Summary  This week on How To Win: Spencer Fry of Podia, the all-in-one platform for publishing, promoting, and selling content online. You'll learn how Podia succeeded in the face of heavy competition. Why the benefits of having multiple products outweigh the downsides for Podia. How Podia's long-term investment affects everything from product creation to marketing decisions. And more.Key Points[00:05:00] - Selling courses, downloads, and webinar access all in one place.[00:07:45] - The long-term view is distilled across the entire team.[00:10:45] - COVID led to their biggest month ever, 3-4 times bigger than before.[00:14:30] - Having multiple products.[00:20:30] - Website and email revenues compared to course sales. [00:21:15] - Customer progression: from website, then email, before selling products.Mentioned:PodiaSpencer Fry on LinkedInMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

Summary This week on How To Win: Andrew Gazdecki of Acquire.com, the startup acquisition marketplace. You'll hear: How Andrew lands Times Square advertising to promote startups on his platform. How he went from doing everything himself to quickly assembling a team to speed up his company's growth rate. How he discovered a big opportunity to create a new company in the mergers and acquisitions market. And so much more.Key Points Marketplace launched by solo founder who works tirelessly. 02:04 Marketing showcased through creativity, cost-effectiveness, and social proof. 05:52 Personal experiences lead to a successful self-funded startup. 07:01 Team rehired, subscription model initiated, challenges faced. 10:44 Startup acquisitions streamlined using standardized tools and data-driven relevance. 13:39 Rapid execution guides towards the right direction. 17:27 User interviews standardized to analyze product usage. 21:47 Feedback sought, emphasizing negative comments, to nurture a customer-centric culture. 23:16 Mentioned:Acquire.comX/Twitter: @agazdeckiMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

Summary This week on How To Win: Lloyed Lobo, founder of Boast AI, which helps companies find and claim tax credits from their R&D investments. LLoyed launched two different software companies, which failed. He followed it up with a service business, Boast, which took off.You’ll hear why he thinks services are a better way to launch a company than software. We’ll dive into how he got his first customers by cold calling and we’ll discuss how he grew his company by publishing articles and organizing an event.I’ll share how I used similar methods to grow my businesses.Key points: Start by selling a service to learn what to build and get good at customer success (00:36) Pick an unsexy market that's not chased by trends (04:26) Validate the ideal customer profile and problem through paid consulting work (04:55) Product-market fit is when customers get an outcome and don't cancel (05:09) Build the first product iteration with no-code tools (05:50) Double down on what's working from 1 million to 10 million ARR (14:18) Owned media like newsletters and events builds real relationships (15:35) Alignment with co-founders and investors on values avoids issues (20:29) Communication + creation + consistency drives success (21:33) Boast won by starting as a service, focusing on one market, and building owned media (21:43) Mentioned:Boast.aiFrom Grassroots to GreatnessLloyed’s personal siteMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

With summer around the corner, How to Win will be taking a brief hiatus. During this time, the team will be working behind the scenes to bring you more exciting insights from today’s top B2B SaaS entrepreneurs and CEOs when we return in Fall 2023 with a brand new season. In the meantime, catch up on past episodes of How to Win, and stay connected with me on LinkedIn and Twitter (links below). Thank you for tuning in and supporting the podcast—I look forward to seeing you back here very soon. My Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

Summary:This week on How to Win: Lindsay Bayuk, CMO at Pluralsight, an online technology learning platform designed to help teams upskill. Pluralsight was founded in 2004 and was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2021.In this episode, Lindsay breaks down some of the strategies that have helped her as a CMO. We discuss communicating the importance of marketing to a CEO, how to align your company metrics, and why you should be wary of 'yes-men'. I weigh in on cross-company collaboration, the correct way to use customer research, and why a day not gathering customer intelligence is a day wasted.Key Points: Lindsay discusses what it's like being a CMO with a product marketing background (01:10) Is life too short to work with a CEO who doesn't understand marketing? (03:10) I dive into communicating the importance of marketing with a CEO with a quote from former Privy CMO Dave Gerhardt and Drift's David Cancel (03:51) How does Lindsay communicate important marketing metrics cross-company? (05:38) I talk about getting buy-in from across the company with a quote from Hubspot's Kipp Bodnar (09:31) Lindsay lays out Pluralsight's successful messaging and positioning play (11:24) I weigh in on how you should approach your positioning and messaging (13:34) How does Lindsay use customer interviews to inform Pluralsight's positioning? (14:26) I discuss how to use customer research in the right way (16:02) How are Lindsay's teams structured and how does she juggle them all? (17:14) I explain why you should surround yourself with people who challenge you with a quote from former astronaut Garrett Reisman (19:11) Why does Lindsay think that "go-to-market is a team sport?" (20:54) What are some of the mistakes Lindsay has made in her career? (22:24) Wrap-up (23:48) Mentioned:Lindsay Bayuk WebsiteLindsay Bayuk LinkedInPluralsight WebsitePluralsight LinkedInDave Gerhardt LinkedInDavid Cancel LinkedInKipp Bodnar LinkedInGarrett Reisman LinkedInMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

Summary:This week on How to Win: Lauren Schuman, VP of Product Growth at Mural. Founded in 2011, Mural was valued at $2B after their Series C funding round in 2021. Before joining Mural, Lauren served as Senior Director of Product Insights and Growth at Mailchimp.In this episode, Lauren breaks down how she has steered Mural and Mailchimp toward cultivating a growth practice. We discuss finding the right problem to solve, the importance of experimentation, and why she hires curious people. I weigh in on the benefits of gathering qualitative data, why marketing is a game of attention, and the diverse potential of growth teams.Key Points: Why is nailing your ICP the most important part of building growth? (01:24) How does Lauren find the 'right problem to solve'? (02:43) How did Lauren use quantitative data models to make strategic decisions? (04:17) I weigh in on the benefits of qualitative data gathering with a quote from Attentive's Brian Long (07:11) Lauren talks about how Mural differentiates itself from the competition (09:22) How has Lauren been using copy testing to improve Mural's website messaging? (12:36) I discuss why marketing is a game of attention (13:35) Lauren reflects on the importance of onboarding in a product-led tool (16:41) I explain why motivation is more powerful than friction (19:49) Lauren breaks down how Mural uses onboarding to increase customer understanding and motivation (20:26) What is a painted door test? With a quote from Carta's Shubhi Nigam (22:46) What did Lauren learn about building a growth team at Mailchimp? (23:45) I weigh in on creating a growth team that excels with a quote from RockBoost's former founder and managing director Chris Out (26:34) Why does Lauren look for curious people at the hiring stage? (27:52) Wrap-up (29:39) Mentioned:Lauren Schuman LinkedInMural WebsiteMural LinkedInGetting more accurate customer feedback with Attentive's Brian LongShubhi Nigam LinkedInChris Out LinkedInMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

Summary:This week on How To Win: Rob Gonzalez, co-founder and CMO of Salsify, a commerce experience management platform that helps its clients win on the 'digital shelf.' Salsify defines the digital shelf as: "The collection of diverse and rapidly evolving digital touch points used by shoppers to engage with brands and discover, research, and purchase products.”Rob co-founded Salsify in 2012 and has grown the company to over 740 employees serving a roster of high-profile clients. Salsify concluded their Series F funding in 2022, securing $200M in funding which brought their valuation to over $1B.In this episode, Rob breaks down some of the strategies that have helped Salsify win, and some of the mistakes they've made along the way. We discuss diversifying customer acquisition channels, promoting employee autonomy, and why you might be under-charging your customers.I weigh in on the increasing costs of customer acquisition, transitioning to a multi-product team, and employee surveys. Key Points: Rob discusses the customer acquisition channels that worked in the early days of Salsify (01:21)  When is it the right time to change your customer acquisition tactics? (04:58) I reflect on the rising cost of customer acquisition (06:04) Rob discusses what he calls 'market engagement rate' (07:37) What has Rob learned about being a multi-product company after Salsify's recent acquisitions? (09:29) My thoughts on running a multi-product company with a quote from Okta's Chief Product Officer Diya Jolly (11:55) What practical advice does Rob have for founders trying to create a positive work culture? (14:01) I talk about surveying your employees with a quote from employee management expert Don Phin (16:48) How do you reinforce a positive culture consistently? (18:24) I discuss the benefits of increasing employee autonomy (24:13) Rob reflects on Salsify's pricing strategy with a quote from the Tim Ferriss Show, featuring Andreessen Horowitz's Marc Andreessen (25:13) Why does Rob believe the next ten years of marketing will be defined by community and not content? (30:14) Wrap-up (32:04) Mentioned:Rob Gonzalez LinkedInSalsify WebsiteSalsify LinkedInThe Digital Shelf Institute WebsiteThe Digital Shelf Institute LinkedInDiya Jolly LinkedInDon Phin LinkedInThe Tim Ferriss ShowMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

Summary:This week on How To Win: Casey Carey, CMO at Quantive and expert in B2B, e-commerce, and growth marketing. From heading up scaled marketing departments at giants like Google to helping build teams from the ground up at scrappy startups, Casey's expansive career has given him a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on as a marketing executive. In this episode, Casey shares some of that knowledge with us as we discuss creating a culture that prioritizes learning from failure, the importance of timing, and why he believes brand investment is more important now than ever. I weigh in on hiring for cognitive ability, cultivating a learning mindset, and getting inside a buyer's consideration set.Key Points: Why do some companies win and others don't? (01:22) How does Casey recruit the best talent? (02:59) I talk about Google's people analytics with a quote from the former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, Laszlo Bock (04:59) How does Casey facilitate a highly collaborative, cross-functional culture? (06:48) I explore creating a learning mindset with a quote from Diaspora Ventures' Marvin Lao (09:58) Casey discusses how he cultivates a learning mindset in his teams (12:55) How do you balance the acceptance of failure with the need for quality? (15:24) I weigh in on the "fail fast, fail often" mindset with a quote from Photobox's Jody Ford (16:00) What does Casey attribute Quantive's success to? (18:32) I discuss the importance of timing and luck with a quote from Drift's David Cancel (22:48) Casey stresses the importance of finding your niche (25:40) Why does Carey think that, in B2B, branding is more important than ever? (27:10) I reflect on how to get inside a buyer's consideration set with a quote from author Byron Sharp (29:09) How do you win the brand preference war? (30:37) Wrap-up (31:28) Mentioned:Casey Carey LinkedInQuantive WebsiteQuantive LinkedInLaszlo Bock LinkedInMarvin Lao TwitterJody Ford LinkedInGeoffrey Moore WebsiteCategory creation and product-led differentiation with Drift's David CancelByron Sharp WebsiteMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

This week on How To Win: Muhammad Younas, CEO of vFairs, an all-in-one events platform that allows users to conduct virtual, in-person, and hybrid events. Founded in 2016, vFairs experienced accelerated growth during the pandemic and ballooned to over 250 employees with offices located around the world. In this episode, Muhammad breaks down some of the strategies that have helped vFairs win. We discuss hiring for hyper-growth, the power of word of mouth, and why delivering high-quality customer support is essential. I weigh in on hiring for talent and training for skill, why providing an exceptional customer experience is good for business, and the importance of conducting regular customer interviews.

This week on How To Win: Kevan Lee, Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster HR, a management platform for globally distributed teams. Before joining Oyster, Kevan spent six years as VP of Marketing at Buffer, a social media management platform that helps brands and businesses engage with their online audience. Kevan is an expert in brand strategy, marketing leadership, and category creation and shares his expertise through regular appearances at events and on podcasts. In this episode, Kevan walks us through some key marketing strategies from across his career. We discuss differentiating your brand story, the benefits of handling PR in-house, and why the category you choose matters. I weigh in on the power of organic social, investing in original research, and why you should strive to be a category of one.