SaaS Backwards - Reverse Engineering SaaS Success

Send a textHow SaaS CEOs Should Navigate AI-Native, AI-Augmented, and Bolt-On AI Strategies to Protect Revenue and Reduce Churn Guest: Ken Lempit, President & Chief Strategist at Austin Lawrence Group  --  AI is not just another feature cycle — it's an inflection point for SaaS.In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Ken Lempit steps into the guest seat to break down what AI really means for SaaS companies, especially mid-market and enterprise software vendors trying to protect revenue while planning their next product evolution.Ken draws a powerful parallel between today's AI shift and the early 2000s transition from client-server to cloud — arguing that this AI cycle is moving faster and carries even greater competitive risk.He explains the critical differences between:AI-native SaaS productsAI-augmented platformsBolt-on AI featuresAnd why the wrong strategy could quietly increase churn, shrink pipeline, and erode relevance.You'll also hear:How to diagnose whether you have a GTM problem or a product relevance problemWhy “vibe coding” poses real risk to mid-market SaaS vendorsShort-term product and pricing moves to survive the next 12–18 monthsLessons from BackEngine's pivot from conversation mining to revenue enablementWhy your AI narrative may matter more than your marketing spendIf you're a SaaS CEO, founder, or go-to-market leader wondering how aggressive your AI roadmap needs to be, this episode is your strategic wake-up call.Get a free SaaS GTM Checkup: https://info.austinlawrence.com/saas-gtm-checkup ---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textWhy SaaS companies stall at $10M, how execution breaks down, and what founders must change to scale  --  Guest: Mark Abbott, Founder & CEO at Ninety  Most SaaS companies don't hit a wall because demand dries up — they hit it because execution doesn't keep pace with growth.In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Mark Abbott, Founder and CEO of ninety.io, explains why SaaS companies predictably stall as they grow and how founders underestimate the leadership and operational shifts required at each stage. Drawing on decades as an operator, investor, and board member, Mark walks through the five unavoidable stages of company growth and why stage three is where most companies get stuck.The conversation explores why speed becomes a liability, why leadership requirements change as teams scale, and how operating discipline and culture quietly determine whether a SaaS company breaks through its ceiling or plateaus indefinitely.Mark also unpacks the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), the mindset shift from lifestyle entrepreneur to long-game founder, and why operational systems are not overhead — they're a competitive advantage. This conversation is essential listening for SaaS founders navigating product-market fit, team scaling, and leadership complexity.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Lara Shackelford, SVP of Growth Marketing at iCapital -- Most SaaS companies are investing heavily in AI, yet many struggle to see meaningful ROI. In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Lara Shackelford—SVP of Growth Marketing, MarTech, and CRM at iCapital—breaks down why AI initiatives fail without the right systems, governance, and change management.Lara explains how AI-powered revenue systems should be designed across the full customer lifecycle, from demand generation through customer success. She introduces the concept of “agent sprawl,” outlines why AI readiness assessments are critical before scaling automation, and shares practical examples of signal-based marketing and sales automation that actually work.This conversation is essential listening for SaaS CROs, CMOs, and RevOps leaders looking to align AI strategy, revenue operations, and go-to-market execution.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Kevin Jacobson, CEO at Foxen -- Most SaaS companies try to scale by adding headcount and channels. Foxen scaled by tightening fundamentals.In this episode, Kevin Jacobson, CEO of Foxen, joins host Ken Lempit to explain how an overlooked market — multifamily housing — became a durable SaaS growth opportunity through operational discipline and relationship-driven GTM.Kevin breaks down why traditional industries lag in SaaS adoption, why consistency matters more than speed, and how Foxen scaled through direct sales, referrals, and systems built to support growth. He also shares lessons from raising growth equity and why systems, not people, ultimately unlock scale.Key takeaways:Underserved markets reward execution over hypeConsistency precedes scalable SaaS growthDirect sales still win in relationship-driven marketsSystems, not headcount, enable scaleIf you're a SaaS leader selling into traditional industries or rethinking how growth really happens after PMF, this episode delivers a grounded, operator-first perspective.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Dave Boyce, Executive Chairman & EVP of Product at Winning by Design --  Most SaaS companies are still built to sell. Today's buyers want to activate, experience value, and decide on their own.In this episode, Dave Boyce, Executive Chairman and EVP of Product at Winning by Design, joins host Ken Lempit to explain why SaaS GTM is shifting from lead handoffs to self-service activation, AI-driven automation, and system-based growth.Dave shares why PLG isn't about removing humans, but focusing them on higher-value work — while usage-based pricing and automation blur the line between acquisition, onboarding, and expansion. He also challenges traditional planning models, arguing that people don't scale, systems do.Key takeaways:Activation is replacing lead handoffs in SaaS growthPLG and AI redefine when humans should engageUsage-based pricing lowers friction and builds habitSystems, not headcount, unlock scaleIf you're a SaaS leader rethinking GTM for an AI-driven, self-service world, this episode delivers a practical, no-hype perspective.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: David Karandish, Founder & CEO of Capacity  --  Most SaaS companies don't fail because the technology is bad. They fail because they build point solutions, chase the wrong markets, and struggle to turn AI into real, scalable value.In this episode, David Karandish, Founder & CEO of Capacity, joins host Ken Lempit to share how his team scaled past 20,000 customers and toward $100M+ in revenue by evolving from an AI point solution into a full SaaS platform for support and contact centers.David breaks down the pivots behind that growth, why mid-market SaaS often stalls, and how the compound startup model is reshaping modern SaaS — not by doing more, but by integrating smarter.Key takeaways from this episode:Why many AI SaaS products fail before reaching enterprise scaleThe difference between “salad” vs. “brownie” AI projectsHow platform consolidation creates GTM and pricing leverageWhy GTM motion must align with deal sizeHow integration becomes the true SaaS moatIf you're a B2B SaaS founder, CRO, or CMO navigating AI adoption, platform strategy, or the leap from mid-market to enterprise, this episode offers a grounded playbook for building durable SaaS growth—without the hype.