Building With Buyers: Startup Marketing and Growth Fueled By Customers

You're a startup founder. You think your product is amazing and feel like more people should be buying.  But the road is long and slow. You've got some customers, surely you're on the right path? Why aren't deals closing faster? Why does it feel like a slog?  You've tried a bunch of stuff. Or maybe you've tried a couple things, not sure where to go from here. It feels like you're stuck. There's always one thing I ask startup founders: Have you talked to your customers? They almost always say "heck yes! we talk to our customers all the time" but what does that actually mean?  They talk to customers during sales conversations, and during product conversations. So they're either selling, or trying to improve their product. These are not customer-focused conversations. And this lack of customer understanding is what slows growth, and makes you feel stuck. If we can get curious about our customers (those people that trusted us and paid us!) we can uncover critical insights that will help us build to the next round. I'm Anna Furmanov and this is Building With Buyers, a show about startup growth where I'll explore how customers help startups build to the next round.

Hey MSM listener! Anna here, host of the show. I hope you enjoyed Season 4 of Modern Startup Marketing. I'm officially wrapped with this season, but will be back for more in the future.  In the meantime, make sure you follow me on LinkedIn where I’ll continue to share top highlights from past pod episodes, and you can sign up to get my monthly startup marketing newsletter where I’m sharing frameworks and insights and cracking some jokes. Peace and love. For more content, subscribe to Modern Startup Marketing on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show! And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. Fractional Head of Marketing for early stage startups⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get marketers interested in your product 3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing frameworks and insights and cracking some jokes You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello and tell me what you're building.

Ryan Staley, Founder of Whale Boss, discusses AI tools for sales and marketing, value use cases, and concerns with AI. They also cover chat GPT, co-pilot, and leveraging AI for sales strategies. The podcast explores data analysis, prompts for insights, and AI applications in sales and marketing, emphasizing human oversight in decision-making processes involving AI tools.

Sam Dunning is the Founder at Breaking B2B and host of the Breaking B2B podcast (Top 2.5%, 377 episodes). Sam came onto my podcast to talk more about the company he's building, plus: The Breaking B2B podcast is 377 episodes and Top 2.5%. How do you decide what to talk about and who to talk to? Do you have Seasons? How has the show changed over time? What’s been the impact on your business; Sam has been testing outbound cold calling and got surprised by the results; AMA: Sam asks me his burning question which I actually do answer in this episode! Wait for it... Sam's on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samdunning Check out Breaking B2B: ⁠www.breakingb2b.com⁠ For more content, subscribe to Modern Startup Marketing on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show! And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello and tell me what you're building >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠

Hope you're having a meaningful Memorial Day if you're in the US. Sam Dunning (Founder at Breaking B2B) asked me to come onto his podcast "Breaking B2B" via a live session where we talk about the top deadly B2B startup marketing sins, how to avoid them, practical advice you can use right away, and we answer an audience question. Check out more of Breaking B2B: www.breakingb2b.com Here's the full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRBg1qG3XjI For more content, subscribe to Modern Startup Marketing on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show! And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello and tell me what you're building >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠

For this BONUS episode I brought on a friend. Friend episodes are great because you've talked to this person so many times and they just hit different. Come hang out with us. Meredith Hein is the Founder of Unicorn Content & Growth Marketing where she works with growth stage companies, she also went to Kellogg. Here’s what we cover: On writing books for her clients and what books accomplish; Udi Ledergor (Gong) once said "marketing’s goal is to make sales easier” and that still makes me cringe. What is the goal of marketing, and why; Content creation when you’re creating a new category - what’s your biggest advice; AMA: Meredith asks me her burning question which I answer in this episode. You can find Meredith on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/heinmeredith Check out her website: www.growwithunicorn.com For more content, subscribe to Modern Startup Marketing on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show! And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello and tell me what you're building >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠

Ian Faison, the CEO and Founder of Caspian Studios, dives into the shifting landscape of content marketing. He discusses the move away from outdated strategies towards an Owned Media Portfolio, emphasizing co-creation and diverse formats. Faison shares insights on crafting engaging podcasts and ambitious storytelling projects, or 'moonshots'. He also explores the importance of serialized content in B2B marketing and how to measure ROI effectively, plus how startups can leverage these innovative strategies for greater audience engagement.

In the last episode, Drew Brucker asked me “What are some creative marketing ideas that you or someone on the show has shared that are 100% worth experimenting with?” Drew, you’re in luck because I focused on creativity in Season 3 of the podcast and then I wrote a whole article called “36 Startups Share Their Top Creative Marketing Ideas” so in this episode I pull out those I believe startups should test. For more content, subscribe to Modern Startup Marketing on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show! And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov

Drew Brucker is the Founder and Creative Director at brainchild, a solo agency that helps brands with their creative and marketing execution. He's also master of Midjourney (genAI that generates beautiful images). Here’s what we cover: Why are you going big on Midjourney; What are some of your best prompts; How will Midjourney impact photography in the future; Why images are so important for standing out and how to leverage that; How can early stage startups incorporate Midjourney into their workflows; AMA: Drew asks me his burning question which I will answer next week. You can find Drew on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewbrucker Join Drew’s Midjourney workshop: https://tally.so/r/meRrR0  For more content, subscribe to Modern Startup Marketing on Apple or Spotify or wherever you like to listen, and don't forget to leave a review if you're lovin' the show! And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello and tell me what you're building >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov⁠

In this episode, Ryan Bettencourt, Co-Founder of Growth Collective, discusses how solopreneurs are changing the hiring game for startups. They explore the benefits of working with fractional marketing experts, the shift towards remote work, and the challenges and opportunities of this new hiring trend. The conversation also delves into the future of the workforce, the experiences of companies using Growth Collective's network, and the skepticism around hiring fractional marketers.