Melissa Rosenthal is the Co-Founder of Outlever, the company helping B2B brands build their own media properties, full newsrooms, daily publishing, real interviews, and journalism that companies actually own.
Before Outlever, Melissa scaled BuzzFeed’s creative team, helped build Cheddar into a modern media brand, and later became Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, where she helped turn the company into one of the most recognizable names in SaaS.
In this episode, Melissa gives a behind-the-scenes look at how company-owned newsrooms work, why traditional PR is broken, how Outlever produces journalism at scale, and why the future belongs to brands that control their own distribution.
We also talk about B2B storytelling that people actually want to read, the new rules of thought leadership, and how AI is reshaping content creation from the inside.
What You’ll Learn
Why traditional PR doesn’t work anymore
How to build a company-owned newsroom
The system Outlever uses to create journalism at scale
Why founders should own their audience, not rent it
How AI fits into modern editorial workflows
The ClickUp lessons: brand, creative, and B2C thinking in B2B
How to use interviews to build trust at scale
What happens when every company becomes a media company
Perfect for founders, CMOs, and B2B marketers who want to:
Build a real moat around their brand
Escape the limitations of traditional PR
Use interviews to drive trust, authority, and distribution
Understand the future of B2B media
Blend AI + human storytelling effectively
Connect with Melissa:
Melissa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5/
Outlever: https://www.outlever.com/
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 Who is Melissa Rosenthal? From BuzzFeed to ClickUp to Outlever
02:00 Why traditional PR is broken (and what replaces it)
05:06 The reality behind earned media and pay-to-play
06:46 Why companies should build their own newsroom
08:37 What it takes to launch a media entity from scratch
10:47 How Outlever produces journalism at scale
12:50 The companies doing this best today
14:14 Should every company build a newsroom?
16:07 AI search, AEO, and why third-party content wins
17:25 How Outlever does its own marketing
19:20 How direct the brand to newsroom link should be
20:40 Why this model is a moat for companies
22:20 Will new “gatekeepers” emerge?
24:30 How Melissa explains this to CMOs
26:20 Distribution: LinkedIn, newsletters, and peer networks
28:21 Quality vs. quantity in content publishing
29:55 How AI assists interviews and drafting
31:18 Why humans will always run the interview
34:07 AI-assisted interviewer workflow, explained
35:38 The rise of thought leadership and personal brand building
37:46 The hardest part: going from 0 to 1
39:23 Why POV comes from your ICP, not your boardroom
41:06 What media companies can’t do anymore
44:35 Forbes 30 Under 30, and what it meant at 25
46:28 What makes a truly great interview
Alex Josephson is the VP of Brand and Content Strategy for Advertisers at LinkedIn, helping brands tell better stories and run smarter campaigns on the world’s largest B2B platform.
In this episode, Alex gives a behind-the-scenes look at how LinkedIn thinks about vertical video, thought-leader ads, creative strategy, and what’s next for the platform.
We also talk about B2B storytelling that actually entertains, why executives should stop over-engineering their content, and how brands like Ramp and Amex are setting a new bar for creativity in B2B.
What You’ll Learn:
Why LinkedIn is going all-in on vertical video
How to make executives feel natural on camera
The three principles LinkedIn teaches top advertisers:
1. Demonstrate, don’t communicate
2. Always be contextual (ABC)
3. Think beyond channels
Why “cheap reach” is the wrong metric and what actually drives ROI
How to combine brand and demand in one strategy
The rise of Thought Leader Ads and what makes them work
Real examples from Ramp, Amex, ServiceNow, and Microsoft
What’s coming next for LinkedIn: creators, brand-link video, and original programming
Perfect For
Founders, CMOs, and B2B marketers who want to:
Turn executives into trusted voices
Combine brand and demand effectively
Understand how LinkedIn’s ad ecosystem really work
Connect with Alex:
Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexjosephson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/
Thought Leader Ads: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/native-advertising/thought-leader-ads
Enhanced Discovery for Thought Leader Ads: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/boost-reach-build-influence-enhanced-discovery-thought-m5alc/
BrandLink: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/native-advertising/brandlink
ServiceNow Video Case Study: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/case-studies/servicenow-kantar-ctv
American Express Together We Grow Campaign: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/linkedin_in-business-trust-is-key-which-is-why-american-activity-7350539632754704384-xmEo/
Ramp’s “Brian's First Day As CFO” Campaign: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ramp/posts/?feedView=videos
Connect with me:
Website: https://www.project33.io Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Alex Josephson — from Twitter to LinkedIn
02:00 Why LinkedIn is betting big on vertical video
07:00 Stories, executives, and authentic B2B content
09:30 How Blackstone’s president built a following with 60-second videos
11:30 The psychology behind “show vs. tell” marketing
13:00 The 3 core principles for winning on LinkedIn ads
17:00 Thought Leader Ads and persona-based storytelling
21:00 Video vs. static and what actually performs
23:00 Using video to warm audiences before retargeting
26:00 How to structure your LinkedIn ad funnel like a pro
30:00 Should you promote thought leadership content?
32:00 Debunking the “LinkedIn reduced reach” myth
34:00 The shift from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
36:00 Ramp’s live-streamed “expense office” campaign and why it worked
38:00 American Express: co-creating with real customers
40:00 Why creative still wins in a world of automation
41:00 The rise of executive content at LinkedIn
42:00 How companies can actually enable their people to post
44:00 Corporate Natalie, Rob Mayhew, and the B2B comedy era
46:00 What’s next for LinkedIn → creators, shows, and premium media
48:30 Closing thoughts
Joe Ciarallo led comms at Salesforce, Toast (through IPO), and now Wellhub (formerly Gympass), a $2.4 billion corporate-wellness company.
He’s seen what happens when scrappy startup PR turns into an IPO-ready machine.
In this episode, Joe breaks down exactly how to build that engine. From category creation at Salesforce to crisis playbooks at Toast, and how to make your founder’s voice a real strategic asset.
What you’ll learn:
- How Salesforce invented the “Marketing Cloud.”
- The shift from scrappy PR to strategic comms.
- The new PR mix: owned + earned.