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Prasanth Chilukuri, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Soul Street Ventures -- The biggest threat to early-stage SaaS growth isn't competition. It's founder distraction, unfocused GTM motions, and chasing quick wins instead of building a real business.In this episode, Prasanth Chilukuri, co-founder and managing partner of Soul Street Ventures, joins host Ken Lempit to reveal why most early-stage SaaS companies struggle long before product issues surface — and how disciplined strategy, a tight ICP, and hands-on founder coaching unlock meaningful, scalable traction.Drawing on his experience both as a SaaS founder (Tekmetric) and investor, Prasanth explains why “scale with soul” isn't just a mantra, but a framework for building durable companies that don't rely on hype, vanity channels, or coast-driven valuation games.Key takeaways from this episode:Why misaligned ICPs and GTM distractions quietly stall early-stage SaaSHow to test, retest, and refine GTM motions using real customer behaviorWhy AI discoverability is reshaping marketing efficiency (and what to do about it)How venture style differs across regions — and why it matters for foundersWhy founder coachability, discipline, and mindset are the strongest predictors of growthHow unique SaaS data assets create new value (and why most companies underuse them)If you're a B2B SaaS founder, CRO, or CMO navigating early-stage go-to-market, evaluating AI's impact on your product, or preparing for institutional capital, this episode offers a practical, grounded playbook for building a company that truly lasts.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Mark Walker, CEO at Nue.io -- SaaS pricing isn't breaking because of AI — it's breaking because most revenue systems were never built for the speed and complexity of today's models.In this episode, Mark Walker, CEO of Nue.io, joins host Ken Lempit to unpack why modern SaaS and AI companies are abandoning legacy CPQ and billing stacks for a flexible, unified revenue infrastructure built for rapid change.Key highlights:Why legacy CPQ + billing can't support modern SaaS pricingHow committed consumption + bank-billed models are reshaping monetizationWhy speed of configuration is now a GTM advantageWhat RevOps must rethink as pricing experiments explodeHow elite teams thrive on hard problems and high-velocity executionIf you're a B2B SaaS founder, CRO, CMO, or RevOps leader navigating complex pricing models, upgrading your revenue stack, or preparing for next-gen AI monetization, this conversation will change how you think about scaling.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Brent Adamson, Co-Author of The Framemaking Sale & Co-Founder of A to B InsightSaaS sales teams obsess over beating competitors—but the real battle isn't across the table. It's in the buyer's mind.In this episode, Brent Adamson—co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer and Co-Founder of A to B Insight—joins host Ken Lempit to reveal why most SaaS deals are lost to no decision at all, and how his new book, The Framemaking Sale, helps buyers build the confidence to act. Brent explains how the sales playbook has evolved from “teach them what to think” to “help them trust themselves”—and why the future of B2B growth depends on changing how we sell, not what we sell.Key insights from this episode:Why no decision—not competitors—is killing SaaS dealsHow to turn buyer anxiety into deal confidenceWhy “trusted advisor” means helping customers trust themselvesHow marketing and sales can guide smarter, faster SaaS buyingThe mindset shift every B2B sales leader needs nowIf you're a B2B SaaS CRO, CMO, or founder looking to increase close rates, reenergize your go-to-market, and win against the status quo, this conversation will change how you think about selling.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Melanie Nabar, Vice President at Volition Capital -- SaaS founders often see only two funding paths—venture or private equity—but there's a smarter middle lane that keeps control where it belongs: with the founder.In this episode, Melanie Nabar, Vice President on the Software Team at Volition Capital, joins host Ken Lempit to unpack how growth equity works, when it's the right fit, and the scale-up mistakes that stall promising SaaS companies.Key insights from this episode:Why growth equity can fuel SaaS scale without losing controlThe biggest post-funding hiring mistake founders makeHow AI is reshaping go-to-market efficiency in SaaSIf you're a B2B SaaS CMO, CRO, or founder navigating scale-up challenges, funding strategy, or go-to-market transformation, this episode will help you see where real growth capital fits—and how to make it work for you.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Rob Belcher, Managing Director at SaaS Capital -- SaaS founders often think equity is the only path to growth—but giving up ownership isn't the only option.In this episode, Rob Belcher, Managing Director at SaaS Capital, joins host Ken Lempit to break down how growth debt works, what investors really look for in valuations, and how B2B SaaS leaders can finance smart without losing control.Key insights from this episode:Why growth debt can fund SaaS expansion without heavy dilutionThe financing ladder every founder should understand—from angels to private equityHow valuation multiples are shifting and what drives them higherThe role of clean contracts, retention, and growth rate in exit outcomesWhy AI is creating a “priced for perfection” split in SaaS valuationsIf you're a B2B SaaS CMO or CRO navigating fundraising, growth efficiency, or exit strategy, this episode will help you sharpen your playbook.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Braydan Young, Co-Founder and CEO at SlashExperts -- Buyers don't want another “book a demo” button—they want proof from people like them.In this episode, Braydan Young, Co-Founder and CEO of SlashExperts (and previously co-founder of Sendoso), joins host Ken Lempit to share how buyer-led growth is reshaping SaaS sales and why the old way of running references at the end of the deal cycle is broken.Key insights from this episode:Why moving customer references earlier can shorten sales cycles by 4–6 weeksHow authentic peer conversations double conversion rates compared to demosWhat CROs can learn from Sendoso's hypergrowth—and its “we grew too fast” momentWhy handwritten notes and simple gifts outperform flashy, expensive onesHow to turn the “dark funnel” into a competitive advantageIf you're a B2B SaaS CMO or CRO looking to accelerate pipeline, increase deal size, and close faster with fewer wasted demos, this episode is a must-listen.