SummaryThe conversation with Mike Weir, former CRO of G2, focused on reducing churn and driving expansion revenue.At G2, they used a churn model with 14 highly correlated variables to identify at-risk customers and prioritize actions for the customer success team. We also discussed the importance of product and marketing in customer education and engagement and how to align sales, customer success, product, and marketing in a product-led growth (PLG) organization.The discussion also touches on the role of compensation plans in driving the right behaviors and the importance of measuring and rewarding actions that correlate to long-term revenue and whether founders should do sales and for how long.TakeawaysA churn model with highly correlated variables can help identify at-risk customers and prioritize actions for the customer success team.Compensation plans should reward behaviors that correlate to long-term revenue, even if they don't directly generate revenue.Product teams play a vital role in supporting sales efforts and providing valuable data.Founders should stay involved in sales for as long as possible to refine their understanding of the market and product-market fit.Sound Bites"You got a customer that's kind of like half in the boat, half in the water.""Expansion is the best way to fight against churn.""If they're already trusting G2, then why not use that G2 third party validated content in that direct conversation when you get them engaging with your marketing materials or in a direct meeting with you."Chapters00:00 Profile Completeness and Engagement11:08 Using a Churn Model30:41 Aligning Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Marketing39:36 Measuring Handraisers and Sales Calls48:15 The Role of Founders in Sales57:24 Incentivizing Actions that Drive Long-Term RevenueMy Blog / Newsletter: www.leahtharin.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtharin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeahThar#productledgrowthLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

Anthony Pierry, partner at FletchPMM, focuses on messaging for early-stage B2B SaaS startups, and he brought a lot of actionable knowledge on how to do it right to the ProducTea.SummaryI talk with Anthony about how to focus and narrow down your target audience and how to communicate it through your value proposition. How do we cross the chasm between the early-stage value proposition and the bigger market we want to reach?How do we use qualitative feedback in these high-risk and low-data decisions to figure out whether we should focus on features vs. outcomes when we talk to our customers?TakeawaysFounders should narrow down their target audience and focus on specific use cases to effectively communicate their value proposition.Copying the messaging of larger companies may not be effective for startups, as they have different levels of risk and value propositions.Startups have an advantage as flexible specialists, offering solutions that larger enterprises cannot provide.Qualitative feedback and testing are essential to ensure that the messaging resonates with customers.A balanced approach is needed in B2B marketing between both features and outcomes.Sound Bites"The hypothesis can't be, we serve all industries for every use case. That's just not going to cut it as an early stage company.""Be temporarily narrow. Just go for the next three to four months, but have your tracking in place, please. Narrow down for three months, see what happens."Chapters06:16 Finding the Right Messaging and Positioning12:20 Having an Iterative Process of Finding, Messaging and Positioning28:21 Reducing Risk through Product-Led Growth (PLG) in Positioning Experiments34:54 How to optimize your Positioning in detail, features vs outcomesAnthony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypierri/My Blog / Newsletter: www.leahtharin.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtharin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeahThar#productledgrowthLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

Adam Robinson, CEO of Retention.com & RB2B, is the CEO who builds in public on LinkedIn and is crushing it by discovering the power of product-led growth as he is doing it. He’s very specific about what works and what doesn’t and how he got started.He explains the power of organic reach through LinkedIn and building a personal brand through social media, particularly LinkedIn, and how important it is to not be too rigid in your assumptions. Adam shares his experience with video content and its impact on building trust and affinity with his audience to sell and scale an impressive B2B product-led flywheel.We talk about the concept of freemium product-led growth (PLG), the value of free users, and why it’s worth it to keep them around, even if they never buy.TakeawaysBuilding a personal brand through organic reach on social media platforms like LinkedIn can create trust and affinity with the audience, especially in B2B.Video content allows for a richer and more dynamic connection with the audience, enhancing the impact of your brand.Retaining free users is valuable for organic distribution and building domain authority.The combination of AI and influencer-type founders can enable bootstrapped startups to scale and compete with larger companies. We are just at the beginning.Point solution products with a massive free offer and a focus on viral expansion can disrupt traditional SaaS models.Sound Bites"I want to challenge myself to just keep adding value to the paid plan until we get decent conversion rates instead of taking value away from the free one.""I think video builds an affinity for you in a way that nothing else can because people are sitting there, they're observing your mannerisms and the way that you say things and like the sound of your voice and everything.""No user is a free user. You get something from everyone."Chapters02:16 The Impact of Video Content on Building Trust and Affinity08:45 Understanding Customer Churn and Market Dynamics23:38 The Value of Offering a Free Product to Build Brand Presence24:07 Freemium PLG and the Actual Value of Free Users25:37 What can and should you “automate” about personal connections?33:00 The Importance of Retaining Free Users35:26 The Future of AI and Bootstrapping, hyper-efficiencyAdam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadam/Leah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