- Where AI fits in comms, and why thought leadership will become more valuable, not less.
- How companies like Ryanair earned trust by explaining the logic behind unpopular choices.
- Why separating those functions is already outdated.
- How Salesforce and Toast decide who shows up, what to say, and why empathy is non-negotiable.
- Joe’s rule: just start. Post, iterate, learn, repeat.
Perfect for founders who:
- Want to look public-ready long before the IPO
- Need to balance credibility with control
- Are scaling fast and can’t afford to “wing comms” anymore
- Believe the founder’s voice is part of the brand
- Want to build real authority on LinkedIn without sounding corporate
Connect with Joe:
- Joe’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeciarallo/
- Wellhub: https://wellhub.com/
Connect with me:
- *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- *Website:* https://www.project33.io/
- *Podcast:* https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 – “Dress for the job you want, even as a startup.”
01:20 – The Salesforce Marketing Cloud story
05:50 – How owned + earned media play off each other
08:30 – The rise of podcasts as the new PR
11:40 – Turning scrappy PR into an IPO-ready function
14:00 – How Toast prepped for IPO
16:15 – AI, content, and speed
18:20 – Why AI can’t create thought leadership
20:30 – The new transparency: explaining the why
22:00 – When journalists check your LinkedIn
25:50 – Internal vs external comms is outdated
30:00 – The rise of the Chief Comms Officer
32:00 – Coaching founders to lead industries, not just products
34:00 – Crisis playbooks and empathy
36:00 – Why comms leaders should post too
38:10 – CEO visibility and leading by example
40:00 – Wrap-up
Udi Ledergor joined Gong as their first marketer in 2016, back when “revenue intelligence” wasn’t even a thing.
Nine years later, Gong is one of the most recognizable B2B brands in the world, doing well over $300M ARR and followed by 300,000+ people on LinkedIn.
In this episode, Udi breaks down the marketing playbook that made that possible, and why best practices are just boring practices.
We talk about:
Why best practices are boring practices and how to replace them with a sharp POV
The 3 levels of content that actually earn attention (data, surveys, opinions)
Inside Gong’s Content Council and how 21 employees drive organic reach
How to safely build a “courageous” marketing culture that rewards risk-taking
Udi’s biggest lessons from Gong’s Super Bowl ad (what worked, what didn’t)
Balancing personal brands vs. company brands — and how Gong grew both
What founders should do first when building brand at $5M ARR
How Gong adapted its LinkedIn strategy as it moved upmarket
The “Punch Above Your Weight” principle that’s inspiring campaigns worldwide
Perfect For:
Founders building an early-stage marketing motion
CMOs creating brand differentiation in crowded categories
Marketing leaders trying to activate their team on LinkedIn
Connect with Udi:
Udi’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/
Gong: https://www.gong.io/
Udi’s new book: https://a.co/d/djoOhWR
Connect with Finn:
00:00 — Intro: from Gong’s first marketer to $300M+ ARR
02:00 — Why best practices lead to boring marketing
03:40 — How courage creates differentiation
05:00 — Examples of bold B2B marketing done right
06:20 — Dreaming of product placement for B2B
07:40 — The truth about ROI from Gong’s Super Bowl ads
09:40 — “Show the damn product” what Udi learned the hard way
11:00 — Building internal influencers: Chris Orlob & Devin Reed
13:00 — Personal brands vs. company brand: how Gong balanced both
15:00 — Why Gong lets employees post freely on LinkedIn
17:00 — The structure and role of Gong’s “Content Council”
20:00 — How onboarding includes LinkedIn training for every employee
23:00 — Turning customers into advocates: Gong Love Week
25:00 — Why celebration fuels consistency
27:30 — How Gong’s LinkedIn content evolved as the company scaled
30:00 — How to build brand at $5M ARR (Udi’s playbook)
33:00 — Why paid ads don’t work for early-stage startups
35:00 — The 3 levels of content: data, surveys, and opinions
38:00 — Why being polarizing beats being agreeable
42:00 — How strong opinions build categories
44:00 — The story behind Gong’s viral “group therapy” CEO post
46:00 — Building a courageous team: psychological safety in practice
50:00 — Why boldness is Gong’s real competitive advantage
52:00 — Writing Courageous Marketing — and what surprised Udi most
54:00 — “Punch Above Your Weight”: the framework inspiring global campaigns
Bryan Law is the CMO at SentinelOne, an AI-powered cybersecurity company that just crossed $1B ARR.
Before joining SentinelOne, Bryan led marketing at Salesforce and ZoomInfo, where he learned the power of distinctive brands and founder-led storytelling.
In this episode, Bryan breaks down how he helped SentinelOne become the fastest-growing cybersecurity brand on LinkedIn (up 61% YoY) — and how he’s rethinking executive content, AI, and brand-building in enterprise SaaS.
What you’ll learn
The difference between being different and being distinct and why it matters more for B2B brands
How SentinelOne doubled its LinkedIn followers in 12 months
Why follower growth isn’t vanity when it drives top-of-funnel awareness
How to get executives posting consistently without forcing it
Bryan’s 4 stages of adopting AI in marketing teams
How synthetic audiences and agentic AI are changing customer research
The “Day 1 Buyer List” every marketer needs to understand
Why every brand investment should have a measurable impact on demand
Perfect for Founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders who want to:
Build distinctive brands that dominate the buyer’s “Day 1” list
Turn executive teams into LinkedIn thought leaders
Blend AI, content, and brand for measurable pipeline impact
Connect with Bryan
Bryan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbasdenlaw/
SentinelOne: https://www.sentinelone.com/
Connect with me
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 Distinct vs Different
02:00 Why distinctiveness beats differentiation
05:30 Brand assets that make you recognizable
08:30 Using AI and synthetic audiences for messaging
10:45 Why SentinelOne made LinkedIn a top priority
13:00 Metrics that actually matter beyond follower count
16:00 The 3 levers that drove 100K+ new followers
18:00 Getting executives active on LinkedIn
19:45 The Henry Schuck story on building a personal brand
21:30 How executives should approach LinkedIn posting
25:00 Balancing personal content vs company relevance
27:00 Why CEOs should post on LinkedIn (and how to convince them)
30:00 The CEO as a distinctive brand asset
32:00 Inside SentinelOne’s internal brand ambassador program
35:00 The “Day 1 Buyer List” and marketing to the 95%
38:45 Brand investments that actually drive demand
42:30 What every CMO should still do in the AI era
46:00 How SentinelOne uses GenAI operationally
47:30 Favorite AI tools in Bryan’s stack
49:00 Closing thoughts
Owner.com powers 10,000+ restaurants with tools to grow sales, from online ordering and loyalty programs, to marketing automation.