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Send us a textGuest: Courtney Hiller, Founder of All Points Agency -- You wouldn't hire one person to build your product, sell it, and run support. So why are B2B SaaS companies still expecting one marketer to manage a million-dollar media budget?In this episode, Courtney Hiller, founder of All Points Agency, joins host Ken Lempit to break down how to build a modern media engine that actually performs—and why yesterday's paid strategy won't cut it in 2025.Key insights from this episode:Why splitting strategy, creative, and media buying unlocks performanceWhat most in-house teams get wrong about channel mix and audience targetingHow to fix attribution when your sales cycle is 6–12 monthsWhy creative volume—not just creative quality—is the new growth leverHow to use Reddit, Meta, and programmatic without wasting your budgetIf you're a B2B SaaS CMO or CRO managing six-or seven-figure ad spend, this episode will help you rethink your team structure, channel strategy, and ROI expectations.Referenced in the episode:How Brand Building and Performance Marketing Can Work Together - Harvard Business Review---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Hikari Senju, Founder & CEO at Omneky -- AI isn't just generating ad copy—it's reshaping the entire performance marketing playbook for B2B SaaS. In this episode, Hikari Senju, founder and CEO of Omneky, shares how the platform evolved from an enterprise solution to a self-serve powerhouse—and why smart creative strategy matters more than big budgets. Key insights from this episode: Why brute-force creative testing consistently outperforms guesswork How ad performance data can directly inform GTM messaging Why brand inconsistency across platforms kills trust and conversion How AI-powered ads are becoming core to revenue strategy If you're a B2B SaaS CMO or CRO looking to improve ROAS, scale faster with fewer resources, or make AI actually work for your GTM team, this episode is a must-listen. ---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Adir Ben-Yehuda, CEO at Autonomy AIThe go-to-market playbook for AI SaaS is being rewritten in real-time, and those who cling to old models risk being left behind.In this episode, Adir Ben-Yehuda, founder and CEO of Autonomy AI, joins host Ken Lempit to share how his team went from zero to 70 customers in months by ditching outdated frameworks and building a brand buyers can trust.We unpack: ✅ Why “Crossing the Chasm” no longer applies in the age of ChatGPT ✅ How brand marketing now beats lead gen in AI go-to-market ✅ What it really takes to convert skeptical enterprise buyers ✅ The shift from SEO to “share of response” in AI search platforms ✅ Why every SaaS GTM leader must become an orchestrator—not just a doerAdir also breaks down the sales motion that helped Autonomy scale so quickly—and shares how his team leverages live demos and social proof to close deals in a single call.If you're a B2B SaaS CMO or CRO navigating AI adoption, rethinking pipeline strategy, or looking for a more effective way to win technical buyers, this episode is your cheat code.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Ray Meiring, Co-Founder & CEO at QorusDocsScaling a SaaS business from consultancy roots to enterprise success requires more than just great tech—it takes ruthless focus, smart go-to-market choices, and a deep understanding of your buyer.In this episode, Ray Meiring, co-founder and CEO of QorusDocs, joins host Ken Lempit to share the lessons learned on his journey from South Africa to the U.S. market and how QorusDocs carved out a winning niche in AI-powered proposal automation.We unpack: ✅ Why founder-led sales can't scale—and how to move beyond it ✅ The trap of chasing SMBs after funding (and what to do instead) ✅ How QorusDocs found product-market fit through one anchor customer ✅ What every SaaS CRO and CMO should know about RFP response teams ✅ The critical role of marketing in driving pipeline (not just sales)Ray also shares the moment venture funding pushed them off course—and how doubling down on their ideal customer profile helped them reset, rebuild, and grow more efficiently.If you're a SaaS CMO or CRO scaling into enterprise, navigating founder-to-function transitions, or wondering where AI really moves the needle, this episode is packed with firsthand insight.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Sammy Greenwall, Founder of Henry.aiWhat if your go-to-market motion could skip past theory and build from real-world pain?That's exactly how Sammy Greenwall, founder of Henry.ai, approaches commercial real estate—and why his vertical AI startup is scaling without traditional sales or marketing. Sammy's background as a CRE professional-turned-founder gave him not only insight, but language, trust, and distribution advantages. In this episode, he shares how founder-market fit drives everything from product strategy to GTM efficiency—and how it's paying off in a space historically allergic to software.Sammy also pulls back the curtain on:How PLG became a byproduct of customer obsession—not the planBuilding a waitlist-worthy brand (with no ad budget)Creating real enterprise value in a low-trust, high-volume industryThree Key Takeaways for B2B GTM Leaders:1. Founder-Market Fit > Generic Product-Market FitSammy's deep domain experience gave him a faster path to traction: he didn't just “identify” pain—he lived it. That meant smarter onboarding flows, tighter feature prioritization, and messaging that clicked with buyers the first time. CEOs and founders with industry-specific experience should lean hard into that unfair advantage.2. PLG Isn't a Tactic—It's the Outcome of Product ObsessionHenry.ai didn't set out to be a PLG company. Instead, they tracked usage down to individual clicks, met with every early user, and iterated daily. That intensity created a product people wanted to talk about, which fueled organic adoption, referrals, and even early enterprise wins.3. AI Doesn't Just Accelerate Work—It Replaces ItIn CRE, Sammy's platform cut multi-week deal deck creation down to hours. That kind of workflow disruption isn't about “boosting productivity”—it's about letting revenue-generating staff focus on high-value activities like deals and relationships. This shift reframes AI adoption for skeptical buyers and opens the door to premium pricing.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guests: Ken Rapp (Co-Founder & CEO) and Emily Lagasse (VP of Marketing) of BluestreamWhat if the key to SaaS growth isn't more leads, but fewer customer drop-offs post-purchase?In this episode of SaaS Backwards, we sit down with Ken Rapp (Co-founder & CEO) and Emily Lagasse (VP of Marketing) of Blustream, the platform pioneering post-sale engagement, to explore how product ownership experiences are unlocking revenue, retention, and lifetime value.According to Rapp and Lagasse, most brands obsess over acquisition, but lose up to 70% of customers before the second purchase. Blustream flips that script by transforming post-purchase silence into an intelligent, AI-powered dialogue that guides customers through onboarding, usage, care, and reordering.Key takeaways include:

