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

We kick-off the miniseries by exploring the background and scale of the Navattic business to contextualize many of the growth challenges they’re facing and systems they use (which we’ll explore in upcoming episodes)

In this first episode of the Behind the Scenes Miniseries with the Navattic growth team, you’ll learn:

1. How Navattic got started and settled on building interactive demos for the PLG market.

2. Navattic's go-to-market approach, size/scale of the business, funding strategy, and current funnel.

3. The hardest part about working in growth at this stage of the company.

Things to listen for:

[00:52] What is Navattic and how did it start?

[01:45] Getting into Y Combinator

[02:24] Discovering the PLG use case

[02:52] How Navattic makes money / go-to market model

[03:43] The scale of the Navattic business

[04:10] Fundraising history

[04:54] Number of employees

[05:43] The pros and cons of not raising a huge round

[06:07] A deep dive into Navattic’s funnel

[07:26] The hardest part about working in growth at this stage of the company

Resources:

- Binge the whole series on the Delivering Value Substack

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Connect with Raman Khanna on LinkedIn

- Connect with Natalie Marcotullio on LinkedIn

- Learn more about Navattic

Hey I’m Andrew Capland 👋. For the past 15 years, I’ve been working in B2B SaaS. The first half, as a marketer. And the second half, I’ve been leading growth teams and product-led growth efforts.

Now, I run my own business, Delivering Value where I coach other growth leaders and advise product-led growth teams.

During my career, I kept coming back to the same realization… Blindly copying someone else’s growth playbook (without understand the contextual challenges they were facing) just doesn’t work.

So I decided to make a series following one company going behind the scenes with one SaaS growth team. The goal was to learn about some of the contextual growth challenges their facing, and explore how they’re navigating them.

It’s something I would have binged when I was in-house, because I never could learn/collaborate with other growth teams as much as I wanted to.

The series will have short episodes (6-10 mins each) including interviews with the team mixed with my commentary. Sort of like The Office meets Planet Earth.

This first season is featuring the Navattic growth team and will have behind the scenes access with Raman Khanna and Natalie Marcotullio.

We explored how they think about growth, how they set growth strategy, how they operate, what they track, how often they share, and explored some of their biggest challenges, fears, and speed-bumps along the way.

Resources:

- Binge the whole series on the Delivering Value Substack

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Connect with Raman Khanna on LinkedIn

- Connect with Natalie Marcotullio on LinkedIn

- Learn more about Navattic

In this episode, Collin Crowell, VP of North America at Kameleoon opens up about one of his most humbling experiences at work that led him to reevaluate his identity, he shares insights into receiving tough feedback and how he used that to fuel his drive, and also shares his strategic approach to building successful teams.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Collin was told by readers that the titles he was in charge of were pieces of shit

2. The moment when self doubt creeped in for Collin because everyone was touting their success and great ideas on LinkedIn

3. When Collin worked his ass off for a company and was told by his favorite boss to ‘slow down’

Things to listen for:

[03:04] Being known as the “odd ball”

[04:08] The big leap moving from the US to alone in China

[08:25] Being told he worked at a ‘piece of shit’

[13:00] Flipping the switch to ‘I want to kick ass and take names’

[16:41] Knowing he lost before he even got in the game

[24:10] Major FOMO on LinkedIn

[34:05] Being told by his boss to slow down… and it was his favorite piece of feedback

[37:45] Most crucial advice to everyone

Resources:

- Kameleoon

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Liz Christo, Investor and GTM Advisor for Stage 2 Capital, unravels her highs and lows in her workforce journey. From getting told “you’re too ruthlessly execution focussed” to having to dramatically change her working style, Liz’s story unpacks the power of feedback, why you should develop a culture of support, and the significance of vulnerability.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Liz fought so hard to have a global org and ended up burning out and feeling stretched too thin

2. When Liz received the hardest piece of feedback, twice…

3. The story when Liz was not able to get companies to follow through, even when they were in complete agreement on what needed to happen