Casey Hill is a Senior Growth Manager at ActiveCampaign, Institutional Consultant, and Founder. More importantly, he’s incredibly actionable and smart on LinkedIn around B2B Email channels, and that’s why I wanted to have him on the podcast.SummaryWe talk about how to approach Email, how to use it from the ground up to drive meaningful business and how to measure it. How to balance different channels, such as influencers, podcasts, and newsletters.What IS good content and should you repurpose it? What is the difference between a Short-term and long-term goal, when to drop money into Ads vs. the quality of the content?We talk about engagement metrics and validation points, how to encourage an open structure for content posting, tracking engagement metrics and pipeline opportunities, the long-term play and how to trust in a B2B content strategy, separating reporting for different content types, gathering information and filtering leads, and choosing the most valuable question to ask.TakeawaysEmail marketing is still a valuable channel for demand generation despite the flood of automation and AI, but it requires targeted goals and effective use.Create good content that is valuable to a specific audience and consider repurposing content to maximize impact.Set short-term and long-term goals for growth, and use benchmarks to guide your strategies.Gating content in newsletters should be done sparingly, as building trust and showcasing content upfront are more important than gathering low-intent emails.Separate reporting for different content types to accurately evaluate performance.Chapters04:22 The Importance of Email in Demand Generation10:56 Creating Good Content for a Specific Audience13:38 Repurposing Content and Optimizing Channels16:29 Short-Term and Long-Term Goals for Growth21:46 Setting Targets and Benchmarks for Growth24:06 Importance of Quality and Amplification in Newsletters26:27 Gating Content in Newsletters29:10 Differentiating Friction Based on Buying Intent30:38 The Five Degrees of Content35:18 Engagement Metrics and Validation Points39:33 Tracking Engagement Metrics and Pipeline Opportunities40:28 Long-Term Play and Trust in B2B Content Strategy41:26 Separating Reporting for Different Content TypesLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

Julie Zhuo, Co-Founder @ Sundial, Author of THE MAKING OF A MANAGER, ex-VP Design @ FBSummaryIntuition and hiring is an uncomfortable topic. We should be rational, have reasons for why we choose to work with someone or not. When should we trust our gut feeling? When is it time to step back and say, no. I go with the hard facts?In the end it’s all about building an honest relationship as a leader with our peers and what kind of person you want to be. Afterall, we spend a huge time with our peers, even if work is not our main focus in life.We explore the journey of personal growth and learning, the challenges and strengths of introversion and extroversion, and the significance of choosing battles and seeking feedback.How can we understand ourselfes better and become the inspiring leaders that we wish we had in our life when we were younger?TakeawaysIntuition and logic are both valuable in decision-making, and it is important to know when to choose which one.We don’t have to be leaders by embracing the bad stereotypes from the past.Clear communication and honesty are essential in building strong relationships.Taking risks and embracing vulnerability will lead to personal growth and learning.Chapters05:01 The Power of Clear Communication07:13 Balancing Simplicity and Complexity in Writing08:12 The Importance of Honesty in Relationships14:25 The Wisdom of Intuition and Logic23:00 Building Honest and Deep Relationships with your peers26:17 Personal Growth and Learning29:32 Navigating Introversion and Extroversion32:59 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Authenticity38:05 Inspiring Others and Building Meaningful RelationshipsLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

SummaryJamie Gier, - CMO at DexCare and former Director of Product Marketing at Microsoft - and I talk about the importance of understanding the customer and the challenges of marketing in regulated industries. We also touch on the process of learning marketing, the concept of account-based marketing in B2B, and how to connect it to revenue through ROI cases for our customers. The conversation concludes with a focus on relevant outreach and communication concepts with the aid of AI.TakeawaysGood Marketing plays a strategic role in product development, informing product strategy and ensuring a unified voice in the marketplace.Marketing in regulated industries, such as healthcare, requires balancing compliance with innovation and user experience.Learning marketing involves understanding the customer, creating value, and staying up to date with industry trends.Account-based marketing in B2B involves aligning with sales, understanding ideal client profiles, and deploying the right sales and marketing motions. Effective processes and personalization are crucial in marketing and sales.Making the ROI case for customers from Marketing is essential.Chapters06:42 The Importance of Personal Board of Directors12:18 Measuring Marketing Impact16:29 The Role of Marketing in Product Development22:02 The Challenges of Marketing in Regulated Industries38:14 Learning Marketing and Creating Value45:38 Account-Based Marketing in B2B47:30 Effective Processes and Personalization that doesn't feel artificial49:17 Making the ROI Case through Account-based MarketingMy Blog / Newsletter: www.leahtharin.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtharin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeahThar#productledgrowthLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

