Podcast appearances and mentions of blake bartlett

Patrick says work-life balance is the wrong framework. It's more about work-life fit and finding what suits you best. This is especially true for startup founders, where your work is often all-consuming.Episode Highlights[00:32 - 02:30] Thoughts on work/life balanceMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterConnect with Patrick on LinkedInFollow Patrick on TwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Culture at a startup is always tricky, but there's one common mistake founders should avoid at all costs. It's the desire to make everyone happy all the time. Patrick says this leads to a “culture of accommodation” which ultimately ends up not working for anyone. Hear Patrick's journey as a founder to define the culture at ProfitWell, and how you can do the same at your startup.Episode Highlights[00:03 - 01:31] Episode intro: Patrick Campbell[01:59 - 04:04] What is the role and importance of company culture in today's market environment?[06:39 - 10:26] The culture of ProfitWell and the journey to get there[12:15 - 16:26] The most charitable interpretation[17:23 - 20:08] ProfitWell values and four principles[20:21 - 23:16] Speaking their mind, being human in the most charitable way[21:11 - 23:16] Values and principles must have trade-offs[23:16 - 25:41] Here's how we operate, transparency in hiring[25:46 - 32:10] Advice for making culture something more than theoretical, a real experienceMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterConnect with Patrick on LinkedInFollow Patrick on TwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

You know how they say someone “wrote the book” on a topic? When it comes to Product-Led Growth, they're talking about Blake Bartlett. Blake is a partner at OpenView, where he's led investments in major companies like Highspot, Expensify, Calendly, Postscript and Cypress, among others. He also notably coined the term PLG in 2016 – and it's only gained significant traction in the years since.  Blake's granular understanding of PLG and what it takes for startups to be successful are what made him a great guest on the latest “Unchurned” podcast with UpdateAI CEO Josh Schachter.  Josh and Blake cover a lot of ground in this episode, including, of course, what Blake's quick definition of PLG is: “A go-to-market strategy that relies primarily on the product itself as the driver of customer acquisition, conversion and expansion.” They touched on a number of other PLG-related topics, too, like: OpenView's SaaS focus Great examples of PLGWhy Sales shouldn't be worried about PLG How PLG leads to less “friction”Potential downsides of PLG  If you've been interested in learning more about PLG – and why it is or isn't ideal for your company – this podcast was tailor-made for you. 

Why are companies like Zoom, Calendly, and Slack so successful?According to Blake Bartlett, partner at OpenView Venture Capital, it comes down to three little letters: PLG or Product-led Growth.Blake coined the term “product-led growth” in 2016 and continues to be a thought leader in this community. In today's episode, Blake, shares his insights about PLG and discusses leading investments in companies like Highspot, Calendly, Expensify, Postscript, and more. He also talks about the ini tial discovery of PLG and how it has changed how companies structure themselves in this increasingly digital world.Press play to hear Blake's thoughts on…Discovering PLG for the First Time“What's at the core DNA of these companies? They lead with product as it pertains to growth, so that sounds like a good name for it: product-led growth. We put it out there in mid 2016 and started talking about it a lot, really until we were blue in the face for a number of years. In 2019, a lot of other folks started to join the conversation and it became apparent that it wasn't just us that saw this shift happening in the market.”Salespeople being the Sherpas of the PLG Experience“Instead of sitting on the opposite side of the table from the customer trying to convince you to buy, you've already bought, you're already using it. You just wanna buy more. And so we actually have the same shared goal, which is you using more of my product. And so how can I be on the same side of the table as you as a sales rep? And act more like a Sherpa.”Determining Product Market Fit in a PLG Environment“Even if there's no monetization, you can still be highly confident in product market fit because of the number of users you're acquiring, the rate at which they're activating, the rate at which they're continuing to use the product, the rate at which they're inviting new users, whether that's in their organization, on their team, or external folks they're collaborating with to the product, the rate at which they're swiping the credit card and converting. And so looking at it through this more freemium-oriented customer journey at the early phases of a company, I think that's where the special sauce is for determining product market fit in a PLG environment.”

