Podcasts about Saas

In this episode, Laurie Barkman is joined by Dr. Brianna Rhue, optometrist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Dr Contact Lens. Brianna shares her journey from a private practice owner to a tech maven, driven by the need to solve a critical "leaky bucket" problem: doctors losing contact lens sales to online retailers. She discusses the "entrepreneurial gene", the power of a "chip on your shoulder", and the lessons learned in building a full-blown tech platform from scratch.

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Jose Fernandez — former Head of Global Sales Development at Google and now CEO of Easy Comp — breaks down how compensation must evolve when companies shift from traditional SaaS licensing to consumption-based models. Drawing from his experience at Google Ads, one of the most successful consumption engines in business history, Jose lays out the structural advantages of consumption models and how GTM, onboarding, forecasting, and comp plans must align to unlock growth.John McMahon and John Kaplan then expand on how consumption changes seller behavior, deal sizing, renewal dynamics, forecast accuracy, and quota mechanics. This is a must-listen for revenue leaders, sellers, and anyone navigating the industry-wide shift toward usage-based pricing.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:00:46] Companies transitioning to consumption models often copy SaaS licensing structures instead of designing comp that amplifies consumption-driven advantages.[00:01:34] Three core advantages of consumption models: lower barrier to entry, value-aligned spend increases, and product-led expansion.[00:03:07] Aligning GTM roles — new business, onboarding, and account management — enables scale and fairness in comp.[00:03:57] Forecasting in consumption models becomes an analytical discipline, requiring predictive models rather than rep intuition.[00:05:00] High-quality customer fit at acquisition can result in massive upside — one rep earned huge commission from a $15M three-month advertiser.[00:07:02] In consumption, churn can happen in a week — sellers must ensure rapid value realization, not just contract signing.[00:08:00] Sellers often intentionally downsize initial deals to ensure burn-down and protect compensation.[00:08:59] PLG and sales-assisted models blend; comp must account for small initial usage that grows rapidly.[00:09:48] Companies balance advance payments to reps with clawbacks to protect against churn.[00:10:10] Smart sellers can land small, prove value, and convert usage to multi-year, high-value commitments.QUOTES[00:01:10] “Companies take too much inspiration from the old model instead of designing comp that amplifies the advantages of consumption.”[00:01:56] “Customer spend is directly proportional to the value they get — and their understanding of that value.”[00:02:19] “If you have an amazing product, some of that growth is going to be product-led, regardless of the sales team.”[00:03:57] “Forecasting in a consumption model is an analytical exercise — not something you ask an account executive to guess.”[00:07:54] “In consumption, a customer can use it for a week, turn it off like a light switch, and move on.”[00:08:38] “PLG might start with $500 on a credit card and scale into a major enterprise deal.”[00:09:28] “Sometimes comp gives future credit for usage trajectory — but companies will claw it back if churn happens.”[00:10:33] “There's a lot of gold in this full episode — make sure you check it out.”Listen to the full conversation through the link below.https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/driving-sales-behavior-with-effective-compensation-plans-with-jose-fernandezEnjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0Check out John McMahon's book here:Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4Check out Force Management's Ascender platform here: https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Website traffic patterns are changing. Website importance isn't.Rob spent eight years as an in-house developer working with clients. Three years ago, he founded Betta Webs and committed entirely to specialising in HubSpot.We discussed that decision, what is genuinely useful in HubSpot's AI toolkit, and why the "websites are dead" crowd have it backwards.What we covered:01:03 - How Rob went from custom CMS to WordPress to HubSpot at an agency, then freelancing on the side before starting Betta Webs02:54 - Why he picked HubSpot in 2020 when their drag-and-drop CMS got good and "not many people were doing it"04:43 - The whole "you don't own your site on SaaS platforms" thing - Rob points out you don't really own WordPress either, you're still paying forhosting06:27 - HubSpot AI tools that work (customer support agent, content remix) and the ones Rob hasn't bothered with yet (AI-generated pages)10:15 - Why he builds sites with modular drag-and-drop components - lets marketers publish landing pages without waiting on developers13:18 - Why "you don't need a website" is broken logic - AI needs to scrape data from somewhere, and that somewhere is usually websites15:49 - Your website traffic is probably dropping. Your website's value as a due diligence asset isn't.17:10 - What Rob's into outside work: YouTube, Netflix, waiting for Stranger Things season 5--------------------------------Rob Harris - Betta WebsWeb: https://bettawebs.com/LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robharris17--------------------------------#robharris #bettawebs #reggiejames #digitalclarity #gtm #hubspot #b2b #webdesign

Josh Ho is the Founder and CEO of Referral Rock, a bootstrapped referral marketing platform serving SMBs that rely on multi-step, relationship-driven sales. Starting in 2015 as a solo developer consulting on the side, Josh built the first version himself, validated demand quickly, and landed early customers by doing demos and hands-on support.  Referral Rock has grown to roughly 500 customers, 20 team members, and about $3M in annual revenue. The company scaled through strong inbound SEO, founder-led sales, and a high-touch onboarding model for B2B businesses that value referrals. Over the years, the product expanded too broadly, creating UX and complexity challenges that later required a deliberate refocusing on core use cases.  Today, Referral Rock is profitable, founder-owned, and steady at its current revenue plateau as Josh rethinks pricing, packaging, product simplicity, and ICP focus. He shares practical lessons on avoiding over-complexity, hiring from what you've already figured out, returning to first principles, and treating plateaus as puzzles to solve rather than signs of failure. Key Takeaways Charge Early, Not Late – His first startup delayed monetization; Referral Rock asked for payment within days of launching an MVP. Pricing For Segments– Good-better-best failed for SMBs with wildly different referral economics; switching to two specific lanes solved misalignment. Do the Job First – Hiring worked only after Josh personally figured out support, sales, or marketing enough to define the role clearly. Plateaus Aren't Failure – Post-COVID shifts and SEO changes slowed growth, but Josh treats plateaus as system puzzles, not existential threats. Profit Equals Freedom – With no investors and steady profitability, he optimizes for enjoyable work, long-term optionality, and building at his own pace. Quote from Josh Ho, Founder and CEO of Referral Rock "For me, a plateau or a pivot is a puzzle to be solved. Any time you try to build something, you hope to just keep hitting accelerators and different serendipitously find those things. But I've learned through my life, the most part, there are things that work only for a certain duration, right.  "For me, it comes back to how I think about the business and. my innate goals for the business which, are different from most founders. When I'm talking to another founder is, they'll ask me what my exit strategy is. And my answer is usually, Well, I don't really have one. That's not how I think about the business. It's a very clear. "I enjoy my work and that's my North Star. Am I having fun? Do I enjoy this work? And I also continuously reinvent myself and my role to fit those changes.. There might be a job I had to do that I don't enjoy, but then I'll do that until it's no longer like the limiting step and then hire someone to backfill for myself." Links Josh Ho on LinkedIn Referra lRock on LinkedIn Referral Rock website Podcast Sponsor – Designli This podcast is sponsored by Designli, a digital product studio that helps entrepreneurs and startups turn their software ideas into reality. From strategy and design to full-scale development, Designli guides you through every step of building custom web and mobile apps. Learn more at designli.co/practical. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding.  A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.

In this episode of The Metrics Brothers, Ray “Growth” Rike and Dave “CAC” Kellogg take on one of the biggest challenges facing modern SaaS and AI-Native companies: how to measure NRR and expansion when pricing isn't fixed anymore.With the rise of usage-based, user-based-but-variable, and outcome-based pricing, the traditional world of ARR - long the backbone of SaaS metrics has been turned on its head. Contracts no longer tell the story. Spend does.Dave breaks down how to rethink ARR proxies using quarterly or monthly revenue (“implied ARR”) and why longer intervals help smooth volatility, especially for “humpback” or highly seasonal customers whose spend fluctuates dramatically month-to-month.Ray digs into what NRR was originally designed to measure and why many teams misinterpret it—especially in variable-pricing environments where a backward-looking metric can't serve as a forward-looking forecast. The brothers explain why sequential expansion, usage behavior, and real spend patterns now matter far more than traditional ARR bridges.Key topics include:Why ARR no longer maps cleanly to revenue in a variable pricing worldHow to calculate implied ARR using quarterly or monthly software revenueWhy NRR must be interpreted differently—and why survivor bias still mattersHow volatility and seasonality distort short-interval metricsWhy usage is the real leading indicator, not invoicesHow to rethink “expansion ARR” when base + variable spend changes continuouslyPacked with examples, including sinusoidal customers, misleading GRR math, and the dangers of splitting base versus variable revenue, this episode gives operators and investors a practical framework for measuring customer growth when pricing is anything but predictable.A must-listen for CFOs, RevOps leaders, and anyone trying to modernize SaaS metrics for the AI era.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Inventive Journey, host Devin Miller interviews Kristie Jones, a sales strategist who turned her early experiences in athletics, hospitality, and SaaS leadership into a consultancy helping startups build strong sales foundations.Kristie shares why waiting tables taught her more about sales than any corporate role, how she navigated multiple reorganizations, why startups mis-hire so often, and how AI is transforming go-to-market strategy forever.Perfect for founders, sales leaders, and anyone building a modern revenue engine.

In this episode of the Thread Podcast, Justin talks with Tyler Will, VP of GTM Strategy & Ops at Intercom, about how modern revenue organizations are evolving in an era defined by AI, PLG-to-enterprise transitions, and go-to-market speed.Tyler shares his journey from economic consulting and Bain, to GTM leadership at LinkedIn, to now scaling RevOps at Intercom. He breaks down the key differences between operating at a 20,000-person giant and a high-velocity SaaS company, why balancing PLG and enterprise sales motions requires intentional system and process design, and how Intercom rebuilt its routing, sales assist, and pricing guardrails to accelerate ACVs and bring clarity back to the customer journey.The conversation digs into how AI is reshaping selling—not by replacing reps, but by giving them time back. From auto-generating QBR decks to enriching data behind the scenes, Tyler explains why AI actually makes sales more human, not less. He also shares why the next generation of RevOps talent will shift from narrow specialists to curious generalists who leverage AI, understand the full GTM workflow, and act as true co-owners of the business.This is a high-signal episode for anyone thinking about PLG evolution, GTM design, AI-powered sales, and how RevOps must evolve to meet the moment.Chapters00:00 — Intro + Tyler's Background Justin sets up the episode; Tyler shares his path from consulting and Bain to LinkedIn to Intercom.02:00 — Early Career Lessons: From Consulting to GTM How economic consulting and strategy work shaped Tyler's analytical and leadership approach.03:30 — Operating at Scale: LinkedIn vs. Intercom Why large enterprise GTM is committee-driven, and how smaller SaaS companies require speed, adaptability, and influence without authority.06:00 — PLG, Sales-Led, and the Middle Ground How Intercom balances self-serve PLG customers with enterprise sales—and why a “Sales Assist” motion has become critical.08:30 — Redesigning Routing, Guardrails & ACV Growth How simplifying and separating motions helped Intercom lift sales-led logos and drive higher ACVs.10:45 — AI as an Amplifier, Not a Replacement Why AI frees reps from low-value tasks (QBR decks, data cleanup) and makes room for more human selling.13:20 — The Real Risk: Overvaluing Human Busywork Why reps aren't losing points for doing things manually—and why AI should elevate the conversation, not eliminate the human.15:00 — The Future of RevOps Careers Why RevOps is shifting from specialists to generalists who use AI, understand systems, and act like business owners.18:00 — What RevOps Leaders Should Learn Next Tyler's advice to aspiring operators—how to become more valuable by being curious across the entire GTM ecosystem.19:30 — Closing Thoughts + Intercom Hiring Tyler encourages RevOps pros to embrace the field and shape the future; Justin wraps the conversation.

