Top-down AI mandates vs. reality

In this episode, CJ Gustafson, Kyle Poyar, and Ben Hillman break down the data behind Kyle’s new 2025 B2B Go-To-Market report, covering what’s actually working in sales and marketing right now — and what’s not. They discuss why most companies are spreading their marketing budgets too thin, how focusing deeply on a few proven channels drives better ROI, and why founder-led content on LinkedIn is outperforming everything else. The crew digs into the rise of AI search, the surprising durability of SEO, and the death of AI SDRs. CJ also explains his “analytics escalator” framework, showing how teams can evolve from basic dashboards to predictive and prescriptive analytics. The episode wraps with their favorite “business blunders” and a nostalgic dive into LimeWire’s bizarre Web3 comeback.

Get Kyle's GTM Report here: https://www.growthunhinged.com/Timestamps:00:00 Beyoncé and the Hot Sauce Reference01:42 Welcome to Mostly Growth02:10 Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew & Fall Banter03:02 The Problem with Startup Swag04:32 The Best Swag Ever: Runway’s “Burn Rate” Hot Sauce06:12 Beyoncé Callback & Yeti Self-Portrait Water Bottle08:32 Transition to GTM Discussion08:42 What’s Actually Working in GTM09:15 Too Many Channels, Not Enough Focus10:05 The Power Law of Marketing Spend11:44 F1, Downforce, and Channel Focus13:15 Double Down on Winning Channels14:11 The One-Trick Pony Fallacy15:07 Inbound Isn’t Dead — It’s Just Personal16:14 The LinkedIn Effect: People vs. Brands17:48 Why Founder-Led Content Wins19:09 The GTM Scorecard Framework20:00 What’s in the Top-Right Quadrant20:14 The Failure of AI SDRs21:03 The Rise of AI Search (AIO)22:02 AI Hype vs. Real Adoption22:43 Finance Teams Taking Over Analytics23:11 Who Should Own Analytics25:00 The Analytics Escalator: Four Levels Explained28:49 From Dashboards to Diagnosis31:08 Avoiding Useless Analysis33:07 Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics38:03 Why Analytics Needs More Than Software39:39 Should CFOs Really Own Analytics40:08 Business Blunders: The Dreaded Catch-Up Email41:25 How to Say No Gracefully43:00 The LimeWire Comeback44:20 LimeWire Buys Fyre Festival Rights45:00 Nostalgia, Scams, and Brand Value in 2025Links:https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7387167459633504257/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZJPJV__bQhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_cityhttps://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard-01gyvn3sxrv2dzjp7a94ea738y/episode/brad-pitt-01jydvce50ysyercfshbdgtanvhttps://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/cfos-are-taking-over-the-analytics-departmenthttps://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-say-nohttps://nftnow.com/news/lmwr-limewire-is-back-from-the-dead-as-a-web3-brandhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/us/limewire-crypto-fyre-festival.htmlhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/fyre-festival-musical-taika-waititi-rita-ora-1236362629/https://getplanta.com/