Guest: Casey Woo, CEO & Founder of Operators Guild & FOG VenturesWhat happens when startups are built not by armies of specialists, but by lean teams of senior generalists paired with AI agents?In this episode of SaaS Backwards, we sit down with Casey Woo—CEO and Founder of FOG Ventures and the Operators Guild—to explore how AI is transforming the fundamental structure of companies. According to Woo, the org chart of the future isn't just flatter and faster—it's hybrid, where strategic, multi-discipline humans lead and AI agents handle executional work once done by junior staff.From finance and support to engineering and ops, AI is hollowing out the middle, forcing leaders to become broader, sharper, and more cross-functional. Think “Special Forces” over traditional departments. The operators who thrive will be the ones who can think horizontally, move fast, and execute across domains.Other key insights from the episode include:

Guest: Google's NotebookLMIn this special episode of SaaS Backwards, we handed the mic to AI.We took our newest ebook on reviving inbound marketing—coming soon for download—and ran it through Google's NotebookLM to see what kind of podcast it could generate. The result? A surprisingly sharp—if occasionally cheesy—take on how B2B SaaS companies can reimagine their go-to-market strategies for today's buyer. You be the judge.The episode explores why the traditional inbound playbook is falling short and what CROs and CMOs must do to adapt. From the collapse of predictable revenue models to the rise of buyer-centric marketing, we break down how to align sales and marketing, test messaging organically, and coordinate campaigns across email, ads, and outreach.Key Takeaways:The old predictable revenue model no longer works in today's B2B SaaS landscapeBuyers now do deep independent research before ever talking to salesMarketing and sales alignment must happen before the formal buying process beginsJobs to Be Done and qualitative ICPs help create relevance and resonanceOrganic testing (especially on LinkedIn) is essential before scaling paid campaignsEmail, ads, and SDR outreach must be tightly coordinated around buyer triggersIf you're a SaaS leader looking to modernize your inbound strategy and connect with today's buyer, this episode offers a bold, practical roadmap—created by AI, guided by strategy.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Eli Portnoy, Founder & CEO at BackEngineAs B2B SaaS companies scale, they often lose touch with the customers who got them there.In this episode, Eli Portnoy, founder and CEO of BackEngine, sits down with Ken Lempit to talk about the critical breakdown in customer feedback systems—and how generative AI can help leaders hear what really matters.We unpack: ✅ Why customer feedback loops break as SaaS companies grow✅ The hidden costs of misaligned feedback channels and weak ownership✅ How AI can synthesize 100% of customer interactions—without surveys✅ What separates elite SaaS companies from the rest when it comes to NRR and churn✅ Why CS leaders are uniquely positioned to become strategic feedback ownersEli also shares the story of losing his biggest customer before a major fundraise—and the moment he realized feedback was everyone's problem, but no one's job.If you're a CMO, CRO, or CS leader building a feedback-driven growth engine, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Ayse Guvencer, Fractional SaaS CMO & GTM ExecutiveAs AI changes how B2B buyers evaluate software, many marketers are missing the forest for the trees.In this episode, Ayse Guvencer, fractional CMO and GTM advisor to SaaS and MarTech startups, joins Ken Lempit to deliver a blunt reality check: AI is disrupting the search journey, pricing models, and even how buyers interact with your brand—before your SDRs even know they exist.We unpack: ✅ Why Google is now a navigational tool, not a discovery engine ✅ How AI-driven tools like ChatGPT are shaping shortlists and decision frameworks ✅ The rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what it means for visibility ✅ Why “Service as a Software” is redefining outcome-based pricing ✅ What AI browsers and agentic advertising could mean for reaching the “hidden figures” on buying committeesAyse also shares practical guidance on how marketers can stay ahead of AI-native competitors, avoid falling for adtech black boxes, and reframe their role in this fast-changing ecosystem.If you're a B2B SaaS CMO or CRO trying to stay ahead of the curve, this is one of those episodes you'll want to listen to twice.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Jim Curry, CoFounder at BuildGroupIs AI really transforming your SaaS business—or just adding noise?In this week's episode, Jim Curry, co-founder of BuildGroup and former Rackspace exec, discusses how AI is transforming both the products and operations of SaaS businesses—and why most companies are missing the opportunity.Jim shares how BuildGroup's operator-first, long-term approach to investing gives them an edge when helping SaaS companies scale, especially in today's AI-first environment. He explains why AI should be seen as an infrastructure wave (not just a flashy product feature), and how CROs and CMOs can practically apply it to go-to-market execution.We cover:Why AI gives incumbents an advantage (if they act fast)How to use AI to reduce CAC and improve GTM speedWhere traditional SaaS GTM playbooks break down in an AI-native worldWhy demos and SDR workflows are ripe for automationHow BuildGroup partners deeply with founders post-investmentIf you're a SaaS executive thinking about where to apply AI for real impact—without waiting for a full replatform—this conversation is packed with insight.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Ken Lempit, President & Chief Business Builder at Austin Lawrence GroupAre your SaaS ads actually doing their job, or just burning budget?In this week's episode of SaaS Backwards, Ken Lempit and Jason Myers of Austin Lawrence Group go deep on what GTM leaders get wrong about advertising in 2025:Why most SaaS ads look and sound the same (and fall flat)Where messaging fails long before the clickHow to align sales and marketing in a high-consideration buying cycleThe overlooked power of direct mail and live eventsWhen to pull back on spend—and how to know it's timeIf you're spending more but converting less—or just tired of “safe” campaigns with no spark—this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you a new playbook.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guests: Ken Lempit, James Ollerenshaw, and Rob CurtisVoice is the new frontier in SaaS — but are we ready for the implications?In the third episode of our AI Series, Ken Lempit is joined again by James Ollerenshaw and Rob Curtis to explore how voice and AI are colliding to transform the way B2B SaaS companies operate — from the way products are built and sold to how customers are supported.We dive into:The shift to voice-first interfaces and its implications for product designReal-world use cases in sales, customer service, compliance, and manufacturingWhy voice as a data source may be more valuable than voice as an interfaceHow voice AI can unlock productivity gains — and which roles are at riskThe compliance, privacy, and cultural risks of voice-powered surveillancePredictions on headless SaaS, ambient computing, and the next big AI disruptionThis conversation goes longer than our typical episodes, but trust us — it's worth every minute. Stick around for smart insights, practical frameworks, and some provocative predictions that CROs, CMOs, and SaaS builders shouldn't miss.

Guests: Ken Lempit, James Ollerenshaw, and Rob CurtisAI isn't just a bolt-on anymore—it's rewriting the rules of SaaS from the ground up.In this episode, Standup Hiro co-founder Rob Curtis and tech strategist James Ollerenshaw join host and GTM expert Ken Lempit to unpack how Agentic AI is forcing SaaS leaders to rethink everything: product design, go-to-market, customer trust, and even internal culture.From natural language interfaces to the rise of AI “co-workers,” they break down why SaaS companies that adapt will dominate—and why bolt-on AI features won't be enough to survive.

Guest: Sjoerd Handgraaf, Chief Marketing Officer at SharetribeThe most overlooked growth lever in SaaS? Positioning.In this episode, Sharetribe CMO Sjoerd Handgraaf reveals how redefining product positioning transformed their trajectory—and why many SaaS companies are still getting it wrong.Handgraaf takes us inside Sharetribe's journey from chasing big logos to doubling down on their true customer: non-technical marketplace founders. Along the way, he shares hard-won insights about product-market fit, AI disruption, and why going “back to basics” in marketing may be more transformational than the next tech trend.