The "vibe coding will kill SaaS" narrative is everywhere right now, and I think it's completely wrong. Yes, anyone can spin up a Lovable or Bolt.new project in an afternoon. But there's a fundamental confusion happening: people are mistaking software products for software businesses. SaaS was never really about the software — it was always about the service, the operations, the years of edge cases and integrations and customer conversations that make a product actually work. In this episode, I break down why vibe-coded solutions fall apart the moment real customers show up, why "comprehension debt" is the hidden killer of AI-built projects, and how we might need to shift our messaging to make the invisible 20% of our work visible to buyers who now think they could build everything themselves.This episode of The Bootstraped Founder is sponsored by Paddle.comYou'll find the Black Friday Guide here: https://www.paddle.com/learn/grow-beyond-black-fridayThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/vibe-coding-wont-kill-saas/The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/427-vibe-coding-wont-kill-saas Check out Podscan, the Podcast database that transcribes every podcast episode out there minutes after it gets released: https://podscan.fmSend me a voicemail on Podline: https://podline.fm/arvidYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comHere are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

How do you take a niche SaaS product from zero to $150k MRR in under two years — without venture capital?In this episode of Founder Views, Kosta Panagoulias sits down with Nadav Boaz, co-founder of VoiceDrop, to break down exactly how they scaled fast by combining cold email mastery, SEO execution, and ruthless operational discipline.This isn't theory. Nadav shares what actually worked — and what didn't — across dozens of past businesses before VoiceDrop finally clicked.We cover:How VoiceDrop reached $150k MRR with a lean, remote teamThe exact 3 growth channels they double down on (and why)How cold email is used strategically — not spammySEO tactics that helped them rank #1 and show up in AI searchWhy pre-authorizing trial users increased conversions from 12% → 50%Managing churn in a high-ticket SaaSWhy “usage” matters more than loginsLessons from running (and failing) dozens of businesses before successIf you're a SaaS founder focused on execution, leverage, and real growth, this episode delivers.Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Why VoiceDrop caught Kosta's attention02:00 – What VoiceDrop does (ringless voicemail explained)04:00 – Team size, remote setup, and founder roles07:00 – Using past businesses as leverage for new SaaS launches10:20 – The 3 growth pillars: SEO, cold email, Google Ads13:30 – SEO execution: keywords, authority, and SOPs with VAs16:00 – Ranking in AI search (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.)18:10 – Cold email infrastructure that actually works22:00 – Targeting, segmentation, and ARPU strategy26:00 – When SEO overtook outbound as the #1 channel27:00 – Boosting trial-to-paid conversion to 50%30:00 – Pre-authorization: filtering tire-kickers32:00 – Human vs product-led conversions36:00 – Using AI inside the product (voice cloning, scripts)39:00 – AI for outbound replies and internal leverage41:30 – Scaling fast without burning out as a founder45:30 – Customer support, tooling, and cost control50:00 – Managing churn in a high-ticket SaaS53:30 – The single metric Nadav watches daily54:20 – Favorite business book & lifestyle choices56:20 – One billboard lesson for SaaS founders 

Join my AI Consulting Community (PlaymakersAI):⁠https://playmakersai.com/⁠Check out my newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://TKOPOD.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and join my new community at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://TKOwners.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠━I sat down with Will Cannon again and we talked about how he went from scraping and selling lead lists to building multiple million-dollar SaaS businesses. We covered his early background, losing everything in 2008, and how that pushed him into B2B data, cold email, and eventually software.We broke down how he built a profitable lead-selling agency with almost no upfront costs, why recurring revenue changed everything, and how UpLead got its first customers. Will also shared how he thinks about copying existing businesses, acquiring customers before building, and why you do not need to be technical to make this work.Will shares his free playbooks and his socials at ⁠IAmWillCannon.com⁠Get Will's Free Cold Email Playbook: ⁠https://iamwillcannon.com/free-resources/the-cold-email-playbook⁠Want to copy Will's system? He gives away his entire strategy (scripts included) in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YmJsHESukCo2i9YS9xNMD?si=DDT_jlpeRviFBe7lr4KNKAEnjoy! ---Watch this on YouTube instead here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tkopod.co/p-yt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ask me a question on or off the show here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-ask⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-cjk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about my company: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-cof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow me on Twitter here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-x⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free weekly business ideas newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-nl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share this podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-all⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scrape small business data: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tkopod.co/p-os⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---

In this episode, host Brendon Dennewill sits down with Bill Wilson, Founder and CEO of Pace Pricing and three-time software entrepreneur with over 20 years building and scaling SaaS companies. Bill shares how he evolved from software developer to pricing strategist after recognizing the deep anxiety founders face around pricing decisions. Through his work guiding hundreds of SaaS teams, he's discovered that pricing isn't just a numbers game—it's about alignment, belief, and understanding the jobs customers hire products to do.The conversation explores why pricing, product, and positioning cannot be separated, and how misalignment at the leadership level cascades throughout organizations, leaving money on the table. Bill unpacks his PACE framework (Profile, Architect, Calibrate, Execute) and explains why he shifted from pure data-driven decisions to building belief through iterative validation. He also tackles how AI is fundamentally reshaping SaaS business models, from enabling outcome-based pricing to introducing new cost structures that challenge traditional economies of scale.This episode is essential for SaaS founders, RevOps leaders, product executives, and B2B growth teams looking to unlock revenue through strategic pricing, eliminate cross-functional friction, and prepare their business models for an AI-driven future.What You'll LearnWhy pricing misalignment at the leadership level quietly becomes a company-wide problemHow the PACE framework brings structure and repeatability to pricing decisionsThe difference between solving a problem vs. executing a job to be doneWhy belief, not data, is the true catalyst for pricing changes and adoptionHow AI is accelerating the shift toward outcome-based pricing modelsWhy product, pricing, and positioning can't be separated, and what happens when they areThe single most impactful action a founder can take if pricing hasn't been reviewed in a yearResources MentionedPace Pricing PACE FrameworkJobs to be Done (JTBD)Bob Moesta April Dunford, author of "Obviously Awesome"HubSpot Intercom Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you'll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizations A clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it's not) Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions Newsletter LinkedIn YouTube Explore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

 Adoptez le psycho-marketing pour convaincre vos clients ! Interview de Stefan Lendi ---  Au sommaire de l'interview de Stefan Lendi : 1 - Est ce que tu pourrais te présenter ? 2 - Quelles sont les bases du psycho marketing ? 3 - Est ce que tu peux nous expliquer le principe de la spirale de valeur, et peux tu nous donner quelques exemples ? 4 - Quelles sont les nouveautés de la seconde édition du psycho marketing ? 5 - Est ce que l'IA peut aider un débutant à appliquer la spirale de valeur ? 6 - Si on veut en savoir plus, où peut on acheter le livre ? Pour le commander : https://librairie.gereso.com/livre-en... --- Présentation du live  Et si vous pouviez transformer chaque prospect en client fidèle, de manière mesurable et reproductible ? Derrière chaque décision d'achat, il y a une personne avec ses croyances, ses besoins et ses envies. Le PsychoMarketing décrypte comment vos prospects et clients perçoivent, mémorisent, décident et passent à l'action. Cette approche, basée sur la science, vous permet de comprendre comment guider leur choix avec plus d'impact. L'auteur s'appuie sur des recherches scientifiques et plus de 20 ans d'expérience en marketing pour vous proposer une méthode originale et pragmatique en 7 étapes, avec des outils pour créer des campagnes performantes qui attirent, convertissent et fidélisent. Cette nouvelle édition offre également les ressources nécessaires pour implémenter le PsychoMarketing dans trois contextes distincts : le B2C, le B2B et les logiciels SaaS. Que vous soyez entrepreneur, marketeur, communicant ou dirigeant, quelle que soit la taille de votre entreprise, découvrez comment utiliser les leviers du PsychoMarketing pour améliorer vos résultats. --- Au sommaire du livre  RADIOSCOPIE DU CERVEAU ET DISSECTION DE LA PRISE DE DÉCISION Dans les coulisses des coups de maître commerciaux Pourquoi le marketing traditionnel dysfonctionne Anatomie du PsychoMarketing Un filtre de lucidité pour vous transformer en super-PsychoMarketeur Dans la tête de vos clients Comment identifier un marché porteur LE SYSTÈME QUI DÉCLENCHE DES ACHATS ET QUI FIDÉLISE VOS CLIENTS Introduction à la Spirale de Valeur et de Persuasion (SVP) La Pré-influence : convaincre votre marché avant le moindre contact L'Attraction : générer des prospects ciblés La Transformation : éveiller un intérêt marqué pour votre produit L'Engagement : susciter un désir ardent chez le prospect La Tantalisation : rendre le désir intenable La Transaction : déclencher un acte d'achat important La Récurrence : créer des ambassadeurs ravis LE PSYCHOMARKETING EN PRATIQUE Trois types d'implémentation : B2C, B2B et SaaS La Spirale de Valeur et de Persuasion à l'oeuvre Comment amplifier la Spirale de Valeur et de Persuasion 

