Podcasts about b2b saas

Monica Stewart has spent 15 years helping B2B SaaS founders escape survival mode and build scalable revenue systems—generating $25M+ in revenue and influencing over $200M in valuations along the way. In this episode, John and Monica dig into what really holds founders back from scaling past the $1–10M mark.They explore why so many founders—especially technical ones—see sales as a necessary evil, and the dangerous misconceptions this creates. Monica shares why doing the right things in the wrong order derails growth, how to create processes that don't depend on a founder's charisma, and why she believes most traditional sales methodologies are garbage in today's market.They also discuss how shifting your belief systems—not just tactics—can unlock long-term success, and how AI is changing the playbook for founder-led sales forever.If you're a founder who wants to step out of the weeds and build a company that scales, this conversation is packed with straight talk and actionable insights you won't hear anywhere else.Are you interested in leveling up your sales skills and staying relevant in today's AI-driven landscape? Visit www.jbarrows.com and let's Make It Happen together!Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/Connect with John on IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/Check out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-membership?ref=3edab1 Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletterConnect with Monica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-stewart/Connect with Monica on IG: https://www.instagram.com/monicastewartsales/

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CEO of Autonomy AI, joins host Ken Lempit to share how his team went from zero to 70 customers in months by ditching outdated frameworks and building a brand buyers can trust.We unpack: ✅ Why “Crossing the Chasm” no longer applies in the age of ChatGPT ✅ How brand marketing now beats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.

Send us a textAre we ready for a world where AI agents write our blogs and robots clean our homes? In this episode, Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias dive deep into the rise of agentic AI and the future of robotics. They explore how digital workforces powered by open-source platforms like MemberJunction are already transforming productivity, especially in marketing. Then, they pivot to the physical world, breaking down NVIDIA's fascinating vision of the “Physical Turing Test” and simulation-based training for robots. You'll hear about digital twins, robot chefs, and what it all means for associations navigating this new frontier.

This is one of the best episodes I've ever recorded! I sit down with the brains of the SaaS Academy (the world's No. 1 coaching program for B2B SaaS founders), Dan Martell. He is a hustling entrepreneur and a top-tier business coach who overcame addiction, ADHD, and even prison to build and exit five software companies. He shares the mindset shifts, habits, and lessons that helped him create a business he loves and scale it beyond what he imagined possible. Get ready to learn about the “Replacement Ladder” concept and how to bounce back stronger from failure. Tune in now to get a chance to join our book giveaway! Check out our Sponsors: Airbnb - Start making money by listing your home on Airbnb with an experiences Co-host, find a co-host at airbnb.com/host BambooHR - Experience the software that makes HR easier for all of your employees. Try BambooHR for free at bamboohr.com/freedemo Cozy Earth - Go to cozyearth.com and use code EARN for 40% off their best-selling sheets, apparel, and more. Open Phone - Stop running your business from your personal phone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at openphone.com/earn Shopify - Try the ecommerce platform I trust for Glōci, Sign up for your $1/month trial period at Shopify.com/happy Constant Contact - Get all the automation, integration, and reporting tools that get your marketing running seamlessly. Try Constant Contact free for thirty days at constantcontact.com. HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 Meet Dan Martell, coach and founder of SaaS Academy. 05:30 What fuels your relentless drive every day? 09:45 How fitness becomes a gateway to discipline and consistency. 11:30 Affirmations to build confidence before you have experience. 14:30 Lessons Dan gained from his first triathlon. 19:45 How do you rebuild self-trust after failure? 25:00 The life-changing impact of therapy and finding mentors. 30:15 Strategies for bouncing back from major setbacks. 41:30 Tips for overcoming public speaking anxiety. 50:00 The mindset hack that will help you overcome any challenge. 54:45 The step-by-step process for organizing life and business. 01:00:00 How to get your free copy of Dan's book, "Buy Back Your Time". RESOURCES Check out the BONUS CONTENT HERE! Join the most supportive mastermind on the internet HERE! Check out our FREE 90-Day Business Blueprint HERE! Listen to my free SECRET PODCASTS SERIES - Operation: Rekindle This B*tch Get glōci HERE Use code: HAPPY at checkout for 25% off! FOLLOW Follow me: @loriharder Follow glōci: @getgloci Follow Dan: @danmartell 

This week on GTM Live, Carolyn sits down with Sam Dunning, SEO leader and B2B growth expert, to unpack how SEO has dramatically evolved and what top-performing companies must do to adapt.They dive into why traditional SEO—focused on keywords, rankings, and traffic—is now too siloed, and how modern SEO needs to align with revenue, messaging, and the full customer journey.They also explore outdated SEO metrics, the pitfalls of last-touch attribution, and why shifting to a revenue-influence mindset is essential.You'll hear what modern SEO looks like in a revenue-led org, how category narrative (not keyword stuffing) is the new growth lever, and how AI is reshaping both content production and search behavior.Together, Carolyn and Sam challenge the idea that SEO can be a standalone marketing channel, it's a powerful GTM distribution engine when done right.Key topics in this episode:Why SEO can't be a silo anymoreHow to reframe SEO as a distribution strategy, not just a traffic engineWhy aligning SEO with your company's POV drives better outcomesHow AI is reshaping the content and SEO landscapeWhy B2B companies need to track influence, not just rankings or leadsThe biggest SEO measurement mistakes teams still makeWhat high-performing teams are doing differently with content

Eli shares insights from his $66M in startup exits, discusses a benchmark study on customer feedback in B2B SaaS, and reveals lessons learned from building businesses, forming strategic partnerships, and scaling through customer-centric innovation.To learn more about Eli Portnoy go to www.backengine.comConnect with Diane at https://zenchange.com/ or on LinkedIn If you found this helpful, please share it with your friends. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more informative content on marketing and leadership.

In an age of uncertainty, deepfakes and false promises, referrals stand out as a key marketing channel for B2B brands. Partner marketing is an effective strategy to grow new business and gain trust with your audience. James Stacey is the Principle Programme Marketing Manager at Red Hat, where he leads their partner marketing strategy as well as their AI and partnerships development. James takes us through the benefits of partner marketing, how it all works, the different kinds of partnerships, and how to create an ROI driven partner marketing programme that builds mutually beneficial relationships. 

David Hahn, Gründer von remberg, spricht über die strategische Entwicklung vom Nischenprodukt zur skalierbaren B2B-SaaS-Lösung. Er teilt, warum sie bewusst mit einem kleinen Marktsegment starteten, wie sie durch die Energiekrise zur schnelleren Expansion gezwungen wurden und warum ein "Beachhead Market" der Schlüssel zum nachhaltigen Wachstum ist. Was du lernst: Wie du strategisch den richtigen Einstiegsmarkt wählst Warum ein kleiner Anfangsmarkt manchmal besser ist Wie du Investoren von der Wachstumsstory überzeugst Wie du auf Marktveränderungen reagierst und pivotierst ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery  Mehr zu David Hahn: remberg: https://remberg.de/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhahnmunich/  Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ 

I am in conversation with Tom Elliott, founder of Ocuroot and former Engineering Productivity lead at Yext, Introduction:Tom Elliott shares his career journey, starting from his early interest in computers to his current role in Dev tooling .Career Insights:Tom discusses the challenges of entering the industry during the financial crash and his transition from contract work to a full-time role at VMware .He highlights his experience at VMware, working on early-stage projects like building login pages and authentication systems .Shift to New York:Tom talks about his move to New York and his work at a small VPN startup, focusing on user-facing applications .Experience at Yext:Tom shares his journey at Yext, starting as a mobile developer and gradually moving to backend development and Dev tooling .He emphasizes the importance of being close to the users and getting immediate feedback on the tools he built .Challenges and Solutions:Tom discusses the challenges of working in large organizations, such as resolving merge conflicts and managing long-lived branches .He explains the benefits of trunk-based development and feature flags for managing multiple features and environments .Observability and Deployment:Tom highlights the importance of observability and the use of tools like open telemetry for distributed tracing .He shares insights on managing different deployment environments and ensuring consistency across regions .Quality and CI/CD Pipelines:Tom talks about the emphasis on quality and the importance of CI/CD pipelines in ensuring reliable software releases .He shares his experience of setting up CI/CD pipelines to avoid issues like broken installers .Conclusion:Tom reflects on the importance of flexibility and prototyping in software development .He shares his thoughts on the future of AI in coding and the role of human operators in leveraging AI tools .Bio:During nearly 20 years in the tech industry, Tom has worked for companies large and small on both sides of the pond and all layers of the tech stack from user-facing mobile and desktop applications to the backest of backends: DevOps. He is currently building Ocuroot, his own take on a CI/CD solution, based on his experiences scaling large numbers of environments for B2B SaaS products.Links: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/telliott1984/ * BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/telliott.me* Blog: https://thefridaydeploy.substack.com/* Ocuroot: https://www.ocuroot.com

Mike Braund is the Senior  Director of Marketing Operations and Digital Marketing at Iterable, an AI-powered, multi-channel communications platform. He leads cross-channel orchestration efforts, overseeing Martech, account management, email, web, and analytics to drive pipeline growth and operational efficiency.  In this episode… Standing out in B2B SaaS marketing requires mastering more than just performance metrics and automation tools. With budgets tightening and the buyer's journey growing longer, how do leading marketers balance long-term brand building and short-term revenue generation? According to Mike Braund, a seasoned marketing leader with a deep background in operations and analytics, achieving that balance starts by connecting data with gut instincts. He highlights the importance of testing hypotheses quickly through iterative campaigns, using data to validate direction without stalling creative momentum. This blend ensures marketing efforts perform and resonate. Creative constraints can unlock innovation, especially when teams are empowered to move fast with limited resources. In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, host Alex Gluz sits down with Mike Braund, Senior Director of Marketing Operations and Digital Marketing at Iterable, to discuss how to align brand and performance marketing in B2B SaaS. They dive into the role of data-informed creativity, how team structure can enable efficiency, and the importance of full-funnel thinking. Mike also shares lessons from leading paid media and operations under one unified strategy.

