Is Founder-Led Marketing Setting Your Company Up for Failure?

Frank Grillo is a veteran B2B marketing leader. After his 30+ year career as a CMO in IT and Telecoms, he quit his job, moved to Italy and started his own distillery (talk about something cool!!!)

In this episode, Frank shares how SaaS companies can avoid messaging pitfalls, and what it really takes to reach the right customers. He also breaks down the biggest lessons from failed SaaS companies, the role of AI in business strategy, and what marketing and distilling have in common.

We get into:

- The Challenges of Founder-Led Marketing

- Why SaaS Companies Struggle with Messaging & Growth

- Understanding Customer Needs (feat. The Milkshake Analogy)

- When & How to Transition Beyond Founder-Led Marketing

- Lessons from Failed SaaS Companies

- The Role of AI in Business & Marketing Strategy

- Frank’s Journey from SaaS to Distilling

Perfect for: Founders, marketers, and B2B SaaS leaders who actually want to move the needle and aren’t afraid to do things differently.

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!

Connect with Frank:

Frank’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frgrillo/

Altamura Distilleries: https://www.altamuradistilleries.com/en/

Connect with me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

Website: https://www.project33.io/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

Website: https://www.project33.io/

Chapters:

00:00 The Journey from B2B Marketing to Distilling

03:10 Challenges of Founder-Led Marketing

06:00 The Milkshake Example: Understanding Customer Needs

08:48 Transitioning from Founder-Led to Broader Marketing

11:59 The Importance of Language in Marketing

14:45 Case Studies: Lessons from Failed SaaS Companies

21:08 The Role of Founders in Scaling Businesses

27:20 Evolving Marketing Strategies for SaaS Companies

30:09 The Role of Founder-Led Marketing

33:02 Identifying the Right Founders for Marketing

35:49 Breaking Norms in Founder-Led Marketing

39:02 Understanding Market Opportunities and Risks

41:49 Transitioning from Marketing to Distilling

49:50 Leveraging AI in Business Strategies

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