Reselling software gives you many of the benefits of a software business, without the upfront development cost. That means you can enjoy recurring revenue, selling one product to multiple customers, and strong profit margins by white labeling a software tool that already exists. These benefits are what attract many people to starting a SaaS, or software as a service, but you may not need to go through the trouble. After all, there may already be a tool that solves the same problem. Could you become a software reseller instead of a software creator? To help me learn more about reselling software (also known as white labeling), I connected with Chris Lollini. Chris is a self-described “recovering engineer” who started a marketing agency as a side hustle 9 years ago. That agency evolved into a multi-6-figure white labeling operation called Reputation Igniter. The business helps other small businesses earn more positive reviews for their work. And while Chris definitely invested the time in growing his network and roster of monthly customers, it now takes him just 5-10 hours a week to run. Tune in to The Side Hustle Show interview to hear: how Chris got the idea to start white labeling SaaS products how he identified his customer's pain points and provided a SaaS solution the methods he uses to add value and create healthy profit margins Big thanks to my brother Chris for the intro! Full Show Notes: Reselling Software: Don't Start a SaaS — White Label Someone Else's Instead New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Sponsors: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Indeed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quo (formerly OpenPhone)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shopify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠side hustle ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We share how to start a business and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠make money online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠passive income⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Side Hustle Nation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Cette semaine dans Demain N'attend Pas, on parle d'un angle trop souvent ignoré de la transition : la donnée.Car, si nos entreprises veulent réduire leurs émissions, elles doivent d'abord comprendre d'où elles viennent. Et ça, c'est un vrai défi de data Pour en parler, j'ai invité Rachel Delacour, une entrepreneure visionnaire et cofondatrice de Sweep, une plateforme Saas qui rassemble – enfin – toutes les données carbone d'une entreprise, de l'extraction des matières premières jusqu'à l'usage final des produits. Sweep, c'est un outil conçu pour que les entreprises disposent d'un vrai reporting carbone et surtout, pour qu'elles passent à l'action.Ce que j'ai aimé dans notre échange :Rachel n'était pas destinée à “faire de l'impact”. Elle venait de la tech, du SaaS, des startups. Puis à 40 ans, la réalité climatique lui tombe dessus — littéralement dans un avion, en lisant les rapport du GIEC.Elle se demande alors comment contribuer. De toutes les voies possibles, elle choisit celle qui lui permet de s'appuyer sur ce qu'elle a appris dans sa vie professionnelle passée et, au vu de l'urgence, d'être la plus rapidement efficace. Ce qu'elle sait faire : monter une entreprise, dans le secteur BtB, en aidant les grands groupes à comprendre leurs données et piloter leurs actions. Mais cette fois-ci, elle le fait au service de la décarbonation des grands groupe.Rachel a une ambition assumée : elle lève 100M€, recrute les meilleurs, et part convaincre les comités exécutifs partout dans le monde. Ca tombe bien, il faut de l'ambition pour réduire les émissions carbone à l'échelle !Elle ne moralise pas avec les entreprises, ne leur parle pas de leur responsabilité et de leur héritage. Elle parle business : réduction des risques, performance, avantage compétitif, ROI. Et ça marche.Un épisode qui rappelle une évidence : sans innovation, sans données, sans outils, la transition restera un slogan. Avec des entrepreneures comme Rachel, elle devient un chantier concret. Et je rajouterais : pour embarquer les entreprises, il faut qu'elles y voient leur intérêt économique et il faut parler leur langage.A l'heure des reculs écologiques, cette discussion nous rappelle que, si le chemin est étroit, il existe encore. A nous tous de nous y engager ! Je vous souhaite une très bonne écoute, ✍Vous voulez en savoir plus sur Sweep ?Allez voir leur site internet ici 

In this episode of Social Commerce Club, Zohaib joins the show to reveal the brutal truth about the SaaS industry, the creator economy, and the coming AI content crisis. After working inside nearly every major e-commerce SaaS company — Attentive, LiveRecover, Sendlane, Social Snowball, Refundle and more — Zohaib breaks down what's actually happening behind the scenes.We cover the collapse of enterprise-driven SaaS models, why micro creators are outperforming paid ads, how CPM-based creator marketing is rewriting e-commerce, and why AI-generated content is about to hit a massive wall as platforms begin suppressing it.This episode is packed with insider stories, real tactical insights, and a brutally honest look at where social commerce, creators, and AI are heading in 2025 and beyond.If you're building in SaaS, running an e-commerce brand, scaling creators, or navigating the new TikTok/Instagram landscape — this conversation will change how you think about growth.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen sits down with global venture capitalist Alex Lazarow, founder of Fluent Ventures, to unpack the future of early-stage investing as AI, globalization, and shifting economic forces reshape the startup landscape. Alex brings a rare perspective shaped by 20+ markets across Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, plus experience backing seven unicorns, from Chime to breakout fintechs worldwide.Alex shares insights from his unconventional path from academia-curious economist to McKinsey consultant, impact investor at Omidyar Network, partner at global firm Cathay Innovation, and now solo GP building a research-driven, globally distributed early-stage fund. He dives into why the best startup ideas no longer come from one geography, why AI has permanently rewritten the cost structure of company building, and how proven business models are being successfully reinvented in emerging markets and then exported back to the U.S.He also breaks down why small businesses may become more powerful than ever, the rise of “camel startups,” and what founders everywhere must understand about raising capital in a world where early traction matters more than ever.Whether you are a founder, operator, or investor navigating the next era of innovation, this conversation reveals how global patterns, AI tailwinds, and disciplined research can uncover tomorrow's winners.From Winnipeg to Wall Street: Early Career Lessons (00:01:17)* Alex reflects on growing up in Winnipeg and navigating a multicultural family background.* How early roles at RBC M&A and the Bank of Canada shaped his analytical lens.* Why he pursued economics, consulting, and academia before landing in venture.* The value of testing career hypotheses instead of blindly following one path.Building a Global Perspective Through McKinsey (00:06:42)* Alex describes working in 20 markets, from Tunisia during the revolution to Indonesia and Brazil.* Why exposure to varied cultures and economies sharpened his ability to spot emerging global patterns.* The framework he used to choose projects: people, content, geography.Entering Venture Through Impact Investing (00:08:05)* Joining Omidyar Network to explore fintech innovation and financial inclusion.* Early exposure to global mobile banking and super-app models.* The origin story behind investing in Chime.* Why mission-driven investing shaped his lifelong global investment thesis.Scaling Globally at Cathay Innovation (00:13:14)* Transitioning into a traditional VC role after Omidyar.* Helping scale Cathay from a $287M fund to nearly $1B.* Why he eventually left to build a more focused, research-driven early-stage fund.The Fluent Ventures Thesis: Proven Models, Global Arbitrage (00:16:45)* Fluent backs founders who take validated business models and execute them in new geographies or industries.* Investing between pre-seed and Series A with a tightly defined “10 business model portfolio.”* Why their TAM is intentionally much smaller, only 200–500 companies worth meeting each quarter.* Leveraging a network of 50 unicorn founders and global VCs to discover breakout teams early.Why AI Is Reshaping Early-Stage Investing (00:23:01)* AI has dramatically reduced the cost of building early products.* Increasingly, startups raise capital after launching revenue not before.* The new risk: foundational AI models may “eat” many SaaS products.* What types of companies will survive AI disruption.The Camel Startup & The Great Diffusion (00:28:14)* The “camel startup” concept: resilient, capital-efficient companies built outside Silicon Valley norms.* How software (and now AI) lets small companies “rent scale” once only available to big enterprises.* Why the next decade will favor startups that focus on durability, not blitzscaling.Why Silicon Valley Still Matters, Even for Global Founders (00:32:47)* Alex encourages founders to build in their home markets but visit Silicon Valley to raise capital and absorb cutting-edge ideas.* How one founder raised SF-level valuations while building in the Midwest.* The “global arbitrage” advantage: raise capital where it's abundant, build where costs are low.Where Global Markets Are Leading Innovation (00:35:41)* Why Japan is 5–10 years ahead in generational small-business transitions.Examples of B2B marketplace models thriving in India and now being imported to the U.S.* How construction marketplaces, industrial marketplaces, and embedded fintech platforms are spreading across continents.About Alex LazarowAlex Lazarow is the founder and Managing Partner of Fluent Ventures, an early-stage global venture fund investing in proven business models across fintech, commerce enablement, and digital health. A veteran global investor, Alex has backed seven unicorns, authored the award-winning book Out-Innovate, and previously invested at Omidyar Network and Cathay Innovation. He has worked in more than 20 countries and teaches entrepreneurship at Middlebury Institute.Connect with Alex Lazarow on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexandrelazarowVisit the Fluent Ventures website: https://www.fluent.vc/Connect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

How will SaaS Companies scale in 2026? The next era of SaaS growth won't be won by adding more reps, more tools, or more noise. In this episode, go-to-market operator Koen Stam (Personio) breaks down why 2026 will mark a decisive shift from people-heavy scaling to process-first, data-driven, efficiency-led growth—and what founders must do now to stay ahead.Koen oversees international revenue operations across Benelux, DACH, the Nordics, Spain, and beyond, and he brings a rare operator's lens to the future of GTM. He unpacks how founder-led, sales-led, and hybrid motions will evolve; why RevOps is about to become one of the most strategic functions in SaaS; and why fixing the data layer is the non-negotiable prerequisite to making AI actually work.You'll learn why the biggest upside in 2026 will come from retention, expansion, and word of mouth, how to design motions that scale with simplicity and discipline, and what it really takes to build from 0 to 10K MRR and to 10M ARR with one product, one audience, and one crystal-clear process.A must-listen for founders, operators, and GTM leaders building for the next wave of SaaS.Key Timecodes(0:00) - Intro: B2B SaaS go-to-market 2026, RevOps, AI, retention, expansion(1:13) - Guest intro: Koen Stam, Personio, international RevOps, HR tech(2:04) - 2026 GTM strategy: process-first, data-driven, efficiency-led growth(2:47) - GTM motions: founder-led vs sales-led vs hybrid, authenticity, efficiency(4:02) - Efficiency in SaaS: bow tie model, customer journey mapping, root causes(5:35) - RevOps priority: data layer, metrics, RevOps to CRO(6:38) - AI in GTM: fix data foundations, process over people(7:26) - Retention & expansion: word-of-mouth, NRR, customer-led growth(9:20) - Sponsor: Reditus affiliate and referral platform for B2B SaaS(10:14) - Word-of-mouth playbook: product value, customer success, community events(12:06) - Build GTM from scratch: founder-led content, AI amplification, simplify(13:59) - Referrals & partners: partner ecosystem, trust, incentives, win-win(15:26) - Zero to 10K MRR: one offer, one ICP, focus, execution(16:54) - Scale to 10M ARR: one product, one market, process-first, data model(17:37) - Connect with Koen: LinkedIn, Substack, AI learnings(17:55) - Audience building: LinkedIn vs Substack, creator-led growth(18:27) - Outro: subscribe, sponsor, Reditus, Grow Your B2B SaaS podcast

In episode #336, Ben Murray breaks down his top three go-to-market efficiency metrics that every SaaS and AI operator should master. He explains when each metric becomes meaningful, how they differ across go-to-market motions, why ACV-based benchmarking matters, and how these metrics become forward-looking tools through forecasting. Ben also highlights the importance of having fully burdened sales and marketing expenses in place so these efficiency metrics are accurate and defensible. What You'll Learn The three most important go-to-market efficiency metrics and why they matter How ACV—not ARR—should drive your benchmarking Why these metrics are proactive when used in forecasting, not just historical How revenue types (subscription vs. usage vs. platform/overage) influence metric design The foundational role of fully burdened sales and marketing expenses Why It Matters Enables operators to measure the true efficiency of sales and marketing investments Provides clarity on the health and scalability of the go-to-market motion Helps leadership benchmark realistically against peers using ACV-based expectations Allows finance teams to forecast forward-looking efficiency, not just track history Ensures efficiency metrics remain accurate as product pricing and revenue models evolve Prevents major errors caused by incomplete or misallocated CAC inputs Resources Mentioned Ben's SaaS Metrics Framework (Pillar 5: Go-to-Market Efficiency): https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation Ray Rike's benchmarking data at benchmarkit.ai Blog posts on modifying metrics for subscription + usage revenue models: https://www.thesaascfo.com/how-to-calculate-cac-payback-period-with-variable-revenue/

In Part 2 of our interview with Dusty Gulleson, CEO of eResources, we explore how value-driven project discovery helps teams make better decisions, prevent waste, and build software that actually supports the business. Dusty goes deep into prioritization, budgeting, revenue-generating processes, and why discovery is essential for steering both startups and large enterprises toward meaningful outcomes. About Dusty Gulleson Dusty Gulleson is a founder who never set out to build a large company—he simply followed the work, served people well, and let loyalty drive the growth. After leaving a COO role that didn't fit, he waited tables, picked up freelance web projects, and gradually built what is now eResources, a 100+ person organization spanning strategy, branding, IT services, cybersecurity, SaaS automation, and offshore teams. Born in Indonesia and now leading four thriving divisions, Dusty has grown the company without hype or outside funding, relying instead on relationships, trust, and consistent delivery. With five acquisitions under his belt and recurring revenue across industries like housing, higher education, and public health, his leadership philosophy centers on people, clarity, and service. Whether in a boardroom or a bourbon tasting room, Dusty approaches every conversation with the same question: "Where do you want to go, and how can we help?" Why Value-Driven Project Discovery Matters Many organizations want to move fast, but not necessarily in the right direction. Dusty explains that teams often fixate on long feature lists instead of business value. Value-driven project discovery flips that conversation by asking: What outcome are you trying to achieve? This shift helps clients focus on what matters most instead of chasing nice-to-have ideas. "Everyone's looking at the finish line, but no one is asking what the starting line really looks like." Using Value-Driven Project Discovery to Find True Priorities Dusty combines the 80/20 rule with the MoSCoW method to identify what the project truly needs at launch. Clients frequently bring big ideas, but through value-driven project discovery, his team uncovers the 20% that delivers 80% of the impact. The Must-Haves rise to the top naturally when tied back to real outcomes. Cutting Through Data Bloat One recurring obstacle is data collection bloat—requests to capture everything "just in case." Dusty highlights how the value-driven approach clears away unnecessary data points so teams can focus on action-driving information. This reduces complexity, speeds delivery, and saves money. Budget Reality Checks Dusty emphasizes that constraints are real and useful. Budgets shape scope, timelines, and phases. Instead of forcing everything into a fixed number, focusing on value helps teams see what is truly feasible. Often, clients don't understand how misaligned their vision and budget are until the story is mapped out clearly. Identifying Golden Processes Using Value-Driven Project Discovery Golden processes—the steps that generate revenue or sustain the business—are central to prioritization. During value-driven project discovery, Dusty helps clients identify the processes that keep the company moving. Once those are defined, secondary ideas naturally fall into later phases. "Your golden processes determine where the first dollars must go." Value-Driven Project Discovery and the Chapter-One Mindset Big visions don't require big bang releases. Dusty encourages a chapter-one approach: start small, deliver one valuable win, and build momentum. A $100 improvement today may pave the way for a $1,000 investment tomorrow. This phased approach reduces risk and increases adoption. Applying Value-Driven Project Discovery to Grow Without VC Funding Dusty's entrepreneurial journey is a testimony to value-driven thinking. He grew his company to 100+ employees without venture capital—using time, grit, SBA vehicles, and strategically acquired businesses. Value-driven helps guide decisions about where to invest and when to scale. Overcoming Crisis Through Value-Driven Project Discovery During the 2008 financial crisis, Dusty leaned heavily on value-first thinking. Cash froze, clients paused payments, and vendors struggled. Instead of panicking, he relied on relationships, transparency, and careful evaluation of what mattered most. Value-driven project discovery helped him make decisions grounded in clarity rather than fear. How Value-Driven Project Discovery Builds Better Relationships At its core, discovery is a relationship-building exercise. Clients don't just need developers—they need partners who understand their story, their challenges, and their business realities. Dusty reminds us that consulting is as much about people and process as it is about technology. Lessons for Founders Dusty closes with important advice for new founders: learn to talk to people, listen with empathy, and understand their story. Tools and platforms matter, but only after you fully grasp the problem. "People want to be heard. When they're heard, you can actually solve their problem." Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Software Architecture Deliverables – Provide The Story Software Development Requirements: Staying True to Specifications Why Setting Deadlines Is the Key to Successful Projects Building Better Foundations Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content

In this episode, Aydin sits down with Paul Xue, a self-described “vibe marketer” and former 3x CTO who now runs an AI-native Reddit growth agency. Paul explains why he believes any assumption you made about AI even three months ago is probably wrong today, and how that realization pushed him to pivot away from writing code as a long-term career.He walks through how his team ships production software where ~100% of the code is AI-generated, why 80% of the work now lives in planning and system design, and how new models like Claude Opus 4.5 and Gemini 3 let him literally “go for a walk” while his tools implement features. Along the way, Paul shares real numbers (two years of work vs 10–15 hours), what this means for agencies and devs, how he hires in an AI-native world, and gives a behind-the-scenes tour of the multi-agent workflows powering his Reddit content engine.Timestamps0:00 – Introduction1:01 – What a “vibe marketer” is and why Reddit is a power channel in the LLM era3:01 – From 3x CTO to Reddit-first entrepreneur: deciding coding isn't future-proof4:06 – GPT-3.5 + end of zero interest rates: when dev agency contracts fell off a cliff6:28 – Adoption curves: senior devs who still don't use AI and why personality matters7:57 – Running an AI-native shop where ~100% of production code is AI-generated9:48 – Two years vs 10–15 hours: Paul's personal 10x story on shipping an MVP12:04 – New development workflow: “plan mode” and spending 80% of time on specs18:17 – Claude Opus 4.5, Gemini 3, and “going for a walk” while AI finishes features23:30 – How $60K–$250K apps turn into weekend side projects with vibe coding tools27:12 – Hiring in the AI era: why pure “ticket-taking” devs won't survive35:12 – Inside an AI-native Reddit engine: n8n workflows, agents, Pinecone & OpenRouterTools & Technologies MentionedReddit – Primary growth and content channel; a highly trusted source for LLM training and citations.ChatGPT / GPT-3.5 – Early model that triggered Paul's realization that traditional coding careers would change.Claude 3.5 Sonnet & Claude 3.5 Opus / Opus 4.5 – Anthropic models Paul uses for long-running coding, planning, and browser automation.Gemini 3 – Google model Paul uses to quickly generate solid, familiar SaaS-style UI/UX ideas.Cursor – AI-native code editor that turns detailed “plans” into production code with one click.n8n – Automation platform that powers Paul's multi-step AI workflows for content creation and evaluation.Pinecone – Vector database storing each client's knowledge base for highly relevant Reddit responses.OpenRouter – Routing layer that lets Paul easily swap and test different language models over time.MCP (Model Context Protocol) – Framework he uses to give agents tool access (e.g., scraping Reddit, reading DBs).Notion – Fast prototyping environment to validate data models and workflows before writing custom code.Zapier – General automation glue in the earliest workflow experiments.Figma – Design tool, now increasingly AI-assisted, for UI/UX mockups.SpecCode – Tool Paul cites for vibe coding HIPAA-compliant applications.Anything – Mobile-focused “vibe coding” platform for building iOS/Android apps on your phone.Fellow – AI meeting assistant that joins meetings, produces summaries/action items, and acts as an AI chief of staff.Subscribe at⁠ thisnewway.com⁠ to get the step-by-step playbooks, tools, and workflows.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—Ray is a designer-turned-researcher. He grew up in New Zealand but moved to the UK last year.His career started in graphic design and advertising, but he's also studied art history and worked as a brand strategist and innovation consultant before moving into UX. He was a product designer before officially pivoting to UX research.He is passionate about the craft of UX research, so is naturally drawn towards rigour and detail. But there's definitely a balance to be mindful of, so lately he's been enjoying the challenge of taking a more pragmatic approach to cut through the noise at work and maximise impact.In our conversation, we discuss:* How Raymond moved from design to research and why his messy, creative path helps him make peace with constraints.* Why “just enough” research is often the most realistic (and still valuable) kind.* Dealing with stakeholders who want statistical significance and to act on N=1 quotes.* What makes a one-pager actually work (hint: it's not cramming 14 bullet points into 10pt font).* How to reframe constraints as creative challenges, instead of just reasons to cry in a spreadsheet.Some takeaways:* Rigor isn't one thing. There's a difference between medical research and a usability test for a SaaS dashboard. Raymond reminds us to stop chasing perfection and start asking: What's the risk? What's the goal? What's actually good enough here?* You don't have to be the loudest voice in the room to be the expert. Sometimes the best way to build trust is not to say “trust me, I'm the expert,” but to bring the right method to the table and explain why it fits. Raymond shares how he uses method knowledge to guide teams—without pulling rank.* Constraints aren't the enemy, they're the brief. That tight deadline or limited budget? Treat it like a design prompt. What can you strip away? What creative method still works? That shift in mindset changes everything from energy to output.* Scoping is where the real power is. Raymond shares a sharp approach to collaborative scoping: show a strawman plan and let stakeholders rip it apart. It builds alignment faster and helps surface hidden assumptions, risks, and trade-offs without ego wars.* Your research summary isn't for you. Your one-pager should pass the 40-second CEO elevator ride test. Raymond breaks down his 3-column template and shares why the takeaways column matters more than your favorite quote or clever insight. It's about what they need to do next.Where to find Raymond:* ADPList mentor profile page* LinkedIn* Medium Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.It's built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic deliveryInterested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.userresearchstrategist.com/subscribe

