Mostly Growth

Brian Balfour, Founder and CEO of Reforge and former VP of Growth at HubSpot, shares insights on navigating the shifting landscape of product-market fit. He introduces the Product-Market Fit Treadmill concept, highlighting how rising customer expectations and competition keep teams on their toes. Balfour discusses the impact of AI on market dynamics, sharing experiences from launching five AI-native products with a small team. He emphasizes the importance of discovery, delivery, and adoption in today's fast-paced environment.

Dive into the financial challenges OpenAI faces in reaching a staggering $500 billion revenue goal. The hosts break down the revenue streams from subscriptions to advertising, comparing potential profits with giants like Netflix and Amazon. They share personal mishaps, including a LinkedIn lockout and a failed startup in travel experiences. The discussion also touches on hiring practices and the chaos of software sprawl, all while seamlessly blending humor and insightful analysis.

CJ and Kyle explore the importance of being useful over simply being right at work, sharing personal insights on career growth. They discuss strategies for earning promotions by making bosses shine and the significance of building a public reputation. The conversation dives into the implications of being 'too big to fail' in relation to OpenAI, alongside economic effects of AI spending. The hosts also share findings on AI's impact on hiring, founder age peaks, and even humorous home maintenance tales. Expect valuable insights mixed with lighthearted banter!

Join Emily Kramer, a former B2B marketing director at Asana and creator of the Random Acts of Marketing framework, as she navigates the chaotic landscape of marketing budgets. She hilariously discusses why planning often feels farcical and how to confront unrealistic financial goals. Delve into her insights on LinkedIn marketing pitfalls, efficient budgeting, and the importance of genuine engagement. Plus, she shares her innovative supper club format to foster authentic connections. If marketing math leaves you baffled, this conversation is for you!

Join the lively banter as hosts tackle what differentiates SaaS companies that skyrocket to $20M ARR. Discover fascinating insights from vast data on net retention and revenue models. Tune in for the playful quiz on distinguishing founders from pop stars. Explore early-stage customer challenges and how metrics can predict long-term success. They even demo an AI avatar simulating a founder's expertise! Expect amusing stories about business blunders and some unorthodox tips on pricing strategies. It's a delightful mix of knowledge and fun!

Leah Tharin, a product-growth leader and host of Producty, dives into why growth connects marketing traffic to product revenue. She introduces a new mid-funnel segment of visitors who seek product information rather than onboarding. Leah advocates for structuring content for AI and warns against gaming search metrics. She emphasizes the importance of qualifying buyer intent before trials and creating specialized metrics for ideal customer profiles. The discussion concludes with humorous stories about business blunders and pricing strategies in shrinking markets.

In this episode, CJ Gustafson, Kyle Poyar, and Ben Hillman break down the data behind Kyle’s new 2025 B2B Go-To-Market report, covering what’s actually working in sales and marketing right now — and what’s not. They discuss why most companies are spreading their marketing budgets too thin, how focusing deeply on a few proven channels drives better ROI, and why founder-led content on LinkedIn is outperforming everything else. The crew digs into the rise of AI search, the surprising durability of SEO, and the death of AI SDRs. CJ also explains his “analytics escalator” framework, showing how teams can evolve from basic dashboards to predictive and prescriptive analytics. The episode wraps with their favorite “business blunders” and a nostalgic dive into LimeWire’s bizarre Web3 comeback.Get Kyle's GTM Report here: https://www.growthunhinged.com/Timestamps:00:00 Beyoncé and the Hot Sauce Reference01:42 Welcome to Mostly Growth02:10 Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew & Fall Banter03:02 The Problem with Startup Swag04:32 The Best Swag Ever: Runway’s “Burn Rate” Hot Sauce06:12 Beyoncé Callback & Yeti Self-Portrait Water Bottle08:32 Transition to GTM Discussion08:42 What’s Actually Working in GTM09:15 Too Many Channels, Not Enough Focus10:05 The Power Law of Marketing Spend11:44 F1, Downforce, and Channel Focus13:15 Double Down on Winning Channels14:11 The One-Trick Pony Fallacy15:07 Inbound Isn’t Dead — It’s Just Personal16:14 The LinkedIn Effect: People vs. Brands17:48 Why Founder-Led Content Wins19:09 The GTM Scorecard Framework20:00 What’s in the Top-Right Quadrant20:14 The Failure of AI SDRs21:03 The Rise of AI Search (AIO)22:02 AI Hype vs. Real Adoption22:43 Finance Teams Taking Over Analytics23:11 Who Should Own Analytics25:00 The Analytics Escalator: Four Levels Explained28:49 From Dashboards to Diagnosis31:08 Avoiding Useless Analysis33:07 Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics38:03 Why Analytics Needs More Than Software39:39 Should CFOs Really Own Analytics40:08 Business Blunders: The Dreaded Catch-Up Email41:25 How to Say No Gracefully43:00 The LimeWire Comeback44:20 LimeWire Buys Fyre Festival Rights45:00 Nostalgia, Scams, and Brand Value in 2025Links:https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7387167459633504257/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZJPJV__bQhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_cityhttps://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard-01gyvn3sxrv2dzjp7a94ea738y/episode/brad-pitt-01jydvce50ysyercfshbdgtanvhttps://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/cfos-are-taking-over-the-analytics-departmenthttps://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-say-nohttps://nftnow.com/news/lmwr-limewire-is-back-from-the-dead-as-a-web3-brandhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/us/limewire-crypto-fyre-festival.htmlhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/fyre-festival-musical-taika-waititi-rita-ora-1236362629/https://getplanta.com/

In this episode, CJ Gustafson, Kyle Poyar, and Ben Hillman dive into the concept of “sloponomics”—a tongue-in-cheek look at the overwhelming flood of mediocre AI-generated content and what it means for creators, startups, and investors. They discuss how unique voices and genuine creativity will stand out in an AI-saturated landscape, the economic parallels between modern content creation and startup growth, and the tricky dynamics of building sustainable momentum in a world of noise. The trio also unpack the “$10K MRR” meme, pricing psychology, and the difference between chasing vanity metrics and building lasting value. With humor and real-world insight, they explore how AI, distribution, and early-stage investment are reshaping what success looks like in tech and media.Timestamps:00:00 Preview and Intro01:37 Being Mean to AI and Early Banter05:00 The Rise of AI-Generated “Slop” Content07:15 The Creator “Haves and Have-Nots”09:00 Losing Credit to AI Models11:20 Feeding the Beast: 400 Posts Later12:00 “Slop Talk” and Pop-Culture References13:00 The $10K MRR Meme and Startup Momentum15:20 Pricing Psychology and Product Traction17:10 Hunting Mice, Buffalo, and Elephants18:45 The Ideal Customer Profile and Early Adopters20:15 Venture Funds, Bubbles, and Ecosystem Investing23:45 When Startups Invest in Startups26:40 Slack, Lattice, and the Platform Play29:05 Wrapping Up and Late-Night InsightsEpisodes Referenced:Slop Talk (coming soon)https://www.youtube.com/slackerstuffWhy Only 2% of Startups Make Ithttps://youtu.be/czh5evg77vQWhen startups burn cash faster than they learn | Ivan Makarov:https://youtu.be/EdTt2l89bUo996 Culture, Exploding AI Bills & SaaS Chaoshttps://youtu.be/qhrxDL0gsRoLinks:https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/study-proves-being-rude-to-ai-chatbots-gets-better-results-than-being-nice-3269895/https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtmlhttps://futurism.com/altman-please-thanks-chatgpthttps://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/over-50-percent-internet-ai-slophttps://www.axios.com/2025/10/14/ai-generated-writing-humanshttps://www.economist.com/business/2025/10/16/sloponomics-who-wins-and-loses-in-the-ai-content-floodhttps://x.com/madhuraaa_/status/1978390720881819884https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/eat-what-you-killhttps://christophjanz.blogspot.com/2014/10/five-ways-to-build-100-million-business.htmlhttps://www.growthunhinged.com/p/how-to-build-your-early-gtm-strategyhttps://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/startups-investing-in-startups-peak-bubble-behaviorhttps://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/10/10/are-barefoot-shoes-good-for-runnershttps://x.com/ivanomaksf/status/1978852000298320068?s=46https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/uber-offers-drivers-extra-pay-to-perform-tasks-that-train-ai-7116401/https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/is-ltv-to-cac-the-nickelback-of-metricshttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/final-2024-25-network-tv-ratings-tracker-high-potential-1236312223/https://christophjanz.blogspot.com/2014/10/five-ways-to-build-100-million-business.htmlhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/ben-horowitz-hires-jensen-vercel-starts-venture-fundhttps://www.instagram.com/chasemytail/

In this episode of Mostly Growth, CJ, Kyle, and Ben start with Carl’s infamous “AWS from the car” rant before diving into a sharp, funny breakdown of corporate title inflation and the slow death of middle management. From “Founding BDRs” to self-proclaimed “VPs of vibes,” the crew dissects why org charts are flattening and how that changes leadership, accountability, and hiring. Then, in a classic Pricing Model Roast, they unpack why hybrid and usage-based models are both brilliant and broken, what outcome-based pricing gets wrong, and why take rates might secretly be the future. The trio closes with thoughts on momentum, AI urgency theater, and how to manage teams without burning them out—or yourself in the process.Timestamps:00:00 Carl from the Car on AWS01:04 Mostly Growth intro theme01:27 CJ’s flight back from LA (and the fake Wi-Fi warning)02:00 “I finally learned where Mississippi was”02:45 LA traffic and Nobu dinner with Ben04:08 Ben’s history lesson: why LA is a transportation nightmare06:34 “Clip it down” — segue to the main topic07:20 Title deflation and the death of middle management09:12 “Founding BDR” and generic LinkedIn titles11:00 The problem with VP title inflation12:31 The vanishing middle manager14:03 “Bonfire of the Middle Managers” and why it matters15:52 Shout-out to good managers everywhere18:00 Pricing Model Roast — lightning round19:49 Why hybrid pricing is the “best worst” model22:12 Usage vs. commitment pricing in the AI era25:09 Outcome-based pricing and cash-flow pain31:23 Take-rate pricing and marketplace dynamics33:29 Momentum is not a moat — but maybe it’s a boat36:22 How fast companies really move in AI38:38 Building urgency without burning out your team41:10 Business Partners: The LinkedIn follower illusion42:46 The optimal number of direct reports45:24 Pricing in the Real World — why book publishing is a scamEpisodes Referenced:The $1 Trillion AI Bubble: Nvidia, OpenAI, and the Feedback Loophttps://youtu.be/DMz-hC1K3BYDecoding the Psychology of Price in the Age of AI | Michael Staniszhttps://youtu.be/qNn9_07efN4996 Culture, Exploding AI Bills & SaaS Chaoshttps://youtu.be/qhrxDL0gsRoLinks:https://x.com/shamusmadan/status/1978471423522840643/photo/1https://www.economist.com/business/2025/10/05/bonfire-of-the-middle-managershttps://www.growthunhinged.com/p/7de0e352-fd0f-4f75-bc70-f1adaa483a4ahttps://investing101.substack.com/p/momentum-moathttps://www.amazon.com/Formula-Universal-Laws-Success/dp/0316505498https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kirbyman_how-do-you-build-a-moat-in-consumer-ai-you-activity-7376301424613363712-cB5p/https://x.com/joshua_xu_/status/1978837502787219578https://www.heygen.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23054911095&gbraid=0AAAAABiJW6bRhkaamVJe8PfOSFAoc1FHdhttps://www.economist.com/business/2025/09/18/how-many-reports-should-a-manager-have?giftId=a90f0234-f411-481f-98c7-c8f530ec33f9&utm_campaign=gifted_articlehttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships

In this episode of Mostly Growth, CJ Gustafson, Kyle Poyar, and Ben Hillman dive into the question on everyone’s mind: are we in an AI bubble? What starts as a lighthearted riff on the U.S. Postal Service launching a podcast quickly spirals into a sharp, funny breakdown of today’s AI hype cycle — from Nvidia, OpenAI, and AMD trading money and GPUs in a trillion-dollar feedback loop, to startups burning cash chasing “AI-powered” everything. The trio share real examples of when AI helps and when it backfires (including one newsletter that totally tanked), debate whether companies are over-optimizing for automation, and laugh through the absurdity of the hype while grounding it in practical insights on product, finance, and growth.Timestamps:00:00 Preview and Intro00:14 Are We in an AI Bubble?00:44 The AI Money Loop: Nvidia, OpenAI, AMD01:00 Perplexity, We Caught You02:18 The Postal Service Launches a Podcast04:24 How the Team Uses AI (and When It Fails)06:07 CJ’s DIY Dunning Disaster08:38 What AI Is Good At — and Where It Breaks10:49 Perplexity Tries to Gaslight Kyle13:27 AI vs. AI: Hacking Resume Screeners16:09 How Recruiters View AI-Generated Resumes17:17 CJ’s Chief of Staff Hiring Story19:15 The Data: Is AI Adoption Already Slowing?22:42 Crossing the Chasm: Early Adopters to Early Majority26:22 The Streaming Analogy and Forced AI Bundles28:49 The Circular AI Economy (Everyone Funding Everyone)31:15 Betting It All on AGI and Data Centers34:09 The Margin: AI Erotica and the Peak of the Bubble35:23 Business Blunders: OpenAI’s Token Leaderboard41:43 What Kyle Tried This Week: Building an AI Agent44:52 Wrap-Up and OutroEpisodes Referenced:5,762 Job Applications. Zero Offers.Why Only 2% of Startups Make ItThe War for Talent is just getting started | Joe FloydLinks:https://usps-mailin-it.simplecast.com/https://i.imgflip.com/a92oy5.jpghttps://tabs.inc/webinar/tabs-agenthttps://substack.com/@kylepoyar/note/c-159017468?https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/business/ai-chatbot-prompts-resumes.html?_bhlid=1b5906cdc6781a738a150d9c32f846ebf11fc318https://substack.com/home/post/p-175615945https://ramp.com/data/ai-index?utm_source=econlab.substack.comhttps://medium.com/@samuelvandeth/crossing-the-chasm-162802d1cf27https://x.com/TrungTPhan/status/1922669292929024017/photo/1https://kyla.substack.com/p/ai-is-the-market-and-the-market-is?r=cxcvo&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=truehttps://x.com/zerohedge/status/1977902195472322620?s=42https://topline.beehiiv.com/p/the-era-of-haves-and-have-notshttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd2qv58yl5ohttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/cj-gustafson-13140948_imagine-getting-called-into-your-cfos-office-activity-7381681514532458496-NOqa/https://fortune.com/2025/10/01/red-lobster-ceo-damola-adamolekun-comeback-plan-bankruptcy/https://fortune.com/2024/11/13/red-lobster-ceo-damola-adamolekun-says-endless-shrimp-is-never-coming-back/#https://www.relay.app/