Podcasts about Saas

Customer lifetime value is a critical KPI, but with customer acquisition costs rapidly rising, what can brands do to successfully build long-term value for the business? Agility requires seeing past vanity metrics to the durable value hidden in customer relationships. When customer acquisition costs climb and privacy affects easy targeting, only nimble brands—those that align teams, data, and KPIs around lifetime value—stay ahead. All of this (and a few more things) are discussed in the recently-released Klaviyo B2C Report. To discuss it, I'd like to welcome Jamie Domenici, CMO at Klaviyo. About Jamie Domenici Jamie is Chief Marketing Officer at Klaviyo, the only CRM built for consumer brands. She has served as the Chief Marketing Officer since August 2023. With more than 20 years of experience in SaaS Marketing, Jamie has become a pioneer in SMB Marketing and a champion for small businesses. Prior to Klaviyo, Jamie served as the CMO of GoTo, a provider of SaaS and cloud- based remote work tools for collaboration and IT management, and before that, she held various marketing leadership positions at Salesforce for over ten years. Jamie holds a B.A. in International Relations from California State University, Chico. Jamie lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Jamie Domenici on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdomenici/ Resources Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com https://www.klaviyo.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150" Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

In this episode we talk with mg (https://x.com/MG), the brilliant (and notorious) hacker and hardware engineer behind the OMG Cable. A seemingly ordinary USB cable with extraordinary offensive capabilities.Learn more about mg at: o.mg.lolSponsorsSupport for this show comes from ThreatLocker®. ThreatLocker® is a Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform that strengthens your infrastructure from the ground up. With ThreatLocker® Allowlisting and Ringfencing™, you gain a more secure approach to blocking exploits of known and unknown vulnerabilities. ThreatLocker® provides Zero Trust control at the kernel level that enables you to allow everything you need and block everything else, including ransomware! Learn more at www.threatlocker.com.Support for this show comes from Axonius. The Axonius solution correlates asset data from your existing IT and security solutions to provide an always up-to-date inventory of all devices, users, cloud instances, and SaaS apps, so you can easily identify coverage gaps and automate response actions. Axonius gives IT and security teams the confidence to control complexity by mitigating threats, navigating risk, decreasing incidents, and informing business-level strategy — all while eliminating manual, repetitive tasks. Visit axonius.com/darknet to learn more and try it free.

Mike Palmer is the CEO of Sigma Computing, a company that makes data exploration, analysis, and business intelligence accessible to all. Under his leadership, Sigma has experienced remarkable growth, going from $2 million to $100 million in IRR over three years and raising a $200 million funding round. Mike's expertise in business transformation and customer experience has been a driving force behind Sigma's success. He specializes in scaling enterprise solutions and driving innovation across product, marketing, and operations. In this episode… Many businesses struggle to unlock the full potential of their data, especially when complex systems limit access to only technical teams. This creates bottlenecks that slow decision-making and restrict company-wide collaboration. How can organizations make data accessible, actionable, and manageable for everyone, regardless of technical skill? Mike Palmer, an expert in scaling technology solutions and driving enterprise growth, shares how to break down these barriers by focusing on user-friendly, no-code platforms that allow non-technical users to analyze and act on live data. He emphasizes starting with mid-market customers to perfect the user experience and building scalable, intuitive products that eliminate complexity. He suggests prioritizing real-time collaboration, developing features like instant data write-back, and continuously collecting customer feedback to drive product evolution. Mike also highlights the importance of growing strategically by securing the right investors, resisting distracting acquisitions, and building a team culture that values direct feedback and long-term development. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Mike Palmer, CEO of Sigma Computing, about creating accessible, scalable data solutions. Mike discusses how rebuilding their product from scratch led to exponential growth, why a mid-market focus sharpened their user experience, and how his team strategically expanded to enterprise clients. He also shares lessons on fundraising, product-led growth, and sales team evolution.

