Podcasts about product market fit

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode, IQBAR founder Will Nitze shares his journey from burnout in the corporate world to launching a bar brand rooted in cognitive nutrition. He walks through the steps that took IQBAR from kitchen counter tests to Amazon bestseller and retail mainstay.What you'll hear is less about hacks and more about the fundamentals: why starting online mattered, how feedback drove product-market fit, and what it really takes to scale profitably in CPG today.Key topics include:Launching DTC to validate demand and iterate fastWhy clean label and plant protein were non-negotiablesPackaging shifts driven by real-world feedbackScaling into retail once logistics and cost structures were optimizedViewing DTC as one piece of an omnichannel puzzleIt's a grounded roadmap from someone who's done the work—no shortcuts, just thoughtful strategy.Did you know that 98% of your website visitors are anonymous? Instant powers next-level retention by identifying who they are and converting them into loyal shoppers. Sign up for a quick demo today to get 50% off and unlock a guaranteed 4x+ ROI: instant.one/dtcTimestamps:00:00 – How IQBAR started from a personal health journey02:55 – From kitchen experiments to product-market fit07:10 – Why the brain-focused bar category was a white space12:10 – DTC vs Amazon vs retail: channel strategy evolution17:45 – Profitability, scaling, and efficient COGS in CPG22:50 – Brand evolution: packaging, messaging, and keto pivot27:10 – Retail shelf strategy and planogram insight31:25 – Podcast and display ads as top-of-funnel growth levers34:45 – DTC Twitter, omnichannel mindset, and business realism37:55 – Exit strategy, Mars dreams, and post-exit vision41:00 – Tariffs, supply chain chaos, and CPG realitiesHashtags:#IQBAR#dtcpodcast#consumerpackagedgoods#ecommercegrowth#omnichannelstrategy#dtcbrand#scalingcpg#founderjourney#brandbuilding#podcastmarketing#supplychainchallenges#cleanlabelproducts#retailstrategy#amazonads#shopifysuccess Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

This week, we are revisiting a conversation between Lightspeed partner Michael Mignano and Arvind Jain, the founder and CEO of Glean about the evolution of AI-assisted enterprise search.Arvind shares what insights helped to start Glean's journey in 2019, how the company leveraged transformer-based models early on, and how Glean developed the market for this product. They also talk about competition, the technical aspects of integrating Glean across SaaS platforms, and the monumental impact of ChatGPT on the industry. Episode Chapters(00:00) Introduction (01:15) Why Arvind Created Glean to Solve Enterprise Search Problems(03:50) Technical Foundations: Building Glean with Transformers(09:04) Product Market Fit and Early Challenges(12:16) The Impact of ChatGPT and Market Evolution(13:42) Glean's Architecture and Model Integration(17:58) The Future of AI in Enterprises(27:52) Leadership, Competition, and Company Culture(35:48) Reflections and Lessons from Rubrik to Glean(41:15) Lightning Round and Closing RemarksStay in touch:www.lsvp.comX: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.coEmail: generativenow@lsvp.comThe content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

What is product-market fit actually? I stumbled onto it, partly on purpose, partly through dumb luck.In this episode I share how 3-way differentiation (a niche within a niche within a niche) built my current business.And the 4 phases you'll go through to find product-market fit.Listen and apply them to your own business.You can contact Isaac by clicking the link below:http://hireteamup.com/contact-isaac

Bonus et Recap

In this episode of Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur, host Tom Hunt chats with the legendary Rob Walling. A true veteran of the SaaS bootstrapping world, Rob shares insights from his two decades in the game, from building and selling Drip, starting the influential MicroConf community and the TinySeed accelerator, to hosting the 'Startup for the Rest of Us' podcast. They discuss the power of compounding effort, the crucial lesson of following market feedback, iterating your approach based on what the market wants, and the journey of building multiple successful ventures without relying on traditional VC. Rob reflects on the lessons learned over twenty years, offering invaluable perspective for any entrepreneur looking to build sustainable, long-term growth.

Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world's most influential leaders of the SaaS industry.

איך סטארטאפ קטן יכול לתפוס את תשומת הלב של לקוחות אנטרפרייז, גם בלי תקציבי ענק? בפרק השבוע אנחנו חוזרים לארח את אודי לדרגור, צ’יף אוונגליסט ו־CMO לשעבר בגונג, לשיחה על שיווק חכם, יצירתי ומדויק, שמאפשר גם לחברות בתחילת הדרך לשחק במגרש של הגדולים. מוזמנים לצפות בפרק גם בגרסת הוידאו ביוטיוב או באתר Startup for Startup. מתי הרגע הנכון להתחיל להשקיע בשיווק? (רמז: רק אחרי שיש לכם מוצר שאנשים באמת אוהבים), איך אפשר לגרום למהלך שיווקי קטן להיראות כמו קמפיין של מיליונים? ואיך מגייסים את כל עובדי החברה, אפילו בלי תקציב, כדי לייצר אימפקט אמיתי? אודי משתף באסטרטגיות, דוגמאות מהשטח ותובנות שיכולות לשנות את הדרך שבה אתם חושבים על שיווק בסטארטאפ. במהלך הפרק אדוה שיסגל ואודי מדברים גם על “מחטף” של כנסים, דרכים להיכנס לדלת האחורית בהשקעה מינימלית, ואיך מודדים את ההשפעה של מהלכים כאלה. בנוסף הם מדברים על מינוף חכם של קמפיינים קטנים, ואיך להשתמש בפלטפורמות כמו לינקדאין כדי לבלוט, גם כשכולם סביבכם עושים את אותו הדבר. האזינו לפרק הקודם בהשתתפות אודי: איך בונים מותג אייקוני האזינו לפרק 298: הכל על SLG ו-PLG, השיקולים שבבחירת אסטרטגיית צמיחה קישור לספר של אודי 5 תובנות קצרות מהפרק: 1. שיווק מתחיל רק אחרי שיש מוצר שאנשים באמת אוהבים אין טעם להשקיע בשיווק לפני שמצאתם Product-Market Fit. אם אין לכם חמישה לקוחות שמוכנים להישבע שזה הדבר הכי טוב שהם השתמשו בו, השיווק פשוט לא יעבוד. קודם בונים ערך, אחר כך מפיצים אותו. 2. גם מהלך שיווקי קטן יכול לייצר אפקט של קמפיין ענק שלט חוצות אחד בטיימס סקוור, גרסה מצומצמת של מודעה בעיתון מוביל, שעל פניו נראים יקרים וחד־פעמיים, יכולים להפוך למכונת תוכן ולהחזיר את ההשקעה שלו פי כמה, כשחושבים על ההפצה, הויזואליות, והחיים הארוכים של המהלך בדיגיטל. 3. העובדים הם המפיצים הכי טובים, אם רק יודעים איך להפעיל אותם כדי לגרום לעובדים לשתף תכנים בלינקדאין, צריך להראות להם מה יוצא להם מזה ולתת להם את זה מוכן וקל להפצה. אין כפייה, רק הזדמנות. כשהם מבינים את הערך, הם הופכים לשגרירים הכי אותנטיים של המותג. 4. כנסים הם הזדמנות ל"מחטפים" יצירתיים בלי לקנות דוכן במקום לשלם עשרות אלפי דולרים על חסות, אפשר לתכנן מהלך גרילה, להופיע מחוץ לאירוע, ליצור נוכחות מפתיעה או לחדור לשיחות ולהשיג אפקט גדול בהרבה. 5. בלינקדאין, דווקא החריג שובר את הרעש התוכן שלא "נראה שייך לפלטפורמה" כמו סרטון לא מהוקצע או רעיון פרוע מושך הרבה יותר תשומת לב. דווקא המקוריות, החספוס וההומור הופכים תוכן לשיחה, גם כשמדובר במותגים.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of AI Product Builders, I sit down with designer, illustrator, and founder of Lummi AI, Pablo Stanley. From launching open-source illustration libraries to experimenting with AI-powered image generation, Pablo has always been pushing the edge of creativity and technology. He shares the unexpected origins of Lummi.ai, what went wrong (and what went right) while building AI-powered experiences, and how taste, team morale, and iteration played a major role in finding product-market fit.We get into:* The hilarious and humbling journey of building AI-generated imagery* Why good taste and team joy matter more than ever* The pivot moment that saved Lummi.ai* The surprising power of curating AI outputs* Why code isn't the hard part, and how AI is leveling the playing field* His take on vibe coding, open-source design, and why now is the moment to buildThis episode is a reminder that creativity, clarity, and a sense of humor are some of our best tools.Mentions* Lummi AI – Pablo's AI-powered image generation platform* Blush – His earlier open-source illustration tool* Another Design Newsletter – Pablo's newsletter with comics and commentary* Another Design Newsletter* Pablo Stanley on LinkedIn and TwitterFollow Harrison Wheeler and Technically Speaking* Newsletter* LinkedIn* YouTubeTechnically Speaking is where I share reflections, insights, and conversations to help you lead with confidence, clarity, and community. Are you looking to level up your design leadership and management craft? Spend an hour with me for personalized 1:1 coaching to help you thrive in your role. Get full access to Technically Speaking at technicallyspeakinghw.substack.com/subscribe