professorjrod@gmail.comIn this episode of Technology Tap: CompTIA Study Guide, we dive deep into cloud security fundamentals, perfect for those preparing for the CompTIA Security+ exam. Join our study group as we explore the shifting security landscape from locked server rooms to identity-based perimeters and data distributed across regions. This practical, Security+-ready guide connects architecture choices to real risks and concrete defenses, offering valuable IT certification tips and tech exam prep strategies. Whether you're focused on your CompTIA exam or looking to enhance your IT skills development, this episode provides essential insights to help you succeed in technology education and advance your career.We start by grounding the why: elasticity, pay-per-use costs, and resilience pushed organizations toward public, private, community, and hybrid clouds. From there, we map service models—SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, and XaaS—and the responsibilities each one assigns. You'll hear how thin clients reduce device risk, why a transit gateway can become a blast radius, and where serverless trims surface area while complicating visibility. Misunderstanding the shared responsibility model remains the leading cause of breaches, so we spell out exactly what providers secure and what you must own.Identity becomes the new perimeter, so we detail IAM guardrails: least privilege, no shared admins, MFA on every privileged account, short-lived credentials, and continuous auditing. We cover encryption in all three states with AES-256, TLS 1.3, HSMs, and customer-managed keys, then add CASB for SaaS control and SASE to bring ZTNA, FWaaS, and DLP to the edge where users actually work. Virtualization and containers deliver speed and density but expand the attack surface: VM escapes, snapshot theft, and poisoned images require hardened hypervisors, signed artifacts, private registries, secret management, and runtime policy. Hybrid and multi-cloud introduce inconsistent IAM and fragmented logging—centralized identity, unified SIEM, CSPM, and infrastructure-as-code guardrails bring discipline back.We wrap with the patterns attackers exploit—public storage exposure, stolen API keys, unencrypted backups, and supply chain compromises—and the operating principles that stop them: zero trust, verification over assumption, and automation that responds at machine speed. Stick around for four rapid Security+ practice questions to test your skills and cement the concepts.If this helped you study or sharpen your cloud strategy, follow and subscribe, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review telling us which control you'll deploy first.Support the showArt By Sarah/DesmondMusic by Joakim KarudLittle chacha ProductionsJuan Rodriguez can be reached atTikTok @ProfessorJrodProfessorJRod@gmail.com@Prof_JRodInstagram ProfessorJRod

In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with Anthony Franco—serial entrepreneur, co-author of AI First Principles and the Wiser Method, and host of the How to Founder podcast—to talk about what it really takes to implement AI effectively in SaaS businesses. The conversation breaks past the usual hype, diving deep into the practical messiness of entrepreneurship, building tech that serves real humans (not just outputs), and how intentional iteration leads to successful outcomes. Anthony Franco shares brutally honest stories of failure, the necessity of understanding end users, and the importance of starting with a noble cause before diving into AI adoption. If you're a founder wanting actionable strategies to build a future-proof company in the age of AI, this is your episode.Key Takeaways00:00 "AI, Bias, and Holographic Futures"03:44 "Future, Revenue Systems, and Strategy"07:34 "Entrepreneurs Fuel Prosperity"10:36 "Value Your Job, Avoid Mistakes"15:02 "Earn the Right to Rebuild"18:57 "User Experience Insights Revolution"21:34 Necessary Complexity and Risk Management25:49 "Leadership's Four Key Relationships"28:23 "Wiser Method: AI Principles"32:30 AI Missteps: Autonomy vs Collaboration35:25 "Challenging Ideas and Biases"38:03 "Readiness for Agentic Orchestration"43:00 "Feature Flags & Brand Magic"Tweetable Quotes“Entrepreneurs are the pioneers of economic prosperity—the ones willing to look foolish bring prosperity to all.” —Anthony Franco“If you automate broken things, you're just scaling your problems.” —Anthony Franco“Design for how the world is—not just how you wish it would be.” —Anthony Franco“The reason you write software is to make someone's life easier—not just your own.” —Anthony Franco“Stop coding. Go talk to the person you're coding for—not your manager, your end user.” —Anthony Franco“If you win 10% of the time and fail 90%, you still win. Micro-failures fuel learning.” —Anthony FrancoSaaS Leadership LessonsLead Arm-in-Arm, Not From AfarGreat leaders work alongside their teams, getting “calluses” from real workSet Honest Expectations About EntrepreneurshipDon't sell the dream—share failures and chaos as well as successes to guide founders realisticallyTalk to End Users—Don't Just Delegate DiscoveryLeaders must become chief customer advocates; direct feedback is transformative Don't Automate for Automation's SakeEvaluate the root causes and bottlenecks before layering on tools Embrace Necessary ComplexityNot all complexity is bad. Sometimes it's a competitive advantage or required for regulatory compliance Start Small—Iterate and Learn Before Scaling AIFocus on incremental improvement, pilot adoption, and learning from failures Guest Resourcesanthony@suitepea.comaifirstprinciples.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyfranco/x.com/anthonyfrancoEpisode SponsorThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite -

Danny Silverman is the Executive Vice President of Digital Commerce at Market Performance Group, a leading end-to-end strategy and services omnichannel commerce agency. He is also the Founder and Digital Strategy and Growth Consultant at Silverstream Strategic Consulting. As a digital commerce executive, Danny has over two decades of experience in eCommerce, marketing, and general management consulting. Throughout his career, Danny has scaled a digital commerce agency 10x in three years, led marketing efforts for a global SaaS platform, and navigated Amazon's landscape since 2006. In this episode… Brands are overwhelmed by rapid shifts in AI, search behavior, and digital commerce expectations. With executives demanding clarity while teams face mounting complexity, how can companies cut through the noise and refocus on what drives growth? Seasoned digital commerce expert Danny Silverman says that brands should return to eCommerce fundamentals: traffic and conversions. He urges them to streamline assortments, double down on high-quality contextual content, and use AI tools as enhancers — rather than replacements — for human judgment. This helps leaders translate emerging trends into practical actions that strengthen performance instead of complicating it. In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant sits down with Danny Silverman, Executive Vice President of Digital Commerce at Market Performance Group, to discuss navigating AI-driven commerce. Danny explores contextual content's rise, the need to focus on profitable hero items, and how shifting 1P and 3P dynamics impact brand strategy.

Product marketing is marketing at it's purest form (not our words) —but only if we redefine what marketing actually means. Garrett Jestice, founder of Prelude, explains why tech companies get marketing backwards, how AI shifts risk from building to selling, and why messy go-to-market isn't a channel problem—it's a foundational problem. We dive into the CPG vs. SaaS marketing divide, why founders don't get PMM, and the brutal truth about connecting your work to revenue. Spoiler: If you can't explain who you're selling to and why, more ads won't save you.More from this convo...Why product marketers are the "purest form of marketing" (but tech ruined it) • The CPG lesson that every SaaS company needs to learn • How AI is making "can we build it?" irrelevant • Why your messy GTM isn't a lead problem—it's a foundation problem • The Cheerios brand manager approach to product marketing • How tech companies segmented marketing into irrelevance • The brutal truth about connecting PMM work to revenue • Why early-stage companies are PMM paradise • The "small wins" strategy for proving PMM value • How to sell yourself internally (when founders don't get it) • Why more ads won't fix your broken positioningTimestamps 00:00 Introduction & First Redheaded Guest01:00 Guest Introduction: Garrett Jestice, Prelude Founder02:00 The Big Question: Are Product Marketers Actually Marketers?02:30 "Purest Form of Marketers" But Not Today's Definition03:00 The CPG Background: Cheerios at General Mills04:00 Brand Managers as General Managers04:30 CPG vs. Tech: Where the Real Risk Lives05:00 AI Shifting Risk from Building to Selling06:00 The Minneapolis Connection07:00 Physical Products vs. Digital "Ones and Zeros"09:00 The Segmentation Problem in Tech Marketing11:00 Product Team vs. Marketing Team Divide13:00 Why Founders Don't Understand PMM15:00 The Language Barrier with Engineering Founders17:00 Building in Public & Personal Branding19:00 Rapid Fire Round Begins21:00 Worst Marketing Advice Stories23:00 Budget Allocation Debates25:00 The AI Hype Cycle Discussion27:00 Personal Branding for PMMs29:00 The Newsletter Renaissance31:00 SEO in the AI Age33:00 Career Journey: CPG to SaaS35:00 Founding Prelude Agency37:00 Early-Stage Company Focus39:00 The Foundation Problem in GTM41:00 Working with Founders Who Don't Get It43:00 Getting Wins in Their Language (Revenue)45:00 Connecting PMM Work to Revenue47:00 Small Wins Strategy49:00 Messy GTM Execution Fix50:00 Channels vs. Foundations51:00 How to Sell Consulting Internally52:00 Closing & Where to Find GarrettHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In today's episode, host Ben Murray welcomes John Glasgow, founder and CEO of Campfire—a fast-growing, AI-powered ERP solution built for modern finance teams. John Glasgow shares his background, from early days in finance at Adobe to leading partnerships at Invoice2Go and the inspiration behind starting Campfire. Together, they explore the challenges of building a next-generation ERP, the role of AI in streamlining finance workflows, and Campfire's rapid rise—including raising $100 million and landing marquee customers in just two years. You'll hear insights on current trends in CFO tech stacks, best practices for disciplined growth, and why accounting is becoming more strategic than ever. Whether you're a SaaS founder, CFO, or just curious about the future of finance software, this episode is packed with honest lessons, actionable insights, and a look at what's next for Campfire and the industry at large. Show Notes: 00:00 "From Finance to Founding Campfire" 03:22 "Building the Modern ERP" 09:58 "Accelerating Growth in ERP Space" 11:44 "AI Growth and Rapid Funding" 14:37 "New Logo ARR Growth Focus" 17:21 "Building ERP: Focus and Conviction" 23:31 Capacity Planning and Growth Strategy 27:23 Finance Software Revolution Insights 28:54 "Ember AI: Agentic Workflows Evolution" Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/campfire-raises-3-5-million-in-seed-round https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/campfire-secures-35-million-in-series-a https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/campfire-raises-65-million-in-series-b John Glasgow's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnglasgow/ Campfire's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meetcampfire/ Campfire's Website: https://campfire.ai/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