What happens when entrepreneur burnout leads to a complete shift in how you work and who you serve? In this episode, Lesley Logan talks with personal development expert and Goals2Life founder Wendee Close about her startup journey, building a purpose-driven platform, and why slowing down can actually speed up your success. If you're feeling stretched thin or stuck in your business, this conversation will help you reset your goals, reclaim your time through time blocking, and prioritize well-being — starting with sleep.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:What led Wendee to build a purpose-driven platform from scratch.Goals2Life's impact in helping people avoid burnout and regret.How Wendee's leverages AI in helping students build habits that stick.How time blocking can help protect your energy and prevent burnout.How asking what your future self would do can guide your daily decisions.Episode References/Links:Goals2Life Website - https://www.goals2life.comGoals2Life on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goals.2.life/Goals2Life on Facebook - https://beitpod.com/goals2lifefbWendee on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@WendeeCloseBook: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://a.co/d/8xm2XNRGuest Bio:Wendee Close is dedicated to empowering students with the life skills they need to set and achieve meaningful goals. Through her Goals2Life framework, she helps young people break down big ambitions into small, actionable steps that lead to success. With a personal development and goal planning background, Wendee provides tools and guidance to help students stay motivated, build confidence, and turn their dreams into reality. Wendee Close is a recognized leader in personal development and goal planning, specializing in helping students build habits that drive success. As the founder of Goals2Life, she teaches young people how to transform overwhelming aspirations into structured, achievable steps. With years of experience in coaching and mentorship, Wendee understands the challenges students face—procrastination, uncertainty, and lack of motivation—and provides clear, actionable strategies to help them thrive in school and beyond. Whether preparing for college, a future career, or personal milestones, Wendee equips students with the mindset and tools to take control of their future. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/ Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Wendee Close 0:00  You have to do that self-care. You have to take care of yourself. Because if you just focused on, oh my gosh, I love what I do, I'm going to work, work, work. That's great. But guess what? You're not going to show up as the best version of you.Lesley Logan 0:12  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:51  All right, Be It babe. I'm gonna get into this interview as quickly as possible, because our guest today is one of my favorite humans in the world. Everytime I get off a call with her, I am more motivated to do the thing I already was motivated to do. So this podcast is honest, it's authentic. It's got great tips and it's gonna help you be it till you see it. So here is Wendee Close from Goals2Life. Lesley Logan 1:13  Be It babe, get ready. This conversation is gonna be the caffeine you forgot to get yourself this morning. I promise you. Wendee Close is our guest today, and the two of us, we get together, it's like, so you are, you can slow the speed down if you're someone who speeds up the podcast. Wendee Close, girl, I love you. Can you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at? Wendee Close 1:35  Oh my gosh. Okay. Well, first off, my name is Wendee Close. Like she said, I am the CEO and founder of Goals2Life, and I rock at execution and getting shit done. I am the GSD girl. Definitely want to bring it to people where they could actually say, I want this, and they just don't know how to actually implement it. And I'm your girl for that.Lesley Logan 1:53  You so are. Here's the thing, like I was looking through, you know, Be It babe, we have, like, a form that people fill out. And it's really funny, because I, whenever it's a friend of mine, I'm like, just fill out the logistics, like email address, I know you, but like, my team's like, we do need the bio, Lesley, we do need these things. I'm like, ah (inaudible). But one of the things that I love that you wrote in this form, you actually talked about being it till you see it as a CEO of Goals2Life. And I, I would love for you to share that with people, because I couldn't agree more when I met you, when I met you, Goals2Life was an idea. You were busy doing the things, but it wasn't a thing yet. But to me, I was like, I felt like, oh my god, this woman is the CEO of the biggest, coolest, most amazing, successful company, and then I find out, like, the next day, when I'm talking with you, you are in the process of it. So you are a Be It babe, example, tell everyone what you did. Wendee Close 2:51  Oh, I, 100% okay. So for me, I lived 27 years in a B2C world, and that's like, you know, working directly with the consumer I decided, you know, here I was not in alignment with my calling. So I'm like, okay, I have now been put into a direction that now is in alignment with my purpose. So it's very clear when you have vision and you're like, okay, this is the vision of what I'm supposed to do, the gifts that I have, I'm perfectly in alignment, it, and when the vision is so clear, you you become it. So I knew I had to create a SaaS platform, which is a software service, a huge platform to solve a world problem. It's like, it's not, it's so much bigger than me. And so I have to believe so much in the calling and the purpose and my gifts and my capacity to know when I walk into the room, it's already happened. It's already happening like I already know it's not if, it's just when, and it's going in because the conviction is so strong, because you're filling a need and a void that is so needed, and you know you have the right solution, and you know you're the right person. You just show up because that's who you are, and that is what you are doing and what will be done in the perfect time. So you know, when you believe in what you're doing and when you're in alignment, it's just so easy to show up and say this is who I am, this is what I'm doing. These are the lives I am changing. This is what I'm going to do. And I'm not just doing it here and now I'm going to do it across the world. So it's just taking it in and sometimes living it way bigger than you are, because the vision is so strong and you believe it, so you live it. Lesley Logan 4:28  Yeah, I, I agree with that. Like I and loves, you don't need to know what a SaaS or a B2C is, to know that, like, all this stuff, like, to take everything she just said because I think what I, what I want to highlight is, like, you are very successful for 25 years in doing what you're doing. Like, honestly, you could have just like retired. You could have just like part time. Wendee Close 4:49  Yeah, my husband reminds me that all the time, let's just take a risk and let's just go live decide when he wants to leave a legacy in a whole different direction. You know it is, it can make you sick if you are out of alignment with who you are. And until you could really find your purpose and use your God given gifts, it can be a struggle, and you may have this emptiness or feeling of unfulfillment. And so until you can actually get clarity on what that is, and then start crafting a plan and start moving into action and when you start acting on the things that you know and you're in alignment, you start having this overwhelming sense of joy and there's not a day of working, you know, when people say, you know, what's the saying of when you, when you love, what you do, you're never, never work or whatever, truly like, I get up and straight, straight up, you guys, I'm in a startup, and this is launching a software startup. This is not easy. This story to be tell. I cannot wait. Lesley Logan 5:44  It's like obstacle after obstacle, like green light, yellow light, red.Wendee Close 5:50  I will tell you I wake up every day with so much joy of the opportunity to be called to do something so great, and to actually be able to impact lives and make a difference. I do not, no matter how many hours, no matter what the struggle, no matter what the difficulty is. When you are in alignment and you have vision and you know you can help other people, there's not, it doesn't feel like work, like it really doesn't even, no matter how hard it is, unless you know it's hard.Lesley Logan 6:17  Yeah, oh, it's, I agree with you, like, you know, before we hit record, I was like, I refuse to work more than eight hours a day. Wendee Close 6:23  Yeah. You just told me that. Lesley Logan 6:24  My work day is technically scheduled to be around seven, sometimes six. And the reason is, is, like, it's gonna go an extra hour. I'm gonna, like, I'm gonna wrap things up before I, like, sit down and I'm like, okay, what's going on for tomorrow? That doesn't mean I don't love what I do. It just means that, like, I also know that I have to live a full life, to show up every day to be the thing for you, for everyone that I'm helping. But I wake up every day like so excited. I do not hit snooze, I get in a cold punch, I get my walk in. I cannot wait to do the things that I'm doing, and I agree with you. Like, if you are out of alignment, you do almost get sick, you get frustrated, you start lashing out. You know, I guess, like, the question I have because, like, I we, I am in a tech business, which I would never have thought, like, I didn't. I was like, I'm a Pilates instructor and I hear my husband go, oh, we have a tech platform. And I was like, I'm like, we do? It's beautiful. It's so good. Lesley Logan 7:17  Hold on, does anyone notice what colors I'm wearing? Lesley Logan 7:20  Oh, my God, she is wearing OPC color. She's got the OPC hot coral. She's got the OPC turk- she is OPC. So I, I think, like, I think some people get caught up in the part that we're in right now, which is, like, we're in it. We're building something we didn't know. And you're kind of learning as you build a plane. How did you get yourself to trust that you'd figure it out? Because, like, you go from having the goal of a Goals2Life is, and by the way, her B2C was not like, also in tech guys, so this is, like, a whole, I just want to say, like, like it was, this is a 180 from what she was doing. How did you go from like, it's okay that I don't know what I don't know, I'm gonna do it anyways. Like, how did you wrap your head that you'd figure it out?Wendee Close 8:09  I, well, I would just tell everyone, just learn to be as resourceful as you can. And I was not afraid of asking a lot of questions and being vulnerable to the people that I know had the answers, because people really do want to help you, and there's a lot of people out there that if you come and you just being honest and very transparent about where you are and what you're trying to do and that you don't know, they will help you. And so I have made some incredible relationships and found some phenomenal mentors on this journey asking. And then I am just extremely resourceful, and I have confidence to say, you know, there's a lot every day I wake up every single day I'm like, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to do that. Like today, I'm doing a live with Brooke Riley, and we are going in because I don't know how to go live. You guys. I don't. And guess what? What do I want to do? I wake every day, up every day figuring out how I can reach more people, to impact more people's lives. So guess what Wendee needs to do? I need to get out of my comfort zone. I need to learn how to go live, how I can get in front of more people. Do I want to do it? Not really. But guess what? I do want to impact lives. So guess what Wendee's going to learn? We're going to go live and we're going to learn how I'm going to go live through Goals2Life. I built a plan. She's going to teach me, and we're going to teach other people, but that's like everyday, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to get online and say, I don't know what I'm doing. So you all can watch me not know what I'm doing, but we will learn together, and people will be more vested in what you're doing when you show up that way.Lesley Logan 9:37  I agree. I, thank you for, and also thank you for being vulnerable and you, you and Brad are like people in my life who like you're not afraid to ask people for help or ask people for connection or ask and I didn't grow up like with that. And so I'm always so surprised when I see people do it. But then what it does is it gives me permission to do it too. And so I find myself doing it more, and I'm like, okay, and I don't even have to feel guilty for asking for that, because they are doing it. If they didn't want to do it, they wouldn't do it. And if they don't do it, it's not that they don't want to do it. They might have forgotten. So let's just, hey, are you still going to do that thing? No problem if you're not. Like, you guys have, the two of you, thank God for you. Like, it's a contagious behavior that you have that I needed. So let's talk a bit about Goals2Life. Because, like, you are creating this platform. It is huge. It is robust. It is for the biggest impact of all these people. Why and what do you want people to do with it? Wendee Close 10:36  Oh my gosh. Well, the big why is I want people to live a life of wholeness. We want to help people trade that burnout, that fatigue, for fulfillment and the overwhelm for outcome, by helping them bring their goals to life, but the biggest thing is, in every area of their life. We don't want one person focused on one area and looking back and regretting and understanding that they compromised other areas, just like, Lesley, how you're saying you're going to do an eight hour a day. You have to do that self-care. You have to take care of yourself. Because if you just focused on, oh my gosh, I love what I do, I'm going to work, work, work. That's great. But guess what? You're not going to show up as the best version of you. Something's going to give, and you will get the burnout if you don't take care of yourself. So it's really bringing awareness to people, understanding that we are so multifaceted, and we have to take care of each area, like if you neglect your finances, your relationships, your spiritual connections, your anything like I, mental health, like, you could literally, okay, let's just talk right here. We could be the best Pilates person ever, and have your body so strong, and here you are, but mentally, you're a hot mess. So health is not health, like, that's great. But guess what? If you're not taking care of your mind and having peace in your mind and reducing that stress or anxiety that you might be feeling, then you're really not feeling as if you are truly at peace and in harmony with what you're supposed to. So, yes, first thing first, Goals2Life is to help people, because they, they, everybody, I don't care if you're 10 years old or 90, everybody wants something. They desire something. They need to do something, or they dream of doing something, right? So now it's like, okay, what do they do with that? Most people just spiral it in their head. We empower people to allow them to understand the next step is to actually get it written down. And how do we help them create a plan? Because without a plan, they're just wandering around with a no direction. Have no clarity. They're stressed because they don't know what direction they're going. And then once they write the plan, we have an easy tool and a resource through our system to help them implement and execute the plan so what they can actually achieve the life they want. And that's what we want. People deserve to live the life they want. They just need to know how to do it. And we want to empower them through Goals2Life, to live the life that they really deeply desire. And people just don't know how.Lesley Logan 12:59  Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's true. I mean, like, I think people get so caught up in the how. And there's all these coaches out there, very brilliant people who are like, oh, don't get, don't get stuck on the how, just figure out the why and the what. And it's like, yes. And also, like, people do need to help with that first next step, because if they don't know the first next step, they will just get stuck in this house. So I really love that you've like, created this platform that really helps people, like, create a plan.Wendee Close 13:27  A detailed plan. Sadly, I know people don't want to live in the details. And right now, we're working with a university here in Southern California, University of Irvine UCI.Lesley Logan 13:35  Cool.Wendee Close 13:36  And I have their I have their computer science department, their graduate students working on our platform right now, and you know, we're talking about AI. So AI is built into the system to guide you. We do have over 60,000 data points, so we have recipes for success. You want to feel this way? We'll tell you the strategies and actions. You don't even have to think, but we want people to think. So, we're like, how much do you want AI influencing a life plan for people? And it's interesting, because AI is such a big topic right now, where you know to commit to something, to really commit to change, you do need to know your why, but you have to be vested into the work of creating and thinking about what, what you are willing to do, what you're willing to sacrifice. And you can't let AI do that, and AI can't do the actions for you either. You have to do the work and yeah, so it was interesting a fine line of how much you bring AI into this process, because if you make it too easy, they're not going to end up executing. Sometimes you have to do the work to be more committed.Lesley Logan 14:34  Yeah, I think you have to have some skin in the game, like, there has to be some investment. It's the same reason, like, you know, I got I did a lot for my business, listening to podcasts for free when I didn't have money to invest in coaching, but at some point, I was not willing to take the risk money-wise in my business with these ideas I was hearing on podcasts, until I invested in a like, you have to have some skin in the game so that you actually can do the work. I agree. My girlfriend, Monica, does my photos. She's been on the podcast before. She is like, are you using chatGPT to give you a pep talk in the morning? I was like, no, what are you talking about? Wendee Close 15:10  I haven't heard of that. Okay. That's a new, that's a new, thank you for sharing. Lesley Logan 15:13  She sent me screenshots. And it is like, Monica, you are the best. I mean, like, it is so great. I was like, okay, I clearly need to get up in the morning and say, good morning. Here's what I got going on today. Give me my pep talk. Like, not because I need it, but like, there is something nice about someone else going, you got this. Like, I think that that's really cool. I want to go.Wendee Close 15:33  I love that, by the way, thank you (inaudible) We could all use some motivation, right? Lesley Logan 15:40  Yeah, yeah. I mean, like, I don't know, some of us listen to music, like, we've had, like podcast guests on before. Like, their Be It Action Item was like, pick up your fave what's your song that's gonna be your Be It song and play it every morning. And that one resonated for me a little bit. But there's something about like, I don't know someone like, like, cheering me on as I get ready in the day, like, I kind of need it, but I, I want to go to like you are so good, and like one of the most generous humans I've ever met is you okay? So you are, like the picture next to the definition of the word generosity with love, all of that. So how do you make sure you don't get lost in the impact you're trying to make in the and being the owner of this business, EE CEO, the wife, the mom, all the things that you do, like, how do you prioritize Wendee? How does that happen? Wendee Close 16:25  Oh, wow, that's, that's great. You know, I was thinking about that because I love human connection, and I love people so much. And sometimes, you know, I know that I give at a 10. Like, you know, some people are like, are you a bucket? Like, where do you go? Because not everybody's at a 10. Some people are at a two, and you can't have those expectations that they want to love on you the same way, but they do love you. They just don't have the capacity to love it that way. So I have to say when I'm doing it, it has to make me feel good like when I'm giving and loving I have to be filling my bucket. The minute I'm start doing things that are not serving me well. I need to set my boundaries and realize, am I doing this because, why am I doing this? Is it because it's actually filling me up, and if it is filling me up, then I will continue to do it, but if it's starting to I'm starting to question if it's taking away and not serving me well, I need to step away. And I think having those evaluations just because it's a behavior or something that I'm used to doing, I have to check myself, time, because time is so valuable, right? But I do know that for me, having I'm not a surface person in any way, shape or form, having meaningful conversations with people where we actually are challenging and supporting each other is really what fills me up. A lot of time with my husband, where we have time to pray and be together and connect and start our day off that way. I do start my day off with a playlist. We have Goals2Life playlists for every goal, type two on Spotify. So I am a music girl, but I do listen to podcasts. So Lesley, keep them coming if you're listening to them, you know, share them with me, because I do. But I think, believe it or not, as much as people think I'm such an extrovert. I'm actually really much of a needing to be quiet and still, so I do a lot of time in the sauna, reflecting and journaling. Also, that's how I take care of myself. I love my infrared sauna. I love to start my morning in there and just secluding myself with myself, and just having peace in the morning and taking care of my thoughts and my body.Lesley Logan 18:19  Yeah, I agree. Like, I know, I know there's a lot of people like, have, like, I have a lot in the morning. I have all this going on. I'm not a morning person. I'm gonna tell you, like, if you that's fine if you could prioritize another time of your day to give to you and your body. But if you're still not, then you gotta figure out how to do it in the morning, because there's something really amazing about, you talk about your cup being, your buckets, like, at a 10. I can tell the difference when I have, like, not done, not have to do my whole routine, because I travel a lot. You travel a lot. Like, I'm not gonna I don't have my sauna with me, my sauna blanket, or my cold plunge in my hotel. Wendee Close 18:53  I know, you're like, dang, when you come home and you're like, whoo. Lesley Logan 18:56  I know, but, but I still like, I'm like, okay, well, I can still do a morning walk, or I can still do a morning meditation. There's there has to be something that is selfishly for me to fill up so that I can show up and be the gregarious introvert you all know me as. That's what Brad calls me, I say high-functioning.Wendee Close 19:16  I agree. And I mean, it's and it's in disguise. People probably are always so shocked when you or I may say that I mean as much as I love and I get that sometime it just drains me too. So I just need to get that quiet time and just be alone and still so I can go and be there for people when I'm out next. Lesley Logan 19:34  Yeah. What are you, like, okay, your particular goal, Goals2Life, building this whole thing out, like, it has different stages, has different processes. It's like ongoing, it's years long, you know, like, I think a lot of people, when they set a goal, it's like something that can often be done in a year, but like, this project that you've taken on, like, I've known you for a few years now, and, you know, like, how what do you say to yourself? What do you like? How do you set yourself? I know it's we know we talked about alignment, and this is thing is in you, but it is hard, like I have for okay, I'm going to talk about myself for a second. OPC is turning eight this year, seven or eight this year, and, and if you had told me in, you know, 2017 when I started everything, that it was going to take me until 2025 for things to, like, fall into place. I don't know that I would have started like. I don't think I would have been like. I think I've been like. That is a long time. I don't know that I have the energy and stamina and money.Wendee Close 20:38  Yeah it's definitely (inaudible).Lesley Logan 20:41  And like money to continue to pour into a business to make it fulfill its dreams. So how do you do that? Because, I mean, like this, it's not like, this thing is free, and you're just like, you know.Wendee Close 20:53  Yeah, building a tech company is probably one of the most expensive front end. Like our first business, we had a really low overhead, and were able to bring profit in really quick to, like, grow it, you know. But this is a whole different thing, because you build before you get and what you're building is not something that is low cost. So, you know, especially when you're building it as robust as we are, and it's so layered. Yes, I mean, it is a complete faith project for me, I will have to, and it's not faith, of like, oh yeah, it's not a business, it's a massive business. But it's like, I am 1,000% clear that I am, I am the person, and I have been given the gifts and capacity to bring this out to the world, and I am. There's no turning back for me. So like, when I make a decision, I am going to give it my all, and I trust that God's gonna, like, open the doors and in His perfect time, I know it's not, it's not if this is going to impact lives worldwide. I am 1,000% confident, and let's just, quote me on this, I just don't know when, but it will happen. And it's like, really giving me constantly being around people like you, Lesley, that we just keep cheering each other on, or maybe our chatGPT also cheering us on, and our friends just giving words of encouragement, saying, girl, I get you, like I'm there, like we got this, like, just having each other's back and having people on your journey that are there to just truly support you. But yes, this is hard. Like, this is the story. I mean, I had yesterday and the day before, two really, really amazing, inspiring humans that are almost like mentors to me. They're like, Wendee, this is your story. This story that is, it's not going to break you, like, it's going to refine you to the person that you need to be so you can do what you're being called to do, like, this is hard, really freaking you want to cry sometimes, but you're still joyful, and your heart was like, this is so hard.Lesley Logan 22:42  Yeah, yeah, it I feel you like it is, it's, it's so hard. But also, everything is hard. You know, I once heard like I read, I've quoted this book before, because it's that good. Y'all have to read, it's called Big Magic, and she quotes a guy whose name I'm not remembering, but she quotes a guy, and it's Elizabeth Gilbert's book, and it's from years ago, like probably 2017, 2016, from years ago. And she quotes a guy who says life is a shit sandwich, and you just got to choose a shit that you can chew. Like it's got bread, some great stuff, some shit in the middle, some other great dressing and some bread. Like, just know that everything, every idea you have, every broad project you have, every goal you have, there's gonna be some shit in the middle that you're gonna have to chew up and tolerate and do, and it's hard. And so when I read that, I was like, oh, so it's not, this isn't just hard for me. Like, everyone has a hard everyone's going through it, and so I guess that should make you even feel good, because you're like, okay, I'm on the right path. I'm in the muck.Wendee Close 23:52  Well, no, truly, I mean, and it's just also being really intentional what you feed your brain. Like, I know that what we listen to, who we put around our lives, like even from the music to the if I don't really watch much TV, I don't have time, but like everything, I have to be very careful with what I'm listening to and who's around me, because it impacts and so I have to have things that are moving me in a forward direction and not spiraling me back. So because every you need to show up in a way like right now, I just went on a 40 day reset of resetting my hormones, resetting my metabolism and just getting my brain and everything in perfect alignment to have clarity so I could show up as a best version of me to do the work that I'm being you know, you can't be out drinking every night and eating whatever you want and feeling like crap and trying to show up as you gotta walk the walk, and you gotta yep and say, like, if I'm the one being called to do this, I need to take care of myself so I could show up this way and have the have what you need, because it's a lot of grit. It's a lot of grit. And it's like, I remember, okay, so there was a guy I helped his startup he ended up actually selling for, like, I think, two or $3 billion I mean, there's a big difference between two and three, but hey, in the billions, anyway. So I, when I talked to him, and I still talked to him, he said, are you sure you want to do this? You cannot do this for someone else. This will be the hardest thing you're going to do. And I'm warning you that if you think that you're being inspired by someone else to do it. It has to be so deeply in you, and you have to be so passionate about it, because this will probably be the one of the hardest things, and you have to have so much grit and so much hustle to make this happen. And I'm like, nope, it's in me. And I remember seeing him. I went to Utah to see my daughter, and I went and I went and met him at his office. I'm like, okay, I'm feeling it. This is hard, but I'm still happy. I'm still like, yeah, I'll take the challenge. This is going to be so much fun to do. Yeah. Lesley Logan 25:54  Thank you for sharing that. I think, I thank him for, like, telling you that. I think, like, you know, some people can hear that and think, why would this person try to talk you out of it? But I think, like, it's almost like you gotta talk yourself, like it's, it's you, it's important to know what you're up against so that you can make the best decision for not just you, but your family, those you love, all the things, because they're part of it too, even if they're not on the payroll, like they're in the journey, you know they're sharing you with, with this goal. Wendee Close 26:25  Oh, I, just sharing like I'm empty nester right now, no, kids. I'm some bird launcher. Let's think positive, right? I launched my babies out into the world, and so it's me and my hubby. Lesley Logan 26:33  I, okay, hold on, you're a bird launcher. Yes, we should start changing that, because empty nester sounds like, oh my God, are you okay? But a bird launcher.Wendee Close 26:41  I'm like, hell. I did a great job with these babes. Lesley Logan 26:45  Also, don't we want them to go off and fly? All these kids are coming back to the nest, and I think that that's not so good.Wendee Close 26:51  No, thank you. No, thank you. But yeah, so, you know, it's just all perspective, but it's interesting, because, you know, time blocking is important, setting boundaries is important because I don't want my husband to feel you know, I need to prioritize, because it's now the two of us. It's our time to be together and prioritize and enjoy one another, create experiences, and then also, here I am doing a startup. So bless his heart, but yes, no making sure that I am prior, he's feeling like a priority as we have launched our babes, and it's the two of us at home. He's not feeling second fiddle. So, you know, time blocking those things, it was interesting. Okay, so I, one thing you didn't ask, well, you kind of did, but I didn't say it, um, how I do things is, if it's not on your calendar, it's not going to happen. And you guys know, like with Lesley, she's really good about making sure things are on our calendar, and she has people helping. And same here. If something is a priority to you, if it's a goal, it needs to be on your calendar. If it's not on your calendar, it's not a priority to you. So you've got to look at your calendar and make sure that you see not heavily weighted in one area, that you see that there's different things on there that you are actually prioritizing beside one thing, because something will get. So I will tell you this morning, before I came in, I made sure I'm having a date night with my son on April 1st with my mom. I have a date night to celebrate my reset with my husband this I'm going to an amazing restaurant with him on Thursday and Saturday, so you know, and I'm just booking like, what's important? I need to, if it's important that I do a date night with my husband, that we celebrate our progress, that we I gotta get it on the calendar, that I see my son, that I see my mom, like the people that matter, that, you know, you make time for it. Even time blocking I want to move this project along, time blocking time to work on it. So time blocking is huge for me, and setting aside evening like sleep routines and morning routines and all sorts of things. Lesley Logan 28:41  Yeah, it's, I mean, and that's, we have a fun way that we, like teach you how to put their, like, work schedule together. Because a lot of people we work with, they go, they kind of only get paid if they're working. Now, if you do the math the way we teach you, then you're getting paid for your time off too, and the time that you're working on your business, all that stuff. But all that being said, the way we do it there's like, your priorities have to go in first, and your sleep is the first one. Like, it has to be in there. You have to put that in because if you are fitting sleep in between everything else, you can only go so long doing that. And once you hit 40, good luck, ladies, good luck. Your body will literally hate you back. Like, you'll be like, okay, you didn't treat me well. So here we go. This is what we get. So I couldn't agree more. I think, like, you know it's been said, like, show me your calendar. I can show you what your, what your priorities are. And also, like, it's okay. Like, I had a coach whose coach told her, if you get three things done in a day every day, let's just do it, like, five days a week. That's 15 things that you got done times four. I can't do that math in my 60 things, 60 things in a month. That's a lot of things, you know, but we're all trying to, like, you know, do all 60 things in a day, and then we wonder why we're exhausted and tired, and it's not that we're not moving the needle forward because. Can't have that many plates going this doesn't work like that. So I love that you talked about time blocking and priorities, and also appreciate you sharing, like, what that looks like. Because I think sometimes we think like, oh, it must be like during the day seven hours. It's like, no, you can have dedicated quality time at dinner at a really amazing place you've never been to have a shared experience. Bones flipped off like, you know, enjoy each other and that can't that actually can be enough, you know, so that you guys have something to look forward to, but also something to talk about other people.Wendee Close 30:29  Yes. I mean, it's so important, whether it be a relational setting aside time to work on the things that will, you know, help, help you in each area. Can I just say something really, Lesley brought up a really important thing when I mentioned sleep. So one of the big reasons why I shifted is I had a major burnout. And believe it or not, there was out of alignment, was one part of it, but the other one was me lack of sleep. I thought that I was Wonder Woman. I had the capacity to do all things. I'm Mmiss Energizer Bunny. I didn't need sleep. I thought it was a weird human that didn't need sleep, but I did all the perfect things, like, if you were to name like, what is all the things in every area of their life that you do and I was doing it all, but what wasn't I doing? I wasn't sleeping enough. And so what happened? I got massive burnout, and that had to do because I wasn't sleeping. So now, like, sleep is one of the biggest priorities for me. So I will just let you know. Like, yes, when you say that and it sounds weird, like, oh, but you think this is better, and you're doing all these other things if sleep should be right up there at the very top.Lesley Logan 31:25  Yeah, it's thank you for I mean, like, Brad is also Brad thought he could, like, go without sleep. He's like, I'll sleep when I'm dead. You know. Wendee Close 31:33  Oh yes, that's what my husband said. Lesley Logan 31:34  Yeah and no, no, as a very young kid, he ended up like, you know, at the doctors with them going, you gotta sleep, dude. Like, you have to, you have to sleep, you know, so, so it's, I know, it feels like a waste. It's like, literally, when your body repairs, so no amount of Pilates, water, protein, nutrition, no, you cannot.Wendee Close 31:34  Meditation, any of it. Yeah.Lesley Logan 31:55  No, you cannot out nutrition. Like, and you don't, I don't know, and I will say, like, I'm not someone who says you have to have eight hours. Like, eight hours. Like, there's actual studies that show some people can do six. Some people need nine. Women tend to need more than men. But also, like, I have found that seven hours is really good for me. I can run off six and a half, but I'm gonna have to get some a little over seven in there. Seven and a half not a problem. More than that, unless I'm sleep deprived. It's too much for me. I actually wake up groggy. So, you have to test that for yourself. And by the way, there are like you can use Goals2Life to figure that out. You can make a plan and go, okay, how am I going to figure out how much sleep I need? I know my friend Kareen thought like she needed to sleep until 10, and when she actually work with a sleep person, they're like, no. If you fall asleep when you're tired and you wake up, you technically go to bed around 10, and you wake up at five, naturally, like you at 5 a.m. she's like, I'm a morning person. I had no idea.Wendee Close 32:48  I know I'm building your whole circadian rhythm. It's amazing, you guys. But when in the time blocking of setting your nighttime routines and adding like your bedtime to your calendars is and even your eating times and all this anyways, so Goals2Life does have calendar integration with, like, Outlook and Gmail or Google Calendar, so it really helps. So your goal plan is in complete alignment. But yeah, when people are like, oh, it's a priority, but they're not putting it on their calendar, I'm like, no, it's really not. It's not really your goal. How bad do you want it? You're not making time for it. You're filling it with, like, unproductive things that aren't moving the needle forward.Lesley Logan 33:20  Yeah, yeah, I agree. Wendee, I lit, I literally could talk to you forever. We'll have to, we'll have do this again when we'll do another check in, see how all this is going. We're gonna take a brief break and then find out how people can find you, follow you and Goals2Life with you. Wendee Close 33:33  Sounds good. Lesley Logan 33:34  All right, Wendee, where? Where do they need to go? Where do you hang out? Where are the links? Where are we going?Wendee Close 33:40  Okay, all right. So you can go to Goals2Life.com and that's with the 2 so like, we're bringing your goals to life. So, goals2life.com and there is a sign up page right there where you could sign up for Goals2Life. Right now, we have a 30-day free trial to check into the system. We have community. We have a lot of amazing things. You can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook and our YouTube channel. Very inspired. Lesley has inspired me, okay, another person who is helping me, inspire me to have a YouTube channel, and it's under Wendee Close. So follow the journey of me actually bringing my goals to life, live. And you know, hey on the go. So that's what we'll be doing. And I hope that you guys can all join the Goals2Life movement of actually implementing and executing and achieving your goals. Lesley Logan 34:25  I hope you all do. I think it's really cool. It's nice to have a tool to help you, like you can have all the ideas and all the advice, but like, sometimes we do need a tool, just like my friend Monica is using chatGPT as a tool to pep talk her in the morning, like we it's you don't have to be a superhuman who, like, somehow remembers all these things. You've given us so much already, to be completely honest. But I really want to hear your bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted steps people can take to be it till they see it. What do you have for us, babe?Wendee Close 34:52  Okay, all right. So for bold, I want people to own their next level identity, so within Goals2Life they can create that identity through our goal pathways and align it to who they want to become. So I want people to ask themselves, what would my future self do today and actually do it in action. Because we're all about action. Make it executable. The E is executable. We're all about execution. So take small, intentional steps daily. So we'll, in Goals2Life we'll help you break the big goals into micro movements. And so I'm going to ask you to ask yourself, what is one step that I can take today and actually take it? Take the action, and then the I is intrinsic? So align your goals with purpose, as I've talked about a lot, like aligning what you want with a purpose, and make sure it's in alignment with your values and principles. So in Goals2Life, we want you to set goals that will actually matter. So we're going to ask you to ask yourself, why does this matter to me what I want to do? You need to know why it matters to you so you're deeply rooted into the commitment of actually fulfilling what you committed to through your goal. And then the T is target. So set clear, measurable milestones that you can have a target on and in Goals2Life we will turn, , your vague hopes or your ideas into actual, tangible outcomes. And we want you to ask yourself, how will I measure the progress? And in Goals2Life we can help you measure your progress so you can celebrate and actually achieve. Lesley Logan 36:18  I love, at the Be It Pod we celebrate every Friday, and we should be celebrating all the time. We celebrate on Fridays, just in case you didn't take time. I truly love those. I think that, like, I feel like you almost defined the Be It Action Items in a way, it's like, perfect that you know, in a way that, like, I always hope people understand, like, why this podcast exists is just to help you take the next step to be the person you want to be, as if you're already that person, and that's you, literally, Wendee, are a shining example of that, but also what you're creating is like literally the tools people need to do it. So thank you for being you. Thank you for Goals2Life. My Be It Pod listener, what are you gonna do? Be It babe, what are you gonna do? How are you using these tips in your life? What was your favorite takeaway? Make sure you tag Goals2Life. Tag Wendee Close. Tag the Be It Pod. We want to celebrate with you. We want to be part of your journey. We want to know how this is going and send this to a friend who needs to hear it. Because sometimes it's like your friends need to hear it from a different, a different setting, a different, the same words from a different set of voices to help them get out of the rut, take the next step, get into alignment. So thank you, Wendee, for being you and a dear friend. Wendee Close 37:23  One other thing, you are a Goal Expert in Goal Select. So, you guys, we promote people as fabulous as Lesley, and we have experts across the nation. She is our Pilates expert. And she is amazing, as you guys all know, and so she is a huge part of the movement in the physical goal set. So thank you, Lesley, for for believing in Goals2Life and being part of our community and being an expert, also.Lesley Logan 37:47  I'm, it's an honor. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see where we go with this together, like, and that's the coolest thing about like, people like you and myself and Brad and all these other people who we all get to we all get to do this together. You know, even though we're apart, we're like our but our ships can, like, you know, tag on and tug through and like, we can do this together. And that's, that's you, too, as you listen, Be It babe, like you have your friends, if they are growing then you all get to grow together. And that's where things get to be really, really fun. So, everyone, you know what to do. Until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 38:12  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 39:03  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 39:09  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 39:13  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 39:20  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals. Brad Crowell 39:23  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Matt and Mike dive deep into web app security by walking through a simple SaaS note-taking app and breaking down vulnerabilities at each layer—from frontend and backend to auth and hosting. With 16 billion credentials recently leaked and AI increasing attack complexity, even indie devs need to lock things down. They cover common security pitfalls like XSS, CSRF, IDOR, insecure cookies, and more—along with practical mitigations using tools like tRPC, Prisma, and Next.js. Whether you're building solo or part of a team, this episode will help you build safer apps from the ground up. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcasts/we-should-care-more-about-web-app-security Powered by CodeRabbit - AI Code Reviews: https://coderabbit.link/htmlallthethings Use our Scrimba affiliate link (https://scrimba.com/?via=htmlallthethings) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.

Can you be too nice to lead?In this episode, Michael Leibovich, GM and Head of Growth at Adobe, shares the career pivots, personal awakenings, and leadership lessons that shaped his unconventional journey from touring musician to executive. Michael opens up about getting fired, receiving feedback that questioned his approach to leadership, and learning how to balance empathy with outcomes. From scaling growth teams at Vimeo, Mindbody, AppFolio, and Abstract to navigating the emotional weight of letting someone go, Michael brings clarity to the messy, human side of leadership.We explore how feedback becomes identity-shaping, what it means to truly “drive clarity” in a role, and why building a career is more about learning from missteps than chasing perfection.In this conversation, you'll learn:Why “you're too nice” was the critique that stuck—and how Michael worked through itThe surprising lesson a failed VP stint taught him about agency and self-worthA simple question that brings clarity to tough calls as a managerThings to listen for:(00:00) Intro(01:24) Growing up in an artistic blue-collar SoCal home(02:30) First jobs and career aspirations(04:29) Journey into music and touring(05:44) Transitioning to tech and SaaS(07:24) How being in a band helped in learning business(11:02) Thank you to our sponsor, ThriveStack(12:20) Being too nice as a leader and finding a balance(21:27) Paying impactful feedback forward(23:38) Navigating imposter syndrome(26:46) Leadership challenges and job insecurity(29:27) Reflecting on career transitions(31:45) A costly mistake and learning experience(36:17) Managing team dynamics as a leader(44:42) A useful shift in perspective(46:46) Driving clarity and embracing intuitionA huge thanks to this episode's sponsor:ThriveStack: Measure Growth. Find Drivers. Fix Leaks. https://www.thrivestack.ai/Resources:Connect with Michael:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelleibovich/ Adobe: https://www.adobe.com Connect with Andrew:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/ Substack: https://media.deliveringvalue.coHire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

