Revenue Engine Podcast

Dan Balcauski is the Principal Consultant at Product Tranquility, a consulting firm that helps SaaS business leaders accelerate their product growth and increase customer loyalty. Dan is an expert in digital marketing and e-commerce with a specialization in pricing and product strategy. He is also the Program Leader for Kellogg's Executive Education Product Strategy course.

In addition to his role at Product Tranquility, Dan works as a freelance product manager and is a member of Veritux. Some of the companies he's worked for include SolarWinds, LawnStarter, and NI (formerly National Instruments).

So you just finished creating your SaaS product. You've researched the market and developed a solution for your target audience's pain points, but there's one important question remaining: How much do you sell it for?

Properly pricing your software is difficult. Not only are the numbers changing everyday, but there are also multiple avenues for charging your clients, such as premium costs and subscription models. It can be difficult to know what will work best for your company. However, there are niche specialists who have vast experience in product pricing. Dan Balcauski has done intensive research on the topic and now helps major SaaS brands determine the best approach to take when pricing their software. Want to know his pricing fundamentals?

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz sits down with Dan Balcauski, the Principal Consultant at Product Tranquility, to talk about how to price your SaaS product the right way. They discuss the three main approaches to pricing and how they work for different companies. They also talk about who should have control over pricing in an organization, how to effectively test your prices, and the steps that new businesses should take when developing a product. Stay tuned!

Steven Hoffman is the Chairman and CEO of Founders Space, a startup accelerator that gives small businesses the tools they need to excel. The company was ranked as the #1 overseas startup accelerator by both Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines. Steven founded the business in 2010 with his own prior experience as the Founder and Chairman of the Producers Guild Silicon Valley Chapter, a Founding Member of the Academy of Television's Interactive Media Group, and serving on the New Media Council Board of Governors.

Working in tandem with Founders Space, Steven has written three books as a venture investor and serial entrepreneur, including Make Elephants Fly, Surviving a Startup, and The Five Forces. He's also had a rich career in both Hollywood and Silicon Valley, where he's led the development of multiple television shows and mobile games.

We're living in the golden age for startups. Now more than ever, there seem to be more and more great ideas and brilliant investors. Plus, with the popularity of e-commerce, it's easier than ever to get your business in front of the right demographic. The only problem is the heavy competition with other startups that also want a chance.

This is where Steven Hoffman and Founders Space enter the conversation. They are one of the most successful accelerators for overseas startups and have over 50 partners in 22 countries. Steven has founded multiple businesses and has learned firsthand what it takes to excel. He has written three books on his process, and now, he's sharing that same expertise with you.

Alex Gluz speaks with Steven Hoffman, the Chairman and CEO of Founders Space, to find out the steps of launching and growing a successful startup. Steven starts with his own journey overcoming obstacles and securing funding for his startup. They then dive into detail on building the right team, finding demand, and negotiating with venture capitalists. Find out all this and more on this latest episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast.

Charles Frydenborg is the CEO of MarketMuse, a company that utilizes AI to transform how companies research, plan, and optimize content. Before moving into his current position, he served as MarketMuse's Chief Revenue Officer and Senior Vice President of Sales. He is also a member of Pavilion, which brings together the world's fastest-growing leaders.

Prior to joining MarketMuse, Charles held sales leadership positions at a host of notable businesses. He was the Vice President of Global Sales for Acrolinx and the Senior Director of Corporate and Higher Education Sales for Rosetta Stone. Before that, he spent 20 years at Gartner, where he steadily grew from an Account Services Representative to the Vice President of Premium Service.

Businesses are quickly finding out how hard it is to generate quality content. What began as an afterthought for many companies has grown to be the centerpiece of most marketing strategies. Content is being created in greater and greater quantities, but in the process, quality is often sacrificed. The goal is to strike a balance between the two, but how do you do it?

MarketMuse has found the solution. The company's cutting-edge system uses AI to perform content research and creation. While their approach still values human input, it leaves the labor-intensive aspects to the advanced software. MarketMuse is quickly growing as more and more clients see the value of its unique business model. So, how can you start leveraging their services at your business?

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz talks with Charles Frydenborg, the CEO of MarketMuse, about how to create quality content using AI. The two discuss Charles' storied sales career, why he joined MarketMuse, and the system the company uses to create quality content. They also explore how to improve content creation, the importance of a CRO, and why you shouldn't outsource your content. Stay tuned for all this and more!

Alejandro Rivas-Micoud is an international entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of Userlytics. He founded Userlytics back in 2009 to provide a remote testing platform for brands looking to optimize their user experience. Since then, the company has helped thousands of businesses, including Microsoft, Google, Coca-Cola, and American Airlines.

Alejandro has worked across the globe, including serving as a Managing Director at EGIS KK in Japan. He has also worked as the CEO of multiple companies in Europe and as a Mentor at the Founder Institute. Previously, he was a member of the Young Presidents' Organization.

So you finally have the perfect product. You've developed it, tested it, and even found some success in your market. However, there's a lot more that goes into growing and maintaining a client base. For e-commerce brands, your storefront will matter just as much as the product. From the checkout page to the website design, your user experience will determine the long-term impact and sales of your product. The only problem is knowing how to improve that experience.

A few services currently offer user experience testing, but Userlytics is a leader in the field. Alejandro Rivas-Micoud founded the company in 2009, introducing remote testing to accurately identify issues in the customer's user experience. Since then, Userlytics has been trusted by titans in the industry such as Google and Microsoft. Its testing platform can help take your business to the next level, and Alejandro is here to show you how.

Alex Gluz sits down with Alejandro Rivas-Micoud, the CEO and Founder of Userlytics, on this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast to discuss how to transform your customer's user experience. They go over Userlytics' history and how the company found its market. They also talk about how to optimize your user experience, the value of considering your customer's psychology, and the global panel of testers that Userlytics works with.

Adam Honig is the Co-founder and CEO of Spiro, a unique proactive relationship management platform. Spiro is designed to end CRM by helping businesses close deals faster and more efficiently using artificial intelligence. Adam started Spiro in 2014 after experiencing his own frustrations with CRM in his previous positions.

Adam has had a long and successful career in the technology industry. Before Spiro, he served as the CEO of Innoveer Solutions for more than 14 years, growing the company to 250 employees in the US, the UK, and India. He was also the Co-founder and President of both the Open Environment Corporation and C-bridge Internet Solutions.

For most e-commerce brands, CRMs feel like a necessity. The question isn't if you should have one, but which one. There are hundreds of CRMs that all promise to make your business more efficient. Oftentimes, however, they overpromise and underdeliver, weighing down your budget while still not treating the underlying issues. This was the case for Adam Honig.

Adam has served as the CEO and President of multiple businesses and software companies. During this time, he grew frustrated with CRMs and was inspired to create a better solution. In 2014, he and his co-founder came together to start Spiro, a proactive relationship management platform that works in the background. With Spiro, employees can stop micromanaging their CRM and start focusing on what's really important. Want to learn more?

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz interviews Adam Honig, the Co-founder and CEO of Spiro, to discuss how Spiro works and how Adam scaled the business. The two go over how to fund and market a new platform in a crowded field. They also talk about the challenges of building a sales enablement software, the different kinds of customers Spiro serves, and where CRMs fall short.

Aaron Kaffen is a growth-focused leader and the Vice President of Marketing at Bigleaf Networks, an SD-WAN platform that improves cloud connectivity and overall internet performance for businesses. Aaron brings over 15 years of experience in strategic and analytical marketing to the company, specializing in a variety of software categories.

Before joining Bigleaf, Aaron worked at companies such as Tecplot, Inc., Cloudability, and Oversee.net. He was also an adopter of early web technologies in the '90s, even being one of the first to write a thesis on human interaction online.

Technology marketing is unique, for better and for worse. On one hand, the target audience is far more knowledgeable than the average customer. On the other hand, the fierce competition and expectations can make it difficult to gain ground. This is especially true for startups with small marketing teams and even smaller budgets. In these cases, how do you make a name for your brand?

This is the position that Aaron Kaffen found himself in on multiple occasions. With his experience in a variety of marketing roles, he has helped companies like Cloudability achieve incredible growth and become a recognized name in the industry. Now Aaron is working with Bigleaf Networks to help them improve their marketing in the same way. Today, he's here to share his hard-won insights with you.

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz hosts Aaron Kaffen, the Vice President of Marketing at Bigleaf Networks, to discuss how to market a technology business. Aaron goes over the early days of his career, how he helped Cloudability scale, and his current contributions at Bigleaf. The two also discuss crucial topics like product education, in-person events, and outsourcing services. Stay tuned for more.

Aaron Mellman is a Renaissance man in all forms of media production, and he's the Marketing Director at Aiden Technologies. Aiden Technologies is an automated endpoint management service that's designed to keep Windows secure, even when brought up to scale. Its patent-pending software uses AI to automate the process of patch management and software deployment fully.

Aaron has had a long career leading up to Aiden, first working at Lionsgate Entertainment as a distribution assistant. From there he worked as a TV producer, director, and camera operator for BBC, Animal Planet, and National Geographic. He took his talents into videography and his own production company before ultimately switching to marketing, where he works today.

Knowing how to present a new business is crucial for its success. After all, if the unique ideas of your company don't come through, how will it stand out among the competition? Having a great product is important, but knowing how it fits into the industry is just as important. Quality marketing allows these businesses to tell their product's story in a way that consumers can understand. It's great if telling stories is in your background.

Aaron Mellman is a marketer with plenty of experience in media production. His own company worked with networks such as BBC and Animal Planet. He now uses those same principles in marketing and digital strategy. Aaron currently works for Aiden Technologies, which is a prime case study due to its complex nature as an endpoint management service. How do you market this kind of product, and how do you find your target audience?

Alex Gluz sits down with Aaron Mellman, the Marketing Director at Aiden Technologies, to find out how he markets a new business. Aaron walks through his process of testing, optimizing, and scaling your marketing to ensure steady growth. He goes over how to find your niche in your field and how to differentiate yourself from competitors. The two also take the time to discuss the daily rituals that help them find work-life balance. It's all of that and more on this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast.

Tim Ash is a digital marketing expert, keynote speaker, and the Chief Strategy Advisor of SiteTuners. SiteTuners is a conversion rate optimization agency that helps companies increase their profits and grow their businesses. Tim founded the agency in 2001 and served as CEO for almost 18 years before stepping into an advisor position.

Tim was named a "Top 10 Online Marketing Expert" by Forbes and a "Top 15 Online Marketing Influencer To Watch" by Entrepreneur. He has spoken at over 200 marketing conferences and events worldwide, including Dreamforce, Content Marketing World, and more. He is also the best-selling author of Unleash Your Primal Brain and Landing Page Optimization.

How much does psychology play into marketing? While few people would deny the critical role it plays, many businesses still treat marketing as a simple numbers game. Because of this, they may struggle to effectively promote their services and reach their customers. That's where Tim Ash comes in.

Having started his first digital marketing agency in 1995, Tim has over two decades of expertise under his belt. With his unique blend of practical strategy and neuromarketing concepts, he has helped his clients achieve higher conversion rates and grow their businesses. So, what are some of Tim's top digital marketing strategies, and how can you start leveraging neuromarketing at your company?

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz interviews Tim Ash, a digital marketing and evolutionary psychology expert, about how to incorporate neuromarketing into your business strategy. Together, they discuss top techniques for improving your marketing, from personalizing your website to utilizing negative motivation. They also touch on Tim's new book, Unleash Your Primal Brain, and how to use these concepts for marketing and beyond. Stay tuned!

Alena Amano is a performance marketing expert with more than 10 years of experience. Her most recent position was with Vimeo, where she oversaw paid acquisitions for SaaS products. She also managed global campaigns across seven languages as well as Vimeo's external agencies.

Before Vimeo, Alena worked as a Direct Marketing Specialist at Aereo. She received her bachelor's degree in philosophy and French from Trinity College in Hartford before interning at Care.com and switching careers. Alena holds certifications in marketing strategy and advanced growth strategy from Reforge and multiple certifications in AdWords and analytics from Google.

Video hosting was the wild west not too long ago — both new and unpredictable. Now, that same business has become a billion-dollar industry with a few major websites all competing for visibility. Quality marketing and expansion have become vital to keep up with YouTube's dominance in the field.

One of these websites is Vimeo, which has recently attempted to expand globally. A part of this growth surge is Alena Amano, the former Director of Marketing Performance. Between Vimeo and Aereo, she has learned how to navigate the shifting landscape of video platforms. Now she shares her story and expertise with you.

Alex Gluz sits down with Alena Amano to discuss her insights into video hosting and marketing. She breaks down the greatest turning points for Vimeo, how performance marketing has changed, and the lessons she's learned from expanding globally. They also talk about her life, career, and where she sees herself going next. Learn all of this — and more — on this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast.

Brian Carpizo is the Founder and CEO of TrustPlace Technologies, a digital platform that seeks to digitize and automate frontline operations. Since launching TrustPlace Technologies during the pandemic, Brian and his team have helped businesses improve operations and boost productivity and governance in the workplace.

With over 30 years of experience in operational technology, Brian has worked as a consultant, entrepreneur, and software developer. He has been recognized by industry-leading conferences and publications, including Forbes, Chicago Tribune, Microsoft's Future Now conference, and more. Currently, Brian resides in Chicago and volunteers with One Million Degrees to help local community college students realize their full potential.

The software industry has come a long way since it first took off in the '90s. From cloud services to digital marketing, it has never been a better time to start and scale a software company. However, while software tools have been created to improve a variety of business operations, there was still a gap in the market: frontline operations.

When his father was receiving home hospice care during the pandemic, entrepreneur Brian Carpizo noticed that the frontline workers didn't have effective tools or systems in place to improve their work. This inspired him to make a change — and TrustPlace Technologies was born. With this software solution, Brian and his team are helping companies digitize their frontline operations, boost their productivity, and transform their workplaces. So, what was Brian's approach to building his software tool, and how has he scaled the company during the pandemic?

In this episode of the Revenue Engine Podcast, Alex Gluz interviews Brian Carpizo, the Founder and CEO of TrustPlace Technologies, about how his software solution has helped companies improve frontline operations during the pandemic. Brian discusses how the software industry has evolved over the past 30 years, his approach to building TrustPlace Technologies, and how he is helping businesses digitize their operations. Stay tuned.