Building With Buyers: Startup Marketing and Growth Fueled By Customers

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠⁠⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. Peter Light is Co-Founder and CEO at Lumen Energy. Peter and I worked together back in 2021 and at that time Lumen was just a handful of people and they were building out their GTM strategy, positioning, messaging, and team. About Lumen Energy: Founded: 2020 Funding: Series A ($15.3M total) Description: Lumen enables commercial buildings to generate new income from clean energy. In this episode: The early days of Lumen Energy (Seed stage) - who did you bring onto the GTM team, what was your GTM strategy; How did you build trust with prospects as an early stage startup; What were the high points and what were the struggles at Seed stage; How much advice did you follow from your early investors; Why is marketing important and why do you think marketing can be so misunderstood; AMA - Peter asks me his burning question. You can find Peter on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/pelight/ Learn more about Lumen Energy: ⁠https://getlumen.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 >> ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠⁠⁠ 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

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. Josh Lowman (CCO and Founder at Gold Front) joined me on the show for the second time for this BONUS episode. Check out Ep. 84 “What I've Learned From Category Designing 50+ Startups” where Josh shares how he's helped startups like Robinhood, Newsela, Uber, Bizzabo, and Clari create and own their category. In this episode: Why we leave happiness out of the business equation; Why happiness matters; Josh shares two mind tools that can help; Tying it back to category design (HINT: the world is telling us to be reasonable); Josh and I category design my own business. You can find Josh on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/joshlowman Learn more about Gold Front: www.goldfront.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 and advising for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠ 2. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes 3. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠⁠ You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello >> ⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. It's Season 4 of the Modern Startup Marketing podcast and this episode is me continuing to share ⁠⁠⁠⁠MaaS⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Marketing as a System) which is the systematic approach to marketing that I built over almost 4 years of working with VC-backed early stage startups. In this episode I cover Step 9: Case Studies including what it is, why it's important, who should own this work, and how to do it right. I'll be mixing in some more ⁠⁠⁠⁠MaaS⁠⁠⁠⁠-focused episodes over the course of the season. 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! I would love that so much. And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing and advising for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ 2. ⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes 3. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov

Krish Ramineni, Co-Founder and CEO at Fireflies, discusses growing from Seed to Series A, differentiation in a crowded space, and top focus areas for growth. They also explore marketing strategies, balancing problem education with talking about solutions, and the importance of understanding the 'why' behind marketing decisions.

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠⁠⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. This episode is also sponsored by PDCflow, payment management made easy. Visit ⁠⁠⁠pdcflow.com/flow-billing⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. It's Season 4 of the Modern Startup Marketing podcast and this episode is me continuing to share ⁠⁠⁠MaaS⁠⁠⁠ (Marketing as a System) which is the systematic approach to marketing that I built over almost 4 years of working with VC-backed early stage startups. In this episode I cover Step 8: Designing Other Website Pages including what it is, why it's important, who should own this work, and how to do it right. I'll be mixing in some more ⁠⁠⁠MaaS⁠⁠⁠-focused episodes over the course of the season. 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! I would love that so much. And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing and advising for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠⁠ 2. ⁠⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes 3. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠⁠⁠ You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello >> ⁠⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. This episode is also sponsored by PDCflow, payment management made easy. Visit ⁠pdcflow.com/flow-billing⁠ to learn more. Brad Pedersen is Co-Founder and Chairman at Lomi and Pela. We're focusing on Lomi in this episode (B2C). I always get so many takeaways from talking to B2C startups that I can carry over into B2B, and that's why I love this convo. About Lomi: Founded: 2022 Funding: crowdfunding using Indiegogo ($7.2M!) and then got VC backed Description: electronic device which turn your food scraps, organic waste, compostable packaging and home bioplastics into compost (plant food); they've already shipped 20,000+ units In this episode: Why does story matter with your marketing; How to listen for the problem your customers actually want to hear about; What is marketing and why does it work; Why do superfans love Lomi and how do you further leverage that to create more superfans; What can B2B early stage startups learn from the way that Lomi approaches marketing; AMA - Brad asks me his burning question. You can find Brad on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-pedersen-77075012/ Check out his book coming out in November: https://startupsantabook.com/ Learn more about Lomi: https://lomi.com/ Learn more about Pela: https://pelacase.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! I would love that so much. 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 >> ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠ 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

