Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Just evil enough: Subversive marketing strategies for startups | Alistair Croll (author, advisor, entrepreneur)

Nov 3, 2024

Alistair Croll, co-author of the bestselling Lean Analytics and a startup expert, shares insights from his upcoming book, Just Evil Enough. He dives into the power of subversive marketing strategies for startups, highlighting 11 clever tactics used by companies like Netflix and Airbnb. Croll discusses how to ethically exploit market opportunities and the importance of unconventional methods for growth. He also emphasizes the significance of navigating regulatory environments and finding your "zero-day marketing exploit" in a competitive landscape.

01:15:29

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Episode guests

Alistair Croll

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Subversive marketing strategies are essential for startups to differentiate themselves and generate attention in competitive markets.

Successful companies like Netflix and Gymshark showcase innovative marketing tactics that aspiring entrepreneurs can adapt to their contexts.

Cultivating a mindset focused on system awareness and disruption helps entrepreneurs find novel solutions and enhance startup success.

Deep dives

Understanding Product Solutions

Many products fail to attract customers because they offer only part of the solution. In the example of Kraft’s macaroni and cheese, powdered cheese could not be sold alone until a salesperson combined it with macaroni, creating a convenient meal. This highlights the need for businesses to analyze how their products are being used and consider what additional components would enhance their offering. By fully addressing customer needs, companies can improve their value proposition and drive sales.

Intro

2min

Subverting the Norms: Emphasizing Distribution in Startup Success

1min

Innovative Marketing Tactics for Startups

4min

Subverting Marketing Norms

25min

Exploring Subversive Marketing Tactics and Case Studies

3min

Innovative Market Strategies: Reframing Perceptions

17min

Navigating Regulations and Innovative Marketing

14min

Exploring Subversive Marketing and Engaging Stories

3min

Navigating Branding in a Changing Market

6min

Alistair Croll is the co-author of the best-selling book Lean Analytics and a longtime product manager, entrepreneur, and startup advisor. He was also instrumental in my starting a company, funding it, and helping us exit to Airbnb as part of his Year One Labs incubator. He’s chaired notable events such as O’Reilly’s Strata and UBM’s Cloud Connect and founded FWD50. In our conversation, we focus on lessons from an upcoming book by Alistair and his co-author, Emily Ross, Just Evil Enough, which is set for release in late 2024. We cover:

• The importance of subversive marketing strategies in most startups’ growth

• 11 specific subversive tactics that successful companies have used

• Examples of companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and Tesla that used clever tactics early on

• A framework for scanning your market for opportunities

• The importance of finding your “zero-day marketing exploit”

• How to apply these tactics ethically without actually being evil

• Much more

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Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/just-evil-enough-alistair-croll

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Where to find Alistair Croll:

• X: https://x.com/acroll

• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alistairish

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistaircroll/

• Website: https://justevilenough.com/

• Substack: https://acroll.substack.com/

• Just Evil Enough on X: https://x.com/evilenough

• Just Evil Enough on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/just-evil-enough/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Alistair’s background

(02:00) The story behind Alistair and Emily’s book Just Evil Enough

(06:17) Examples of subversive tactics

(07:43) The importance of unfair advantage

(10:36) The origin of the title “Just Evil Enough”

(14:24) System awareness and novelty

(19:16) How to use this thinking successfully

(22:37) Normalizing disagreeable thinking

(25:49) Recon canvas and market scanning

(32:43) 11 tactics for subversive marketing

(57:01) Implementing subversive strategies

(01:05:01) Ethical considerations in marketing

(01:08:19) Lightning round

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

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