Every startup wants to create a category. This is often a mistake. Or at least it's prioritized too early by many founders and marketers. Ryan Carlson, longtime CMO at Okta, explains why this falls flat with customers and what to do instead.Key Takeaways: [00:31 - 01:53] A noted skeptic on category creation[01:54 - 02:15] Everybody wants to be a category creator[02:16 - 03:19] Focus on how they're better than the alternativeMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterRyan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at WizLinkedInTwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Okta's CMO for 5+ years, Ryan Carlson, says marketing's guiding light should be the company mission and values. Marketing's job is to tell the story of the company, not to merely promote the product or drive leads into the top of a funnel. Authentic marketing is rooted in the BIG questions. Why does this company exist? Who should care about that and why?Today's episode will help you:Understand this strategic approach to marketingSee the impact strategic marketing has on your audienceHow to hire mission/values-aligned marketersLeverage Ryan's playbook for company storytelling by working directly with customersKey Takeaways: [00:19 - 03:37] Introduction to Ryan Carlson, and thoughts on company culture in the world of marketing[03:44 - 06:53] What should define culture is the mission, values, and vision[06:54 - 10:00] Imparting importance, and showing why culture mattered at Okta[10:02 - 13:32] Authenticity, avoiding hyperbole and marketing BS[13:43 - 16:10] Who do you hire to marketing leadership to operate more authentically?[16:13 - 18:18] Hiring true believers, and avoiding a "customer's wrong" mentality with product market fit[19:26 - 22:45] Understanding why people like the product and the people behind it[22:48 - 25:40] Combining pen to paper with mission, values, and vision[25:42 - 28:27] Storytelling and presentations, how they impact retention[28:30 - 32:26] Story and history of your company is different[32:32 - 35:37] Figuring out if a company operates by its values as a candidateMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterRyan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at WizLinkedInTwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Raj says that most of the PLG advice out there today is missing a key foundational point: data. Many PLG companies still rely on traditional sales & marketing software that keeps data in silos. The key to winning in PLG starts with your data infrastructure, and wiring it up early helps you scale later.Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterRaj Sarkar, CMO & AdvisorLinkedInTwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

B2B marketers usually overlook brand in their marketing mix. Brand marketing is only for CPG companies, right? Raj makes the case that brand marketing is not optional, if you want to win your category.But brand marketing isn't just buying a Super Bowl ad. Before you think about channels, you need to define your brand identity and build awareness. Done right, brand marketing can become an infinitely scalable strategy to drive growth.Key Takeaways: [01:19 - 04:05] What exactly is brand marketing? And why is it important?[04:06 - 05:41] Why we should dive deep into brand[05:41 - 07:36] Differentiation in branding, infinitely scalable[07:39 - 11:38] When to start thinking about brand, SEO, and the funnel[13:36 - 15:36] Determining your mission and values, brand attributes[15:36 - 17:26] Speaking ways that is consistent with identity[17:28 - 19:45] Balancing different brand attributes in messaging[19:47 - 21:04] House of brands or a branded house[22:08 - 25:31] Amplifying brand marketing and the channels of choice[25:38 - 28:58] Tracking efficacy in print and non-digital formats with modern tools[28:58 - 30:47] Where to take action on Raj's adviceMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterRaj Sarkar, CMO & AdvisorLinkedInTwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Today's shorter episode is a follow up to my longer conversation with Alex Su, Head of Community at Ironclad. In that conversation, we talk about his TikTok channel @legaltechbro and how he developed a personal brand strategy that compliments Ironclad's community-focused GTM strategy. So if you haven't heard that yet, go check it out now. In today's episode, we dive into TikTok more specifically and why you shouldn't overlook this huge new channel.Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAlex Su, @legaltechbroIroncladTikTokLinkedInTwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Alex is big on TikTok under the handle @legaltechbro. He has quickly become one of the biggest influencers in the entire legaltech industry. How? 15 second video skits poking fun at the legal profession. It's a counterintuitive strategy on its face, but it's working in a big way. Alex lays out his journey and his playbook.Conversation Highlights: [00:10 - 01:36] Introduction to Alex Su [01:40 - 03:11] Alex Su's personal brand and strategy for his channel @legaltechbro [03:11 - 05:50] Going from a lawyer, to sales, to a content creator with a ton of influence [05:51 - 07:12] The video that blew up [07:12 - 09:41] Speak to the things you care about and that they care about [09:43 - 11:26] Resonating authentically vs thought leadership [11:33 - 13:49] Relating to friction, and layering in what a company does by focusing on the problem [13:50 - 15:37] How does @legaltechbro fit into Alex's daily role at Ironclad [15:37 - 18:02] How does making a TikTok turn into community dinners and connectivity in the buyer's journey? [18:03 - 20:04] Connecting in a genuine human way on social [21:03 - 24:50] What's the business value, budget, and the ROI? Answering the skeptic's questions. [24:50 - 27:18] Considering content's effect on inbound marketing [27:19 - 29:35] Exploring ideas, realizing when nobody is doing the idea it may be brilliant [29:37 - 32:27] Where to begin? Select the right platform for your audience.Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAlex Su, @legaltechbroIroncladTikTokLinkedInTwitterSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