Today, we're talking with Lanie Schenkelberg, former product manager and current VP of Product Marketing at Inovalon. In this episode, we discuss: The 4 essential elements of compelling product storytelling How to spot weak messaging - and what strong positioning really looks like How Lanie's team led a storytelling overhaul that contributed to Inovalon's growth Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laineschenkelberg/ Inovalon: https://www.inovalon.com/ Resources Make it Punchy, By Emma Stratton: https://punchy.co/make-it-punchy-book/ Obviously Awesome Positioning, April Dunford: https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:48 The Importance of Messaging and Storytelling in Product 03:01 How to go from Product Management to Marketing 06:10 Understanding the Customer's Big Win 12:45 The Hero Story Format 15:12 The Role of Positioning and Differentiation in Product Marketing 21:23 How Lanie Scaled Positioning at Inovalon 31:29 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr). Special Guest: Lanie Schenkelberg.

In this episode of In Demand, Asia and Kim take a deep dive into one of the most overlooked revenue levers in SaaS: activation.  They walk through their activation playbook, breaking down how to define activation for your product and sharing tactical strategies for improving onboarding experiences.  Whether you're PLG or sales-assisted, this episode offers clear steps to uncover where users get stuck and how to fix it. Got a question you'd like Asia to unpack on the podcast? Record a voicemail here. Links:  DemandMaven UserInterviews.com  Respondent.io  Product-Led Onboarding by Ramli John Samuel Hulick  UserOnboard  Reforge Chapters (00:00:55) - Why most founders overlook activation, and why that's a huge mistake.(00:02:25) - What activation actually means and how to define it for your SaaS.(00:03:30) - Trial-to-paid is not the only way to think about activation, and may be missing a big part of the story.(00:06:15) - How to discover activation metrics using a new user retention report.(00:12:30) - Why session recordings fall short and what to use instead.(00:14:35) - The power of UX interviews and how to run them properly.(00:23:00) - What to watch for in interviews: pauses, furrowed brows, and “it was easy” lies.(00:25:55) - Looking for friction and where people get stuck.(00:27:30) - How to map your onboarding flow and prioritize product fixes once you've done UX interviews.(00:30:30) - Why valuable activation work can fail in organizations where there isn't a clear decision maker (avoiding the problems of compromise land)(00:33:45) - How does activation change in product led vs. sales led organizations?(00:38:15) - Onboarding for high complexity products.(00:43:45) - Book and other recommendations for mastering activation.(00:51:30) - A final reminder about survivor bias. Remember that just because your customers made it, does not mean that your onboarding activation is perfect.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Martin Casado sits down with Box cofounder and CEO Aaron Levie to talk about how AI is changing not just software, but the structure and speed of work itself.They unpack how enterprise adoption of AI is different from the consumer wave, why incumbents may be better positioned than people think, and how the role of the individual contributor is already shifting from executor to orchestrator. From vibe coding and agent UX to why startups should still go vertical, this is a candid, strategic  conversation about what it actually looks like to build and operate in an AI-native enterprise.Aaron also shares how Box is using AI internally today, and what might happen when agents outnumber employees. Resources: Find Aaron on X: https://x.com/levieFind Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://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 a16z.com/disclosures.

Hamlet Azarian, Founder & CEO of Azarian Growth Agency, a data-driven marketing firm that has helped tech and SaaS companies raise over $269M in funding, shares insights on how to use artificial intelligence to scale startups, digital innovation, and performance marketing. Improve your storytelling immediately with my The ABTs of Agile Communications™ quick online course to learn the agile narrative framework that all influential business communication is built on.  Grab your copy of The Narrative Gym for Business, a short guide on crafting ABTs for all of your communications.  Read Brand Bewitchery: How to Wield the Story Cycle System™ to Craft Spellbinding Stories for Your Brand.  #StoryOn! ≈Park

Join me as I chat with Ras Mic to discuss the current landscape of AI development tools, evaluating each as overrated or underrated based on their potential impact for both technical and non-technical users. We particularly highlight Claude Code as "extremely underrated" and discuss how tools like Devin and CodeRabbit are changing development workflows. The conversation also addresses my controversial viral tweet about building profitable SaaS businesses with AI tools. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:32 - n8n 06:35 - LindyAI 07:31 - Claude Code 12:09 - Devin/Code Rabbit 19:56 - Bolt/Lovable/Tempo 23:12 - Figma Make/Hostinger/Airtable 27:25 - ManusAI 30:10 - VAPI 31:08 - MCP 35:46 - Vibe Coding Profitable SaaS 51:11 - GitHub Key Points: • Ras Mic and I evaluate various AI tools as "overrated" or "underrated," including n8n, String, Claude Code, Devon, and CodeRabbit • They discuss the potential of MCP (Multi-Context Protocol) and its impact on non-technical users • They analyze Greg's viral tweet about building a $50K/month SaaS business using AI tools • Ras Mic provides a simple GitHub crash course explaining branching and workflow best practices Get Your Complete Financial OS at https://www.brex.com/sip LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: http://boringmarketing.com/ The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: http://thevibemarketer.com/ Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND MIC ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://x.com/rasmickyy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rasmic

993: Customer-first IT and innovation at scale. On this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Mike Trkay, Chief Information Officer at FICO, a $2B analytics software company. Mike leads not only internal IT but also the operations of FICO's customer-facing SaaS and PaaS platforms—making him a unique, customer-facing CIO. Mike shares insights from his 12-year tenure, during which FICO's stock has risen 3,600%, and explains how his team drives customer trust, operational excellence, and innovation. Topics include his customer-centric approach to IT, leveraging AIOps and AI to scale operations, and the emergence of focused language models to reduce complexity and deliver business impact.

