ProductLed Podcast

Phil Corson is the senior product manager at 7shifts, an intuitive employee scheduling and management software that’s designed for the restaurant industry. Many restaurant managers have been using the software to minimize the time spent on management logistics and to reduce labor cost. 7shifts also comes with free mobile apps (Android and iOS) to ensure managers and employees have everything at their fingertips. In this episode, Phil shared what their product-led journey has been like, how their shift to product-led happened, and his advice to product-led companies when it comes to PQL. Show Notes [02:50] What their product-led journey has been like so far [04:15] How their to product-led happened [07:08] Some of the benefits of the product-led team defining PQL [09:06] Who gathered the data to figure out what tier 1 lead is [09:47] How their team iterate on the definition of PQL [17:38] The threshold when a lead becomes valuable for them [19:18] Changes he’d like to see [21:00] What he’ll tell himself a year ago if he can go back in time [21:32] The journey behind the buy-in [23:59] His advice to product-led companies when it comes to PQL [25:54] Where people can find him online About Phil Corson Phil Corson is the senior product manager and the team lead of the product led growth team at 7shifts. Phil has over 5 years of experience in B2B SaaS and product management. He is passionate about solving problems and bringing value to customers. Phil also has a proven track record for creating million-dollar software products for various industries. Profile 7shiftsPhil Corson on LinkedInPhil Corson on Twitter

Todd Olson is the CEO and founder of Pendo, a product cloud that provides user insight, user communication, and user guidance for digital product teams. Driven by their mission to improve the world’s experiences with software, Pendo combines powerful product usage analytics with feedback, communication, user guidance, and planning tools to offer an integrated and complete integrated platform for digital product teams. In this episode, Todd talked about the role of sales in a product-led organization, what people need to keep in mind when it comes to freemiums, and the metrics product-led organizations should look at. Show Notes [00:35] The story behind the writing of his book [01:51] How becoming product-led has changed things for different teams [03:11] How becoming product-led changed things for the engineering team [04:17] What he’ll tell organizations that want to become product-led [08:18] The role of sales in a product led organization [10:22] What people need to think about when it comes to freemium [12:15] What he meant when he said “product is the new marketing” [14:06] Metrics product-led organizations should look at [17:22] How things have changed in terms of delivering products in a product-led organization [18:30] What product ops is and how it fits into a product-led organization [19:47] Advice he’d give to those who want to shift to product-led [20:38] Where people can find him online About Todd Olson Todd Olson is the CEO, founder, and the brilliant mind behind Pendo, a product cloud that helps drive software adoption, which leads to more effective employees and happier customers. Some of Pendo’s clients include the world’s leading digital enterprises and software companies including Salesforce, Zendesk, LabCorp, Okta, and Verizon. Profile The Product-Led Organization: Drive Growth by Putting Product at the Center of Your Customer Experience by Todd OlsonPendo WebsiteTodd Olson on TwitterTodd Olson on LinkedIn

Karishma Rajaratnam is the head of growth at ChartMogul, the world’s first subscription data platform is designed to help make consolidate and clean billing data easy. ChartMogul can help businesses understand the dynamics of their business and see where they need to focus their efforts. In this episode, Karishma talked about the marketing channels they have tapped, how they work seamlessly with their sales team, and how the sales team deals with warm outbounds.  Show Notes [02:19] What ChartMogul is [03:14] What their primary focus is right now [03:59] How they work with the sales team [06:30] Tasks their sales team are currently handling [07:38] Marketing channels they have tapped [10:55] What her functions are [12:42] How they work seamlessly with their sales team [13:47] How often they get together with the sales team [15:10] How the company’s sales functions has evolved [15:15] Their basic version of a PQL [18:08] How the sales team deals with warm outbounds [19:04] Tools they use to segment the experiences [20:47] Piece of advice she would like to give to product-led companies [22:30] Where people can find out more About Karishma Rajaratnam Karishma Rajaratnam is a brilliant marketer passionate about growing the SaaS business. She is also the head of growth at ChartMogul where she leads the acquisition, onboarding, and engagement. She is also in charge of partner marketing, content and customer marketing, and product marketing and GTM. Karishma is also advisor to early-stage founders and works with startups like TechStars, SaasBoomi, and Co.labs.  Profile ChartMogulKarishma Rajaratnam on TwitterKarishma Rajaratnam on LinkedIn

Connor Bradley is the manager of growth at Jobber, an award-winning software that ’s designed to help small home service businesses organize their entire operations, from managing their crews, scheduling jobs, to invoicing customers and collecting payments. In this episode, Connor talked about their growth journey at Jobber, how it started, how they got the buy-in of the engineers, and their future plans. Show Notes [01:00] High-level overview of Jobber and how his role fits in [02:12] How long he’s been at Jobber [02:46] How his growth journey started [04:29] How they navigated the lifecycle journey for the first time [08:24] What their agreement was [09:39] What the first version of growth at Jobber was like [10:40] First couple of projects they had10:40 First couple of projects they had [18:10] Some mistakes they would have wanted to avoid [19:38] How they’ve honed their growth skillset over the years [21:40] How he got the buy-in of the engineers [24:12] Other things that have helped them along the way [28:50] What’s next for him at Jobber [29:42] Hobby he has picked up during quarantine About Connor Bradley Connor Bradley manages growth at Jobber, a field service management software that is customizable to fit your process. At Jobber, he manages a team of designers and engineers who are constantly experimenting to validate ideas that are tied to growth. With an extensive experience in SaaS, he constantly provides guidance in terms of driving top-of-funnel leads and moving opportunities through to ACV revenue. Links Nuffshoptalk NewsletterJobber Website Profile Connor Bradley on LinkedInConnor Bradley on Twitter

If you want to grow your SaaS product through product-led storytelling, today’s guest can show you the way. Victor Eduoh has been developing authority-building stories that are designed to capture, engage, and turn prospects into product-qualified leads, trial users, and customers. In this episode, Victor shared the importance of product-led storytelling, how it fits into the different marketing funnels, and how businesses can create better stories for product-led storytelling. Show Notes [01:34] What product-led storytelling is and why product-led companies should care about it [03:18] How product-led storytelling fits into the different marketing funnels [06:02] How product-led storytelling differs from conventional content marketing [10:21] How people can create better stories for product-led storytelling [14:20] What the next step should be after content and empathy [18:50] Common mistakes companies make [23:57] Businesses that are doing a great job with product-led storytelling [28:20] His piece of advice when it comes to product-led storytelling [31:34] Where people can find him online About Victor Eduoh Victor Eduoh is a master copywriter and a product-led SaaS content strategist. His consulting firm helps SaaS brands grow by creating a bespoke and ROI-focused content marketing for them. In addition, he helps companies stand out and acquire new customers using two unique and research-backed frameworks: The SaaS Topic Clusters’ Strategy, and Product-Led Storytelling. Links 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. CoveyAhrefs Profile Victor Eduoh WebsiteVictor Eduoh on LinkedIn

Eric Keating is the VP of marketing at Appcues, a platform that converts new users into raving fans with personalized and automated onboarding, surveys, announcements, and product tours. In this episode, Eric shared his thoughts on removing friction, the most common misconception about product-led, and where Appcues fits into the whole system. Show Notes [04:51] The first time he heard about the concept of product-led [07:04] Why the product-led concept has gained so much traction [09:44] The most common misconception about product-led  [13:39] How to decide if freemium or free trial is right for your business [15:33] How they decided whether to go for usage or the 7-day trial [19:30] When should sales intervene in the free trial or freemium experience [22:24] His thoughts on removing friction [24:12] Why enterprise businesses are adopting the product-led strategy [26:17] His advice for large enterprise companies that want to try product-led [28:19] Types of businesses that might not benefit from product-led growth [30:49] How Appcues fits into the whole system [34:45] His advice for those who want to try product-led  [36:24] Where people can find out more about him and Appcues About Eric Keating Eric Keating is the VP of marketing at Appcues. He is also a team builder, company steward, and go-to-strategist. At Appcues, they also developed the Product-Led Platforms so delivering exceptional user experiences at scale is easier. Appcues also aims to help companies deliver product experiences that create scalable business growth and happier customers. Links Hubspot Product Led InstituteAmazonSpotifyNetflixUberSuperhumanUserlistIBM Profile AppcuesEric Keating on LinkedIn

David Atmaram Satterwhite is the chief revenue officer at UserTesting, an on-demand human insights platform that help companies make accurate customer-centric decisions at every level and at the speed their business demands. In this episode, David shared what their product led journey has been like, the importance of ensuring the whole process is seamless, and why they decided to offer free trial.  Show Notes [02:00] What UserTesting is [04:35] What their product led journey has been like [07:00] Why they decided to offer free trial [08:20] What is required to launch free trial [09:55] Why people need to apply for the free trial [10:19] What they’re looking to implement to offer that touch less free trial experience [12:31] The UserTesting team’s WHY [15:29] The importance of ensuring the whole process is seamless [17:19] Key requirements for teams that are considering product led [20:20] His advice to enterprise or sales teams that want to transition to product led [22:50] Where people can find out more about him and UserTesting About David Atmaram Satterwhite David Atmaram Satterwhite is passionate about building and leading teams. He also loves bringing great solutions and technology to the market and earning the loyalty of customers. For almost two decades now, David has been the executive in charge of revenue for companies like Good Technology, PubNub, newScale, and UserTesting. Links YammerMicrosoft Profile UserTestingDavid Atmaram Satterwhite on LinkedIn

While the concept of a growth leader is new, it is something Andrew Capland knows like the back of his hand. Andrew is the head of growth at Postcript, the SMS marketing product for growing Shopify stores. In this episode, Andrew shared his thoughts on mentorship, the top skills growth people have, and the biggest challenge one experiences when making a transition. Show Notes [02:42] How he got into growth [06:36] Top skills growth people have [09:00] How he learns how to learn [12:42] Landmines people that are new in a company should look at [13:53] How to know when to move on to the next job or next opportunity [15:54] Impactful books he has taken to heart [17:25] Biggest challenge when making a transition [19:07] His thoughts on mentorship [22:38] How he started giving back [25:15] His advice to his younger self/others in terms of growth [27:05] How he gets over the fear of failing [28:15] Where people can find out more about him About Andrew Capland Andrew Capland is the head of Growth at Postsciript, an SMS marketing product for growing Shopify stores. He is also the founder of Delivering Value where he coaches growth marketers and product growth managers. Andrew has spent more than a decade working in the SaaS marketing tech. While he has handled many roles, he specializes in growth.  Links PostscriptWistiaHubspotDelivering Value Books Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your HumanityLeadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box by the Arbinger InstituteEleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson Profile Andrew Capland on LinkedInAndrew Capland on Medium

If you are interested in the psychology behind good product marketing, consider this episode a must hear! Today’s guest is Phill Agnew, the director of product marketing at Brandwatch, the world’s leading social intelligence company. In this episode, Phill shares the importance of behavioral psychology, how brands can avoid the herd mentality, and his thoughts on the use of the scarcity method/principle in marketing.  Show Notes [02:15] What a lot of studies on consumer psychology suggest [02:57] What Brandwatch is and what he does as director of product marketing [03:50] How he fell into the role  [04:50] Why most product marketers don’t understand the customers very well [06:39] The importance of behavioral psychology [08:47] What he meant by distinctiveness [12:30] How brands can avoid the herd mentality [16:15] What being distinct really is all about [18:35] What anchoring is and a few examples of anchoring [23:36] How anchoring can be applied to online businesses [31:00] His thoughts on the use of the scarcity method in marketing [33:40] His one (or two) piece of advice for marketers [36:27] Where people can find him About Phill Agnew Phill Agnew is the director of product marketing at Brandwatch. Phill’s experience is in product marketing and he specializes in consumer behavior. Phill is also the host of Nudge Podcast, the only podcast dedicated to consumer psychology. Phill is also a keen writer and an avid public speaker with interests in brand development, product marketing, and entrepreneurialism. Links NikeUnileverJohnson & JohnsonFordCrystlerLand Rover Burger KingFour Seasons HotelHilton Hotels and Resorts SnickersSupremeKFCDriftNudge PodcastProduct Marketing SummitThe Ikea EffectFOMO (Fear of Missing Out)The Herd Mentality Scarcity Marketing Books Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougallThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanMessengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why by Stephen Martin and Joseph Marks Profile BrandwatchPhill Agnew on LinkedInPhill Agnew on Twitter

Today’s guest is Gen Furukawa, the founder of Retainable. Retainable is an amazing platform designed to help businesses grow stronger by reducing employee turnover, increasing retention, and driving employee advocacy. In this episode, Gen shares his approach to marketing, how he started building products, and his thoughts on paid campaigns. Show Notes [02:28] How he started building products and what his journey has been like [05:53] His approach to marketing [07:49] How he prioritizes who to reach out to first [10:35] An example of a LinkedIn strategy that works [14:47] Strategies he has seen that does not work for early stage startup marketing [18:04] Few things that really worked in Jungle Scout in terms of traffic, leads, and customers [21:10] Marketing stuff that didn’t work [22:19] His thoughts on paid campaigns [25:12] His piece of advice for founders of product-led businesses [26:58] Groups he’s a part of [28:35] Where people can find him online About Gen Furukawa Gen Furukawa is the founder of Retainable, an innovative platform that helps businesses grow stronger by increasing retention, driving employee advocacy, and reducing employee turnover. He is also the co-founder of Prehook, the perfect customer experience and recommendation engine. Gen is also the co-host of the podcast CartOverflow.com where he interviews interesting guests like service providers, operators, agencies, and SaaS folks.  Links AmazonJungle ScoutShopifyChrome ExtensionLinkedInGrowth Marketing Today with Ramli JohnProduct-Led Growth CollectiveTrends Profile Gen Furukawa on LinkedInGen Furukawa on TwitterCartOverflow.com (Podcast)RetainablePrehook