This is a great explanation of PLG from the guy who coined the term.  Blake Bartlett tells us about the different eras of business software and the problems it was built to solve--from solving a CIO's problems, to solving a business problem, to solving an end user problem. Blake explains how to get started with PLG, how the funnel changes going from a sales-led motion to a product-led motion, how to think about PLG metrics, and much more.

Rachel and Blake Bartlett were many months into a wonderful journey of travelling around Australia with their three kids in a caravan. While snorkelling on the coast at Coral Bay, everything changed when their 10 year old son Jackson was bitten by a shark... Join our Facebook Community here Call and leave feedback about this podcast on (02) 8405 7928 we'd love to hear from you! You can also ask questions about the Flying Doctor that you would like to have answered on the podcast, and we will do our best to get them answered in coming episodes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of PLG talk is focused on operational strategies and tactics. But what does PLG mean for the CEO of a company? What should your mindset be? How do you address common objections you might hear from your team (especially if transitioning to PLG for the first time).Key Takeaways:[00:04] Fully supporting product level growth[00:39] Investing in sales, self-service, and not optimizing for the local maximum[02:27] KPIs and linking to revenue[03:18] Growth teams need support and buy-inMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterMartin Gontovnika, Co-Founder and General Partner at HyperGrowth PartnersHyperGrowth PartnersSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

“Community” is a major buzzword today, and for good reason. Community creates leverage, and lots of it. Gonto ran marketing and growth at Auth0 for 7 years before the $6.5 billion acquisition by Okta. He cuts through the buzzword noise to give us his perspective and playbook on why (and how) to win with a community strategy.Key Takeaways:[00:27] Overview — Building a community[02:24] Defining community, and why is it trending[04:56] Creating communities through open source products, enterprise solutions, and other methods[08:55] How to identify members to target if you're building from scratch[13:31] Tapping into existing communities and identifying communities to target[21:17] Doing research with a user, interviewing developers, and engaging on Twitter[26:30] What does a community team look like, and who owns the effort in a PLG company?[30:02] KPIs and measuring the business value of building communityMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterMartin Gontovnika, Co-Founder and General Partner at HyperGrowth PartnersHyperGrowth PartnersSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Cliff has a secret learning strategy: recruit the best people in the world at a skill to personally train you. It's easier than you think. They're just a DM away. Check out this quick pro tip and try it out yourself!Key Takeaways:[00:34] Rule 25 — How to find the best people in the world at a skillMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterCliff Weitzman, Founder & CEO of SpeechifyCliff's YouTube video, 28 Lessons for Turning 28SpeechifySubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Cliff is the Founder CEO of Speechify. He's also a “full-time” YouTuber, with an awesome channel that features startup advice, life hacks, and self-improvement philosophy. He explains the why and how behind his personal brand strategy on YouTube, and we dive deep into one of my favorite videos of his, “28 Rules for Turning 28.”Key Takeaways:[02:45] Meet Cliff, CEO of Speechify, and his YouTube channel[06:31] Connecting with an audience, and thinking "will this be interesting to someone?"[08:15] 28 Rules for Turning 28[12:27] Rule #10: Lead with Love[15:55] Rule #22: Speed is critical[21:36] How to begin writing your own rules for your ageMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterCliff Weitzman, Founder & CEO of SpeechifyCliff's YouTube video, 28 Lessons for Turning 28SpeechifySubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Adding a top-down sales motion is a make-or-break moment for PLG companies. If it's done right, it can make you the next big thing in your category. If it's not done right, it can break your team and ultimately compromise your position in the market. The answer? All-in commitment from the founders and key leaders. Enterprise PLG is a team sport!Key Takeaways:[00:06] The most common mistakes John sees PLG founder make when adding sales to a bottom-up or self-service motion [02:15] The hidden subtext to be helpfulMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterJohn Eitel, Former Global Vice President of Sales & Success at CanvaCanvaSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

John built the global sales team at Canva, which allowed the company to expand further into the enterprise. He walks us through everything a PLG founder needs to know about adding a top-down motion to a bottom-up, product-led foundation. When should PLG companies do this? Why is it necessary? What is the strategy? And how do you do it IRL? Key Takeaways: [4:35] Repeatability in enterprise customers and understanding where these deals stall out[8:01] Stall points in enterprise spending and getting purchase approval[10:30] Embracing a top-down motion for PLG companies[14:17] Combining bottom-up and top-down to scale business using customer success stories[17:24] Communicating to executives the story of what software adoption saves[20:24] A broader context and story of how the platform improves customer lives[22:47] How the data component can make or break sales efforts[27:40] Where is adoption happening and using data to determine who gets involved[30:10] How to get the entire company working with salesMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterJohn Eitel, Former Global Vice President of Sales & Success at CanvaCanvaSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

A product professional's role changes dramatically over time as a company and product scales, and as the individual develops additional skills and experiences. Annie says you need to “product manage” your own career as a PM in this highly dynamic environment.Calendly is an OpenView portfolio company. For a full portfolio list please visit ov.vcKey Takeaways:[0:13] What it's like for Annie to product manage her career as a PMMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAnnie Pearl, Chief Product Officer at CalendlyCalendlySubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Every PLG business will eventually have to build for the enterprise. Why? Bottom up adoption can indeed go “all the way up”...to the C-level of large organizations. But to get that 6- or 7-figure contract, you'll need to beef up the product for the big leagues. Annie has gone through the journey at Glassdoor, and now at Calendly. She shares her playbook with us in today's episode.Calendly is an OpenView portfolio company. For a full portfolio list please visit ov.vcKey Takeaways:[2:10] What it looks like for PLG businesses to embrace enterprise[4:42] Three components that make adopting enterprise easier said than done[7:49] How to tackle the PLG plus enterprise transition in terms of people [17:00] Maintaining simplicity and the end user experience as a philosophical north star[19:51] Trades offs of embracing enterprise products from the PLG standpoint, and how to manage them[22:57] Building solutions for personas and horizontal platforms[28:06] Platforms and opting into layers of complexity[30:01] Foundational step number one to building towards enterpriseMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAnnie Pearl, Chief Product Officer at CalendlyCalendlySubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Founders often shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to running an M&A process. Andrew points out the most common mistakes he's seen, and how to avoid them.Key Takeaways:[0:23] The Biggest Mistake Founders Make Selling Their BusinessMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAndrew Gazdecki, CEO of MicroAcquireMicroAcquireSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

There is a dearth of good advice on how to sell or exit your startup. Most people use outdated slogans like “companies are bought, not sold” but offer little practical advice to navigate a daunting M&A process. Andrew has sold two software companies previously, and now is building MicroAcquire, the founder-friendly marketplace for selling startups. He shares everything he knows about selling companies.Key Takeaways:[1:17] Andrew talks about Bizness Apps—his first company—and the experience of being a founder[3:01] What selling his first company was like for Andrew[4:09] Paths available to folks considering selling their startup outside huge IPOs and unicorn acquisitions[6:25] What does it take to sell the company?[8:35] The role of marketing in telling the story of your company for someone else to believe in and buy the company[10:39] Addressing myths about selling, and the reality that founders aren't trained to sell their businesses[16:03] Understanding why you want to sell, and setting it up for success[18:33] What is MicroAcquire, and how can startup founders leverage the service?Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAndrew Gazdecki, CEO of MicroAcquireMicroAcquireSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Services-based startups are often dismissed as unscalable “body shops.” But agencies and consultancies are often where product ideas hatch. Yaw reveals his pro tips for how to identify *which* product ideas are worth building as an agency.Key Takeaways:[0:08] Advice for an agency, consultancy, or freelance operation on knowing which idea to go after and buildMentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterYaw Aning, Cofounder and CEO of MalomoMalomoSubscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

PLG companies are raising larger rounds than ever, at higher prices than ever. Seeing this prompts two BIG questions. Why is this happening? What are these companies going to do with all that cash? Alex works directly with these companies and their GTM teams, and tells us what he has been seeing.To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or search for BUILD with Blake Bartlett in your favorite podcast player.Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAlex Bilmes, Founder and CEO at EndgameEndgameFollow Blake Bartlett on Linkedin.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Product-led sales is selling to companies that already use your product. How hard can that be? Very hard, it turns out. PLG companies need to think about sales in a fundamentally different way in order to succeed. Alex has dedicated his career to solving this problem, and he shares his expertise with us.To hear this interview and more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or search for BUILD with Blake Bartlett in your favorite podcast player.Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletterAlex Bilmes, Founder and CEO at EndgameEndgameFollow Blake Bartlett on Linkedin.Podcast produced by OpenView.View our blog for more context/inspiration.OpenView on LinkedinOpenView on TwitterOpenView on InstagramOpenView on Facebook

Calendly, Zoom, Dropbox, Canva - are all great examples of Product-led Growth companies or what is commonly known as PLG for short. So, what is PLG? As defined on OpenView's website, PLG is an end user-focused growth model that relies on the product itself as the primary driver of customer acquisition, conversion, and expansion. It's a term that was actually coined by Blake in 2016 and has become the dream business model for entrepreneurs. Thus, I was really excited to interview Blake for our podcast as it was an opportunity to do a deep dive with the expert on PLG models and strategies, which is exactly where we begin our conversation. We take a look at some specific company examples and he shares some great advice on how to adopt an effective PLG strategy. In this episode of our podcast, we also cover: * Blake's background story and how he got into the investing world including his time spent at Battery Ventures. * All the details on OpenView and the types of investments he is looking to make. * Portfolio company examples, including Calendly. * Advice for companies scaling their hiring during the expansion stage. * And so much more. If you like the show, please remember to subscribe and review us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

CMOs own all the marketing, right? Wrong. CEOs need to be all-in on marketing too. But how? Hear about Ben's working relationship with Privy's former CMO, Dave Gerhardt, on this episode of BUILD with Blake Bartlett.

Tope Awotona (CEO & Founder of Calendly) and Blake Bartlett (Partner at OpenView Ventures) are this week's guests on The SaaS Revolution Show. This is a session from SaaStock Remote 2021. Last year, ⅓ of tech founders struggled to secure funding. In the early days of SaaS unicorn Calendly, raising money was also a big challenge for Tope Awotona. To get the company off the ground, he had to take a different path. This included investing his life savings, stretching every dollar and doubling-down on virality. Whilst a struggle, this ultimately benefited the business model, leading to the creation of a product that ‘sold itself'. In conversation with Blake Bartlett, Tope shares how he overcame these early challenges to drive the company's extraordinary growth. You'll learn the secrets behind one of the most successful product-led businesses in the world.