Alan Hollander, VP of Offer Packaging and Pricing Strategy at Blackbaud, has led pricing initiatives for six years. With nearly three decades in pricing, his impressive career began in 1994 when Tom Nagle hired him after Alan excelled in Nagle's "Strategy and Tactics of Pricing" course. He also held key roles at Ellucian and Simon-Kucher & Partners, bringing deep expertise in large-scale pricing transformations. In this episode, Alan addresses a major challenge for SaaS companies: how AI disrupts traditional per-user pricing. Drawing on his experience at Blackbaud (serving nonprofits with CRM and financial tools), he explains why AI's efficiency conflicts with seat-based pricing. He and Mark discuss the difficulties of shifting customers to new pricing models, managing multiple approaches, and implementing pricing innovations gradually.   Why you have to check out today's podcast: Understand why AI is fundamentally incompatible with per-user pricing and what alternatives actually work in practice. Learn how to implement pricing model changes without overwhelming your organization's operational capabilities. Discover the "crawl, walk, run" approach to pricing transformation that builds momentum through proven results.   "Don't go right to the end goal, in the future state, because people are just going to look at you cross-eyed. Start with quick wins, start with test pilots, test the concepts, show the results, quantify the results so you can build momentum in launching new pricing models." — Alan Hollander   Topics Covered: 01:30 — Alan's pricing journey: From Tom Nagle's student to Strategic Pricing Group veteran 02:45 — The AI pricing dilemma: Pricing products with AI vs. using AI for pricing 04:15 — Why AI pricing isn't different: It's still all about jobs-to-be-done and value creation 11:15 — The nonprofit sector challenge: Selling efficiency when budgets are already tight 14:30 — Human augmentation vs. job replacement: Reframing the AI conversation 16:45 — The Salesforce problem: When AI doubles productivity but revenue stays flat 19:20 — Blackbaud's approach: Combining user-based and consumption-based models 21:45 — Market segmentation reality: Financial vs. fundraising as separate buying centers 24:10 — The PayPal model: Why percentage-of-success pricing works for fundraising 26:30 — Optional pricing models: Letting customers choose fixed vs. variable approaches 28:45 — The operational reality check: Systems and processes needed for pricing flexibility 31:00 — The "crawl, walk, run" philosophy: Building momentum through incremental wins   Key Takeaways: "Per user is not going to be the answer. You're going to stagnate because unless you're just going to increase your per user price, it doesn't align with how they consume, how they use, what value they get." — Alan Hollander "Sometimes you have to do the right things before you do things right... you can have a beautiful strategy in terms of how you monetize and price, and it's very elegant and you've done all the analytics and it looks super cool. But sometimes you actually need to basically what I would say, do a crawl, walk, run." — Alan Hollander "If you don't lead with the value, I don't care if it's AI, SaaS, it doesn't matter what it is. If you don't lead with the value in a business case... you're not going to get anywhere." — Alan Hollander   Resources and People Mentioned: Blackbaud: https://www.blackbaud.com/  Tom Nagle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-tom-nagle  Reed Holden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-holden-913ab69/    Connect with Alan Hollander: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-hollander-753167/  Email: alan.hollander@blackbaud.com   Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

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

Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky are the co-creators of the Design Sprint (the famous five-day product innovation process) and authors of the bestselling book Sprint. After decades of working with over 300 startups in the earliest stages, they discovered that most startups fail not because they can't build, but because they build the wrong thing. The very beginning of a startup is your highest-leverage moment, and most teams waste months or years by skipping a few critical early questions. Jake and John developed the Foundation Sprint to help startups validate ideas and compress months of work into just two days.What you'll learn:1. The step-by-step Foundation Sprint process that compresses three or four months of validation into two days—including templates you can use immediately2. Why differentiation is the #1 predictor of startup success (with the 2x2 framework that you can use with your team)3. The three fundamental questions every founder should answer before writing a line of code4. The “note and vote” technique that eliminates groupthink and gets honest answers from your colleagues5. The seven “magic lenses” for choosing between multiple product ideas6. The biggest mistake engineers make when building with AI tools7. The paradox of speed: why “building nothing first” can get you to product-market fit faster—Brought to you by:Brex—The banking solution for startups: https://www.brex.com/product/business-account?ref_code=bmk_dp_brand1H25_ln_new_fsParagon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want: https://www.useparagon.com/lennyCoda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace: https://coda.io/lenny—Transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-foundation-sprint-jake-knapp-and-john-zeratsky—Where to find Jake Knapp:• X: https://twitter.com/jakek• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-knapp/• Website: https://jakeknapp.com/—Where to find John Zeratsky:• X: https://twitter.com/jazer• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnzeratsky/• Website: https://johnzeratsky.com/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky(04:41) Origins of the Design Sprint(11:06) The Foundation Sprint process(14:40) Phase one: The basics(16:57) Case study: Latchet(28:50) Phase two: Differentiation(36:24) The importance of differentiation(40:15) Thoughts on price differentiation(43:37) Case study: Mellow(46:04) Custom differentiators(49:30) The mini manifesto(52:02) Phase three: Approach to the project(54:50) Magic lenses activity(01:02:39) Prototyping and testing(01:10:00) Real-world examples and success stories(01:15:15) Motivation behind The Foundation Sprint(01:17:15) The outcome of the sprint: The founding hypothesis(01:19:28) The Design Sprint(01:28:19) The role of AI in prototyping(01:36:50) Final thoughts and resources—Referenced:• Introducing the Foundation Sprint: From the creators of the Design Sprint: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/introducing-the-foundation-sprint• Making time for what matters | Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (authors of Sprint and Make Time, co-founders of Character Capital): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-time-for-what-matters-jake• Eli Blee-Goldman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-blee-goldman/• Character Capital: https://www.character.vc/• Character Labs: https://www.character.vc/labs• Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/• Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/• Naming expert shares the process behind creating billion-dollar brand names like Azure, Vercel, Windsurf, Sonos, Blackberry, and Impossible Burger | David Placek (Lexicon Branding): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/naming-expert-david-placek• Sonos: https://www.sonos.com/• Vercel: https://vercel.com/• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• April Dunford on product positioning, segmentation, and optimizing your sales process: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/april-dunford-on-product-positioning• Positioning: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning• 10 things we know to be true: https://about.google/company-info/philosophy/• Gandalf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandalf• Frodo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frodo_Baggins• Mordor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordor• 35 years of product design wisdom from Apple, Disney, Pinterest, and beyond | Bob Baxley: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/35-years-of-product-design-wisdom-bob-baxley• The Primal Mark: How the Beginning Shapes the End in the Development of Creative Ideas: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/primal-mark-how-beginning-shapes-end-development-creative-ideas• Base44: https://base44.com/• Solo founder, $80M exit, 6 months: The Base44 bootstrapped startup success story | Maor Shlomo: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-base44-bootstrapped-startup-success-story-maor-shlomo• Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/• Blue Bottle Coffee: https://bluebottlecoffee.com• Reclaim: https://reclaim.ai/• The official Foundation Sprint + Design Sprint template: https://www.character.vc/miro-template• Rippling: https://www.rippling.com/• Latchet: https://latchet.com/• Mellow: http://getmellow.com/• AxionOrbital: https://axionorbital.space/—Recommended books:• Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days: https://www.amazon.com/Sprint-audiobook/dp/B019R2DQIY• Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Time-Focus-Matters-Every/dp/0525572422• Click: How to Make What People Want: https://www.amazon.com/Click-Make-What-People-Want/dp/1668072114Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

Stephanie Hildreth is an accomplished executive and former CEO of Mindful magazine, now serving as Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Success at a rapidly growing tech company. In this episode, Stephanie shares her journey from media to health tech and SaaS, offering deep insight into what it takes to lead high-performing teams through change. Her approach blends strategy with emotional intelligence, and her story is a powerful guide for anyone navigating career pivots or leading transformation from within.Key Takeaways:Why strong leadership starts with self-awareness and trustHow to use feedback loops to build stronger teams and culturesWhat to look for when making a career pivot into a new industryHow to lead strategic change without losing human connectionThe mindset shift that helps you thrive in high-growth environmentsMeet Stephanie HildrethStephanie Hildreth is a high-impact executive known for leading with both heart and precision. Formerly CEO of Mindful magazine, she now serves as Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Success at a fast-growing tech company. With experience across SaaS, media, and health tech, Stephanie is passionate about operational excellence, leadership development, and building cultures rooted in emotional intelligence and transparency.Meet StephanieHow She PivotedStephanie Hildreth's career has never followed a straight line—and that's by design. After a winding path into her first leadership roles, she realized her true strengths were rooted in emotional intelligence and the ability to lead through change. As CEO of Mindful magazine, she navigated a major transformation, growing the business while realigning its vision and ultimately leading it through a successful exit.“There was a moment when I said, if not me, then who? And that changed everything,” shared Stephanie Hildreth on episode 28 of the Rhonda Coleman Wandel podcast.That clarity has guided each step since. Whether transitioning into new industries or taking on dual leadership roles in tech, Stephanie has stayed grounded in her core values. Her career evolution shows that you don't have to choose between performance and purpose—you can build a path that honours both.Insights for Ambitious WomenStephanie's story is a blueprint for leading with intentionality and grace. She believes success isn't about proving your worth—it's about aligning your work with who you are. From navigating imposter syndrome to embracing risk, her insights help ambitious women show up with more confidence and clarity.“Leadership isn't about being the loudest in the room. It's about being the clearest,” encouraged Stephanie Hildreth on the RCW podcastHer career pivots remind us that growth often begins with a question—and that reinvention starts when we stop waiting for permission and start trusting our capacity to lead.Want More Like This?Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favourite platform so you never miss an episode. And if you're ready for even more honest stories, career inspiration, and powerful insights, join Rhonda's monthly newsletter. It's where ambitious women get the encouragement, tools, and behind-the-scenes wisdom to thrive—straight to your inbox. Subscribe to the newsletter and catch more episodes at RhondaColemanWandel.com

About the episode:Join Nataraj as he explores the world of online advertising with Jared Siegal, founder and CEO of Aditude. Discover how programmatic advertising empowers publishers to scale their revenue and the evolving landscape of online monetization. They discuss the roles of different players in the ad industry, the impact of AI on search traffic, and the future of publishing. Gain insights into how Aditude is leveling the playing field for publishers in a Google-dominated world. If you are a publisher, this episode can provide actionable strategies to maximize your ad revenue and maintain control over your content.What you'll learnUnderstand the basics of programmatic advertising and how it works in real-time.Identify the key players in the ad tech ecosystem, including publishers, ad servers, and exchanges.Discover how header bidding and real-time auctions have transformed online advertising.Learn about the impact of AI on search engine traffic and content strategies for publishers.Explore strategies for publishers to diversify revenue and maintain control in a changing landscape.Evaluate the pros and cons of SaaS pricing models versus commission-based models in ad tech.Recognize the challenges and opportunities for publishers in a Google-dominated ad market.Understand how Aditude helps publishers compete and maximize ad revenue.About the Guest and Host:Guest Name: Jared Siegal is the Founder and CEO of Aditude, a programmatic advertising solution that empowers publishers to scale their revenue.Connect with Guest:→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-siegal-tude→ Website: https://www.aditude.com/Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Substack: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠In this episode, we cover(00:00) Introduction to Jared Siegal and Aditude(00:51) How Jared got into the ad business(03:34) Growing revenue and traffic at Answers.com(04:21) Understanding Google Ad Manager (GAM) and real-time bidding(07:30) Lay of the land in the ad industry: players and roles(09:30) Aditude's role in connecting advertisers to publishers(12:20) How brands place bids and the role of ad exchanges(13:33) Why choose Aditude over Google for ad management?(14:35) Creating fair competition across ad platforms(15:11) Aditude's SaaS pricing model and its advantages(18:08) Ideal publisher size for using Aditude's services(19:47) Google's acquisition of DoubleClick and monopoly concerns(23:46) High-frequency trading analogy in ad tech(26:20) Transition from consulting to a product company(32:04) Customer acquisition strategies for Aditude(33:27) Impact of AI and Chat GPT on publishers and traffic(36:19) Is AI making the internet better or worse for publishers?(38:04) How Google and Facebook sustain ad revenue despite traffic shifts(40:35) Move from search to answer and its impact on traffic sources(42:15) Challenges for new content creators in the current landscape(44:08) Trends in publishing: consolidation and mixed media(44:58) Bright spots in publishing: gaming and influencers(47:01) The influencer economy and its limitations(49:00) Generating content with AI and its potential pitfalls(50:09) Publishers leaving big houses and starting their own substacks(52:29) Common misconceptions about running a company(54:19) Aditude's next milestones and future plansDon't forget to subscribe and leave us a review/comment on YouTube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.#adtech #programmaticadvertising #publishermonetization #onlineadvertising #digitalmarketing #headerbidding #realtimebidding #googleadmanager #advertising #adtechindustry #aditude #jaredsiegal #natarajsindam #startupproject #podcast #business #entrepreneurship #saas #artificialintelligence #AI

