The Founder-Led Marketing Show

Ted Merz spent 32 years at Bloomberg. He started as reporter #15 and ended as Global Head of News Product.In this episode, Ted breaks down how storytelling became his next career. He shares the turning point after getting fired, the content habits he developed, and how that turned into Principals Media, a company helping executives build real audiences through honest stories.We talk about founder content, comms vs. brand, what most ghostwriters get wrong, and the difference between vulnerability and clarity.Topics we cover in this episode:- The truth about getting laid off at 57 (and what came next)- How LinkedIn became a proving ground for executive content- Why most founder content sounds like it was written by ChatGPT- What Bloomberg taught Ted about voice, clarity, and leadership- The difference between being vulnerable and being honest- Why memorability is more important than engagement as metric- How ghostwriters can help execs find their POV (not just polish)- The real ROI of storytelling is reputation, not reachPerfect for:- Founders and execs trying to grow on LinkedIn- Comms teams turning leadership into creators- Ghostwriters building long-term client relationships- Anyone starting over and using content to get back in the gameConnect with Ted:- Ted’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-merz-cfa-b711257/- Principals Media: https://www.principalsmedia.com/Connect with me:Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Chapters00:00 From Bloomberg to LinkedIn: how storytelling became the next chapter02:30 Getting laid off at 57 with no plan05:00 Going viral with real stories (and no strategy)07:45 Why so much founder content feels generic09:30 What ghostwriters should be doing for execs12:15 The Bloomberg comms lessons that stuck14:45 The danger of over-polished “vulnerability”17:10 What metrics Ted cares about (and what he ignores)20:20 Starting Principals Media: from DMs to clients23:00 Helping execs write without dumbing it down25:30 Why founder content is just good leadership in public27:40 How writing helped Ted clarify what came next30:00 If you want to start posting this is what you should start with#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Amanda Zhu is the co-founder of Recall.ai, the API that lets SaaS tools access data from Zoom, Meet, Teams, and more.In just 8 months, Amanda grew her LinkedIn following to 40,000+ and turned content into a serious GTM channel, helping Recall land customers like HubSpot, Calendly, Apollo, and Datadog, while scaling past $20M ARR.In this episode, Amanda walks through her full playbook, from getting lucky with her first viral post, to building a structured, repeatable system for consistent growth. We also break down Recall’s content ops, audience targeting, and why Amanda believes credibility is earned in public, not in your pitch deck.Topics that we will cover in this episode: - The 2-week LinkedIn experiment that changed Recall’s GTM strategy- How Amanda and her marketer co-write 6 posts every week- Building a Notion database of content ideas, voice notes & pillars- Why “hook + value” is still the core formula for going viral- How to keep content fresh by varying tone, depth, and topic- What they’ve learned about the LinkedIn algorithm (and how it’s changing)- The real ROI: 20M+ impressions and customers that “already know her”- Why Amanda briefly added PS product pitches and why she removed them againConnect with Amanda: - Amanda’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhu-amanda/- Recall.ai: https://www.recall.ai/Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 Amanda’s Background & What Recall.ai Does02:10 Why LinkedIn Became Their Top GTM Channel04:00 The First Posts: No Framework, Just Instinct06:15 Going Viral Early - Luck or Strategy?08:00 Reverse-Engineering What Works (And Building a System)10:00 Notion Board, Weekly Content Meetings, Hands-on Writing13:00 Voice Notes, Pillars, and Getting Granular16:00 Scheduling Posts vs. Posting Live17:45 Daily LinkedIn Routine & Why They Avoid Automation19:20 The Target Account List Strategy (Manual, Not Automated)20:45 What They Track Instead of Attribution22:00 The Unquantifiable ROI (Conferences, Familiarity, Warm Leads)24:30 Why Hooks Matter More Than Anything Else25:30 The Role of Founder Stories, Frameworks, and Granular Value27:30 Tradeoffs: Building for Founders vs. Selling to Product Leaders29:00 Why Content Only Works if You’ve Lived the Story30:30 Should Her Co-founder Post Too? Why Timing Matters32:00 Advice to YC Founders: Just Start Posting (Even If It Sucks)34:20 How to Build Your Own System36:15 The “PS Buy Our Product” Era (Why It Worked & Why They Paused It)Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/#founderledmarketing #b2bmarketing #linkedin #saas #founderbranding #executivebranding #pr

