • I explain why identifying your company’s uniqueness can lead to success (16:12)
  • Why Verblio chose to focus on digital marketing agencies (17:58)
  • Verblio’s strategy for future growth (20:14)
  • My thoughts on avoiding commoditization in mature categories (21:21)
  • Wrap up (24:20)

Mentioned:

Verblio

Steve Pockross

Scott Yates

Wade Green

How Ross Hudgens focused on high quality clients, content and services to grow Siege Media

Mimi Turner

The magical science of storytelling, David JP Phillips

“Only the Paranoid Survive” by Andrew Grove

Roger Martin


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How Verblio got their start (01:02)
  • Steve explains who (and what) Verblio is competing against (04:35)
  • How Verblio is attracting top talent (07:33)
  • Steve talks about scaling while maintaining content quality (08:08)
  • What Verblio is doing to build brand reputation (08:37)
  • My thoughts on the importance of story-based marketing over fact-based marketing (09:06)
  • Steve talks about the sales channels Verblio is exploring at this stage in their growth (11:42)
  • My take on why timing is so important when entering a rapidly growing market (13:42)
  • Steve’s thoughts on product strategy and competing on value (15:00)
  • I explain why identifying your company’s uniqueness can lead to success (16:12)
  • Why Verblio chose to focus on digital marketing agencies (17:58)
  • Verblio’s strategy for future growth (20:14)
  • My thoughts on avoiding commoditization in mature categories (21:21)
  • Wrap up (24:20)

Mentioned:

Verblio

Steve Pockross

Scott Yates

Wade Green

How Ross Hudgens focused on high quality clients, content and services to grow Siege Media

Mimi Turner

The magical science of storytelling, David JP Phillips

“Only the Paranoid Survive” by Andrew Grove

Roger Martin


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 31 Jan 2022 03:37:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1542 This week on How to Win: Steve Pockross is the CEO of Verblio, a technology-powered content creation platform with a network of over 3000 US-based writers. We hear about the the power of a differentiated business model in a fast-growing market, and how Verblio’s focus on high-volume, high-quality content is setting them apart. I weigh in on why timing is crucial when entering a rapidly growing market, the importance of focusing on what makes your company unique, and why B2B marketers can’t rely on facts to sell a product — you need a point of view as well. This week on How to Win: Steve Pockross is the CEO of Verblio, a technology-powered content creation platform with a network of over 3000 US-based writers. We hear about the the power of a differentiated business model in a fast-growing market, and how Ve saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Building trust through transparency with Metadata’s Gil Allouche 1 1 22 22 Building trust through transparency with Metadata’s Gil Allouche full 7be795fc-ddc1-4424-8b91-44f5d5f4434e https://share.transistor.fm/s/987c3a52 Key Points:

  • How Gil pivoted from a marketing career to starting tech company Metadata (1:12)
  • My thoughts on innovation as a transient advantage (04:19)
  • How Metadata is competing on innovation (06:56)
  • Why Gil made an early marketing investment in G2 Crowd (10:46)
  • Why Metadata opted to tap into pre-existing demand for ABM software (12:41)
  • How Gil and Metadata are differentiating by prioritizing transparency (14:49)
  • My thoughts on gaining customer trust through transparency (18:13)
  • Why Gil’s initial strategy did not focus on brand (20:31)
  • My take on building brand as a sustainable asset (21:47)
  • My view on defining your target market (24:46)
  • Gil’s predictions for the future (27:44)
  • Wrap up (28:57)

Mentioned:

Metadata

Category Creation and Product-led Differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

G2

DemandBase

Terminus

6sense

Bigger than This by Fabian Geyrhalter

Tamara Grominsky on how Unbounce are pairing marketer and machine to create a new category and fend off the competition


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How Gil pivoted from a marketing career to starting tech company Metadata (1:12)
  • My thoughts on innovation as a transient advantage (04:19)
  • How Metadata is competing on innovation (06:56)
  • Why Gil made an early marketing investment in G2 Crowd (10:46)
  • Why Metadata opted to tap into pre-existing demand for ABM software (12:41)
  • How Gil and Metadata are differentiating by prioritizing transparency (14:49)
  • My thoughts on gaining customer trust through transparency (18:13)
  • Why Gil’s initial strategy did not focus on brand (20:31)
  • My take on building brand as a sustainable asset (21:47)
  • My view on defining your target market (24:46)
  • Gil’s predictions for the future (27:44)
  • Wrap up (28:57)

Mentioned:

Metadata

Category Creation and Product-led Differentiation with Drift's David Cancel

G2

DemandBase

Terminus

6sense

Bigger than This by Fabian Geyrhalter

Tamara Grominsky on how Unbounce are pairing marketer and machine to create a new category and fend off the competition


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 24 Jan 2022 07:08:09 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1840 This week in How to Win: Gil Allouche is the founder and CEO of Metadata, a lead generating tool which automates and self-optimises campaign experiments at scale. We share how experimentation, innovation, and transparency are pillars of his business; and when to invest resources into building brand if your initial strategy is to focus on riding the wave of pre-existing demand for your offer. This week in How to Win: Gil Allouche is the founder and CEO of Metadata, a lead generating tool which automates and self-optimises campaign experiments at scale. We share how experimentation, innovation, and transparency are pillars of his business; and saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel 1 1 21 21 Category creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David Cancel full fd27a206-02b4-499e-9d77-2ee0d8dea826 https://share.transistor.fm/s/bebaec16 Key Points:

  • David talks about category creation and conversational marketing (01:05)
  • I give my thoughts on category creation and category design, with a quote from Chris Lochhead (03:50)
  • David talks about the downsides of category creation, and Drift's success was a bet (4:50)
  • I give my thoughts on the pitfalls of category creation, with a clip from Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta (07:40)
  • David discusses the cost of category creation, and how Drift had to look for low-cost, high-reward ways to build mental availability (09:45)
  • I give my thoughts on the surround sound effect, with a quote from Alex Birkett (15:10)
  • I give my tops tips on generating mental availability, with a clip from Les Binet on the 60/40 rule(17:10)
  • David gives his thoughts on commoditization and competition emerging in the category (20:25)
  • David talks about the cycle of technology in SaaS (21:55)
  • David discusses the death of product-based differentiation (23:30)
  • I give my thoughts on product-led growth as a transient competitive advantage (24:15)
  • David discusses Drift's failure to create a 'revenue acceleration' category (24:55)
  • I give my thoughts on Drift's learnings and strategic narrative, with a clip from Andy Raskin (26:30)
  • David gives his thoughts where the market is going next (27:50)
  • David talks about how SaaS has to pivot to become customer-centric, not business-centric (29:20)
  • David discusses their next milestones and the value of teams and the human component (30:10)
  • Wrap Up (31:00)


Mentioned:
Hubspot
Gainsight
Slack
Google Ads
Facebook Ads
SaaStr
Chris Lochhead

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • David talks about category creation and conversational marketing (01:05)
  • I give my thoughts on category creation and category design, with a quote from Chris Lochhead (03:50)
  • David talks about the downsides of category creation, and Drift's success was a bet (4:50)
  • I give my thoughts on the pitfalls of category creation, with a clip from Gainsight CEO Nick Mehta (07:40)
  • David discusses the cost of category creation, and how Drift had to look for low-cost, high-reward ways to build mental availability (09:45)
  • I give my thoughts on the surround sound effect, with a quote from Alex Birkett (15:10)
  • I give my tops tips on generating mental availability, with a clip from Les Binet on the 60/40 rule(17:10)
  • David gives his thoughts on commoditization and competition emerging in the category (20:25)
  • David talks about the cycle of technology in SaaS (21:55)
  • David discusses the death of product-based differentiation (23:30)
  • I give my thoughts on product-led growth as a transient competitive advantage (24:15)
  • David discusses Drift's failure to create a 'revenue acceleration' category (24:55)
  • I give my thoughts on Drift's learnings and strategic narrative, with a clip from Andy Raskin (26:30)
  • David gives his thoughts where the market is going next (27:50)
  • David talks about how SaaS has to pivot to become customer-centric, not business-centric (29:20)
  • David discusses their next milestones and the value of teams and the human component (30:10)
  • Wrap Up (31:00)


Mentioned:
Hubspot
Gainsight
Slack
Google Ads
Facebook Ads
SaaStr
Chris Lochhead

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 17 Jan 2022 09:14:28 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2035 This week in How to Win: David Cancel is the CEO and Founder of Drift. Drift created the category of conversational marketing and has gone on to dominate the space, with over $120 million in revenue, and around 700 staff. We talk about category creation, the death of product-based differentiation, and how to create mental availability at low cost by thinking outside the box. This week in How to Win: David Cancel is the CEO and Founder of Drift. Drift created the category of conversational marketing and has gone on to dominate the space, with over $120 million in revenue, and around 700 staff. We talk about category creation, saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How to Win in SaaS - 15 insights from the series so far 1 1 20 20 How to Win in SaaS - 15 insights from the series so far full 915e356b-9968-4312-927e-072f073462bd https://share.transistor.fm/s/6c537191 Key Points:


  • Tapping into pre-existing demand (00:40)
  • Listening to customer demands with Alina Vandenberghe - Co-Founder of Chili Piper (01:45)
  • Moving away from feature-based differentiation with Guy Yalif, CEO of Intellimize (03:25)
  • Niching down and focusing on a specific audience with Nathan Barry, founder and CEO of ConvertKit (06:00)
  • Out-innovating the competition with Colin Nederkoorn, founder and CEO of Customer.io (08:10)
  • Doubling down on organic content marketing with Patrick Campbell, founder and CEO at ProfitWell (10:05)
  • Educating your customers with Patrick Campbell (13:45)
  • Creating a community with Alex Kracov, former VP of marketing at Lattice (15:10)
  • Perfecting your operations and processes with Devin Bramhall, CEO at Animalz (16:50)
  • Creating a category with Tamara Grominsky chief strategy officer at Unbounce (18:50)
  • Creating a great offer or freemium plan with Patrick Campbell, founder and CEO at ProfitWell (21:10)
  • Piggybacking on growing ecosystems such as Shopify or Chrome with Ben Jabbawy, CEO of Privy (22:05)
  • Attracting the best talent (24:10)
  • Building moats with Morgan brown, VP Growth at Shopify (24:50)
  • Building long-term relationships (25:45)
  • Wrap up (26:10)

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:


  • Tapping into pre-existing demand (00:40)
  • Listening to customer demands with Alina Vandenberghe - Co-Founder of Chili Piper (01:45)
  • Moving away from feature-based differentiation with Guy Yalif, CEO of Intellimize (03:25)
  • Niching down and focusing on a specific audience with Nathan Barry, founder and CEO of ConvertKit (06:00)
  • Out-innovating the competition with Colin Nederkoorn, founder and CEO of Customer.io (08:10)
  • Doubling down on organic content marketing with Patrick Campbell, founder and CEO at ProfitWell (10:05)
  • Educating your customers with Patrick Campbell (13:45)
  • Creating a community with Alex Kracov, former VP of marketing at Lattice (15:10)
  • Perfecting your operations and processes with Devin Bramhall, CEO at Animalz (16:50)
  • Creating a category with Tamara Grominsky chief strategy officer at Unbounce (18:50)
  • Creating a great offer or freemium plan with Patrick Campbell, founder and CEO at ProfitWell (21:10)
  • Piggybacking on growing ecosystems such as Shopify or Chrome with Ben Jabbawy, CEO of Privy (22:05)
  • Attracting the best talent (24:10)
  • Building moats with Morgan brown, VP Growth at Shopify (24:50)
  • Building long-term relationships (25:45)
  • Wrap up (26:10)

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2022 03:55:46 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1610 This week in How To Win: I take a look at what we've learned about winning in SaaS, from the companies I've interviewed across 2021. I've identified 15 key factors to success, and in this episode I break them down with clips from leading guests in each area. This week in How To Win: I take a look at what we've learned about winning in SaaS, from the companies I've interviewed across 2021. I've identified 15 key factors to success, and in this episode I break them down with clips from leading guests in each ar saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How SaaS investor Andrew Chen of a16z is helping entrepreneurs use network effects to tackle the cold start problem 1 1 19 19 How SaaS investor Andrew Chen of a16z is helping entrepreneurs use network effects to tackle the cold start problem full f2c262ed-1ec8-4c49-9eea-8ff1b019d6d4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/cab7f4cb Key Points:

  • Andrew talks about moats and how he identified network effects as a valuable growth tool (01:17)
  • Andrew gives his thoughts on how collaborative use and networking have improved enterprise software across the board in the last decade (04:26)
  • I give my thoughts on sustainable vs transient competitive advantages, with a clip from Rita McGrath (07:07)
  • Andrew discusses how network effects can be used to revolutionize industries in surprising ways, for example AirBnB taking on hotels (09:00)
  • Morgan Brown, VP of growth at Shopify, gives his thoughts on utilizing network effects (10:30)
  • We discuss the Cold Start Problem, and how businesses need to work out what a network looks like to them, and kick start it with clever marketing and growth strategies (12:00)
  • Tinder co-founder Sean Rad explains how Tinder targeted a specific use-case to make sure its atomic network grew the way they needed it to (14:00)
  • We talk about the importance of establishing the minimum network to make your product viable, formulas for success, and some of the ways major firms like AppSumo and Uber built their atomic networks (15:45)
  • Andrew talks about low-cost strategies for developing your atomic network (18:30)
  • We discuss network effects in relation to web 3.0, crypto and NFT's (20:05)
  • I ask Andrew about why some established companies struggle to build or maintain network effects (22:10)
  • Author of the Innovator's Dilemma Clayton Christensen explains sustaining innovations (23:12)
  • Andrew gives his thoughts on the failure of Google+ and the lessons we can learn (24:30)
  • I give my thoughts on working out what an atomic network looks like for Wynter, and how different companies have taken advantage of (or failed in) network effects (26:30)
  • Andrew talks about how he uses data to inform his potential investments, breaking down networks to see if a company is growing organically, has global appeal, or is more of a localized niche product (27:30)
  • Wrap up (30:40)



Mentioned:
Notion
Asana
Slack
Tinder
Ebay
Craigslist
Appsumo
Convoy
Dropbox
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)


My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Andrew talks about moats and how he identified network effects as a valuable growth tool (01:17)
  • Andrew gives his thoughts on how collaborative use and networking have improved enterprise software across the board in the last decade (04:26)
  • I give my thoughts on sustainable vs transient competitive advantages, with a clip from Rita McGrath (07:07)
  • Andrew discusses how network effects can be used to revolutionize industries in surprising ways, for example AirBnB taking on hotels (09:00)
  • Morgan Brown, VP of growth at Shopify, gives his thoughts on utilizing network effects (10:30)
  • We discuss the Cold Start Problem, and how businesses need to work out what a network looks like to them, and kick start it with clever marketing and growth strategies (12:00)
  • Tinder co-founder Sean Rad explains how Tinder targeted a specific use-case to make sure its atomic network grew the way they needed it to (14:00)
  • We talk about the importance of establishing the minimum network to make your product viable, formulas for success, and some of the ways major firms like AppSumo and Uber built their atomic networks (15:45)
  • Andrew talks about low-cost strategies for developing your atomic network (18:30)
  • We discuss network effects in relation to web 3.0, crypto and NFT's (20:05)
  • I ask Andrew about why some established companies struggle to build or maintain network effects (22:10)
  • Author of the Innovator's Dilemma Clayton Christensen explains sustaining innovations (23:12)
  • Andrew gives his thoughts on the failure of Google+ and the lessons we can learn (24:30)
  • I give my thoughts on working out what an atomic network looks like for Wynter, and how different companies have taken advantage of (or failed in) network effects (26:30)
  • Andrew talks about how he uses data to inform his potential investments, breaking down networks to see if a company is growing organically, has global appeal, or is more of a localized niche product (27:30)
  • Wrap up (30:40)



Mentioned:
Notion
Asana
Slack
Tinder
Ebay
Craigslist
Appsumo
Convoy
Dropbox
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)


My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 20 Dec 2021 03:14:24 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1969 This week in How to Win: Andrew Chen is a partner at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a board member of AppSumo and Clubhouse, former head of Rider Growth teams at Uber, and author of The Cold Start Problem: Using Network Effects to Scale Your Product. We discuss the ways in which companies are using network effects to rapidly accelerate their growth, and talk about strategies for kick starting network-led growth in SaaS. This week in How to Win: Andrew Chen is a partner at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a board member of AppSumo and Clubhouse, former head of Rider Growth teams at Uber, and author of The Cold Start Problem: Using Network Effects to Scale Your Product. saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How building methodically is helping Peter Caputa and Databox disrupt the business marketing analytics industry 1 1 18 18 How building methodically is helping Peter Caputa and Databox disrupt the business marketing analytics industry full 75afa1ae-d6e7-4c88-ae55-6b1ac47e3831 https://share.transistor.fm/s/4030a0d4 Key Points:

  • Peter talks about how Databox has pivoted its business model to target a more sustainable market (00:56)
  • Peter discusses how the company is targeting marketers, but open to find new SaaS revenue streams (02:36)
  • I give my thoughts on Peter's strategy of not niching down (04:38)
  • Peter gives his thoughts on trying to find the right mix of investment in search and content-based acquisition (05:34)
  • I give my thoughts on causality, complexity science, and businesses working in a complicated ecosystem, with a clip from Steven Levitt and Freakonomics (08:37)
  • Peter talks about content strategy how Databox grew its domain ranking with only a small marketing team, by pulling in expert contributions to contribute to blog posts in exchange for links (11:01)
  • I give my thoughts on mental availability, with a clip from Byron Sharp (14:32)
  • Peter talks about how they function as a bootstrapped company, even though they are VC funded (15:42)
  • I question Peter on their plans to disrupt the business analytics industry, and he shares Databox long-term strategic goals (17:11)
  • Peter discusses how focusing on a freemium plan helps their business by being an attractive offer, and functioning as a learning tool for clients (18:51)
  • I give my thoughts on self-serve freemium as an offer with a clip from Patrick Campbell of Profitwell (21:05)
  • Peter talks about their strategy of building the product, and the company, one block at a time (24:00)
  • I give my thoughts on increasing customer value footprint (26:11)
  • Peter gives his thoughts on informing the product roadmap with customer feedback (27:49)
  • Peter discusses Databox's long-term competitive strategy, and how they plan to stay ahead of the competition (31:26)
  • I give my thoughts on building a product around APIs and integrations, with a clip from Neha Sampat, CEO of ContentStack (32:47)
  • Peter talks about moats, and how they are maintaining and building their competitive advantage (33:41)
  • Wrap up (34:59)

Mentioned:
Hubspot
Monday.com
ActiveCampaign
SEMrush
Constant Contact
Mailchimp
Wistia
Marketo
Salesforce
Hotjar

