The Founder-Led Marketing Show

Santosh Sharan is the founder of ZeerAI, who helped scale companies like Apollo, ZoomInfo, and RB2B. ZeerAI is building AI agents that act like your best sales rep, engaging with buyers, answering questions, and moving deals forward without needing a human.In this episode, Santosh explains why most sales and marketing channels are failing, how LinkedIn became his #1 source of demand, and how AI agents will transform how we buy and sell software.He also walks through the exact playbook he used to go from 5K to 44K followers, run 200+ meetings, and build product-market fit, before shipping a product.Topics we cover in this episode:- The system behind 200+ meetings booked through content- Why most B2B GTM motions are broken (and how to rebuild them)- How Santosh grew from 5K to 44K LinkedIn followers in one year- What “buyer agents” are and why they’re the next GTM role- How he used content to test pricing, positioning, and demand- What it takes to get 50+ qualified calls from a single post- Why repeatable conversations are better than repeatable automations- The future of pricing, value-based offers, and go-to-market opsDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Santosh:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssharan/- ZeerAI: https://zeer.ai/Connect 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/Chapters00:00 Santosh’s Background: From ZoomInfo, Apollo to ZeerAI02:15 Why Most GTM Motions Don’t Work Anymore05:00 What Happens When Everyone Copies the Same Tactics07:45 The LinkedIn Strategy That Replaced Outbound10:10 The System Behind 200+ Meetings Booked Through Content13:30 From 5K to 44K Followers in 12 Months15:50 How Content Became the Primary Validation Engine18:40 What to Post (And Why It’s Not About You)21:15 The Real Power of CTA Posts (And What Kills Them)24:10 Why repeatable conversations are better than repeatable automations27:30 How to Get Buyers to Come to You, without a Demo Funnel29:50 Why Buyer Agents Will Replace SDRs (And What That Means)32:00 The Death of Seat-Based Pricing34:45 How to Build a Category Without Spending $500K36:30 Building a Community Before Product39:00 The Office Hours Strategy That Drives Pipeline41:45 Advice for Founders Starting From Zero#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Gal Aga is the co-founder and CEO of Aligned, a deal room platform used by teams at HubSpot, Salesforce, Intel, and more. In the last year, Gal went from a few thousand followers to 74,000+, gets up to 1M impressions per week, and attributes 65% of Aligned’s leads directly to LinkedIn.In this episode, Gal breaks down exactly how he writes high-performing posts, the system behind his three-post-per-week cadence, and how content became the foundation for hiring, expansion, and product-market fit.Topics we cover in this episode:- The system behind Gal’s 3M/month LinkedIn reach- How 65% of Aligned’s leads come from content- Writing posts that drive 400+ leads without ads- Gal’s exact weekly routine and how long each post takes- Building your narrative by testing in public- The difference between being a thought leader vs. having a strong POV- Why engagement hooks and polished writing still matter- Using LinkedIn to improve hiring, expansion, and even fundraisingDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Gal:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galaga/- Aligned: https://alignedup.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 Gal’s Background & Aligned’s LinkedIn Strategy01:20 From 0 to 74K Followers in 12 Months03:15 How 65% of Leads Come from LinkedIn05:40 The Business Case: Why Brand is Bigger than Channel07:45 Content’s Hidden ROI: Hiring, Retention, Events, Funding10:05 Gal’s Weekly Writing Workflow (Sun–Fri Breakdown)13:20 Why Each Post Takes 2–3 Hours to Write15:05 The Role of Hooks, Tone, and Authenticity17:45 Comment Strategy, Engagement Cadence & Inbox Limits20:20 How He Prioritizes What to Write (100+ Hook Bank)24:30 The Anatomy of a Great Post: Hook, POV, Takeaway27:30 Why Bullet Points and Contrarian turns into Scroll Stopper30:10 What Makes Content Commentable (and Shareable)32:30 The CTA Playbook Gal Uses in His Posts35:00 Why Links Don’t Kill Reach (If the Post Is Good)37:20 Newsletter Plans, Repurposing, and What’s Next40:00 Gal’s Framework for Thought Leadership That Actually Performs42:30 Advice for Founders Who Want to Start But Feel Behind#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Jason Fried is the co-founder of ⁨37signals the company behind Basecamp and HEY, and a pioneer of calm company building. In this episode, Jason explains why he doesn’t chase trends like AI, how 2-person teams launch new products inside 37signals, and what it really means to build with taste, not speed.Topics we cover in this episode:- Why Basecamp hasn’t added AI, and why that’s not a problem- How Jason avoids FOMO, even as trends explode- Why 37signals builds multiple products with just 60 people- What “product taste” really means—and how to hire for it- The future of craftsmanship in a world of AI- Jason’s unstructured workdays and creative flow- How he’d build if he started from scratch in 2025- Why content ≠ content, and how writing built 37signals’ brand- When to ship vs. when to keep buildingDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Jason:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/- Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/- Hey: https://www.hey.com/- Books: https://basecamp.com/books- REWORK Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwo5Hcps5IkBBAv1-_HPOMvC4Rn1p8lsQ&si=7tq91JJ-GS4pgY1vConnect with me:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ - Website: https://www.project33.io/ - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 Why Basecamp hasn’t added AI, and how Jason thinks about it03:20 Avoiding FOMO and chasing trends05:50 What Jason would do if he had to start from scratch08:00 Making multiple products with just 60 people10:18 How 2-person teams launch new tools at 37signals12:00 The story of a product they killed—and why14:30 Does SaaS still have room for new ideas?16:15 The real opportunity: simpler software18:30 Why trades might be the most future-proof jobs20:05 The future of craftsmanship in an AI world22:10 Jason’s spontaneous workdays and unstructured flow24:45 What makes a good day at work26:15 When to ship vs. when to keep building30:00 How to make decisions without chasing competitors33:00 Why Jason hates the term “content”34:45 Writing, trust, and brand building the 37signals way37:00 Redesigning products without alienating your users39:30 Jason’s philosophy on culture: it emerges, not planned43:00 Taste, talent, and how 37signals hires designers49:00 What taste really means—and how to spot it51:30 Jason’s favorite products: from V-Drums to a 1978 Porsche54:00 Why legacy doesn’t matter (and ego does)56:30 What Jason would prioritize if building a village63:00 New book teaser: Make It Up As You GoPodcast: 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

Steffen Hedebrandt is the co-founder and CMO of Dreamdata, a B2B attribution and activation platform powering go-to-market insights for B2B companies.Dreamdata is 60 people strong, split between Copenhagen and New York, and they’ve built one of the most consistent employee advocacy motions in SaaS. It all started with a viral LinkedIn post from one AE and turned into a repeatable system that drives awareness, attribution insights, and revenue.In this episode, Steffen shares how they turned 300,000 impressions into a company-wide habit, how they operationalize social selling without being “corporate,” and what it takes to scale LinkedIn content into an always-on revenue channel.Topics we cover in this episode:- How one viral post kicked off Dreamdata’s LinkedIn motion- Turning 300K impressions into a repeatable team playbook- What most companies get wrong about employee advocacy- Steffen’s rules for team buy-in, incentives, and sustainable posting- Why the best posts aren't about reach but relevance- How to track impact without obsessing over attribution -The role of “thought leader ads” in Dreamdata’s GTM strategy- What the future of content looks like in an AI-saturated worldDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Steffen:- *LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenhedebrandt/- Dreamdata: https://dreamdata.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 Building Dreamdata’s LinkedIn Motion from Day One02:15 The Post That Sparked a Teamwide Strategy04:00 How a Chris Walker Comment Turned Into Pipeline06:10 From 300K Impressions to a Cultural Shift08:00 Why Fun, Not Enforcement, Drives Employee Buy-in10:12 How to Incentivize Employees to Post—Without Killing the Vibe12:00 Self-Interest vs. Company Interest: What Makes Posting Sustainable14:00 When to Post for Reach vs. Pipeline16:10 What to Track (And What to Ignore) with Organic Attribution18:15 26K Followers Isn’t the Goal—Owning Distribution Is20:00 Posting with 12 Likes Is Part of the Game22:00 Quantity vs. Quality: Should You Spend 2–3 Hours on a Post?24:30 How to Win in a Winner-Take-All Algorithm26:15 What Happens When Employees Build Too Much Influence?28:30 Every Growth Tactic Stops Working Eventually30:00 AI Makes Generic Content Useless—Here’s What Still Works32:30 Proprietary Data + Real POV = The Future of Content35:00 Why Human Touch and Community Will Win Long-Term37:15 How Dreamdata Turns Organic Hits Into Paid Ads40:00 The Role of Dreamdata’s Weekly LinkedIn Live Show43:00 Their Allbound Strategy: From Content to CRM#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

Amos Bar-Joseph is the co-founder and CEO of Swan AI, a go-to-market automation platform powered by AI agents.In just 9 weeks, Swan went from zero to $1M ARR, with no sales team, no paid marketing, and no employees beyond the three co-founders.In this episode, Amos breaks down how he used LinkedIn to drive 100% of their pipeline, how he turned content into a system, and why movements outperform personal brands.Topics we cover in this episode:- Scaling to $1M ARR in 9 weeks with just 3 founders- Why Amos rejected the unicorn playbook- From 2K to 20K followers: the system behind his LinkedIn growth- How Swan uses AI agents to generate pipeline, without cold outbound- The “challenge the challenger” narrative strategy explained- Why a movement is bigger than brand (and how to build one)- How to write content that goes viral and turns into revenue- The internal AI stack that powers Swan’s GTMDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Amos:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amos-bar-joseph-5a665a142/- Swan AI:https://www.getswan.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 Building Swan AI → $1M ARR in 9 Weeks02:15 The anti-unicorn playbook: scaling with intelligence04:45 Why Swan only has 3 people—and plans to keep it that way06:40 The birth of the “autonomous business” movement09:00 From 2K to 20K followers in 9 weeks (and how it happened)11:12 Founder-led marketing vs. movement-led marketing13:24 The “challenge the challenger” narrative strategy15:06 Why credibility comes from what you’re doing now, not your past17:10 Writing viral content: structure, systems, and smart hooks20:25 Launch playbook: how Amos engineered momentum from day one24:50 Becoming a broker of belief, not just a source of opinions27:32 Writing process: AI collaboration, prompts, and iterations30:00 Pillars, lenses, and how to always have something to say32:36 Turning impressions into pipeline with AI agents34:20 The LinkedIn-to-revenue system: observer, connector, hunter36:30 Why comments, DMs, and replies matter more than you think38:30 What it takes to hit $10M ARR per founder40:15 Swan’s new operating system: replacing org charts with workflows#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

Rand Fishkin is the co-founder of SparkToro and previously built Moz to $50M ARR—before stepping away and rethinking everything about how he works, hires, and grows a company.Today, SparkToro is a 3-person, profitable SaaS business doing $1.5M+ in revenue, and it’s intentionally calm: no cold calls, no demos, and no aggressive sales playbooks.In this episode, Rand explains how to grow sustainably without chasing scale, how he leveraged brand to jumpstart SparkToro, and why product, not integrations, features, or funnels, is the real growth engine.Topics we cover in this episode:Why SparkToro doesn’t offer demos and still grows fastHow Rand built a waitlist of 14,000+ on day oneThe tradeoffs of calm growth: fewer integrations, higher churnHow to design a business around what you’re good atWhat Rand would do differently if starting todayWhy founder-led marketing still works—and how to scale itRand’s take on AI, competitive risk, and moving slowly on purposeProduct-market fit is a journey, not a destinationDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Rand:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/SparkToro: https://sparktoro.com/Rand’s book - Lost and Founder: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Founder-Rand-Fishkin/dp/0735213321Snackbar Studio: https://snackbarstudio.com/Connect with me:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/Website: https://www.project33.io/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFHChapters:00:00 Building Moz to $50M ARR → Starting Over at SparkToro01:35 Founder strengths, weaknesses, and designing around them04:10 Why Rand stopped taking sales calls (and what happened)07:12 Hiring for cultural fit, not just talent09:24 Intentional product limits—and accepting churn12:30 The “rules for business life” Rand wrote before SparkToro14:15 Why calm companies make better decisions17:21 Product is 80%. Here’s what the rest looks like19:37 Do you need a founder-led marketing motion?22:20 Building brands without being the face25:08 Launch strategy: how Rand got 14,000 waitlist signups26:22 What changed after Rand’s Moz exit windfall28:01 Is financial comfort a requirement for calm growth?30:26 How Rand would grow SparkToro if he started at zero31:27 The role of content, Reddit, YouTube, and cross-posting34:36 Why Reddit is a B2B marketing cheat code36:14 Should technical founders learn marketing, or just hire?38:58 SparkToro vs. SnackBar: building in different industries#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #growthstrategy

Garrett Mehrguth is the founder and CEO of Directive, one of the largest B2B SaaS marketing agencies in the world.In 2013, he started the company with Fiverr gigs. Today, it’s generating over $25M in revenue and working with brands like ZoomInfo, Wiz, and Stack Overflow.In this episode, Garrett breaks down how they generated $15M in revenue using LinkedIn ads and a gift card strategy that scaled to 6,800 sales calls. He shares his full TAM-based playbook, the psychology behind using incentives without losing trust, and why copy is still the biggest unlock in B2B.We also get into why he spun out Ape (a LinkedIn ads agency), how he balances performance with brand, and his mindset on writing every day—even while running a 200-person company.Topics we cover in this episode:- The exact gift card campaign that generated $15M in pipeline- Why Garrett spends $100+ per lead on LinkedIn—and why it works- The TAM-based playbook for building a high-performing ad strategy- Why outbound isn't dead—and SDRs can't match conversation ads- How to use AI + regression analysis to identify high-LTV accounts- The biggest mistakes people make with copy, hooks, and bidding- Why your product (not the gift card) must close the deal- Garrett’s philosophy on writing, brand building, and founder-led contentDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Garrett:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettmehrguth/- Directive: https://directiveconsulting.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 Garrett’s Background & Building Directive to $25M+02:15 How the $15M LinkedIn Gift Card Campaign Started04:45 Why This Works Even with Zero Intent07:10 Building TAM-Based Campaigns with AI & Regression09:32 How They Landed 6,800 Sales Calls from Their Target List12:10 How to Use Gift Cards Without Wasting Budget14:38 Conversation Ads vs. SDR Teams (And Why They Win)17:40 Why It’s Not Bribery—It’s Efficient Marketing20:04 How Garrett Burned $1M to Crack LinkedIn Ads22:26 Coaching Reps, Building Decks, and Making the Sales Process Work24:00 Lifecycle Stage Analysis by Rep (Not Just by Channel)26:10 Copywriting Tips: Hooks, Offers & Subject Lines That Convert29:08 Why You Should Bid More (and Stop Under-Spending)30:52 Beyond Gift Cards: High-Value Offers That Actually Scale32:21 The Role of Retargeting, Sponsored Content & Brand Awareness33:45 Don’t Be Better. Be Different.36:57 How to Find a Differentiated POV in a Saturated Market38:58 Why He Launched Ape as a Spinout from Directive40:44 Verticalization, Product Strategy & The Future of Service Businesses42:36 Why Garrett Writes Every Day (And How He Does It at Scale)44:51 How LinkedIn Content Changed His Career (After 12 Years)47:02 Final Advice: Go Deeper. Don’t Abandon Channels Too Early.#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

Darren McKee is the founder of Darren McKee Co., a social selling training business built on real relationships, no automation, and content that breaks every LinkedIn best practice. After years in software sales, Darren now teaches sales teams and entrepreneurs how to build community, drive revenue, and win with human-first outbound.Topics we cover in this episode:- How Darren built a training business through real relationships- The exact system he uses for DMs, comments, and content daily- Why he never uses automation tools—and what he does instead- Why outbound isn’t dead—and how Darren closes deals in the DMs- The “teach vs. tell” filter he uses for every post- How to follow up 27 times without sounding like a bot- The reason he breaks all the LinkedIn “rules” (and why it works)- Darren’s 4 content pillars & how he thinks about personal brandPerfect for:- Founders and sellers building an audience on LinkedIn- Sales teams looking to replace automation with human-first outreach- Entrepreneurs wanting to build real community and long-term trust- Operators thinking long-term about structure, incentives, and scaleDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Darren:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmckeesales/- Darren McKee Co: https://darrenmckee.co/Connect with me:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ - Website: https://www.project33.io/ - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 Darren’s Background & What He’s Building Now02:15 How He Built Raving Fans on LinkedIn05:05 Why He Breaks All the LinkedIn Best Practices08:45 Pitching in Every Post—Without Apologizing for It11:30 Real Sales Advice: What to Do When You’re Not Great at Everything14:20 The System Behind His Daily DM & Comment Routine17:40 Outbound Isn’t Dead—You’re Just Doing It Wrong20:30 How He Follows Up 27 Times (Without Automations)24:00 Scaling Without Sequences: Why It Still Works in 202427:10 How to Use Video, Audio & DMs the Right Way30:20 Darren’s Advice for Time-Boxed LinkedIn Creators (10/30/60 min/day)34:50 How Comments Drive Reach & Build Trust36:40 Darren’s “Teach vs. Tell” Filter for Better Content39:10 The 4 Pillars of His Content Strategy42:00 How to Avoid Being Cringe (Even When Posting About Beer)44:15 Vulnerability, Hate Comments & Going Viral for the Wrong Thing47:00 Posting Multiple Times a Day (and Why He Ignores the Rules)49:15 The Truth About Followers, Engagement, and Going Viral#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