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.

W wielu startupach marketing to kampania, leady, event. A product marketing? Jeśli w ogóle pojawia się w rozmowie, to raczej późno. Zbyt późno.– Problem w tym, że bez strategii product marketingowej, te wszystkie działania są jak krzyczenie do tłumu bez megafonu i bez wiedzy, kto właściwie ma Cię usłyszeć – mówi Daria Love, fractional B2B SaaS Product Marketing & GTM Strategist, która od lat pracuje z firmami technologicznymi i pomaga im mądrze wprowadzać produkty na ryneWięcej: https://mamstartup.pl

Send us a textIn this heartwarming and enlightening episode, co-hosts Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias welcome the dynamic father-son duo, Conor and Finn Grennan, to discuss their journey teaching generative AI in Nepal. Connor, Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern, and his 16-year-old son Finn share stories of cultural resonance, the universal challenges of AI adoption in education, and how peer-to-peer learning can drive real change. From Kathmandu classrooms to critical thinking conundrums, this conversation explores why the messenger matters just as much as the message—and why students everywhere might be the future's best AI evangelists.Conor Grennan is Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business and trains large companies on how to drive AI adoption. He's worked with organizations like NASA, McKinsey, PWC, Google, Amazon, and many more. Finn Grennan just finished his sophomore year in high school where he has been asked by the administration of his school to help set AI strategy.

"Don't waste your chips on bad hands."Dimitar Stanimiroff has been through multiple exits, some successful, some painful shutdowns. He co-founded WePow(acquired) and Heresy (shut down after 3.5 years). His biggest financial return came from joining Stack Overflow, not founding his own company.In today's episode, I'm joined by Dimitar Stanimiroff, a seasoned SaaS founder, operator, and investor who's experienced both sides of the exit coin. After co-founding WePow and seeing it acquired, he started Heresy, raised $1M in venture funding, and ran it for 3.5 years before making the difficult decision to shut it down. He then joined Stack Overflow as an operator and helped scale it, resulting in his biggest financial return to date.Together we unpack:Why "quitting on time feels like quitting too early" and the real cost of staying too longHow to think of your entrepreneurial journey like poker chips; finite resources you can't wasteThe hard reality of shutting down a business after raising venture capitalWhy his mentor Joel Spolsky told him to quit just months after launchingWhen plateauing milestones become warning signs it's time to fold

Why you should listenGaurav shares how Jeeva.ai is revolutionizing sales automation by making AI-powered outreach as simple as ChatGPT, without the complexity of tools like Clay.Learn how to cut through the noise of generic AI outreach with personalized, multi-channel strategies that actually improve deliverability and response rates.Discover the future of sales technology and why natural language interfaces will replace complex CRM workflows - plus get insights from a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder backed by Mark Benioff.Your clients' sales teams are drowning in CRM busywork, spending hours on data entry and lead research instead of actually selling. Meanwhile, their cold outreach campaigns are getting lost in the noise of AI-generated spam, delivering terrible conversion rates despite all the time invested. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone - and there's finally a solution. In this episode, I sit down with Gaurav Bhattacharya, CEO of Jeeva.ai, who's built the AI sales automation platform that's changing everything. Gaurav is a repeat B2B SaaS founder who went from creating a radiology tool adopted by the Indian government at age 17 to raising over $20M and hitting $7M revenue in just 12 months with his latest venture. We dive deep into how Jeeva.ai eliminates the biggest pain points in modern sales - from automated lead research and data enrichment to personalized outreach across multiple channels. You'll discover why most outbound tools are actually making the spam problem worse, how to improve email deliverability in an AI-saturated market, and why the future belongs to natural language interfaces that work where sales teams actually spend their time.About Gaurav BhattacharyaGaurav Bhattacharya is a repeat B2B SaaS founder and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree who's built, scaled, and exited startups before most founders finish their MVP. Currently the CEO of Jeeva.ai, he's leading the charge in automating outbound AI-powered SDR agents — helping B2B teams 2x their pipeline in half the time (and cost).Before Jeeva, he co-founded involve.ai, a customer intelligence platform that grew to 500+ companies and 1.1M users globally. He raised over $20M from top investors like Sapphire Ventures, Stanford University, and Gokul Rajaram — and hit $5M ARR in under 9 months with just 11 people.But Gaurav's story starts even earlier — at 17, he co-built a radiology tool that the Indian government adopted nationwide to fight sex-selective abortions. He's been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, LA Business Journal, and top startup podcasts — and he's not here to preach theory. Gaurav brings real-world operator lessons, raw founder stories, and tactical GTM frameworks that listeners can steal and ship the same day.When he's not building, he's probably over-caffeinating, mentoring founders, or geeking out on outbound psychology.Resources and LinksJeeva.aiGaurav's LinkedIn profileGet Jeeva at 90% off on your first yearElevenlabs.ioCaptions.aiHeygen.comChatgpt.com593

In this weeks' Scale Your Sales Podcast episode, my guest is Leore Spira.   Leore Spira is a Revenue Operations executive and advisor, and GTM strategy leader with over 15 years of experience in B2B SaaS. She specializes in scaling startups, aligning cross-functional teams, and transforming insights into execution. Known for her strategic vision, operational rigor, and data-driven leadership across marketing, sales, and customer success.   In today's episode of Scale Your Sales podcast, Leore emphasizes the importance of aligning people, processes, and technology, and shares why understanding both the business ecosystem and internal stakeholders is key to sustainable growth. They also discuss the evolving role of AI, the value of empathy and transparency, and how to balance automation with a human-first approach to customer relationships.   Welcome to Scale Your Sales Podcast, Leore Spira.     Timestamps: 00:00 Adapting Business Practices for Growth 07:09 Proactive Pre-sale and Marketing Strategy 10:09 Collaborative Pipeline Focus 13:56 AI for Streamlining Dashboards 17:24 Enhancing Team Support with AI 21:00 AI: Efficiency Over Expansion 26:19 Customer Journey and Success Focus 28:35 Mutual Evaluation in Sales Strategy 33:00 Leadership's Role in Organizational Impact 34:58 Data-Driven Survival Strategies     https://www.linkedin.com/in/leorespira/     Janice B Gordon is the award-winning Customer Growth Expert and Scale Your Sales Framework founder. She is by LinkedIn Sales 15 Innovating Sales Influencers to Follow 2021, the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Customer Experience Nov 2020 and 150 Women B2B Thought Leaders You Should Follow in 2021. Janice helps companies worldwide to reimagine revenue growth thought customer experience and sales.   Book Janice to speak virtually at your next event: https://janicebgordon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceBGordon Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast More on the blog: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/blog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScaleYourSales And more!   Visit our podcast website https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast/ to watch or listen.

Is your software development process stuck on a conveyor belt? Discover how to break free from outdated manufacturing mindsets and build truly high-performing, agile teams that “Move Fast and Break Silos.”In this episode, experienced CPTO, Klaus Breyer, introduces a revolutionary approach to software development. He explains why treating software engineering like a factory assembly line leads to inefficiency, micromanagement, and disempowered teams. Learn how to slice work effectively—from objectives down to delivery—and align small, empowered teams to solve real customer problems and ship value faster.Key topics discussed:Why software development is a design process instead of a manufacturing processHow Agile and Scrum has become micromanagement toolsWhy ticketing systems can create communication silosHow to slice work into objectives, problems, solutions, and deliveryGiving teams problems to solve, not just solutions to buildThe concept of empowered teams that own their outcomesWhy small, dynamic groups of 2-3 people work bestAligning your teams' work with company goals and business objectives Timestamps:(00:00) Trailer & Intro(02:10) Career Turning Points(05:26) Critical Key Skills as CPTO(07:40) Juggling Between Being Optimistic vs Pessimistic(09:15) Move Fast and Break Silos(13:08) The Difference Between Manufacturing and Software Development(16:51) The Problems with the Status Quo of Software Development Practices(23:50) Key Practice 1: Slicing Work(25:51) Slicing Objectives(28:30) Slicing Problems(33:25) Slicing Solutions(38:03) Slicing Delivery(41:09) Key Practice 2: Aligning Teams(43:21) The Effective Teams Alignment Practices(48:10) Working in Small Teams at a Time(51:07) Alignment with the Value Streams(53:15) Mapping the Sliced Work to the Organization(56:41) The Importance of Reporting Structure in the Large Organization(58:52) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom_____Klaus Breyer's BioKlaus Breyer is an experienced B2B SaaS CPTO who specializes in bridging the gap between technical delivery and agile product strategy, driven by a passion for breaking down silos. His career includes founding and leading the startups Buddybrand (a digital agency) and BuzzBird (a B2B marketplace), as well as building corporate startups and business units for major companies like Voith and edding in the IoT and B2B SaaS sectors.Based in Berlin, he has extensive experience working with diverse and primarily remote teams. In addition to his leadership roles, he sometimes invests in and advises leadership teams on building effective interdisciplinary teams themselves. He is also a speaker, blogger, and book author who champions the philosophy of “Move Fast And Break Silos!”Follow Klaus:LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/klaus-breyerTwitter – twitter.com/klausbreyerWebsite – v01.ioEmail – kb@v01.ioLike this episode?Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/224.Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.Buy me a coffee or become a patron.