The CEO's Strategic Growth Edge: A Go-To-Market System That Scales“You don't need more leads—you need clarity. Clarity on where your business can grow the most, the fastest, and at the highest margin. That's what a real go-to-market system delivers. It's not about volume anymore—it's about alignment, focus, and making sure every team—marketing, sales, and customer success—is executing toward the same outcome. That's how CEOs scale with confidence.” That's a quote from Sangram Vajre, and a sneak peek at today's episode.Welcome to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. I'm your host, Kerry Curran—revenue growth expert, industry analyst, and relentless advocate for turning marketing into a revenue engine. Each episode, we bring you the strategies, insights, and conversations that help drive your revenue growth. So search for Revenue Boost in your favorite podcast directory and hit subscribe to stay ahead of the game.In The CEO's Strategic Growth Edge: A Go-to-Market System That Scales, I'm joined by bestselling author and GTM expert Sangram Vajre to discuss why go-to-market isn't a marketing tactic—it's a CEO-level growth system. In this episode, you'll learn the three phases every business must navigate to scale, why alignment beats activity in every growth stage, how CEOs can drive clarity, trust, and margin-focused decisions across teams, and why AI is only a threat if you're still riding the demand-gen horse.If you're a growth-minded CEO or exec, this episode gives you the roadmap and the mindset to scale faster, smarter, and stronger. Be sure to listen through to the end, where Sangram shares three key tips—his ultimate advice for any leader ready to level up their go-to-market strategy. Let's go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:00.77)So welcome, Sangram. Please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background and expertise.Sangram Vajre (00:06.992)Well, at the highest level, I feel like I've had the opportunity to be in the B2B space for the last two decades and have had a front-row seat to categories that have shaped how we think about go-to-market. I ran marketing at Pardot. We were acquired by ExactTarget and then Salesforce—that was a $2.7 billion acquisition. It was a huge shift in mindset, going from a $10 million company to a $10 billion one, and I learned a lot.I became a student of go-to-market, if you will. That was in the marketing automation space. Then I launched a company called Terminus, which has been acquired twice now. Along the way, I've written three books. The one we're going to talk a lot about is MOVE, which became a Wall Street Journal bestseller. That book has created a lot of opportunities and work for us.I walked into writing this book, Kerry, thinking I knew go-to-market because I had two $100M+ exits. But I walked out of the process a student of go-to-market because I learned so much. Writing it forced me to talk to folks like Brian Halligan, the CEO of HubSpot, and partners at VC firms who have seen 200 exits—not just the three I've experienced.It really expanded my vision. Now I lead a company called Go-To-Market Partners. We're a research and advisory firm focused on helping companies understand who owns go-to-market and how to run it at a transformational level. Our clients are primarily CEOs and executive teams. That's our focus.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:46.094)Excellent. Well, I'm very excited to dive in. I first saw you speak at Inbound last fall, and what really resonated with me was the shift from just an ABM program to a company-wide GTM program—one that includes everything from problem-market fit all the way to customer success, loyalty, and retention. Really making GTM the core of revenue growth.So I'd love for you to dive in and share that framework and background.Sangram Vajre (02:23.224)Yeah. And by the way, for people who've never attended Inbound—you should. I've spoken there for eight years straight and always try to bring new ideas. Each year, they keep giving me more opportunities—from main stage to workshops. I think you attended the 90-minute workshop, right? Hopefully it wasn't boring!Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:48.61)Yeah, it was excellent. I love this stuff, so I was taking lots of notes.Sangram Vajre (02:52.814)That was fun. The whole idea was: how can you build your entire go-to-market strategy on a single slide? Now, people might think, “There's no way—you need way more detail.” But it's not about making it complete; it's about making it clear.So everyone can be aligned. For example, in the operating system we've developed, we write research about it every Monday in a newsletter called GTM Monday, read by 175,000 people. The eight pillars are based on the most important questions. And Kerry, I don't know if you'll agree, but I think I've done a disservice for two decades by asking the wrong question.Like, I used to ask, “Where can we grow?”—which sounds smart but is actually foolish. The better question is, “Where can we grow the most, the fastest, the best, at the highest margin?” That's the true business perspective. So the operating system is built around these eight essential questions.If every executive team can align on these—not with certainty, but with clarity—then they can gain a clear understanding of what they're doing, where they're going, who their ICP is, what bets they're making, and which motions to pursue. I've done this over a thousand times with executive teams, helping them build their entire go-to-market strategy on a single slide. And it's like a lightbulb moment for them: “Okay, now I know what bets we're making and how my team is aligned.” It's a beautiful thing.Kerry Curran, RBMA (04:50.988)Yeah, because that's one of the hardest challenges across business strategy and growth: where to invest, where to lean in. So bring us through the questions and framework.Sangram Vajre (05:01.688)Yeah. So the first one is “Where can you grow the most?” The second one is really about what we call the Market Investment Map. I'll give you maybe three or four so people can get an idea. The Market Investment Map is especially useful for companies with more than one product or more than one segment. This is the least used but most valuable framework companies should be using.You might remember from the Inbound talk—I used HubSpot as an example since I was speaking at Inbound. It's interesting because at my last company, Terminus, we acquired five companies in eight years. So we had to learn this process. The Market Investment Map is about matching your best segments to the best products to create the highest-margin offering.If your entire business focuses only on pipeline and revenue—which sounds right—you're actually focused on the wrong things. You may have seen people post on LinkedIn saying, “I generated $10 million in pipeline,” and then a month later, they're laid off. Why? Because that pipeline didn't matter. It might have been general pipeline, but if you looked at pipeline within your ICP—the customers your company really needs to close, retain, and expand—it might have only been half a million. That's not enough to sustain growth or justify your role.So, understanding the business is critical. It's not just about understanding marketing skills like demand gen, content, or design. Those are table stakes. You need to understand the business of marketing—how the financials work, how to drive revenue, and how to say, “Yeah, we generated $10 million in pipeline, but only half a million was within ICP, so it won't convert or drive the margin we need.” That level of EQ and IQ is what leaders need today.Our go-to-market operating system goes deep into areas like this.Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:31.022)And I love the alignment with the ICP. I'm sure you'll get deeper into that. I also know you talk about getting rid of MQLs because the real focus should be on getting closer to the ICP—on who's actually going to drive revenue.Sangram Vajre (07:45.892)Yeah. John Miller, a good friend who co-founded Marketo, has been writing about this too. I was the CMO of Pardot. Then we both built ABM companies—I built Terminus; he built Engagio, which is now part of Demandbase. We've been evangelizing the idea of efficient marketing machines for the last two decades.We're coming full circle now. That approach made sense in the “growth at all costs” era. But in this “efficient growth” era, everything can be measured. The dark funnel is real. AI can now accelerate your team's output and throughput. So we have to go back to first principles—what do your customers really want?I was in a discussion yesterday with executives and middle managers, and the topic of AI came up. Some were worried it would take their jobs. And I said, “Yes, it absolutely will—and it should.” I gave the example I wrote about recently: imagine you were the best horseman, with saddles, barns, and a generational business built around horses. Then Henry Ford comes along with four wheels. You just lost your job—not because you were bad, but because you got infatuated with the horse, not with your customer's need to get from point A to point B.Horses did that—it was better than walking. But then came cars, trains, airplanes. Business evolves. If you focus on your customers' needs—better, faster, cheaper—you'll always be excited about innovation rather than afraid of it. So yes, AI will replace anyone who stays on their horse. If you're riding the demand gen horse or relying only on content creation, a lot is going to change. Get off the horse, refocus on customer needs, and figure out how to move your business forward.Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:21.708)Yeah. So talk a bit about honing in on the ICP. I know in one of the sessions you asked, “Who's your target audience?” And of course, there was one guy in the front row who said, “Everyone,” and we all laughed. But I still hear that all the time. Talk about how important it is, to your point, to know your customer and get obsessed with what they need.Sangram Vajre (10:45.56)Yeah. So the first pillar of the go-to-market operating system is called TRM, or Total Relevant Market. We introduced that in the book MOVE for the first time. It's a departure from TAM—Total Addressable Market—which is what that guy in the front row was referring to during that session. It was epic, and I think he was a sales leader, so it was even funnier in a room full of marketers.But it's true—and real. He was being honest, and I appreciated that. The reality is, we've all been conditioned to focus on more and more—bigger and bigger markets. That makes sense if you have unlimited funds and can raise money. It makes sense if the market is huge and you're just trying to get in and have more people doing outbound.As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago, we did a session where someone said something profound that I'll never forget. He said, “The whole SDR function is a feature bug in the VC model.” That was fascinating—because the whole SDR model was built to get as many leads as possible, assign 22-year-olds to make cold calls, and push them to AEs.We built this because it worked on a spreadsheet. If we generate 1,000 leads, we need 50 callers to convert them. It's math. But nobody really tried to improve it because we had the money. Now we're in a different world. We have clients doing $10–15 million in revenue with five-person teams automating so much.People don't read as many automated emails. My phone filters out robocalls, so I never pick up unless it's someone I know. Non-personalized emails go into a folder I never open. Yet people keep sending thousands of them, thinking it works.For example, I send our GTM Monday newsletter via Substack. It's free for readers, and it's free for me to send—even to 175,000 people. Meanwhile, marketers spend thousands every time they email their list using legacy tools. Why? Because these people haven't opted in to be part of the journey the way Substack subscribers have.The market has changed. Buying big marketing automation tools for $100,000 is going to change drastically. Fractional leaders and agencies will thrive because what CEOs really need is people like you—and frameworks like a go-to-market operating system—to guide them. You and I have the gray hair and battle scars to prove it. What matters now is using a modern framework, implementing it, and measuring outcomes differently.Kerry Curran, RBMA (14:08.11)Yeah, you bring up such a valid point. In so many of my conversations, I see the same thing. It's been a sales-led growth strategy for years. Investments went to sales—more BDRs, more cold emails, more tech stack partners.Even as I was starting my consultancy, I'd talk to partners or prospects who'd say, “Well, we just hired more salespeople. We want to see how that goes.” But to your point, without the foundational framework—without targeting the right audience—you're just spinning your wheels on volume.Sangram Vajre (15:06.318)Exactly. One area we emphasize in our go-to-market operating system is differentiation. Everyone's doing the same thing. Let me give you an example. Last week, I looked at a startup's email tool that reads your emails and drafts responses automatically. Super interesting. I use Superhuman for email.Two days later, Superhuman sent an email saying they'd launched the exact same feature. So this startup spent time and money building a feature, and Superhuman—already with a huge user base—replicated and launched it instantly. That startup is out of business.With AI, product development is lightning fast. So product is no longer your differentiator. Your differentiation now is how you tell your story, how quickly you grab attention, how well you build and maintain a community. That becomes your moat. Those first principles matter more than ever. Product is just table stakes now.Kerry Curran, RBMA (16:33.878)Right. And connecting that to your marketing strategy, your communication, your messaging—it also sets up your sales team to close faster. By the time a prospect talks to a rep, your marketing has already educated them on your differentiation. So talk more about the stages and what companies need to keep in mind when applying your go-to-market framework.Sangram Vajre (17:07.482)One of the things we mention in the book—and go really deep into in our operating system—is this 3P format: Problem-Market Fit, Product-Market Fit, and Platform-Market Fit. We believe these are the three core stages of a business. I experienced them firsthand at Pardot, Salesforce, and Terminus through multiple acquisitions.If you remember, I always talk about the “squiggly line,” because no company grows up and to the right in a straight line. If you look at daily, weekly, or monthly insights, there are dips—just like a stock market chart. So the squiggly line shows you can go from Problem to Product, but you'll experience a dip. That's normal and natural. Same thing when you go from Product to Platform—you hit a dip. Those dips are what we call the “valleys of death.”Some companies overcome those valleys and cross the chasm, and others don't. Why? Because at those points, they discover they can market and sell, but they can't deliver. Or maybe they can deliver, but they can't renew. Or maybe they can renew but not expand. Each gap becomes a value to fix in the system.And it's hard. I've gone from $5 million to $10 million to $15 million, all the way to $100 million in revenue—and every 5 to 10 million increment brings a new set of challenges. You think you've got it figured out, and then you don't—because everything else has to change with scale.I'll never forget one company I was on the board of—unfortunately, it didn't make it. The CEO was upset because they were doing $20 million in revenue but didn't get the valuation they wanted. Meanwhile, a competitor doing only $5 million in revenue in the same space got a $500 million valuation. Why? Because the $20M company was doing tons of customization—still stuck in Problem-Market Fit. The $5M company had reached Product-Market Fit and was far more efficient. Their operational costs were lower, and their NRR was over 120%.If you've read some of my research, you know I'm all in on NRR—Net Revenue Retention—as the #1 metric. If you get NRR above 120%, you'll double your revenue in 3.8 years without adding a single new customer. That's what executives should focus on.That's why we say the CEO owns go-to-market. All our research shows that if the CEO doesn't own it, you'll have a really hard time scaling.Kerry Curran, RBMA (20:23.992)That makes so much sense, because everything you're talking about—while it includes marketing functions—is really business strategy. It needs to be driven top-down. It has to be the North Star the whole company is paddling toward.I've been in organizations where that's not the case. And as you said, leadership has to have the knowledge and strategic awareness to navigate those pivots—those valleys of death. So talk about how hard it is to bring new frameworks into an organization and the change management that comes with that. As you evangelize the idea that the CEO owns GTM, what's resonating most with them?Sangram Vajre (21:26.456)Great question. First of all, CEOs who get it—they love it. The people who struggle most are actually CMOs and CROs because they feel like they should be the ones owning go-to-market. And while their input is critical, they can't own it entirely.In all our advisory work, Kerry, we mandate two things:The CEO must be in the room. We won't do an engagement without that. The executive team must be involved. We don't do one-on-one coaching—because transformation happens in teams.People often get it wrong. They think, “We need better ICP targeting, so that's marketing's job.” Or, “We need pipeline acceleration—let sales figure that out.” Or, “We have a retention issue—fire the CS team.” No. The problem isn't a department issue—it's a process and team issue.The CEO is the most incentivized person to bring clarity, alignment, and trust—the three pillars of our GTM operating system. They're the ones sitting in all the one-on-one meetings, burning out from the lack of alignment. The challenge is most CEOs don't know what it means to own GTM. It feels overwhelming.So we help them reframe that. Owning doesn't mean running GTM. It means orchestrating clarity, alignment, and trust. Every meeting they lead should advance one of those. That's the job. When the ICP is agreed upon, marketing should be excited to generate leads for it. Sales should be eager to follow up. CS should be relieved they're not getting misaligned customers. That's leadership. And there's no one more suited—or incentivized—to lead that than the CEO.Kerry Curran, RBMA (24:08.11)Absolutely. And the CFO plays a key role too—holding the purse strings, understanding where the investments should go.Sangram Vajre (24:20.622)Yes. In fact, in the book and in our research, we emphasize the importance of RevOps—especially once a company reaches Product-Market Fit and moves toward Platform-Market Fit.If you're operating across multiple products, segments, geographies, or using multiple GTM motions, the RevOps leader—who often reports to the CFO or CEO—becomes critical. I'd say they're the second most important person in the company from a strategy standpoint.Why? Because they're the only ones who can look at the whole picture and say, “We don't need to spend more on marketing; we need to fix the sales process.” A marketing leader won't say that. A sales leader won't say that. You need someone who can objectively assess where the real bottleneck is.Kerry Curran, RBMA (25:17.836)Yeah, that definitely makes so much sense. Are there other areas—maybe below the executive team—that help educate the company from a change management perspective to gain buy-in? Or is it really a company-wide change?Sangram Vajre (25:33.742)Yeah, you mentioned ABM earlier. Having written a few books on ABM and building Terminus, we've seen thousands of companies go through transformation. We now have over 70,000 students who've gone through our courses. I love getting feedback.What's interesting is that ABM has been great for aligning sales and marketing—but it hasn't transformed the company. Go-to-market is not a marketing or sales strategy. It's a business strategy. It has to bring in CS, product, finance—everyone.Where companies often fail is by looking at go-to-market too narrowly—like it's just a product launch or a sales campaign. That's way too myopic. Those companies burn a lot of cash.At the layer below the executive team, it gets harder because GTM is fundamentally a leadership-driven initiative. An SDR, AE, or director of marketing typically doesn't have the incentive—or business context—to drive GTM change. But they should get familiar with it.That's why we created the GTM Operating System certification. Hundreds of professionals have gone through it—including you! And now people are bringing those frameworks into leadership meetings.They'll say, “Hey, let's pull up the 15 GTM problems and see where we're stuck.” Or, “Let's revisit the 3 Ps—where are we today?” Or use one of the assessments. It's pretty cool to see it in action.Kerry Curran, RBMA (27:35.758)Yeah, and it's extremely valuable. I love that it's a tool that helps drive company-wide buy-in and educates the people responsible for the actions. So you've shared so many great frameworks and recommendations. For those listening, what's the first step to get started? What would you recommend to someone who's thinking, “Okay, I love all of this—I need to start shifting my organization”?Sangram Vajre (28:09.082)First, you have to really understand the definition of go-to-market. It's a transformational process—not a one-and-done. It's not something you define at an offsite and then forget. It's not owned by pirates. It's iterative. It happens every day.Second, the CEO has to be fully bought in. If they don't own it, GTM will run them. If you're a CEO and you feel overwhelmed, that's usually why—you're running go-to-market, not owning it.Third, business transformation happens in teams. If you try to build a GTM strategy in a silo—as a marketer, for example—it will fail. The best strategies never see the light of day because the team isn't behind them. In GTM, alignment matters more than being right.Kerry Curran, RBMA (29:27.982)Excellent. I love this so much. Thank you! How can people find you and learn more about the GTM Partners certification and your book?Sangram Vajre (29:37.476)You can go to gtmpartners.com to get the certification. Thousands of people are going through it, and we're constantly adding new content. We're about to launch Go-To-Market University to add even more courses.We also created the MOVE Book Companion, because we're actually selling more books now than when it first came out three years ago—which is crazy!Then there's GTM Monday, our research newsletter that 175,000 people read every week. Our goal is to keep building new frameworks and sharing what's possible. Things are changing so fast—AI, GTM tech, everything. But first principles still apply. That's why frameworks matter more than ever.You can't just ask ChatGPT to “give me a go-to-market strategy” and expect it to work. It might give you something beautifully written, but it won't help you make money. You need frameworks, team alignment, and process discipline.And I post about this every day on LinkedIn—so follow me there too!Kerry Curran, RBMA (30:54.988)Excellent. Well, thank you so much. This has been a great conversation, and I highly recommend the book and the certification to everyone. We'll include all the links in the show notes.Thank you, Sangram, for joining us today!Sangram Vajre (31:09.284)Kerry, you're a fantastic host. Thank you for having me.Kerry Curran, RBMA (31:11.854)Thank you very much.Thanks for tuning in to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. I hope today's conversation sparked some new ideas and challenged the way you think about how your organization approaches go-to-market and revenue growth strategy. If you're serious about turning marketing into a true revenue driver, this is just the beginning. We've got more insightful conversations, expert guests, and actionable strategies coming your way—so search for us in your favorite podcast directory and hit subscribe.And hey, if this episode brought you value, please share it with a colleague or leave a quick review. It helps more revenue-minded leaders like you find our show. Until next time, I'm Kerry Curran—helping you connect marketing to growth, one episode at a time. See you soon.

