Building With Buyers

I'm answering Udi Ledergor's questions in this BONUS pod episode: 1. How is AI changing the work that we do on customer research?2. How should we as consultants and advisors prepare for this change?For more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Udi Ledergor is Chief Evangelist and former CMO at Gong. You can centralize all your revenue workflows in Gong’s Revenue AI Platform. Gong is a Unicorn (last valuation was $7.25B). Total funding $583M. Also check out Ep. 156 “Gong’s Marketing Evolution From Early Stage To Unicorn”.Here’s what we cover:In what ways have customers helped Gong build to the next round;How to create raving fans;Where is Gong placing big bets in 2025 (e.g. redefining category boundaries);How do you sell to large strategic customers;Where is Udi placing big bets in 2025 (new book!);Why courage in marketing is so important and oftentimes missing;What’s your favorite use case for using AI.Udi on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergorCourageous Marketing book: https://mybook.to/courageousmarketingGong: www.gong.io For more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Natalie Marcotullio is Head of Growth & Product Marketing at Navattic. Navattic makes buying easier with interactive demos. Seed funded. Also check out Ep. 139 (be the company that seems to be everywhere), Ep. 180 (podcast, ads, positioning, what’s the ROI) and Ep. 218 (launching the free forever plan).Here’s what we cover:The Navattic Fanatic Customer Event in NYC, what was your goal for the event and did you achieve it;What do you think made the customer event so successful;Anything that surprised you;What will you change for next time;After the event is often the most important - how did you make the event last beyond the two days;Other ways you’re incorporating customers into your business and marketing strategy;Your new role heading up product marketing, what are you planning to tackle first;Natalie asks Anna her burning question;30 days of customer obsession;Thoughts on being audacious to differentiate;What are the top drivers of WOM for Navattic.Natalie on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-marcotullioNavattic: www.navattic.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Taylor Jennings is lead UX Researcher at Chili Piper. Chili Piper is your all-in-one Demand Conversion Platform. The only solution that consolidates Chat, Routing, and Scheduling all in one platform. They've raised $54.4M.Here’s what we cover:How do you incorporate customer research at Chili Piper;Product research and goals with this research;Pricing research, goals with this research, how you actually did this in the weeds;How have you actually used the research insights;What are your challenges with customer research.Taylor on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/taylorjennings1Chili Piper: ⁠www.chilipiper.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Elaine Zelby is Co-Founder and CRO at Tofu. Tofu puts top-of-funnel on autopilot for B2B marketing teams, so you can ship integrated marketing campaigns 8X faster. Series A funded (recent). Also check out Ep. 96 “First Time Founders Think Product Wins, Second Time Founders Know GTM Wins”.Here’s what we cover:Your recent funding round, what did it take to get there (HINT: 4 main things);How do you use tofu at tofu;How do you structure your nurture sequences;How do you incorporate customer research at tofu (HINT: product roadmap, website, GTM plan);Both companies and people are building agents and bots, how do you break away and ahead of everyone else;Where are you placing big bets in 2025;How do you know your content is good.Elaine on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/elainezelbyTofu: www.tofuhq.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Megan Bowen is CEO at Refine Labs. Refine Labs is a demand gen agency for growth stage and enterprise B2B SaaS companies. Also check out Ep. 78 "Hire For Customer Success, Not Customer Support."Here’s what we cover:Brand, Demand, and ABM. What's your approach to client work;I’m exploring the role that customers play in helping startups build to the next round - how have you seen this play out with companies you work with;What’s changed about how buyers buy today, and what’s still the same;Customer research is core to the work I do with my clients - how do you handle customer research at Refine Labs;How are you using AI, and what’s your take on where it’s going;Early stage startups testing paid ads, what’s your advice (HINT: it's an expensive experiment, you need at least $3M-5M ARR);What’s the biggest challenge for companies you’re working with right now;Megan asks me her burning question.Megan on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/meganwhitebowenRefine Labs: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.refinelabs.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Ivan Barajas Vargas is Co-Founder and CEO at Muuktest, world-class QA 100% done-for-you. Seed funded.Here’s what we cover:What is Service-as-a-Software;How do you incorporate customer research at Muuktest;The Mom Test;What are some of your goals with customer research;What questions are you asking;How are you using research insights;Do you ask customers where do they learn and hang out;Why understanding “whole-person” with your research is important and goes beyond just your product;Why is customer research important;What are your challenges with customer research;There are so many voices, who should you listen to when you do this research.Ivan on LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/ivanbarajasvargas Muuktest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠muuktest.com For more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Emily Steele is Co-Founder and CEO at Hummingbirds. Mari Tippman is Head of Sales at Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds helps brands drive awareness and sales with hyper-local content creators. The platform connects brands with “hummingbirds” who are trusted friends and neighbors with buying power and local influence. Hummingbirds recently raised Seed funding ($10M total!). Emily has been on the show before, check out Ep. 198 Impressions vs. Engagement: Why Partnering With Smaller Creators Can Actually Be More Effective.Here’s what we cover:Your recent funding round - what did it take to get there;How do you incorporate customer research at Hummingbirds and what have been the results;How do you incorporate customers in your marketing;Why is customer research importantWhat are your challenges with customer research;Emily shared that they have a podcast and what they use it for.Emily on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/emilysteele12Mari on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maritippmannHummingbirds: ⁠www.hummingbirds.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Peter Mollins is VP of Marketing at Nooks. Nooks just raised Series B funding in October. Woop!With Nooks you can boost pipeline with AI assistants that automate the busywork of dialing, coaching, and prospecting, so sales reps can focus on the human side of selling.Here’s what we cover:Your recent funding round - what did it take to get there;How do you incorporate customer research at Nooks and what have been the results;How do you incorporate customers in your marketing;Oh my gosh you need to try to sell to Jim Hard*ss, your AI coaching assistant;Peter asks me his burning question.Peter on LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/petermollinsNooks: www.nooks.aiFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

I was asked to join a panel for Riverside's event "Content Repurposing: Turn 1 Conversation Into a Full Content Calendar" along with Emily Kramer (MKT1) and Ross Simmonds (Foundation Marketing). 1900 people registered! Really fun conversation and great group.We discuss: What to consider before creating content with repurposing in mind Step-by-step how to recycle and repurpose your content Which posts and methods have worked best The tools and automations to use for repurposing How to decide when, where and what to publish and moreSee the video version here: https://riverside.fm/webinars/content-repurposing-turn-1-conversation-into-a-full-content-calendarFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com