What if the biggest threat to your startup isn't the competition, but the decisions you make in the first six months? In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, we dive into a powerful segment from our TechVibe Radio interview with Juliana Keeling and Joe Swider of Terravive, the fast-growing company reinventing single-use products with American-made compostable materials. Their journey hasn't been driven by hype or shortcuts — it's been shaped by sharp strategic thinking, disciplined growth, and a relentless commitment to building a real business from the ground up. In this clip, Juliana and Joe open up about the lessons most founders learn too late: • Why a great idea means nothing without true product-market fit • How accelerators can accelerate the right things — including funding that doesn't cost you equity • The danger of jumping at the first investor check, and how early dilution can quietly sink a company • What authentic partnership looks like when the stakes get high • Why staying scrappy and in control ended up being their greatest advantage This is a candid, practical look at entrepreneurship from two people who have fought through the messy middle and come out stronger. Whether you're building something new or trying to course-correct something established, their insights land with uncommon clarity. Give it a listen — your future self will thank you. Click here for their full TechVibe interview. This is a Pittsburgh Technology Council podcast for tech and manufacturing  entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

Most service businesses drown in the chaos between what customers ask for and what they actually need. Kit Cox has spent over a decade building Enate to solve exactly that, an orchestration platform that helps B2B service providers cut through vagueness, assemble data, and deliver consistently exceptional service powered by both AI and human workforce.In this episode, Kit breaks down the three stages of service delivery, why culture trumps everything else as a founder, and how radical honesty, not "fake it till you make it" builds the customer relationships that actually last. He also shares why the best hires might have learned their most valuable skills in drama class, and why lawyers and IT departments as we know them might not survive the next decade.What you'll learn:

Forget the headlines predicting a “workerless workforce.” In this episode, host Bill Banham sits down with longtime cloud and SaaS analyst Phil Wainwright to cut through the hype and examine what AI agents really mean for HR, business leaders, and the people doing the work.Phil argues that automation can be transformative—but calling software a “workforce” conceals the real challenges organisations face: governance, transparency, accountability, and change management. Together, we explore where AI agents will take hold first—help desks, admin-heavy workflows, repetitive processes—and why this shift places HR in a more strategic, cross-functional role.Listeners will get practical guidance on:How to encode policy, ethics, and organisational values into systems so AI operates safelySpecific risks in AI-driven recruiting and performance processes, from hidden bias to opaque decision pathsThe documentation, access rules, and audit trails needed to build trustHow skills-based talent frameworks are reshaping hiring, development, and mobilityWhy adaptability, empathy, creativity, and problem solving are emerging as the defining skills of modern workWe also dig into early-career disruption, the evolution of knowledge work, and the rise of modular teams blending AI, contractors, and full-time staff—without dumping everyone into the gig economy.If you're leading HR or building teams, this episode offers a grounded roadmap for responsible AI adoption and resilient workforce design.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

In this year-end episode, William and Eyvonne recap their experiences at AutoCon 4 in Austin, Texas. They discuss the conference’s new multi-track format, including Eyvonne’s presentation in the leadership track on why technical projects fail. The conversation dives into how AI tools like Google Gemini can augment – not replace – human creativity, from research... Read more »

When the Chief Customer Officer role first emerged in SaaS, Alexis Hennessy was already there—helping define it. Twelve years ago, she co-founded the post-sales executive search practice inside Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world's premier search firms. She witnessed the rise of the CCO, the collapse of the role during the downturn, and now the fastest resurgence the market has seen in years.In this episode, Alexis breaks down why retention has become existential, why CCO hiring has spiked again, and what the best CCO candidates consistently do to stand out. She details the patterns behind successful hires, the emergence of consumption and AI-driven operating models, and why the path from CCO to CEO may finally be opening wider than ever.A practical and unfiltered look into the future of post-sales leadership—from the person helping shape who gets the top jobs.---Timestamps0:00 – Preview & Introduction1:22 – Meet Alexis Hennessy: Partner at Heidrick & Struggles2:02 – Many CEOs Still Don't Know What They Want4:10 – What CEOs Want in a CCO5:16 – What Great CCO Candidates Do in Interviews6:15 – Why CCO Hiring Is Surging Again7:25 – What Sets VP Candidates Apart When They Want to Move Up9:00 – Are Boards Demanding AI Experience? 10:45 – What the Best CCO Hires Do in Their First Year12:45 – Personality Traits That Define High-Performing CCOs13:43 – Agentic AI, Consumption Models & the New Stakes for CCOs15:23 – Can CCOs Become CEOs? 18:28 – Predictions: The Future of the CCO Role19:23 – Closing Thoughts---What You'll Learn* Why the CCO role is surging again after a multi-year slump* The three types of CEOs who hire CCOs—and which ones to avoid* The interview behaviors that separate top candidates from the rest* Why “listening first” is the #1 predictor of CCO success* What VPs need to show to break into the CCO ranks* The business conditions making the CCO-to-CEO path more realistic than ever* The critical KPIs great CCOs build to influence their executive peers* How consumption and agentic AI models increase the strategic importance of retention---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/---Where to Find Alexis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexishennessy/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

Emanuel Rose is the CEO of Strategic eMarketing, which helps B2B companies in IT services, SaaS, and financial services generate high-quality leads through innovative marketing strategies. With over 25 years of experience as an author, speaker, and B2B marketing strategist, Emanuel is widely recognized for his work integrating AI and automation into marketing. He explores these innovations on his podcast, Marketing in the Age of AI. In this episode… Some business eras evolve; others hit like a tidal shift — and AI-driven marketing sits squarely in the latter. Tools are advancing faster than teams can adapt, leaving many torn between excitement and overwhelm. How do you cut through the noise and navigate these rapid industry changes? According to Emanuel Rose, a veteran B2B marketing strategist and early adopter of AI in real-world marketing workflows, the path forward starts with practicality, not panic. He believes the biggest opportunity right now isn't flashy automation or massive content output — winning back time by offloading the mundane tasks that bog teams down. Emanuel explains how AI personalizes outreach, from analyzing a prospect's online presence to spotting natural conversation openings. He compares this period to the rise of social media in the early 2010s: a disruptive force that rewards those who stay one chapter ahead. For Emanuel, the real advantage goes to businesses that use AI responsibly — not those chasing trends. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, host John Corcoran is joined by Emanuel Rose, the CEO of Strategic eMarketing, to discuss how AI is reshaping modern marketing. They explore why personalization at scale is finally within reach, how to avoid the common missteps companies make with AI-driven outreach, and what generative search means for the future of SEO. Emanuel also shares his approach to blending automation with authentic human connection.

On the podcast, I talk with Greg about knowing when to pivot, why most consumer apps shouldn't raise VC, and why making free trials optional outperformed making them the default.Top Takeaways:

Anil Varanasi is the co-founder and CEO of Meter, which provides full-stack networking infrastructure as a service for businesses. Since founding Meter with his brother Sunil in 2015, Anil has been playing a distinctly long game in one of the most entrenched markets in technology, betting on vertical integration, business model innovation, and a multi-decade time horizon. In this conversation, he unpacks Meter's origin story, from four-plus years of heads-down R&D, and shares how his unconventional approach to planning, management, and pace keeps him excited to run the company for decades. In today's episode, we discuss: Why Anil thinks in 25-year horizons How operating in a monopolistic market shaped Meter's approach Why Meter scrapped a year of OS work during the R&D phase How Meter is rethinking networking's business model Surviving COVID, Apple's M1 transition, and “a thousand bad days” Anil's contrarian views on planning, OKRs, and management How founders can build companies they'll want to run for decades Where to find Anil: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anilcv/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/acv 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 References: ADT: ⁠https://www.adt.com⁠ Alex Honnold: ⁠https://www.alexhonnold.com⁠ Alex Tabarrok: ⁠https://x.com/ATabarrok⁠ ⁠alarm.com⁠: ⁠https://www.alarm.com⁠ Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): ⁠https://a16z.com⁠ Apple: ⁠https://www.apple.com⁠ Bloomberg: ⁠https://www.bloomberg.com⁠ Bryan Caplan: ⁠http://www.bcaplan.com/⁠ Cisco: ⁠https://www.cisco.com⁠ Coca-Cola: ⁠https://www.coca-colacompany.com⁠ George Mason University (GMU): ⁠https://www.gmu.edu⁠ Intel: ⁠https://www.intel.com⁠ Julia Galef: ⁠https://x.com/juliagalef⁠ Martin Casado: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/martincasado/⁠ Meraki: ⁠https://meraki.cisco.com⁠ Meter: ⁠https://www.meter.com⁠ Michela Giorcelli: ⁠https://x.com/M_Giorcelli⁠ Nicholas Bloom: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bloom-stanford/⁠ Raffaella Sadun: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/raffaella-sadun-3a182225/⁠ Sanjit Biswas: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjitbiswas/⁠ Sunil Varanasi: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunil-varanasi-662a01253/⁠ Tyler Cowen: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-cowen-166718/⁠ Twitch: ⁠https://www.twitch.tv⁠ Timestamps: (01:27) Meter's unusual timeframes (04:06) “We don't do OKRs” (06:32) How to plan without planning (08:31) Track your unhappy customers (11:43) How Meter's journey began (15:02) Dissecting the 2010s SaaS boom (17:06) The networking industry trap (21:44) Meter's first roadblock (22:07) Why Shenzhen accelerated Meter's progress (26:29) The process to get a sales-ready product (31:02) Why you should own the full stack (32:45) The surprising thing you should innovate (35:03) Avoiding the one-trick pony trap (37:39) The secret to finding an excellent market (43:48) How COVID's constraints propelled growth (48:25) Why founders need to know their customers (49:34) Why Meter didn't sell via traditional channels (51:44) You need “seller-market fit” (54:51) The danger of meta-work (56:25) Decoupling management from authority (1:02:17) When the person is the problem (1:05:05) The inherent value of going slowly (1:09:41) Running a company for as long as possible

