In this new style of "How To Win", Peep Laja discusses the importance of differentiation in today's highly competitive B2B SaaS market. He explores various strategies for standing out, such as focusing on brand, taking a polarizing stance, being radically transparent, and leveraging personal brands. Laja emphasizes that differentiation is a CEO-level problem and that companies must build their vision around being unique rather than simply copying competitors.

Chapter Markers: 

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:00 - MarTech landscape and sameness 00:02:30 - Differentiating beyond features 00:05:00 - Competing to be unique 00:07:15 - Limited consideration sets 00:09:00 - Commitment to differentiation 00:10:15 - Three types of standout brands 00:13:00 - Eight traits of commodity brands 00:15:00 - Personal brands for differentiation 00:17:30 - Strategies from "Differentiate or Die" 00:20:15 - Jillion down on what works 00:20:45 - Differentiation as a CEO problem

My links:

X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/

Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/

Wynter: https://wynter.com/

Speero: https://speero.com/

CXL: https://cxl.com/

This week on How To Win: Noah Kagan of AppSumo, a platform for digital marketplace deals focusing on software aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. They have bootstrapped to over $80 million in revenue. You’ll hear insights on scaling business by focusing on what works, the importance of staying true to your core values, and the strategy behind AppSumo's success. Discover how AppSumo thrived where others didn't and why focusing on the customer always pays off. Find out how AppSumo navigates competition and continues to grow by doubling down on effective strategies​​.

Key Points:

1. [00:03:36] "How does AppSumo compete with lower prices?"
2. [00:08:33] "How did strategic choices evolve with growth?"
3. [00:10:57] "How does focusing on what works help?"
4. [00:14:42] "Do cheaper products lead to higher sales?"
5. [00:15:18] "Why focus on solopreneurs despite challenges?"
6. [00:19:30] "Key to AppSumo's successful marketing strategy?"

Mentioned:

Noah Kagan

AppSumoNoah Kagan's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Bernat Farrero of Factorial HR, sharing insights on revolutionizing HR for SMBs. You’ll hear about the importance of simplifying complex HR processes for small and medium businesses, Factorial HR's strategic approach to scaling internationally while addressing localized needs, and how they navigated the challenges of rapid growth and product development to meet the diverse needs of their global clientele.

Key Points:

1. [00:01:21] Why start as an all-in-one from day one?
2. [00:02:24] Does diversification improve SMB retention?
3. [00:03:36] Was targeting SMBs your initial customer profile?
4. [00:10:03] Time from 1 million to 10 million in revenue?
5. [00:12:09] How has prioritizing growth changed for you?
6. [00:14:15] How closely do you watch competitors?
7. [00:15:54] Why expand beyond HR into finance?
8. [00:17:24] Do all added products boost revenue and retention?
9. [00:18:00] What are the trade-offs of expanding your product?
10. [00:18:54] Why has Factorial HR succeeded in a competitive market?
11. [00:20:24] Top three lessons for B2B SaaS founders?

Mentioned:

Bernat Farrero

Factorial HRBernat Farrero's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Todd Olson of Pendo, revealing the secrets behind building a product-led growth company. You’ll hear how Pendo's focus on product experience revolutionized customer interaction, the importance of integrating customer feedback into product development for sustained growth, and the strategic approach to scaling a software company beyond traditional boundaries.

Key Points:

1. [00:03:15] "What propelled your initial revenue growth?"
2. [00:06:42] "Challenges in transitioning to enterprise clients?"
3. [00:10:58] "Impact of product decisions on company scale?"
4. [00:15:24] "Strategies for expanding product functionality?"
5. [00:18:37] "Approach to building a scalable team?"
6. [00:19:12] "Strategy behind bowling pin model?"
7. [00:22:45] "Insights on maintaining company culture?"

Mentioned:

Todd Olson

PendoTodd Olson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Gregory Galant of Muck Rack, discusses the journey of transforming a podcasting venture into a leading software solution for public relations professionals. You’ll hear insights on the importance of building strong journalist relationships, the strategic pivot from service to software, and the value of slow, deliberate growth in the tech industry.

Key Points:

1. [00:04:21] "Time to first million in revenue?"
2. [00:05:51] "Early days buyer understanding?"
3. [00:07:12] "Shift to sales-led approach?"
4. [00:09:36] "Product and sales balance for growth?"
5. [00:10:12] "Changes post-$10 million revenue?"
6. [00:13:48] "Market size doubt at $10 million?"
7. [00:18:09] "Reasons for outlasting competitors?"
8. [00:20:24] "Top advice for B2B founders?"

Mentioned:

Gregory Galant

Muck RackGregory Galant's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Vinay Bhagat of TrustRadius, revolutionizing B2B software buying with in-depth user reviews. You’ll hear how TrustRadius overcame the challenge of creating a trusted review platform in a saturated market, the strategic decisions that led to successful monetization, and the importance of focusing on quality over quantity to cater to both software vendors and buyers.

Key Points:

[00:02:30] - Inspiration behind your business model?[00:03:15] - Tackling initial cold start problem?[00:04:00] - Scaling outreach effectively?[00:05:15] - Competitive landscape at inception?[00:08:45] - Monetization through content syndication?

[00:10:00] - No initial go-to-market strategy?[00:13:30] - Differentiation strategy in sales?[00:14:15] - Building a differentiated audience?

[00:15:00] - Creating a buyer-centric platform?

[00:18:00] - Strategy for targeting large tech companies?

[00:18:45] - Focus on thought leadership and content?

[00:19:45] - Advice for B2B founders?[00:20:15] - Balancing bootstrap with funding?

[00:24:30] - TrustRadius's keys to winning?

Mentioned:

Vinay Bhagat

TrustRadius.comVinay Bhagat's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Adam Robinson of Retention.com, an innovative leader in the email marketing space. You’ll hear about the journey of identifying a market gap and creating a differentiated product in a competitive environment, the importance of strategic focus on a specific target market, particularly in e-commerce, and the implementation of focused go-to-market strategies for sustained growth and market penetration.

Key Points:

[01:48] - What was your first market product?[02:51] - How did it become a standalone product?[04:12] - Who's the primary buyer for this?[07:30] - Post-revenue, how did strategy evolve?[15:00] - How did you achieve business differentiation?[16:48] - Top three advice for B2B founders?[18:45] - What's behind Retention.com's winning strategy?

Mentioned:

Adam Robinson

Retention.comAdam Robinson's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Chris Federspiel of Blackthorn.io, a company specializing in Salesforce integration and application development. You’ll hear about Blackthorn's strategic approach to the Salesforce ecosystem, the critical role of customer feedback in shaping their product development, and the journey of focusing their offerings to achieve significant growth in the competitive SaaS market.

Key Points:

00:00:16 How did Blackthorn achieve its growth?00:01:30 How long to build first product?00:03:36 Time to hit 1 million ARR?00:04:21 Target customers for your products?00:06:09 Explain go-to-market strategy?00:08:18 Go-to-market for growth acceleration?00:09:54 Current product lineup?00:14:10 Target customer segment evolution?00:16:09 Effective customer acquisition channels?00:17:42 Monitoring competition?00:19:12 Unsuccessful strategic bets?00:21:45 Importance of company focus?00:22:12 What set Blackthorn apart from others?00:24:00 Top advice for B2B founders?00:25:57 How did Blackthorn win?

Mentioned:

Chris Federspiel

Blackthorn.ioChris Federspiel's X

My Links:

Twitter / X

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Clate Mask of Keap, marketing automation and CRM platform for small businesses. You'll hear how Keap found the right customers, why they combined software with services, and how Keap evolved its marketing over time.

Key Points:

01:15 Building the initial product based on own business needs03:00 Pivoting to serve small businesses dealing with chaos04:30 Evolving from just marketing automation to full business automation07:15 Renaming the company to reflect simplicity and ease of use09:45 Sticking to core small business customers amid pressure13:00 Combining software, services, and strategy for customer success22:30 Embracing partners and gradual upmarket moves for growth

Mentioned:

Clate Mask's LinkedinClate Mask's XKeap

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL

This week on How To Win: Vinay Patankar of Process Street, a workflow management software company. You'll hear why they didn't monetize for the first 2 years, how going upmarket increased retention and revenue, and why they focused the product on specific use cases.

Key Points:01:15 Identifying market need from personal frustration03:00 Deciding not to monetize for 2 years to optimize fundraising06:15 Recognizing larger customers have higher retention and expansion07:00 Transitioning from SMB to mid-market and enterprise14:30 Having over 50% of revenue from inbound channels15:00 Needing specialized use cases to differentiate amid competition19:00 Advising founders to get very clear on product and go-to-market strategy

Mentioned:

Process Streethttps://www.process.st/

Vinay Patankar's Linkedinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/vinaypatankar

Vinay Patankar on Xhttps://twitter.com/vinayp10?lang=en

My Links:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Website

Wynter

Speero

CXL