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. This episode is also sponsored by PDCflow, payment management made easy. Visit ⁠⁠pdcflow.com/flow-billing⁠⁠ to learn more. It's Season 4 of the Modern Startup Marketing podcast and this episode is me continuing to share ⁠⁠MaaS⁠⁠ (Marketing as a System) which is the systematic approach to marketing that I built over almost 4 years of working with VC-backed early stage startups. In this episode I cover Step 6 + 7: Homepage wireframe + design including What it is, Why it's important, Who should own this work, and How to do it right. I'll be mixing in some more ⁠⁠MaaS⁠⁠-focused episodes over the course of the season. 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! I would love that so much. And whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 1. fractional head of marketing and advising for early stage startups >> ⁠⁠www.furmanovmarketing.com⁠⁠ 2. ⁠⁠sign up to get my monthly early stage startup marketing newsletter⁠⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes 3. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠⁠ You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello >> ⁠⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov

Devin Reed, Head of Content at Clari, discusses the role of content in sales, the importance of building trust with the audience, finding a balance between creativity and process in marketing, writing his new playbook 'Content That Converts', and the power of content marketing in generating leads.

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. This episode is also sponsored by PDCflow, payment management made easy. Visit ⁠pdcflow.com/flow-billing⁠ to learn more. It's Season 4 of the Modern Startup Marketing podcast and this episode is me continuing to share ⁠MaaS⁠ (Marketing as a System) which is the systematic approach to marketing that I built over 3+ years of working with early stage startups. In this episode I cover Step 4 + 5: Brand Design Guide + Mood Boards including What it is, Why it works, Who should own this work, and How to do it right. I'll be mixing in some more ⁠MaaS⁠-focused episodes over the course of the season. Here's the link to a sample Brand Design Guide, you can make a copy and edit for your own company. 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! I would love that so much. 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. ⁠sign up to get my monthly startup marketing newsletter⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes 3. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠ You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello >> ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov

This episode is sponsored by Riverside, your all-in-one podcast and video platform. Go to ⁠https://creators.riverside.fm/Anna⁠ and use the code MSM23 for 15% off. This episode is also sponsored by PDCflow, payment management made easy. Visit ⁠pdcflow.com/flow-billing⁠ to learn more. I’d just like to take a brief moment of silence to remember those innocent lives that have been lost during the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in Israel. Especially the children, babies, and families that were asleep in their homes. For all the victims of unspeakable terror, let’s please take a moment. Daniel O’Reilly (CEO and Founder of Fuel Sales and FuelK12) joined me on the show for the second time for this BONUS episode. Dano is an edtech sales guru and my partner in crime for the Edtech GTM Bootcamp we run for edtech startup founders. I’ve had Dano on before, you should also check out Ep. 117 “Marketing & Sales: Show Some Respect.” In this episode: Why does fully understanding your buyer’s pain matter so much for salespeople AND marketers; How do you know if you really do understand your buyer’s pain; What results should you expect from a conference if you’re an early stage startup, and should conferences even be part of your GTM strategy; When is the right time to bring in SDRs versus Head of Sales at your early stage startup; AMA - Dano asks me his burning question. You can find Dano on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/danoreilly/ Learn more about Fuel Sales including the GTM Bootcamp: ⁠https://gofuelsales.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! I would love that so much. 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. ⁠sign up to get my monthly startup marketing newsletter⁠ where I’m sharing playbooks and insights and cracking some jokes 3. Sponsor my Top 5% podcast and get startup founders, marketers and VCs hearing about your brand >> ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anna-furmanov⁠ You can also find me hanging out on LinkedIn, definitely say hello and tell me which episodes you've listened to >> ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/annafurmanov