Things to listen for:

[07:33] Why Liz was described as “great at the “USA Crossword puzzle”

[09:19] Her biggest work burnout moment

[14:46] Not taking care of herself and the impact on her work

[18:53] Getting a new job and it testing her values and culture list

[28:28] Getting told everything that was negative about working with her

[36:34] Addressing feedback and making changes

[38:22] Her biggest imposter syndrome moment

Resources:

- Connect with Liz on LinkedIn

- Check out Stage 2 Capital

- Subscribe to Dear Stage 2 on Substack

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

- Work with Andrew

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode Adam Goyette, founder of Growth Union and former VP of Marketing at Help Scout and G2, shares his journey into marketing and we explore the three biggest speed bumps he encountered in his career. Along the way, he shares the impact of professional relationships on career development and growth and his strategies for handling stress, self-doubt, and early career hurdles in marketing.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Adam’s boss left and the company promoted their intern, who had an Ivy League MBA, over him

2. When Adam couldn’t explain why they had a bad month and his CFO walked out of the meeting

3. The story of when Adam first got promoted to VP of Marketing in a tough environment

Things to listen for:

[02:26] The risk that led to a huge reward for Adam

[07:17] When he put in his resignation, but was persuaded to stay

[11:02] The intern was promoted over him…

[16:48] Showing off losses made his company see major growth

[28:07] The gut-wrenching moment Adam’s CFO walked out on their meeting

[36:18] Beware of bad marketers at prestigious companies!

[39:59] Advice on building career relationships

Resources:

- Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

- Check out Growth Union

- Sign up Adam’s Substack: The Friday Growth Note

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Learn more about Navattic

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode Adam Goyette, founder of Growth Union and former VP of Marketing at Help Scout and G2, shares his journey into marketing and we explore the three biggest speed bumps he encountered in his career. Along the way, he shares the impact of professional relationships on career development and growth and his strategies for handling stress, self-doubt, and early career hurdles in marketing.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Adam’s boss left and the company promoted their intern, who had an Ivy League MBA, over him

2. When Adam couldn’t explain why they had a bad month and his CFO walked out of the meeting

3. The story of when Adam first got promoted to VP of Marketing in a tough environment

Things to listen for:

[02:26] The risk that led to a huge reward for Adam

[07:17] When he put in his resignation, but was persuaded to stay

[11:02] The intern was promoted over him…

[16:48] Showing off losses made his company see major growth

[28:07] The gut-wrenching moment Adam’s CFO walked out on their meeting

[36:18] Beware of bad marketers at prestigious companies!

[39:59] Advice on building career relationships

Resources:

- Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

- Check out Growth Union

- Sign up Adam’s Substack: The Friday Growth Note

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Learn more about Navattic

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Kevan Lee, co-founder of Bonfire, shares the most gruesome imposter syndrome he’s ever encountered, the biggest "welcome to the league" moment he experienced from getting rejected, and what it was like to leave a high-flying corporate job to walk the tightrope of entrepreneurship.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. When Kevan realized his unique path was not climbing the corporate ladder, despite his family history of entrepreneurship

2. His “welcome to the league” when he was initially rejected for a content writer position at Buffer

3. The most frustrating career feedback Kevan has ever received

Things to listen for:

[04:53] Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, but never identifying as an entrepreneur

[11:22] His “welcome to the league” moment

[14:05] Choosing to knock on Buffer’s door again after rejection

[17:18] Having to pull the plug on a large project

[25:20] Moving past a huge career disappointment

[29:30] Being told he need to “speak up more” in a meeting

[37:27] The worst type of interview Kevan has experienced

Resources:

- Connect with Kevan on LinkedIn

- Check out Bonfire

- Kevan’s substack

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Learn more about Navattic

- Learn more about Appcues

In this episode, Mike shares his journey from getting fired at his first job to becoming CMO of a 7-figure startup. He outlines his decision making framework when a job no longer aligns with long-term goals, how he embraces the discomfort leaving something good to chase something potentially great, and the role of a strong network and clear personal values when making transitions.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. The email Mike sent his two bosses that prompted them to say “don’t come back to work”

2. When Mike was thriving in his management consulting role, but knew it wasn’t the right fit

3. The moment when Mike realized that company values and culture is more important than company success

Things to listen for:

[01:18] Zigging while others were zagging

[08:07] Being told “don’t come back to work” by his bosses

[12:26] Mike’s REAL growth experience

[16:16] Getting comfortable being uncomfortable has never been a challenge

[21:56] Becoming CMO at a 7 figure company and realizing it’s not the right fit

[33:52] Playing the long game and expanding his network

[36:27] Take a leap of faith (when his wife wasn’t working)

[40:15] Sumo wrestling and burrito eating contests at work

[41:29] Yvonne Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, calls Mike’s phone in the middle of a work meeting

Resources:

- Connect with Mike on LinkedIn

- Check out Moonwater

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Learn more about Navattic

- Learn more about Appcues

Nobody deserves to be yelled at by their boss… ever.

That’s the situation Shanee Ben-Zur found herself in early in her career - and (after regrouping and then giving her notice immediately afterwards) it triggered a new career in tech-marketing. She’s gone to be become CMO at Earnest, with stops at Crunchbase, Dropbox, Salesforce, and NVIDIA.

In addition to the horrible yelling situation, Shanee talked about how her fear of failure caused her to micromanage her team, and shared the feedback that’s helped her grow into her own as a leader.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

1. The story behind when Shanee was screamed at by her boss in the middle of NYC - and what she did next.

2. Realizing her team was hesitant to provide honest feedback - which led her to seek coaching

3. The team turnover after a successful funding round and the beginning of the pandemic

Things to listen for:

[04:34] Being a child of immigrants influenced her into the wrong field

[09:01] Shanee’s boss screamed at her in the middle of NYC

[12:03] Playstation changed the trajectory of Shanee’s career

[18:31] What caused Shanee’s work tears

[25:31] Creating a culture of fear

[30:57] The goal is to hire people who are smarter than you

[34:44] Therapy changed Shanee’s life

[38:25] Benefit from learning how to communicate wins strategically

Resources:

- Connect with Shanee on LinkedIn

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Learn more about Navattic

- Learn more about Appcues

Moving to South Africa with the entire family, working 75 hour weeks, and then getting the worst feedback from a new boss sounds sounds fun, right?

This is the exact situation that Dave Boyce found himself in. But Dave didn’t let that stop him. He used this experience as fuel to become a serial entrepreneur who evolved into a professor and writer. Dave is the author of "Product That Sells Itself,” he’s on the board of Winning by Design and Forrester, and is an advisor to a handful of startups.

In addition to the challenging feedback loops and international moves, Dave emphasizes embracing the unknown with confidence, how feedback has influenced his life, and the importance of developing strong boundaries and values.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. The toughest 2 pieces of feedback Dave has ever received and how those influence him today

2. The time when Dave was driving and got a call from George Zachary (investor in Twitter) saying, "this is going to be a tough call. Do you have a minute?"”

3. How Dave finds the courage to overcome imposter syndrome related to writing his new textbook on PLG

Things to listen for:

[04:52] What happened when Dave ignored his gut feelings

[12:26] Dave’s spontaneous decision to move to South Africa with his family and ended up receiving the toughest feedback in his career

[26:13] Receiving a call from George Zachary (CRV), saying "This is going to be a tough call. Do you have a minute?”

[32:53] The moment Dave experienced imposter syndrome and almost threw the towel in.

[36:50] Dave’s secrets behind what helped him pursue his dreams

Resources:

- Connect with Dave on LinkedIn

- Visit Dave’s website

- Subscribe to Dave’s Substack

- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter

- Subscribe to the Delivering Value Substack

- Learn more about Navattic

- Learn more about Appcues