Guest: James D. Wilton, Founder & Managing Partner of MonevateThe advent of AI is forcing a complete rethink of traditional SaaS pricing—particularly the long-standing dominance of user-based pricing. In this episode, pricing strategist James Wilton explains why AI-native products are undermining the foundations of per-seat pricing models. Unlike traditional SaaS, where users are the proxy for value, AI tools often perform tasks autonomously, disconnecting cost from usage in unpredictable ways. As a result, the most value-aligned and sustainable pricing approach for AI-powered platforms is shifting toward usage-based models. Wilton argues: "If you're still defaulting to user-based pricing, you'd better be ready to defend it."

Guests: Ken Lempit, James Ollerenshaw, & Rob CurtisAI is transforming SaaS—but not in the way most leaders think.Forget the headlines claiming "SaaS is dead." The real shift isn't just in tools—it's in how fast software is built, marketed, and bought.In this episode, Rob Curtis (VC-backed founder), Ken Lempit (SaaS GTM strategist), and James Ollerenshaw (AI advisor) break down what AI means for the future of SaaS—and why B2B CROs and CMOs need to rethink their strategy now or risk falling behind.From the death of mid-market software to the rise of agentic AI, they map out how SaaS leaders can adapt, differentiate, and thrive in this new reality.Key Takeaways:Agentic AI is here: Build for agents, not just users.The middle is collapsing: Niche depth and data win.Ideas now beat execution: Speed favors bold builders.Risk fuels innovation: GTM teams lead AI adoption.Data is your moat: Structured models drive defensibility.Ken, Rob, and James offer B2B SaaS leaders a high-level yet practical view of what's next—and what it'll take to win in an AI-native world. If you're a CRO or CMO thinking about survival and scale in 2025, this episode is your blueprint.Plus, don't miss:

Guest: Guy Rubin, Founder & CEO at EbstaMost B2B SaaS leaders know their top performers carry the team, but few understand why the performance gap keeps widening.The reality is that just 14% of reps are now responsible for 80% of revenue, and the gap between A-players and everyone else has grown to 11x. Fixing this isn't about more training or new tools—it's about creating consistent, data-driven sales execution across the entire go-to-market team.In this episode, Guy Rubin, Founder & CEO of Ebsta, shares insights from the 2025 B2B GTM Benchmark Report (in partnership with Pavilion) and explains how SaaS companies can close the performance gap, improve forecast accuracy, and drive revenue by making data and behavior work together.Key Takeaways:Top Performers Win with Consistency: The biggest gap isn't talent—it's execution at every stage of the funnel.AI Enables Better Selling, Not More Noise: When AI is used to extract insights, not automate spam, it becomes a game-changer.Full-Cycle Reps Are Back: 45% of companies are ditching the SDR model in favor of holistic sales ownership.Engagement Drives Forecast Accuracy: Momentum scoring predicts risk before it's too late to course-correct.Success = Process + Behavior + Data: Sales isn't just about gut feel anymore—it's finally becoming data-driven.Guy offers CROs and CMOs a blueprint to scale what works, eliminate what doesn't, and win more consistently—making this episode a must-listen.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Srikrishnan Ganesan, Co-Founder & CEO of RocketlaneMost B2B SaaS leaders know that onboarding is important but underestimate its impact.The reality is that 97% of first-year churn is decided in the first 90 days, making onboarding the most critical stage in the customer journey and the defining factor in revenue growth and long-term customer success.In this episode, Sri Ganesan, Co-Founder and CEO of Rocketlane, shares how SaaS companies can transform onboarding from a fragmented process into a strategic advantage. From community-led growth to automation-driven efficiency, he reveals what top SaaS companies do differently to drive retention, expansion, and revenue acceleration.Key Takeaways:Onboarding Determines Retention & Growth: The first 90 days define whether customers will churn or expand.Community-Led Growth Builds Credibility: Building an engaged audience before launch fosters trust and momentum.Automation Eliminates Inefficiency: Siloed tools slow teams down; all-in-one platforms drive success.Market Validation is Critical: The biggest factor in startup success isn't the product—it's picking the right market. Sri shares actionable strategies for SaaS CMOs and CROs to create onboarding experiences that drive retention, expansion, and revenue acceleration—making this episode a must-listen.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Christina Richards, Fractional CMO & Author of Rise of the AI-Powered CMOMost B2B marketers think they're using AI effectively. The reality? Many are barely scratching the surface—and failing to leverage AI as a true revenue driver.Christina Richards, fractional CMO and author of Rise of the AI-Powered CMO, breaks down how AI is transforming go-to-market strategies, reshaping demand generation, and redefining the role of marketing leaders in B2B SaaS.The biggest shift? AI is moving from a tool for efficiency to an autonomous operator, changing how marketers engage customers, optimize campaigns, and drive pipeline growth. Those who fail to adapt will fall behind competitors who are already leveraging AI-driven personalization, predictive lead scoring, and hyper-targeted ad strategies.Christina shares actionable insights on how B2B CMOs and CROs can embrace AI—not just for automation, but as a strategic advantage to accelerate growth and revenue.Key Takeaways:AI is Now Critical Infrastructure: It's no longer just a tool for automation—it's transforming how companies generate revenue.CMOs Must Become Revenue Architects: The role of marketing leaders is shifting from brand builders to full-funnel revenue drivers.AI-Driven Search is Changing SEO: If your content isn't optimized for AI-generated search, your audience may never find you.Agentic AI is Here: Autonomous AI agents are moving from experiment to execution—marketers must prepare now.First-Party Data is a Competitive Advantage: With hyper-personalization on the rise, companies that don't own their audience data will struggle to compete.Get ready to rethink your marketing strategy in the age of AI—or risk being left behind.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Zach Wright, Co-Founder & CRO of Syft AIMost sales teams are still stuck in outdated prospecting tactics—mass email sequencing, generic outreach, and hoping something sticks. The reality? These methods are failing fast, and sellers who rely on them are drowning in low response rates and missed pipeline goals.Zach Wright, co-founder and CRO of Syft AI, breaks down why traditional sales prospecting is broken and what today's B2B SaaS sellers must do differently to cut through the noise, engage decision-makers, and win more deals.The biggest mistake? Relying on volume instead of relevance. Buyers are overwhelmed with hundreds of templated emails daily, and most outreach feels impersonal, irrelevant, and easy to ignore. Instead of spamming prospects, Zach shares how AI-driven prospecting helps sales teams pinpoint the right accounts, at the right time, with the right message.He explains how top sales teams are:✅ Ditching “spray and pray” prospecting in favor of targeted, intent-driven outreach.✅ Using AI to surface active buying signals—so reps only reach out when there's a real need.✅ Personalizing at scale without relying on ineffective AI-generated fluff.✅ Bringing cold calling back—and why it's working better than ever.If your outbound efforts aren't converting like they used to, this episode will change the way you think about prospecting—and show you how to start winning more meetings with high-value prospects.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Peter Cohan, Author of Doing DiscoveryMost sales teams think they're great at discovery. The reality? About 80% are getting it wrong—and it's the single biggest reason why deals stall, go to a competitor, or die with “no decision.”Peter Cohan, author of Doing Discovery, breaks down why traditional discovery methods are failing and what SaaS sales teams must do differently to uncover real customer value, build compelling business cases, and stop losing winnable deals.The biggest mistake sellers make? Rushing to the demo before fully quantifying business pain. If you can't pin down the numbers behind a buyer's problem and desired outcome, you're making it nearly impossible for them to justify the purchase—let alone get buy-in from their team.Peter shares practical strategies to flip the script on outdated discovery calls, avoid the “interrogation” trap, and use discovery to drive urgency, not just collect pain points.Key Takeaways:✅ Uncover the Value Gap: The secret to avoiding “no decision” isn't just probing for pain—it's quantifying the gap between today's reality and the desired future state.✅ Vision Reengineering: Most buyers don't know what they don't know. Learn how to introduce new ideas without losing control of the deal or giving away discounts.✅ Turn Discovery Into a Two-Way Conversation: Stop making prospects feel like they're on trial—use quid pro quo techniques to make discovery a collaborative process.Get ready to rethink how you approach discovery—or risk losing more deals than you should.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Ty Tinker, Head of Analytics at AdQuickWhat if everything you thought about billboard advertising was wrong?Ty Tinker, Head of Analytics at AdQuick, breaks down the myth that out-of-home (OOH) advertising is unmeasurable and outdated. In reality, leading SaaS companies—including Dropbox, Salesforce, and Shopify—are embracing billboards, transit ads, and airport placements to drive brand awareness, accelerate sales cycles, and even generate measurable leads.Ty reveals how brands are leveraging data science, AI, and sophisticated measurement techniques (beyond old-school QR codes) to track campaign performance. He also shares why smart SaaS marketers are treating OOH as a long-term investment, not just a one-off trade show play.Key Takeaways:

