How a Solo Marketer Built 80% of Pipeline With ABM and Zero Ads (with Adam O’Brien from Stackpack) | Ep. 187

Jul 17, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Adam O’Brien, Founding Marketer at Stackpack and co-host of The Don't Be a SaaS Podcast, shares his journey as a solo marketer in a competitive market. He reveals how he created 80% of the pipeline without ads, focusing on key data-driven strategies and personal engagement. Adam discusses the importance of narrowing target accounts, leveraging public data, and his innovative approach to hijacking trade shows. This conversation offers actionable insights for anyone looking to succeed in account-based marketing with limited resources.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Using Closed Deals to Target Accounts

Adam started ABM by analyzing 18 months of closed-won and closed-lost deals to find best-fit nonprofit accounts.
He narrowed targets to about 250 accounts per rep using public nonprofit data and manual sourcing.

ADVICE

Hijack Audiences with Intimate Events

Instead of sponsoring trade shows, Adam hosted intimate dinners to hijack their audiences and built relationships in person.
They also ran interactive digital events like donation page "glow ups" to provide value and foster trust.

ADVICE

Turn Content Into Interactive Tools

Adam transformed a long ebook into a custom GPT chat tool, significantly increasing engagement and traffic.
He created a branded microsite to centralize assets and track buyer intent for better outbound engagement.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

What happens when you're a solo marketer in a red ocean—no budget, crowded market, and limited differentiation? If you're Adam O’Brien, you go scrappy and win. On this episode of Scrappy ABM, host Mason Cosby sits down with Adam to unpack how he prioritized accounts, activated a lean channel mix, and built a brand in real time—all while leading marketing solo at a nonprofit-focused SaaS company.

From hijacking trade show audiences to building GPT-powered microsites, Adam shares how marketing created 80% of pipeline despite not sponsoring events, skipping ads, and selling in a highly relational, low-tech vertical. This isn’t theory—it’s the actual playbook, including failures, workarounds, and honest lessons from the field. If you're thinking about ABM but light on resources, this is your blueprint.

👤 Guest Bio

Adam O’Brien is the Founding Marketer at Stackpack and co-host of The Don't Be a SaaS Podcast. A product marketer at his core, Adam previously ran solo ABM programs targeting nonprofit organizations, leveraging deep persona research, manual sourcing, and creative content to build marketing-sourced pipeline from 0% to 80%.

📌 What We Cover

Why the first step in ABM is always reviewing closed-won and closed-lost deals
How Adam narrowed targeting to 250 accounts per rep using public nonprofit data
The role of “mission sub-verticals” in fine-tuning outbound messaging
Why trade shows were targeted—but never sponsored
The “hijack the audience” strategy that replaced traditional event marketing
Building community with donation page “glow ups” instead of webinars
How a long ebook became a GPT tool—and why it drove 4–5x more traffic than the blog
Creating a branded microsite to unify all assets and track buyer intent
Why knowing your product market fit and messaging is non-negotiable for ABM
How product limitations and crowded competition created unexpected challenges
The critical importance of customer quotes, referrals, and reviews
Advice for marketers launching ABM without resources: start with product marketing

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Scrappy ABM: Visit for more ABM tips and strategies.

Connect with Mason on LinkedIn for a conversation about ABM.

If you enjoyed today's episode and found valuable insights for your business, be sure to subscribe to the Scrappy ABM podcast for more expert discussions. Don't forget to leave a review and share this episode with your team or fellow marketers!