エピソード

  • How To Be Unfireable with Elliott Holland | Horizons Pod

    How To Be Unfireable with Elliott Holland | Horizons Pod
    2025/10/14
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Elliott Holland is a Harvard MBA and founder of Guardian Due Diligence who helps entrepreneurs buy companies with a track record of saving buyers millions through rigorous financial due diligence and acquisition strategy.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 💰 Revenue > Cost = Job SecurityIf you consistently generate more revenue than you cost, you'll be valuable in any acquisition. Smart marketers track their ROI intensely. 2/ 📊 Systems Trump BrillianceClear systems matter more than individual brilliance. This shows up in acquisition discussions, but is true for any business or team.3/ 🎯 Trust Through DeliveryThe most valuable employees consistently deliver on commitments. While revenue generation is priority #1, being known as someone who "gets stuff done" creates immense trust with leadership.4/ 🔄 Sustainable Growth > Rapid GrowthAnother flash of insight that shows up during acquisition, but is true for all businesses. Buyers value predictable, sustainable revenue over flashy growth. Focus on low customer churn rates, clear marketing attribution, documented processes, and proven customer acquisition channels.5/ 🎯 Quality of Earnings: Some Revenue is DangerousBuyers get excited by big revenue figures, but some earnings are low quality. Watch for warning signs like high customer concentration, unpredictable sales funnel, or poor tracking/attribution (might not be able to replicate consistently).—Where to find Elliott Holland:* Guardian Due Diligence: https://www.guardianduediligence.com/* Elliott's Business Buying Masterclass: https://thebusinessbuyingmasterclass.com/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliottholland/* X: https://x.com/ElliottEHolland—In this episode, we cover:00:00 The Value of Revenue Generation in Business 02:08 Understanding Quality of Earnings 05:12 Customer Churn Analysis 07:06 Evaluating Business Problems 09:24 Word of Mouth Marketing Assessment 14:16 Marketing Integration During Acquisitions 17:42 Typical Acquisition Timeline 26:40 Finding and Evaluating Business Deals 34:38 In-House vs Agency Marketing 38:57 Marketing Leadership Models 43:15 Marketing Asset Evaluation 49:54 Engineering Problem-Solving Approach 54:55 Revenue vs Task Execution Priority 57:14 SBA Loan Process and Accessibility 1:06:43 Live Deal Analysis Example—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 15 分
  • How One Customer Research Habit Unlocked a New Product Line with Kim Hacker | Horizons Pod

    How One Customer Research Habit Unlocked a New Product Line with Kim Hacker | Horizons Pod
    2025/10/07
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Kim Hacker is COO at Arrows, a customer onboarding and sales room platform, who specializes in making AI and automation accessible for non-technical teams.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 Perfect customers > More customers Focus on "star customer use cases" - the ideal fits who would never churn. Use these customers to guide product development and feature prioritization rather than trying to please everyone. Your north star should be deepening value for perfect-fit customers.2/ 🔊 Voice of Customer = Growth EngineMake sharing customer feedback frictionless by using AI note-takers and creating easy clip-sharing workflows. The best insights come directly from customer conversations, not competitor analysis. Build systems to capture and distribute these insights across teams.3/ 🚀 Ship Fast, Perfect Later Don't wait for perfection before launching new features or initiatives. Trust that you can figure things out post-launch rather than trying to anticipate every edge case. Speed and iteration beat perfection.4/ 📱 Point Solutions > All-in-One PlatformsChoose best-in-class tools for core functions rather than settling for "good enough" features in an all-in-one platform. The key is ensuring tight integration with your central system (like your CRM).5/ 🗺️ Structure Beats Flexibility in OnboardingGive customers a rigid, prescriptive onboarding process rather than endless options. They need guidance and guardrails more than flexibility. Break the journey into clear, sequential steps.6/ ⚡ Compress Timelines, Don't Expand ThemSchedule next steps within days, not weeks. The energy and context are fresh right after calls - use that momentum rather than letting tasks drift. Your job is to help customers maintain momentum.7/ 🎭 Internal Marketing MattersEvery function needs to market their impact internally. Share small wins, customer feedback, and progress metrics that tie to company goals. Make the invisible visible.8/ 🌱 Trust Your Growth JourneyYou've figured out hard things before, you'll figure out the next challenge too. Past wins build future confidence. Focus on progress over perfection.—Where to find Kim Hacker:* Arrows: https://arrows.to/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyhacker/—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Background at Arrows 02:26 Evolution into Digital Sales Rooms 06:22 Voice of Customer and Internal Communication 09:39 Product Development Strategy 13:26 Homepage Positioning and Marketing 15:36 Benefits of Being a Generalist 19:01 Content Marketing Success 23:30 Customer Onboarding Philosophy 29:43 Tool Integration Strategy 34:21 Internal Marketing for Ops Teams 38:56 AI Implementation Reality 42:20 Onboarding Process Redesign 47:18 Single vs Multiple Tool Strategy 51:14 Internal Marketing Importance 55:03 Leadership Philosophy 1:00:15 Lightning Round—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 2 分
  • How To Make Word of Mouth Your Biggest Channel with Alex McClafferty | Horizons Pod

    How To Make Word of Mouth Your Biggest Channel with Alex McClafferty | Horizons Pod
    2025/09/30
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Alex McClafferty is a founder coach and serial entrepreneur who successfully exited to GoDaddy and previously held leadership roles at Canva, helping other founders scale without burning out.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 Clarity Conquers All: The clearer you are on your product/service offering, the easier it is for customers to recommend you. WP Curve succeeded by being hyper-focused on a single, specific service rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Turning down enterprise clients and additional services kept the model simple and scalable.2/ 🎲 Risk Management > Revenue Chasing: Not every dollar is worth chasing. WP Curve deliberately avoided enterprise clients despite higher potential revenue because the risk profile didn't match their operational model. Focus on customers whose needs align with your core strengths.3/ 📊 Metrics Need Context: Raw numbers don't tell the full story. At Canva China, increasing feature launch rates from 45% to 90% came from understanding the organizational dynamics and finding the right leverage points (a simple checkbox in Slack) rather than just pushing harder.4/ 🔄 Accept the Sine Wave: High performers often work in cycles rather than maintaining constant output. Instead of fighting this natural rhythm, build systems that accommodate your peaks and valleys while maintaining consistent results.5/ 💪 Delegate at 80%: When handing off tasks, accept that others may only execute at 80% of your standard initially. The key is clearly documenting expectations and processes, then coaching toward improvement rather than maintaining control.6/ 🌱 Growth Through Specificity: For service businesses, narrow focus often leads to faster growth. Rather than charging flat rates, anchor pricing to measurable value (like ecommerce conversion improvements) to capture more revenue while delivering the same service.7/ 📝 "What Happens in Vagueness Stays in Vagueness": Unclear expectations lead to unclear results. Success in delegation requires crystal clear documentation of processes, expectations, and what "good" looks like.8/ 💰 Money Doesn't Change Everything: Financial success rarely delivers the emotional satisfaction founders expect. Focus on building something meaningful rather than chasing exits, as the internal validation you seek won't come from external success.—Where to find Alex McClafferty:* Alex's newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/founder-notes-7317123150717112321/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-mcclafferty/—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Early Success with WP Curve 03:04 The RESCUE Framework and Business Focus 05:37 Building WP Curve from Gmail to Acquisition 08:10 Turning Around Canva China 14:04 Physical Proximity in Leadership 15:51 Product Growth Strategy in China 27:11 Growth Teams and Product Development 31:05 Coaching Experience and Acquisition Stories 37:19 Leadership and Delegation Challenges 46:14 WordPress Market and Technology Evolution 54:52 Founder Psychology and Burnout 58:46 Quality Control and Team Development 1:05:38 Future of WordPress and AI 1:08:04 Money, Success and Personal Growth—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 15 分
  • Marketing Leaders Die Like Flies: Don’t Be One with Thomas Palm | Horizons Pod

    Marketing Leaders Die Like Flies: Don’t Be One with Thomas Palm | Horizons Pod
    2025/09/23
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Thomas Palm is Chief Marketing Officer at iPoint Systems and previously led marketing at Google for a decade including serving as CMO of CapitalG, Google's $4B growth fund.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 Lead with brutal honesty: When joining as CMO, start by acknowledging gaps. Present a clear assessment of marketing capabilities using traffic light systems (red/yellow/green) and concrete next steps. Update progress regularly to build trust with leadership.2/ 🧠 Structure your marketing team hybrid-style: Build a small core team of generalist marketers, supplement with specialized freelancers/agencies, and prepare for AI team members. Focus on quality over headcount.3/ 🎭 Brand isn't optional in B2B: Strong B2B brands change customer acquisition economics fundamentally. They create buyer preference before sales processes begin, enable premium pricing, and attract qualified inbound interest.4/ 👥 Manage stakeholders proactively: Understand what keeps your CEO, CRO, and board members up at night. Schedule around their priorities and be their trusted partner in solving business challenges.5/ 🛡️ Be your team's shield: Leaders should act as protective umbrellas, not funnels. Filter external pressure and provide clear direction so your team can focus on execution.6/ 🎓 Develop junior talent intentionally: When hiring early-career marketers, focus on capacity (raw intelligence) and attitude over specific capabilities. Create structured onboarding with quick wins.7/ 🔍 Hire expert freelancers carefully: Seek boutique agencies or senior freelancers through trusted recommendations. Look for partners who will co-create briefs rather than follow rigid frameworks.8/ 📊 Balance measurement with magic: While marketing should be measurable, only doing what's immediately quantifiable leads to mediocre results. Build trust to pursue both measurable and brand-building initiatives.—Where to find Thomas Palm:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpalm/* X: https://x.com/thomaspalm—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Background 01:51 Marketing Fundamentals Across Organizations 05:45 Simplifying Complex B2B Solutions 09:24 Product Impact and Compliance 14:26 First 90 Days as CMO 17:13 Experience at Google Creative Lab 20:14 Category Creation and Brand Building 35:18 Managing Marketing Teams 42:28 Building Effective Marketing Teams 47:27 Developing Early Career Marketers 53:13 Board and Stakeholder Management 59:53 Managing Executive Relationships 1:04:23 Lightning Round Questions—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 6 分
  • The Handmaids Tail Marketing Stunt That Became Real Activism with Terri Yowe | Horizons Pod

    The Handmaids Tail Marketing Stunt That Became Real Activism with Terri Yowe | Horizons Pod
    2025/09/16
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Terri Yowe is a pioneering entertainment marketing leader who launched hit shows at Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV+, and now teaches brands how to create compelling storytelling campaigns that drive growth.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎭 Make Your Customer the Hero, Not Your ProductYour product isn't the main character - it's the tool that helps customers achieve their dreams. Nike doesn't sell shoes, they sell the journey of perseverance. Focus on the emotional transformation your product enables.2/ 🎯 72-Hour Response Window for Cultural MomentsWhen trends emerge, you have 3 days max to meaningfully participate. Build a rapid response system to concept, shoot, and publish content within this window. Perfect polish matters less than cultural relevance.3/ 🔍 Social Listening > Focus GroupsComments sections and social feeds are your new focus groups. Assign team members to actively monitor conversations about your brand. Consider having younger team members give daily trend briefings to leadership.4/ 🎬 The New 3-Act Marketing StoryStart with the emotional truth/pain point, show the aspirational payoff, then position your product as the bridge between the two. Avoid leading with features - lead with feelings.5/ 📱 Platform-Specific Storytelling WinsCreate multiple versions of content tailored to different audience segments. The TikTok algorithm allows you to serve different messages to different cohorts without overlap.6/ 🎪 Plan Predictable Cultural MomentsWhile quick response is vital, many cultural moments (holidays, events, award shows) are predictable. Use these as training grounds before tackling spontaneous trends.7/ 👥 Community > CampaignBuild ongoing relationships rather than one-off viral moments. Duolingo's success came from consistent community building that made their "owl death" moment resonate.8/ 🎯 Specific > UniversalThe more specific and relatable your content, the more shareable it becomes. Target precise audience segments with "that's so me" moments rather than trying to appeal to everyone.—Where to find Terri Yowe:* Consulting: https://terriyowe.com/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-yowe-8800b017/—In this episode, we cover:00:00 The Power of Visual Marketing with Handmaid's Tale 01:14 Early Days at Netflix and Streaming Revolution 02:54 Netflix's Binge Model Strategy 04:16 Evolution of Entertainment Marketing 06:05 Creating Cultural Moments in Marketing 08:39 Balance of Cultural Timing vs Marketing Spend 12:23 Crafting Trailers and Marketing Content 15:00 Director vs Marketer Approaches to Trailers 21:22 Platform Identity in Streaming Services 31:05 Social Media Response Times and Strategy 41:16 Three-Act Structure for Brand Storytelling 49:11 Managing Risk in Social Media Marketing 54:07 Building Brand Presence on Social Media 57:57 Staying Culturally Relevant as a Marketer—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 7 分
  • The Secret To Measuring Brand Marketing with Jake Barnett | Horizons Pod

    The Secret To Measuring Brand Marketing with Jake Barnett | Horizons Pod
    2025/09/09
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Jake Barnett is a marketing data expert and founder of Day1Data who previously led customer data foundations at Farfetch, helping optimize their $300M marketing budget through advanced analytics.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 📊 Perfect is the enemy of profitable: No attribution model tells the complete truth, but some drive real business value. Focus on models that get used daily and match your business context (e.g., last-touch for pure DTC, multi-touch for omnichannel).2/ 💰 Scale before sophistication: MMM isn't for everyone. Three key criteria: spending >$50-100k, diverse media mix, and clean historical data. Start with simpler incrementality tests if you're not there yet.3/ 🎯 Competitors are conversion killers: Rival spending typically causes 10-20% revenue decline in emerging markets. Established brands with strong market share face less impact from competitor spending.4/ 🏪 Physical retail = stealth marketing: Store presence creates significant halo effects for DTC brands. Many successful companies treat retail as an advertising channel rather than a pure revenue play.5/ 📈 Brand + Performance = Winning combo: Performance marketing borrows demand from the future while brand builds it. Modern scale-ups increasingly blend both approaches rather than going pure-play performance.6/ 🧪 Test design trumps analysis: The best incrementality tests start with strong pre-testing power analysis. Choose consistent test markets without noise and secure leadership buy-in before launching.7/ 👥 Change management > tech implementation: 70% of marketing transformation is about managing people, not implementing solutions. Align attribution methodologies across teams and secure executive sponsorship.8/ 📱 Daily tracking needs quarterly context: Use MMM for strategic planning (quarterly/annual) and traditional attribution for daily optimization. No single tool handles everything perfectly.—Where to find Jake Barnett:* Company: https://day1data.co.uk/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-barnett-37980abb/—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Marketing Attribution Philosophy 02:30 What Makes Attribution Models Useful 04:00 Explaining Media Mix Modeling (MMM) 06:30 Experience at Farfetch with MMM 09:36 How Marketers Should Evaluate MMM Reports 13:46 Handling Data Quality Issues 20:20 Brand vs Performance Marketing Balance 25:38 Data Quality and Common Issues 29:06 B2B Marketing Measurement Challenges 34:21 Different Approaches to MMM Implementation 41:42 Impact of Competitor Spend 47:13 Brand Building vs Performance Marketing 51:45 Human Side of Marketing Transformation 57:13 Storytelling and Visualization in Marketing Analytics 1:00:00 Incrementality Testing Best Practices—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 6 分
  • Why This CEO Refuses to Hire Anyone with Amos Bar Joseph | Horizons Pod

    Why This CEO Refuses to Hire Anyone with Amos Bar Joseph | Horizons Pod
    2025/09/02
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Amos Bar-Joseph is the CEO and co-founder of Swan AI, aiming to build a $30M ARR business with just 3 founders by pioneering autonomous AI-driven operations that achieve $10M revenue per employee.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🤖 Digital Leverage > Digital Labor: Instead of building AI to replace humans, focus on creating tools that amplify human capabilities. The goal isn't to build an AI SDR, but rather to create a "100X seller" through human-AI collaboration.2/ 🎯 Incentive Alignment Drives Sticky Revenue: In a three-person company, everyone shares the same goal: sustainable revenue growth. This alignment eliminates the traditional MQL/SQL friction and keeps the focus on long-term customer success.3/ 🔄 Real AI Agents Learn and Adapt: True AI agents aren't rigid automation tools but adaptive collaborators that learn from feedback loops. They should start with quick onboarding and continuously improve through natural interaction, just like a new hire.4/ 💬 Meet Users Where They Are: Swan's success with Slack integration shows the power of embedding AI tools within existing workflows. Don't make users come to your platform; bring your platform to where they already work.5/ ⚡ Decision Velocity is Your Edge: Early-stage startups' main advantage is their ability to make quick decisions. Don't get bogged down in analysis paralysis. Trust intuition and maintain rapid iteration cycles.6/ 📈 Intelligence Scales Exponentially: Unlike headcount which scales linearly, AI capabilities compound over time. Every advancement in LLM technology automatically improves all aspects of your AI-powered operations.7/ 🎭 Narrative > Product in Marketing: Focus on building movements around compelling narratives rather than just product features. Challenge existing challengers while sparking hope, not fear.8/ 🏢 Small is the New Big: In an AI-powered world, being nimble matters more than being large. SMBs with the agility to reimagine their operations around human-AI collaboration will outperform rigid enterprises.—Where to find Amos Bar Joseph:* Swan: https://www.getswan.com/* The Big Shift: https://swan-ai.beehiiv.com/p/welcome-to-the-big-shift* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amos-bar-joseph-5a665a142/* X: https://x.com/amosbarjoseph—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Background 04:28 Automated vs High-Touch Sales Approach 07:22 Customer Segmentation Strategy 09:46 Building a Three-Person Company 12:14 Difference Between AI Labor and AI Leverage 16:37 AI Agents vs AI Automation 20:28 How Swan Works in Slack 26:14 Decision Making Velocity in Startups 29:04 Learning from Previous Startups 32:11 Handling Support with AI 38:32 Future of Human-AI Collaboration 43:48 Audience-Led Growth Strategy—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    48 分
  • This CMO Got Fired Twice, Then Built Better Attribution with Mada Seghete | Horizons Pod

    This CMO Got Fired Twice, Then Built Better Attribution with Mada Seghete | Horizons Pod
    2025/08/26
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Mada Seghete is the co-founder and CEO of Upside, a B2B revenue attribution pioneer who previously co-founded Branch and grew it to a $4B valuation.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 The Courage to Let Go: CMO Success is About Team FreedomStrong ICs often micromanage when becoming managers. True leadership means setting clear goals but giving teams freedom to achieve them their way, even if different from your approach. Your way isn't always the best way.2/ 🔍 Attribution is About Understanding, Not CreditAvoid splitting credit between teams. Focus on understanding what actually drives deals forward. Most successful B2B deals involve multiple touchpoints across marketing and sales working together, not siloed efforts.3/ 🕵️ Forensic Attribution > Basic Attribution Traditional attribution models miss critical hidden signals. The real story lies in email chains, meeting transcripts, and untracked events. Build a knowledge graph to reconstruct the full customer journey, including "shadow touchpoints."4/ 🎮 Company Building is Level-Based GamingEach stage requires different skills, and mastering one level doesn't guarantee success in the next. What works at seed stage won't work at Series A. Accept starting from zero with each new phase.5/ 💰 Right-Size Your FundraiseRaising too little forces premature revenue focus. Raising too much creates unrealistic expectations. Find the middle ground that gives enough runway to properly research and validate product-market fit.6/ 🎯 Hire for Team Gaps, Not Just GrowthMap team skills on a 1-5 scale across key functions. Hire first where current team members score lowest, not necessarily where you need the most help overall.7/ 🔄 Inbound vs Outbound: The Quality TradeoffInbound leads often ghost; outbound prospects show higher commitment. While inbound scales better, targeted outbound lets you pursue ideal customers who may not know they need your solution yet.8/ 🎓 Perfect Data is a MythChoose directionally accurate insights you can act on today over waiting months for "perfect" data. Focus on building trust through transparency and clear methodology.—Where to find Mada Seghete:* Company: https://upside.tech/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madalina/* X: https://x.com/mada299—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Challenges of Measuring Marketing Impact 05:26 The Journey from Branch to Upside 09:13 Evolution of Attribution Methodology 15:17 Using AI Agents for Data Analysis 21:30 Building the Knowledge Graph 28:37 Lessons from Building Multiple Companies 34:42 Strategic Approaches to Hiring 41:20 Leveraging AI in Marketing 45:55 Venture Capital Strategy 51:21 Finding the Right Co-founders 54:43 Team Building and Role Prioritization 59:10 Leadership Lessons from Gaming 1:02:11 Lightning Round Q&A—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 8 分