saas.unbound is a podcast for and about founders who are working on scaling inspiring products that people love, brought to you by https://saas.group/, a serial acquirer of B2B SaaS companies. In episode #29 of season 5, Anna Nadeina talks with Pierce, CEO & Co-founder of babelforce, a no-code platform for building and automating customer experience workflows, primarily focused on contact centers. --------------Episode's Chapters---------------- 00:00 - Meet the Guest: Pierce, CEO of babelforce 01:33 - The Evolution of AI and Contact Centers 06:21 - Challenges and Realities of AI Implementation 13:25 - The Value Proposition of babelforce 20:17 - Bootstrapping and Growth of babelforce 22:23 - Building the Platform: Early Days and Challenges 23:56 - Impact of AI and Technological Shifts 26:26 - Enterprise Sales and Marketing Strategies 30:26 - Event Management and Marketing Insights 33:32 - Zendesk Integration and Future Plans Pierce - https://www.linkedin.com/in/piercebuckley/ babelforce - https://www.babelforce.com/ Subscribe to our channel to be the first to see the interviews that we publish twice a week - https://www.youtube.com/@saas-group Stay up to date: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaaS_group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/14790796

Discover how to turn decades of data into a competitive edge, build lasting customer relationships beyond the first click, and apply AI in ways that truly drive impact. Joining us is Vineet Mahajan, CTO of US News & World Report, who shares how he's led the 90-year-old brand through a sweeping digital transformation. From rearchitecting infrastructure to deploying semantic search, generative AI, and agentic tools, Vineet explains how his team is reimagining what a legacy institution can become—and what every tech leader can take from that journey.Key Moments:00:00 Meet Vineet Mahajan, CTO of US News & World Report04:45 How to Unlock the True Value of Your Data09:55 Why First-Party Data Is Key to Building Customer Relationships14:32 What Is Semantic Search and How Can Generative AI Improve UX?18:39 How to Overcome Data Cleaning and Structuring Challenges21:18 How to Evaluate Emerging Tech Trends (Like Agentic AI)25:43 How to Lead Change: Data Governance and Digital Transformation32:38 What's Next for US News & World Report and the Future of AI-Driven Strategy -- Brightspot is the leading content management platform built for modern teams. Your content lifecycle - from ideation to archival - moves faster, handling any volume, variety, or velocity with ease. Unlike legacy platforms that demand heavy dev work and struggle with scale, Brightspot is user-friendly, endlessly customizable, and enterprise-ready. Think dynamic, modern experiences, shipped in minutes—not months. Trusted by some of the world's leading tech organizations, Brightspot reduces total cost of ownership, boosts productivity, and gives you the governance, security, and performance your teams need. Visit brightspot.com/ITVisionaries to learn more.---This episode was produced by the team at Mission.org and brought to you by Brightspot.

What does it really take to grow from $10K MRR to $10M ARR? That leap isn't just big; it's transformative. It marks the shift from being a scrappy startup to becoming a high-growth, scalable SaaS business with a repeatable revenue engine.In Season 6 of the Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast, Joran Hofman, founder of Reditus, sat down with 20 industry experts: founders, operators, and advisors who have either made this leap themselves or helped others do it. Together, they explored what it really takes to scale successfully.In this special episode, we've compiled all 20 answers into one insight-packed session you can absorb in just 30 to 40 minutes. If you're serious about scaling, this isn't just worth your time; it could change your entire growth trajectory. Don't miss it.Season 6 full episodesEpisode 1: Kristi Faltorusso on Customer SuccessEpisode 2: Aaron Ross on Predictable RevenueEpisode 3: Clark Barron on Demand Gen StrategyEpisode 4: Pablo Assensio on Product-Led GrowthEpisode 5: Peter Loving on UX and RevenueEpisode 6: Tom Shapiro on SEO for SaaSEpisode 7: Mina Golesorkhi on SaaS HiringEpisode 8: Johnny Staker on SaaS Growth StrategiesEpisode 9: Elliott Rayner on Strategic StorytellingEpisode 10: Craig Brown on ICP and MessagingEpisode 11: Ben Murray on Financial StrategyEpisode 12: Nicolas Calabrese on International ExpansionEpisode 13: Kevin Lems on SaaS Pricing in the AI EraEpisode 14: Ramly John on Onboarding StrategiesEpisode 15: Patrick Cumming on Paid AdsEpisode 16: Zoltan Vardy on Founder-Led SalesEpisode 17: Alexander Estner on Go-To-Market PlaybookEpisode 18: Frank Sonders on Go-To-Market StrategyEpisode 19: Ezean and Oji Odeze on Product Management Lessons

Joseph built Freshline to $3.5 million in revenue and nearly $2 million raised. It looked like a marketplace success story—until it wasn't. In this episode, Joe shares the hidden reasons marketplaces fail, critical lessons on how to spot the right market, and why traction alone doesn't guarantee success. It's a raw, real look at what happens when hype meets reality.Why You Should ListenHow a $3.5M startup stalled despite tractionHard lessons on finding the right marketThe hidden traps of marketplacesWhy staying gritty isn't always enoughPainkillers vs. Vitamins Rethinking Startup AdviceKeywordsmarketplace, product market fit, startup failure, raising capital, entrepreneurship, founder advice, traction, B2B SaaS, early-stage startup, growth challenges00:00:00 Intro00:04:10 Crashing the Boston Seafood Expo00:08:25 From Shopify to Marketplace00:12:40 Door-to-Door Fish Sales00:17:55 Hidden Risks of Marketplace Models00:23:05 Cracks Emerge at $3.5M Revenue00:26:45 COVID Hits and the Pivot Begins00:30:50 Why Market Matters More Than Grit00:32:55 Rethinking Painkillers vs Vitamins00:35:30 Staying Alive Long Enough to WinSend me a message to let me know what you think!

Guest: Silvio Perez, Founder @ AdConversion In this episode, I speak with Silvio Perez, founder of Ad Conversion, about the untapped potential of YouTube advertising for B2B companies. Silvio shares his expertise on how YouTube can open up the sales funnel for B2B SaaS companies, discussing the advantages it offers over traditional platforms like LinkedIn. We explore customer acquisition costs, revealing YouTube's competitive edge while also examining the challenges of targeting enterprise clients.Silvio introduces practical strategies for effective audience targeting on YouTube, including a strategic targeting quadrant and creative tactics for crafting engaging ad scripts. He emphasizes the importance of testing various creative approaches to capture viewer attention. We also cover optimization strategies for managing YouTube ads, focusing on critical metrics to ensure success. Silvio offers valuable insights and resources for marketers eager to maximize their YouTube advertising efforts and drive scalable growth.What's in this conversation between Silvio and Mony?0:03 Introduction to YouTube Advertising1:06 Ideal B2B Companies for YouTube Ads2:41 Customer Acquisition Costs Compared3:29 Tracking YouTube Ad Results8:34 The Gradual Impact of YouTube Ads12:20 Targeting Strategies for YouTube Ads16:57 Creating Effective YouTube Ad Creative28:57 Ideal Length for Video Ads39:29 Optimizing Your YouTube Ads Account44:00 Closing Insights and ResourcesReferences:

Send us a textIn this dog-dedicated episode of Sidecar Sync (Happy 12th to Ninja!), Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan tackle two extremes of the nonprofit tech landscape. First, they dig into Cloudflare's bold new default to block AI content scrapers—what it means for associations, the rise of pay-per-crawl, and whether blocking AI is smart strategy or short-sighted fear. Then, they shift gears to dissect a revealing Chronicle of Philanthropy survey on nonprofit tech adoption, where some orgs are experimenting with AI while others still won't accept credit cards. The result? A growing digital divide—and plenty of lessons for association leaders looking to future-proof.

Why do marketers blame shadow bans when their posts flatline?