Behind that growth is Kyle Norton, CRO and former Shopify revenue leader, who’s helped rebuild the business from zero to multi-millions ARR, twice.
In this episode, Kyle opens up about the habits, frameworks, and trade-offs that drive long-term success as a leader, parent, and athlete.
From rebuilding after failure to finding balance with two kids and a hyper-intense founder, this one’s packed with real talk on what high performance actually looks like.
What You’ll Learn
- How Owner.com rebuilt from $0 to $1M ARR in a year, twice
- Why Adam Guild’s intensity sets the bar for what “founder-led” really means
- How martial arts shaped Kyle’s approach to sales, discipline, and resilience
- The real trade-offs between startup growth, family, and health
- What separates great CROs from good ones and why “bar raising” matters
- How Kyle uses AI in his revenue org (and what actually delivers ROI)
- Why he doesn’t chase AI hype and how Owner’s mission keeps him grounded
- Lessons from Jason Lemkin on board trust, transparency, and tough feedback
Founders, sales leaders, and executives who want to:
-Scale teams without burning out
- Lead with discipline, not chaos
- Build brand trust that compounds
- Stay grounded while chasing growth
Connect with Kyle:
- Kyle’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecnorton/
- Revenue Leadership Podcast: https://www.therevenueleadershippodcast.com/
- Owner.com: https://www.owner.com/
Connect with me:
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 Owner.com’s story and rebuilding from $0 to $1M ARR
03:00 Lessons from martial arts and disciplined practice
07:00 Physical fitness as a superpower for startup leaders
09:30 What makes founder-led intensity different
13:00 Investing early in brand and why it paid off long-term
17:30 Balancing family, health, and high performance
24:00 The truth about kids, work, and “having it all”
26:00 What separates elite CROs from good ones
31:00 Company culture, ownership, and “the numbers too high”
34:00 Why building a personal brand matters as a leader
39:00 Kyle’s favorite podcasts and why he started his own
42:00 AI in sales and what actually works
51:00 Lessons from Jason Lemkin on trust and board management
53:30 Closing thoughts and reflections
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Charles Tenot is the CEO of Lemlist, the $33M bootstrapped B2B SaaS company behind LinkedIn favorites like Lemwarm, Taplio, and TweetHunter.
In this episode, he walks us through the transition from COO to CEO, what it’s like to follow a founder like Guillaume Moubeche, and how Lemlist builds brand without performance marketing.
He also unpacks his personal LinkedIn writing system (including how he gets post ideas on his motorbike), why repurposing content is underrated, and why shipping features again was key to breaking their $15M ARR plateau.
This one’s packed with stories and tactics from internal growth challenges to building a content-first culture that attracts top hires and drives 10:1 LTV to CAC.
What we cover:
- Charles’ transition from COO to CEO
- The honest truth about why Lemlist stopped growing and how they broke through
- How they restarted product velocity after 12 months of “tech debt”
- The Lemlist brand playbook: what it actually means to build trust
- Why Charles doesn’t believe in performance marketing (and what works instead)
- How he writes LinkedIn posts in 10 minutes
- His system for idea capture (Slack voice notes + ChatGPT for hook ideation)
- Why clickbait kills audience quality
- Internal content pods, incentives, and how Lemlist encourages employee posting
- Why he killed their SEO blog and what they replaced it with
Perfect for:
- B2B founders stuck at a revenue plateau
- CEOs looking to activate their teams on LinkedIn
- Marketing and brand leaders scaling a bootstrapped company
- Anyone trying to build trust in a noisy category
Connect with Charles:
- Charles’ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlestenot/
- lemlist: https://lemlist.com/
Connect with me:
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters:
00:00 – LinkedIn is a game. Play it.
01:16 – Lemlist, Lempire, and $33M ARR
03:05 – What it’s like to take over as CEO
04:45 – The power of a “clear contract” when transitioning leadership
06:40 – Biggest lesson: trust your gut (even if the founder’s still around)
08:37 – Why Charles started posting on LinkedIn (and what pissed him off)
10:44 – Why personal branding helps attract top hires
12:38 – Can you track LinkedIn ROI? Not really. Here’s what to measure instead.
13:55 – Charles’ full posting system: ideation, hooks, writing, time spent
16:15 – The difference between engagement and quality (and how to balance)
18:37 – How he gets ideas on a motorbike (and his Slack system for saving them)
20:54 – “Done is better than perfect” The mindset for scaling content
23:00 – Why Charles doesn’t repurpose content (but why you probably should)
24:23 – Guillaume’s advice, and why you need your own voice
26:40 – “Why should anyone care what you write?” (Especially if you're early)
28:40 – Why every company should think like a niche content brand
30:55 – Internal pods, incentives, and how Lemlist encourages posting
34:33 – How Guillaume helps team members write—and why some say no
36:57 – Why they stopped paying employees for impressions
38:13 – 10:1 LTV to CAC – How Lemlist drives growth with brand
40:32 – Why they killed their SEO content
42:45 – What actually builds a trustworthy brand (from sales to product)
44:48 – Breaking through the ARR plateau: what finally worked
46:47 – Why complex orgs have lagging feedback loops
48:32 – “Ship something every month that excites the customer”
50:34 – How to build a personal brand when you’re just getting started
52:38 – Use your lack of experience as your brand
54:45 – “Do cool shit and talk about it”—Content advice for students and juniors
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) is the co-founder & CTO of 37signals (Basecamp, HEY) and the creator of Ruby on Rails.