Guest: Jon Miller, Co-Founder & CEO of a Stealth AI StartupJon Miller, co-founder of Marketo and former CMO of Demandbase, argues that B2B marketing's traditional playbook—built on predictable demand generation, MQL scoring, and SDR-driven outbound—is broken. The “gumball machine” approach, where marketers expect predictable revenue by simply feeding in budget and campaigns, no longer works. Buyers have evolved, becoming more resistant to outbound tactics and opting for anonymous research. To succeed, revenue leaders must shift from short-term lead generation to long-term brand building, customer experience, and relationships.Key Takeaways:

Guest: Kerry Cunningham, Research & Thought Leadership at 6sense 85% of buyers initiate the first conversation with vendors—on their terms. If your marketing still revolves around capturing leads and pushing outbound sales, you're already behind.Kerry Cunningham, Head of Research at 6Sense, shares insights from their Buyer Experience Report 2024, revealing how today's B2B buyers operate—and why most SaaS companies are out of sync. Buyers come into the process knowing who they'll evaluate, and 90% of the time, they buy from their initial shortlist. If you're not on it, no amount of sales effort will save you.

Guest: Maxwell Nee, CRO at ScoreAppMaxwell Nee, Chief Revenue Officer of ScoreApp, shares the strategies behind scaling a low ARR SaaS product to 9,000 paying customers worldwide. By leveraging the principles of quiz marketing, ScoreApp turns engagement into actionable insights, driving top-of-funnel lead generation, accelerating sales cycles, and refining customer experiences. The platform's success stems from a relentless focus on understanding user needs before development, validating concepts with 3,000 prospects prior to launch, and building personalized, gamified experiences that deliver measurable value.Maxwell's perspective on SaaS growth is rooted in actionable principles: prioritize customer input, focus on enterprise value over personal branding, and invest in scalable systems. His advice for marketing leaders emphasizes clarity in messaging, the importance of simple, compelling copy, and always aligning content with the needs and emotions of the target audience.Key Takeaways:Focus on Validation: ScoreApp validated its concept with 3,000 prospective users before launch, ensuring a strong product-market fit from the start.Personalization and Gamification Drive Results: Interactive quizzes generate higher engagement and conversion rates by combining self-discovery with actionable insights.Clarity Over Complexity: Simplifying messaging and focusing on the audience's pain points can significantly boost engagement and lead generation.---Not Getting Enough Demos? Your messaging could be turning buyers away before you even get a chance to pitch.