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Peter talks about how Databox has pivoted its business model to target a more sustainable market (00:56)
  • Peter discusses how the company is targeting marketers, but open to find new SaaS revenue streams (02:36)
  • I give my thoughts on Peter's strategy of not niching down (04:38)
  • Peter gives his thoughts on trying to find the right mix of investment in search and content-based acquisition (05:34)
  • I give my thoughts on causality, complexity science, and businesses working in a complicated ecosystem, with a clip from Steven Levitt and Freakonomics (08:37)
  • Peter talks about content strategy how Databox grew its domain ranking with only a small marketing team, by pulling in expert contributions to contribute to blog posts in exchange for links (11:01)
  • I give my thoughts on mental availability, with a clip from Byron Sharp (14:32)
  • Peter talks about how they function as a bootstrapped company, even though they are VC funded (15:42)
  • I question Peter on their plans to disrupt the business analytics industry, and he shares Databox long-term strategic goals (17:11)
  • Peter discusses how focusing on a freemium plan helps their business by being an attractive offer, and functioning as a learning tool for clients (18:51)
  • I give my thoughts on self-serve freemium as an offer with a clip from Patrick Campbell of Profitwell (21:05)
  • Peter talks about their strategy of building the product, and the company, one block at a time (24:00)
  • I give my thoughts on increasing customer value footprint (26:11)
  • Peter gives his thoughts on informing the product roadmap with customer feedback (27:49)
  • Peter discusses Databox's long-term competitive strategy, and how they plan to stay ahead of the competition (31:26)
  • I give my thoughts on building a product around APIs and integrations, with a clip from Neha Sampat, CEO of ContentStack (32:47)
  • Peter talks about moats, and how they are maintaining and building their competitive advantage (33:41)
  • Wrap up (34:59)

Mentioned:
Hubspot
Monday.com
ActiveCampaign
SEMrush
Constant Contact
Mailchimp
Wistia
Marketo
Salesforce
Hotjar

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 13 Dec 2021 02:45:06 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2284 This week in How to Win: Peter Caputa, CEO of Databox, a business marketing analytics tool, explains how the company pivoted from a mobile-first enterprise platform to targeting the data analytics industry at-large. We discuss how despite being venture capital funded, the company behaves as if it is bootstrapped, enjoying 50% year-on-year growth through methodical product development and watching the bottom line. This week in How to Win: Peter Caputa, CEO of Databox, a business marketing analytics tool, explains how the company pivoted from a mobile-first enterprise platform to targeting the data analytics industry at-large. We discuss how despite being venture ca saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How concentrating on the details helped Jonathan Dane double KlientBoost's revenue 1 1 17 17 How concentrating on the details helped Jonathan Dane double KlientBoost's revenue full b9d17dbb-da29-4f63-9aef-83b9fc8480e0 https://share.transistor.fm/s/409253af Key Points:

  • Jonathan talks about how and why he founded KlientBoost (01:14)
  • Jonathan discusses the company's original plan for growing by building their brand (02:43)
  • Jonathan gives his thoughts on how they differentiate themselves from other agencies with their design, their many published case studies, and their consistency in everything they do (03:20)
  • I give my thoughts on consistency and word-of-mouth strategy (05:24)
  • Jonathan talks about lead sources, and how most of it isn't directly trackable or attributable (06:26)
  • Jonathan discusses maintaining quality control on their MQLs so that they only go after the best leads.
  • I give my thoughts on making an offer that potential clients can't turn down in order to get them to sign up (09:08)
  • Jonathan talks about how turning around their operations, training staff and systematizing the company is turning around their retention and revenue (10:45)
  • I give my thoughts on improving operations and empowering your staff to make decisions (13:27)
  • Jonathan talks about employee satisfaction and how retaining a great staff is a competitive advantage for them (15:28)
  • I give my thoughts on building great teams and the experienced/inexperienced hire trade-off, with a clip from Jim Collins (18:25)
  • Jonathan tells me how he doubled revenue from $10 to $20 million during Covid (20:34)
  • We discuss reviews and how KlientBoost ensures they are top of their field in terms of testimonials, and how they have looked scientifically at potential clients' thought processes (21:47)
  • I give my thoughts on reviews and how sometimes a bad review can make you seem more human and likeable, an example of Elliot Aaronson's Pratfall Effect (24:34)
  • Jonathan talks about their ambitious company marketing goals for the next few years, including getting a Netflix series (26:26)
  • I give my thoughts on ambition (29:23)
  • Jonathan talks about their mathematically-planned strategy to hit $100 million in revenue (30:22)
  • Wrap Up (33:05)

Mentioned:
Gong
Zuora
Drift
G2
Capterra

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Jonathan talks about how and why he founded KlientBoost (01:14)
  • Jonathan discusses the company's original plan for growing by building their brand (02:43)
  • Jonathan gives his thoughts on how they differentiate themselves from other agencies with their design, their many published case studies, and their consistency in everything they do (03:20)
  • I give my thoughts on consistency and word-of-mouth strategy (05:24)
  • Jonathan talks about lead sources, and how most of it isn't directly trackable or attributable (06:26)
  • Jonathan discusses maintaining quality control on their MQLs so that they only go after the best leads.
  • I give my thoughts on making an offer that potential clients can't turn down in order to get them to sign up (09:08)
  • Jonathan talks about how turning around their operations, training staff and systematizing the company is turning around their retention and revenue (10:45)
  • I give my thoughts on improving operations and empowering your staff to make decisions (13:27)
  • Jonathan talks about employee satisfaction and how retaining a great staff is a competitive advantage for them (15:28)
  • I give my thoughts on building great teams and the experienced/inexperienced hire trade-off, with a clip from Jim Collins (18:25)
  • Jonathan tells me how he doubled revenue from $10 to $20 million during Covid (20:34)
  • We discuss reviews and how KlientBoost ensures they are top of their field in terms of testimonials, and how they have looked scientifically at potential clients' thought processes (21:47)
  • I give my thoughts on reviews and how sometimes a bad review can make you seem more human and likeable, an example of Elliot Aaronson's Pratfall Effect (24:34)
  • Jonathan talks about their ambitious company marketing goals for the next few years, including getting a Netflix series (26:26)
  • I give my thoughts on ambition (29:23)
  • Jonathan talks about their mathematically-planned strategy to hit $100 million in revenue (30:22)
  • Wrap Up (33:05)

Mentioned:
Gong
Zuora
Drift
G2
Capterra

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 06 Dec 2021 02:51:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2156 Jonathan Dane, founder and CEO of KlientBoost, a digital performance marketing agency, explains how they doubled their revenue from $10 to $20 million during Covid, and are on track to hit $100 million ARR by perfecting their operations, crunching the numbers and working scientifically. He explains that KlientBoost's focus on encouraging customer reviews has driven mental availability, and a focus on training up their staff means they can operate far more efficiently than other agencies. Jonathan Dane, founder and CEO of KlientBoost, a digital performance marketing agency, explains how they doubled their revenue from $10 to $20 million during Covid, and are on track to hit $100 million ARR by perfecting their operations, crunching the num saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How developing a breakaway brand helped Gina Bianchini secure $67 million in funding for Mighty Networks 1 1 16 16 How developing a breakaway brand helped Gina Bianchini secure $67 million in funding for Mighty Networks full f56e7d68-0e90-456b-82cc-b0bf3df56b52 https://share.transistor.fm/s/17924470 Key Points:

  • Gina talks about how Mighty Networks adapted when their early customers were enterprise, rather than the SMBs or creators they were trying to attract (01.20)
  • I give my thoughts on adapting to changing opportunities, and growth mindset (03:01)
  • Gina talks about how they transitioned to their ideal customer base over time (05:00)
  • Gina discusses how Mighty Networks specifically avoided competing with major social platforms by niching down and combining e-learning and community building tools (08:06)
  • I give my thoughts on the value of having a voice and opinions as a brand (11:13)
  • Gina talks about how they improve the product by rolling in requested features which fit their long-term brand strategy (12:45)
  • Gina reveals how they have grown - and retained revenue - by building a flywheel of users joining a customer network, and then forming networks of their own (15:11)
  • Gina reveals that their main inbound traffic comes from Google searches for website builders, not 'social media' or 'community' (16:34)
  • We discuss how to avoid communities becoming ghost towns, keeping engagement high, and the value of a feeling of exclusivity, with additional thoughts from former Lattice VP of marketing, Alex Grech (17:57)
  • I give my thoughts on forming breakaway brands which do things differently to create space in a crowded market (23:11)
  • Gina discusses their B2B2C business model, and always doing the best for their customers, so they can give their customers in turn the best experience (24:27)
  • I give my thoughts on being brand-first as a long-term competitive advantage (26:48)
  • Gina talks about encouraging competition in the space to help build awareness among potential customers (28:54)
  • Wrap up (32:25)

Mentioned:

