The playbook for modern marketing is being rewritten in real time. Anthony Kennada sits down with Jake Saper, General Partner at Emergence Capital — one of the earliest backers of category-defining companies like Salesforce, Zoom, and Gusto — to explore how AI, market velocity, and boardroom expectations are transforming what it means to be a CMO today.
Jake shares a front-row view of the AI-native startup era, where growth happens faster than ever, capital markets are “bananas,” and differentiation in a sea of sameness has never been harder — or more essential. Together, they unpack why creativity and humor matter in serious industries, why first-principles thinking is beating experience in the boardroom, and how great marketing leaders are re-potting themselves to thrive in a wickedly fast-moving era.
They also dig deep into ICP discipline, channel experimentation, and the surprising power of referrals over events in modern growth strategy — plus, yes, B2B musical theater.
Topics we cover:
– Why creativity and humor build human connection in tech
– How the CMO role is evolving in the AI-native era
– Why boards are favoring slope over experience
– Reinvention case study: Intercom and Finn
– The “bananas” early-stage funding environment
– ICP discipline as a marketing superpower
– Referrals vs. events: what the data actually says
– How great leaders re-pot themselves to thrive in change
If you’re a CMO, founder, or marketing leader staring down a new era, this conversation will give you both a playbook — and permission — to build differently.