Sylvia LePoidevin is the CMO at Kandji, where she helped grow the Apple device management company from employee #4 to 300+, scaling from the zero-to-one phase to a mid eight figure business valued at $850M.In this episode, Sylvia breaks down what it really takes to market to technical buyers, why her team now invests in the 95% of prospects who aren’t yet in-market, and how she’s scaling brand, community, and content without losing the human touch.We talk podcast flywheels, internal marketing, enabling sales reps on LinkedIn, and building a culture of experimentation even at scale.Topics we cover in this episode:- Sylvia’s journey from employee #4 to CMO at an $850M company- Why Kandji bets on the 95% of buyers who aren’t yet in market- How to earn trust with technical buyers (and why community matters)- Their content system: podcast → blog → video → flywheel- Launching The Sequence as a separate media brand (and why it works)- Empowering internal voices: from sales reps to podcast hosts- Social selling: how Kandji is doing it- Measuring brand without relying on attribution dashboards- Marketing’s new job: internal clarity and executive storytelling- How Sylvia helps her team become future CMOsConnect with Sylvia: - Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvialepoidevin/- Kandji: https://www.kandji.io/Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 From employee #4 to CMO at an $850M company01:50 The biggest lesson: Don’t wait to build brand04:00 Who Kandji sells to and how they market to them06:10 Why community works with technical audiences08:30 How they balance messaging across the buying committee10:15 Measuring brand when attribution falls short12:00 Using podcast content to power the flywheel14:30 Launching The Sequence as a standalone media brand17:10 Why “people posts” outperform company posts on LinkedIn19:40 Building a studio and enabling internal creators21:20 LinkedIn for recruiting, not just lead gen23:10 Social selling for sales reps: early wins25:45 The zero-to-one content that blew up for Sylvia28:00 How content shaped her leadership30:50 Leading a large team: what matters now33:15 Internal marketing and storytelling for executives35:00 Shark Tank pitch day + being bold in brand37:00 Giving your team space to experiment in the AI era#founderledmarketing #b2bmarketing #linkedin #saas #founderbranding #executivebranding #pr

Adam Frankl was the first VP Marketing at JFrog, Neo4j, and Sourcegraph, all three dev-first unicorns.He’s helped dozens of early-stage DevTool startups go from “cool idea” to credible company. And now he’s written the book on it.In this episode, Adam breaks down the biggest mistakes technical founders make when they try to grow. He shares the exact process he’s used to validate real problems, build developer trust, and create go-to-market clarity, before spending a single dollar on ads or content.This is the DevTool marketing blueprint.Topics we cover in this episode:- Why the best DevTools start with a real problem, not a cool idea- How to recruit a “Technical Advisory Board” to guide your strategy- The 3 best questions to ask in early-stage user interviews- Why GitHub stars ≠ validation- What your first dev-focused marketer should actually do- How to earn developer trust without hype or paid media- The difference between a founder brand and a founder POV- How to become the go-to expert in your space, even if nobody knows you yetPerfect for:- DevTool founders figuring out go-to-market- Early-stage marketers building developer credibility- Technical leaders turning product into motionConnect with Adam:- Adam’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfrankl/ - Adam’s book - The Developer Facing Startup: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Developer-Facing-Startup-market-developer-facing/dp/B0D4KGHQML Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 The real DevTool go-to-market playbook02:10 Why the best companies solve old problems, not invent new ones04:25 How to validate with 50+ real conversations (not downloads)06:45 What most founders get wrong about early traction08:20 GitHub stars ≠ signal10:00 The “Technical Advisory Board” strategy explained13:00 How to ask better questions in early interviews15:10 Why cold