In this episode, DHH breaks down how he built real wealth without playing the Silicon Valley game, why “fuck you money” is misunderstood, and what it really takes to stay independent for 20+ years.
We talk about effort, writing, grit, parenting, and how the most meaningful success doesn’t always look like a unicorn.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- How Basecamp started as a side project and became a 20-year business
- What most people get wrong about building “fuck you money”
- Why DHH bet on Ruby when no one else cared
- The 2% rule: how David outworked luck
- The real cost of deferred living and why it’s not worth it
- Why content creation is a byproduct, not a goal
- What Europe gets wrong (and right) about work and family
- Why blogging and replying to people still matters
Perfect for:
- Founders who don’t want to raise $100M to be successful
- Indie hackers and devs building side projects
- Creators who actually ship things
- Anyone tired of the same recycled startup advice
Connect with DHH:
- DHH’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-heinemeier-hansson-374b18221/
- DHH’s X: https://x.com/dhh
- DHH’s blog: https://world.hey.com/dhh
- DHH’s personal website: https://dhh.dk/
- 37signals: https://37signals.com/
- Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/
- HEY: https://www.hey.com/
- Once: https://once.com/
- Ruby on Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/
Connect with Finn:
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 – Intro: Why wisdom becomes platitude
01:58 – The watch blog that changed lives
03:20 – What “fuck you” money really means
06:31 – Betting on Ruby when it made no sense
09:50 – Why Building for yourself means long-term leverage
11:45 – Don’t wait to live your dream
14:20 – DHH’s 2% mindset (via David Goggins)
16:45 – How one helpful email led to 37signals
18:20 – Redrawing patterns: giving gifts with no ask
20:40 – Standing out: The 0.1% effort rule
23:55 – “Content creator” is an insult. Here’s why
25:40 – Share your ideas *after* taking action
27:15 – Marketing without ads or attribution
29:40 – Gary Vee and the power of retail scale
32:00 – Jim Rohn, Stoicism, and seasons of life
35:10 – How to survive the storm
37:05 – Platitudes only work when they land
38:30 – Authenticity means being maskless
41:20 – On “fuck Apple” and reputation caveats
42:40 – Why compliments should be clean
44:30 – Balaji, network states, and philosophy
47:00 – Europe and ambition shame
50:40 – Cultural change is possible (but slow)
53:00 – Bringing success back home
55:30 – Final thoughts: Be the 2%. Always.
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Ted Merz spent 32 years at Bloomberg. He started as reporter #15 and ended as Global Head of News Product.
In this episode, Ted breaks down how storytelling became his next career. He shares the turning point after getting fired, the content habits he developed, and how that turned into Principals Media, a company helping executives build real audiences through honest stories.
We talk about founder content, comms vs. brand, what most ghostwriters get wrong, and the difference between vulnerability and clarity.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- The truth about getting laid off at 57 (and what came next)
- How LinkedIn became a proving ground for executive content
- Why most founder content sounds like it was written by ChatGPT
- What Bloomberg taught Ted about voice, clarity, and leadership
- The difference between being vulnerable and being honest
- Why memorability is more important than engagement as metric
- How ghostwriters can help execs find their POV (not just polish)
- The real ROI of storytelling is reputation, not reach
Perfect for:
- Founders and execs trying to grow on LinkedIn
- Comms teams turning leadership into creators
- Ghostwriters building long-term client relationships
- Anyone starting over and using content to get back in the game
Connect with Ted:
- Ted’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-merz-cfa-b711257/
- Principals Media: https://www.principalsmedia.com/
Connect with me:
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 From Bloomberg to LinkedIn: how storytelling became the next chapter
02:30 Getting laid off at 57 with no plan
05:00 Going viral with real stories (and no strategy)
07:45 Why so much founder content feels generic
09:30 What ghostwriters should be doing for execs
12:15 The Bloomberg comms lessons that stuck
14:45 The danger of over-polished “vulnerability”
17:10 What metrics Ted cares about (and what he ignores)
20:20 Starting Principals Media: from DMs to clients
23:00 Helping execs write without dumbing it down
25:30 Why founder content is just good leadership in public
27:40 How writing helped Ted clarify what came next
30:00 If you want to start posting this is what you should start with
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Amanda Zhu is the co-founder of Recall.ai, the API that lets SaaS tools access data from Zoom, Meet, Teams, and more.
In just 8 months, Amanda grew her LinkedIn following to 40,000+ and turned content into a serious GTM channel, helping Recall land customers like HubSpot, Calendly, Apollo, and Datadog, while scaling past $20M ARR.
In this episode, Amanda walks through her full playbook, from getting lucky with her first viral post, to building a structured, repeatable system for consistent growth.
We also break down Recall’s content ops, audience targeting, and why Amanda believes credibility is earned in public, not in your pitch deck.
Topics that we will cover in this episode:
- The 2-week LinkedIn experiment that changed Recall’s GTM strategy
- How Amanda and her marketer co-write 6 posts every week
- Building a Notion database of content ideas, voice notes & pillars
- Why “hook + value” is still the core formula for going viral
- How to keep content fresh by varying tone, depth, and topic
- What they’ve learned about the LinkedIn algorithm (and how it’s changing)
- The real ROI: 20M+ impressions and customers that “already know her”
- Why Amanda briefly added PS product pitches and why she removed them again
Connect with Amanda:
- Amanda’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhu-amanda/
- Recall.ai: https://www.recall.ai/
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 Amanda’s Background & What Recall.ai Does
02:10 Why LinkedIn Became Their Top GTM Channel
04:00 The First Posts: No Framework, Just Instinct
06:15 Going Viral Early - Luck or Strategy?
