On this episode, Karl Sun, Co-Founder and Board Chair of Lucid Software discusses how to build a platform on top of your product to drive exponential growth.   Although for more than a decade Lucid Software focused mainly on its flagship product, Lucidchart, the team always built the company with a platform in mind. It’s because of this mindset of optionality and scale that the company can quickly adapt when opportunities arise.   Karl shares what his team focused on to build for scale early on, and how that is now benefiting the company as it serves its millions of customers worldwide.   Specifically, Karl dives into:   - What a platform is. - Recognizing when it's time to scale your technology. - How to recognize your unique advantage over your competitors. - Building a product that addresses both immediate and future needs. - How users can extend a product's core functionality for their specific needs.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Lucid Software at https://lucid.co/   This episode is brought to you by:   In a digital world, customers demand more, especially from support. Intercom enables businesses to connect with their customers at exactly the right moment using powerful messaging and automation. This enables customer service teams to scale without additional investment while still providing efficient and personal customer experiences. Welcome to a whole new way to support your customers. Eligible startups get advanced Intercom features at a 95% discount. Visit https://Intercom.com/traction    Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI    Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com   #platform #product #innovation #startup  

On this episode, Stacey Epstein, CMO at Freshworks shares key lessons from the hyper-growth journey of the first India-founded B2B SaaS company to go public in the US – going from a 6-member, $1 million start-up to a 4,000+ member, $300 million scale-up leading up to IPO.  Customer-focused businesses foster a company culture dedicated to improving customer satisfaction and relationships, and that singular focus has made all the difference for Freshworks. Specifically, Stacey covers:   - How Freshworks migrated from India to the US. - How to run a global organization at scale and maintain consistency across the board. - The process for deciding what product is built next. - How founders should approach their first marketing hire. - Advice for women who are early on in their career with CEO aspirations.   This episode is moderated by Arjun Chopra, Partner at Floodgate.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Freshworks at https://www.freshworks.com/   #product #marketing #startup #scale #growth   This episode is brought to you by:   In a digital world, customers demand more, especially from support. Intercom enables businesses to connect with their customers at exactly the right moment using powerful messaging and automation. This enables customer service teams to scale without additional investment while still providing efficient and personal customer experiences. Welcome to a whole new way to support your customers. Eligible startups get advanced Intercom features at a 95% discount. Visit https://Intercom.com/traction    Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI    Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com   

On this episode, Mada Seghete, Co-Founder, Managing Director and VP Marketing at Branch shares their culture playbook from zero to a $4 billion company.   From high-growth companies, to a changing environment due to a global pandemic, to a recession — companies have to adapt more than ever.   Mada discusses what culture is, how you define it at an early stage, and how you measure it and maintain it through both high-growth and fast-paced environments.   Specifically, Mada covers:   - Defining culture and what it actually means. - Why you have to define culture early and keep iterating. - Examples of values that Branch changed over time. - Why culture should be a part of hiring criteria. - Putting your values on display in a hybrid work setting. - How you should celebrate your employees.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Branch at https://www.branch.io/   #culture #startup #people #innovation   This episode is brought to you by: Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com

On this episode, Jonathan Yaffe, Co-Founder and CEO at AnyRoad shares how to drive growth through experiential marketing from his experience working with large brands like Red Bull, Budweiser, Tabasco, and Honda.   Today, brands of all sizes recognize the value of experiential marketing — studies show that 76% of consumers prefer to spend their money on experiences.   So how can brands provide memorable experiences that keep customers coming back for more and drive growth?   Specifically, Jonathan discusses:   - If your brand was an experience, what kind of experience would it be? - Finding your target audience. - The three senses an experience must trigger. - Vanity metrics that don't generate revenue. - Competing against all other forms of marketing.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about AnyRoad at https://www.anyroad.com/   #startup #marketing #experience   This episode is brought to you by:   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com

On this episode, Melissa Rosenthal, Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp discusses which rules to break to skyrocket your company's growth.   Competition is stiff in today's startup world.   With so many innovative ideas and business models, it's no wonder that companies are running on all cylinders to stand out and generate revenue.   So how do you gain a competitive edge to accelerate growth? And how can infusing creativity into your brand set your company apart?   Melissa knows firsthand how to stand out in a crowded industry by throwing out the B2B rulebook.   Specifically, Melissa covers:   - Throwing out the old B2B playbook and defining the ClickUp brand. - Adding a touch of humor to your marketing channels. - How startups can figure out what their brand voice should sound like. - How ClickUp measures advertising ROI. - Why you need to hyper-niche down to stay competitive.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about ClickUp at https://app.clickup.com/   #brand #marketing #innovation #startup   This episode is brought to you by:   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com

On this episode, Spencer Kimball, CEO at Cockroach Labs shares his tips for innovating and evolving your business and discusses how to develop a growth mindset to come out the other side of a downturn as an even stronger contender.   During turbulent times, all companies focus on survival.   But many make the mistake of pulling most (if not all) resources out of innovation, growth and research, to hunker down on the bottom line and wait out the troubles.   However, that approach is not helping your long-term survival, it's hurting it.   Specifically, Spencer discusses:   - Why the company is named Cockroach. - Why too many customers too soon can be a problem for startups. - How to create an information advantage. - The biggest challenge in going from a small to a large pool of customers. - The stress and angst entrepreneurs have and how to manage it.   This episode is moderated by John Koetsier at Forbes.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Cockroach Labs at https://www.cockroachlabs.com/   #product #innovation #startup   This episode is brought to you by:   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com

On this episode, Immad Akhund, CEO & Founder at Mercury and Jon Fry, CEO & Founder at Lendflow discuss the key components of the FinTech ecosystem and how to embed FinTech into your products to drive exponential growth.   Want the key to unlocking the next unicorn?   Today more and more companies are embedding FinTech (banking, payments, lending, insurance, etc.) into their products not only to drive growth and revenue but also to stay competitive.   For example, Starbucks has the second most used payments application in the United States and they’re not a bank.   This episode is moderated by Douglas Soltys of BetaKit.   Specifically, they discuss:   - Why every SaaS company will eventually become a FinTech company. - How to determine how many users will convert into your FinTech product offering. - How to build trust through transparency. - The recommended starting point for companies to take on FinTech systems. - Why Jon chose lending as the sweet spot for Lendflow. - Hidden costs that companies should look out for when embedding FinTech.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Mercury at https://mercury.com/   Learn more about Lendflow at https://www.lendflow.com/   #startup #innovation #fintech   This episode is brought to you by:   Zendesk makes it easier to support your customers with customer service, engagement, and sales CRM solutions. Qualifying early-stage startups can get 6 months free of Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM. Go to zendesk.com/startups to apply now.   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at ContentAllies.com

On this episode, Tamara Grominsky, VP Product Marketing and Lifecycle at Kajabi shares how to identify your company’s best customers, discover the value they seek and build a compelling go-to-market strategy that will help you attract, convert and retain them.   Tamara dives into:   - Identifying your best customers using a data-backed approach. - Customer metrics to consider when you're looking for your ideal customer base. - The information you need to gather outside of your business. - Defining a quantified buyer persona.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Kajabi at https://kajabi.com/   #product #marketing #innovation #fundraising #fintech   This episode is brought to you by: Zendesk makes it easier to support your customers with customer service, engagement, and sales CRM solutions. Qualifying early-stage startups can get 6 months free of Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM. Go to zendesk.com/startups to apply now.   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com

On this episode, Kyle Poyar, Operating Partner at OpenView shares 11 rules to grow faster with low cost customer acquisition tactics using real-life examples from leaders like Calendly, Loom, Notion and Webflow.   Viral products not only sell themselves but they market themselves, too. The fastest-growing companies generate 2x as many new sign-ups from product referrals compared to everyone else. Even if your product isn’t inherently viral, it pays to make customer-assisted marketing a pillar in your growth strategy.   Specifically, Kyle shares:   - How to reduce CAC. - How to treat your marketing as a product that offers real value to users. - Why you should focus your marketing on user pain, not just buyer pain. - Programmatic “how to” templates, free sidecar products, and social features. - Standard content vs. product education and docs. - How PLG can reach customers in atypical ways. - 3 steps to drive virality. - Tried and true strategies to add virality through community and word of mouth. - To optimize your marketing, look closely at product activation.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about OpenView at https://openviewpartners.com/   #product #marketing #innovation #fundraising #fintech   This episode is brought to you by:   Zendesk makes it easier to support your customers with customer service, engagement, and sales CRM solutions. Qualifying early-stage startups can get 6 months free of Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM. Go to zendesk.com/startups to apply now.   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com

On this episode, Casey Winters, former CPO at Eventbrite shares 5 key steps to drive a sustainable user acquisition strategy from his experience helping scale iconic brands like Pinterest, Airbnb, Grubhub, Tinder, Canva and Lyft.   Specifically, Casey covers:   - The two types of growth strategies that startups should consider. - An example of a complex startup that changed over time. - The attribution and payback period. - The best way to approach attribution. - The fastest way for startups to fix growth problems.   Learn more at https://tractionconf.io   Learn more about Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/   #product #marketing #startup #growth    This episode is brought to you by:   Zendesk makes it easier to support your customers with customer service, engagement, and sales CRM solutions. Qualifying early-stage startups can get 6 months free of Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM. Go to zendesk.com/startups to apply now.   Each year the U.S. and Canadian governments provide more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits and innovation incentives to fund businesses. But the application process is cumbersome, prone to costly audits, and receiving the money can take as long as 16 months. Boast automates this process, enabling companies to get more money faster without the paperwork and audit risk. We don’t get paid until you do! Find out if you qualify today at https://Boast.AI.   Launch Academy is one of the top global tech hubs for international entrepreneurs and a designated organization for Canada's Startup Visa. Since 2012, Launch has worked with more than 6,000 entrepreneurs from over 100 countries, of which 300 have grown their startups to seed and Series A stage and raised over $2 billion in funding. To learn more about Launch's programs or the Canadian Startup Visa, visit https://LaunchAcademy.ca    Content Allies helps B2B companies build revenue-generating podcasts. We recommend them to any B2B company that is looking to launch or streamline its podcast production. Learn more at https://contentallies.com