In this episode, we explore the strategic reasons behind free AI tools and the fierce competition in the AI space. Wes reveals why companies are burning through billions to offer free access, explaining the brutal high-stakes war where only a few AI tools will ultimately survive.  We break down the competitive flywheel driving the AI market and the six strategies AI companies will deploy in 2025 to secure market dominance. Key Takeaways: [00:00:10] Introduction to AI companies giving away tools for free [00:00:33] The explanation: "This is a land grab" for future market dominance [00:00:58] How the AI competitive flywheel works (users → data → improvements → stickiness) [00:01:21] ChatGPT's current market dominance (62.5% share, 300M weekly active users) [00:02:17] Three current strategies AI companies are using [00:04:02] Six billion-dollar strategies AI companies will deploy in 2025 [00:11:50] Predictions for which AI tools will survive the competitive landscape

In this episode, Wes Bush shares his process for finding the #1 bottleneck holding your product-led business back from growth. He shares the six key metrics for product-led businesses, covering each stage of the customer lifecycle –from acquisition to monetization.  Wes stresses simplifying data tracking to identify business bottlenecks effectively, and avoiding common mistakes like tracking too many metrics and lacking accountability. He shares insights from coaching sessions and real-world examples to illustrate these points, aiming to provide actionable takeaways for listeners. Read the article here. Key Takeaways [5:10] Why it’s important to simplify data [8:05] The most common mistakes product-led companies make with data. [10:05] The only six key metrics you need to monitor. [12:30] A deep dive into each of the six metrics. [19:05] What you can expect once you’ve created your scorecard. [2:00] Next steps to take action.  About the ProductLed System™️ Stop guessing how to execute a product-led strategy. Instead, follow a proven system that dials in your focus to 2x your self-serve revenue in 12 months by focusing on the nine components that make up a product-led business. 

In this limited series of the ProductLed Podcast, Wes Bush shares the contents of his new book—The Product-Led Playbook. Over the next three months, we’re releasing one chapter at a time, providing you with practical, no-nonsense guidance on how to build a multi-million-dollar product-led business with a lean team. In today’s episode, Wes dives into the user component and shares what it takes to know your users better than anyone else. He shares how identifying an "ideal user" and focusing on serving them can lead to a stronger product-market fit, higher engagement, and stronger user loyalty. Wes introduces the "User Endgame Roadmap Model" to help businesses identify, understand, and serve their ideal users more effectively. He also emphasizes the importance of differentiating between users and buyers, particularly in B2B scenarios, to create a product that users genuinely love. Key Highlights 1:08: Lessons from LucidLink: Focusing on a single user profile.3:41: The difference between users and buyers.5:15: Identifying your "ideal user."8:03: The importance of user-centricity in product development.10:34: Step-by-step guide to defining your ideal user.15:41: Introducing the "User Endgame Roadmap Model" and how to implement it to your business.19:24: Clarifying your "User Endgame Statement" and defining core outcomes for successful users. You can buy The Product-Led Playbook here.

Hila Qu is the director of growth at GitLab, a developer platform. GitLab offers a powerful platform that enables developers, engineers, and teams to build, release, and deploy very efficiently. The company started as an open-source product, but it became a PLG business as it has the criteria to be one. Due to its large free user base, GitLab was able to launch a PLG motion. Data on how users utilize the platform also allowed them to understand which features they use and what behaviors indicate that they are likely to convert to potential PQ. Hila provides details on how she created all these from scratch to grow GitLab and gives the six steps to launch a PLG motion. Show Notes [00:47] What GitLab is and how they started the PLG motion [08:44] How existing sales motion works before getting into the PLG side of things [17:18] Aligning on the customer journey and funnel design [31:00] Organize the right teams the right way [36:07] Recommendations for infrastructure and tool stack dependent on company size [40:45] How to identify the highest ROI focus area for PLG efforts [46:28] Anticipating common challenges and building the PLG culture [49:56] Hila’s advice for starting a PLG motion  About Hila Qu Hila is a uniquely talented growth leader. Prior to her current role at GitLab, Hila worked at Acorns, a financial technology, and services company that specializes in micro-investing and robo-investing. At Acorns, she founded and developed the growth team into a 20+ member team, drove the customer base from 1M to over 4M, and launched two new product lines. Now at GitLab, she leads their growth product team that has since generated over $1.5M incremental ARR from growth product initiatives & experiments in just the first six months. Needless to say, Hila lives every day in the world of growth, retention, analytics, and products (some nights too). Link GitLab Profile Hila’s Linkedin

