Growing Forward: Lead like the top 1% in growth, marketing, & product

Natalie Marcotullio, Head of Growth at Navattic, takes us in for a behind-the-scenes look into the process of launching their freemium motion. Going through the strategic reasons behind the shift and how it fits into their overall growth strategy, she reflects on the challenges of aligning the sales team, navigating risk, and measuring success in both the short and long term.

Natalie also shares her perspective on the realities of product-led growth, the importance of soft-pitching ideas, and the unexpected lessons learned during the launch process.

Natalie opens up about:

• The excitement and pressure of launching a freemium plan
• The value of soft-pitching product-led growth strategies over time
• The challenge of aligning a sales team to embrace PLG leads

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(03:17) Why Navattic chose freemium over a free trial model

(05:53) The impact of freemium on pipeline and user conversion

(08:00) Navigating internal buy-in and the importance of soft-pitching PLG

(10:01) Testing and experimenting with lower-priced plans before going freemium

(12:13) Aligning the sales team with the PLG motion and managing challenges

(14:00) Modeling pipeline projections and the impact on MQL and PQL metrics

(16:19) The role of customer support in managing increased user inquiries

(18:42) Sales engagement with self-serve users and building trust

(20:25) Reflecting on early success indicators and word-of-mouth growth

Resources:

Connect with Natalie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-marcotullio/

Connect with Andrew:

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

Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

In this episode, Sarah Stockdale, founder of Growclass, shares her journey of overcoming burnout while leading growth teams at tech startups, addressing gender bias in the workplace, and building a thriving community for marketers. She reflects on how these experiences shaped her leadership style, approach to mental health, and entrepreneurship.

Sarah opens up about:

Witnessing a mass layoff and facing inappropriate comments from a coworker

Pushing herself so hard that she had a panic attack on her way to a partnership meeting

Making the bold decision to take a risk on a startup over a secure job because she wanted to optimize for learning.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) The wonderful humans that shaped Sarah

(06:39) Transitioning from a risk-averse upbringing to entrepreneurship

(08:04) Turning down a safe job offer for a learning opportunity in a startup

(11:26) Not true, but he said, “Sarah wasn’t fired because the boss wants to f*** her”

(18:42) Thanks to our sponsor of this episode, Churnkey

(20:33) “You get to decide your own worth and impact”

(25:33) Busting the hustle = success myth

(31:18) Liters of coffee, panic attacks, and burnout

(39:10) Sarah’s therapist told her to quit her job

(42:39) The impact of frentors (friend + mentor)

Thanks to our sponsor!

Learn more about Churnkey: https://churnkey.co/

Resources:

Connect with Sarah:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahstockdale/

• Growclass: https://www.growclass.co/

Connect with Andrew:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

• Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

In this episode, Aakash Gupta shares his journey from a tech-savvy kid in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to a successful product manager and creator in the Product Growth space.

He shares his tough feedback experiences, how he’s been able to overcome imposter syndrome, and how building a failed startup impacted his career. Aakash emphasizes the importance of self-care, emotional intelligence, and supportive mentorship in navigating corporate roles and leadership challenges.

Aakash opens up about:

How the collapse of a startup with 350k users reshaped his career and mindset

Getting specific feedback from a CMO that rattled his confidence

Navigating a sticky situation when a team member on a PIP attempted to turn the entire company against him

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(01:03) Aakash’s journey: From VP to Creator

(03:08) Debate skills shaping his product career

(05:29) First SaaS job building sports tools

(08:07) Lessons from his failed startup

(12:26) How mentorship changed his mindset

(14:17) Tough feedback from a CMO at Threadup

(16:33) The role of emotional intelligence in leadership

(28:08) Handling a difficult pip situation

(37:01) Dealing with imposter syndrome

(44:06) Personal habits for productivity

Ramli John - Founder of Delight Path, shares core memories from his teenage years that inspired his entrepreneurial journey. Explores how attaching his worth to his achievements was making him act like a jerk. Shares stories from the worst boss he ever had. And discusses the toughest feedback that he’s received (and what he’s doing about it).

Ramli opens up about:

1. Seeing his dad get laid off after 15 years and how that shook his belief in relying on one employer.

2. A CEO screaming at their CTO and team members, creating a toxic work environment that pushed Ramli to leave.

3. Ramli's realization that he was emulating Steve Jobs' harsh behavior and treating people poorly, which led him to seek therapy for a healthier approach to work and life.