Send us a textIn this episode we interview Jonathan Marciano, VP of Brand and Content at DataRails, a B2B SaaS platform for the CFO's office.What you'll learn in this episode:Why DataRails built a mascot—and how it's redefining B2B brand storytellingThe strategy behind launching Bob Sheetner, the FP&A PandaHow humor, character, and relatability build social media momentumTips for creating a mascot that lasts beyond a founder's brandReal-world tactics for scaling content with 3D, AI, and in-house productionHow to use fluent brand devices to increase recall and buying preferenceWhat it takes to build internal buy-in and creative alignment across teamsHow a mascot can make niche SaaS content unforgettable

In today's episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Marco Benitez—a guest who brings together the worlds of Taekwondo and biomedical engineering! Marco is the founder of Rook, a "middleman" company specializing in connecting data from hundreds of wearables and medical devices. Drawing on his extensive background in sports and years in big pharma, Benitez discusses the challenges and opportunities in bridging data silos in the fitness, health, and insurance spaces. He also dives into the origins of Rook, the significance of B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) models, and the importance of building predictable, scalable solutions that empower organizations to actually use their data—not just collect it. Whether you're a fitness pro, entrepreneur, or just interested in the quickly evolving landscape of fit tech, this episode is packed with insights into how smart data integration is reshaping the way we approach the HALO space. (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors)  On working in the enterprise space Marco mentions, "Working with enterprise clients . . . takes a lot of time to close deals but once they are closed, you will receive a lot of feedback, and you will be in the heart of their company. Because we are an API solution, we live 'inside' the platform . . . inside the app." Key themes discussed Importance and value of data integration. Rook's middleware solution for wearables. Challenges of connecting multiple wearable devices' data. Building and scaling a B2B SaaS company. Lessons from sports and long-term business growth. The evolving role of data in healthcare and insurance. Differentiating real, actionable intelligence from the AI hype. A few key takeaways:  1. Rook Connects Wearable Data Seamlessly: Rook acts as a middleware platform that allows companies to easily integrate and extract data from over 300 different wearables and medical devices. This solves a huge pain point for fitness apps, gyms, digital health, and insurance companies that need unified, standardized, and actionable user health data without having to build separate integrations for each device. 2. B2B SaaS with Active User Pricing: Rook is a B2B SaaS company, charging clients (gyms, fitness apps, insurers, etc) based on the number of active users accessing data through the platform. This recurring revenue model is 'sticky' and predictable, making it attractive for both business growth and investors, since switching out such a middleware solution tends to be costly and pretty disruptive for clients. 3. Wearables Becoming Medical Devices: The wearables ecosystem is quickly evolving, with many devices attaining FDA clearance. This means the data they provide is now medically credible and increasingly important for areas like digital health, fitness, and prevention-oriented insurance models—creating new demand for integration platforms. 4. Long-Term Perspective: Building to Become a Data Science Company: Benitez emphasizes the value of the long game—he compares entrepreneurship to earning a taekwondo black belt. Rook's long-term vision is to move beyond just delivering clean, structured data to offering actionable intelligence, insights, and predictive analytics to their clients. 5. Flexibility Driven by Customer Need: A key lesson? Rook's roadmap for integrating new wearables is customer-focused. Rather than chasing each new device that comes out, the team prioritizes devices with the most client demand and market share. This way, they deliver real value where it matters most, instead of losing focus. Resources:  Marco Benitez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcobzg   Rook: https://www.tryrook.io  HALO Talks 2 Minute Financial Drills (Videos): https://bit.ly/2minutedrills  Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com  Promotion Vault: http://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: http://www.higherdose.com

Are you a SaaS founder struggling to hit your first $10K in MRR? You're not alone it's the first major hurdle every SaaS founder faces: proving your product, landing real customers, and building traction. In Season 6 of the The Grow B2B SaaS podcast, Joran Hofaman spoke to 20 successful SaaS founders and experts who've been through it, and at the end of each interview, He asked them one question: “What's your best advice for reaching $10K MRR?” This episode brings all their answers together into one powerful, no-fluff summary and before each expert speaks, he'll tell you which episode they're from so you can check out their full story. If you're growing a SaaS, this episode is packed with the insights you wish you had months ago.Key Timecodes(1:07) - Episode 1: Kristi Faltorusso on Customer Success(2:35) - Episode 2: Aaron Ross on Predictable Revenue(5:11) - Episode 3: Clark Barron on Demand Gen Strategy(6:20) - Episode 4: Pablo Assensio on Product-Led Growth(7:44) - Episode 5: Peter Loving on UX and Revenue(9:04) - Episode 6: Tom Shapiro on SEO for SaaS(10:29) - Episode 7: Mina Golesorkhi on SaaS Hiring(12:59) - Episode 8: Johnny Staker on SaaS Growth Strategies(14:12) - Episode 9: Elliott Rayner on Strategic Storytelling(16:42) - Episode 10: Craig Brown on ICP and Messaging(18:56) - Episode 11: Ben Murray on Financial Strategy(20:05) - Episode 12: Nicolas Calabrese on International Expansion(22:33) - Episode 13: Kevin Lems on SaaS Pricing in the AI Era(24:21) - Episode 14: Ramly John on Onboarding Strategies(26:09) - Episode 15: Patrick Cumming on Paid Ads(28:19) - Episode 16: Zoltan Vardy on Founder-Led Sales(29:36) - Episode 17: Alexander Estner on Go-To-Market Playbook(30:55) - Episode 18: Frank Sonders on Go-To-Market Strategy(32:12) - Episode 19: Ezean and Oji Odeze on Product Management Lessons

In this episode of the AlchemistX Innovators Inside Podcast, Ian Bergman gets philosophical with Ciara Peter, Senior Vice President of Product at Robin, to explore how AI and hybrid work are reshaping the future of innovation. Ciara draws on 18 years in B2B SaaS and her product leadership at Robin to unpack:Redefining Product Management: Why the PM's real job is strategic customer research and long-term ownership, not just feature delivery.Automating Busywork: How AI assistants can free teams from routine tasks—saving thousands of days of wasted effort—and surface the real problems to solve.Human Connection as a Competitive Edge: The case for intentional in-office days, serendipitous encounters, and why the “busywork” that builds empathy still matters.Designing the Ideal Hybrid Playbook: Introducing Robin's collaboration score, space-booking automations, and data-driven policies that balance employee sentiment and workspace analytics.Measuring Success: Key KPIs—from adoption and retention to task funnels—that reveal whether new features truly land and deliver value.Tune in to discover actionable takeaways on harnessing AI to automate the mundane, crafting spaces that foster real human interaction, and leading product innovation in a world where technology accelerates teamwork—but only human insight sparks true transformation.For more episodes and resources, visit https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts.

Get an inside scoop into the marketing priorities of global enterprise, Cisco. Their fearless leader, Rebecca Stone, comes on the podcast to discuss her approach to data, and their ambitious project to integrate all internal data sources into a unified platform for every team. We also discuss Rebecca's unique approach to team structure, where a unique matrix ensures a high level of productivity all of the time. The FINITE Podcast is sponsored by Clarity, a full-service digital marketing and communications agency. Through ideas, influence and impact, Clarity empowers visionary technology companies to change the world for the better.

In this conversation, Andrew Gazdecki shares insights on the B2B SaaS landscape, detailing the steps involved in buying and selling businesses, the importance of due diligence, and common pitfalls to avoid. He discusses valuation multiples for various business types and emphasizes the importance of preparation and flexibility in the selling process. The conversation also explores the impact of no-code tools on product trust and highlights podcasts as an effective distribution channel for startups.Where to Find Andrew: https://x.com/acquiredotcomhttps://x.com/agazdeckihttps://www.linkedin.com/company/acquiredotcom/https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/Follow Ish Instagram X Linkedin Website Subscribe to Internet Empires on YouTube

Do waitlists even matter to customers anymore? Or are they a waste of time? Daniel says it depends, but basically, lists are important in marketing. Getting email addresses of important people (including people that are interested in your brand) should always be a priority. But, there are some instances where a wait list wouldn't make sense, like a free virtual event. Jay and Daniel talk about building hype…and what to do when that hype gets busted.   Plus, what's the biggest hacks in DTC vs. B2B SaaS? One is using the term “sold out” for social proof and the other is beta access. The OG upsell has always been a long line. How do you do that with a virtual service or product? This short ‘n sweet Bathroom Break is all about waiting…and waiting…and more waiting.