For legal technology company Clio, this was a particularly significant year, marked by major announcements – including its $1 billion acquisition of vLex – that many saw as transformative for the company. This was on full display at the company's ClioCon conference in October, where CEO Jack Newton gave a keynote laying out the company's vision for a new era of AI-driven legal work in which Clio becomes an "intelligent legal work platform" that serves not as a system of record, but as a system of action, powering lawyers through their workdays by automating much of what they do.  In today's episode, recorded live at ClioCon, host Bob Ambrogi sits down with the two key executives leading Clio's product and technology vision: John Foreman, who joined as chief product officer in May, bringing experience from major SaaS companies including MailChimp and Podium, and Jonathan Watson, the chief technology officer who's been with Clio for eight years. They explore the company's ambitious vision to develop AI and expand into larger law firms, discuss how vertical software creates advantages for AI implementation, and explain why understanding the complete client journey enables more powerful automation. Foreman and Watson share insights on moving beyond simple chatbots to AI that can actually take action, the challenges and opportunities of expanding into the enterprise market, and what's next as they work to "finish drawing the owl." "We've started to draw the owl for folks," Foreman says, "and we're going to finish drawing the owl, and it's going to be a beautiful owl." Note: As of this recording, Clio had not yet closed its acquisition of vLex. The deal did finally close on Nov. 10.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). Eve, taking care of the tasks that slow you down so you can operate at your highest potential   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Nasrin Jafari is the founder and CEO of Mixed By Nasrin, a 7-figure fashion brand. Shop her store at www.mixedbynasrin.com and follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nasrinharumi/.INTELLIGEMSIntelligems brings A/B testing to business decisions beyond copy and design. Test your pricing, shipping charges, free shipping thresholds, offers, SaaS tools, and more by clicking here: https://bit.ly/42DcmFl. Get 20% off the first 3 months with code FARIS20.MOVE SUPPLY CHAINPay less for COGS, get shorter lead times, and improve payment terms in your supply chain with help from Move Supply Chain at https://⁠movesupplychain.com⁠.GET MORE FROM ALEX GREIFELDFollow Alex on X @heyitsalexpVisit her website & sign up for her newsletter and course at nobestpractices.coFOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/andrewjfaris⁠ Email: ⁠podcast@ajfgrowth.com⁠Work with Andrew: ⁠https://ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

He’s bought over 15 digital businesses—and learned some lessons the hard way. In this episode of the BOB Podcast, Jaryd Krause sits down with Yury Byalik, a seasoned growth marketer, acquisitions strategist, and digital-business investor who has spent over 15 years building, buying, and scaling profitable online companies. Currently serving as Head of Strategy & Acquisitions at Onfolio Holdings, Yury has mastered the art of spotting opportunities, structuring deals, and growing digital businesses into high-performing assets. But here’s the thing: acquisitions aren’t as simple as signing papers. Mistakes happen—and they can cost you time, money, and growth. Yury shares exactly what to avoid and what strategies actually work. In this episode, you’ll learn:

In this episode, Prerna Singh, CPTO at Avaaz, walks us through how AI is reshaping the way we prototype, learn and build digital products. Rather than replacing teams or skipping straight to production, she argues that AI shines when used as a “thought partner” to accelerate early‑stage experimentation. Through her own journey building a community platform on weekends, she demonstrates how tools like ChatGPT, Lovable (and later Claude / Replet) and Figma AI enabled her to move from blank page to clickable prototype in hours — while retaining the human insight, iteration and context that underpin good product work. The conversation reframes common assumptions about “fast‑AI = bypass human work,” and instead proposes a balanced adoption path: start in “sandbox mode,” learn and play — before graduating to “architect mode” where the real value to business begins.Chapters00:00 – Introduction & AI's impact on product cycles01:43 – Meet Prerna Singh: her background in product and community building03:50 – The community problem: logistics over connection05:11 – Turning to AI to solve her own problem06:50 – What AI can't do: user insight and human judgment08:08 – From waterfall to short-cycle prototyping10:54 – Using ChatGPT as a Socratic thought partner13:07 – Working solo vs team: where AI fits17:17 – From prompt to prototype: using Lovable19:06 – Iterating with Figma AI and other tools23:00 – Real feedback from real users25:02 – Creating a feedback knowledge base with AI26:16 – AI vs design sprints: same principles, new toolsOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She's currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She's worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury's. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group's Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He's the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager's Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon's music stores in the US & UK.

In this episode, we speak with Ben Levin, Co-Founder and CEO of Level Equity, a lower middle market private investment firm focused on providing capital to rapidly growing software and technology-enabled businesses. Founded in 2009, Level Equity has raised over $4.5 billion across closed funds and co-investments, completed more than 125 investments, and operates out of New York City and Greenwich, CT. Ben shares how Level's distinctive NextLevel Operations platform, a three-tiered operational model of internal operators, senior special operators, and curated external experts, drives tangible value for portfolio companies across go-to-market, product, and M&A initiatives. This approach ensures highly tailored support, enabling high-growth SaaS companies to scale efficiently and sustainably. Drawing on his experience investing in high-growth software companies since 1997, Ben discusses the firm's disciplined approach to AI adoption, strategic engagement with portfolio companies, and focus on building a sustainable, high-performance culture that develops top-tier talent while preserving operational excellence. Level Equity and Ben Levin have received numerous accolades, most recently with Ben named a Top Software Investor of 2025 by GrowthCap, and Level Equity recognized as a Top Private Equity Firm of 2025, underscoring their enduring impact on the software growth investing landscape. I am your host, RJ Lumba. We hope you enjoy the show. If you like the episode, click to follow.

What if the most powerful strategy you ever create isn't for a business, but for your own life?In this conversation, I turn the microphone on myself as strategist and author Niko Canner interviews me about how to bring strategic thinking into everyday choices.We explore why busyness can be the enemy of purpose and how small, deliberate moves made moment by moment unlock greater agency and performance. I share how a personal family crisis forced me to reclaim control of my time, energy and focus, and how those lessons now shape the way I coach leaders and design my own days.You'll hear how to connect long-term aspirations with the micro-moments that define each day, creating a strategy that is both intentional and flexible. Niko and I also examine how individual strategic habits ripple out to transform teams and entire organisations.Listen in if you're ready to stop living on autopilot and start making wiser choices at work, at home and everywhere in between.“All progress begins with dissonance.” — Niko CannerYou'll hear about·      Strategy beyond the boardroom·      Daily choices that drive performance·      Coaching story of reclaiming the day·      Mindfulness, agency and coherent moves·      Setting life-long strategic aspirations·      Turning crisis into intentional living·      Five-chapter arc of strategic change·      Acting strategically in any momentAbout Niko:Niko founded Incandescent in 2013. He serves as a thought partner to leaders of large enterprises on strategy, organization and innovation; advising founders on the development of their ventures; and partnering with foundations and non-profits engaged in systems change. Previously Niko co-founded the consulting firm Katzenbach Partners, Senior Partner at Booz & Company following the sale of Katzenbach to Booz in 2009 and a member of the Management Committee of Bridgewater Associates. Niko chairs the boards of Skreens, a SaaS cloud-based visual engine that enables users to build personalized experiences on any display, and Catchafire, a platform for skills-based volunteering.Resources: Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikocanner/ Business: https://www.incandescent.com/ Blog: https://www.onhumanenterprise.com/ My resources:Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj)Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead.Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.For more details about me:●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Superhuman - https://superhuman.com/PODCASTSquarespace - https://squarespace.com/twistEnterpret - https://www.enterpret.com/dlp/this-week-in-startupsToday's show: A screenshot showing a “Target Ad” in ChatGPT results went viral… over the weekend, but the OpenAI chatbot has NOT actually opened the advertising floodgates just yet.As ChatGPT staffers were quick to explain on social media, this was actually an invitation for a user to integrate their Target account into ChatGPT, for an easier agentic browsing and shopping experience.But it does prompt Jason and Alex to ask some intriguing questions… Is OpenAI just waiting for Google or someone else to launch AI ads first, and face the inevitable flood of backlash they'll presumably receive? Is there someone at OpenAI already thinking DEEPLY about how these in-feed ads should work? And what does this mean for their wager on when ChatGPT is going to actually get ads? Is that already decided?These answers and more are coming your way on today's action-packed TWiST… PLUS the latest on the Warner Bros Discovery-Netflix deal, PR guru Lulu Cheng Meservey's new venture fund, and why Jason and Lon are obsessing about Apple TV's “Pluribius.”Timestamps:(01:59) They put Target ads in ChatGPT? Or was it just an integration? Is there a difference?(5:24) Is someone at OpenAI really thinking deeply about how in-feed ads should work?(07:36) Is OpenAI just waiting for Google to start running ads to post their own? Jason has suspicions…(10:01) Why Jason thinks startup people have so much trouble communicating with normies(10:32) Superhuman - Get AI that works where you work. Unlock your Superhuman potential at https://superhuman.com/PODCAST(13:22) The insane competition now facing down OpenAI and Sam Altman(18:40) Why Jason will no longer use data from SaaS companies looking for a marketing win(19:52) Does this mean ChatGPT TECHNICALLY has ads? Does Alex win the bet?! What does Polymarket think?(20:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(25:17) Why Jason is already tired of the Netflix-Paramount-WBD story(30:06) Enterpret - Enterpret turns feedback noise into Customer Intelligence, so your team knows exactly what to fix and build next. Head to http://Enterpret.com/twist to book a demo and see it in action.(34:03) President Jason's new proposal: A 60-day “pre-approval” antitrust window(47:29) Why Jason's not interested in news commentary… just the facts.(51:40) Jason and Lon take a few moments to praise “Pluribus”(54:45) PR guru Lulu Cheng Meservey is starting a venture firm… here's why she wants to start a “movement”(58:05) Why PR people hate but also respect JasonSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:32) Superhuman - Get AI that works where you work. Unlock your Superhuman potential at https://superhuman.com/PODCAST(20:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(30:06) Enterpret - Enterpret turns feedback noise into Customer Intelligence, so your team knows exactly what to fix and build next. Head to http://Enterpret.com/twist to book a demo and see it in action.