Marin Ištvanić is a partner at Inspire Brands, a boutique agency focused on paid social ads, primarily on Facebook and Instagram. He has personally spent over $150 million on Facebook ads for clients and internal brands, successfully scaling Inspire's own brand to $30 million in revenue by their third year.In this episode of DTC Pod, Marin shares his insights on growing brands profitably through paid social. He discusses the importance of achieving product-market fit, crafting compelling offers, and understanding unit economics. Marin also details his agency's creative testing process and how to efficiently scale winning ad angles from static images to videos to landing pages.Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:1. Achieving Product-Market Fit2. Scaling Brands through Facebook Ads3. Product Differentiation4. How to Craft a Compelling Offer5. Subscription Products and Pricing Strategies6. Landing Pages for Facebook Ads7. Advertorials and Third-Party Content for Ads8. Whitelisting and Leveraging External Trust in Ads9. Ad Format Mix and Budget Allocation10. Advantage+ Campaigns and AI11. Scaling Ad Creative Production12. Testing Ad Variations and HooksTimestamps00:00 Marin's background and joining Inspire Brands 04:48 Importance of product-market fit and differentiation 06:50 Creating demand vs picking an established market10:34 What makes an effective offer and how to craft one12:41 Subscription models and free trial strategies16:59 $1K/day spend as indicator of product-market fit 18:36 Choosing the right landing page for your product 25:07 Whitelisting strategies and organic-looking content27:48 Typical budget allocation across ad formats30:29 Facebook's Advantage+ campaigns and AI features 33:23 Strategies for scaling ad creative24:44 Final tips: know your numbers and when to spendShow notes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokMarin Ištvanić - Partner at Inspire BrandsBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic

Every business needs to find product-market fit — and AI can help. How? In this episode, Harvard Business School professor and entrepreneur Jeff Bussgang (author of The Experimental Machine: Finding Product-Market Fit in the Age of AI) walks us through the process. It's a free consulting session with everything included: step-by-step directions, real examples, and the names of the LLMs you need to know about. If you're ready to use AI in your business but don't know where to begin—start here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BRX Pro Tip: 4 Ways to Find Product Market Fit Stone Payton: And we’re back with Business RadioX Pro Tips, Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, we’ve been engaging in this a great deal lately. I know businesses of all shapes and sizes should have some degree of focus on this from […]

In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar sits down with Anoop Gupta, co-founder and CEO of  @SeekOut    — an AI-first company transforming how organizations discover, hire, and manage talent. They explore: 1) SeekOut's evolution from LLM-powered workflows to the launch of SeekOut Spot, their agentic AI solution that delivers hires in as little as 3 days. 2) Why "service as software" is the future of recruiting. 3) How founders and talent leaders can reimagine hiring in the age of AI agents. 4) Lessons from building an AI-native company through market shifts. 5) The real business model shift from tools to outcomes. With customers like Discord, 1Password, HP, and even Madrona itself, SeekOut is redefining what fast, high-quality hiring looks like. Transcript: https://madrona.com/rise-of-agentic-ai-in-recruiting-seekout-anoop-gupta Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:56) SeekOut Background and AI Evolution (03:55) The Role of Agentic AI in Recruiting (07:59) Business Model and Flexibility (12:59) Recruiting Process and Efficiency (16:49) Navigating Challenges and Product-Market Fit (20:29) Focus on Outcomes not on Hype  (22:25) Do you Need a Data Moat? (23:45) Don't build a recruiting org too early (25:50) The biggest hiring mistakes (29:15) Agentic AI for recruiting is here

You can't get a successful GTM without a good product in the first place. Appunite is the product development powerhouse that embeds with your team to build apps that scale. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3FBanHZMany see GTM as picking channels or running a launch campaign. But as Maja Voje, THE Go-To-Market expert and best-selling author of Go-To-Market Strategist, explains, it's a much more holistic journey that requires prioritization and strategic focus.In this episode, we dive into:

Sabir Semerkant is an eCommerce expert, growth strategist, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience generating over $1 billion in revenue. Recognized and endorsed by industry leaders such as Gary Vee, Neil Patel, and Matt Higgins of Shark Tank, Sabir has been a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, guided startups to scale, and helped iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Canon, Tommy Hilfiger, and Sour Patch Kids achieve rapid and sustainable growth. In 2024, Sabir's Rapid 2X Program propelled 29 brands across 17 industries to new heights, delivering an impressive 108% average growth in just 21 days. His track record includes scaling more than 150 brands, with notable success like Ashley Stewart, which grew from $3M to $30M under his leadership. Sabir has developed the 8-D Method, a proven framework designed to unlock 2X-10X growth for any eCommerce business with Product-Market Fit. This method equips businesses to thrive, even in tough economic conditions, enabling them to boost sales and maximize profits in today's competitive landscape.   During the show we discussed: The 8D Method Is A Growth Framework Designed To Help E-Commerce Brands Scale Effectively. It Can Help Businesses Double Their Sales In As Little As 12 Weeks With Strategic Focus. It's Built On Eight Dimensions That Identify And Unlock Hidden Growth Opportunities. The Method Brings Structure And Clarity, Giving Business Owners More Control And Freedom. It Helps Brands Differentiate And Rise Above The Noise In Saturated Markets. It Addresses Conversion Drops And High Cart Abandonment With Proven Tactics. The System Improves Margins Even When Ad Costs Are Rising By Optimizing Operations. It Solves Common Challenges Like Disorganization, Plateaued Growth, And Unclear Direction. The “Organize” Phase Reduces Anxiety By Creating A Clear Operational Foundation. The “Prioritize” Phase Ensures Teams Focus On Actions That Drive The Most Growth. Brands Using The Method Often See Fast Results—Sometimes Within Weeks. Unlike Relying Solely On Ad Platforms, It Builds Long-Term, Channel-Independent Growth. It Helps Brands Avoid Mistakes Like Chasing Trends Or Depending On One Traffic Source. The Rapid 2x System Can Trigger 100%+ Sales Increases In Under 30 Days.   Resources: https://growthbysabir.com/businesscredit   

Mike first raised $30M for a marketplace that never truly had product-market fit. Then he bet only $10K on ButcherBox. A few years later, he's doing $550M in revenue and he's profitable. The difference is in his first startup he was just catering to investors— in his second one only to customers. If you're an early founder chasing growth, listen to how Mike ditched vanity metrics, found sustainable traction, and grew ButcherBox past $500M in revenue—with no outside funding.____Why You Should Listen1. Why not raising can often be a powerful forcing function.2. Why what VCs want is often not the same as what customers want.3. How to differentiate in what seems like a commoditized market.4. Why there is no stronger force in startups than true product-market fit.______Keywordsproduct market fit, bootstrapping, butcherbox, direct to consumer, CPG subscription, grass fed beef, founder lessons, Kickstarter, food startup, early stage founder_____(00:00:00) Mastering the VC Game(00:01:45) How I Raised $30M Without Product Market Fit(00:08:21) Why my VC-backed Startup Failed(00:15:34) Growing Revenue but Losing Money(00:28:07) Early Signals of Real Product Market Fit(00:34:59) Solving Supply Chain to Scale ButcherBox(00:39:43) Bootstrapping to $550M (The Power of Constraints)(00:51:18) Product Market Fit from Day One(00:52:42) Why Founders Need a Lifestyle PlanSend me a message to let me know what you think!

Everyone loves talking about finding product-market fit. But what if the real challenge in 2025 is keeping it?In this solo episode, I riff on why PMF has become more fleeting than ever. I unpack what Harry Stebbings, Jason Lemkin and Rory O'Driscoll observed —companies that once had a five-year runway now fall out of PMF in five weeks. We explore AI-fueled growth curves, the myth of “escape velocity,” and why today's go-to-market edge can vanish overnight.I also shares a brutal hill from a recent road race (and the startup metaphor it unlocked), plus a text exchange with a growth investor on the hunt for vertical SaaS alpha.If you're an operator, investor, or CFO trying to understand the new physics of scaling, this one's for you.Run the Numbers is sponsored by Gelt. You already know tax season isn't just a deadline—it's a lever.At Gelt, they work with CFOs who aren't just looking to stay compliant—they're looking to unlock strategic value from their tax position. Think: optimized entity structures, real-time visibility across complex ownership, and proactive tax planning that actually moves the needle on cash flow.Gelt gives you quarterly strategy check-ins and proactive estimates, all designed to lower your effective tax rate, protect equity value, and drive long-term efficiency. You get direct access to your Gelt CPA and a clean, modern platform to track it all.Learn if you qualify at go.joingelt.com/mostlymetrics and schedule a call to learn more. Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Join JJ Englert in this week's episode of 'This Week in No-Code + AI' as he hosts Silicon Valley visionary Gaurav Dhillon, the founder and CEO of SnapLogic. Delve into Gaurav's inspiring journey from taking Informatica public to leading SnapLogic, a company now generating over $70 million annually. The discussion covers innovation in AI and cloud computing, the transformation of enterprise tech, and SnapLogic's role in connecting business data through AI.

