Summary

In this conversation, Jothy Rosenberg interviews Leslie Barthel, a marketing professional with extensive experience in tech startups. They discuss Leslie's career journey, the challenges and rewards of working in startups, and the importance of marketing in early-stage companies. Leslie shares insights on marketing strategies for startups, including how to market a product that is still in the proof-of-concept stage and how to build brand awareness with limited resources. They also touch on the role of product management in marketing and the value of grit and a positive mindset in navigating the ups and downs of startup life.

Takeaways

Working in tech startups often involves being in the right place at the right time and making connections.
Marketing a product in the proof-of-concept stage requires selling the vision and potential of the product.
Building brand awareness with limited resources involves focusing on high-impact strategies and partnering with others.
As a startup grows, it becomes important to hire a marketing team that can handle both creative and strategic tasks.
Product management plays a crucial role in marketing, as it involves understanding the product, the target market, and gathering feedback.
Having a positive mindset and viewing setbacks as learning opportunities is key to navigating the challenges of startup life.

Sound Bites

"I really liked B2B tech"

"Selling the vision and making it easy for customers to understand"

"The thing I love about startups are the people"

Links

Leslie’s Health Startup: https://1up.health/

Please leave us a review: https://podchaser.com/DesigningSuccessfulStartups

Tech Startup Toolkit: https://www.manning.com/books/tech-startup-toolkit

Jothy’s website: https://jothyrosenberg.com

Who Says I Can’t Foundation: https://whosaysicant.org

Jothy’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNtOawXAx5A

Chapters

00:00 Leslie Barthel's Career Journey

03:01 Marketing Strategies for Startups

08:28 Building Brand Awareness

09:01 The Role of Product Management

24:27 Growing the Right Marketing Team

32:28 The Value of Grit and a Positive Mindset

Reviews: Regression, Suffragette, The Nightmare and Sicario