#262 Content Strategy | Dave sits down with Chelsea Castle, Head of Content and Brand at Close. Chelsea talks about her experience in B2B SaaS and shares how to build impactful content that resonates with your audience.Chelsea and Dave cover:How leveraging internal and cross-functional knowledge can create a content goldmineWhy it is important to repurpose podcast episodes, webinars, and other media into multiple forms of content to maximize their valueStrategies for integrating SEO with authentic, valuable content that resonates with your audience, beyond just ranking for keywordsTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro to Chelsea (01:34) - - Merging Brand and Keyword-Driven Content (01:35) - - Aligning Brand and Content Strategy with Your Goals (01:42) - - New Content Channels for B2B (01:46) - - How to Measure Content Engagement (02:08) - - LinkedIn for B2B (02:12) - - Chelsea's Experience at Chili Piper (02:17) - - Improving Content for Podcasts (02:22) - - Driving Website Traffic Through Brand Content Strategy (02:22) - - Skyscraper SEO Content Strategy (02:30) - - How to Craft a Brand Strategy (02:31) - - How to Grow Using Gated Content (02:33) - - How to Maximize Search Impact Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.comJoin the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Zuddl.We're halfway through 2025, and one thing's clear: events continue to be one of the highest performing marketing channels. Niche meetups, conferences, curated dinners, networking - you name it. Everyone's leaning in.Events are a core part of our playbook this year at Exit Five. So far, we've hosted two virtual sessions each month, one large virtual event, one in-person meetup, and we're deep in the weeds planning our Drive conference coming back to Vermont this September.Zuddl helps us run a smarter event strategy - from driving registrations, managing invites, automating comms, reminders, analytics, tracking. Their Salesforce integration also makes it simple to report on pipeline and revenue from events without pulling in ops.On top of that, the differentiator with Zuddl is how their team is insanely good at supporting us. They always go above and beyond for us - and that's how we've been able to keep the momentum going with 12+ events already this year, with plenty more to come.If events are part of your marketing strategy, you need to look at Zuddl to see how companies like Zillow, CrowdStrike, and Iterable are using the top event platform for Business events in 2025. Head over to zuddl.com/exitfive to learn more. 

saas.unbound is a podcast for and about founders who are working on scaling inspiring products that people love, brought to you by https://saas.group/, a serial acquirer of B2B SaaS companies. In episode #29 of season 5, Anna Nadeina talks with Josh, founder of Interact, a quiz builder specifically designed for lead generation. --------------Episode's Chapters---------------- 00:00 - Josh's Entrepreneurial Journey 04:06 - Impact of AI on Interact's Growth 06:27 - AI Integration in Interact's Product 14:38 - SEO and Content Strategy for AI 24:54 - Rebuilding Content for AI Search 25:41 - Anticipating User Questions 31:17 - Impact of AI on Traffic and Growth 33:14 - Future Plans for AI Integration 37:44 - Customer Interactions with AI 44:46 - Final Thoughts and Advice Josh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhaynam/ Interact - https://www.tryinteract.com/ Subscribe to our channel to be the first to see the interviews that we publish twice a week - https://www.youtube.com/@saas-group Stay up to date: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaaS_group LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/14790796

Go-to-Market is a term often used to describe the strategy, processes, and organizations that B2B companies employ to acquire, retain, and expand their customer base.In this episode, Dave "CAC" Kellogg and Ray "Growth" Rike discuss the recently published ICONIQ report on the State of GTM 2025...and yes, it includes a lot about how AI-native and AI utilization are impacting all things GTM. Topics include:Funnel Conversion Rate TrendsAI-Native Funnel Performance Advantages Cost per OpportunityCustomer Renewal TimingGo-to-Market Headcount allocation (AI-Native vs Legacy SaaS)AI's impact on Sales ProductivityAI Spend TrendsIf you are a GTM leader, are responsible for the financial performance of your B2B SaaS company, or are interested in how AI is impacting all things customer acquisition, retention, and expansion, this episode has something for you!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it take to scale a B2B SaaS company from zero to $100 million in ARR? In the final episode of Season 6 of the Grow Your B2B SaaS Podcast, we explore this big question with two standout guests: Oji and Ezinne Udezue. They've worked with top tech companies like Typeform, WP Engine, and Twitter. They also co-wrote Building Rocketships: Product Management for High-Growth Companies. Beyond their resumes, they bring a unique perspective as a married couple with 20 years of partnership, both in life and in product leadership. This episode is full of sharp insights and practical strategies for anyone looking to build and grow successful SaaS products.Key Timecodes(0:00) - Knowing Your Ideal Customer Profile(0:09) - Most Important Task for Founders(0:59) - Closing Off Season 6 with a Bang(1:46) - Guest Welcome(1:53) - Diving Into Product Management(2:02) - Product Management as a Craft(3:19) - The Importance of Sharp Problems(4:44) - Why SaaS Founders Need Product Management(6:22) - Founders Thinking as Product Managers(7:54) - Misconceptions in Product Management(8:32) - Admin Layer of Product Management(9:27) - AI's Role in Product Management(10:19) - Calculated Decisions and Customer Needs(10:52) - AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement(11:13) - Scaling from Zero to $100 Million ARR(12:29) - Finding a Sharp Problem(13:46) - Sharpening Your ICP(16:05) - Building and Refining Your Product(18:13) - Signals Before Investing in Growth(19:38) - The Fundamentals of Product-Market Fit(20:36) - Creating a Unicorn vs. a Small Business(22:32) - Product Strategy Across Revenue Stages(25:41) - Strategic Moats and Distribution(26:11) - What is Product-Market Fit?(27:18) - Customer Investment as a Sign of Fit(28:23) - Phases of Growth in SaaS(30:56) - Virality vs. Network Effects(32:54) - When to Think About Virality and Network Effects(35:02) - AI as a Risk and Opportunity(36:18) - AI's Impact on Workflows(39:15) - Rethinking Business with AI(42:34) - Advice for SaaS Founders Starting Out(45:10) - Growing Towards 10 Million ARR(49:03) - Making Decisions When Not in the Room(51:01) - Summary of Key Points(51:26) - Building Rocketships Pro Edition(53:21) - Building a Community of Product Managers(53:57) - Closing Remarks and Call for Feedback

Wes Wheless helps solo consultants bottle their secret sauce.  To do so, Wes offers two services: The NicheFinder Sprint and The IP Builder Sprint. He believes that consultants need to identify a niche or specialization and a unique approach to serving that niche, typically codified into intellectual property (IP). Each sprint is delivered one-on-one over 1-2 weeks. Niche Finder Explained NicheFinder is designed for early-stage solo consultants who are struggling to narrow down their niche. It involves working one-on-one to identify their zone of genius and then lay out potential ICPs. The client and the consultant come up with three specific ICPs, which are then run through a custom GPT that runs a detailed viability analysis on each lane.  The GPT also derives three additional ICPs based on context and evaluates their viability as well.  With an identified niche, the consultant can now decisively focus on building a market position around that specific problem and buyer. Examples of Niche Consulting Wes shares an example of a client whose determined niche is fractional CMO for B2C subscription companies that have hit a growth plateau and have not invested in brand marketing.  Another example is a client who went solo from a boutique consulting firm that specializes in change management. Her genius zone was being the translation layer between strategic vision and operational teams. She had a keen understanding of internal issues and also helped new executives acclimate to their roles. The GPT analysis suggested that she should focus on innovation teams running pilots but not getting traction due to organizational resistance. Wes explains that the GPT analysis includes 12 viability factors, including access, lifetime value, competitive alternatives, and target revenue numbers. These factors help narrow down options and identify red flags, ultimately leading to a more viable solution. Sourcing Consulting Opportunities Before Niching Down The discussion explores the approach of starting with potential buyers from your existing network, rather than relying on staffing firms or referrals. Will suggests starting with decision makers or influencers. This approach can help you identify your potential universe of buyers and determine what services they are willing to pay for. Wes adds that this approach can help you learn about selling yourself and what people are interested in. However, Wes points out that it can also lead to triangulating into a specialty that might not be interesting or appropriate for you. If you continue to work for anyone who will hire you at the moment, you may end up working in areas where you don't have much business taking on that kind of work. Identifying and Validating a Consulting Niche Wes discusses the process of developing a niche through the NicheFinder sprint. He emphasizes the importance of having a strong understanding of the client's pain points and interests before proceeding with the niche finder. Wes suggests that the process should be followed by market validation conversations, where potential clients can share their ideas and validate their interest in the service. This process should take around three to five conversations. Wes suggests changing the LinkedIn headline and content to be specific to the identified problem. He also suggests codifying relevant IP and developing visual assets that can be shared. The IP Builder Sprint and Intellectual Headshots Wes suggests that consultants should have served at least two or three clients within their niche before starting the IP Builder sprint. Wes suggests that consultants should display their expertise prominently through visual assets, which Wes calls intellectual headshots. These are instantly digestible visual articulations of your expertise that can prompt and streamline conversations. They can be distributed at scale and can look like typical consulting frameworks. Some clients have created headshots that look like comic strips or memes, which can open up dialogue and help clients see their problem or pain point. In conclusion, The IP Builder Sprint is a valuable investment for consultants to showcase their expertise and engage clients. By creating intellectual headshots, consultants can instantly telegraph their unique expertise, ultimately leading to elevated sales conversations and more client conversions. Examples of Client Intellectual Headshots Wes shares examples of client intellectual headshots. The first quickly communicates the five service models and personas in the consulting industry. The framework is designed to help consultants understand their roles and potential career paths. Another example is a line chart showing the client mix over time, with a warm network starting at zero and gradually increasing. Word of mouth referrals also increase over time, but the social plateau indicates that word of mouth referrals will eventually hit an asymptote. Wes then presents a client example,, a fractional general counsel for B2B SaaS companies. Mark wanted to address the stereotype that lawyers are not liked and can gum up the process. They created a visual to illustrate this point, using a skier jumping off a ski ramp to demonstrate that lawyers can build momentum rather than kill deals. This humorous approach makes fun of the stereotype and encourages clients to focus on building momentum rather than killing deals. In this discussion, Wes Wheless and Will Bachman discuss their approach to business and the importance of memorable and easily digestible content. They discuss the Grim Reaper, a humorous concept that addresses the elephant in the room and highlights the co-creative nature of the sprint. They also discuss Mark's ability to speed up the sales contract process, which is crucial for closing deals faster and increasing sales revenue. Mark's approach is not about charging by the hour but about making sure deals close, rather than covering his own assets or inflating his billable hours. He uses simple, clear language to convey his main point, making it easy for people to understand and remember.  The final topic discussed is the sale contract process, which can lead to deals losing due to the lack of a clear and concise presentation. Mark's approach focuses on shrinking the contract process, reducing the risk of losing the deal once it's won. This differentiation with Mark and his ideas can lead to increased revenue and better deals for the company. The Benefits of the Intellectual Headshot Wes highlights the importance of posting these assets on LinkedIn and other platforms to ensure they reflect the work done. Wes also emphasizes the role of visuals in reducing pressure on consultants, especially new ones, who may feel anxious about speaking their expertise. By providing a simple visual that serves as a common ground for conversation, it allows consultants to focus on the main points of the conversation without having to deliver a lengthy spiel. On the client side, Wes emphasizes the importance of reducing cognitive load and freeing up time for the discussion.  Timestamps: 0:02: Introduction to Wes Wheless and His Services  01:11: Details of the Niche Finder Program  12:43: Implementation and Validation of Niche Finder Results  20:53: Introduction to IP Builder and Intellectual Headshots  32:43: Examples of Intellectual Headshots  Links: Website: developmyip.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwheless/ The Lightbulb daily newsletter for solo consultants: developmyip.com/daily   Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.  