Ning
Drift
Gong
Refine Labs
Hubspot
Basecamp
Lattice
Ikea

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Gina talks about how Mighty Networks adapted when their early customers were enterprise, rather than the SMBs or creators they were trying to attract (01.20)
  • I give my thoughts on adapting to changing opportunities, and growth mindset (03:01)
  • Gina talks about how they transitioned to their ideal customer base over time (05:00)
  • Gina discusses how Mighty Networks specifically avoided competing with major social platforms by niching down and combining e-learning and community building tools (08:06)
  • I give my thoughts on the value of having a voice and opinions as a brand (11:13)
  • Gina talks about how they improve the product by rolling in requested features which fit their long-term brand strategy (12:45)
  • Gina reveals how they have grown - and retained revenue - by building a flywheel of users joining a customer network, and then forming networks of their own (15:11)
  • Gina reveals that their main inbound traffic comes from Google searches for website builders, not 'social media' or 'community' (16:34)
  • We discuss how to avoid communities becoming ghost towns, keeping engagement high, and the value of a feeling of exclusivity, with additional thoughts from former Lattice VP of marketing, Alex Grech (17:57)
  • I give my thoughts on forming breakaway brands which do things differently to create space in a crowded market (23:11)
  • Gina discusses their B2B2C business model, and always doing the best for their customers, so they can give their customers in turn the best experience (24:27)
  • I give my thoughts on being brand-first as a long-term competitive advantage (26:48)
  • Gina talks about encouraging competition in the space to help build awareness among potential customers (28:54)
  • Wrap up (32:25)

Mentioned:

Ning
Drift
Gong
Refine Labs
Hubspot
Basecamp
Lattice
Ikea

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2021 02:47:54 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2060 Gina Bianchini, Founder & CEO of Mighty Networks, a community-building tool, explains how they have grown to a team of more than 70 with an impressive funding raise. Gina discusses how Mighty Networks gives brands and creators a social space with no restrictions, and develops its product based on the needs of their customers. She explains that Mighty Networks isn't just competing with traditional social media by niching-down, but is taking on traditional website builders with features and user engagement they can't hope to match. Gina Bianchini, Founder & CEO of Mighty Networks, a community-building tool, explains how they have grown to a team of more than 70 with an impressive funding raise. Gina discusses how Mighty Networks gives brands and creators a social space with no r saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How mental availability helped Guillaume Moubeche grow Lemlist from $0 to $10 million in revenue 1 1 15 15 How mental availability helped Guillaume Moubeche grow Lemlist from $0 to $10 million in revenue full e9a1e1b9-7d6d-4bf8-b2ec-7a34d20c424f https://share.transistor.fm/s/2a064e89 Key Points:

  • Guillaume talks about Lemlist's USP as email personalisation, rather than automation (00:54)
  • I give my thoughts on feature-based differentiation as a way of breaking into a market (03.31)
  • Guillaume talks about the company's exponential growth over the years (05:05)
  • Guillaume talks about marketing, blogging and building communities on a lot of channels to build lead profiles and mental availability (06:37)
  • I give my thoughts on building a social media presence as a newcomer to a field (08:41)
  • Guillaume discussed Lemlist's transparency on social media, and learning with their audience to build a community (09:31)
  • I give my thoughts on building a strong digital presence by holding strong, controversial opinions and powerful storytelling (12:17)
  • Guillaume discusses tapping their community for feature ideas, and turning their engagement into a product advantage (13:14)
  • Guillaume talks about the various ways the company built its presence in the early days (15:55)
  • I give my thoughts on mental availability, with a clip from the term's creator, Byron Sharp (18:52)
  • Guillaume talks about building the personal brands of Lemlist employees as experts in their own fields (21:18)
  • I give my thoughts on company brands building up the personal brands of their people (24:01)
  • Guillaume talks about Lemlist's strategy and having the confidence to be approachable, friendly, and not compare themselves to what the competition are doing (24:40)
  • Guillaume gives his thoughts on niching down on SMBs, and not encouraging enterprise customers (27:54)
  • I give my thoughts on focusing in on the ideal customer (30:34)
  • Guillaume reveals where the company is headed in the years to come (31:59)
  • Wrap up (33:46)

Mentioned:

Hubspot
Salesforce
LinkedIn
Byron Sharp

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Guillaume talks about Lemlist's USP as email personalisation, rather than automation (00:54)
  • I give my thoughts on feature-based differentiation as a way of breaking into a market (03.31)
  • Guillaume talks about the company's exponential growth over the years (05:05)
  • Guillaume talks about marketing, blogging and building communities on a lot of channels to build lead profiles and mental availability (06:37)
  • I give my thoughts on building a social media presence as a newcomer to a field (08:41)
  • Guillaume discussed Lemlist's transparency on social media, and learning with their audience to build a community (09:31)
  • I give my thoughts on building a strong digital presence by holding strong, controversial opinions and powerful storytelling (12:17)
  • Guillaume discusses tapping their community for feature ideas, and turning their engagement into a product advantage (13:14)
  • Guillaume talks about the various ways the company built its presence in the early days (15:55)
  • I give my thoughts on mental availability, with a clip from the term's creator, Byron Sharp (18:52)
  • Guillaume talks about building the personal brands of Lemlist employees as experts in their own fields (21:18)
  • I give my thoughts on company brands building up the personal brands of their people (24:01)
  • Guillaume talks about Lemlist's strategy and having the confidence to be approachable, friendly, and not compare themselves to what the competition are doing (24:40)
  • Guillaume gives his thoughts on niching down on SMBs, and not encouraging enterprise customers (27:54)
  • I give my thoughts on focusing in on the ideal customer (30:34)
  • Guillaume reveals where the company is headed in the years to come (31:59)
  • Wrap up (33:46)

Mentioned:

Hubspot
Salesforce
LinkedIn
Byron Sharp

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 22 Nov 2021 01:00:00 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2175 Guillaume Moubeche - Co-founder and CEO of Lemlist, a sales automation and cold email service, explains how the company went from $0 to $10 million in revenue in just a few years, with no outside funding. Guillaume talks about using mental availability and building personal brands within the company to grow a reputation as experts in their field, and how they managed to build and capitalize on their user community. Guillaume Moubeche - Co-founder and CEO of Lemlist, a sales automation and cold email service, explains how the company went from $0 to $10 million in revenue in just a few years, with no outside funding. Guillaume talks about using mental availability an saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Neha Sampat pivoted from services to SaaS to launch Contentstack 1 1 14 14 How Neha Sampat pivoted from services to SaaS to launch Contentstack full 5a382d82-8a67-4810-bfef-e8e243fb5cb7 https://share.transistor.fm/s/2652e850 Key Points:

  • Neha talks about how Contentstack grew from a gap in a stagnant market and embraced new technology clients needed (01:13)
  • I give my thoughts on championing change, and encouraging clients to come with you (3:08)
  • Neha talks about how they took a product-led approach, building features the established competition couldn't match (5:11)
  • I give my thoughts on pulling together and improving existing technologies to build a better product (6:44)
  • Neha discusses how Contentstack was spun out successfully by keeping it separate from the main services firm (8:28)
  • I give my thoughts on the difficulties of transitioning from services to SaaS (09:41)
  • Neha talks about how the firm became trusted by investors (10:50)
  • Neha talks about how their consultative and flexible approach helps them keep 99% retention (12:41)
  • I give my thoughts on educating potential clients and seizing opportunities when launching new product segments (16:57)
  • Neha gives her thoughts on how they win clients by improving on the poor performance and inflexibility of the competition (17:47)
  • Neha talks about their network of partners as a moat, and how they will put clients in contact with other firms who offer features they can't (22:17)
  • I give my thoughts on the concept of cornered resources, as defined by Hamilton Helmer (24:48)
  • Neha talks about how Contentstack's strong expertise and consultative approach helps differentiate them from the competition (26:28)
  • I give my thoughts on highlighting your advantages and marketing to customers who know what they are looking for (29:28)
  • Neha talks about how they are planning to build a developer community/ecosystem to expand the features of Contentstack (30:31)
  • I give my thoughts on community building, with a clip from Morgan Brown, VP of Growth at Shopify (32:29)
  • Wrap up (34:50)

Mentioned:
Hubspot
Salesforce
Pipedrive
Shopify

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Neha talks about how Contentstack grew from a gap in a stagnant market and embraced new technology clients needed (01:13)
  • I give my thoughts on championing change, and encouraging clients to come with you (3:08)
  • Neha talks about how they took a product-led approach, building features the established competition couldn't match (5:11)
  • I give my thoughts on pulling together and improving existing technologies to build a better product (6:44)
  • Neha discusses how Contentstack was spun out successfully by keeping it separate from the main services firm (8:28)
  • I give my thoughts on the difficulties of transitioning from services to SaaS (09:41)
  • Neha talks about how the firm became trusted by investors (10:50)
  • Neha talks about how their consultative and flexible approach helps them keep 99% retention (12:41)
  • I give my thoughts on educating potential clients and seizing opportunities when launching new product segments (16:57)
  • Neha gives her thoughts on how they win clients by improving on the poor performance and inflexibility of the competition (17:47)
  • Neha talks about their network of partners as a moat, and how they will put clients in contact with other firms who offer features they can't (22:17)
  • I give my thoughts on the concept of cornered resources, as defined by Hamilton Helmer (24:48)
  • Neha talks about how Contentstack's strong expertise and consultative approach helps differentiate them from the competition (26:28)
  • I give my thoughts on highlighting your advantages and marketing to customers who know what they are looking for (29:28)
  • Neha talks about how they are planning to build a developer community/ecosystem to expand the features of Contentstack (30:31)
  • I give my thoughts on community building, with a clip from Morgan Brown, VP of Growth at Shopify (32:29)
  • Wrap up (34:50)

Mentioned:
Hubspot
Salesforce
Pipedrive
Shopify

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 15 Nov 2021 01:48:13 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2161 Neha Sampat - Co-Founder and CEO at Contentstack, an API first, headless CMS, tells us how they grew to revenues of $26 million with 160 staff in three years. Neha talks about how they spun the company out of their services business in 2018 after identifying a gap in a stagnant market, and grew by retaining a team of expert engineers and problem solving for clients fed up of the competition. Neha Sampat - Co-Founder and CEO at Contentstack, an API first, headless CMS, tells us how they grew to revenues of $26 million with 160 staff in three years. Neha talks about how they spun the company out of their services business in 2018 after identify saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Alina Vandenberghe grew Chili Piper's Annual Net Revenue Retention to 160% 1 1 13 13 How Alina Vandenberghe grew Chili Piper's Annual Net Revenue Retention to 160% full 97c5a328-b629-44bd-8655-0736569afd8c https://share.transistor.fm/s/e5dd070a Key Points:

  • Alina describes how Chili Piper identified it's niche and developed a solution to one client's problems (01:06)
  • I give my thoughts on adding value, and how that shows in ARR (06:21)
  • Alina talk about how leads were reluctant to try Chili Piper across the whole site, so they sold it as a low-risk experiment (08:01)
  • I give my thoughts on businesses' reluctance to change, and selling them on experimentation (08:55)
  • Alina describes how she networked hard and targeted influential figures and early adopters to get their first customers (09:26)
  • I give my thoughts on using brand ambassadors, and look back to advice from Guillaume "G" Cabane of Hypergrowth partners from episode 10 (10:51)
  • Alina describes how Chili Piper was able to create a product that Google and Salesforce couldn't, because they don't have the drive or specialist knowledge (11:50)
  • Alina talks about how they are innovating to stay ahead of the competition now that the market is getting more competitive (13:56)
  • Alina describes how their strategies are evolving over time (19:00)
  • Alina discusses their 160% ARR, and how Chili Piper achieved the figure (20:05)
  • I give my thoughts on client retention, and how it's become a key metric (21:08)
  • Alina talks about how the business is changing, and relying on intelligent insights to make product decisions (22:25)
  • I give my thoughts on using data to inform business decisions, but ultimately accepting that every decision is a bet (25:28)
  • Alina gives her thoughts on Chili Piper's pricing structure (27:39)
  • Wrap up (30:50)


Mentioned:
Customer.io
Hypergrowth Partners
Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
Chili Piper
Sales Force
Calendly

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Alina describes how Chili Piper identified it's niche and developed a solution to one client's problems (01:06)
  • I give my thoughts on adding value, and how that shows in ARR (06:21)
  • Alina talk about how leads were reluctant to try Chili Piper across the whole site, so they sold it as a low-risk experiment (08:01)
  • I give my thoughts on businesses' reluctance to change, and selling them on experimentation (08:55)
  • Alina describes how she networked hard and targeted influential figures and early adopters to get their first customers (09:26)
  • I give my thoughts on using brand ambassadors, and look back to advice from Guillaume "G" Cabane of Hypergrowth partners from episode 10 (10:51)
  • Alina describes how Chili Piper was able to create a product that Google and Salesforce couldn't, because they don't have the drive or specialist knowledge (11:50)
  • Alina talks about how they are innovating to stay ahead of the competition now that the market is getting more competitive (13:56)
  • Alina describes how their strategies are evolving over time (19:00)
  • Alina discusses their 160% ARR, and how Chili Piper achieved the figure (20:05)
  • I give my thoughts on client retention, and how it's become a key metric (21:08)
  • Alina talks about how the business is changing, and relying on intelligent insights to make product decisions (22:25)
  • I give my thoughts on using data to inform business decisions, but ultimately accepting that every decision is a bet (25:28)
  • Alina gives her thoughts on Chili Piper's pricing structure (27:39)
  • Wrap up (30:50)


Mentioned:
Customer.io
Hypergrowth Partners
Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
Chili Piper
Sales Force
Calendly

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 08 Nov 2021 02:41:58 -0600 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1983 Alina Vandenberghe - Co-Founder of Chili Piper, a meeting automation tool which claims to double conversion rates, tells us how they grew to $20 million revenue with 160% ARR. We hear about developing a business from one client's problems, having the drive to focus on creating a product so effective that your clients can't afford to stop using you, and using intelligent insights to develop your product strategy. Alina Vandenberghe - Co-Founder of Chili Piper, a meeting automation tool which claims to double conversion rates, tells us how they grew to $20 million revenue with 160% ARR. We hear about developing a business from one client's problems, having the driv saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Privy's Ben Jabbawy succeeded by focusing on a narrow niche 1 1 12 12 How Privy's Ben Jabbawy succeeded by focusing on a narrow niche full 8011536a-f330-4df3-8dc2-4c8733622226 https://share.transistor.fm/s/a99e2737 Key Points:

  • Ben talks about how Privy struggled to scale in its original form (01:07)
  • Ben explains how they developed the idea for focusing on email list growth (04:56)
  • I give my thoughts on product vs distribution (06:16)
  • I give my thoughts on freemium models, and showing users the benefit of paying for additional features (09:37)
  • Ben describes how Privy differentiated itself from other e-commerce marketing tools (12:06)
  • Ben talks about their early marketing efforts (13:19)
  • Ben talks about developing integrations as a key part of their product (14:05)
  • I give my thoughts on growing through app exchange marketplaces (15:47)
  • Ben talks about moving from a partner of Mailchimp to a competitor (18:37)
  • I give my thoughts on taking risks to attack the competition, and not becoming complacent (22:11)
  • Ben talks about how Privy succeeded by niching down to a very specific target market, and keeping track of their needs (26:31)
  • I give my thoughts on transient competitive advantage (28:06)
  • Ben gives his thoughts on pricing themselves against the competition (29:17)
  • Ben talks about Privy's future plans and strategy (32:51)
  • Wrap up (35:00)

Mentioned:
Shopify
Wix
Sumo
Opt-In Monster
Mailchimp
Supermetrics
Superlemon


My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Ben talks about how Privy struggled to scale in its original form (01:07)
  • Ben explains how they developed the idea for focusing on email list growth (04:56)
  • I give my thoughts on product vs distribution (06:16)
  • I give my thoughts on freemium models, and showing users the benefit of paying for additional features (09:37)
  • Ben describes how Privy differentiated itself from other e-commerce marketing tools (12:06)
  • Ben talks about their early marketing efforts (13:19)
  • Ben talks about developing integrations as a key part of their product (14:05)
  • I give my thoughts on growing through app exchange marketplaces (15:47)
  • Ben talks about moving from a partner of Mailchimp to a competitor (18:37)
  • I give my thoughts on taking risks to attack the competition, and not becoming complacent (22:11)
  • Ben talks about how Privy succeeded by niching down to a very specific target market, and keeping track of their needs (26:31)
  • I give my thoughts on transient competitive advantage (28:06)
  • Ben gives his thoughts on pricing themselves against the competition (29:17)
  • Ben talks about Privy's future plans and strategy (32:51)
  • Wrap up (35:00)

Mentioned:
Shopify
Wix
Sumo
Opt-In Monster
Mailchimp
Supermetrics
Superlemon


My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 01 Nov 2021 11:39:52 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2169 Ben Jabbawy - CEO of Privy, an email marketing tool focused on Shopify and Wix e-commerce companies, with over 600,000 clients generating in excess of $6 billion in sales between them. We hear about focusing on a niche, and not being afraid to take risks and grab opportunities. Ben Jabbawy - CEO of Privy, an email marketing tool focused on Shopify and Wix e-commerce companies, with over 600,000 clients generating in excess of $6 billion in sales between them. We hear about focusing on a niche, and not being afraid to take risks saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Shopify's Morgan Brown helps them stay ahead of the competition 1 1 11 11 How Shopify's Morgan Brown helps them stay ahead of the competition full 87db73ba-6920-45db-a337-3871eefbe89e https://share.transistor.fm/s/acece5f7 Key Points:

  • Morgan explains Shopify's current pain points (01:07)
  • Morgan explains how Shopify's ecosystem helps differentiate it (2:35)
  • Morgan explains how Shopify's marketing targets potential business owners rather than B2B customers(3.48)
  • I give my thoughts on Nassim Taleb's 'Antifragile' theory of attracting customers with a 'low risk, high potential reward' pricing model (5:04)
  • I give my thoughts on using qualitative data to ensure you are targeting customers with the right messaging (6:55)
  • Morgan gives his thoughts on lowering the barrier to entry for business (7.50)
  • I give my thoughts on Richard Reynolds 'Good Strategy/Bad Strategy' theory, which suggests analysis of problems, not aiming for solutions, is the most effective way to plan (8.38)
  • Morgan explains Shopify's long term goals and strategies - simple pricing, a product which can be adapted to suit the needs of every business, and solving the problems which matter to the most customers (10.35)
  • Morgan explains where the business' core strategy of making e-commerce accessible comes from (15:15)
  • Morgan talks us through Shopify's strategic planning process (17:05)
  • Morgan gives his thoughts on staying ahead of the competition, and competing with the likes of Amazon (20:10)
  • I give my thoughts on how to compete against a category leader (21:57)
  • Morgan explains how Shopify tracks the competition's movements and strategies (23:16)
  • Morgan gives his thoughts on Shopify's moats, and how it is maintaining its position (25:08)
  • Wrap up (30:17)


Mentioned:
Shopify
Speed Commerce
Magento
Nassim Taleb - Antifragile
Richard P Rumelt - Good strategy, Bad Strategy
James Carse - Finite and Infinite Games

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • Morgan explains Shopify's current pain points (01:07)
  • Morgan explains how Shopify's ecosystem helps differentiate it (2:35)
  • Morgan explains how Shopify's marketing targets potential business owners rather than B2B customers(3.48)
  • I give my thoughts on Nassim Taleb's 'Antifragile' theory of attracting customers with a 'low risk, high potential reward' pricing model (5:04)
  • I give my thoughts on using qualitative data to ensure you are targeting customers with the right messaging (6:55)
  • Morgan gives his thoughts on lowering the barrier to entry for business (7.50)
  • I give my thoughts on Richard Reynolds 'Good Strategy/Bad Strategy' theory, which suggests analysis of problems, not aiming for solutions, is the most effective way to plan (8.38)
  • Morgan explains Shopify's long term goals and strategies - simple pricing, a product which can be adapted to suit the needs of every business, and solving the problems which matter to the most customers (10.35)
  • Morgan explains where the business' core strategy of making e-commerce accessible comes from (15:15)
  • Morgan talks us through Shopify's strategic planning process (17:05)
  • Morgan gives his thoughts on staying ahead of the competition, and competing with the likes of Amazon (20:10)
  • I give my thoughts on how to compete against a category leader (21:57)
  • Morgan explains how Shopify tracks the competition's movements and strategies (23:16)
  • Morgan gives his thoughts on Shopify's moats, and how it is maintaining its position (25:08)
  • Wrap up (30:17)


Mentioned:
Shopify
Speed Commerce
Magento
Nassim Taleb - Antifragile
Richard P Rumelt - Good strategy, Bad Strategy
James Carse - Finite and Infinite Games

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 25 Oct 2021 03:11:43 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1946 Morgan Brown - Vice President of Growth at Shopify, the $7.6 billion e-commerce category leader. We hear about enabling potential customers to start businesses rather than targeting B2B customers, building an ecosystem around your product, and staying ahead in the field. Morgan Brown - Vice President of Growth at Shopify, the $7.6 billion e-commerce category leader. We hear about enabling potential customers to start businesses rather than targeting B2B customers, building an ecosystem around your product, and staying ahe saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Guillaume 'G' Cabane identifies growth opportunities for businesses 1 1 10 10 How Guillaume 'G' Cabane identifies growth opportunities for businesses full 16baf246-f09f-46bd-9593-19a7110eca33 https://share.transistor.fm/s/cd002fbe Key Points:

  • How G makes winning a repeatable science (02:38)
  • How G starts establishing opportunities for growth (04:10)
  • My thoughts on maintaining 'scent' and keeping pre and post-click messaging consistent to drive conversions (07:19)
  • How G works with a client, step-by-step (08:20)
  • My thoughts on how drift managed to lead by introducing a new narrative (11:15)
  • G's thoughts on category creation and how to stand out whilst avoiding a feature war (11:55)
  • My thoughts on successfully creating new categories by adding 'must-have' features (17:05)
  • G's thoughts on establishing the full extent of your theoretical customer base (18:00)
  • My thoughts on choosing the ideal market segment from the pool of potential customers (19:50)
  • How G uses data to work out who to target and how to effectively communicate with them effectively (20:55)
  • My thoughts on brand-based differentiation (or lack of) between competitors (25:35)
  • G on how to ensure a connection with your audience using brand ambassadors (28:10)
  • G on how to build up an insight-based customer persona in order to differentiate your brand and offer the right solutions (30:40)
  • Wrap-up (33.40)


Mentioned:
Drift
Segment
Gorgias
Gainsight
G2
Owler
Forrester Research
Gartner Research 

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • How G makes winning a repeatable science (02:38)
  • How G starts establishing opportunities for growth (04:10)
  • My thoughts on maintaining 'scent' and keeping pre and post-click messaging consistent to drive conversions (07:19)
  • How G works with a client, step-by-step (08:20)
  • My thoughts on how drift managed to lead by introducing a new narrative (11:15)
  • G's thoughts on category creation and how to stand out whilst avoiding a feature war (11:55)
  • My thoughts on successfully creating new categories by adding 'must-have' features (17:05)
  • G's thoughts on establishing the full extent of your theoretical customer base (18:00)
  • My thoughts on choosing the ideal market segment from the pool of potential customers (19:50)
  • How G uses data to work out who to target and how to effectively communicate with them effectively (20:55)
  • My thoughts on brand-based differentiation (or lack of) between competitors (25:35)
  • G on how to ensure a connection with your audience using brand ambassadors (28:10)
  • G on how to build up an insight-based customer persona in order to differentiate your brand and offer the right solutions (30:40)
  • Wrap-up (33.40)


Mentioned:
Drift
Segment
Gorgias
Gainsight
G2
Owler
Forrester Research
Gartner Research 

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 18 Oct 2021 03:17:03 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2127 Guillaume Cabane - known as G - co-Founder and General Partner at HyperGrowth Partners, an advisory fund that helps B2B companies grow faster in exchange for equity. We hear about how he steps into businesses, identifies opportunities, and then trains the client to test and experiment on their own. Guillaume Cabane - known as G - co-Founder and General Partner at HyperGrowth Partners, an advisory fund that helps B2B companies grow faster in exchange for equity. We hear about how he steps into businesses, identifies opportunities, and then trains the saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Alex Kracov made Lattice a go-to name for HR professionals 1 1 9 9 How Alex Kracov made Lattice a go-to name for HR professionals full 5da3d60e-138c-4478-8e1a-02f1b37ee95d https://share.transistor.fm/s/bac0a2e7 Key Points

  • How Lattice identified and focused on its niche through conversations with customers (01:55)
  • My thoughts on how to enter a crowded market and find your space by attacking from below (05:00)
  • How Lattice honed their marketing strategy and began interviewing big-name non-customers for their media channels, building a brand association (06:24)
  • My thoughts on building mental availability with professional customers by keeping them in mind and engaging with them early, delivering them unique insights so you are a name they think of when they are ready to buy (07:57)
  • How Lattice developed new products which threatened the existing major players, and their ongoing product strategy (09:09)
  • How Lattice developed its culture around sharing success and caring about conversations, and the importance of that in a people-management platform (11:56)
  • How Lattice managed to differentiate itself from its competitors by focusing on what employees needed, and building a non-sales focused community of HR professionals (14:24)
  • My thoughts on building mental availability by placing yourself at the center of a user community, and leveraging that down the line (18:04)
  • How Lattice managed to differentiate itself as a brand using distinct messaging once competitors caught up from a product perspective (20:54)
  • My thoughts on hooking site visitors with great copy and design (23:18)
  • How Lattice looked outside the box to market its product with books and billboards (23:50)
  • My thoughts on introducing slight cognitive disfluency to your messaging, to force people to stop, think and notice you (24:29)
  • How Lattice has managed to retain its customer base whilst targeting higher-worth customers, by providing messaging and support to both markets, and adapting its marketing and sales strategies (25:30)
  • How Lattice has become more ambitious with its marketing as it has grown, taking larger, big-budget risks to build its community (28:21)
  • Wrap up (31:15)

Mentioned:
Alex is now CEO and founder at Dock.us
Lattice
Culture Amp
David Cancel (Drift)
Clayton Christensen

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points

  • How Lattice identified and focused on its niche through conversations with customers (01:55)
  • My thoughts on how to enter a crowded market and find your space by attacking from below (05:00)
  • How Lattice honed their marketing strategy and began interviewing big-name non-customers for their media channels, building a brand association (06:24)
  • My thoughts on building mental availability with professional customers by keeping them in mind and engaging with them early, delivering them unique insights so you are a name they think of when they are ready to buy (07:57)
  • How Lattice developed new products which threatened the existing major players, and their ongoing product strategy (09:09)
  • How Lattice developed its culture around sharing success and caring about conversations, and the importance of that in a people-management platform (11:56)
  • How Lattice managed to differentiate itself from its competitors by focusing on what employees needed, and building a non-sales focused community of HR professionals (14:24)
  • My thoughts on building mental availability by placing yourself at the center of a user community, and leveraging that down the line (18:04)
  • How Lattice managed to differentiate itself as a brand using distinct messaging once competitors caught up from a product perspective (20:54)
  • My thoughts on hooking site visitors with great copy and design (23:18)
  • How Lattice looked outside the box to market its product with books and billboards (23:50)
  • My thoughts on introducing slight cognitive disfluency to your messaging, to force people to stop, think and notice you (24:29)
  • How Lattice has managed to retain its customer base whilst targeting higher-worth customers, by providing messaging and support to both markets, and adapting its marketing and sales strategies (25:30)
  • How Lattice has become more ambitious with its marketing as it has grown, taking larger, big-budget risks to build its community (28:21)
  • Wrap up (31:15)

Mentioned:
Alex is now CEO and founder at Dock.us
Lattice
Culture Amp
David Cancel (Drift)
Clayton Christensen

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2021 02:52:54 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1976 Alex Kracov, former VP of marketing at HR and people management platform, Lattice. We hear about the importance of building a people-focused culture around a people-focused platform, and building a non-sales oriented community of HR professionals using online tools and real-world events to ensure mental availability among potential clients. I weigh in with my thoughts on combining copy and design in unison to build brand differentiation and stand out among a variety of similar products, and how to find and grow your niche as a new market entrant. Alex Kracov, former VP of marketing at HR and people management platform, Lattice. We hear about the importance of building a people-focused culture around a people-focused platform, and building a non-sales oriented community of HR professionals using on saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Colin Nederkoorn doubled down on innovation to grow Customer.io 1 1 8 8 How Colin Nederkoorn doubled down on innovation to grow Customer.io full e528b0a3-9c8e-4b5e-8a68-bbf83f12cdba https://share.transistor.fm/s/93e95cda Key Points

  • How Colin and Customer.io broke into their category (01:22)
  • My thoughts on product-based differentiation (03:03)
  • What game Customer.io is trying to win (04:34)
  • How Colin is trying to differentiate Customer.io (05:47)
  • Colin's thoughts on building and running a distributed company (09:06)
  • My view on new ways of management (10:53)
  • How Colin thinks about moats (12:40)
  • Colin's take on the big players in his category (16:12)
  • How Customer.io attracts tech-savvy buyers (20:30)
  • My thoughts on competing through innovation (21:22)
  • My advice on building a personal brand (25:35)
  • Wrap up (28:27)

Mentioned:
Tesla
Lucid
Drift
Intercom

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Key Points

  • How Colin and Customer.io broke into their category (01:22)
  • My thoughts on product-based differentiation (03:03)
  • What game Customer.io is trying to win (04:34)
  • How Colin is trying to differentiate Customer.io (05:47)
  • Colin's thoughts on building and running a distributed company (09:06)
  • My view on new ways of management (10:53)
  • How Colin thinks about moats (12:40)
  • Colin's take on the big players in his category (16:12)
  • How Customer.io attracts tech-savvy buyers (20:30)
  • My thoughts on competing through innovation (21:22)
  • My advice on building a personal brand (25:35)
  • Wrap up (28:27)

Mentioned:
Tesla
Lucid
Drift
Intercom

My Links:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Website
Wynter
Speero
CXL

]]> Mon, 04 Oct 2021 07:22:19 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1781 Colin Nederkoorn, Founder and CEO at automated messaging platform, Customer.io. We hear about the advantages and risks of focusing on innovation, the challenges of building a culture of excellence within a remote company, and the power of having a strong vision. I weigh in with my thoughts on product-based differentiation, new ways of management, out-competing the competition, and personal brands. Colin Nederkoorn, Founder and CEO at automated messaging platform, Customer.io. We hear about the advantages and risks of focusing on innovation, the challenges of building a culture of excellence within a remote company, and the power of having a strong saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Ross Hudgens focused on high quality clients, content and services to grow Siege Media 1 1 7 7 How Ross Hudgens focused on high quality clients, content and services to grow Siege Media full 3ad2cf37-375a-43a3-84bc-7e1699227a2d https://share.transistor.fm/s/e9ae550c Key points:

  • Why Ross originally decided to lean into content marketing (2:07)
  • My thoughts on developing a strong brand (3:50)
  • How Siege chooses high quality clients (7:21)
  • How Siege attracts the best people to work for them (8:17)
  • My take on the war for talent (9:14)
  • How Siege's marketing strategy has evolved (15:13)
  • My thoughts on how to become a top name in your industry (16:38)
  • Why people want to follow people, not brands (20:45)
  • How Ross thinks about creating moats (25:00)
  • Why my view on "hiring for talent, training for skill" has changed (29:29)
  • What strategies Siege are doubling down on (30:30)
  • Wrap up (32:35)

Mentioned:

Content and Conversations Podcast

Seth Godin

Dave Gerhardt

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

]]> Key points:

  • Why Ross originally decided to lean into content marketing (2:07)
  • My thoughts on developing a strong brand (3:50)
  • How Siege chooses high quality clients (7:21)
  • How Siege attracts the best people to work for them (8:17)
  • My take on the war for talent (9:14)
  • How Siege's marketing strategy has evolved (15:13)
  • My thoughts on how to become a top name in your industry (16:38)
  • Why people want to follow people, not brands (20:45)
  • How Ross thinks about creating moats (25:00)
  • Why my view on "hiring for talent, training for skill" has changed (29:29)
  • What strategies Siege are doubling down on (30:30)
  • Wrap up (32:35)

Mentioned:

Content and Conversations Podcast

Seth Godin

Dave Gerhardt

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2021 01:16:49 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2027 Ross Hudgens, founder and CEO at SEO-focused content marketing agency, Siege Media. We talk about the importance of choosing high quality clients, the power of developing a personal brand, and the value of adding premium services to your offering. I weigh in on the war for talent, becoming a top name in your industry, and how my view on "hiring for talent, training for skill" has changed. Ross Hudgens, founder and CEO at SEO-focused content marketing agency, Siege Media. We talk about the importance of choosing high quality clients, the power of developing a personal brand, and the value of adding premium services to your offering. I weigh saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Patrick Campbell plans to take Profitwell to $100 million+ in revenue 1 1 6 6 How Patrick Campbell plans to take Profitwell to $100 million+ in revenue full ce94c47c-b730-42e5-ac26-d0832ba3fdb8 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0cbd8e35 Key Points:

  • My thoughts on the agency business model (2:14)
  • How Profitwell's original mission evolved (3:32)
  • One of the best pieces of advice Patrick can give (4:17)
  • My take on keeping your brand focussed (5:38)
  • Key bets Profitwell made that didn't work out (6:49)
  • The highest ROI campaigns Profitwell have run (8:58)
  • My take on using standard playbooks (10:37)
  • Patrick on the fine art of throwing shade at competitors (11:48)
  • How Profitwell educates potential customers (12:40)
  • My thoughts on having strong opinions (15:19)
  • How Patrick thinks about building moats (18:20)
  • The big bets Profitwell is making for the future (23:35)
  • Wrap up (24:55)

Mentioned:

Pricing Page Teardown

Boxed Out

ConvertKit

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key Points:

  • My thoughts on the agency business model (2:14)
  • How Profitwell's original mission evolved (3:32)
  • One of the best pieces of advice Patrick can give (4:17)
  • My take on keeping your brand focussed (5:38)
  • Key bets Profitwell made that didn't work out (6:49)
  • The highest ROI campaigns Profitwell have run (8:58)
  • My take on using standard playbooks (10:37)
  • Patrick on the fine art of throwing shade at competitors (11:48)
  • How Profitwell educates potential customers (12:40)
  • My thoughts on having strong opinions (15:19)
  • How Patrick thinks about building moats (18:20)
  • The big bets Profitwell is making for the future (23:35)
  • Wrap up (24:55)

Mentioned:

Pricing Page Teardown

Boxed Out

ConvertKit

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2021 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1564 Patrick Campbell, Founder and CEO at subscription revenue experts Profitwell. We learn about the challenge of educating customers, the power of building an audience, and the subtle art of throwing shade at your competitors. I weigh in with my thoughts on keeping your brand focussed on one idea, the pros and cons of using standard playbooks, and how having a strong point of view can help build an audience. Patrick Campbell, Founder and CEO at subscription revenue experts Profitwell. We learn about the challenge of educating customers, the power of building an audience, and the subtle art of throwing shade at your competitors. I weigh in with my thoughts on saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Guy Yalif helped Intellimize grow and raise $30 million in Series B funding 1 1 5 5 How Guy Yalif helped Intellimize grow and raise $30 million in Series B funding full 96285f16-65ed-4b67-82d5-fe8bfa7130e5 https://share.transistor.fm/s/6494b750 Key points:

  • How Intellimize thinks about competing (1:56)
  • Two key ways Guy thinks about differentiation (4:45)
  • My thoughts on "job to be done" boxes (5:10)
  • The third way Intellimize thinks about differentiation (9:07)
  • How Intellimize's competitive strategy has evolved (10:51)
  • What I think is the most power moat a business can have (14:45)
  • How Guy thinks about building moats (15:52)
  • My view on the power of having a narrow focus (18:20)
  • What competitiveness really means (22:24)
  • How often Guy thinks about the competition (24:00)
  • My take on the best way to deal with competitors (25:30)
  • Wrap up (31:34)

Mentioned:

Hot Jar

Hubspot

Bernadette Jiwa

Tesla

Profitwell

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Key points:

  • How Intellimize thinks about competing (1:56)
  • Two key ways Guy thinks about differentiation (4:45)
  • My thoughts on "job to be done" boxes (5:10)
  • The third way Intellimize thinks about differentiation (9:07)
  • How Intellimize's competitive strategy has evolved (10:51)
  • What I think is the most power moat a business can have (14:45)
  • How Guy thinks about building moats (15:52)
  • My view on the power of having a narrow focus (18:20)
  • What competitiveness really means (22:24)
  • How often Guy thinks about the competition (24:00)
  • My take on the best way to deal with competitors (25:30)
  • Wrap up (31:34)

Mentioned:

Hot Jar

Hubspot

Bernadette Jiwa

Tesla

Profitwell

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 13 Sep 2021 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1983 Guy Yalif, Co-founder and CEO of Website Personalization and Conversion Optimization tool, Intellimize. We learn about identifying opportunities in highly competitive categories, hear a unique take on product-based differentiation, and find out how a strong values-based culture helped Intellimize grow and succeed. I weigh in with my thoughts on product-based differentiation, how to use brand as a moat, the advantages of having a narrow focus, and why you shouldn't be naive about the competition. Guy Yalif, Co-founder and CEO of Website Personalization and Conversion Optimization tool, Intellimize. We learn about identifying opportunities in highly competitive categories, hear a unique take on product-based differentiation, and find out how a stro saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Tamara Grominsky on how Unbounce are pairing marketer and machine to create a new category and fend off the competition 1 1 4 4 Tamara Grominsky on how Unbounce are pairing marketer and machine to create a new category and fend off the competition full 5a27028e-ebfa-4e1f-943a-c9d494659f26 https://share.transistor.fm/s/c4d7c233 Listen and learn:

  • The problem Unbounce was originally trying solve (1:14)
  • My take on the risks of competing on features (3:30)
  • How their industry became a race to the bottom (5:30)
  • Why you should aim to be unique, instead of being the best (6:42)
  • How Unbounce thinks about the competition (11:10)
  • My thoughts on taking a differentiated position in the market (15:18)
  • What category Unbounce are trying to create (20:54)
  • My take on the power of category creation (21:14)
  • What Unbounce are betting their entire business model on (24:47)
  • Unbounce's secret sauce (31:17)
  • Wrap up (33:44)

Mentioned:

Unbounce

Animalz

Michael Porter

Christopher Lochhead

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Listen and learn:

  • The problem Unbounce was originally trying solve (1:14)
  • My take on the risks of competing on features (3:30)
  • How their industry became a race to the bottom (5:30)
  • Why you should aim to be unique, instead of being the best (6:42)
  • How Unbounce thinks about the competition (11:10)
  • My thoughts on taking a differentiated position in the market (15:18)
  • What category Unbounce are trying to create (20:54)
  • My take on the power of category creation (21:14)
  • What Unbounce are betting their entire business model on (24:47)
  • Unbounce's secret sauce (31:17)
  • Wrap up (33:44)

Mentioned:

Unbounce

Animalz

Michael Porter

Christopher Lochhead

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 06 Sep 2021 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 2159 Tamara Grominsky, Chief Strategy Officer at landing page and conversion experts, Unbounce. We learn what to do when your category becomes a race to the bottom, why AI and machine learning should be used to help marketers not replace them, and how Unbounce built their biggest moat. I weigh in with my thoughts on the risks of competing on features, the power of taking a differentiated position in the market, and why category creation is such an attractive play. Tamara Grominsky, Chief Strategy Officer at landing page and conversion experts, Unbounce. We learn what to do when your category becomes a race to the bottom, why AI and machine learning should be used to help marketers not replace them, and how Unbounce saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Chris Walker on using personal brand and LinkedIn to scale demand gen experts Refine Labs 1 1 3 3 Chris Walker on using personal brand and LinkedIn to scale demand gen experts Refine Labs full 60bb89f1-fab0-4709-ab33-f95171789e87 https://share.transistor.fm/s/04309dd2 Listen and learn:

  • How Chris knew Refine Labs was going to win as an agency (1:45)
  • How I built CXL using inbound marketing (2:50)
  • My thoughts on creating strategic narratives (5:00)
  • How Chris used LinkedIn to land Refine Labs' first clients (7:24)
  • What I mean by being "the best" (10:12)
  • Why Chris focusses on brand, rather than being transactional (13:50)
  • My take on building personal brands (14:20)
  • Refine Labs' vision for the future (17:25)
  • How agencies can differentiate (18:15)
  • Refine Labs' plan to take on industry giants (20:47)
  • How Chris thinks about building moats (24:05)
  • Wrap up (24:20)

Mentioned:

Refine Labs

State of Demand Gen Podcast

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Listen and learn:

  • How Chris knew Refine Labs was going to win as an agency (1:45)
  • How I built CXL using inbound marketing (2:50)
  • My thoughts on creating strategic narratives (5:00)
  • How Chris used LinkedIn to land Refine Labs' first clients (7:24)
  • What I mean by being "the best" (10:12)
  • Why Chris focusses on brand, rather than being transactional (13:50)
  • My take on building personal brands (14:20)
  • Refine Labs' vision for the future (17:25)
  • How agencies can differentiate (18:15)
  • Refine Labs' plan to take on industry giants (20:47)
  • How Chris thinks about building moats (24:05)
  • Wrap up (24:20)

Mentioned:

Refine Labs

State of Demand Gen Podcast

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2021 01:35:28 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1541 Chris Walker, CEO at demand generation experts, Refine Labs. We hear about the value of testing assumptions, the difference between delivering content and collecting leads, and the power of ignoring the competition. I weigh in with my thoughts on creating strategic narratives, building companies with inbound marketing, being "the best" for your specific customer, developing personal brands and owning a unique point of view. Chris Walker, CEO at demand generation experts, Refine Labs. We hear about the value of testing assumptions, the difference between delivering content and collecting leads, and the power of ignoring the competition. I weigh in with my thoughts on creating saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Devin Bramhall helped Animalz scale from $1m to $16m ARR... by doing the unscalable 1 1 2 2 How Devin Bramhall helped Animalz scale from $1m to $16m ARR... by doing the unscalable full d2b017ac-c059-4e86-afa1-c2a1bff3fcaa https://share.transistor.fm/s/b2ca885f Listen and learn:

  • Animalz's two biggest pain points (2:02)
  • How the Animalz team found a vision for the future (3:10)
  • The biggest strategic bet that Animalz placed (3:56)
  • One of the hardest things to do in business (4:48)
  • How Animalz elevated the perception of their brand (5:48)
  • My thoughts on the power of market penetration (6:05)
  • What I call "The Kim Kardashian Strategy" (8:50)
  • What Devin's mentor taught her about using leverage (10:42)
  • How doing the unscalable helped Animalz scale (12:54)
  • My thoughts on doubling-down on your key differentiators (13:21)
  • Animalz's strategy for the next 3-5 years (15:37)

Mentioned:

Animalz's Blog

Hubspot's Blog

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Listen and learn:

  • Animalz's two biggest pain points (2:02)
  • How the Animalz team found a vision for the future (3:10)
  • The biggest strategic bet that Animalz placed (3:56)
  • One of the hardest things to do in business (4:48)
  • How Animalz elevated the perception of their brand (5:48)
  • My thoughts on the power of market penetration (6:05)
  • What I call "The Kim Kardashian Strategy" (8:50)
  • What Devin's mentor taught her about using leverage (10:42)
  • How doing the unscalable helped Animalz scale (12:54)
  • My thoughts on doubling-down on your key differentiators (13:21)
  • Animalz's strategy for the next 3-5 years (15:37)

Mentioned:

Animalz's Blog

Hubspot's Blog

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2021 05:59:44 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1131 Devin Bramhall, CEO at content marketing beasts, Animalz. We hear about the unique challenges of scaling a people business, learn some unusual strategies for growth, and hear a different take on thought leadership. I weigh in on the power of market penetration, doubling down on your key differentiators, and what I call "The Kim Kardashian Strategy". Devin Bramhall, CEO at content marketing beasts, Animalz. We hear about the unique challenges of scaling a people business, learn some unusual strategies for growth, and hear a different take on thought leadership. I weigh in on the power of market penetr saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes How Nathan Barry bared all to take ConvertKit from $0 to $2 million MRR 1 1 1 1 How Nathan Barry bared all to take ConvertKit from $0 to $2 million MRR full ba192f3e-3afc-4328-817e-85b10bc1c95e https://share.transistor.fm/s/0030421f Listen and learn:

  • The best advice Nathan Barry has received in business (1:44)
  • How ConvertKit differentiates from the competition (3:54)
  • The specific marketing campaigns that helped ConvertKit go from $2000 to $100 000 MRR in a single year (5:27)
  • How feedback from a high-profile customer helped ConvertKit position themselves in the market (08:26)
  • My take on playing the features game (09:40)
  • A killer feature on ConvertKit that I think is f***king brilliant (13:36)
  • How ConvertKit uses storytelling in their marketing campaigns (14:20)
  • Why ConvertKit is committed to radical transparency as a business (15:27)
  • How Nathan thinks about creating moats (17:04)
  • The single biggest bet ConvertKit is making to reach $100 million ARR (18:22)

Mentioned:

Pat Flynn / Smart Passive Income

Katie Wells / Wellness Mama

ConvertKit's Baremetrics

Tim Grahl

Squarespace

Teachable

NerdyData

BuiltWith


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Listen and learn:

  • The best advice Nathan Barry has received in business (1:44)
  • How ConvertKit differentiates from the competition (3:54)
  • The specific marketing campaigns that helped ConvertKit go from $2000 to $100 000 MRR in a single year (5:27)
  • How feedback from a high-profile customer helped ConvertKit position themselves in the market (08:26)
  • My take on playing the features game (09:40)
  • A killer feature on ConvertKit that I think is f***king brilliant (13:36)
  • How ConvertKit uses storytelling in their marketing campaigns (14:20)
  • Why ConvertKit is committed to radical transparency as a business (15:27)
  • How Nathan thinks about creating moats (17:04)
  • The single biggest bet ConvertKit is making to reach $100 million ARR (18:22)

Mentioned:

Pat Flynn / Smart Passive Income

Katie Wells / Wellness Mama

ConvertKit's Baremetrics

Tim Grahl

Squarespace

Teachable

NerdyData

BuiltWith


My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2021 01:00:00 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 1262 Nathan Barry, founder and CEO at email marketing leaders, ConvertKit. We hear how picking a niche can lead to unique solutions for customers, why companies should focus on their long-term mission over short-term trends, and the reason that Nathan reveals his company's most private data to the world. I weigh in with my thoughts on differentiation, competing with category kings, and playing the features game. Nathan Barry, founder and CEO at email marketing leaders, ConvertKit. We hear how picking a niche can lead to unique solutions for customers, why companies should focus on their long-term mission over short-term trends, and the reason that Nathan reveals saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition Yes Introducing How to Win 1 1 Introducing How to Win trailer fec81e04-cc5d-49c9-9d3d-1ddd923ff819 https://share.transistor.fm/s/e8e01826 How to Win is launching Monday 12th July.

Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories.

]]> How to Win is launching Monday 12th July.

Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories.

]]> Wed, 07 Jul 2021 04:38:19 -0500 Peep Laja Peep Laja 82 How to Win is launching soon! Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories. How to Win is launching soon! Hear how successful B2B SaaS companies and agencies compete - and win - in highly saturated categories. saas, agencies, entrepreneurship, B2B, competition No