
Traction
On the Traction Podcast, we bring you discussions with founders and CXOs of the fastest-growing companies in technology, covering everything from product, marketing, innovation, fundraising and more through proven strategies for rapid growth.
Presented by:
Boast.AI R&D Tax Credit Software - https://boast.ai
Launch - https://www.launchacademy.ca
Traction Community - https://tractionconf.io
Latest episodes

Nov 9, 2022 • 22min
Winning Over the Toughest Influencers with Kirsten Newbold-Knipp, FullStory
On this episode, Kirsten Newbold-Knipp, Chief Marketing Officer at FullStory shares 5 proven tactics to create a successful analyst relations program that will drive long-term brand and revenue through influence. A recent survey noted that 92% of enterprise buyers leverage analyst reports and reviews to make buying decisions. Analyst Relations is an often overlooked but key driver in "influencing the influencers" to make buying decisions. Specifically, Kirsten covers: - Why analyst relations aren't out of date.- The most fun (and most challenging) part of being an analyst.- How to manage expectations around you.- Knowing how you're relevant to an analyst and what benefits them.- Early-stage investment options.- Why you should accept advice from analysts. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Learn more about FullStory at https://www.fullstory.com/ 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 #startup #marketing #PR #AnalystRelations

Nov 3, 2022 • 23min
Engagement Is The New Growth: How To Plant Seeds for a Hyper-Growth Future, Anna Griffin, Intercom
On this episode, Anna Griffin, Chief Marketing Officer at Intercom discusses how to accelerate business growth through nano-engagement, why this type of engagement is critical for growing companies and how it can scale. Growing users without engagement are the empty calories of growth. It feels good, but it’s not good for you. Users who are not engaged will eventually churn. Specifically, Anna covers: - The only thing businesses of the future will compete on. - The most important business metric today. - How to create ongoing customer engagement at scale. - What is modern engagement? - How entire organizations can work in unison to improve their customer experience. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Anna Griffin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annahgriffin/ Learn more about Intercom at https://www.intercom.com/ 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 #growth #marketing #startup

Oct 26, 2022 • 20min
How To 10X Your Traffic & Revenues with Eric Siu, Single Grain
On this episode, Eric Siu, Chairman at Single Grain reveals the timeless, tested growth-marketing principles he has used to help several companies. Specifically, Eric covers: - Why podcasts have a high retention rate. - How to increase organic engagement on LinkedIn. - Why YouTube shorts are a big opportunity right now. - Pillar content and the framework for repurposing your content. - The most important factor when it comes to running ads. - How to capture people's attention. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Eric Siu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericosiu/ Learn more about Single Grain at https://www.singlegrain.com/ #growth #marketing #startups 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

Oct 19, 2022 • 22min
Where To Fish To Land a Unicorn with Oji Udezue, Twitter
On this episode, Oji Udezue, former Chief Product Officer at Calendly and former Head of Product for Creation & Conversation at Twitter provides a framework for evaluating startup ideas based on their potential for growth and expected outcomes. Specifically, Oji talks about: - A different way to focus on and understand your addressable market. - Which workflows are worth optimizing for profit? - Why some workflows are more profitable than others and how to tell ahead of time. - High-intensity niche workflows — the most lucrative workflows. - Where your focus should be if you want to start a high growth company. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Get Oji’s Product Led Growth Book: https://howtoplg.ck.page Connect with Oji Udezue: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojiudezue/ 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 six 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 #product #startup #innovation #plg

Oct 12, 2022 • 18min
Grow Fast with Outbound Fury with Raj Sarkar, 1Password
On this episode, Raj Sarkar, Advisor and former CMO at 1Password shows us how marketing-led growth, powered by a term he’s coined ‘outbound fury’, can help you engineer virality, displace the competition, and win the hearts and minds of millions. More specifically, Raj covers: - The concept of outbound fury and why you need it in your business. - How outbound fury works. - How to make a boring topic like security accessible to the masses. - Will outbound fury work for any product? - How do you operationalize outbound fury? Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Raj Sarkar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajsarkar/ Learn more about 1Password at https://1password.com/ 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 #product #marketing #startup #growth

Oct 5, 2022 • 43min
Top 5 Rules for Building Hypergrowth Teams with Lucie Buisson, Anique Drumright and Casey Winters
On this episode, Lucie Buisson, CPO at Contentsquare, Anique Drumright, VP of Product at Loom and Casey Winters, CPO at Eventbrite discuss how to build hypergrowth teams that ship blockbuster products consistently. Lucie, Anique and Casey have built and scaled products to millions of users. In this session, they provide invaluable insights and give advice on: - When founders should hire a head of product and what their role should include. - The role and success metrics of product operations. - How to think about building and scaling your existing team. - The difference in types of people recruited for early-stage, mid-stage and late-stage companies. - How to retain core talent and keep them engaged as the company grows and the stakes change. - Balancing big, bold ideas with incremental improvements as you scale. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Lucie Buisson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-buisson-3195b272/ Connect with Anique Drumright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anique-drumright-53978a1a/ Connect with Casey Winters: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/ 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 six months free of Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM. Go to https://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 #product #innovation #startup

Sep 28, 2022 • 20min
Top Rules To Grow to $100M ARR Fast with Mary D'Onofrio, Bessemer Ventures Partners
On this episode, Mary D'Onofrio, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners discusses how to build an enduring $100M ARR business. Specifically, Mary covers: Why $100M (“Centaur”) is the new milestone to strive for and why the term was coined. What companies that reach Centaur status all have in common. What companies that fall off their projected growth path have in common. Defining a cash conversion score and what it means for a company. How research and development spending changes over the lifespan of a $100M ARR company. Top 3 tips for founders to grow operationally-efficient businesses today. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Mary D'Onofrio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-d-onofrio-a125b2154/ Learn more about Bessemer Venture Partners at https://www.bvp.com/ 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 six months free of Zendesk Suite and Zendesk Sales CRM. Go to https://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 #saas #startup #centaur

Sep 27, 2022 • 16min
The State of the Fundraising and Startup Market with Tomasz Tunguz, Redpoint Ventures
On this episode, Tomasz Tunguz, Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures discusses fundraising in today's environment, which is radically different from his past 14-year experience in venture capital. Before joining Redpoint Ventures, Tomasz was the product manager for Google’s AdSense social-media products and AdSense internationalization. In total, he's worked with six unicorns from when they were very small till they became massive. Specifically, Tomasz covers: How public and private markets are changing and how founders perceive these changes. How software companies today are valued in the public markets. Why private markets are slowing down, and what will give private markets a boost over the next four years. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Tomasz Tunguz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasztunguz Learn more about Redpoint Ventures at https://www.redpoint.com/ 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 #product #marketing #innovation #fundraising #fintech

Sep 20, 2022 • 19min
3 Rules for Building a Multi-Product Company with Shadi Rostami, Amplitude
On this episode, Shadi Rostami, Senior/Executive VP of Engineering at Amplitude discusses the tell-tale signs companies should look for before expanding their product suite and three major considerations before doing so. Expanding beyond your first-ever product offering is a huge moment for any company. Unfortunately, it is also a moment that is very difficult to get right. Specifically, Shadi covers: The right time to go multi-product. How to set your organization up to go multi-product. Horror stories. Managing new and existing customers with new products. This episode is moderated by Frederic Lardinois, Senior Enterprise Editor at TechCrunch. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Shadi Rostami: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadi-rostami-b6a636/ Learn more about Amplitude at https://amplitude.com/ 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 #product #startup #innovation

Sep 15, 2022 • 20min
How Calendly Scaled Into the Enterprise with Kate Ahlering, Calendly
On this episode, Kate Ahlering, Chief Revenue Officer at Calendly shares best practices for implementing a highly effective revenue strategy to improve the funnel and accelerate bottom-line growth across your organization, as well as insights into how her team is applying a combined PLG-SLG strategy to acquire more customers upmarket. Specifically, Kate covers: Why joining Calendly was the right opportunity. The first 30 days at Calendly as the first CRO. Tactics to accelerate revenue growth and scale faster. How do you prioritize accounts? The most common failure points to be mindful of. Tracked metrics that are leading indicators of success. Tips for people thinking about how to pair sales with PLG. This episode is moderated by Kyle Poyar, Partner at OpenView. Learn more at https://tractionconf.io Connect with Kate Ahlering: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-ahlering/ Learn more about Calendly at https://calendly.com/ This episode is brought to you by: Loom is the video messaging platform for work. Teams use Loom to reduce meetings, share institutional knowledge, and get work done faster — because “quick syncs” are never that quick. Complete projects 53% faster with 29% fewer meetings—even across multiple teams and timezones. So cancel that meeting. Record a Loom instead. Head to loom.com/traction for a 14 day free trial. 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 #plg #sales #startup #growth