Mall Santas, Chicken Fingers, and the Case for Keeping It Simple
Mostly Growth
The venture 'gray zone' of shmedium exits
CJ explains $100–500M exits, founder incentives, VC misalignment, and the awkward mid-market consequences.
In this episode of Mostly Growth, CJ Gustafson and Kyle Poyar explore the hidden mechanics behind focus, competition, and value creation across both consumer culture and B2B SaaS. They unpack why point-solution companies like Untuckit and Raising Cane’s can outperform diversified rivals, examine how competition actually strengthens category demand, and break down the gray zone of mid-market venture exits where founder incentives and investor expectations diverge. The conversation ranges from private equity roll-ups to the realities of cold-calling returning as a top-performing growth channel, to pricing transparency, algorithmic price discrimination, and how everyday behaviors—from mall Santas to $12 club water—reflect deeper strategic forces. It’s a fast, practical look at how operators can stay focused, understand market pressure, and avoid chasing the wrong game.
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SPONSORS:
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LINKS:
Mostly Metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com
CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/
Growth Unhinged: https://www.growthunhinged.com/
Kyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/
Slacker Stuff: https://www.slackerstuff.com/
Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/slackerstuff/
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RELATED EPISODES:
SaaS Founder or Pop Star? CJ Gets Schooled
The Layer-Cake Playbook for Vertical SaaS Growth | with Roland Ligtenberg
The One Use Case for Venture Debt That Most Founders Never Think About
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Preview and Intro
00:01:09 Sponsors – Pulley | Metronome
00:03:29 Mall Fashion & Nostalgia
00:05:17 The Modern Mall Santa Reinvented
00:06:19 Untuckit & the Platform vs. Point Solution Debate
00:07:58 The Power of Category Focus
00:09:23 Obsession, Craft, and the Raising Cane’s Lesson
00:10:13 Germany’s “Hidden Champions”
00:12:11 Competition: When to Care and When Not To
00:13:32 OpenAI, Gemini & the “Code Red” Mindset
00:15:01 Competition → Category Education
00:16:27 Pricing Pages as Competitive Battlegrounds
00:17:32 VC Deck Theater & Competitive Grids
00:18:21 Rise of B2B Newsletter Advertising
00:19:15 Awkward Exits: The Venture “Gray Zone”
00:21:13 Founder Life-Changing Exits vs. VC Math
00:22:31 Why Secondaries Exist (and When They Help)
00:24:25 Why $100–500M Is the Most Common SaaS Exit Range
00:25:41 Structural Misalignment in Venture Exits
00:26:47 How Much Secondary Is Too Much?
00:29:52 Business Blunders: Justin Bieber the PM
00:31:21 Voice Notes, Etiquette, and Chaos
00:32:50 Cold Calling Makes a Comeback
00:35:17 Catherine Jhung Still Cold Calls CFOs
00:37:11 Algorithm Pricing Labels & Data-Driven Pricing
00:40:38 Why Clubs Charge $12 for Water
00:42:27 Closing Credits
#MostlyGrowthPodcast #mallstrategy #focuswins #businesssimplicity #growthoperators
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