A remarkable growth story unfolds in this episode of the Product-Led Podcast as David, CEO and founder of Submagic, shares how his company scaled from $0 to $1 million ARR in just three months. Learn the strategies behind their success, including timing with the AI boom, a unique affiliate program, and an unwavering focus on customer feedback. Discover the practical steps and tools used by Submagic to build a sustainable business, and how their lean team of 15 now serves over 2 million users globally. Show Notes: [00:09] Introduction: From $0 to $1 Million ARR in 3 Months [00:40] The Perfect Timing: Leveraging the AI Boom [01:16] Submagic’s Vision and MVP Process [02:03] Building the Affiliate Strategy with Small TikTok Creators [05:13] Gamification and Incentives for Affiliates [07:00] Scaling Beyond the Affiliate Model [09:12] Focus on Three Pillars: Product, Distribution, and Customer Experience [12:10] Structuring a Lean Team for Growth [13:14] Insights into Customer Engagement and Feedback Loops [16:04] Sustaining 10% Monthly Growth and Competing in the Market [18:06] Upcoming Features: Saving Time with Magic Clips [20:09] Habits for Product-Led Growth: Listening and Prioritizing [21:27] Final Takeaways for Founders About David David is the CEO and founder of Submagic, a bootstrapped SaaS company that focuses on empowering businesses with short-form content creation tools. His leadership blends creative expertise and a relentless focus on customer-centric growth. About Submagic Submagic revolutionizes short-form content creation for businesses with AI-powered tools designed for simplicity, efficiency, and scalability. Connect with David LinkedInSubmagic

A better understanding of product-led sales will help you succeed and grow as a successful product-led business. In today’s podcast, Wes Bush welcomes Thomas Schiavone, co-founder, and CEO of Calixa to share his insights on how to turn signups into revenue. Learn about the different tests to implement, how to prioritize your projects, and the crucial questions you need to ask yourself to monetize your product-led funnel.  Show Notes: [02:12] These are the three questions you need to consider.  [04:25] What should you think about your sign-ups?  [07:08] Why you need to test your PLG motion. [09:48] It’s important to prioritize users, but what’s next? [17:29] These are what you should consider to start an effective revenue machine. [21:29] What else can you to for testing and generating revenue? [30:17] The two crucial elements you need to watch out for.  [32:02] Yes – company size matters, too About Thomas Schiavone He is a co-founder and CEO of Calixa, a platform for product-led sales. Thomas Schiavone has also worked as a Product Team at Twilio in the past. About Calixa Calixa offers sales teams the insights they need to prioritize, close, and develop clients in a sea of self-service signups. Profile Thomas Schiavone on LinkedIn

Esben Friis-Jensen, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of Userflow, shares insights on bootstrapping a 7-figure SaaS with just three people. He emphasizes the importance of a product-led approach, focusing on UI/UX and direct customer feedback. Esben discusses critical initial steps for scaling the business, differentiates between SEM and SEO, and highlights the role of authentic messaging and customer focus. He also reveals how refining value propositions and crafting engaging onboarding experiences contribute to sustained growth.

Explore transformative goal-setting strategies for SaaS growth in 2025. Discover the importance of selecting one pivotal goal that can drive success. Learn how to craft focused plans and utilize the 80/20 principle for efficient achievement. Overcome common bottlenecks and roadblocks with actionable insights. This engaging session provides you with a roadmap to set audacious goals and make achieving them inevitable.

Wes Bush dives into the essentials of executing a product-led playbook. He emphasizes the significance of a structured roadmap for success and the stages crucial for growth. Listeners learn how to build a solid foundation, unlock self-serve customers, and ignite exponential growth. Constant updates to the product-led components are vital for long-term success. Plus, Wes shares actionable steps to personalize a game plan that drives results. Tune in for insights on becoming the obvious choice in a competitive market!

Explore how to build an elite, high-performing team in a product-led environment. Discover the importance of an accountability chart to define roles and optimize critical functions. Learn how quick performance audits can help align individual values with company goals. Uncover strategies to motivate team members by connecting their personal vision with meaningful incentives. Finally, find out how targeted training and one-on-one coaching can foster continuous skill growth, ensuring every team member contributes effectively.