In this episode, I sit down with JJ King—STR operator, ex-product lead, and serial entrepreneur—who scaled from answering Craigslist ads to running a 300-unit property management company. We dive deep into the early rental arbitrage days in NYC, how a cold outreach strategy turned into a SaaS acquisition, and what it takes to scale a property business sustainably in today's market. LEARN MY STR INVESTING & STRATEGIES

In episode #297, Ben Murray tackles a common SaaS metrics question: How should reactivations be treated when calculating gross and net revenue retention (GRR & NRR)? Key takeaways: Reactivated customers (e.g., those who churned quickly but later update payment info) should not be included in new revenue — doing so skews CAC and CAC payback metrics. Gross Revenue Retention (GRR) only accounts for contraction and churn — reactivations don't belong here. Net Revenue Retention (NRR) is where reactivations should be recorded — they're essentially recovered revenue from existing customers. SaaS companies with high first-month churn (e.g., due to onboarding issues) may consider calculating an adjusted retention metric. Ben also highlights his new AI chatbot on TheSaaSCFO.com — trained on his blog content for instant SaaS finance answers. Level up your SaaS knowledge here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Kieran Flanagan is the CMO at HubSpot, where he's led the transformation of their growth strategy from SEO-led to multi-channel and AI-powered. Formerly SVP of Marketing, he helped scale HubSpot's user base to millions and revenue past $2B. Before HubSpot, he drove breakout growth at Marketo and Salesforce. Kieran is one of the most respected voices in SaaS marketing and a pioneer in growth-driven content strategy. Agenda: 00:03 – The Death of Growth Teams? Kieran's Wild Prediction 06:44 – AI Innovation Pods: The New Org Structure for Startups 10:18 – Email Personalization That Tripled Conversions 13:21 – From Software Budget to Labor Budget: The Shift is Happening 16:35 – The Big Lie: Why Autonomous Agents Still Suck 19:24 – The Secret Sauce Behind HubSpot's Email AI Stack 21:44 – Segment-Based Marketing Is Dead. Enter Micro Audiences. 24:15 – Content Collapse: Why Google Organic Is Getting Torched 30:52 – The Future of AI SEO: 1 Product, 100 Pages, Infinite Prompts 33:16 – Memory = Moat: Why ChatGPT Is Becoming Unbeatable 35:46 – Prompt Engineering is the New Coding: Here's How to Win 41:03 – The Death of the Middle Manager Marketer 46:17 – OpenAI vs. Anthropic: Kieran's $400M Bet 48:00 – Europe Is Falling Behind: The Harsh Truth on Regulation 52:39 – CMO Playbook 2025: Micro-Audiences, Creator-Led, AI at Scale    

Helen Russell, Chief People Officer at HubSpot, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how HubSpot is fostering an AI-first culture, why belonging is so important right now, and what HR leaders can do to move fast without losing their humanity.---- Sponsor Links:

In this lively FridAI episode of Business Brain, Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean dive into personal experiments with AI tools. Shannon shares how he used AI to analyze his credit card and bank statements, uncovering surprising expenses like $1,143 spent on SaaS subscriptions and nearly $700 on Amazon. He discusses […] The post FridAI with GPT Bank and Credit and Suno Music – Business Brain 665 appeared first on Business Brain - The Entrepreneurs' Podcast.

Tracy Larson is President and CEO of WeSuite, a vertical sales automation platform designed for larger integrators who sell complete security systems for commercial and residential real estate. Tracy and the cofounders were in the security systems business before launching a sales software company for this market in 2008.  WeSuite is now a comprehensive solution that addresses the complex industry requirements for lead tracking, quoting, proposal management, contracting, commissions, and pipeline management. Hundreds of integrators in the US use WeSuite for their end-to-end quote-to-contract process. WeSuite grew profitably to nearly $5 million in revenue in 2024, when the founders sold 100% of the company to Valsoft, a buy-and-hold acquirer of practical software companies. Tracy remains the CEO of the company, which operates independently in the Valsoft holding company. Quote from Tracy Larson, CEO and president of WeSuite “For founders in SaaS, especially women founders, you need to find the right people to become your personal board of advisors. You don't need money to pay them. Just pick five people who you've known over the years to help you.  Ask them, Would you do this for me and be a sounding board once a month? I'd like to get your perspective on topics like these for 30 minutes. It's not a formal board, it's just advice and perspective. “Establishing a personal board of advisors is a great idea. They can be women or men. And you can switch it up every year or so. Don't worry about what you don't know. We all have things we don't know.” Links Tracy Larson on LinkedIn WeSuite on LinkedIn WeSuite website Valsoft website 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.

Colin discusses everything he has learned about building teams in Latin America.- When and how to hire globally- Best roles and places to hire- Share how others are doing it- Common mistakes to avoidWant to get my best breakdowns for free? Grab them here: https://www.colinkeeley.com/newsletterHire top 1% remote talent in Latin America at HireinSouth.comEnroll in Colin's Acquisition Course & Community at IndiePE.com.Reach out to Colin Keeley and Brent Sanders on Twitter with any feedback. Sell your SaaS at VerneHQ.com 

AI is changing how companies build and scale. But most pitch decks haven't caught up.Karthik Chakkarapani, CIO of Zuora, has heard plenty of startup pitches but only a few stand out. He shares why most pitches fall flat, how to fix them, and how to present both the founder and the company in a way that drives real interest.We unpack what should go into your 30-second elevator pitch, why “Time to Value” needs its own slide, and how to bring up AI without sounding like everyone else.SaaS is changing fast and it's no longer just about features, but about speed, clarity, and proof of value. We explore how the next wave of SaaS companies can truly differentiate themselves.Building a startup is different in a post-UI world, where users don't click through screens but simply prompt systems to act. We discuss what it takes to build in a world of API-driven AI agents, along with real lessons on what most founders get wrong about working with large companies.If you're building SaaS in 2025, this conversation is for you.0:00 – Trailer1:05 – How the CIO Role Has Changed3:21 – How Zuora Enables the Subscription Economy5:45 – Is SaaS Becoming Headless?7:55 – Are We Entering a Post-UI World?10:37 – What's the New Competitive Advantage?12:31 – Will Entry-Level Jobs Be Replaced by Tools?14:05 – What Metrics Will Matter in an Agentic AI World?15:55 – How to Measure AI Adoption in Your Company18:38 – What's the Hype-to-Reality Ratio for AI?20:19 – What Is the Biggest ROI AI Has Delivered?23:53 – How Startups Can Get Deployed in Enterprises27:10 – How Founders Should Use AI in Their Pitch28:45 – Bolt-On AI vs. Built-In AI32:26 – Most Common Myth About CIOs35:03 – Why You Need a Prompt Library36:04 – What to Avoid in Your Pitch Deck37:21 – How Atomic Work Came Onboard42:47 – The Underrated Soft Skills Founders Need47:55 – 3 Examples of Killer 30-Second Elevator Pitches51:59 – The “Time-to-Value” Slide Explained53:46 – What Founders Get Wrong About Enterprises54:58 – Top SaaS Misconceptions About Enterprise57:00 – Where Enterprises Adopt AI the Fastest59:45 – How the Next SaaS Companies Will Differentiate1:00:33 – Bay Area vs. Bangalore vs. Chennai1:03:33 – Rapid Fire Round-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

misaligned roles, missed follow-ups, and misunderstanding what makes a sales pro thriveIn this 300th episode of SaaS Fuel, Jeff Mains sits down with powerhouse sales coach Kristie Jones, author of Selling Your Way In. Together, they break down how SaaS companies can build accountable sales teams, re-engage cold deals, and align salespeople with their true superpowers.If your CRM is full of “closed lost” deals, this episode shows you how to revive them, build a seven-touch re-engagement plan, and stop leaving revenue on the table.

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Charlie Thomas, a veteran tech leader known for scaling startups to $100M+ in recurring revenue. Now at the helm of Mitiga, Charlie shares his approach to building exceptional teams, anticipating market shifts, and mentoring founders—several of whom have led companies to billion-dollar exits. His emphasis on culture, go-to-market excellence, and strategic timing has been central to repeated success across the cybersecurity landscape.Charlie also dives into Mitiga's mission to redefine cyber resilience for the cloud era. With organizations relying on increasingly complex, multi-cloud environments, Mitiga offers a real-time platform that integrates hundreds of SaaS applications and cloud systems into a unified security view. As attackers grow more sophisticated—often using AI—Mitiga empowers defenders to keep pace with smarter, faster threat detection and response.Subscribe to the Digital Executive Newsletter for curated strategies, expert perspectives, and industry trends. Sign up now here.

Today's guest is Matt Mullenweg, Co-founder of WordPress, which powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, and founder of Automattic.Our conversation explores the 2000's internet, the early days of Automattic, and the decisions and philosophies that set them up for success 20 years later.We talk open source software, why Matt's such a big proponent of it, how Automattic built its business model as one of the first SaaS companies (that now owns companies like Tumblr and WooCommerce), and how AI is changing engineering.Matt also shares how to build a community around your product, “Conscious Capitalism”, what he learned running one of the first distributed teams, and lessons on optimism from Walt Disney.Thanks to Ramp for supporting this episode. It's the corporate card and expense management platform used by over 40,000 companies, like Shopify, CBRE and Stripe. Time is money. Save both with Ramp. Get your $250 here.Timestamps:(3:48) WordPress: Powering 43% of the internet(8:30) Outcompeting Reid Hoffman's startup in the early days(14:03) Why open source wins over the long-term(16:21) Business models in open source(21:12) Starting Automattic in 2005, one of the first SaaS companies(28:45) Spending most of Automattic's Seed round on servers(33:36) How to use Community + Word of Mouth for early growth(38:38) Matt's current situation with WP Engine(43:30) How to give back in open source(53:55) Best practices from 20 years of a remote company(59:59) Lessons on optimism from Walt Disney(1:12:33) How AI is changing coding(1:16:09) How Automattic created an internal employee secondary market(1:23:51) How open source increases longevity (1:26:08) Matt's favorite classical thinkersReferenced:AutomatticWordpressMatt's BlogBay Lights in SFInnocence ProjectVesuvius ChallengePlastic ListThe Giving PledgeDAFFYPessimist ArchiveMatt's favorite quote from Rudy FranciscoMaintenance by Stuart BrandWe are as Gods by Stuart BrandMarginal Revolution by Tyler CohenFollow MattTwitterLinkedInFollow TurnerTwitterLinkedInSubscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week.