Garrick van Buren is the owner and principal consultant at Pricing from the Start, where he helps early-stage entrepreneurs and B2B SaaS companies create effective pricing strategies before they invest heavily in product development.  Since 2003, he has been launching and managing businesses that support entrepreneurial organizations. His diverse experience includes working with creative professionals and agencies, as well as time at a large corporation with established pricing practices. Garrick is also a certified Cicerone (beer sommelier), which gives him a unique insight into customer value and market positioning. In this episode, Garrick shares his "Pricing from the Start" framework, designed to help entrepreneurs avoid the costly error of building products without fully understanding their value or pricing potential. He emphasizes the importance of qualitative customer research, explains the difference between foundational and detailed problems, and highlights why many entrepreneurs overlook pricing to their own disadvantage. Alongside Mark, he explores how the Jobs-to-be-Done methodology intersects with traditional pricing strategies, debates various value frameworks, and delves into how to measure value in B2B settings.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Learn how to determine pricing before you build your product, avoiding costly over-investment in questionable features Discover the "Pricing from the Start" framework for early-stage entrepreneurs and established companies at inflection points Understand how to identify foundational vs. detailed customer problems and price accordingly   "They need to have a price, they need to be comfortable charging it, and they need to approach it in a way that they want it to be repeatable, that it gets at the customer value, and that they can make the decision in an ongoing way of, is there a sustainable business here that we're developing?" – Garrick van Buren   Topics Covered: 01:53 – How Garrick transitioned from struggling creative professional to pricing consultant 03:36 – Why entrepreneurs need to know their price before building their product 05:38 – Why successful companies often don't understand the value they deliver to customers 06:37 – Using MVP and Agile principles to test value through service delivery before building products 08:58 – The "Pricing from the Start" framework: qualitative research and timeless persistent problems 11:57 – Jobs-to-be-Done vs. problem-solution-result-value frameworks: what's the difference? 15:42 – Foundational problems vs. detailed problems in market segmentation 20:48 – Why the McDonald's milkshake example may be hurting Jobs-to-be-Done adoption 23:21 – The single sentence framework: "I help [role] at [adjective company] struggling with [timeless persistent problem]" 25:38 – Working with B2B SaaS companies at inflection points and quantifying customer value 28:44 – The 10% rule: capturing value as a percentage of customer incremental profit   Key Takeaways: "Because the alternative is that they burn hundreds of thousands of dollars on something that they were guessing at and then pushed, shoved, fought, and argued with the developers... because they didn't do the first few steps." – Garrick van Buren "Your competitive set is wider than you think. And that I think really drives how I think about both products, solutions, jobs-to-be-done, pricing, all of those things." – Garrick van Buren "If we're going to capture 10% of value and we're going to charge $10,000 a year, that means that somebody is expecting $100,000 worth of value in that year against this kind of problem." – Garrick van Buren   Resources and People Mentioned: Pricing from the Start: https://pricingfromthestart.com/ Jobs-to-be-Done Canvas (referenced in discussion) LinkedIn for recruiting (used as foundational problem example)   Connect with Garrick van Buren: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrickvanburen/ Website: https://pricingfromthestart.com/   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

In this episode of Sales Talk for CEOs, Prospect Desk CEO Jim Weldon shares how he grew his latest venture by applying lessons from decades of experience, without relying on VC funding.Jim unpacks the leverage strategies, founder-led sales tactics, and innovation models that drive results. His approach? Build from insight, match customers with value, and use early wins to open doors. This conversation is packed with actionable strategies for B2B SaaS leaders navigating today's fast-moving landscape.