Guest: Ken Lempit, President & Chief Business Builder at Austin Lawrence GroupIn this episode, Austin Lawrence Group's Ken Lempit shares a bold approach to overcoming the inefficiency of traditional advertising campaigns. He emphasizes a new strategy: combining foundational customer interviews with rapid, real-time testing via high-frequency organic social media posts. This iterative approach helps identify messaging that resonates most with target audiences before significant ad spend, enabling SaaS companies to avoid costly missteps. Lempit calls out outdated "ivory tower" methods, where messaging was developed in isolation and assumed durable for years. Today, he argues, messaging must evolve constantly based on audience engagement.Key Takeaways:Real-Time Validation Beats Guesswork: Test messaging in organic social media environments before committing ad budgets. Insights from live engagement can refine campaigns and improve ROI.Messaging Is No Longer Durable: Static messaging fails in today's dynamic market. Iterative testing ensures campaigns stay relevant and effective.Drive Action with the Cost of Inaction: Instead of focusing on ROI, highlight the risks of staying in the status quo to compel prospects to act.This practical framework bridges the gap between creative intuition and data-driven decisions, setting a new standard for SaaS advertising.Other resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Steve Brothers, CEO of SplashmetricsWith 77% of millennial buyers avoiding sales interactions until they've already made a purchase decision, buyers are consistently clear about what they need: fast, personalized, and self-directed answers. Yet vendors stubbornly stick to outdated practices, forcing buyers into their processes rather than meeting them where they are.In this episode of SaaS Backwards, Steve Brothers, CEO of Splashmetrics, explores how modern B2B buyers are reshaping the sales process—and how many vendors are failing to adapt. He discusses how Splashmetrics bridges this gap by enabling companies to deliver tailored, interactive content journeys that put buyers in control while providing sales with critical insights to close deals more effectively.Key Takeaways:The buyer is in control: Buyers prefer to self-educate, completing 80% of their research before engaging with sales. Vendors must adapt or risk irrelevance.Outdated models kill opportunities: Relying on traditional MQL-driven processes results in 95% of SDR outreach being ignored.TheSplashmetrics solution: The platform allows buyers to “choose their own adventure,” and bridges the sales-marketing divide to create a truly buyer-centric experience.This episode is a wake-up call for companies still stuck in yesterday's playbook.---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Beth McHugh, Fractional Product LeaderWhen deals stall, buying committees often default to doing nothing. Why? Because they didn't all agree that the problem was worth solving.In this episode, Beth McHugh explains why pain points alone rarely drive action and how the Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) methodology identifies the “struggling moments” that compel prospects to move forward. These critical moments are when a prospect or team collectively decides that a problem can no longer be ignored.Beth shares why JTBD is, in her view, the most effective way to uncover the true motivations behind customer decisions. Beyond improving product-market fit, she highlights how JTBD creates alignment across sales, marketing, and product teams, ensuring everyone is focused on what truly matters to customers.Key Takeaways:Struggling Moments vs. Pain Points: Not all pain points are actionable. JTBD uncovers the struggles customers are motivated to resolve.Driving Differentiation: JTBD helps identify where your product stands out by focusing on the jobs customers are trying to accomplish.Faster Product-Market Validation: With JTBD, you can prioritize development efforts that directly address critical customer needs, reducing wasted resources.Tune in to learn how to move beyond surface-level insights and position your SaaS offering as the solution customers can't ignore.---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Bob Moesta, Author of “Demand-Side Sales 101”In this episode, Bob Moesta, author of Demand-Side Sales 101, reveals why uncovering your customers' “struggling moments” is the single most efficient step for any business. Whether it's product development, marketing, or sales, understanding the root causes behind why customers make a change transforms every decision you make.As Bob explains, customers don't buy products—they hire solutions to make progress. Without a clear struggling moment, there's no motivation to change, and no sale. By focusing on these moments, you'll align your entire go-to-market strategy, saving time, money, and effort across teams.Key Takeaways:The Struggling Moment as a Catalyst: Every purchase starts with a struggle. Most companies fail to uncover this because they focus on features or pain points instead of the deeper context driving change.Align Teams Around Progress: When marketing, sales, and product understand the customer's struggle, handoffs disappear, and everyone works toward the same goal—helping the customer progress.Most Companies Miss the Mark: 60% of B2B proposals fail due to “no decision.” This happens because companies don't clearly define or quantify a problem worth solving.---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Peter Cohan, Author of “Great Demo!”Have you ever walked into a software demo, hoping to learn something new, only to sit through a “Harbor Tour” of irrelevant features? You're not alone – and neither are your prospects.Peter Cohan, author of Great Demo!, joined us on the SaaS Backwards Podcast to unpack the biggest demo mistakes SaaS teams make:❌ Starting with the how instead of the why❌ Overloading prospects with unnecessary features❌ Failing to tailor demos to decision-makersHis solution? Flip your demos upside down. Start with the results your prospects crave, not the laundry list of features.Peter also shared:✅ How to identify wasted demos (hint: 30% of them are)✅ Why "vision generation demos" are the key to nurturing leads✅ The metrics that show if your demos are working---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Randy Likas, Head of North America Go-to-Market at NektarTraditional marketing tactics are losing their edge, with MQLs falling short as costly, outdated signals of real buyer intent.In this week's episode, we explore tactics for CROs to tackle the “great ignore” with guest Randy Likas, Head of North America Go-to-Market at Nektar, a revenue efficiency platform that unifies customer interaction data and helps you discover new revenue opportunities.Randy discusses how CROs must reevaluate their playbooks and processes, focusing on how to re-engineer strategies and redeploy technology to align with emerging trends in buyer behavior–positioning the CRO role as not just operational but transformational.Key insights you'll gain:How changing buyer behaviors, like the "great ignore," are reshaping outreach strategiesWhy MQLs are losing relevance and how to focus on buying groups insteadHow breaking down silos between sales, marketing, and success boosts revenue efficiencyOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Isabelle Papoulias, Fractional GTM & Business Operations ExecutivePipeline isn't just a metric—it's a team sport.But when marketing, sales and customer success work in silos, it creates a fractured buyer journey and practically guarantees you'll miss opportunities.So, who should be responsible for driving this cross-functional alignment?In this episode, fractional GTM leader and business operations executive Isabelle Papoulias  breaks down how SaaS companies can realign their go-to-market teams under unified leadership for faster growth and smarter execution.Key insights you'll gain:How common goals and shared metrics across teams drive alignmentThe benefits of a CCO or CRO with a broad understanding of GTM strategiesAdvice for ditching “lead generation” as a success metric in the enterprise saleOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Guest: Warren Zenna, Founder of The CRO Collective Scaling a SaaS company is no walk in the park. At a certain point, operational complexity demands more than just growth—it demands cross-functional alignment. Enter the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO).In this episode, we dive into the evolving role of the CRO with expert Warren Zenna, founder of The CRO Collective and Zenna Consulting Group, and host of the CRO Spotlight podcast.Warren unpacks why misalignment between Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success persists—and how the CRO may be uniquely positioned to fix it.Key insights you'll gain:What it means for a SaaS company to be “CRO-ready”Why scaling companies make the same costly mistakes—and how to avoid themPractical tips for CROs, CMOs, and CEOs to align teams and drive revenue growthOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Pricing and packaging can either bog down your go-to-market engine or fuel it to peak performance.This week's SaaS Backwards podcast features Dan Balcauski, Founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, a consultancy that helps high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. In this episode, Dan discusses the critical role pricing plays in a SaaS business model and why leadership teams must view it as a dynamic lever, not a "set-it-and-forget-it" element. He dispels the common myth that success hinges solely on what you charge, emphasizing instead that who and how you charge are the real determinants of success.Breaking this down, Dan walks through the four key elements of SaaS packaging: price metric, price model, offer configurations, and price fences.Our conversation also explores how to conduct a pricing study, realigning pricing strategies, AI's role in pricing decisions, and the ever-debated topic: should pricing be displayed on the website?This episode offers actionable insights for SaaS leaders looking to harness pricing as a powerful tool for growth and market alignment.Key takeaways from this episode:The impact of pricing and packaging on revenue, profitability, and valuationWhy pricing is a critical lever for growth in SaaS businesses that shouldn't be overlookedSigns a new CMO or CRO should look for to determine if pricing needs attention at a prospective employerOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Gifting can be a powerful outbound strategy that captures attention far more effectively than an email. In this week's SaaS Backwards podcast episode, we spoke with Kris Rudeegraap, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Sendoso, a gifting and direct mail platform that helps revenue teams 6x second call rates, double win rates, and close deals 29% faster.Kris shared how his background in software sales and experience with gifting inspired him to create Sendoso. He provided insights into the company's initial go-to-market strategy, its evolution from a "growth at all costs" mindset to a more efficient, profit-driven approach, and how this shift has shaped its success.We also discussed common objections and misconceptions about gifting, such as it being “too expensive” or impractical without someone's address—and how Sendoso addresses these challenges.Kris backed up Sendoso's impressive results with client success stories: Gong influenced over $30 million in pipeline by mailing pinatas, Guru improved meeting conversion rates by sending cupcakes, and Verkada saw a remarkable increase in ad conversion rates by offering a Yeti mug as a meeting incentive across social media and LinkedIn campaigns.Read more Sendoso success stories here and view customer examples here. Key takeaways from this episode:The power of gifting as an outbound strategyHow Sendoso helps clients select the right gifts for the right people at the right timeInsights into the fundraising process and the current environment for startupsOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