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Ramli’s new venture: Delight Path

(06:26) Ramli’s core childhood memory: layoffs are brutal

(08:23) The emotional impact of his dad's layoff and starting his consulting business

(18:59) Pressure to rush and overwork leads to mistreatment of others

(22:52) The importance of therapy in overcoming our flat slides

(28:20) Discussing the need for quiet reflection and the book "Quiet" by Susan Cain

(30:58) Ramli’s screamer CEO and sitting in a toxic work environment

(38:52) Tough feedback and learning to speak up as an introvert

Resources:

Connect with Ramli:

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

Delight Path: https://www.delightpath.com/

Product-Led Onboarding Book: https://productled.com/book/onboarding

Connect with Andrew:

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

Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/coaching

Thanks to our amazing sponsors!

Learn more about Appcues: http://appcues.com/value

Learn more about Navattic: http://navattic.com/value

Emma Stratton is the founder of Punchy and author of Make it Punchy. In this conversation, Emma shares her journey from being a creative writer to successful entrepreneur. She discusses the challenges she faced in finding her passion and starting her own business. How she overcame money mindset issues. And the significance of following your heart and finding your purpose in order to unlock true success.

Emma opens up about:

• When she was in a job that she knew was 100% wrong for her
• The panic attack revolving around money that she experienced when she quit her job
• The crippling self-doubt she experienced in the lead-up to running her first strategy sessions with an all-male leadership team

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(03:29) How coming from an immigrant family has influenced Emma

(06:42) Emma ignored her parents' advice and joined the SaaS world

(10:41) How Emma started her own gig

(14:43) Working in a toxic job and how life coaching helped Emma move forward

(25:11) Overcoming major life obstacles and making bold decisions

(27:34) Emma’s leap into solopreneurship and how she faced her fears when quitting her job

(31:55) Discussing deep-seated money mindset issues and how Emma overcame them

(49:05) How energy work helped Emma better understand herself and grow her business

Resources:

Connect with Emma:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-stratton-punchy/
• Punchy: https://punchy.co/
• Make It Punchy Book: https://punchy.co/make-it-punchy-book/

Connect with Andrew:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/
• Hire Andrew as your coach: https://deliveringvalue.co/get-started

Thanks to our amazing sponsors!

• Learn more about Appcues: http://appcues.com/value
• Learn more about Navattic: http://navattic.com/value

In this conversation, Georgiana Laudi, co-founder of Forget the Funnel, shares her background and journey into B2B SaaS. From working in her family’s retail florist business, to becoming the VP of Marketing at Unbounce, and advising a bunch of impressive companies. We explore some of the speed bumps and challenging moments in Gia’s journey along the way.

Gia opens up about:

Returning from maternity leave and learning someone had been hired above her.

The challenges of managing a rapidly growing team

Getting feedback that she’s intimidating

The importance of clear communication and transparency

Things to listen for:

(02:30) Georgiana was influenced by her parents to become an entrepreneur

(05:53) Her first business idea was selling martini glasses

(11:13) She said “no” all the time because “who has time for that?”

(15:21) Her advice to someone who is figuring out their personal brand

(19:17) Someone was promoted above her when she was on maternity leave

(32:07) Georgiana was told she was “extremely intimidating” by her team

(36:52) She never holds back what she’s thinking

(39:38) Take notes before confronting an underperforming employee

(47:40) How Georgiana learned her communication skills

(51:05) She wishes she had learned how to run a business earlier

(53:48) Georgiana knows she needs a better work-life balance…

Resources:

Connect with Georgiana on LinkedIn

Check out Forget The Funnel

Get your copy of “Forget The Funnel” today

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

Work with Andrew

Learn more about Appcues

Learn more about Navattic

In this conversation, Wes Bush, the founder and CEO of ProductLed, talks about his background and journey in the product-led growth space. We start by exploring his childhood, entrepreneurial drive, and transition into the tech world. Then, Wes reflects on being fired from his job at Vidyard, how that experience fueled him to start his own business, and how he navigates being a leader today. Along the way, we explored some of the speed bumps in his journey: from making tough decisions as a leader, maintaining emotional distance from his team, managing anxiety, and finding balance while traveling.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Why Wes was fired from Vidyard - and what he learned from the experience

How he navigates being a leader today and approaches tough convos with his team

What gives Wes anxiety, and how he manages it

Things to listen for:

(01:21) Wes shares what his new book is about

(03:48) His entrepreneurial spirit and itch from a young age

(06:55) The moment Wes realized that any job that didn’t use his brain was a waste of time

(11:25) When he got fired for challenging his leadership’s approach

(17:53) Wes was told to stop sharing ideas

(23:05) Being glad he got fired because it wasn’t the right environment to be in

(30:30) Wes’s advice to a younger individual who needs to make a tough decision

(35:46) His experience spending 19 weeks of traveling in 2023

(41:00) Dealing with down days and anxieties

(46:30) He describes how his job has opened new doors and opportunities

(49:38) Which skill Wes wishes he worked on earlier

Resources:

Connect with Wes on LinkedIn

Check out ProductLed

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

Work with Andrew

Learn more about Appcues

Learn more about Navattic

In this episode, Talia Wolf, CEO and Founder of GetUplift, shares her experiences growing up in a family that valued hard work, her early jobs as a waitress and skydiver, her transition into the tech, marketing, and CRO world - and many of challenging moments along the way, including balancing her career and motherhood, the need to ask for help from your support system, and navigating critical feedback.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Staying in a CMO role she didn’t like because she was afraid to start her own business

Being a woman in a male-dominated field and how she overcame her imposter syndrome

Receiving a “slap in the face” piece of feedback from someone on her team

Things to listen for:

[06:20] Talia's diverse career path, from skydiving to wedding planning and tech

[12:48] The challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry

[18:05] The creation of a supportive group among women to share vulnerabilities and experiences

[24:37] How having children changed Talia's perspective on work-life balance

[28:52] Learning from critical feedback and using it to improve as a leader

[33:17] The importance of accepting and building upon experiences or letting go in business

[37:44] Talia's upbringing and how it influenced her unconventional approach to CRO

[42:56] Struggling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome when starting her own business

[47:19] The impact of a supportive network in overcoming fears and boosting confidence

[52:03] Balancing the identity of a driven career woman with motherhood

[56:28] Learning to trust her team and achieve a better work-life balance after having children

Resources:

Connect with Talia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliagw/?originalSubdomain=uk

GetUplift CRO Agency: https://getuplift.co/

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

Work with Andrew: https://deliveringvalue.co/get-started

Learn more about Appcues: http://appcues.com/value

In this episode, Yuriy Timen, SaaS advisor and solopreneur, discusses career mistakes and growth, his experiences at Grammarly, including intense work ethic and empathetic leadership, and the importance of radical candor and strategic thinking in professional relationships.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. How Yuriy's upbringing during the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped his values and work ethic

2. Career mistakes and feeling self-conscious about switching jobs every year

3. Being told he lacked empathy and didn’t put enough emphasis on building interpersonal relationships

4. His experience suddenly becoming unemployed during the 2008 financial crisis

Things to listen for:

[02:12] Yuriy reflects on career mistakes and the struggle with self-consciousness during job changes

[11:24] How Yuriy's upbringing during the collapse of the Soviet Union shaped his values and work ethic

[16:13] Discussing the experience of starting to work at a young age and the lessons learned from his entrepreneur parents

[22:50] Yuriy's journey from finance to digital marketing, including his transition to Grammarly

[28:37] The pivotal moment of receiving tough feedback about his lack of empathy from direct reports

[33:21] Plans for a career break that turned into advising roles and discovering fulfillment in solopreneurship

[51:09] The importance of networking intentionally and his regrets about not prioritizing it sooner

[57:34] Reflection on work-life balance, aiming to be "empathetically intense" in future roles

Resources:

- Connect with Yuriy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriytimen/

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/

- Work with Andrew: https://deliveringvalue.co/get-started

- Learn more about Appcues: https://www.madkudu.com http://appcues.com/value

In this episode, Kate Syuma, growth advisor and creator of Growth Mates, reflects on the low points in her career, the challenges she faced in her transition to leadership at Miro, and her journey toward embracing uncertainty and authenticity as a solopreneur.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. Adjusting her leadership style after receiving feedback about being too reactive

2. Having an open career conversation with her manager and deciding to stay at Miro

3. The hiring mistake that happened after ignoring her gut feelings

Things to listen for:

[17:26] The pivotal low points in Kate's career

[23:41] The moment when Kate decided to stay at Miro despite a job offer in New York

[29:18] When her learning speed started decreasing

[33:53] Her challenge of balancing authenticity and the perceived image of a leader

[44:50] When Kate judged her own leadership style

[51:36] The moment when Kate made hiring mistake because she didn’t listen to her intuition

Resources:

- Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

- Subscribe to Kate’s newsletter & Growthmates podcast

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

- Learn more about Navattic