David Placek is the founder of Lexicon Branding, a company that focuses exclusively on the development of brand names for competitive advantage. Lexicon is behind iconic names such as Sonos, Microsoft's Azure, Windsurf, Vercel, Impossible Foods, BlackBerry, Intel's Pentium, Apple's PowerBook, and Swiffer. Over 40 years, David's team has named nearly 4,000 brands and companies, employing over 250 linguists and pioneering naming innovation.What you'll learn:1. The three-step process that generated names like Windsurf and Vercel2. How a name can give you the edge that no marketing budget can buy3. Why you won't “know it when you see it”4. Why Microsoft called Azure “a dumb name” before it became their billion-dollar cloud platform5. Why polarizing opinions are the strongest signal that you've found the right name6. How every letter of the alphabet creates a specific psychological vibration7. The diamond framework: a 4-step process any founder can use to find their perfect name8. Why domain names don't matter anymore in the age of AI—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUsStripe—Helping companies of all sizes grow revenueOneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster—Where to find David Placek:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-placek-05a82/• Website: https://www.lexiconbranding.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to David and Lexicon Branding(04:44) The story of Sonos(09:27) The psychology of naming(11:33) The initial resistance to Microsoft's Azure(14:35) The importance of a great brand name(18:11) The three steps of naming: create, invent, implement(28:23) Qualities of great brand name creators(31:24) How long the naming process takes(32:12) The Windsurf case study(36:10) Naming in the AI era(39:37) When to change your name(43:10) The role of linguists(45:54) The power of letters in branding(48:15) The Vercel case study(50:12) The implementation phase(52:52) Client management and market success(55:16) The diamond exercise(01:04:23) Suspending judgment(01:07:31) Polarization and boldness(01:11:01) Domain names(01:12:48) Final thoughts and lightning round—Referenced:• PowerBook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook• Pentium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium• BlackBerry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry• Swiffer: https://www.swiffer.com/• Impossible Burger: https://impossiblefoods.com/• Vercel: https://vercel.com/• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/• Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/• Sonos: https://www.sonos.com/• John MacFarlane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-macfarlane-08a8aa20/• Harry Potter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_(film_series)• The Call of the Wild: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Call_of_the_Wild• Everyone's an engineer now: Inside v0's mission to create a hundred million builders | Guillermo Rauch (founder and CEO of Vercel, creators of v0 and Next.js): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyones-an-engineer-now-guillermo-rauch• Sound symbolism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism• Anduril: https://www.anduril.com/• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/• Inside Bolt: From near-death to ~$40m ARR in 5 months—one of the fastest-growing products in history | Eric Simons (founder and CEO of StackBlitz): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Building a magical AI code editor used by over 1 million developers in four months: The untold story of Windsurf | Varun Mohan (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-untold-story-of-windsurf-varun-mohan• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• Chevrolet Corvette: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette• Viagra: https://www.viagra.com/• In vino veritas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vino_veritas• Infoseek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infoseek• Andy Grove: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Grove• Churchill at War on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81609374• Yellowstone on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-Season-1/dp/B07D7FBB8Z• 1883 on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/1883-Season-1/dp/B0B8JTS8QW• 1923 on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/1923/• Taylor Sheridan on X: https://x.com/taylorSheridan• Hardy fly rods: https://www.hardyfishing.com/collections/fly-rods• T.E. Lawrence quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/11340-all-men-dream-but-not-equally-those-who-dream-by• Lawrence of Arabia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/• DreamWorks: https://www.dreamworks.com/—Recommended books:• Thucydides' Melian Dialogue: Commentary, Text, and Vocabulary: https://www.amazon.com/Thucydides-Melian-Dialogue-Commentary-Vocabulary/dp/0692772367• Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life: https://www.amazon.com/Resilience-Hard-Won-Wisdom-Living-Better/dp/054432398X/• Churchill: Walking with Destiny: https://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Walking-Destiny-Andrew-Roberts/dp/1101980990—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Fractional leaders aren't here for job security—we're here to build legacies. We remove the internal angst that clouds big decisions. We're not protecting titles or playing politics. We're focused on what drives transformation, growth, and lasting impact.Hi there, I'm Kerry Curran, B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.In every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you're serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of the competition.In The Rise of the Fractional CMO: How to Accelerate Revenue Growth Without the Overhead, I sit down with Virginie Glaenzer, a fractional CMO, tech entrepreneur, and community builder.We explore how fractional marketing leaders are reshaping go-to-market execution, AI adoption, and executive alignment across today's most innovative organizations.Be sure to stay tuned until the end, where Virginie shares her advice on how to scope your first fractional engagement and make an immediate impact, without the overhead.Let's go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.148)So, welcome, Virginie. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (00:09.086)Thank you so much, Kerry, for having me on your podcast. I'm really excited—I think the work you're doing is amazing. My name is Virginie—Virginie Glaenzer. I'm originally from France and am your typical immigrant. I've had quite an interesting journey: I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998, started a couple of software businesses, and had my fair share of successes and failures.After 17 years in Silicon Valley, I moved to New York for about 12 years, where I served as VP of Marketing and CMO for mid-size organizations. I've been in D.C. for the last year and a half. Over the past 30 years, most of my career has been in B2B SaaS tech, helping organizations. Today, as a fractional CMO, I enjoy supporting small- to mid-size companies that are trying to disrupt their industries—mostly in tech, where technology is part of their offering. That's just a little bit about me.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:21.594)Thank you. I'm very excited to speak with you today. You have a wealth of experience, but I want to start by diving into fractional CMOs and the evolution of fractional executives. I know you serve both as a fractional CMO and as the leader of Acorn Oak, so I'd love to hear what you've seen regarding this evolution and why you find it so valuable.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (01:54.804)That's a great question. I actually fell into the fractional model—I never thought I would become a consultant—but it has changed my life, and I love it. I chose the fractional path because I wanted to make real, lasting change. When I was a VP of Marketing, I found that people wanted me to make them feel comfortable instead of guiding them through change. As a fractional CMO, I offer an unbiased outside perspective, removing the anxiety and internal angst that often accompany big decisions—something I couldn't do as a full-time employee.My focus isn't on protecting a title or playing politics; it's about building a legacy, not job security. As a result, I avoid the “drink-the-Kool-Aid” syndrome that can cloud judgment. The fractional model really works, and I think it took off after COVID because companies realized they could hire talent anywhere. When you hire people remotely, you don't see the hours; you see the output. A fractional executive who works two days a week can deliver the equivalent of four days from a traditional employee—and often, that's all a company needs.AI is also disrupting organizations. Internal employees may hesitate to rock the boat, but a fractional executive will do whatever is necessary to drive change.Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:01.762)I love that example—doing in two days what others might do in four—because when you can focus solely on the initiative, you avoid the distractions of full-time employment and get more done. Another benefit is that fractional CMOs must stay on top of trends—from AI to strategy—and can apply learnings from one client to another, an opportunity full-time employees don't always have.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (04:59.680)Absolutely. Working with multiple clients gives you a different view of each market. You come in with broad experience, fresh perspectives, and numerous frameworks. It's a win–win—deeply satisfying for the individual and invaluable for the organization.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:28.266)I'm seeing a trend: six years ago, most engagements were project-based—solving urgent challenges over three to six months. Now, clients hire me as a fractional CMO for assignments that can last a couple of years. As long as you're helping the company reach its next growth stage, why not?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (05:57.428)Exactly. Hiring a fractional CMO can be a smart way to secure expert support without the full-time cost. When should a company consider a fractional CMO? I've seen three common scenarios:The company is growing, but marketing isn't scaling with it. You're facing a market shift—a funding round, product pivot, or another fundamental change. You're tired of disconnected campaigns and need integrated strategy and execution. For companies without a CMO, a fractional CMO brings strategic guidance, makes marketing proactive instead of reactive, and prevents wasting money on tactics that don't drive growth.If you already have a CMO, a fractional CMO can augment and elevate the internal team by:Playing “bad cop” when needed, helping leaders stay aligned during tough decisions. Providing strategic pressure relief without stepping on toes—I take the anxiety out of the organization. Rolling up sleeves and owning delivery when necessary. Kerry Curran, RBMA (08:41.024)Those are excellent examples—for companies without a CMO and for those with one. CMO turnover is high, often because a CMO fits one stage but not the next. Removing them isn't always best; sometimes they lack performance-marketing depth or AI expertise. A fractional CMO lets you keep institutional knowledge while adding new skills.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (10:01.952)Absolutely. In today's uncertain economy, the fractional model makes even more sense. It's a cost-effective way to keep driving the company without paying for a full-time executive. I expect more organizations will take this path.Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:31.994)I agree. Startups and scale-ups may go sales-led and stall. Bringing in a fractional CMO to establish strategic foundations can be crucial. You talk a lot about AI. What services and strategies do you provide around transformation and AI?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (11:31.222)Sure. AI is a major focus. I help clients with several business challenges. For example, tariffs are front and center; they're an opportunity to revisit every part of the business and optimize. From a marketing perspective, we need to adapt to GEO—Generative Engine Optimization—to stay visible as algorithms evolve. Some call it AIO, but the point is visibility.AI has changed how we work. Initially, it saved time; next, it improved quality; now, it changes how we think about our work. Resistance exists: in a recent webinar, 0 % of attendees had an AI policy, yet 60 % used AI professionally. That's a risk we must address.Kerry Curran, RBMA (14:29.272)Wow.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (14:51.318)Exactly. Another area is AI chatbots. Customer experience can't be an afterthought—if users don't like the experience, they go elsewhere. Leadership resistance also exists: many engineers resist AI, yet Google reports that 25 % of its code is now AI-generated, expected to reach 50 % within a year. Marketers sit between innovation and legal risk; we must work closely with legal to use AI responsibly.Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:03.492)That's smart. An experienced fractional CMO can guide organizations through those challenges. We've focused on fractional CMOs, but tell us about Acorn Oak and the community of fractional C-suite advisors you've built.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (17:46.540)Absolutely. If you're hiring a fractional executive, choose someone who belongs to a community. At Acorn Oak—and other networks like TechCXO—we're a trusted group of fractional executives. When you hire one of us, you gain cultural fit, synergy, and faster results. We already know one another, so alignment is immediate, and there's no ego.Kerry Curran, RBMA (19:17.262)That's great. What advice would you give a company considering a fractional CMO or other executive?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (19:43.406)First, define the pain. I always ask: What's the priority? A clear understanding of the challenge leads to a clear scope and a successful partnership. Second, work with someone in a community; they bring broader resources. Finally, don't wait—hiring a full-time CMO can take a year; hiring a fractional CMO can take two to three weeks from the initial call to weekly execution.Kerry Curran, RBMA (21:26.318)Definitely. Thank you for sharing your expertise. How can listeners find you?Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (21:47.764)I'm an open book. If you Google my name, you'll find me. I'm on LinkedIn and, less frequently, on Twitter. You can also visit acornoak.net or techcxo.com.Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:09.494)Excellent. I'll include those links in the show notes. Virginie, thank you so much for sharing your story. We've all learned a lot today.Virginie Glaenzer, Frac. CMO (22:18.764)Thank you, Kerry. I appreciate the opportunity.Thanks for tuning in to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. If this episode sparked a new idea or perspective, be sure to follow the show and leave us a quick review. It helps us grow and keeps the insights coming.And if you're ready to explore what fractional leadership could look like inside your business, head to revenuebasedmarketing.com for more expert strategies, CMO resources, and growth frameworks.Until next time, keep leading with impact. We'll see you soon.  Flat or slowing revenue? Let's fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast delivers the proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics that high-growth teams swear by.Follow / Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTubeTap ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ if the insights move your metrics—every rating fuels more game-changing episodes

This week on GTM Live, Carolyn and Trevor walk through a practical, step-by-step breakdown of how companies should be measuring GTM performance—beyond the outdated funnel reports and measurement models that most teams are still relying on.This episode is structured like a mini masterclass: You'll learn the real stages of the GTM revenue factory, what metrics to track at each one, and how to spot the signals that lead to qualified pipeline before opportunities even exist.They also cover how most common GTM measurement systems fail, and what leading companies are doing instead, and why this shift helps teams make better, faster decisions across Marketing, Sales, and RevOps.Whether you're struggling to prove impact, spot performance issues early, or get your execs aligned on what's actually driving growth—this one's for you.Key topics in this episode:Why funnel reports and common Marketing metrics often give a false sense of progressThe disconnect between GTM activity and what leaders actually want to knowHow to rethink pipeline measurement and what metrics to rely on as your north starWhat high-performing companies are tracking at each GTM stageHow to evolve your dashboard into a true Revenue Command CenterThis episode is powered by ⁠⁠Passetto⁠⁠. We help high-growth and equity-backed companies turn GTM data into better decisions, faster. We unify your GTM and financial data, identify your growth levers, and help you scale. Part SaaS, part advisory. Visit ⁠⁠passetto.com⁠.