Annie Wickman shares insights from her journey as Google alum, first non-founder at Humu, and now Head of People at Character AI. Annie tackles our hardest questions in an unmissable episode. She covers the tensions between product-market fit and company culture, Character AI's unprecedented Google deal structure, taking the leap from people leader to a VC, and how to rebuild organizational trust.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/hereticsKEEP UP WITH ANNIE, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINAnnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-wickman-3332731/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINK/S:Character.AI: https://character.ai/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:17) Experience as First Non-Founder at Humu(03:16) Early Employee Challenges & Responsibilities(05:03) Why Annie Stayed at Humu for Four Years(06:30) Product Market Fit vs. Company Culture(09:05) When to Invest in Culture(11:15) Hiring the Right Leaders for Company Stage(11:40) Maintaining Morale When Company Isn't Winning(12:42) Transparency as Trust Builder(13:47) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(16:47) Rebuilding Trust Through Honest Communication(19:11) Laszlo's Leadership Philosophy: Stretching People(21:02) Annie's Experience in Venture Capital at Forerunner(23:12) Teaching Founders to Fish vs. Providing Services(24:51) How to Evaluate VC Opportunities(26:09) Understanding VC Economics and Carry Structure(30:10) Character AI's Unprecedented Google Deal(32:56) Rebuilding Post-Acquisition: Product Vision Challenges(34:13) Annie's Perspective on the Deal Timeline(37:31) Post-Deal Reset: Napa Offsite and Hackathon(39:29) Employee Ownership After Acquisition(41:29) Building a New Culture While Keeping the Brand(42:11) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

LucidLink CEO and Co-founder Pete Thompson offers an inside look into how he rapidly scaled LucidLink, a company that transforms cloud storage into an accessible, high-performance drive. Pete discusses the critical steps and strategies that propelled the company from its inception in 2016, through struggles to find product-market fit, to achieving breakthrough success during the pandemic.Key Moments:[00:46] — Spotlight on Pete Thompson of LucidLink[01:42] — LucidLink's Innovative Cloud Storage Solution[03:09] — Finding the Ideal Customer and Product Market Fit[08:02] — Challenges and Breakthroughs During the Pandemic[18:21] — Rapid Growth and Fundraising Success[20:42] — Reflections and Future Outlook[23:05] — Closing Remarks and Recommendations[25:15] — Outro and Subscription InformationYou're invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.

In dieser Episode begrüßt Schorsch den Unternehmer Christian Byza, der seit über einem Jahrzehnt im Silicon Valley lebt und dort an der Schnittstelle von Bildung, Produktinnovation und Unternehmertum arbeitet. Christian ist Mitgründer von Learn.xyz, einer KI-basierten Lernplattform, die Lernen in Unternehmen revolutionieren möchte – kurz, mobil, gamifiziert und hochrelevant. Mit dabei (später auch): Anni, die aus familiären Gründen teilweise remote zuhört – und trotzdem zentrale Fragen zur Transformation im Mittelstand und Führungsmindset einbringt.

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

Adam Robinson once struggled with a stagnant email SaaS stuck at $3M ARR, but he kept experimenting until he found how to solve a problem no one else was tackling—and everything changed. Suddenly, buyers were begging for his identity-based marketing tool—so he spun out Retention.com and grew it to $14M+ in annual profit with no outside funding.In this episode, Adam reveals why he ignored “scalable hacks” until his product proved undeniable, the two keys that finally unleashed product-market fit, and how he uses no-friction brand marketing on LinkedIn to sign up thousands of new leads.____Why You Should Listen1. He chose profit over fundraising – Adam shows how ignoring “growth-hack hype” and focusing on real word-of-mouth built a wildly profitable SaaS.2. Shocking pivot to product-market fit – A failed email tool spun out a game-changing identity product that users demanded.3. The #1 trap killing early-stage founders – Why “growth hacking” tactics fail without genuine pull, and what to do instead.4. Bootstrapping to $14M profit – His surprising path from 3M stalled ARR to unstoppable momentum (with a team of only six).5. LinkedIn brand building done right – How to attract thousands of perfect-fit leads—no spammy sequences required._____KeywordsBootstrapped SaaS, Product Market Fit, Email Marketing Growth, Founder Lessons, B2B LinkedIn Strategy, High Profit Margins, Startup Pivot, Word-of-Mouth Marketing, Early-Stage ExperimentationTimestamps(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:57) A Bootstrap Story(00:06:33) Why Bootstrapping Often Means You Can't Lose(00:10:36) The downside of raising VC(00:19:53) A Case Study: Constant Contact(00:22:45) Find an Unsolved Porblem(00:32:06) PMF and Word of Mouth(00:46:45) Piece of AdviceSend me a message to let me know what you think!

ABOUT JON HYMANJon Hyman is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Braze, the customer engagement platform that delivers messaging experiences across push, email, in-app, and more. He leads the charge for building the platform's technical systems and infrastructure as well as overseeing the company's technical operations and engineering team.Prior to Braze, Jon served as lead engineer for the Core Technology group at Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund. There, he managed a team that maintained 80+ software assets and was responsible for the security and stability of critical trading systems. Jon met cofounder Bill Magnuson during his time at Bridgewater, and together they won the 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon. Jon is a recipient of the SmartCEO Executive Management Award in the CIO/CTO Category for New York. Jon holds a B.A. from Harvard University in Computer Science.ABOUT BRAZEBraze is the leading customer engagement platform that empowers brands to Be Absolutely Engaging.™ Braze allows any marketer to collect and take action on any amount of data from any source, so they can creatively engage with customers in real time, across channels from one platform. From cross-channel messaging and journey orchestration to Al-powered experimentation and optimization, Braze enables companies to build and maintain absolutely engaging relationships with their customers that foster growth and loyalty. The company has been recognized as a 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Companies to Work For, 2024 Best Small & Medium Workplaces in Europe by Great Place to Work®, 2024 Fortune Best Workplaces for Women™ by Great Place to Work® and was named a Leader by Gartner® in the 2024 Magic Quadrant™ for Multichannel Marketing Hubs and a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Email Marketing Service Providers, Q3 2024.  Braze is headquartered in New York with 15 offices across North America, Europe, and APAC. Learn more at braze.com.SHOW NOTES:What Jon learned from being the only person on call for his company's first four years (2:56)Knowing when it's time to get help managing your servers, ops, scaling, etc. (5:42)Establishing areas of product ownership & other scaling lessons from the early days (9:25)Frameworks for conversations on splitting of products across teams (12:00)The challenges, complexities & strategies behind assigning ownership in the early days (14:40)Founding Braze (18:01)Why Braze? The story & insights behind the original vision for Braze (20:08)Identifying Braze's product market fit (22:34)Early-stage PMF challenges faced by Jon & his co-founders (25:40)Pivoting to focus on enterprise customers (27:48)“Let's integrate the SDK right now” - founder-led sales ideas to validate your product (29:22)Behind the decision to hire a chief revenue officer for the first time (34:02)The evolution of enterprise & its impact on Braze's product offering (36:42)Growing out of your early-stage failure modes (39:00)Why it's important to make personnel decisions quickly (41:22)Setting & maintaining a vision pre IPO vs. post IPO (44:21)Jon's next leadership evolution & growth areas he is focusing on (49:50)Rapid fire questions (52:53)LINKS AND RESOURCESWhen We Cease to Understand the World - Benjamín Labatut's fictional examination of the lives of real-life scientists and thinkers whose discoveries resulted in moral consequences beyond their imagining. At a breakneck pace and with a wealth of disturbing detail, Labatut uses the imaginative resources of fiction to tell the stories of Fritz Haber, Alexander Grothendieck, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger, the scientists and mathematicians who expanded our notions of the possible.This episode wouldn't have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-HostJerry Li - Co-HostNoah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan's also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

Send us a textMaster business finance for free with 100+ video lessons—no gimmicks, no hooks, just valuable knowledge: https://www.byfiq.com/Your company is generating real revenue, but where's the profit? In this episode of Boosting Your Financial IQ, Steve unpacks the most common (and often hidden) reasons businesses struggle to turn revenue into bottom-line results. From product-market fit to pricing, from customer experience to capital structure Steve reveals the pitfalls that drain profitability and how smart founders fix them. If you're leading a $3M–$20M company and wondering what's holding you back, this episode is for you. Disclaimer:BYFIQ, LLC is a wholly owned entity of Coltivar Group, LLC. The views expressed here are those of the individual Coltivar Group, LLC (“Coltivar”) personnel quoted and are not the views of Coltivar or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Coltivar has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendations. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. Please see https://www.byfiq.com/terms-and-privacy-policy for additional important information.Register for our April 8th financial workshop here: https://www.coltivar.com/register-for-byfiq-workshop-apr-8Support the showRegister for our April 8th financial workshop here: https://www.coltivar.com/register-for-byfiq-workshop-apr-8 Support the show

Taking The Mystery Out Of Memecoins: The Fastest Product-Market Fit In Crypto History – Brian Rose with Nikita Uriupin  

Taking The Mystery Out Of Memecoins: The Fastest Product-Market Fit In Crypto History – Brian Rose with Nikita Uriupin  

Today, we're talking about startup identity—why you need one, and how it makes every decision you face way easier. We'll talk swimming and nervous systems, walk through the Decision Equation, and help our good friend Carl figure out which customer to start with for his AI tool that helps adults learn Spanish. Then we'll wrap with a simple framework to help you clearly define your startup's identity. It's practical, a little weird, and really important. On to it.TackleboxHeroTimestamps00:30 Your Startup Identity01:30 How to Swim04:17 How to Learn Something New06:34 Re-learning How to Make Decisions08:45 Tacklebox - two week free trial09:15 Carl's Idea - AI for Learning Spanish13:13 The Decision Equation14:15 Picking a Customer19:30 Identity: Your Decision Filter21:30 Four Identity Exercises24:13 The End: What Do You Want?

After a serious spinal injury left him temporarily paralyzed, Ty had to navigate the healthcare system to find the right specialists, without reliable online information to guide those critical choices. On this episode of the Predictable Revenue Podcast, Ty Allen, founder of SocialClimb, shared the deeply personal story behind his company's origin. Highlights include: Finding a Gap in the Market (07:10), Validating the Market Gap (11:24), How Not To Screw Up Pricing (14:34), Customer Development and First Clients (20:30), And more… Stay updated with our podcast and the latest insights in Outbound Sales and Go-to-Market Strategies!

Eric dons his professorial glasses and trots out his most sumptuous-sounding microphone to hold office hours as he and Joe discuss the performance TV thesis' equivalent for the open web, how Joe can work with early-stage startup founders, and how you know you have product-market fit (hint: it's like porn).

Trust the process, embrace resilience, and understand that challenges often lead to greater success.Dive into the latest episode of the B2B Go to Market Leaders podcast, where Eli Rubel shares his entrepreneurial journey from tech startups to service businesses. Eli details his transition from chasing venture-backed dreams to creating lifestyle businesses that align with his personal values. The conversation spans his decision-making process, the creation of Matter Made and NoBoringDesign, and his newest venture, Profit Labs. Eli emphasizes his "tricycle life" philosophy—prioritizing work-life balance while building profitable businesses.Connect with Eli Rubel on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/elirubel/Connect with Vijay Damojipurapu on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijdam/Brought to you by: stratyve.comChapters:00:00 - From Waiting Tables to a $3M Exit: Eli Rubel's Origin Story 02:32 - How Eli Defines Go-To-Market: Influence, Trust, and Speed 06:45 - Leveraging Influencers to Accelerate Sales and Build Trust 09:53 - From Art School Dropout to VC-Backed Founder: Eli's Path into Tech 18:12 - The Glider Story: Pivoting to Product-Market Fit and a Surprise Acquisition 26:45 - How a Last-Minute Meeting Saved the Company from Shutdown 34:02 - Building MatterMade: From $40K/Month Dream to $4M+ Profit Agency 43:36 - Launching No Boring Design to Survive the Tech Recession 51:55 - Introducing Profit Labs: Financial Services for Agency Founders 59:22 - Final Advice: Trust the Process and Keep Putting in the Reps

Unsupervised Learning is a podcast that interviews the sharpest minds in AI about what's real today, what will be real in the future and what it means for businesses and the world - helping builders, researchers and founders deconstruct and understand the biggest breakthroughs. Top guests: Noam Shazeer, Bob McGrew, Noam Brown, Dylan Patel, Percy Liang, David Luan https://www.latent.space/p/unsupervised-learning Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Excitement for Collaboration 00:27 Reflecting on Surprises in AI Over the Past Year 01:44 Open Source Models and Their Adoption 06:01 The Rise of GPT Wrappers 06:55 AI Builders and Low-Code Platforms 09:35 Overhyped and Underhyped AI Trends 22:17 Product Market Fit in AI 28:23 Google's Current Momentum 28:33 Customer Support and AI 29:54 AI's Impact on Cost and Growth 31:05 Voice AI and Scheduling 32:59 Emerging AI Applications 34:12 Education and AI 36:34 Defensibility in AI Applications 40:10 Infrastructure and AI 47:08 Challenges and Future of AI 52:15 Quick Fire Round and Closing Remarks Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Collab Excitement 00:00:58 Open Source and Model Adoption 00:01:58 Enterprise Use of Open Source Models 00:02:57 The Competitive Edge of Closed Source Models 00:03:56 DeepSea and Open Source Model Releases 00:04:54 Market Narrative and DeepSea Impact 00:05:53 AI Engineering and GPT Wrappers 00:06:53 AI Builders and Low-Code Platforms 00:07:50 Innovating Beyond Existing Paradigms 00:08:50 Apple and AI Product Development 00:09:48 Overhyped and Underhyped AI Trends 00:10:46 Frameworks and Protocols in AI Development 00:11:45 Emerging Opportunities in AI 00:12:44 Stateful AI and Memory Innovation 00:13:44 Challenges with Memory in AI Agents 00:14:44 The Future of Model Training Companies 00:15:44 Specialized Use Cases for AI Models 00:16:44 Vertical Models vs General Purpose Models 00:17:42 General Purpose vs Domain-Specific Models 00:18:42 Reflections on Model Companies 00:19:39 Model Companies Entering Product Space 00:20:38 Competition in AI Model and Product Sectors 00:21:35 Coding Agents and Market Dynamics 00:22:35 Defensibility in AI Applications 00:23:35 Investing in Underappreciated AI Ventures 00:24:32 Analyzing Market Fit in AI 00:25:31 AI Applications with Product Market Fit 00:26:31 OpenAI's Impact on the Market 00:27:31 Google and OpenAI Competition 00:28:31 Exploring Google's Advancements 00:29:29 Customer Support and AI Applications 00:30:27 The Future of AI in Customer Support 00:31:26 Cost-Cutting vs Growth in AI 00:32:23 Voice AI and Real-World Applications 00:33:23 Scaling AI Applications for Demand 00:34:22 Summarization and Conversational AI 00:35:20 Future AI Use Cases and Market Fit 00:36:20 AI Education and Model Capabilities 00:37:17 Reforming Education with AI 00:38:15 Defensibility in AI Apps 00:39:13 Network Effects and AI 00:40:12 AI Brand and Market Positioning 00:41:11 AI Application Defensibility 00:42:09 LLM OS and AI Infrastructure 00:43:06 Security and AI Application 00:44:06 OpenAI's Role in AI Infrastructure 00:45:02 The Balance of AI Applications and Infrastructure 00:46:02 Capital Efficiency in AI Infrastructure 00:47:01 Challenges in AI DevOps and Infrastructure 00:47:59 AI SRE and Monitoring 00:48:59 Scaling AI and Hardware Challenges 00:49:58 Reliability and Compute in AI 00:50:57 Nvidia's Dominance and AI Hardware 00:51:57 Emerging Competition in AI Silicon 00:52:54 Agent Authentication Challenges 00:53:53 Dream Podcast Guests 00:54:51 Favorite News Sources and Startups 00:55:50 The Value of In-Person Conversations 00:56:50 Private vs Public AI Discourse 00:57:48 Latent Space and Podcasting 00:58:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Not every founder finds the right investor. Not every investor bets on the right founder. In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome a BarberShop veteran, Kapil Chopra (Founder - EazyDiner and The Postcard Hotel). But this time, he is not alone. Joining him is his first ever investor and his very good friend, Deepak Shahdadpuri (Managing Director, DSG Consumer Partners). Why did Kapil and Deepak take 8 years to finally start a business together? Find out in this episode. This isn't just an entrepreneurial conversation. It's a masterclass on the kind of investor-founder friendship required for businesses to thrive even when the going gets tough. Takeaways from this episode: What do investors look for in a founder during a pitch?Why did Deepak NOT invest in Bombay Shaving Company?How to identify your Product-Market-Fit in a crowded market. Kapil and Deepak's story is a great reminder of why it matters who you surround yourself with. Who is that friend in your life you'd love to build a business with?Navigate the episode 00:00 Coming up01:00 Introduction06:37 Founder-Investor Friendship11:53 How did Kapil Identify Market Opportunities14:46 The Evolution of Consumer Brands in India17:21 Founding story of Sula23:13 The Future of Consumer Brands in India27:37 Veeba Funding Story29:55 Why and how did Deepak Invest in EazyDiner33:00 Finding the Right Investor-Founder Dynamics38:00 How to Navigate Startup Challenges53:53 Evolution of Investments in India01:05:41 Maturity of Family Offices in India01:17:28 The Art and Commerce of Consumer Brands01:41:40 Importance of Aligning Incentives for Long-Term Success02:01:33 Challenges in the Startup Ecosystem and Corporate Governance02:05:46 How to Find the Right Fit in Teams02:06:17 The Importance of Cultural Fit02:10:15 Opportunities in Travel and Hospitality02:17:09 Culinary Diversity and Innovation in India02:21:16 Closing Thoughts

Adam Guild is the co-founder and CEO at Owner, an online food ordering system for independent restaurants. Within a year, Owner went from being about to run out of money to having hundreds of customers. Last year, they raised a $33M Series B. Adam's entrepreneurial journey began as a teenager when he built a successful Minecraft server, which led him to drop out of high school to become a founder. His passion for helping small businesses was sparked by his mom's struggles running a dog grooming shop, which led him to launch the early iteration of Owner. -- In today's episode, we discuss: How working with a small business kickstarted Owner Adam's unusual outbound strategy Why the pandemic accelerated Owner's success How Owner's pivot led to “hyperbolic” product-market fit The two qualities Adam looks for in new hires -- Referenced: Alex Bard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbard/ Dean Bloembergen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanbloembergen/ Guisados: https://www.guisados.la/ HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/ Jack Altman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackealtman/ Kimbal Musk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbalmusk/ Modern Restaurant Management: https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/ Naval Ravikant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navalr/ Neil Patel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkpatel/ Peter Thiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterthiel/ P.F. Chang's: https://www.pfchangs.com/ Sean Rad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrad/ Thiel Fellowship: https://thielfellowship.org/ Tim Ferriss: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timferriss/ Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ -- Where to find Adam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamharrisonguild/ -- Where to find Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Where to find First Round Capital: Website: https://firstround.com/ First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:29) Adam's first business (04:15) The transition from Minecraft to Owner (05:58) The dark side of the gaming industry (14:20 Adam's scrappy strategy to landing his first customers (16:52) The COVID pivot (21:31) The quest to find product-market fit (30:53) What actually worked to get new customers (36:03) Inside Owner's explosive growth (46:41) How Owner secured its crucial first round of funding (53:34) The bet on going multi-product (64:28) What Adam wishes he knew at 17 (76:22) Sales-led vs. product-led growth

What happens when a failed musician turns into a SaaS sales powerhouse? In this episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with Collin Stewart, CEO of Predictable Revenue and host of the Predictable Revenue Podcast. Collin shares raw, real stories from his journey—including early startup failures, the brutal truth about product-market fit, and what founders get wrong when scaling too fast.We dive deep into customer development, outbound sales strategies, and how AI is shaping the future of SaaS. Whether you're pre-revenue or pushing past $10M ARR, this episode will sharpen your go-to-market strategy and help you build a predictable, scalable revenue engine.Key Takeaways00:00 - The harsh truth about product-market fit02:00 - Why customer validation is key to success04:00 - Meet Colin Stewart: failed musician to SaaS leader07:00 - Early startup mistakes and lessons learned12:30 - The danger of scaling before understanding your customer16:00 - Why niching down beats going broad21:00 - How to leave bias out of customer interviews26:30 - Why founders get go-to-market strategy backwards30:30 - Introducing Champion Leadership Group34:00 - Signs you're not ready to scale39:00 - The Market Fit Matrix explained44:00 - What makes outbound actually work47:00 - The real reason AI SDR tools fall short51:00 - Where SaaS sales is headed with AI56:00 - Why AI won't kill sales—it will upgrade it58:00 - Where to find Colin + free founder resourcesTweetable Quotes“The biggest mistake founders make? Scaling before they really understand their customers.” — Colin Stewart“AI won't kill sales—it'll just kill bad sales processes.” — Collin Stewart“Customer interviews aren't for validation. They're for revelation.” — Jeff Mains“You don't need perfect messaging if you have the perfect list.” — Collin Stewart“Most teams are doomed or blessed before they're even built—because of strategy.” — Collin Stewart“SaaS isn't about growth hacks. It's about solving real pain for real people.” — Jeff MainsSaaS Leadership Lessons"Strong product-market fit is a spectrum" – You might not be at zero; you just need to strengthen your understanding of the customer.Scaling before validation is a costly mistake – Don't throw gas on a fire that's not even lit yet.Customer discovery is not for confirmation – Go in with curiosity, not to validate what you already believe.Your ICP needs laser-focus – “Accountants” isn't narrow enough. Be specific: left-handed accountants using QuickBooks.Build strategy before team or tools – Most sales orgs fail due to poor upfront go-to-market planning, not bad reps.AI can supercharge sales—but only if your fundamentals are solid – Garbage data and vague targeting make even the smartest tools useless.Guest ResourcesEmail - collin@predictablerevenue.comWebsite - https://predictablerevenue.com/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/collinstewart/Episode SponsorSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code...

Jeff Adamson co-founded SkipTheDishes, scaled it to 80% market share, and sold it for $200M—all before Uber Eats and DoorDash even got serious about Canada. He started with zero tech experience, got doors slammed in his face by restaurant owners, and had to personally place orders just to keep early partners engaged. Then, when Uber Eats launched in Toronto, backed by billions in funding, he thought it was over.Instead, Skip became Canada's dominant food delivery platform and got acquired for $200M.Then Jeff did something even crazier—he decided to take on the banks.With Neo Financial, he's tackling Canada's most entrenched industry, building a modern, full-stack digital bank from scratch. He's raised $100s of millions at a $1B valuation.Why you should listen:How bootstrapped SkipTheDishes took on $10B UberEats How to build a three-sided marketplace.Why building trust with customers is key to long-term success.Why beginnings are always messy and more about grit than perfection.Why Jeff didn't stop after exiting for $200M.KeywordsSkiptheDishes, Neo Financial, entrepreneurship, delivery service, startup journey, market competition, founding team, restaurant industry, business growth, feedback loop, three-sided marketplace, startup journey, Canadian startups, entrepreneurship, financial services, exit strategy, partnerships, growth strategies, advice for foundersTimestamps(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:00) Gotta Have Thick Skin(00:03:54) Skip's Origin Story(00:07:18) Competing with Uber(00:16:09) The First Few Restaurants(00:22:45) Initial Demand(00:26:28) Three-Sided Marketplace(00:38:38) The Original Mission(00:52:10) The First Year at Neo(00:58:40) Product Market Fit(00:59:55) A Piece of AdviceSend me a message to let me know what you think!

In this episode of Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur, join host Tom Hunt as he sits down with Kris Rudeegraap, founder and co-CEO of Sendoso, to explore his journey from non-technical founder to scaling a successful B2B gifting platform. Kris shares invaluable insights on founder-led sales, product marketing, and the effective use of AI in outbound sales.

Send us a textIn this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino sits down with David Hirschfeld, founder and CEO of Tekyz, about the Launch First methodology—a metrics-driven approach to de-risking product development and achieving product-market fit before building software. David shares insights from working with over 90 startups, highlighting the common pitfalls that lead to failure, particularly the mistake of waiting too long to validate revenue. He breaks down how to identify the right niche, perform root cause analysis, and use high-fidelity prototypes to pre-sell software before investing in an MVP. Whether you're a startup founder, a product leader, or iterating on a new SaaS offering, this episode offers actionable strategies to validate demand, avoid wasted development, and accelerate success.Key TakeawaysThe Biggest Mistake Startups Make - Most startups fail due to lack of product-market fit, not running out of money. Waiting too long to validate revenue leads to wasted resources and increased risk.Flipping the MVP Approach - Instead of using an MVP to test product-market fit, use it to validate product-solution fit—ensuring real customers will use it, not just buy it.Pre-Selling Before Building - High-fidelity prototypes that feel like real software can be used to sell the vision and secure early customers before writing a single line of code.The Power of Niche Analysis - Startups should identify a niche where pain points have both a high cost and a high perceived impact, ensuring customers are both willing and able to pay.The Scientist vs. The Believer - Founders often wear the "black robe" of belief in their vision, but success comes from adopting the "white coat" of data-driven decision-making.Speed Matters: Fail Fast, Fail Cheap - Instead of spending years and millions developing a product that may not sell, Launch First helps founders validate demand in 3-5 months.Lifetime Licenses Aren't Crazy - For some SaaS models, offering lifetime licenses in pre-sales can be a smarter way to fund development than raising capital and losing equity.Chapters00:00 Introduction to David Hirschfeld's Journey03:01 Why Most Startups Fail: The Real Reason09:31 Understanding Product-Market Fit vs. Product-Solution Fit14:46 Sell Before You Build: The Power of Pre-Sales19:31 Finding the Right Niche with Data-Driven Decisions24:31 From Founder to Scientist: The Mindset Shift28:46 Building a Sales Funnel for Early Traction34:11 When to Start Building Your MVPResources & LinksConnect with David Hirschfeld on LinkedInTekyz Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Fuzzy Math - B2B & Enterprise UX Design Consultancy

How to scale past $10M ARR. GTM Engineering. How AI is changing the game and much much more.We got Maja Voje, also known as the GTM Strategist, to join us and share her thoughts on this and more.(00:00) - Introduction (02:34) - Challenges in Scaling Beyond 10 Million (03:30) - Inbound Marketing Struggles (04:50) - Outbound and ABM Strategies (07:05) - AI SDRs and Personalized Outreach (11:52) - Navigating LinkedIn's Compliance Issues (13:53) - Humanization vs. Automation in GTM (19:21) - Adapting to AI in Product Market Fit (21:54) - Revisiting Messaging and Pricing Strategies (25:38) - Outcome-Based Pay in the Workforce (26:33) - Understanding Value Metrics (27:55) - Pricing Experiments and Strategies (36:49) - Adopting AI in the Workforce This episode is brought to you by Everstage - the highest rated Sales Commissions Platform on G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Trustradius with over 2,000+ customer reviews. Some of their customers include leading brands like Diligent, Wiley, Trimble, Postman, Chargebee etc.,You can go to https://www.everstage.com/revenue-formula to check out Everstage and mention Revenue Formula to unlock a personalized Sales Compensation Strategy Session with Everstage's RevOps experts—crafted for enterprise teams to maximize performance.Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com

One of the most common questions I get is 'How do I know if I have product market fit?" Especially when you're in that gray zone where things are kind of working but they're not really taking off yet, how do you know if you have product-market fit or not?That's exactly what we dive into here. Why you should listen:Why demo to close is an excellent leading indicator of PMF.Why NPS is not as good as Sean Ellis test to measure product-market fit.Why retention is the best long-term metric, but takes long.What qualitative signals you'll feel when you have true PMF.What to do if you realize you don't have real product-market fit.This podcast originally aired on Matt's podcast called Product Driven, because the topics were so relevant, I figured I'd post it here too.Timestamps(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:55) How do you know if you have PMF(00:06:33) Why some problems are good(00:11:24) Solve a True Top of Mind Pain(00:15:54) Why timing matters(00:21:30) How to Know When to Pivot(00:25:00) Asking the Right Questions to CustomersSend me a message to let me know what you think!