08:00 Reverse-Engineering What Works (And Building a System)
10:00 Notion Board, Weekly Content Meetings, Hands-on Writing
13:00 Voice Notes, Pillars, and Getting Granular
16:00 Scheduling Posts vs. Posting Live
17:45 Daily LinkedIn Routine & Why They Avoid Automation
19:20 The Target Account List Strategy (Manual, Not Automated)
20:45 What They Track Instead of Attribution
22:00 The Unquantifiable ROI (Conferences, Familiarity, Warm Leads)
24:30 Why Hooks Matter More Than Anything Else
25:30 The Role of Founder Stories, Frameworks, and Granular Value
27:30 Tradeoffs: Building for Founders vs. Selling to Product Leaders
29:00 Why Content Only Works if You’ve Lived the Story
30:30 Should Her Co-founder Post Too? Why Timing Matters
32:00 Advice to YC Founders: Just Start Posting (Even If It Sucks)
34:20 How to Build Your Own System
36:15 The “PS Buy Our Product” Era (Why It Worked & Why They Paused It)
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
#founderledmarketing #b2bmarketing #linkedin #saas #founderbranding #executivebranding #pr
Sylvia LePoidevin is the CMO at Kandji, where she helped grow the Apple device management company from employee #4 to 300+, scaling from the zero-to-one phase to a mid eight figure business valued at $850M.
In this episode, Sylvia breaks down what it really takes to market to technical buyers, why her team now invests in the 95% of prospects who aren’t yet in-market, and how she’s scaling brand, community, and content without losing the human touch.
We talk podcast flywheels, internal marketing, enabling sales reps on LinkedIn, and building a culture of experimentation even at scale.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Sylvia’s journey from employee #4 to CMO at an $850M company
- Why Kandji bets on the 95% of buyers who aren’t yet in market
- How to earn trust with technical buyers (and why community matters)
- Their content system: podcast → blog → video → flywheel
- Launching The Sequence as a separate media brand (and why it works)
- Empowering internal voices: from sales reps to podcast hosts
- Social selling: how Kandji is doing it
- Measuring brand without relying on attribution dashboards
- Marketing’s new job: internal clarity and executive storytelling
- How Sylvia helps her team become future CMOs
Connect with Sylvia:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylvialepoidevin/
- Kandji: https://www.kandji.io/
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 From employee #4 to CMO at an $850M company
01:50 The biggest lesson: Don’t wait to build brand
04:00 Who Kandji sells to and how they market to them
06:10 Why community works with technical audiences
08:30 How they balance messaging across the buying committee
10:15 Measuring brand when attribution falls short
12:00 Using podcast content to power the flywheel
14:30 Launching The Sequence as a standalone media brand
17:10 Why “people posts” outperform company posts on LinkedIn
19:40 Building a studio and enabling internal creators
21:20 LinkedIn for recruiting, not just lead gen
23:10 Social selling for sales reps: early wins
25:45 The zero-to-one content that blew up for Sylvia
28:00 How content shaped her leadership
30:50 Leading a large team: what matters now
33:15 Internal marketing and storytelling for executives
35:00 Shark Tank pitch day + being bold in brand
37:00 Giving your team space to experiment in the AI era
#founderledmarketing
#b2bmarketing #linkedin #saas #founderbranding #executivebranding #pr
Adam Frankl was the first VP Marketing at JFrog, Neo4j, and Sourcegraph, all three dev-first unicorns.
He’s helped dozens of early-stage DevTool startups go from “cool idea” to credible company. And now he’s written the book on it.
In this episode, Adam breaks down the biggest mistakes technical founders make when they try to grow. He shares the exact process he’s used to validate real problems, build developer trust, and create go-to-market clarity, before spending a single dollar on ads or content.
This is the DevTool marketing blueprint.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Why the best DevTools start with a real problem, not a cool idea
- How to recruit a “Technical Advisory Board” to guide your strategy
- The 3 best questions to ask in early-stage user interviews
- Why GitHub stars ≠ validation
- What your first dev-focused marketer should actually do
- How to earn developer trust without hype or paid media
- The difference between a founder brand and a founder POV
- How to become the go-to expert in your space, even if nobody knows you yet
Perfect for:
- DevTool founders figuring out go-to-market
- Early-stage marketers building developer credibility
- Technical leaders turning product into motion
Connect with Adam:
- Adam’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfrankl/
- Adam’s book - The Developer Facing Startup: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Developer-Facing-Startup-market-developer-facing/dp/B0D4KGHQML
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 The real DevTool go-to-market playbook
02:10 Why the best companies solve old problems, not invent new ones
04:25 How to validate with 50+ real conversations (not downloads)
06:45 What most founders get wrong about early traction
08:20 GitHub stars ≠ signal
10:00 The “Technical Advisory Board” strategy explained
13:00 How to ask better questions in early interviews
15:10 Why cold outreach work if you lead with value
17:45 The biggest red flags in early-stage feedback
20:30 Turning developer insight into content that actually works
22:50 What your first marketing hire should focus on (it’s not leads)
26:00 Founder POV vs. Founder Brand
28:30 Why developers follow people—not companies
30:15 Adam’s content hierarchy: 1. research, 2. insight, 3. distribution
33:00 The social proof flywheel and when to start turning it
35:45 Picking the right distribution channel for your audience
37:20 Why forced content formats always fail
40:00 Do you need a new category or just a better story?
42:10 Final advice: what early DevTool teams should obsess over
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Meghan Barr helped build one of the most powerful CEO brands on LinkedIn.
As VP of Brand, Content & Comms at ZoomInfo, she’s spent the last 5 years helping turn Henry Schuck (CEO of ZoomInfo, $1.2B ARR) into a storytelling machine, without losing authenticity.
In this episode, we go behind the scenes of that process:
- How Meghan transitioned from journalism to tech
- The content pillars behind ZoomInfo’s CEO brand
- How their “in your corner” videos are made
- What happened when they took out apology billboards
- Why Henry’s posts outperform ZoomInfo’s 240K-follower brand page
- How she’s scaling the strategy to other executives (and what she looks for)
- The playbook for brand leaders, comms teams, and CEOs who actually want their voice to cut through.