Building meaningful connections with individuals using different channels can be more effective than running an ABM program that only provides a shallow understanding of what's happening within an account. In this week's SaaS Backwards podcast episode, we spoke with Dmitri Lisitski, Co-Founder and CEO at Influ2, a person-based advertising platform that allows you to reach specific people within target accounts and see who interacts with your ads.Dmitri takes us behind the scenes and discusses how his frustration with imprecise ABM platforms led to the creation of Influ2, which aims to solve this problem by targeting individual decision-makers within an account rather than only providing this broad view.We discuss the orchestration between sales and marketing and the significance of nurturing relationships over time in enterprise sales. Dmitri explains how the best thing marketing can do for salespeople is target the same account they're trying to chase and influence their decision, build awareness, and track intent. Our conversation also covers the role of thought leadership in generating conversations and supporting the sales process, the impact of AI on content creation, and attribution challenges in B2B marketing.This episode provides valuable insights for SaaS CEOs, CMOs, and B2B marketing and sales professionals.Key takeaways from this episode:The humanization of sales and marketing in the enterprise motionWhy the use of AI in content development falls flat and what to do insteadMeasuring the impact of advertising on revenueOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

We often emphasize the importance of understanding what's being talked about in sales conversations to shape content strategy and tell unique, compelling stories.In this week's SaaS Backwards podcast episode, we talk with Parthi Loganathan, Founder and CEO of Letterdrop, a platform designed to help companies do just that.Parthi explains how Letterdrop's AI assists companies in creating content that resonates with more buyers by leveraging the language their customers actually use, cutting down the time and improving the quality of their thought leadership content. He also shares how Letterdrop supports SDRs in delivering value and helps companies uncover and understand their customers' unmet needs.We also discuss the ongoing shift in SEO, the growing focus on LinkedIn, and the decline of traditional outbound sales tactics such as cold calling and cold emailing.Our conversation with Parthi offers valuable insights for SaaS CEOs, CMOs, and marketing and sales professionals in the B2B space.Key takeaways from this episode:The importance of getting context and relevance right before scaling itWhy cold calling and cold emailing no longer worksInsights on future opportunities for content on LinkedInOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!

The ability to leverage data and prioritize sales and marketing efforts is essential to the success of enterprises with broad addressable markets.Recognizing the struggles enterprises face in managing vast amounts of data, this week's SaaS Backwards podcast guest Elio Narciso, saw an opportunity to improve how sales reps identify targets and prioritize their efforts.Elio is the Co-founder and CEO of Scalestack, an all-in-one data enrichment, prioritization, and activation platform that allows go-to-market teams to easily map GTM data from many different sources to their ideal customer profile and their sales engine. In this episode, Elio gives us a look into Scalestack's origins. He recounts his background in advising startups at AWS and how it led him to uncover pockets of inefficiency in their go-to-market motions, such as a productivity gap for sales reps and a general dissatisfaction that companies have with their data.Throughout this episode, Elio reflects on lessons from his past ventures, addresses common sales and marketing challenges, and highlights Scalestack's mission and capabilities.Key takeaways from this episode:How hiring well is essential for scaling startups and managing that scaleWhy focusing on enterprise clients can be advantageous for a startupStrategy for building partnerships to reach more potential customersOther resources to check out:Interview with Vinay Bhagat, Founder and CEO of TrustRadius who publishes a yearly report about how B2B buyer behavior is changing.The Lead Gen Mistake I Guarantee You're Making – how to create content that better identifies intent from today's b2b buyer.And, if you want an outside look at your content with actionable advice, take advantage of our Content Audit. Valued at $20K in free consulting---Thanks for listening to the SaaS Backwards Podcast, brought to you by Austin Lawrence Group. We help SaaS firms reduce churn, accelerate sales, and generate demand. Learn more at AustinLawrence.com.---Is your messaging a sales ally or sneaky saboteur? Let us help with our free messaging audit.We'll look at your website's messaging, content, and conversion potential from the eyes of today's buyer and deliver a presentation with new combinations to more sales conversations and demos. And the best part? It's absolutely free. Get started today!