outreach work if you lead with value17:45 The biggest red flags in early-stage feedback20:30 Turning developer insight into content that actually works22:50 What your first marketing hire should focus on (it’s not leads)26:00 Founder POV vs. Founder Brand28:30 Why developers follow people—not companies30:15 Adam’s content hierarchy: 1. research, 2. insight, 3. distribution33:00 The social proof flywheel and when to start turning it35:45 Picking the right distribution channel for your audience37:20 Why forced content formats always fail40:00 Do you need a new category or just a better story?42:10 Final advice: what early DevTool teams should obsess overPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Meghan Barr helped build one of the most powerful CEO brands on LinkedIn. As VP of Brand, Content & Comms at ZoomInfo, she’s spent the last 5 years helping turn Henry Schuck (CEO of ZoomInfo, $1.2B ARR) into a storytelling machine, without losing authenticity.In this episode, we go behind the scenes of that process:- How Meghan transitioned from journalism to tech- The content pillars behind ZoomInfo’s CEO brand- How their “in your corner” videos are made- What happened when they took out apology billboards- Why Henry’s posts outperform ZoomInfo’s 240K-follower brand page- How she’s scaling the strategy to other executives (and what she looks for)- The playbook for brand leaders, comms teams, and CEOs who actually want their voice to cut through.- Topics we cover in this episode:- Going from Boston Globe journalist to ZoomInfo’s VP of Brand- The origin story of ZoomInfo’s LinkedIn strategy- Why they prioritize LinkedIn over blogs and press releases- How to turn a CEO’s voice into a repeatable content system- Managing risk, pushback, and post-performance conversationsThe “personal + product” content blend that works bestPerfect for:- Comms leaders building their CEO's Brand- Founders building their LinkedIn voice- Brand and content teams scaling thought leadership contentConnect with Meghan:- Meghan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barr-3211865/- ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/LinkedInConnect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 Meghan’s journey from newsroom to ZoomInfo02:00 Why Henry Schuck hired a journalist, not a marketer04:00 Making the jump during COVID and overcoming imposter syndrome06:30 How newsroom skills transfer to startup brand leadership08:20 Building trust with a high-expectation founder CEO10:15 When LinkedIn replaced blogs (and why)12:00 Henry’s viral obituary post: how it came together14:30 The sausage-making behind every post16:10 Content goals: Product, People, and Personal18:00 Metrics: From 100K+ impressions to today’s new benchmarks20:45 Dealing with performance pressure and pushback23:00 Risk-taking: The billboard apology stunt that paid off26:15 Turning ZoomInfo’s sentiment from negative to positive28:30 Why LinkedIn is also internal comms now30:00 Activating the rest of the executive team32:00 Why safe content doesn’t work anymore34:00 Aligning CEO messaging with company brand strategy36:00 How Henry’s scrappy product demos are made38:30 Why founder-led video works at scale40:15 The no “leaders of leaders” mindset inside ZoomInfo42:00 KPIs for executive content (followers, media, reach)44:15 The new role of PR in an AI-dominated world46:00 Why thought leader ads are a missed opportunity49:00 Inspiration from John Gray, Daniel Ek, and McDonald’s CEO51:00 What’s next: Vertical earnings videos and employee advocacy53:00 How much time Henry actually spends on content55:00 Final thoughts: Building trust and a strong internal rhythm#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Alec Paul is the CEO and Founder of SalesBrand, and behind some of the most successful CEO brands on LinkedIn.He’s helped founders like Adam Robinson (Retention.com), Gal Aga (Aligned), and Sam Jacobs (Pavilion) generate millions of views, without sounding like everyone else.In this episode, Alec shares his full playbook for building a breakout founder brand: from narrative structure and viral storytelling to POV development, content systems, and how to win on LinkedIn in 2025.If you want to build your founder's brand presence on LinkedIn this is required.Topics we cover in this episode:- What makes a founder’s POV stand out- How to build trust without “sounding like LinkedIn”- The frameworks Alec uses to structure posts that perform- Why most ghostwriting sounds like AI (and how to fix it)- The 3 post types every CEO brand needs- How to balance virality with long-term positioning- Why story + structure are more important than hooks + hacks- What Gal Aga, Adam Robinson, and Sam Jacobs are doing differently- Why most CEOs fail to commit to content (and how to change that)- The truth about engagement drops and why LinkedIn still worksPerfect for:- Heads of Brand and Coms trying to grow their CEO's brand- Ghostwriters building POV-led content systems- Content marketers helping executives show up authentically- Anyone who wants to scale founder-led marketing the right wayConnect with Alec:- Alec’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecjpaul/- SalesBrand: https://forms.gle/2SgtaT31pHDgccDM8Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Chapters:00:00 Alec’s background and the rise of Arch Public02:00 What makes a CEO brand break out on LinkedIn04:45 The difference between viral content and thought leadership06:30 Why Gal Aga’s content strategy works08:30 Narrative design vs. “just write a hook”11:10 Storytelling frameworks that actually perform14:20 Why “pillar content” isn’t enough to scale a brand17:15 The problem with AI-generated posts19:40 How Alec thinks about trust, tone, and differentiation22:30 When founders should outsource (and when they shouldn’t)25:20 Helping execs find their voice without sounding forced28:10 The 3 formats that every executive brand needs30:45 What LinkedIn is rewarding right now34:00 What most ghostwriters miss about long-term POV36:30 Building content systems vs. chasing engagement38:15 Why LinkedIn reach is down but still worth it40:10 The power of comment DMs and mid-funnel plays42:00 Measuring success beyond vanity metrics44:15 Final advice for founders and ghostwriters in 2025#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Philippe Léhoux is the co-founder of Missive, a collaborative email app bootstrapped to $7.5M ARR with no sales team, no paid marketing, and no funding.It took six years to reach $1M ARR. Today, Missive is used by thousands of teams, and still run by just 15 people.In this episode, Philippe breaks down the journey behind one of SaaS’s quietest success stories.He shares how he ran two companies in parallel, got rejected by YC three times, and why building slow (and staying small) was the right call.Topics we cover in this episode:- Running two startups at once (and why it worked for years)- Why Missive was never a “rocketship”—and why that was okay- The moment they stopped chasing growth hacks- Reaching $1M ARR after 6 years (and $7.5M today with 15 people)- How COVID wiped out their first business overnight- Building the AI features users actually need- The emotional cost of founder life and how he managed it- Why staying small is a competitive advantage- How Missive turned email into a multiplayer productPerfect for:- SaaS founders building without outside funding- Founders trying to avoid the “VC treadmill”Connect with Philippe:Philippe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/plehoux/Missive: https://missiveapp.com/Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 Why Philippe prefers calm SaaS growth01:40 Rejected by YC (3 times)03:20 Building ConferenceBadge and Missive in parallel05:45 What happened when COVID hit07:10 Why they built Missive with no product-market fit09:30 Growing to $1M ARR in six years11:15 Staying small on purpose13:20 The mental toll of long-term building15:50 Hiring lessons from a 15-person team18:00 Where Missive is at today ($7.5M ARR)19:45 Why he creates content after 10 years of silence21:00 Launching with the help of Jason Fried23:10 Why email is still the ultimate workspace26:30 Their approach to AI (and what they won’t build)28:10 Final advice for calm SaaS builders#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Tushar Makhija is the co-founder and CEO of TeamOhana, a workforce intelligence platform that unifies finance, HR, and talent data, so growing companies can plan and manage headcount in real-time.In this episode, Tushar shares how TeamOhana is breaking into enterprise deals while still winning $15K mid-market accounts, and why he believes spreadsheets are the silent killer of scale.Topics we cover in this episode:- Why $15K is the minimum price even for tiny teams- What most SaaS founders get wrong about Workday- From 150 to 15,000 employees: scaling up-market without losing speed- The strategic manifesto Tushar wrote before writing code- Why spreadsheet workflows kill growth (and how to replace them)- How to build multi-product from day one without losing focus- Case study: landing Scale AI with a 30-day exit clause- Why you should produce your own founder podcast (and send it to every hire)- The LinkedIn + long-form strategy driving brand and pipeline- How TeamOhana frames “collaborative workforce intelligence” to win dealsConnect with Tushar:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tusharmakhija/TeamOhana: https://teamohana.comConnect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Don’t forget to subscribe for more founder-led marketing playbooks from high-growth SaaS leaders.Chapters00:00 Why TeamOhana starts every deal at $15K02:01 The hiring spreadsheet every company hates05:10 Why selling to both Finance and HR was non-negotiable08:30 Breaking into enterprise: from mid-market to 15K+ employees10:40 How Tushar priced for scale (and resisted the $1K/month trap)14:20 Building a multi-product platform with a narrow start18:30 Turning spreadsheets into cloud-native workflows22:00 The playbook for converting $15K logos into $100K ACVs24:10 How Scale AI became a customer with a 45-day escape clause28:30 Competing with Workday: why they’re a filing cabinet, not a system of action32:50 Why hiring managers must live inside your product35:00 GTM channels: website, LinkedIn, outbound—and one long-form bet38:00 The 2-hour podcast Tushar made himself (and why he did it)41:00 Every new hire watches the founder video—here’s why42:45 Final advice: pick 2–3 channels and go deep#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Kevin 'KD' Dorsey, a leading voice in sales leadership and CRO at finally, talks about his journey on LinkedIn, revealing he started posting to connect authentically, not to sell. He shares how this strategy attracted top talent and the importance of manual engagement over automation. KD emphasizes the significance of consistency in content creation and debunks the chase for virality. Additionally, he discusses leveraging AI in sales leadership and mastering sales as a practiced skill rather than a casual profession. Perfect insights for founders and sales leaders alike!

Irina Novoselsky is the CEO of Hootsuite, where she’s proving that social content is a revenue driver.Since stepping in as CEO, Irina has built one of the most effective LinkedIn presences in tech leadership. Her content drives 11.6M impressions per quarter, helps influence 40% of Hootsuite’s pipeline, and breaks every “best practice” that doesn’t serve the brand or the customer.In this episode, Irina breaks down her exact playbook for building a high-performing LinkedIn strategy, how she balances authenticity with outcomes, and why every CEO should treat social as a customer channel. We also get into her journey from Wall Street to tech, the lessons she’s learned as a first-time CEO, and how Hootsuite is turning employee advocacy into real growth.Topics we cover in this episode:-Irina’s framework for content that’s personal and performs- How her posts drive 40% of Hootsuite’s pipeline- Why she avoids praise posts and what she does instead- Building 3 content pillars every CEO should have- Why video became her unfair advantage on LinkedIn- Social selling vs. brand vs. pipeline—and how she thinks about ROI- The real reason most execs don’t post (and how to fix it)- What leadership actually looks like at the topPerfect for:- Founders looking to turn LinkedIn into a revenue engine- CEOs trying to balance thought leadership with real impact- Marketing leaders trying to get executive buy-in for contentConnect with Irina:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-novoselsky/- Hootsuite: https://www.hootsuite.com/Connect with me:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ - Website: https://www.project33.io/ - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Chapters00:00 Irina’s Journey from Finance to Tech03:10 The Moment She Started Posting on LinkedIn05:45 The PET Framework for High-Impact Posts08:00 Why She Writes Her Own Content (and Always Will)10:30 Commenting at Scale: Building Relationships in the Feed13:00 The Myth of CEO Content Being “Optional”16:20 Her 3 Content Pillars and Why They Work19:15 The Real ROI of Posting: 40% Pipeline Influence22:45 How Hootsuite Scales Employee Advocacy25:50 Building a Feedback Loop Between Social and Product28:15 Why Video Became Her Superpower on LinkedIn31:10 Executing Content with Limited Time (The CEO Reality)34:00 Balancing Authenticity, Leadership, and Audience Value37:30 Advice for Founders Scared to Show Up Online40:00 Creating a Company People Want to Follow#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/