Building With Buyers: Startup Marketing and Growth Fueled By Customers

It's my birthday week and I'm droppin' an episode where I explore my career, why I went solo, on landing my first client, on noticing the seasons after leaving corporate, solo business ups & downs, adapting to market shifts, turning perspectives into sales momentum, future goals and reflections, what would be my last meal, and more. I recorded this episode with Nick Bennett on his podcast 1,000 Routes. This is my route, one route out of many, and I hope you'll tune in.For more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, let me know what episodes you've listened to, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Amanda Natividad (VP of Marketing at SparkToro) asked me her burning question in this week's episode and I do my best to answer it. Also check out Jeremy Enns, he's Founder of Podcast Marketing Academy and he knows his podcast creation and growth stuff.Jeremy Enns on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-ennsFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, let me know what episodes you've listened to, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Amanda Natividad is VP of Marketing at SparkToro. SparkToro is a free-to-try market research & audience intelligence tool. Been a big fan of Amanda and Rand Fishkin (Co-Founder and CEO) for a while.Founders like to hide behind their products, but the thing that makes you unique is not your product. There are so many companies solving the same problem you’re solving, and they have customers too. The thing that makes you unique is your superfan customers. That’s your moat. And you need to know your customers beyond just the product you're building that they're using. This ties into the broader idea of audience research.Here’s what we cover:Audience Research versus Customer Research;In what ways do you leverage customers as part of your growth efforts at SparkToro;Asking your customers for favors;Why are companies not doing audience research;Amanda's new podcast “Meme Team”;Amanda asks me her burning question which I will answer in a BONUS episode Friday.Amanda on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/amandanatSparkToro: ⁠⁠⁠⁠sparktoro.comSparkTogether Event: sparktoro.com/sparktogetherFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, let me know what episodes you've listened to, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show. Music by my talented daughter.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠furmanovmarketing.com

Greg Portnoy is CEO and Co-Founder at Euler. Euler allows you to manage your partner programs, end to end. Founded in 2023, bootstrapped, 60 customers, they just doubled their business in Q1. They've never done a single outbound sales message.Here’s what we cover:What's working well;What’s hard right now;How do you incorporate customers as part of your growth efforts;How do you incorporate customer research at Euler;Where are you placing big bets in 2025;Greg asks me his burning question.Greg on LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregportnoyEuler: ⁠eulerapp.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, let me know what episodes you've listened to, 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 Kramer is creator of the MKT1 Newsletter and new Dear Marketers podcast. I am a huge fan. Emily was on the show before:Ep. 141 “Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Your First Head of Marketing” is a Top 5 most listened to episode.Ep. 183 “If Your Startup Can't Win On GTM, We Won't Invest”Here’s what we cover:How's the pod going;In what (creative) ways have you seen companies leverage customers as part of their growth efforts;What’s important for customer marketing efforts to impact growth;How “Ecosystem Marketing” goes beyond customer marketing and why it works so well;What does a good ecosystem look and feel like;Where do you start;What startups come to mind that are running customer marketing or ecosystem marketing plays well, who should we be watching;Emily asks me her burning question.Emily on LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/emilykramerMKT1: mkt1.co⁠For more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, let me know what episodes you've listened to, 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

Jennifer reached out to me after listening to me speak on Riverside’s content repurposing panel. Jennifer Tsay is CEO and co-founder at Shoott. Shoott is a marketplace connecting photographers with customers. Founded in 2018, they've grown from $800K to $10M.Here’s what we cover:What does it take to go from $800K to $10M;What’s hard right now;How do you incorporate customers as part of growth efforts;How do you incorporate customer research at Shoott;Where are you placing big bets in 2025;Jennifer asks me her burning questions.Jennifer on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-tsayShoott: shoott.comFor more content, subscribe to Building With Buyers on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, let me know what episodes you've listened to, 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

Hey, it’s Anna, and today I want to talk about something I’ve been quietly refining over the last five years, working with founders and marketing teams. It’s called Whole-Person Customer Research and it’s the foundation for how I help startups get clarity on their positioning, messaging, GTM and content strategy.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

It was really fun recording this episode with my longtime friend! We go waaaay back. Anna Baskin is Co-Founder and CEO at Hightail. Hightail is a low-dose THC infused beverage for when you want to sip in some fun. Here’s what we cover:What you're building;Wow I’m just so proud of you;How’re you growing your customer base;What’s hard right now;How you incorporate customers as part of your growth efforts;Customer research and the insights you're finding;Where are you placing big bets in 2025;Anna asks me her burning questions.Anna on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/anna-hight-baskinHightail: siphightail.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

Christopher Lochhead is 3X Silicon Valley public company CMO, the father of category design, and makes content for entrepreneurs and marketers with a different mind.I invite Christopher on the show to talk about certain topics but I always know we will be twisting and turning to other topics which is why it's so fun to hang with him.Listen to these other episodes if you want more with Christopher:Ep. 44 - Why 98% Of Startups And Marketers Waste Their Time Ep. 108 - Why Most Content Is 100% Content Free And How Non Obvious Ideas HelpEp. 136 - Why Treating Your Creative Marketing Like It’s Not Tied To Revenue Will Get You More RevenueHere’s what we cover:Politics;Israel war;Terrorism;Disagreements are healthy;What does customer obsession mean, really;Why customers are the most important part of GTM;How can Marketing build respect from Sales and Engineering;Examples of how customers help startups build to their next level of growth;Which customers are most important for customer research;What you should look for when analyzing customer research (HINT: it’s not what you think);Why it’s important to learn about how customers use your product as part of their products ecosystem, desires and preferences.Christopher on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlochheadCategory Pirates: www.categorypirates.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

Always fun when folks refer me to founders building cool products, and that's exactly how I met Melissa. Melissa Rosenthal is Co-Founder at Outlever. Outlever helps companies become the #1 news source in their industry. They're self-funded and $5M in revenue. Here’s what we cover:What you're building;How many customers;Sales cycle length;What’s hard right now;How do you incorporate customers as part of your marketing and sales efforts;How do you incorporate customer research;Tell me about your superfan customers;Where are you placing big bets in 2025.Melissa on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5Outlever: ⁠⁠⁠⁠outlever.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