Blake Bartlett, a Partner at OpenView, has been focused on product-led growth companies for years. He drops by to talk about customer success In a PLG environment. --- If you want to join the discussion with thousands of other customer success leaders, join Gain Grow Retain: http://gaingrowretain.com/ This podcast is brought to you by Jay Nathan and Jeff Breunsbach... Jay Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynathan/ Jeff Breunsbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybreunsbach

Blake Bartlett is a partner at Openview, a venture capital firm that focuses on B2B companies in the expansion stage such as Highspot, Calendly, and Expensify. The Show Note The Show Notes OpenView Atlassian Calendly Hubspot Upkeep Blake on LinkedIn Omer on Twitter Omer on LinkedIn Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to the podcast Leave a rating and review Follow Omer on Twitter Need help with your SaaS? Join SaaS Club Plus: our membership and community for new and early-stage SaaS founders. Join and get training & support. Join SaaS Club Launch: a 12-week group coaching program to help you get your SaaS from zero to your first $10K revenue. Apply for SaaS Club Accelerate: If you'd like to work directly with Omer 1:1, then request a free strategy session.

In this episode we hear from Wes Bush, founder of the Product Led Institute, author of “Product Led Growth: How to Build a Product That Sells Itself” and fellow PLG enthusiast. Blake and Wes discuss the importance of customer empathy, how to get started with product led growth and why building great products is a lot like bowling. All of that and more on this episode of BUILD.

On the season 9 premiere of BUILD Blake Bartlett unpacks what product led growth is and asks what growing product-led businesses looks like in the end user era. Follow along as Blake interviews industry leaders at companies like Hubspot, Lucidchart and Atlassian to discover the new customer journey and what that means for SaaS.

This week on the Sales Hacker podcast, we speak with Blake Bartlett, Partner at OpenView. Blake is a partner at one of the most well known SaaS venture capital firms in the world, OpenView Venture Partners, based in Boston. He spends most of his time trying to advance the product-led growth movement, both through thought leadership and investing at pioneers like Expensify and Calendly. He's been a VC since 2007, and prior to OpenView was at Battery Ventures, where he invested in companies like Glassdoor, Wayfair, and Optimizely. What You'll Learn    Product-led growth means focusing on the end-user VCs differentiate by recognizing that they're basically auditioning for the board A key mistake of startups is a lack of focus VPs of sales/marketing need to be flexible and willing to reinvent themselves  

Why have product-led companies become so popular in the past number of years? We talk to Blake Bartlett, Partner at OpenView, on why product-led growth has become such a popular way for software businesses to grow. On this episode you'll learn: - What are the three era's of software, and how they've changed how businesses go-to-market? - Why product-led companies have many advantages of traditional software companies, what they are, and how they've changed the way companies invest. - The importance of A/B testing your pricing and packaging as a product-led company. Happy Growing!

Blake Bartlett is Partner at OpenView and this episode is all about product-led growth. This is a term that the OpenView team developed and Blake stopped by the podcast to introduce us to the concept, explain what it actually is, and discuss how companies can start developing a product-driven growth culture within their DNA, including: - how cross-functional teams can leverage a product's inherent virality as an acquisition channel - how you can build in virality into your product - the implications of product-led growth on pricing and packaging - the role of marketing and sales teams as part of a product-led growth strategy - some examples of good product-led growth companies --- OpenView >> https://openviewpartners.com/ Product-led growth resources from OpenView >> https://openviewpartners.com/product-led-growth/ --- Advance B2B >> www.advanceb2b.com Follow The Growth Hub on Twitter >> twitter.com/SaaSGrowthHub Follow Edward on Twitter >> twitter.com/NordicEdward

Today I bring to you an awesome conversation with Blake Bartlett from OpenView Venture Partners. Born and bred in Southern California with a penchant for warm weather and analyzing businesses from a holistic perspective, opportunities at Battery Ventures and now OpenView have led him to meticulously maintain a beard, stock up on winter parkas, and make a number of exciting investments in expansion-stage B2B startups. In our wide-ranging chat, we discuss the keys to making the leap from venture associate to partner, OpenView investment focus areas and peer differentiation strategies, ascertaining the core DNA of a startup, and his personal goals for 2018. Enjoy today's conversation with Blake.