

#133 - Product-Market Fit Is Dead (Here's What Replaced It) w/ Allyson Letteri
🟪 Join 500+ Smart Entrepreneurs ➤ https://www.gabemarusca.com and learn each week for free, how to stop chasing leads, serve clients longer & enjoy freedom doing what you love, without burning out or breaking down.
In this episode, I chat with Allyson Letteri, a marketing exec turned startup advisor and author of The Standout Startup.
Allyson explains how speed to market with AI changes everything, yet core marketing fundamentals remain constant. With experience scaling teams at Thumbtack and Handshake from Series C to unicorn status, she shares frameworks founders can use immediately. We discuss the three Ps of messaging, why startups build products before finding buyers, and how to create social proof without customers.
We also cover when to hire your first marketer, how to fire fast, and why founder personality must align with brand identity.
Join us as we break down practical steps to stand out, gain traction, and stop wasting time on wrong strategies.
🟪 Timestamps
(00:00) Intro
(01:08) Startups and AI
(03:42) Messaging and Positioning
(06:56) How to Stand Out
(15:06) Building Social Proof
(18:19) Go-To-Market Strategies
(25:29) Founder-Led Brand Building
(37:05) Hiring and Team Building in Startups
(43:40) Connect with Allyson
🟪 Connect with Allyson Letteri
- Website: https://allysonletteri.com
- Book: https://allysonletteri.com/book
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allysonletteri/
🟪 Connect with Gabe Marusca
- Website: https://www.gabemarusca.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabemarusca
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabemarusca/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabemarusca/
- X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabemarusca
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- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabemarusca
Until Next Week,
Pura Vida!