Originally published on the a16z Infra podcast. We're resurfacing it here for our main feed audience.AI coding is already actively changing how software gets built.a16z Infra Partners Yoko Li and Guido Appenzeller break down how "agents with environments" are changing the dev loop; why repos and PRs may need new abstractions; and where ROI is showing up first. We also cover token economics for engineering teams, the emerging agent toolbox, and founder opportunities when you treat agents as users, not just tools. Resources:Follow Yoko on X: https://x.com/stuffyokodrawsFollow Guido on X: https://x.com/appenz Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Carolyn and Amber pull back the curtain on a $500M cybersecurity company that came to Passetto stuck in last-touch reporting, declining win rates, an overreliance on product trials, and zero visibility into what SDRs were actually working.In just 14 days, their Growth Sprint surfaced what months of internal analysis couldn't: the true drivers of revenue, why trials convert at only 5%, why hand-raisers deliver 2X the deal size and win rate, and how 40% of opportunities are created with no traceable sales trigger at all.We walk through the exact before-and-after: their revenue architecture score, the missing SDR prospecting layer, the downstream impact of “low-signal” opportunities, and the data that finally gives the team conviction to modernize their demand engine.Even with strong tools and a mature sales motion, they're operating with only 55% revenue visibility, record-low win rates, and a demand strategy built almost entirely on trials—until the Sprint changes the trajectory.We break down the insights their team uncovers:Why 55% of SDR workload comes from trials that win at only 5%How high-intent hand raisers deliver 2X the ACV and more than 2X the win rateWhy only 35% of opportunities show early-stage signalsHow more than 40% of opportunities have no traceable prospecting trigger at allAnd how a two-week sprint becomes the “forcing function” they need to move from uncertainty to a clear set of strategic prioritiesA powerful example of what happens when companies finally get the full-funnel visibility they've been missing.

Arto Minasyan is the Co-founder and President of Krisp, a company that provides AI-powered noise cancellation and voice optimization to improve clarity in virtual communication. He is also the Co-founder and CEO of 10Web, an AI-driven WordPress platform that automates website building, hosting, and performance optimization for businesses and agencies.  In this episode… Voice technology is evolving faster than most people can track, redefining how we meet, collaborate, and build online. As AI becomes woven into everyday tools, tasks that once felt clunky or technical now feel surprisingly simple. So what happens when voice AI and automated web creation become powerful enough to feel effortless? For Arto Minasyan, a longtime innovator in AI-driven communication, real progress occurs when technology removes friction from the experience instead of adding to it. He explains that people don't embrace tools simply because they're sophisticated — they stick with the ones that make life easier within seconds. That thinking guided Krisp's expansion from basic noise reduction into transcription, meeting notes, and real-time accent conversion. His work on automated WordPress creation reflects the same principle: deliver immediate results through an API rather than forcing users to navigate a complex platform. By centering speed, clarity, and intuitive workflows, Arto sees AI reshaping the way people communicate and build online. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Arto Minasyan, Co-founder and President of Krisp, to discuss the rise of voice AI and next-generation WordPress automation. They explore Krisp's expansion beyond noise cancellation, the power of an API-first website builder, and how timing shapes startup success. Arto also talks about the future of human-to-computer voice interaction.

What makes an early-stage startup truly fundable — and why do so many founders miss the mark?In today's episode, I sit down with Ian Levine, Managing Director of Launchpad Venture Group, one of the most active and respected angel investment networks in the United States.Ian has spent 15+ years investing in and syndicating early-stage deals and has helped grow more than 150 companies across New England and New York. Before Launchpad, he built and exited SaaS companies and held executive leadership roles at Bowne & Co., Merrill Corporation, and Iron Mountain. His combination of operator instincts and investor discipline gives him a rare, practical lens into what actually helps founders win.We dig into:• How Launchpad evaluates startups and why capital efficiency matters more than ever• The biggest mistakes founders make when pitching investors• Why distribution — not product — is the real scaling bottleneck• How angel groups fill a critical funding gap missed by VCs• What the Boston startup ecosystem gets right• Ian's personal journey across startups, corporate leadership, and now operating one of the most influential angel groups in the country• What he's working toward in the next chapter of his careerIf you're a founder, investor, operator, or someone growing a team, Ian's insights will reframe how you think about raising money and building a durable company.⸻Guest LinksLaunchpad Venture GroupWebsite: https://www.launchpadventuregroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/launchpad-venture-group/Ian LevineLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilevine/Company: https://www.launchpadventuregroup.com/⸻Host & PodcastChris BrodheadPodcast: What Are You Working Towards?Website: https://working-towards.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrodhead/Download the free storytelling guide:How to Tell the Best Version of Your Business Storyhttps://working-towards.com/

What does it really look like to build a tech company from scratch — as a woman, a founder, a mother, and a deeply intuitive leader? And what happens when you hit the wall of burnout… but choose to rebuild your business from a place of ease, alignment, and sovereignty instead of hustle? This week, I sit down with the extraordinary Heather Udo, Founder & CEO of Shoppable — a SaaS platform powering shoppable experiences for major retailers, global CPG brands, and creators. Heather shares the truth behind: ✨ Growing Shoppable into a profitable tech company over 14 years ✨ Navigating male-dominated startup culture ✨ Raising (or intentionally not raising) VC funding ✨ Coaching first-time tech founders ✨ Being a mother while running a company ✨ Using AI the right way for e-commerce ✨ Rebuilding after burnout ✨ Creating a life and business led by alignment, not adrenaline She also breaks down how Shoppable helps stylists, bloggers, designers & creators stop losing commission to coupon extensions (

A significant majority of business owners and marketers seedigital marketing as a key growth driver, with studies showing over 60% (e.g.,61% in one report) finding improvements in effectiveness and ROI, citingbenefits like increased exposure (83%), traffic (73%), and leads (65%), withemail marketing and SEO often highlighted as top performers for driving revenueand qualified leads. Businesses with higher digital maturity are significantlymore likely to see strong sales growth, confirming digital marketing's impacton growth, reports Business.com Garrett Hammonds is a partner at Hammonds Media andMarketing, where he leads digital marketing, sales, and business development.He's managed ad budgets of over $16 million a year and helped businessesgenerate more than $100 million in revenue. With expertise in digital ads, SEO,and growth strategy, Garrett specializes in helping even the most nicheindustries scale through digital marketing.Garrett Hammonds is not your typical marketer. He didn'tstart with a business degree or a plan to run an agency. In fact, his earlypath was toward teaching high school speech and debate after becoming anationally ranked college debater. Yet what began as “Garrett's young, he cando social media” at his first job turned into a career helpingorganizations—from nonprofits to SaaS companies to Fortune 500 partners—growthrough digital marketing. Under his leadership, HMM was the only Oklahoma agencyselected to attend Google's first-ever Search Central Live conference in NewYork City in 2025, and the agency has also been recognized by Clutch as one ofthe top digital marketing agencies in Oklahoma.  He joined me this week to tell me more.  -For more information: https://www.hmm.agency/Email: garrett@hmm.agency LinkedIn: @GarrettHammonds

How GoHighLevel Became the #1 CRM for Agencies Ceo & Co-Founder Shaun Clark Explains Want better decisions and better customers? Grab a free copy of my book Discernment and see what we're building at HomefrontBrands.com — links are in the description below. In this episode of Unemployable with Jeff Dudan, I sit down with Shaun Clark, co-founder of HighLevel (Go High Level), the CRM that quietly scaled to millions of businesses by doing one thing differently: building with a community of elite marketers instead of selling software straight to small business owners. We talk about: How Shaun pivoted from selling to small businesses to empowering agencies Why HighLevel chases outcomes, not features or seats Turning missed calls into booked jobs with AI voice agents Using community feedback, idea boards, and live town halls to ship the right product The real impact of AI on SaaS, pricing, jobs, and the next wave of tools How to structure partnerships so they don't blow up your friendships If you're a founder, marketer, or agency owner who wants to capture, nurture, and close more business — this conversation will change how you think about software, AI, and community. A FREE COPY OF JEFF'S Book DiscernmentFind Out More About Jeff Dudan at www.jeffdudan.com Build your own business starting here: www.homefrontbrands.com https://www.gohighlevel.com Shaun on LinkedIn If this episode helps you, share it with a business owner or agency operator who needs better systems and better outcomes.  #HighLevel #GoHighLevel #ShaunClark #JeffDudan #UnemployablePodcast #MarketingAgency #AgencyOwners #CRMSoftware #SalesAutomation #MarketingAutomation #SmallBusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessSystems #AIPowered #SaaSFounder Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Clay Lawrence built a generalist digital marketing agency to $17,000 a month, but quickly realized he had created a trap: he was exhausted, overworking, and constantly trading time for money on services ranging from drone footage to SEO. Desperate for a change, he took a massive financial risk—firing his clients and watching his revenue plummet to $4,500—to bet everything on a single, scalable idea that didn't require him to be the bottleneck.That bet was Review Harvest, a low-ticket SaaS focused entirely on automating Google reviews for home service businesses. By niching down and utilizing "trench knowledge" to understand his customers better than they understood themselves, Clay rebuilt his business from the ground up. Today, he generates over $35,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) with a streamlined model that leverages software like HighLevel to do the heavy lifting, proving that a focused offer often beats a broad service.In this interview, Clay sits down with Ryan Atkinson to reveal the exact blueprint behind his pivot. They dive deep into the anatomy of a high-converting sales call, borrowing frameworks from Alex Hormozi to close deals on the spot, and discuss why the "Jack of all trades" model is a killer for agency growth. Whether you are looking to launch your first SaaS, maximize your HighLevel affiliate income, or master client acquisition through Facebook ads, this episode breaks down the tactical steps to build a business that serves your life, not the other way around.Takeaways:- Scaling a generalist agency is nearly impossible because you cannot afford to hire experts for every service; narrowing down to a single service allows for process automation and higher margins- Growth sometimes requires taking a financial step back; Clay intentionally dropped his revenue from $17k to $4.5k to rebuild a scalable model rather than remaining stuck in a service trap- The most scalable offer is often the one that works for every client without custom labor; automating Google review requests provided high value with zero ongoing manual fulfillment- Shifting focus specifically to home service businesses allowed the agency to double its growth because the messaging and operational knowledge became specialized and repeatable- Conducting over 1,000 sales calls provides "trench knowledge"—such as knowing a client's CRM software better than they do—which builds instant trust and authority during the sales process- A simple, singular value proposition (e.g., "The Google Review Guy") is significantly easier for networkers to remember and refer compared to a vague "full-service marketing" label- Low-ticket offers like reputation management rely on emotional impulse, making it critical to get leads on a call within 24 hours before their excitement fades- Sales calls should follow a structure of clarifying the prospect's pain, labeling the problem, and "selling the vacation" (painting a vivid picture of the future state) rather than just listing features- Success is often just surviving the lows; Clay faced a period where he only closed $6,500 in two months but credits his recovery to simply showing up every day despite the anxiety- Documenting the business journey on YouTube created a secondary income stream through HighLevel affiliate commissions, which now generates more profit than the agency itself.Tags: SaaS, Tech Ventures, Digital marketing, Affiliate marketing, Home Services, Business scaling, Business growthResources:Grow your business today:  https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Connect with Clay: https://www.instagram.com/claywlawrence/?hl=en