- Topics we cover in this episode:
- Going from Boston Globe journalist to ZoomInfo’s VP of Brand
- The origin story of ZoomInfo’s LinkedIn strategy
- Why they prioritize LinkedIn over blogs and press releases
- How to turn a CEO’s voice into a repeatable content system
- Managing risk, pushback, and post-performance conversations
The “personal + product” content blend that works best
Perfect for:
- Comms leaders building their CEO's Brand
- Founders building their LinkedIn voice
- Brand and content teams scaling thought leadership content
Connect with Meghan:
- Meghan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-barr-3211865/
- ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 Meghan’s journey from newsroom to ZoomInfo
02:00 Why Henry Schuck hired a journalist, not a marketer
04:00 Making the jump during COVID and overcoming imposter syndrome
06:30 How newsroom skills transfer to startup brand leadership
08:20 Building trust with a high-expectation founder CEO
10:15 When LinkedIn replaced blogs (and why)
12:00 Henry’s viral obituary post: how it came together
14:30 The sausage-making behind every post
16:10 Content goals: Product, People, and Personal
18:00 Metrics: From 100K+ impressions to today’s new benchmarks
20:45 Dealing with performance pressure and pushback
23:00 Risk-taking: The billboard apology stunt that paid off
26:15 Turning ZoomInfo’s sentiment from negative to positive
28:30 Why LinkedIn is also internal comms now
30:00 Activating the rest of the executive team
32:00 Why safe content doesn’t work anymore
34:00 Aligning CEO messaging with company brand strategy
36:00 How Henry’s scrappy product demos are made
38:30 Why founder-led video works at scale
40:15 The no “leaders of leaders” mindset inside ZoomInfo
42:00 KPIs for executive content (followers, media, reach)
44:15 The new role of PR in an AI-dominated world
46:00 Why thought leader ads are a missed opportunity
49:00 Inspiration from John Gray, Daniel Ek, and McDonald’s CEO
51:00 What’s next: Vertical earnings videos and employee advocacy
53:00 How much time Henry actually spends on content
55:00 Final thoughts: Building trust and a strong internal rhythm
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Alec Paul is the CEO and Founder of SalesBrand, and behind some of the most successful CEO brands on LinkedIn.
He’s helped founders like Adam Robinson (Retention.com), Gal Aga (Aligned), and Sam Jacobs (Pavilion) generate millions of views, without sounding like everyone else.
In this episode, Alec shares his full playbook for building a breakout founder brand: from narrative structure and viral storytelling to POV development, content systems, and how to win on LinkedIn in 2025.
If you want to build your founder's brand presence on LinkedIn this is required.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- What makes a founder’s POV stand out
- How to build trust without “sounding like LinkedIn”
- The frameworks Alec uses to structure posts that perform
- Why most ghostwriting sounds like AI (and how to fix it)
- The 3 post types every CEO brand needs
- How to balance virality with long-term positioning
- Why story + structure are more important than hooks + hacks
- What Gal Aga, Adam Robinson, and Sam Jacobs are doing differently
- Why most CEOs fail to commit to content (and how to change that)
- The truth about engagement drops and why LinkedIn still works
Perfect for:
- Heads of Brand and Coms trying to grow their CEO's brand
- Ghostwriters building POV-led content systems
- Content marketers helping executives show up authentically
- Anyone who wants to scale founder-led marketing the right way
Connect with Alec:
- Alec’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecjpaul/
- SalesBrand: https://forms.gle/2SgtaT31pHDgccDM8
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters:
00:00 Alec’s background and the rise of Arch Public
02:00 What makes a CEO brand break out on LinkedIn
04:45 The difference between viral content and thought leadership
06:30 Why Gal Aga’s content strategy works
08:30 Narrative design vs. “just write a hook”
11:10 Storytelling frameworks that actually perform
14:20 Why “pillar content” isn’t enough to scale a brand
17:15 The problem with AI-generated posts
19:40 How Alec thinks about trust, tone, and differentiation
22:30 When founders should outsource (and when they shouldn’t)
25:20 Helping execs find their voice without sounding forced
28:10 The 3 formats that every executive brand needs
30:45 What LinkedIn is rewarding right now
34:00 What most ghostwriters miss about long-term POV
36:30 Building content systems vs. chasing engagement
38:15 Why LinkedIn reach is down but still worth it
40:10 The power of comment DMs and mid-funnel plays
42:00 Measuring success beyond vanity metrics
44:15 Final advice for founders and ghostwriters in 2025
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Philippe Léhoux is the co-founder of Missive, a collaborative email app bootstrapped to $7.5M ARR with no sales team, no paid marketing, and no funding.
It took six years to reach $1M ARR. Today, Missive is used by thousands of teams, and still run by just 15 people.
In this episode, Philippe breaks down the journey behind one of SaaS’s quietest success stories.
He shares how he ran two companies in parallel, got rejected by YC three times, and why building slow (and staying small) was the right call.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Running two startups at once (and why it worked for years)
- Why Missive was never a “rocketship”—and why that was okay
- The moment they stopped chasing growth hacks
- Reaching $1M ARR after 6 years (and $7.5M today with 15 people)
- How COVID wiped out their first business overnight
- Building the AI features users actually need
- The emotional cost of founder life and how he managed it
- Why staying small is a competitive advantage
- How Missive turned email into a multiplayer product
Perfect for:
- SaaS founders building without outside funding
- Founders trying to avoid the “VC treadmill”
Connect with Philippe:
Philippe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/plehoux/
Missive: https://missiveapp.com/
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 Why Philippe prefers calm SaaS growth
01:40 Rejected by YC (3 times)
03:20 Building ConferenceBadge and Missive in parallel
05:45 What happened when COVID hit
07:10 Why they built Missive with no product-market fit
09:30 Growing to $1M ARR in six years
11:15 Staying small on purpose
13:20 The mental toll of long-term building
15:50 Hiring lessons from a 15-person team
18:00 Where Missive is at today ($7.5M ARR)
19:45 Why he creates content after 10 years of silence
21:00 Launching with the help of Jason Fried
23:10 Why email is still the ultimate workspace
26:30 Their approach to AI (and what they won’t build)
28:10 Final advice for calm SaaS builders
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Tushar Makhija is the co-founder and CEO of TeamOhana, a workforce intelligence platform that unifies finance, HR, and talent data, so growing companies can plan and manage headcount in real-time.
In this episode, Tushar shares how TeamOhana is breaking into enterprise deals while still winning $15K mid-market accounts, and why he believes spreadsheets are the silent killer of scale.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Why $15K is the minimum price even for tiny teams
- What most SaaS founders get wrong about Workday
- From 150 to 15,000 employees: scaling up-market without losing speed
- The strategic manifesto Tushar wrote before writing code
- Why spreadsheet workflows kill growth (and how to replace them)
- How to build multi-product from day one without losing focus
- Case study: landing Scale AI with a 30-day exit clause
- Why you should produce your own founder podcast (and send it to every hire)
- The LinkedIn + long-form strategy driving brand and pipeline
- How TeamOhana frames “collaborative workforce intelligence” to win deals
Connect with Tushar:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tusharmakhija/
TeamOhana: https://teamohana.com
Connect with me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Don’t forget to subscribe for more founder-led marketing playbooks from high-growth SaaS leaders.
Chapters
00:00 Why TeamOhana starts every deal at $15K
02:01 The hiring spreadsheet every company hates
05:10 Why selling to both Finance and HR was non-negotiable
08:30 Breaking into enterprise: from mid-market to 15K+ employees
10:40 How Tushar priced for scale (and resisted the $1K/month trap)
14:20 Building a multi-product platform with a narrow start
18:30 Turning spreadsheets into cloud-native workflows
22:00 The playbook for converting $15K logos into $100K ACVs
24:10 How Scale AI became a customer with a 45-day escape clause
28:30 Competing with Workday: why they’re a filing cabinet, not a system of action
32:50 Why hiring managers must live inside your product
35:00 GTM channels: website, LinkedIn, outbound—and one long-form bet
38:00 The 2-hour podcast Tushar made himself (and why he did it)
41:00 Every new hire watches the founder video—here’s why
42:45 Final advice: pick 2–3 channels and go deep
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Kevin Dorsey (KD) is one of the most respected voices in modern sales leadership, with 137K+ followers on LinkedIn and a track record that includes leading sales at PatientPop, Bench, and now as CRO at finally.
In this episode, KD shares the real reason he started posting on LinkedIn (spoiler: not to sell), how he built a magnetic hiring brand without selling to sellers, and why most founders are sitting on gold, but never reach out.
If you’ve ever wondered how to write consistently, attract the right hires, or build a sales motion in SMB this one’s a masterclass.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Why KD started posting on LinkedIn (and why it still works today)
- How his content attracted the right hires—without recruiters
- Why he never chased virality or trends (no carousels, no hooks)
- The difference between leading vs. consulting—and why he came back
- How to use DMs to build pipeline with 20 messages a day and zero automation
- Why you should never automate what you haven’t nailed manually
- The biggest mindset shifts most founders need to sell effectively
- Why consistency, not creativity, drives long-term results
- Building a sales motion in SMB: volume, relevance, and fast learning
- Real AI workflows he’s already running as CRO, and what’s next
Perfect for:
- Founders posting on LinkedIn but not seeing traction
- Sales leaders scaling from 5 to 50 reps (or hiring their first few)
- Solo consultants, advisors, and creators wondering what’s next
- Anyone tired of “growth hacks” and looking for what actually works
Connect with KD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/
finally: https://finally.com/
Sales Leadership Accelerator: https://salesleadershipaccelerator.com/
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- Website: https://www.project33.io/
- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Career Highlights
01:00 Why KD Really Started Posting on LinkedIn
03:00 Recruiting with Content (No Sales Needed)
05:30 How Posting Has Changed (and What Still Works)
07:20 Why He Stuck With Text-Only Posts
09:00 Going Solo: More Money, Less Fun
11:15 Why He Returned to Sales Leadership
14:30 His Niche: Scaling from 5 to 50 Reps
16:10 The 5D Leadership Framework
18:00 Writing for Agreement (Not Just Education)
20:00 Why Founder Content Should Amplify ICP Voices
22:40 KD’s Daily Writing System
25:30 How to Pick the Right Post to Write
27:00 Why You Should DM Every Liker
29:00 Outreach Tactics Most Founders Miss
31:45 Why You Must Master Manual Before Automating
34:00 The Secret Power of Founder-to-Founder DMs
36:30 The Mental Shift from Inbound to Outbound
38:00 Scaling Sales in SMB: What Actually Works
41:00 Why ACV Isn’t the Problem—Pipeline Volume Is
43:00 Where AI Is Already Working in Sales
46:00 The Leadership Gap in AI Adoption
48:00 What KD Wishes He Knew 15 Years Ago
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Irina Novoselsky is the CEO of Hootsuite, where she’s proving that social content is a revenue driver.
Since stepping in as CEO, Irina has built one of the most effective LinkedIn presences in tech leadership. Her content drives 11.6M impressions per quarter, helps influence 40% of Hootsuite’s pipeline, and breaks every “best practice” that doesn’t serve the brand or the customer.
In this episode, Irina breaks down her exact playbook for building a high-performing LinkedIn strategy, how she balances authenticity with outcomes, and why every CEO should treat social as a customer channel.
We also get into her journey from Wall Street to tech, the lessons she’s learned as a first-time CEO, and how Hootsuite is turning employee advocacy into real growth.
Topics we cover in this episode:
-Irina’s framework for content that’s personal and performs
- How her posts drive 40% of Hootsuite’s pipeline
- Why she avoids praise posts and what she does instead
- Building 3 content pillars every CEO should have
- Why video became her unfair advantage on LinkedIn
- Social selling vs. brand vs. pipeline—and how she thinks about ROI
- The real reason most execs don’t post (and how to fix it)
- What leadership actually looks like at the top
Perfect for:
- Founders looking to turn LinkedIn into a revenue engine
- CEOs trying to balance thought leadership with real impact
- Marketing leaders trying to get executive buy-in for content
Connect with Irina:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-novoselsky/
- Hootsuite: https://www.hootsuite.com/
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- Website: https://www.project33.io/
- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 Irina’s Journey from Finance to Tech
03:10 The Moment She Started Posting on LinkedIn
05:45 The PET Framework for High-Impact Posts
08:00 Why She Writes Her Own Content (and Always Will)
10:30 Commenting at Scale: Building Relationships in the Feed
13:00 The Myth of CEO Content Being “Optional”
16:20 Her 3 Content Pillars and Why They Work
19:15 The Real ROI of Posting: 40% Pipeline Influence
22:45 How Hootsuite Scales Employee Advocacy
25:50 Building a Feedback Loop Between Social and Product
28:15 Why Video Became Her Superpower on LinkedIn
31:10 Executing Content with Limited Time (The CEO Reality)
34:00 Balancing Authenticity, Leadership, and Audience Value
37:30 Advice for Founders Scared to Show Up Online
40:00 Creating a Company People Want to Follow
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chris Evans is the co-founder of incident.io, an incident management platform built for modern reliability teams. He started the company in 2021 with two former Monzo engineers, and they’ve raised $62M, passed $10M+ ARR, and landed customers like Linear, Vercel, and Intercom.
In this episode, Chris breaks down how they built trust with technical buyers, why the co-founders chose to stay sales-led (even with developer customers), and what’s really working in their GTM motion today.
He also shares the role founder content played in landing their first customers, how the team picks between SF and London, and what’s next as they scale toward enterprise.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- How incident.io validated their first product by building in-house at Monzo
- The early traction playbook: landing logos without a sales process or billing setup
- Why the team stayed in London—until Series B pulled them to San Francisco
- Selling to engineers vs. executives: how they handle messaging across personas
- Building a solutions engineering team instead of a self-serve motion
- Why they ditched spray-and-pray for signal-based outbound
- Their ACV ranges and why they haven’t hit a $1M deal (yet)
- Founder-led content: how early Twitter and now LinkedIn shaped pipeline
Perfect for:
- DevTool and SaaS founders targeting both ICs and execs
- Founders navigating early-stage traction without a formal sales team
- GTM leaders balancing sales-led and product-led growth
- Engineers building “tools that should exist” and want to productize it
Connect with Chris:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evnsio
- incident.io: https://incident.io/
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- Website: https://www.project33.io/
- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 From Monzo Bank to Co-Founding incident.io
01:20 Culture Shock: Scaling from London to San Francisco
04:15 Why They Delayed Building a US Office
06:17 How the Founders Chose Their Roles
08:43 Chris on Titles, Solutions Engineering & Field CTO
10:56 Building the MVP Inside Monzo (and Burning It Down Later)
12:44 The First Inbound Deals—Powered by Twitter, Not LinkedIn
14:21 Selling Without a Product, Billing, or Order Forms
16:18 Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Sales in Developer Tools
18:12 How They Balance Messaging Across Personas
20:20 Why They Prioritize the Buyer, Not the Exec
21:26 From 100% Inbound to Targeted Outbound
23:41 Using Signal-Based Outreach to Win High-Intent Accounts
25:08 ACVs, Self-Serve, and Moving Upmarket
27:08 How Etsy Pushed Them to Build an Enterprise-Ready Product
29:02 Advice on When to Go After Big Deals
31:17 “Be Loud on the Internet” – Founder-Led Brand at incident.io
33:14 Why LinkedIn Still Works for Technical Audiences
35:14 Founders Chris Looks Up To & His Own LinkedIn Strategy
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding
Peter Caputa is the CEO of Databox, a $10M+ ARR analytics platform that helps businesses centralize their data and make better decisions.
Before joining Databox, Peter was one of the early sales leaders at HubSpotwhere he helped pioneer the agency partner program that fueled the company’s breakout growth.
In this episode, Peter shares his full playbook for using LinkedIn as a CEO, why most founders still underrate brand and feedback loops, and how he spends 2–3 hours a day on content that drives real business outcomes.
We also get into positioning, pricing, and why staying visible yourself is one of the most underused advantages in SaaS.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Peter’s system for LinkedIn: writing, feedback, and scheduling
- How CEO content helped Databox navigate SEO decline
- The real ROI of posting daily (and how to measure it)
- Why most attribution models undervalue social
- How Databox used primary research to shape their GTM
- The mindset shift most founders need to publish consistently
- When calling BS publicly is worth it (and how to do it right)
- Positioning strategy: how Peter narrowed ICP & launched new pricing
- The HubSpot lessons he’s applying at Databox
- Why RevOps agencies are replacing traditional B2B marketing firms
Perfect for:
- Founders wondering if CEO-led content is worth the time
- SaaS execs rethinking SEO, attribution, and content strategy
- Marketing and RevOps leaders selling to mid-market companies
Connect with Peter:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pc4media/
- Databox: https://databox.com/
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- Website: https://www.project33.io/
- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
Chapters
00:00 Peter’s Background: HubSpot → CEO at Databox
02:05 Why Every B2B CEO Should Post on LinkedIn
04:00 The Hidden Leverage of CEO Content
06:15 Attribution Is Broken—but It Still Works
08:40 Measuring Word-of-Mouth and Dark Social
10:30 Why Search Declined & LinkedIn Rose
12:55 ROI: How Peter Tracks Impact with 3 Metrics
15:00 The “Two Hour a Day” LinkedIn System
17:15 Primary Research, Customer Quotes & Content Flywheels
20:45 AI, GPT, and Building an Internal Content Engine
23:10 Product Marketing Content → LinkedIn Posts
25:10 Should You Break the LinkedIn Rules?
26:45 When (and How) to Call BS Publicly
29:00 The Power of Differentiated Positioning
31:00 Building a Strategy Map for GTM
33:15 Serving Mid-Market Customers with Pricing & Product
36:45 Strategy at $10M ARR vs. Early-Stage SaaS
39:40 Why CEO Content Scales Better than You Think
41:15 Why It’s Hard to Scale LinkedIn Internally
43:10 Incentives That Actually Work for Employees
44:30 Building a Reseller Engine for Content & Growth
46:00 What Kind of Content Still Performs Best?
48:00 What Peter Obsesses Over (It’s Not the Algorithm)
50:10 Favorite Writing Lessons, Hooks, and Storycraft
51:30 The #1 Priority if You Only Have 30 Minutes a Day
53:00 Can a Founder-Led Content Agency Actually Help?
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