Jyoti Bansal is the CEO of  @Harnessio  and  @TraceableAI . He is also a co-founder of Unusual Ventures.In a special episode of the Startup Field Guide podcast, Jyoti sits down with John Vrionis – his co-founder and friend of 20 years — to discuss the recent merger of Harness and Traceable. This merger positions Harness + Traceable to create the most advanced AI-native DevSecOps platform in the world!Join us as we discuss:00:00 Product market-fit is a journey1:38 The recent merger between Harness and Traceable3:09 The insight that led to Traceable's founding4:37 The technical inflection that Jyoti saw in 20197:46 The initial idea for Traceable11:39 Figuring out the right customer14:12 Iterating on Traceable's GTM approach16:34 Advice for early-stage founders21:54 The big vision for Traceable + Harness25:56 One book all founders should read26:26 Jyoti's advice on team-building27:55 Essential soft skill for founders28:55 Perspective on leadershipJohn Vrionis is the co-founder and CEO of Unusual Ventures.Unusual Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm designed from the ground up to give a distinct advantage to founders building the next generation of software companies. Unusual has invested in category-defining companies like Webflow, Arctic Wolf Networks, Carta, Robinhood, and Harness. Learn more about us at https://www.unusual.vc/.

In this episode, Amir sits down with Trevor Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Myko AI, to unpack his unconventional leap from the finance world to building a cutting-edge tech company. Trevor shares how he navigated leaving a comfortable corporate job, using an MBA to break into tech, and the iterative process of finding product-market fit, including pivotal moments and lessons learned while bootstrapping and scaling his business.

Send Everyday AI and Jordan a text messageStartups are changing quickly. That means Venture Capital is changing just as fast.

Scaling a product isn't just about selling more—it's about refining product-market fit, unlocking the right growth levers, and making sure your go-to-market strategy actually aligns with what your customers need. In this episode of Productside Stories, Rachel Owens, product executive and growth expert, shares how she's helped SaaS products scale from $1M to $10M in a year. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls, build strong GTM alignment, and refine your product strategy for sustainable success. Key Topics Discussed in This Episode Refining Product-Market Fit for Sustainable Growth Many companies hit a revenue plateau because they misunderstand their real market fit. Rachel breaks down how to refine product-market fit by deeply understanding user pain points, use cases, and adjacent markets—without chasing the wrong opportunities. How Product and GTM Teams Can Actually Work Together Scaling isn't just about the product—it's about ensuring sales, marketing, and product are in sync. Rachel shares actionable strategies for strengthening cross-functional collaboration so growth efforts don't stall. The AI Hype Trap: When to Actually Use AI in Your Product Many teams are under pressure to integrate AI into their products—but not every problem needs an AI-driven solution. Rachel explains how to evaluate when AI is truly adding value versus when it's just a distraction. Why Listen to This Episode? In this thought-provoking episode, you'll gain: A framework for refining product-market fit without unnecessary pivots. Strategies to align product, sales, and marketing for real go-to-market success. A decision-making process for when AI should (and shouldn't) be part of your growth strategy. Lessons from Rachel's experience scaling SaaS businesses from $1M to $10M ARR. Scaling is about strategic focus. Don't mistake it for throwing more features at the wall. Don't miss Rachel's insights. Related Resources Check out these additional tools and resources to add to your PM belt: Productside Resource Library More Productside Stories Podcast Episodes Explore Productside Courses 

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John are joined by Parm Uppal, the Chief Revenue Officer at Benchling. Parm shares his journey through various sales and executive roles, illustrating his approach to using data as a cornerstone for the development and coaching of sales teams. They delve into the intricacies of simplifying vast amounts of data to draw actionable insights and avoid overwhelming sales reps. The conversation also explores the importance of distinguishing between skill and knowledge issues among reps, hiring the right sales leaders for startups, and maintaining a clear focus on the ideal customer profile (ICP). Parm gives practical advice for newly appointed CROs, stressing the importance of a 90-day listening tour and aligning with cross-functional teams. Additionally, the discussion touches on the impact of AI tools in sales processes and the evolving role of data in modern sales strategies. This episode offers a treasure trove of insights and best practices for sales leaders at various stages of their careers.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Parm Uppal:https://www.linkedin.com/in/parmuppal/Read Force Management's Guide to Increasing Company Valuation: https://hubs.li/Q038n0jT0Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:01:05] Introducing Parm Uppal: Career Highlights[00:01:54] Using Data to Develop Sales Reps[00:03:45] Simplifying Data for Effective Coaching[00:05:09] Identifying and Solving Sales Problems[00:07:30] Leading Indicators and Coaching Strategies[00:10:36] Balancing Data and Observation in Sales[00:23:29] Adapting to Buyer Changes and Market Shifts[00:35:30] Building the CRO Scorecard[00:36:58] The Importance of a 90-Day Listening Tour[00:38:48] Commanding the Plan and Talent[00:41:08] Key Metrics for Success[00:48:15] Challenges in Recruiting and Retention[01:01:34] Emerging Tools in SalesHIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:02:15] "You can't just walk into that conversation with an opinion because everybody's got an opinion."[00:02:37] "We have so much more data nowadays. If you don't simplify it, and you don't take a step back... it can overwhelm you."[00:19:55] "It's activity with accomplishment versus activity without purpose."[00:31:00] "You can't cookie-cutter sales methodologies from one context into another without understanding the unique market dynamics.

Henry Ward, cofounder and CEO of Carta, has spent over a decade scaling his company from an early-stage startup to a 2,000-person industry leader. In this a16z Speedrun conversation with Games partner Josh Lu, Henry shares hard-earned lessons on:Hiring missionaries vs. mercenaries — and how to keep company culture intact as you scaleThe reality of product-market fit and why many founders try to sell too soonThe evolution of a CEO — from building a product to building a system around youInputs vs. outputs, and why companies should focus on the right leading indicatorsTransparency in leadership, including when (and when not) to shareThis episode is packed with candid insights and lessons on company building. Recorded live at the a16z Speedrun program, you can learn more at a16z.com/games/speedrun. Resources: Find Henry on X: https://x.com/henryswardFind Josh on X: https://x.com/JoshLu Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

En el mundo empresarial, muchas veces el crecimiento es visto como una carrera constante, un esfuerzo incansable por mantenerse a flote en un mercado competitivo.Pero ¿y si en lugar de simplemente crecer, pudieras construir una ventaja competitiva duradera que te permita defender tu negocio a largo plazo?En este episodio analizo el libro 7 Potencias de Tu Negocio (7 Powers, 2016) de Hamilton Helmer, una guía estratégica que revela las 7 potencias que pueden convertir tu negocio en un titán resistente a la competencia. Desde encontrar el Product-Market Fit, hasta crear Economías de Red y establecer Procesos únicos, aprenderás cómo aplicar cada uno de estos poderes en las distintas fases de tu negocio: Exploración, Expansión y Defensa.A través de estrategias prácticas y ejemplos reales, descubrirás cómo usar estas potencias para escalar tu empresa, mantener a tus clientes y proteger tu posición en el mercado frente a la competencia más feroz.

En el mundo empresarial, muchas veces el crecimiento es visto como una carrera constante, un esfuerzo incansable por mantenerse a flote en un mercado competitivo.Pero ¿y si en lugar de simplemente crecer, pudieras construir una ventaja competitiva duradera que te permita defender tu negocio a largo plazo?En este episodio analizo el libro 7 Potencias de Tu Negocio (7 Powers, 2016) de Hamilton Helmer, una guía estratégica que revela las 7 potencias que pueden convertir tu negocio en un titán resistente a la competencia. Desde encontrar el Product-Market Fit, hasta crear Economías de Red y establecer Procesos únicos, aprenderás cómo aplicar cada uno de estos poderes en las distintas fases de tu negocio: Exploración, Expansión y Defensa.A través de estrategias prácticas y ejemplos reales, descubrirás cómo usar estas potencias para escalar tu empresa, mantener a tus clientes y proteger tu posición en el mercado frente a la competencia más feroz.

A former Charlotte Tilbury founding team member revolutionized sustainable beauty by turning food waste into luxury skin care. See how My Skin Feels proved eco-friendly brands can be both profitable and fun.For more on My Skin Feels and show notes click here. 

In this episode of Shopify Masters, Matthew Scanlon, founder of Naadam, takes us on an exhilarating journey that begins with a daring ride across the Gobi Desert and transporting 32 bags filled with $2.5 million in cash. This gripping tale sets the stage for Naadam's mission to revolutionize the cashmere industry through sustainability. Matthew discusses the challenges of launching a DTC brand in today's market, including securing funding and leveraging AI tools. He shares  insights on building a brand that resonates with ethical practices while fostering deep connections with nomadic herders in Mongolia. Tune in for a fascinating look at entrepreneurship, storytelling, and the complexities of scaling a sustainable business.