In yesterday’s email, I advocated for giving every marketing asset a “job.” Many marketing pros might argue that they do this already. But most startups aren’t specific enough about the “why” behind their marketing content and sales tool investments. Sure, tagging an asset as top, middle, or bottom of the funnel is a start. But it’s important to go beyond that and identify the specific role that each asset plays in the buyer’s journey. Here are some examples of what I mean:The job of this Gar...

In yesterday’s email, I advocated for giving every marketing asset a “job.” Many marketing pros might argue that they do this already. But most startups aren’t specific enough about the “why” behind their marketing content and sales tool investments. Sure, tagging an asset as top, middle, or bottom of the funnel is a start. But it’s important to go beyond that and identify the specific role that each asset plays in the buyer’s journey. Here are some examples of what I mean:The job of this Gar...

Yesterday, a new startup product marketer working solo at a Series A startup asked for guidance on developing an impactful 2022 plan. This was my advice to her:Do some research on the best deals your sales team closed over the last couple of quarters. Talk to sales reps. Listen to Gong calls if you have them. Seek out case studies to write, so you have an opportunity to hear from customers directly.Try to identify some common themes. What were the biggest pain points that led people to buy? T...

Yesterday, a new startup product marketer working solo at a Series A startup asked for guidance on developing an impactful 2022 plan. This was my advice to her:Do some research on the best deals your sales team closed over the last couple of quarters. Talk to sales reps. Listen to Gong calls if you have them. Seek out case studies to write, so you have an opportunity to hear from customers directly.Try to identify some common themes. What were the biggest pain points that led people to buy? T...

Here’s a common cybersecurity startup scenario:Visionary founders develop a new product concept.Early adopter customers, including some big names, provide early validation.Founder credibility and charisma + compelling story about market disruption + evidence of traction = first VC investment.A professional sales leader joins and builds an early team, but the only opportunities that go anywhere are the ones with heavy founder involvement.The team fails to meet growth expectations, and the unco...

Here’s a common cybersecurity startup scenario:Visionary founders develop a new product concept.Early adopter customers, including some big names, provide early validation.Founder credibility and charisma + compelling story about market disruption + evidence of traction = first VC investment.A professional sales leader joins and builds an early team, but the only opportunities that go anywhere are the ones with heavy founder involvement.The team fails to meet growth expectations, and the unco...

Quick quiz: can you define what the word “positioning” means? If you find it difficult, you’re not alone. Many people, including some very accomplished sales and marketing leaders, use the term interchangeably with messaging. But positioning is something different. And I would argue that it's orders of magnitude more important for startups entering the very crowded – and very noisy – cybersecurity market. The best definition of positioning I’ve seen is from April Dunford, who literally w...

Quick quiz: can you define what the word “positioning” means? If you find it difficult, you’re not alone. Many people, including some very accomplished sales and marketing leaders, use the term interchangeably with messaging. But positioning is something different. And I would argue that it's orders of magnitude more important for startups entering the very crowded – and very noisy – cybersecurity market. The best definition of positioning I’ve seen is from April Dunford, who literally w...

Here are two common startup marketing leadership scenarios:Early stage – You’re a marketing leader with one full-time generalist and a couple of contractors. But ideas about what marketing should be doing are coming from every direction. The last sales call. The last investor call. That mythical collateral piece that somehow closed every deal at your sales leader’s last company. You have a plan, but you spend every day defending against attempts to steer you away from it.Growth stage – Now yo...

Here are two common startup marketing leadership scenarios:Early stage – You’re a marketing leader with one full-time generalist and a couple of contractors. But ideas about what marketing should be doing are coming from every direction. The last sales call. The last investor call. That mythical collateral piece that somehow closed every deal at your sales leader’s last company. You have a plan, but you spend every day defending against attempts to steer you away from it.Growth stage – Now yo...

This week, we saw yet another big acquisition in the security space with Google’s acquisition of security orchestration and response (SOAR) company Siemplify for a reported $500 million. It seems like an excellent outcome for the Siemplify team, but it always kind of bums me out when Google or Microsoft buys a security startup. There is a positive case to be made for these acquisitions. They can “democratize” advanced security technologies by making them more accessible to companies that are ...

This week, we saw yet another big acquisition in the security space with Google’s acquisition of security orchestration and response (SOAR) company Siemplify for a reported $500 million. It seems like an excellent outcome for the Siemplify team, but it always kind of bums me out when Google or Microsoft buys a security startup. There is a positive case to be made for these acquisitions. They can “democratize” advanced security technologies by making them more accessible to companies that are ...

Hi friends 👋 – I’ve grown my business entirely through referrals and word-of-mouth. Every single client I’ve done work for over the last few years falls into one of three categories:People I’ve worked with in the pastPeople I was referred to by clients or colleagues from past companiesPeople who were already clients and moved to a new companyUntil recently, I was very proud of this. After all, it must mean that I do good work. But I’ve come to realize that this isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a...

Hi friends 👋 – I’ve grown my business entirely through referrals and word-of-mouth. Every single client I’ve done work for over the last few years falls into one of three categories:People I’ve worked with in the pastPeople I was referred to by clients or colleagues from past companiesPeople who were already clients and moved to a new companyUntil recently, I was very proud of this. After all, it must mean that I do good work. But I’ve come to realize that this isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a...