Jason Fan is the co-founder and CEO of Forma, a flexible employee benefits platform trusted by companies like Microsoft, Etsy, TripAdvisor, and New Balance. Since launching in 2017, Forma has scaled to over 200 employees and helped define an entirely new category—Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs).In this episode, Jason breaks down how they landed Microsoft early in their journey, what it actually takes to win in enterprise, and why they debated for months whether to even pursue the deal. Topics we cover in this episode:- Why traditional employee benefits are broken and how LSAs fix it- How Forma landed Microsoft as a customer just 2 years in- The risks of going enterprise too early—and how to mitigate them- What a team sport sales really looks like inside a startup- Why product requests ≠ good product strategy- How to build defensibility through customer experience, not features- Jason’s approach to founder-led content and LinkedIn awareness- Lessons from category creation in a slow-moving industryPerfect for:- SaaS founders building in traditional or slow-moving industries- GTM and sales leaders navigating the jump to enterprise- Product founders learning to say no to feature creep- Anyone trying to educate a market and build a new categoryDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Jason:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfan1203/ - Forma: https://www.joinforma.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 Introduction and Jason’s Background01:40 Why Employee Benefits Are Broken04:55 How Lifestyle Spending Accounts Work08:10 Inventing a New Category—Before the Term Existed10:30 What Triggered the HR Benefits Shift Post-COVID13:41 How Forma Landed Microsoft as a Customer16:50 Enterprise Sales as a Team Sport19:00 Should You Bet Your Startup on One Big Logo?21:20 When Enterprise Product Requests Derail the Roadmap23:28 The Difference Between Scalable vs. Custom Feature Work27:36 Why Customer Experience is a Moat30:20 Building Products for End Users—Not Just Buyers32:25 Product vs. Relationship: When Not to Build a Feature34:25 Advice for SaaS Founders Entering HR36:21 How Forma Is (Carefully) Exploring AI38:05 What HR Teams Actually Care About with AI39:59 Founder-Led Marketing & Jason’s LinkedIn Strategy42:10 The Process Behind Jason’s LinkedIn Content43:46 Why Content Helps Own the LSA Narrative45:25 Closing Thoughts & Why HR Is a Great Space to Build#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

Michael Maximoff co-founded Belkins, a $15M/year appointment-setting agency that’s grown into one of the most efficient and well-run ops in the space. Alongside the agency, Michael also helped launch Folderly, a SaaS product born out of Belkins' internal needs.In this episode, Michael shares why retention is the real growth lever for agencies, how to build a comp structure that drives accountability, and why the dream of 50% profit margins is mostly a myth. He also breaks down what most agency founders get wrong when trying to launch a product and what he'd do differently today.Topics we cover in this episode:- Why retention and not acquisition, is what actually scales agencies- How to structure account manager compensation for maximum LTV- Why smaller agencies struggle more with client churn- The myth of 50% profit margins—and what’s realistic instead- Building a calm, profitable agency vs. chasing top-line growth- What to know before launching a SaaS product from your agency- Why your internal tools might be your best product idea- How to think about equity, ownership, and hiring a “#2” earlyTopics that we are covering in this episode:- The biggest growth levers behind scaling to $3M ARR- How Frank dominated LinkedIn to drive early traction- Why founder-led marketing works—but why it isn’t enough long-term- How AI agents and automation are reshaping outbound sales- Why Salesforge launched multiple products in parallel instead of a single brand- The playbook for building an ecosystem of SaaS tools- Scaling from 3 founders to 40 employees in 12 months- The right way to transition from founder-led growth to scalable marketingPerfect for:- Agency founders looking to improve retention and margins- Entrepreneurs considering the leap from services to software- SaaS builders who want to avoid common product spin-out mistakes- Operators thinking long-term about structure, incentives, and scaleDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Michael:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/- Belkins: https://belkins.io/- From Zero to Agency Hero Newsletter: https://www.fromzerotoagencyhero.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 Introduction and Michael’s Background01:10 Why Retention is the #1 Metric for Agencies03:00 The Revenue-Sharing Model for Account Managers06:15 Aligning Incentives with Client Success08:30 Building an Ownership Culture in Account Management11:10 Setting North Star Metrics and Client KPIs14:00 The Myth of 50% Profit Margins16:30 Why Small Agencies Struggle with Churn20:00 How to Build a Calm, Profitable Agency23:00 Scaling from $1M to $5M: The Key Levers26:00 Finding and Growing Your #2 Operator28:00 What to Know Before Spinning Out a SaaS Product31:00 The Mistake Most Founders Make When Building Products33:00 Building Tools Your Agency Can’t Live Without35:00 Why Most SaaS Companies Don’t Make Real Money36:30 Final Thoughts and Michael’s Newsletter#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy