No Hacks with Slobodan Manic

In this episode, senior experimentation specialist Sam Barber joins me to unpack what it really takes to drive change through digital experimentation. Spoiler: it’s not just about tests and tools, it’s about people. They explore how to build a solid support network inside any organization, how to win over skeptics, and why shouting (strategically) about your wins might just be your best move.

Topics Covered:

• Why experimentation needs internal allies
• How to communicate value beyond test results
• The "force field" method for mapping influence
• Why customer insights matter just as much as revenue
• Breaking out of the digital silo
• Tips for aligning with other teams’ goals

Key Quote:

Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-barber14/

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

You’ve probably heard “go-to-market” thrown around like it’s just a product launch. But it’s way more than that — and today’s guest breaks it all down with clarity, energy, and zero fluff.

In this episode, I sit down with Maja Voje, an internationally recognized go-to-market strategist who’s worked with over 750 companies, including global giants like Google, Bayer, and Rocket Internet. We unpack what makes GTM actually work, why focus beats scale, how to find your earliest adopters, and how AI is changing everything — fast.

Whether you’re building something from scratch or scaling a proven product, this episode will reshape how you think about launching, growing, and repeating success.

About the Guest

Maja Voje is a globally sought-after go-to-market strategist, best-selling author of GTM Strategist, and founder of Growth Lab. With over a decade of hands-on experience, she’s helped 750+ companies — from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 firms — build repeatable, scalable growth systems.

She co-teaches one of the most popular online growth courses (used by teams at Tesla, IBM, and Booking.com), and her GTM templates and playbooks have helped thousands of businesses get to product-market fit faster. Maja is also a keynote speaker and was named Female Role Model of the Year in 2018.

Key Takeaways

• Go-to-market isn’t just launch day — it’s an ongoing, strategic system.
• Focus > Scale: Narrow, repeatable systems beat brute force and ad spend.
• Understand the difference between early customer profile (ECP) and ideal customer profile (ICP).
• Why AI is a superpower for research, messaging, and GTM — if you use it right.
• Common GTM mistakes that waste time, money, and team morale.
• How to avoid "shiny object syndrome" and stay focused on what actually moves the needle.

Chapters & Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Welcome & Episode Start
• [00:00:15] Maja’s origin story in marketing and startups
• [00:03:06] The accidental path to growth hacking
• [00:04:53] What go-to-market actually means
• [00:08:29] Why GTM is not just a launch
• [00:10:19] How fast-moving markets force constant GTM updates
• [00:12:57] First mover advantage vs. fast follower strategy
• [00:19:39] Why companies resist GTM adaptability
• [00:25:10] Rapid-fire GTM questions
• [00:31:25] The role of early adopters and how to find them
• [00:35:17] Beachhead segment strategy (and WWII analogies)
• [00:39:23] AI’s impact on go-to-market — good and bad
• [00:48:04] Creativity, content, and where AI falls short
• [00:50:43] Where to find more from Maja & closing thoughts

Links & Resources

• Maja’s Go-To-Market Power Hour Template
• Sign up for her newsletter
• Connect with Maja on LinkedIn

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

Google Analytics shows you what users do — but it can’t tell you why. In this episode, Daniël Granja Baltazar explains how qualitative research reveals the story behind the numbers, helping marketers improve conversion, fix broken journeys, and build better customer experiences.

With real examples from his work at Vodafone Business, Daniël shares how interviews, mini surveys, and sales-marketing collaboration uncover insights that dashboards miss. Whether you’re running experiments, building landing pages, or managing customer journeys — this episode will change how you think about research.

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Data tells you what users do — not why
• User interviews uncover insights analytics can’t
• Mini surveys offer high-impact feedback with low friction
• Sales and marketing need to collaborate, not compete
• Qualitative research can be lightweight, fast, and scalable
• Proactive research leads to continuous optimization

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

Most B2B founders wait too long to start building their personal brand—if they think about it at all. But those who get it right unlock a massive competitive edge. In this episode, Ognjen Bošković breaks down what founder branding actually is, why it works, and how to do it without falling into the typical LinkedIn traps.

About the Guest

Ognjen Bošković is the founder of Raven, a consultancy and community helping B2B founders build their brand and scale their business. He’s an expert in content strategy, positioning, and go-to-market execution, with deep experience in growth marketing.

Key Takeaways

✅ Founder brand ≠ personal brand. It’s a long-term strategy, not just a way to get LinkedIn likes.
✅ Most B2B companies struggle with critical thinking—branding helps break through the noise.
✅ The best way to build a founder brand? Market the problem, not just your product.
✅ If your LinkedIn posts look like everyone else’s, they won’t work.
✅ Balancing content strategy: Audience building vs. revenue generation.
✅ Forget going broad—nail your ideal customer profile (ICP) first, then expand.
✅ Content pillars aren’t just about organizing ideas; they help you test and refine what works.

Timestamps

[00:00] Intro – Why founder branding is a competitive advantage
[01:46] Why most founders overlook branding until it’s too late
[04:58] The shift in B2B go-to-market strategies & why traditional methods are failing
[07:51] How smaller, agile teams are disrupting the market
[12:20] Founder brand myths: Is it just about engagement on LinkedIn?
[17:40] The secret to marketing the problem, not just the solution
[21:16] Rapid-fire questions: Myths, viral content, and must-have growth tools
[23:36] Defining your ICP: Why trying to appeal to everyone is a mistake
[30:16] How founder branding fits into an overall content strategy
[33:49] The role of content pillars & how to refine your approach over time
[39:59] Where to connect with Ognjen and learn more

Connect with Ognjen

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ognjenboskovic/
• Raven: https://www.raven.club/

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

Just Start. That’s the message Anja Lordanić Mustać had for anyone procrastinating on launching their podcast.

I had an awesome chat with her about why podcasting is such a game-changer for personal branding and business. We talked about:

🎙️ Overcoming the fear of starting (because yeah, you’ll suck at first, and that’s fine!)
🎙️ The crazy networking opportunities a podcast creates
🎙️ Simple, no-BS steps to get started without overcomplicating it
🎙️ Why podcasting isn’t a time drain (it actually saves you time)

One thing that really stuck with me:

"No one is paying as much attention to you as you think. Just start."

If you’ve been overthinking launching a podcast, this conversation might be the push you need.

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

What does it take to optimize one of Europe’s most impactful growth and digital experimentation conferences?

In this episode, Julia Rumpf shares her insights into planning GMS—from curating high-impact speakers to leveraging AI and digital tools to enhance attendee experience. She reveals the intersection of digital and physical event elements, the behind-the-scenes challenges of running an international conference, and how research-driven optimization makes events more valuable for everyone involved.

Whether you’re an event organizer, growth marketer, or digital optimization expert, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you improve your own strategies.

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Key Takeaways

✅ Why speaker selection is like building a sports team – balancing high-energy and deep-thought speakers for maximum engagement.
 ✅ How digital and physical experiences intersect – leveraging event apps, AI networking, and live feedback tools.
 ✅ Overcoming last-minute challenges – the 24-hour sponsor banner crisis and how staying flexible is essential.
 ✅ Optimizing attendee engagement – using research-driven strategies to improve networking and knowledge retention.
 ✅ The evolution of GMS – why removing “marketing” from the event name was a game-changer.
 ✅ How to maximize ROI from events – practical strategies for making connections, implementing insights, and proving event value to your company.

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Attend GMS 2024

📍 Where: Frankfurt, Germany
📅 When: June 18, 2024
🔗 Tickets & Info: growthmindedsuperheroes.com

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

What separates entrepreneurs who achieve extreme growth from those who don’t? According to Chris Out, it all comes down to intention, bold action, and brutal honesty. In this episode, he shares how being extreme, not just in effort, but in strategy, can be the key to scaling faster than you ever imagined.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔥 Why extreme growth requires extreme intention – Hope won’t get you to $100M; aggressive, strategic action will.
🎤 How Chris booked 63 speaking gigs in a year – A masterclass in positioning yourself for success.
📈 The power of a 25-year vision – How a long-term mindset compounds into massive success.
⚡ Brutal honesty in business – Are your actions really aligning with your goals?
🚀 How to design your life on your own terms – The real definition of “extreme” in today’s world.

Chris doesn’t believe in waiting for opportunities, he creates them. His no-BS approach to growth has helped companies scale fast, and in this episode, he breaks down exactly how you can apply the same principles to your own business and career.

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

In this episode, I talked to Hesh Fekry from CXL about the evolving relationship between Product and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). How are these once-separate disciplines are increasingly overlapping in scope, mindset, and execution? The conversation touches on the historical separation of CRO from Product, the shift towards experimentation as a more fitting term, and how AI and new tools are enabling professionals to bridge skill gaps faster than ever before.

Key Takeaways:

• CRO & Product Have Always Been Similar: While traditionally seen as separate roles, both disciplines focus on user insights, problem-solving, and optimizing user flows.
• The Issue with the CRO Label: CRO as a term has long been tied to a narrow metric-focused approach (conversion rates), but its scope has expanded far beyond that.
• Experimentation as the New CRO: The rebranding of CRO towards experimentation reflects the broader impact CRO professionals have, including retention, monetization, and pricing strategies.
• AI is Accelerating the Shift: New AI-driven tools make it easier to fill skill gaps, allowing professionals to be more T-shaped and take on cross-functional responsibilities.
• CRO Should Be Involved from Day One: Rather than stepping in after a product is built, CRO principles should be applied from the earliest stages to validate assumptions and de-risk decisions.
• Product and CRO are Learning from Each Other: It's not just CRO learning from Product—it’s a continuous loop where both disciplines borrow and refine each other’s methodologies.

Notable Quotes:

📌 "Experimentation is just about expanding the role beyond a single metric." – Hesh
📌 "With AI, the skill gap is getting smaller, and the overlap is growing larger." – Hesh

📌 "CRO almost feels like it should be in the room from day one." – Sani

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Product and CRO are no longer separate silos. They are converging into a more holistic approach to user experience, optimization, and experimentation. As AI and new tools continue to evolve, the ability to cross these boundaries will become a key advantage for professionals in both fields.

Tune in for a deep dive into how these changes are shaping the future of digital growth!

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

In this episode of No Hacks Podcast, host Sani chats with Kevin Henrikson, an entrepreneur and engineering leader whose journey began on a pig farm. Kevin co-founded Acompli, sold it to Microsoft in just 18 months, and helped turn it into Outlook Mobile. He explains how to move fast without sacrificing quality, why your first-time user experience (“Kleenex user”) is so crucial, and how to adopt an “advisor” mindset inside big companies. If you’re looking to master the MVP philosophy, leverage AI for higher productivity, and cultivate a curiosity-driven mindset, this is the episode for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Ship Early, Learn Fast
   • “If everyone loves your MVP, you shipped too late.”
2. Kleenex Users Matter
   • You only get one shot at a first impression—make it count.
3. Advisor Mode Post-Acquisition
   • Offer ideas without bulldozing existing culture.
4. AI as a ‘First Pass’
   • Use automation to handle repetitive or initial drafts, then refine with human expertise.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

• “If everyone loves your MVP, you shipped too late.”
• “Your first-time user is like a Kleenex—you only get that fresh perspective once.”
• “Be an advisor, not a disruptor, when you join a big company.”

SHOW NOTES & TIMESTAMPS:

• [00:00:00] Introduction
• [00:00:10] Kevin’s Background
• [00:00:22] Early Career in Tech
• [00:02:49] Rapid Decision-Making & Mindset
• [00:05:01] MVP Philosophy & “Kleenex Users”
• [00:08:21] Starting vs. Scaling
• [00:11:56] The Acompli Story
• [00:14:42] Post-Acquisition Life
• [00:20:14] AI, Automation & the Future
• [00:27:23] Rapid-Fire Q&A
• [00:33:00] Final Insights & Wrap-Up
• [00:43:42] End of Episode

CALL TO ACTION:

• Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhenrikson/
• Subscribe to Kevin's newsletter (Founder Mode): https://foundermode.kit.com/
• Share Your Takeaway: Tag @nohackspod with your favorite insight!

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit

Too many product teams fall into a dangerous trap—they optimize for in-app engagement while forgetting the bigger picture: real behavior change.

In my latest episode of No Hacks Snacks, I sat down with Roos van Duijnhoven to break down the difference between:

✅ Designing for engagement – Keeping users interacting with your product.
✅ Designing for behavior change – Helping users take action outside the product.

Take fitness apps as an example:
🏋️‍♂️ Liking workouts & setting goals? Engagement.
🏃‍♂️ Actually going for a run? Behavior change.

We also explored:
🔹 The Little e vs. Big E framework for building better products
🔹 Why engagement ≠ impact (and what to measure instead)
🔹 How to create long-term value, not just short-term wins

💡 If you’re in UX, growth, or product design, this conversation is a must-watch!

Are you designing for engagement or behavior change? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 👇

No Hacks runs no sponsorships and is funded by advisory and audit work. 

If your website needs to work for machines as well as people, start with a fixed-scope Machine-First Architecture audit: https://nohacks.co/audit