Check out my newsletter at TKOPOD.com and join my new community at TKOwners.comHoldCo Bros are back! In this one, Nik and I talk through some crazy profitable ideas for local service businesses that almost anyone could start. It all kicked off when a real-life hot tub crew showed up at my Airbnb just as I was scripting a video about them. We dug into why hot tub maintenance and moving services are such great opportunities. We also talked about launching a lake house concierge business, touchless vacation rental SaaS tools, and even a boat and paddleboard rental monopoly that charges $95 a tube. Toward the end, we shared a genius cold outreach trick using Shopify and a creative lead gen strategy based on building AI-powered directories. Learn more about Nik here: http://linktr.ee/cofoundersnikShare your ideas with us:Nik@cofounders.comChris@cofounders.comTimestamps below. Enjoy!---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---00:00 Exploring Unique Business Opportunities03:01 Innovative Service Models for Vacation Rentals05:54 Leveraging Technology in Rental Services08:43 Identifying Lucrative Business Niches12:08 Creative Cold Email Strategies14:59 Building Directories for Lead Generation

Pour l'épisode de cette semaine, je reçois Alexandre Barroux, CEO et cofondateur de Bonx.Bonx, c'est un ERP industriel nouvelle génération, pensé pour les PME, qui se déploie en 5 à 6 semaines seulement, et qui permet une personnalisation en profondeur des processus industriels grâce à une approche no-code et des fonctionnalités avancées d'IA.Avec Alexandre, on revient sur son parcours : ses débuts chez OSS Ventures où il travaillait sur le product et le go-to-market de startups industrielles, jusqu'à la création de Bonx avec son associé Rémi. Il nous explique comment ils ont identifié une opportunité sur le marché des ERP, historiquement dominé par des mastodontes comme SAP ou Dynamics, peu adaptés aux PME modernes.On a parlé produit : de leur positionnement volontairement focalisé sur l'opérationnel (production, supply chain, stock) sans gérer la compta ni le CRM, de leur approche “opinionated” et modulaire, de leur V2 lancée récemment, mais aussi de leur vision IA pour automatiser des tâches comme l'ordonnancement de production ou la lecture automatique de commandes.On a aussi beaucoup parlé Go-To-Market : comment ils ciblent des PME industrielles ambitieuses, pourquoi ils ont choisi une stratégie commerciale directe, comment ils gèrent l'expansion géographique (France, Italie, Espagne) et leur ambition d'ouvrir les US en 2026. On a aussi parlé de leur levée de fonds récente auprès du fonds anglo-américain 9900.Vous pouvez suivre Alexandre sur LinkedIn.Bonne écoute !Mentionnés pendant l'épisode :OSS VenturesCognixPennyLaneHubSpotPodcast Revenue BuildersStart to Scale de Thibault Renouf (mentionné indirectement)Pour soutenir SaaS Connection en 1 minute⏱ (et 2 secondes) :Abonnez-vous à SaaS Connection sur votre plateforme préférée pour ne rater aucun épisode

Lee shares the sales effectiveness habits that separate top performers from the rest: Why training alone doesn't work—and what coaching really looks like How to develop curiosity and authenticity as sales superpowers What deliberate practice means (and why most teams skip it)How sales leaders can drive better prep, follow-through, and customer trust Why sales enablement needs a seat at the strategic planning table Whether you're a CRO, VP of Sales, or sales enablement leader, this episode will help you refocus your team on what actually drives pipeline momentum: authentic preparation, emotional intelligence, and trusted conversations—not just activity volume. Flat or slowing revenue? Let's fix that—fast.Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast delivers the proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics that high-growth teams swear by.Follow / Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTubeTap ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ if the insights move your metrics—every rating fuels more game-changing episodes

While highly sought after, federal software contracts frequently come with a hidden cost: Achieving government SaaS security compliance, known as FedRAMP, can take years and require substantial resources. Achieving this certification typically takes up to three years and costs more than $3 million, covering everything from security operations engineer salaries to security audits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SaaStr 810: AI and the Bottom Line, How Canva Turns Freemium into Conversions with Canva's CCO Rob Giglio Join John Gleason, founder and managing partner at Success Venture Partners, as he interviews Rob Giglio, Chief Customer Officer at Canva. Rob shares his extensive experience leading customer success, sales, and go-to-market functions at top companies like HubSpot, DocuSign, and Adobe. In this episode, Rob delves into his strategic approach to scaling Canva's enterprise business while maintaining the company's unique customer-centric culture. He also discusses the integration of AI to enhance customer experiences and how value-driven customer journeys underpin Canva's growth. Perfect for aspiring CCOs and anyone interested in the intersection of customer success and sales.   00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:29 Rob's Role and Responsibilities at Canva 03:11 Career Journey and Mentorship 07:17 Building Enterprise at Canva 14:20 Customer-Centric Approach 21:42 AI Integration at Canva 24:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts     ---- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is sponsored by: get.tech The best .coms are taken or overpriced. So you settle on a workaround domain for your website. Don't compromise. Get a clean, sharp .tech domain that instantly says: this is a tech startup. Grab yours at get.tech/saastr or via domain registrars like GoDaddy. ---- Hey everybody, SaaStr AI's next stop takes us to London on December 2nd and 3rd! It's Christmas with SaaStr and 2,000 of the best SaaS and AI leaders.    The biggest names will be there. The best networking.    Early adopter tickets are selling faster than we expected. So don't wait. With only 5 months until the event, we expect this year's SaaStr London event to sell out to capacity.    Use my code jason20pod for exclusive savings. Get your tickets now at podcast.saastrlondon.com or use code jason20pod at checkout.   SaaStr AI London – where SaaS Meets AI in London. See you there.

As a three-time founder, Parker Conrad has one piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs—don't do it. The Rippling co-founder and CEO joins Sarah Guo to talk about what he learned from the crash at Zenefits, why most advice to founders is wrong, and how building a real platform—not a point solution—is the only way to win in SaaS. The two get into founder psychology, the myth of learning from failure, and what true ownership looks like inside a company. He also shares why AI won't shrink teams anytime soon, what people misunderstand about vertical software, and why ambition trumps efficiency with long-lasting companies. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @parkerconrad Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Parker Conrad 00:33 Lessons from Zenefits to Rippling 01:54 The Psychology of Founding a Company 07:56 Rippling's Ambitious Vision 10:41 Building a Platform Company 15:05 Challenges and Strategies in Scaling 30:36 AI's Impact on Software Development 42:06 Public vs. Private: Rippling's Future 44:19 Conclusion 

Marketing isn't just about pushing a product anymore. If you want to resonate, you need to think creatively, act authentically, and know when to take the spotlight off the brand and onto the people behind it.That's the magic of Jim Henson, where artistry meets innovation, and characters become cultural icons. In this episode, we tap into that enduring creative power with the help of our special guest, Adam Kranitz, Chief Marketing Officer at Resilio.Together, we explore what B2B marketers can learn from narrative consistency, egoless collaboration, and why it's time to stop making “content” and start telling stories that actually matter.About our guest, Adam KranitzAdam leads the marketing organization at Resilio, responsible for demand marketing, brand, and corporate communications. He is an experienced technology marketing leader with expertise in building and leading global marketing teams and strategies that grow revenue, increase product adoption, and build mindshare with competitive differentiation.Adam has led vision, strategy, and execution for all facets of B2B technology marketing, aligned with sales teams, for publicly traded technology firms, including Avid (NASDAQ: AVID) and Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), and SaaS start-ups, including CloudCheckr (acquired by NetApp) and LucidLink.Adam's customer-centric marketing approach has recently produced industry leadership recognition for his companies with a G2 Leader Report for Cloud File Storage and category leader in Cloud Management Wave report by Forrester Research.What B2B Companies Can Learn From Jim Henson Idea Man:Entertainment first, selling second. Jim Henson's early commercials didn't start with a coffee can—they started with chaos, characters, and charm. Adam puts it plainly: “Do we wanna beat people over the head with the technical benefits of the product, or do we wanna entertain and educate our prospects?” The goal isn't to pitch—it's to engage. Use storytelling to earn attention before you explain the value.Narrative consistency pays off. Kermit hasn't changed. Neither should your core brand story. “If we haven't landed our message and are consistently delivering it over time, through multiple channels… what have you created?” Adam asks. Like the Muppets, your brand needs to adapt across formats but stay true to character. A consistent voice builds trust—and keeps you top of mind.Let your experts do the talking. Your audience doesn't want to hear from the brand. They want to hear from the people behind it. “Nobody wants to see an AI talking head avatar… You've got smart people in your organization, it's your job as marketers to coach them up.” For Resilio, spotlighting their CTO, CPO, and CEO on LinkedIn unlocked real results. Empower your experts. That's who your buyers want to meet.Quote*“The best part of my job is when I get to get on a platform like this and do a video interview with one of our customers… and then they kind of unprompted will talk about how much they love Resilio… That magic moment where it clicked for them—that is just magic.”Time Stamps[0:55] Meet Adam Kranitz, Chief Marketing Officer at Resilio[00:56] Why Jim Henson Idea Man?[04:01] The Role of CMO at Resilio[05:31] Origins of Jim Henson Idea Man Documentary[13:07] The Creative Genius of Jim Henson[25:14] B2B Marketing Takeaways from Jim Henson[38:37] The Power of Serialized Content[42:49] The Importance of Video in Modern Marketing[52:59] Final Thoughts and TakeawaysLinksConnect with Adam on LinkedInLearn more about ResilioAbout Remarkable!Remarkable! is created by the team at Caspian Studios, the premier B2B Podcast-as-a-Service company. Caspian creates both nonfiction and fiction series for B2B companies. If you want a fiction series check out our new offering - The Business Thriller - Hollywood style storytelling for B2B. Learn more at CaspianStudios.com. In today's episode, you heard from Ian Faison (CEO of Caspian Studios) and Meredith Gooderham (Head of Production). Remarkable was produced this week by Jess Avellino, mixed by Scott Goodrich, and our theme song is “Solomon” by FALAK. Create something remarkable. Rise above the noise.

In this episode of WP Builds, Nathan Wrigley talks with Katie Keith, founder and CEO of Barn2 Plugins, about their new partnership with Setary, a SaaS bulk editing tool for WooCommerce products. Katie shares the story behind the partnership, how Setary streamlines bulk product edits through a spreadsheet interface, and its time-saving benefits for both technical and non-technical users. They also discuss plans for a Shopify version and upcoming features like scheduling. Katie touches on integration with custom fields, pricing, and special offers for existing Barn2 customers.

Host Sagi Eliyahu welcomes Ben Murray, Co-Founder of Extend and Founder of The SaaS Academy. Ben shares insights from his work as a fractional CFO and finance educator supporting early- and growth-stage SaaS companies. They discuss the evolution of the CFO role, the realistic pace of AI adoption in finance and how SaaS businesses are reassessing growth strategies, pricing models and tech stacks in today's market.Key Takeaways:(02:52) The transition from traditional SaaS to agent AI is the next business model shift.(04:59) Modern CFOs manage 10–15 tools just to operate their back office.(06:14) AI adoption is often pushed by boards and C-level execs, not just IT.(07:52) Finance and accounting functions are slower to adopt AI due to precision requirements.(09:21) The rule of 40 may fade, but financial discipline stays essential.(12:20) Not every SaaS company needs to be AI-first to deliver long-term value.(14:14) Pricing models are shifting, but predictability and ARR clarity still matter.(16:53) SaaS metrics may not fully map to AI businesses with uncertain retention.(20:42) AI integration could reshape org charts by replacing specific manual tasks.(22:22) Leaders build trust by avoiding assumptions and seeking clarity in conflicts.Resources Mentioned:Ben Murrayhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray/Extend | LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/tryextend/Extend | Websitehttps://www.tryextend.com/The SaaS Academy | LinkeInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-saas-academy/The SaaS CFO | Websitehttps://www.thesaascfo.com/This episode is brought to you by Tonkean.Tonkean is the operating system for business operations and is the enterprise standard for process orchestration. It provides businesses with the building blocks to orchestrate any process, with no code or change management required. Contact us at tonkean.com to learn how you can build complex business processes. Fast.#Operations #BusinessOperations

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

Have you ever seen a public company restate its ARR? In episode #296, Ben Murray dives into a real-world example from the London Stock Exchange—Celebrus Technologies—and unpacks why and how they updated their Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) definition. Key Highlights: Financial restatements ≠ just GAAP: ARR, a non-GAAP metric, is increasingly being scrutinized as pricing and revenue models evolve. Case Study: Celebrus Technologies Old ARR definition: Included license revenue, cloud, support & maintenance, third-party software licenses, and project revenue (i.e. services). New ARR definition: Focuses solely on Celebrus software licenses and managed services—excluding third-party licenses and project revenue. Why the change? To better align with how peers in their sector define ARR. To give investors a “cleaner” view of core recurring software revenue. Impact of the change: ARR restated downward and now reported at 18.8M (FY25). Ben's take: This is a positive trend. While managed services are still debatable as “recurring,” overall transparency in ARR definitions is improving across public SaaS companies. Bonus Insight: ARR restatements, especially when they lower reported revenue, are rare—but this signals a maturing investor focus on true recurring revenue quality. Upcoming Webinar: Join Ben Murray and Ray Rike on July 17 as they explore how public SaaS companies are defining and calculating ARR. >> https://thesaascfo.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/10693368/register

Agentic commerce is no longer science fiction — it's arriving in your browser, your development IDE, and soon, your bank statement. In this episode of The MAD Podcast, Matt Turck sits down with Emily Glassberg Sands, Stripe's Head of Information, to explore how autonomous “buying bots” and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) are reshaping the very mechanics of online transactions. Emily explains why intent, not clicks, will become the primary interface for shopping and how Stripe's rails are adapting for tokens, one-time virtual cards, and real-time risk scoring that can tell good bots from bad ones in milliseconds.We also go deep into Stripe's strategic AI choices. Drawing on $1.4 trillion in annual payment flow—1.3 percent of global GDP—Stripe decided to train its own payments foundation model, turning tens of billions of historical charges into embeddings that boost fraud-catch recall from 59 percent to 97 percent. Emily walks us through the tech: why they chose a BERT encoder over GPT-style decoders, how three MLEs in a “research bubble” birthed the model, and what it takes to run it in production with five-nines reliability and tight latency budgets.We zoom out to Stripe's unique vantage point on the broader AI economy. Their data shows the top AI startups hitting $30 million in ARR three times faster than the fastest SaaS companies did a decade ago, with more than half of that revenue already coming from overseas markets. Emily unpacks the new billing playbook—usage-based pricing today, outcome-based pricing tomorrow—and explains why tiny teams of 20–30 people can now build global, vertically focused AI businesses almost overnight.StripeWebsite - https://stripe.comX/Twitter - https://x.com/stripe?Emily Glassberg SandsLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/egsandsX/Twitter - https://x.com/emilygsandsFIRSTMARKWebsite - https://firstmark.comX/Twitter - https://twitter.com/FirstMarkCapMatt Turck (Managing Director)LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/turck/X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattturck(00:00) Intro (01:45) How Big Is Stripe? Latest Stats Revealed (04:06) What Does “Head of Information” at Stripe Actually Do? (05:43) From Harvard to Stripe: Emily's Unusual Journey (08:54) Why Stripe Built Its Own Foundation Model (13:19) Cracking the Code: How Stripe Handles Complex Payment Data (16:25) Foundation Model vs. Traditional ML: What's Winning? (20:09) Inside Stripe's Foundation Model: How It Was Built (24:35) How Stripe Makes AI Decisions Transparent (28:38) Where Stripe Uses AI (And Where It Doesn't) (34:10) How Stripe's AI Drives Revenue for Businesses (41:22) Real-Time Fraud Detection: Stripe's Secret Sauce (42:51) The Future of Shopping: AI Agents & Agentic Commerce (46:20) How Agentic Commerce Is Changing Stripe (49:36) Stripe's Vision for a World of AI-Powered Buyers (55:46) What Is MCP? Stripe's Take on Agent-to-Agent Protocols (59:31) Stripe's Data on AI Startups Monetizing 3× Faster (01:03:03) How AI Companies Go Global — From Day One (01:07:48) The New Rules: Billing & Pricing for AI Startups (01:10:57) How Stripe Builds AI Literacy Across the Company (01:14:05) Roadmap: Risk-as-a-Service, Order Intent, and Beyond

Send us a textIn this premiere episode of The AI Advantage series on The Matt Brown Show, Matt sits down with Simon Taylor, Founder and CEO of HYCU—the world's fastest-growing SaaS data protection company. Together, they explore the double-edged nature of AI in cybersecurity, the looming “SaaS Data Apocalypse,” and why regulation, humanity, and leadership are more critical than ever.Simon reveals how HYCU is leveraging AI to scale integrations from years to weeks, why AI is accelerating cyber risk at an unprecedented rate, and the ethical dilemmas businesses now face as automation reshapes every industry. From the importance of apprenticeships in an AI-driven workforce to how elder care could be transformed, this conversation is packed with insight, foresight, and practical wisdom for leaders navigating the AI era.Everyday AI: Your daily guide to grown with Generative AICan't keep up with AI? We've got you. Everyday AI helps you keep up and get ahead.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Alex Alexin, Head of Demand Generation at Insightful, shares how she found her way into marketing and ultimately into demand gen. She unpacks what demand generation really means today, beyond leads, and why data, analytics, and operations are at the core of effective strategy. Learn how Insightful uses behavioral insights to refine personas, the evolving role of employee productivity tools, and how aligning sales and marketing on metrics drives better outcomes. Alex also shares a standout campaign that cut the sales cycle by 52% and highlights the value of testing, iteration, and curiosity in modern B2B marketing. About Insightful Insightful is a workforce analytics and productivity platform designed for modern teams looking to optimize performance, boost operational efficiency, and leverage data-driven workforce management. By integrating real-time activity tracking, behavioral analytics, and automated time mapping, Insightful simplifies employee monitoring, remote team oversight, and resource allocation, all within a single, intuitive platform. Known for promoting productivity transparency, Insightful replaces scattered reports and multiple tools with a unified, real-time visibility layer that connects daily work directly to meaningful business outcomes. Time Stamps 00:00:18 - Guest Introduction: Alex Alexin 00:00:42 - Alex's Career Journey 00:03:14 - Understanding Employee Monitoring 00:04:04 - The Purpose of Insightful's Software 00:05:36 - Reframing Employee Monitoring 00:06:15 - Marketing Approach Overview 00:06:33 - Defining Demand Generation 00:08:11 - Identifying Target Personas 00:12:06 - Balancing Brand Building and Demand Gen 00:12:23 - The Full Funnel Perspective 00:18:04 - SaaS vs. Other Industries 00:21:32 - Successful Campaigns and Learnings 00:24:25 - Key Marketing Advice 00:25:40 - Final Thoughts and Contact Information Quotes "I truly believe that the heart of demand generation is the operations behind it." – Alex Alexin, Head of Demand Generation at Insightful "It's all about how work happens and how you can really help your workforce do better or those workflows and those processes be better." – Alex Alexin, Head of Demand Generation at Insightful Follow Alex: Alex Alexin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandraalexin/ Insightful website: https://www.insightful.io/ Insightful on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightfulio/ Follow Mike: Mike Maynard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/ Napier website: https://www.napierb2b.com/ Napier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/ If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to our podcast for more discussions about the latest in Marketing B2B Tech and connect with us on social media to stay updated on upcoming episodes. We'd also appreciate it if you could leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform. Want more? Check out Napier's other podcast – The Marketing Automation Moment: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/the-marketing-automation-moment-podcast/id1659211547

This week, Alex speaks with Yext CEO Mike Walrath about his journey in the software industry, the challenges faced by SaaS companies, and the impact of AI on the market. Mike shares insights on leadership, the importance of judgment in decision-making, and how AI is reshaping marketing and SEO strategies. They also discuss the evolving SaaS landscape and the necessity for companies to adapt to new technologies and customer expectations. Guest links: Website: https://www.yext.com/       Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

On the podcast we talk with Eric about his journey from a failed first app to success with his second, the advantage of building for problems people are already talking about, and why he turned down a lucrative acquisition offer to keep building.Top Takeaways:

Today, Drivewyze's Brenda Colombus joins the show to discuss safety and compliance in the trucking business! Brenda explains the significance of Drivewyze in reducing crashes and its financial impact, the type of technology this platform leverages, and more of its special functions, as well as its Mission Zero goal of achieving zero crashes and fatalities!   About Brenda Colombus Brenda is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in guiding multi-disciplinary teams through complex technical development and implementation projects. She brings extensive expertise in delivering cutting-edge SaaS and hardware-enabled SaaS solutions across diverse sectors, including Transportation, Oil & Gas, and Government. Brenda is a passionate advocate for continuous learning. She is a Product Manager at Drivewyze https://drivewyze.com/.  

Romain Torres bootstrapped ARCads.ai from zero to $6 million ARR in just 16 months with only 5 employees, achieving an extraordinary $1.2 million in revenue per employee while staying completely profitable. He launched in January 2024, hit $5,000 MRR in his first week, crossed $1 million ARR by June 2024, and recently added $1 million in new ARR in a single month between April and May 2025. His secret weapon is an arsenal of over 100 AI agents built in Gumloop that automate everything from competitor research to content creation, allowing his tiny team to serve 4,000+ customers and compete with much larger organizations. In this episode, Romain screen-shares his actual Gumloop dashboard and reveals exactly how he built AI agents that scrape competitor ads, automatically rewrite copy, and send daily Slack alerts with replication opportunities—plus his three-channel growth strategy that's driving $500,000+ in monthly recurring revenue.

Feedback from Jeff Hancher's story in Episode 94 of how a sales manager powerfully impacted his life compelled Mike to focus again on...The Life-Changing Impact of an Intentional Leader. After receiving so many stories from listeners about leaders who changed the trajectory of their lives, Mike shares a few of his own — highlighting the intentional investment others made in him that left a lasting impact — along with a reminder from Chapter 9 in his latest book: Managers (particularly sales managers) take up way more emotional and mental bandwidth in their people's hearts and minds than they typically realize or appreciate.    Mike concludes the episode with a few takeaways from recent conversations with senior sales leaders in tech and SaaS companies — most notably that the days of “Fantasy Land” sales management are over, and that both managers and sales reps need to stop looking longingly back to 2021 and 2022 wishing things were easier. Those days are over (and have been for a while), and it is past due time to replace fantasizing with a focus on the fundamentals.     RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   Episode 95 with Jeff Hancher    Firm Feedback in a Fragile World  (now a National Bestseller!)

In this episode of the Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Chris Baden, entrepreneur, father of three, and the founder behind FlowChat—a game-changing tool for organic lead generation on social media. We dive deep into his journey of balancing homeschooling, parenting, and building businesses, all while staying connected to what truly matters: family and purpose. Chris opens up about the early responsibilities that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset, the importance of being present with his kids, and how he manages the daily challenges of homeschooling and parenting alongside scaling companies. We then explore the founding story of FlowChat, a platform designed to help entrepreneurs organically generate and nurture high-quality leads on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Chris explains why focusing on relationship-building instead of aggressive selling makes all the difference, how FlowChat detects lead "signals," and how it seamlessly blends automated outreach with genuine human connection. With impressive traction and over $3 million in revenue from a bootstrapped start, FlowChat is reshaping how businesses approach inbound and outbound messaging. What You'll Learn: How Chris juggles life as a husband, dad, and homeschooling entrepreneur The mindset built from early responsibility and challenge Staying intentional and present with family while growing multiple ventures The origin and mission of FlowChat, and why it's changing lead generation The secret behind successful DMs: focus on engagement, not just selling How to scale messaging through automation without losing authenticity A real-life story of bootstrapped SaaS success, growing to multi-million-dollar sales Chris's daily routines, approach to growth, and definition of success Why This Matters: Learn how to balance business growth with intentional parenting Discover how authentic, signal-based outreach can drive real lead growth Explore how to automate DMs effectively while keeping the human touch Get inspired by a founder building legacies in both family and entrepreneurship

Join Nick Lamagna on The A Game Podcast with our guest Sharad Mehta the founder of REsimpli, a former cpa and failed professional poker player fighting out of Southern California by way of Indiana who dabbled in real estate in 2010 while living in Chicago and decided he could not pass up the opportunity to go full time into real estate investing and jumped in feet first.  He has an incredible track record at this point completing over 750 deals owning over 60 rentals and Owns a property Management company.  His constant search for simplicity in life dripped into his search for simplicity in his business so he could focus on gratitude, impact and faith and became the founder of his crown jewel REsimpli!  Reimpli is a CRM Software for real estate investors that helps you manage Data, Marketing, Sales and Operations among so much more.  He is on a mission to help Real Estate Investors close more deals with less software, simplify their business and make data based decisions! Topics for this episode include: ✅ New trends in today's real estate investing market ✅ Top marketing channel for real estate investors RIGHT NOW ✅ How to make money with properties already listed on the market ✅ What real estate markets are the most profitable this year ✅  Why data is important in real estate and business ✅ Why is direct mail creating so many successful investors + more! Check the show notes to connect with all things Sharad !   Connect with Sharad: Sharad Mehta on Facebook Sharad Mehta on Instagram Sharad Mehta on LinkedIn   Connect with REsimpli: resimpli.com REsimpli on Facebook REsimpli on Instagram Resimpli on LinkedIn REsimpli on Youtube REsimpli on Twitter REsimpli Podcast   ---   Connect with Nick Lamagna www.nicknicknick.com Text Nick (516)540-5733 Connect on ALL Social Media and Podcast Platforms Here FREE Checklist on how to bring more value to your buyers