SummaryPeter Walker, Head of Data Insights at Carta discusses with me various aspects of startup funding and investment. We explore the value of small angel investments, the obscurity of startup funding letters, the selectivity of startup advisors, and the potential of angel investments as marketing assets.We also touch on the excitement for the future of startups, the impact of accelerators and venture studios, and the importance of distribution and growth and whether a downround really is such a bad thing.TakeawaysThere is a growing trend of companies exploring non-VC growth paths and aiming to achieve venture-scale outcomes without raising additional funding.The use of startup funding letters, such as Series A and Series B, can obscure the wide variation in funding amounts and create unnecessary pressure for founders.Angel investments can serve as marketing assets for startups, as investors with a strong brand can enhance a company's image.The current generation of startups is building on a higher foundation of knowledge and asking different questions compared to previous years.Chapters13:35 The Shift Towards Non-VC Growth Paths25:24 The Impact of Liquidation Preferences and Equity Education43:52 The Value of Small Angel Investments44:50 The Obscurity of Startup Funding Letters46:14 Angel Investments as Marketing Assets48:02 Excitement for the Future of Startups, Accelerators and Venture StudiosLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

Why is ruthless focus the most important skill in B2B, and why is it so hard to get right? As the CEO of a banking service that focuses on the impact of cashflow mismanagement on small businesses, he knows what it means when people only focus on what’s fun to them in a business and the price they pay for that.We talked about the decision to seek VC funding and how he built resilience and dealt with negative emotions in tough times. What it means to him to deliver more value than just being a banking app by building out new channels like a podcast.TakeawaysRuthless prioritization is crucial for productivity and success.Cashflow mismanagement is a major problem for small businesses.Recognize that negative emotions often feel worse and last longer than they are.Creating valuable content and delivering practical knowledge can help businesses establish trust and attract customers.Focus on quality rather than quantity in marketing to ensure relevance and engagement.Timestamps03:18 The Problem of Cashflow Illiteracy in Small Businesses07:58 The Habit of Writing Down Priorities and ruthless prioritization15:03 Mismanagement of unfun tasks in Small Businesses19:37 The Challenges of Financial Management in Early Stages23:08 The Decision to Seek VC Funding32:34 The Importance of Effort and Determination38:01 The Problem of Comparing Self to Others42:09 Balancing Stressful Situations46:27 Managing Negative Emotions48:58 Starting a Podcast and delivering extended value to customers56:36 Quality over Quantity in MarketingLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

Jeff Gothelf, one of the most critical voices around OKRs and being outcome-driven, sat down with me for an hour-long amazing conversation:We touch on why using OKRS is useless if you can’t admit when you are wrong and be open to feedback from your teams.How do you set outcome-driven goals for exploratory research and the role of humility in organizational success? Why shipping something does not mean you’re adding value.Finally, we discuss common failure points in organizations and the future of impactful startups.TakeawaysExecutives should practice humility and accountability, admitting when they are wrong proactively.Setting outcome-driven goals for exploratory research helps determine the value and feasibility of new ideas.Common failure points in organizations include a lack of humility, a failure to prioritize the customer, and an overemphasis on the next hottest thing.Timestamps00:00 The Power of Humility and Accountability13:06 The Importance of Putting the Customer First19:08 Avoiding the Overuse of AI25:46 Setting Outcome-Driven Goals for Exploratory Research32:31 The Role of Humility in Organizational Success43:39 Common Failure Points in Organizations45:24 The Future of Impactful StartupsShownotesJeff Gothelf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gothelf/Jeff’s Website: https://jeffgothelf.com/Leah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

SummaryMelissa Kwan, CEO of eWebinar and serial bootstrapper, discusses the challenges and benefits of bootstrapping a business versus seeking venture capital funding. She is the poster child for urging founders to focus on real customer feedback and paying customers without loading up on VC problems. We discuss the importance of understanding the customer, personal goals and ambitions, the challenges of building and scaling a product, defining success and financial goals, the desire for financial independence, determining the financial number to sleep well, and the value of personal branding and trust.TakeawaysBootstrapping is a lifestyle choice that offers freedom and control over the direction of a business. At the same time, venture capital funding commits a company to a venture-scale outcome and a different lifestyle.The future of tech startups lies in vertical SaaS businesses and smaller, niche solutions that cater to specific markets.Why demo calls and salespeople are becoming less necessary as self-serve options and efficient onboarding processes become more prevalent.Determining the financial number needed to sleep well varies for each individual.Personal branding and trust are valuable assets for entrepreneurs.Writing and building an audience can lead to new opportunities and connections.Timestamps00:00 The Lifestyle Choice of Bootstrapping vs. VC Funding05:17 The Trajectory of eWebinar's Growth09:31 The Challenges of VC Funding and the Importance of Profitability13:51 The Difference Between Media Validation and Market Validation19:35 The Rise of Vertical SaaS and Lifestyle Businesses25:46 The Importance of Analyzing Past Behavior to Predict Future Behavior32:00 The Problem with Demo Calls and the Shift Towards Self-Serve37:06 Determining Pricing and the Value of Respecting Customer's Time45:27 Understanding the Importance of Knowing the Customer46:25 The Challenges of Building and Scaling a Product47:24 Defining Success and Financial Goals48:19 The Desire for Financial Independence50:38 Determining the Financial Number to Sleep Well55:41 The Value of Personal Branding and TrustLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube