ProductLed Podcast

This is the first episode in our PLG False Starts series with Mario Araujo. Pivoting your company towards a product-led motion can be challenging. As upper management, how can you address friction happening within your organizational structure and your external business strategies? As the founder of Sherlock and current Head of Product and Engineering at Copper, Derek shares his wealth of knowledge and experiences. Tune in for this week’s episode with Mario Araujo as Derek shares three powerful learning experiences in creating an organizational culture and structure optimized for PLG.  We also dive into the warning signs that your company is in a false start, the potential ways you may be harming the growth of your Sales team, and how to marry the PLG values with the goals of your Sales teams. Show Notes [1:20] Introduction to Derek Skaletsky and Copper [4:18] Looking Back On Copper’s False Start [8:20] Identifying The Warning Signs Of A False Start [9:30] The Anatomy of a Cross-Functional Team [13:25] How Misaligned Sales Incentives Can Hinder Growth Dd [18:05] Pivoting a Sales Commission Model [19:55] Side Effects of the Customer [21:30] Handling An Influx In Customer Leads About Derek Skaletsky Derek is the founder of Sherlock and current Head of Product and Engineering at Copper, the only Google-recommended CRM that helps teams build better relationships to drive lasting revenue. Profile Derek on Twitter Derek on LinkedIn Copper Website

This is the second episode in our PLG Founder Story series. Making the shift from a sales-focused business to a product-led company can be challenging, but the results make the journey worth it. In this week’s episode, Clate Mask is here to share how Keap succeeded in making the jump to PLG. As the co-founder and CEO of Keap, Clate is dedicated to helping millions of small businesses automate their processes and focus on exponential growth. With more than 20 years of experience, Clate is excited to share his experiences and expertise in pivoting Keap into a product-led company. Tune in for this week’s episode as we talk about managing the ups and downs of a transition to being product-led, working through internal tensions, and identifying organizational strategies to align with PLG. Show Notes [1:00] The Origin Story of A $100 Million Business [3:40] Pivoting To A PLG Company [11:13] Setting Expectations Across the Board [12:43] Steps for Planning a Shift to PLG [15:18] Making Your Product Free Vs. Free Trial [23:50] How Keap Overcame Roadbumps In The Rollout Phase [29:00] Integrating The Role Of Sales In PLG  [35:22] Organizational Strategies to Achieve PLG Values [38:10] Cultural Changes to Expect  [40:50] Celebrating Wins Over At Keap About Clate Mask Clate Mask is the co-founder and CEO of Keap, the leading all-in-one sales and marketing software built for small businesses. Clate has also authored a New York Times best-selling book, Conquer The Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy. Profile Clate on Twitter Clate on LinkedIn

We record our remote interviews with Riverside. Try it out here and use code PRODUCTLED for 15% off! -- Every startup struggles with growth somehow, but it doesn’t always have to be so difficult. In this week’s episode, we talk to Anuj Adhiya, an esteemed growth advisor for more than 100 startups. His previous roles in Sophya, The Predictive Index, and Growth Hackers means he has extensive experience in perfecting the approaches to growing a successful company. Tune in as we dive into the importance of identifying assumptions and setting goals – the right way. By taking a look at the current landscape of product-led growth and analyzing the DNA of successful startups, Anuj shares his invaluable expertise on how you can reimagine growth for your company. Show Notes [1:05] Anuj’s Passion For Growth [5:00] How To Give Users a Wow Moment [8:20] Delivering on Your Promises [12:30] What Startups Need to Focus On [15:30] How You Could Be Setting Goals Wrong [19:35] PLG Approaches for New Startups [21:20] The Importance of Identifying Assumptions [22:57] A Must-Try Exercise for All Stage Companies [25:35] What Can We Learn From Successful Growth Stories [27:32] Where Marketing Teams Can Learn From [31:10] Making Data-Driven Decisions as an Organization [33:39] How the Product-Led World Is Changing About Anuj Adhiya Anuj Adhiya is the author of 'Growth Hacking for Dummies' (Wiley & Sons, April ’20). As a renowned startup mentor, educator, and growth advisor, Anuj is committed to helping companies. As a Growth Mentor at Seedstars and Marketing Specialist at Harvard Innovation Labs, he helps startups uncover their best growth opportunities and solve early growth challenges. Before this he was the Category Growth Lead at The Predictive Index where he owned the site that successfully launched the talent optimization category. He was also the Director of Engagement and Analytics at GrowthHackers where he grew the world's largest growth community working directly with Sean Ellis, the godfather of growth hacking. Profile Anuj on Twitter Anuj on LinkedIn Growth Hacking for Dummies

We record our remote interviews with Riverside. Try it out here and use code PRODUCTLED for 15% off! -- Join us as we kick off a series of interviews with the founders of successful product-led companies at different stages of their growth. In this week’s episode, Tim Geisenheimer shares an insider look at how his team at Correlated designed a tool that allows you to leverage your customer data to find customers who are most likely to buy your product. Tune in as we talk about Correlated’s journey from its product ideation, market research, and team expansions. Learn more about how the founding team approached validating their problem and eventually raising $8 million dollars in their seed funding stage. ShowNotes [1:40] Tim’s Aha! Moment [4:40] How Correlated Can Identify Which Users Are Most Likely To Convert [5:55] A Behind The Scenes Look at Correlated [8:50] Breaking Down Team Structures Of An Early Stage Startup [13:25] The Power of Market Research [18:10] On Correlated’s 2nd Year [20:10] When’s the Best Time to Invest in Go-To-Market Methods? [23:46] Correlated’s Strategies To Win [26:57] Predicting The Future Landscape of PLG [30:10] How To Create A Focused Workplace Culture [39:05] Words of Wisdom From Tim About Tim Geisenheimer Tim Geisenheimer is the current CEO and Co-Founder at Correlated. Correlated is committed to delivering crucial insights from your customer data in order to connect your sales teams to the right buyers. Profile Tim on Twitter Tim on LinkedIn Correlated Website Sponsor Resources Website: https://riverside.fm/  Promocode: productled

Working in product management can be overwhelming, but with the right tools and mindset you can truly stand out and make a difference in the product space. In this episode, we’re joined by the current Head of Product at Vowel, Anna Marie Clifton. As a product veteran from Asana, Coinbase, and Yammer, Anna Marie shares with us her wealth of knowledge about product management and debunks common misconceptions about the job. Join us as she dives into the nitty-gritty of succeeding in product management, such as knowing how to build trust within teams and effectively manage the different needs of every department.  If you'd like to try out Vowel, Anna and her team are offering ProductLed listeners three months of the Business Tier for free. Just enter the code PRODUCTLED at checkout. Show Notes [1:45] What Being a Product Manager Is Really Like [3:33] The Crucial Role of Product Among Departments [6:20] Handling Friction Like A Boss [10:05] How to Build Trust With Design Teams [11:50] Shifting Perspectives on Scope Cuts [14:55] Mindset Shifts to Excel in Product [17:33] The Secret to Succeeding as a PM [22:35] Building Soft and Hard Skills in Product [27:00] Anna Marie’s Secret Key to Collaboration [32:45] A Hack to Communicating Effectively Within Teams [35:20] Taking Clues From Body Cues [38:35] The Most Exciting Thing About Product Management  [41:15] Learn More About Anna Marie and Vowel! About Anna Marie Clifton Anna Marie is the current Head of Product at Vowel, a groundbreaking tech company committed to making remote meetings 10x more productive. She regularly appears in product-related podcasts and publishes think pieces on the future of tech and product. Profile Anna on Twitter Anna on Medium Anna on LinkedIn Vowel Website

In today’s social media-driven world, it’s harder than ever to hold a client’s attention long enough for conversion. With endless distractions and competition to look out for, how can product-led companies optimize their time-to-value (TTV) metric Tune in for this week’s episode as the CEO of UserGuiding Osman Koc shares his practical advice for designing an onboarding experience that communicates your laser-focused unique selling point in just a matter of seconds. If your company is looking to convert more interested clients, then this episode is jampacked with must-try methods, experiments, and design tips to convince clients to take key actions as quickly as possible Show Notes [2:15] Learning More About UserGuiding [3:10] The Secret to an Outstanding Onboarding Experience [6:40] Now or Never: On the Most Important Three Minutes [10:28] Which Companies Have Successfully Done It? [11:43] Is Segmentation Necessary? [14:08] Key Metrics Every ProductLed Company Should Monitor [17:35] Osman’s Must-Try Strategies [21:03] Words of Advice From The CEO of UserGuiding About Osman Koc Osman is the Co-Founder and CEO of UserGuiding, an innovative, no-code software that allows teams to scale up user onboarding and product walkthroughs. Learn more about his company and his work below: Profile UserGuiding Website Osman Koc on Twitter Osman Koc on LinkedIn

Landing pages are the most crucial yet underrated part of any website. As a SaaS business, your potential clients are making split decisions to sign up or back out the moment they see your landing page. Join us for this week’s episode with Pedro Cortes, who is also known as the “SaaS Landing Page Guy.” As a positioning consultant on SaaS conversions, Pedro has helped over 120 B2B SaaS clients achieve higher sign-ups, uplifts, and revenue. He shares his expertise in communicating your value proposition and understanding the core principles of conversion writing. Show Notes [1:07] How Pedro Got His Start [3:10]  Why Most SAAS Businesses Struggle With Conversions [6:00] On Crafting the Perfect Landing Page [13:28] Who Needs to Learn About Product-Led Acquisition Techniques? [15:30] How Pedro’s Client Raked In A 40% Increase in Revenue [22:01] On Communicating Effective USPs [22:27] Why Learning Copywriting Can Set Up Businesses for Success About Pedro Cortés Pedro is a leading expert on how SaaS companies can better communicate their value proposition through best practices in copywriting and website design. Learn more about his work and his free educational materials below: Profile Pedro Cortés Website Pedro Cortés on Twitter Pedro Cortés on LinkedIn

With the ever-changing landscape of product-led growth, managing large teams and staying on top of everything can seem overwhelming. But luckily, industry experts such as Tatiana Morozova from ClickUp have stayed on track. As ClickUp’s Head of Growth and Strategy, Tatiana shares their tried-and-tested strategies for leading large teams and streamlining communication across the board. Join us as she gives us a glimpse into the unique team structures and consumer-centered metrics behind ClickUp’s booming success as a PLG company.  If improving your team’s internal processes is something you’re curious about, then we have got you covered in this week’s episode with ProductLed’s Director of Content Laura Kluz and Tatiana. Show Notes [2:47] Understanding Customer Onboarding Within ClickUp [4:23] The Key to Streamlining Communication in Large Teams [5:40] ClickUp’s Secret to Driving Goals Forward [6:56] What Gets Measured Gets Managed: The Importance of Updating Metrics  [10:38] How Often Should Teams Re-Evaluate Their Metrics? [12:53] Achieving Optimal Efficiency Within Your Teams [15:31] Pivoting Into a Product-Led Growth Company [16:51] Diving Into the Dynamics of Onboarding and Sales Teams About Tatiana Morozova With years of experience in the tech space, Tatiana has become an accomplished industry expert in the fields of Product-Led Growth and Growth Marketing. Profile Tatiana Morozova on LinkedIn

Growing your audience can be tricky, especially if you're just getting started, so having insights and better knowledge in the field of Product-Led Growth can be a massive help to achieve success. This episode is different from our usual ProductLed Podcast discussions. Maja Voje welcomes Leah Tharin! She's here to help us dig deeper into our understanding of Product-Led Growth and to share how she achieved success in the PLG field. If you want to learn more about the marketing principles that drove her to where she is today, listen to this episode. Show Notes [04:54] You must learn the theoretical foundations specific to what you know and don't. [06:41] Leah emphasizes the importance of understanding product-led growth, particularly in B2B business. [10:06] If you're customer-centric, you will realize that people prefer to see your product rather than hear about it. [11:00] Looking at data needs to be improved. Track your steps! [18:47] Discover how Leah got to where she is now. [22:57] Don't overcomplicate things! [31:40] "Ask questions!" is one actionable thing that Leah wants you to do. [35:04] "Your learning journey can be used to build an entire personal brand." Learn more by delving deeper into how she inspires people on their learning journey. [36:21] What does Leah do when her website posts do not receive enough engagement? [38:59] Pay close attention as Leah discusses her business journey and the strategies that worked for her so that you can learn something useful for your startup. [43:39] Check out Leah Tharin's social media accounts!  About Leah Tharin She is a successful go-to expert who offers valuable guidance on product-led growth/sales, organizational scaling, and growth. You can check on her by visiting her website below. Profile Leah Tharin on LinkedIn Leah Tharin on Twitter Leah Tharin on Youtube Leah Tharin’s Blog

To understand usability and boost user engagement, one key concept you need to master is friction logs. In this episode, we cover ideas and recommendations for using them to unlock product-led growth with the help of Pulkit Agrawal, the co-founder of Chameleon.  Pulkit shares his knowledge about what a friction log is, how to make them valuable and the careful considerations you need to consider when making decisions about both good and bad friction.  Show Notes [01:47] Friction log is a stream of consciousness on a piece of paper. [04:07] User testing or a friction log. What's the distinction? [07:32] You don't need to explain every step, and not every step is equal! [08:18] What does Pulkit want everyone to consider when it comes to friction logs? [13:46] What better options do you have to consider when making decisions in both good and bad friction? [17:10] New patterns develop, and people's expectations change along with the market. [21:02] How can we improve the onboarding experience? [24:34] It is unnecessary to perfect the journey or the friction log. [26:58] Improve product experiences by combining qualitative and quantitative data! [32:39] Never deploy anything that might lead a customer or end user to see something they are not requesting or expecting. [37:17] Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing, so learn these factors Pulit is talking about.  About Pulkit Agrawal Previously, Pulkit helped unemployed youth launch businesses in rural India, studied engineering at the University of Cambridge, and worked in data modeling and analysis in London. About Chameleon The most well-known product adoption platform, Chameleon, was created to let modern software companies rebrand and alter their user experiences. Teams can easily create, deploy, test, and iterate on in-product experiences, such as banners, tooltips, modals, walkthroughs, checklists, and more, using its no-code Builder. Profile Pulkit Agrawal on LinkedIn Chameleon Blog