Are you ready to transform security from a roadblock to a strategic advantage? In this podcast hosted by Cassio Sampaio, Rippling Chief Information Security Officer Duncan Godfrey will be speaking on building secure products in the B2B SaaS world. Duncan shares insider insights on embedding security into product development, managing vulnerabilities, and creating a collaborative partnership between product and security teams that accelerates innovation without compromising protection.

Welcome to another powerful episode of Pitch Cafe Podcast!

In this episode of the Tacos & Tech Podcast, host Neal Bloom chats with Andrew Albert, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Channel Equity Partners. Andrew brings decades of investing experience - from public markets to private software equity - to the table. He shares how his journey from the East Coast to San Diego led to launching a new kind of early growth equity firm focused on bootstrapped or lightly funded B2B SaaS companies. Andrew unpacks his investment strategy, discusses founder-alignment, thesis-driven sourcing, and how Channel Equity delivers capital with intention. Plus, he reflects on the power of long-term partnerships, why market cycles don't shake his thesis, and of course, his favorite San Diego burrito spot.   Key Topics Covered Channel Equity's unique approach to early growth equity How Andrew's public markets background shapes his private investing lens The “Ideal Founder Profile” and why alignment matters more than hype Examples of successful thesis-driven investments (e.g., CreatorIQ, restaurant CMS tools) The impact of AI on go-to-market efficiency and capital needs Fund I formation and raising capital in a challenging market Why IPOs aren't the goal, and how $100M exits can be life-changing Breakfast burritos, New York pizza, and San Diego sunshine   Links & Resources Channel Equity Partners   Connect with Andrew LinkedIn Connect with Neal Bloom LinkedIn: Neal Bloom Twitter: @NealBloom

What if your biggest customer experience problem isn't your marketing… but your inventory spreadsheet? In the era of one-click checkouts, Prime delivery expectations, and endless online channels, brands are pouring millions into customer acquisition—only to lose customers post-purchase. Why? Because they can't deliver what they just sold. Today's guest says the future of e-commerce success doesn't lie in a flashier storefront or a new influencer strategy—it lies in mastering the messy, invisible world of inventory. I'm excited to welcome back Riikka Söderlund, now Chief Operating Officer at Katana Cloud Inventory. About Riikka SoderlundRiikka Söderlund is the Chief Commercial Officer at Katana Cloud Inventory, where she leads the company's go-to-market strategy, driving growth across marketing, sales, and customer success. With a background as CMO and a proven track record in building scalable systems and high-performing teams, she brings deep expertise in data-driven growth, B2B SaaS, and customer-centric strategy. Her work at Katana has helped power over $2 billion in annual sales order volume by enabling small and medium-sized manufacturers to modernize their operations and scale efficiently. RESOURCES Katana: The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business Welcome back to Unchurned! In this special episode, hosts Josh Schachter and Kristi Faltorusso gather for one last on-air session before a well-deserved summer break—and just before Josh's London wedding celebration! They also dive into Kristi's AI learning journey—breaking down how she's gone all-in on micro-learning, prompt engineering, and building real tools with zero engineering background. Listen as she and Josh discuss the importance of actually using AI, not just reading about it, the potential risks of ignoring these skills, and why investing just ten minutes a day could change your game in the evolving tech landscape.Timestamps0:00 - Preview 0:45 - Josh is married/is getting married4:30 - Upcoming summer break for the podcast5:05 - Leadership Loss and Reflections at Planhat8:07 - Kristi is learning & experimenting with AI13:55 - Scaling Personal Expertise with AI18:40 - Encouragement to Engage with AI___________________________

This week on GTM Live, Carolyn unpacks one of the most deeply ingrained—but damaging—habits in B2B go-to-market: measuring success based on which department sourced the deal.While many marketing leaders know this approach doesn't reflect reality, changing it is hard, especially in legacy orgs with outdated attribution models, internal inertia, and leadership that still demands simple answers to complex questions.In this solo episode, Carolyn breaks down the real problem: measuring performance by team creates siloed decision-making, warped incentives, and misses what actually moves buyers through the funnel.You'll hear why the future of GTM performance measurement is about mapping buyer behavior across an interconnected journey, not slicing credit by department. And she shares the exact 5-part framework Passetto uses to help teams ditch "department-sourced" for something far more accurate and impactful.If you've ever struggled to prove Marketing's full impact, or if your exec team is still obsessed with MQLs and last-touch attribution, this episode will hit home.Key topics in this episode:Why “department source” attribution is outdated and misleadingThe real structure of a modern buyer journeyHow this model leads to misaligned KPIs and credit battlesWhy most GTM teams lack the data architecture to measure what mattersA new framework to measure engagement, prospecting, and sales as one integrated systemThis episode is powered by ⁠⁠Passetto⁠⁠. We help high-growth and equity-backed B2B SaaS companies turn GTM data into better decisions, faster. We unify your GTM and financial data, identify your growth levers, and help you scale. Part SaaS, part advisory. Visit ⁠⁠passetto.com⁠.

Hilary Gridley is the Head of Core Product at WHOOP and a passionate thought leader in leveraging AI to elevate product teams and management practices. With extensive experience tackling challenging problems in regulated industries and high-stakes environments, Hilary emphasizes the importance of building resilience and adaptability within teams. Previously, she was a senior director of product at Big Health and a senior product marketing manager at Dropbox.In this episode, you'll learn:• How to teach your team to be able to “take a punch”• Specific tactics to counter negative perceptions and reframe setbacks productively• Powerful behavioral strategies to form positive habits• Practical approaches for creating space in your workday to encourage creativity and deep thinking• The underestimated potential of AI in accelerating your personal and professional growth• Why you're not the protagonist at your company (and why that's liberating)• How WHOOP uses reward loops to drive real behavior change—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUsPersona—A global leader in digital identity verificationAttio—The powerful, flexible CRM for fast-growing startups—Where to find Hilary Gridley:• X: https://x.com/yourgirlhils• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarygridley/• Newsletter: https://hils.substack.com/• Maven course: https://maven.com/hilary-gridley/ai-powered-people-management—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Hilary's background(04:31) Teaching teams to handle criticism and setbacks(17:57) Behavioral activation and mental health in the workplace(22:59) The importance of putting yourself out there(27:51) Transparency and communication in leadership(38:10) How to respectfully disagree with your manager(41:49) How to use “magic questions” to decode how people think(49:54) Why you're not the protagonist at your company(52:48) Aligning with the CEO's vision(01:01:02) Building effective habits(01:11:14) Promoting team well-being(01:14:28) Creating space for creativity(01:20:45) AI's role in accelerating learning(01:30:35) Pivotal career moments(01:37:21) Lessons from failure(01:39:49) Exciting new features of WHOOP 5.0(01:44:19) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• How to become a supermanager with AI: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with• How custom GPTs can make you a better manager | Hilary Gridley (Head of Core Product at Whoop): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-custom-gpts-can-make-you-a-better-manager• WHOOP: https://www.whoop.com/• Big Health: https://www.bighealth.com/• What is behavioral activation?: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/behavioral-activation• Will Ahmed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willahmed/• Joe Gebbia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgebbia/• Zach Abrams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyabrams/• Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com/• Bridge: https://www.bridge.xyz/• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-paths-to-power-jeffrey-pfeffer• Paths to Power course: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Pfeffer-OB377-Course-Outline-2018.pdf• VO₂ max: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max• Peter Attia on X: https://x.com/PeterAttiaMD• Hilary Gridley's 30 days of GPT: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zJ4rbi9YcQuGqGxc6-AQD0-44oT9l4Eyono0AdpgJbA/edit?gid=0#gid=0• The Handle Bar in Boston: https://www.thehandlebarstudios.com/ourstudios/charlestown• From chalkboards to chatbots: Transforming learning in Nigeria, one prompt at a time: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria• Product Management Logic Coach GPT: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-673290301700819084afa36bdbcdfa3b-product-management-logic-coach• Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/• WHOOP Advanced Labs: https://www.whoop.com/us/en/waitlist/?srsltid=AfmBOor2pP5qC3n7I23Z0ZIrYE99CjAKT9xSHQxbuyxmz_wFUBGH3e-n• Negative capability: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_capability• John Keats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keats• The Rehearsal: https://www.hbo.com/the-rehearsal• Zwift: https://www.zwift.com/• Beavis and Butthead Do ‘Creep': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv_gSmH0Ieg• “Sea Grapes” by Derek Walcott: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57111/sea-grapes• Free month of WHOOP: https://join.whoop.com/us/en/hilary/—Recommended books:• 7 Rules of Power: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/books/7-rules-of-power/• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Longevity-Peter-Attia-MD/dp/0593236599• East of Eden: https://www.amazon.com/East-Eden-John-Steinbeck-Centennial/dp/0142004235• The Sun Also Rises: https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Also-Rises-Hemingway-Library/dp/1501121960/• Anna Karenina: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Karenina-Leo-Tolstoy/dp/0143035002—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe