This episode of Revenue Today features Nadja Komnenic, Senior Sales Development Manager at Lokalise. You can determine product-market fit by running a test to find your high-expectation customers. Listening to this group’s concerns refines and iterates a product or service to achieve product-market fit. Nadja also shares the top 4 mistakes founders make during the product-market fit phase.

Takeaways

• Create a survey that asks if the customer would be not disappointed, somewhat disappointed, or extremely disappointed if they lost your product or service. Your high-expectation customers are in the extremely disappointed group.
• Once you reach 40% here, then you have product-market fit. The goal for most is to reach this threshold.
• Divide your time addressing the extremely disappointed and somewhat disappointed groups to refine your product or service and achieve product-market fit.

Quote of the Show

"To increase your product-market fit score, you need to spend half of your time doubling down on what your users already love, so your key value propositions, and the other half on addressing what's holding others back." - Nadja Komnenic

Connect with our Nadja in the links below:

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

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHsThis episode of Revenue Today features Nadja Komnenic, Senior Sales Development Manager at Lokalise. You can determine product-market fit by running a test to find your high-expectation customers. Listening to this group’s concerns refines and iterates a product or service to achieve product-market fit. Nadja also shares the top 4 mistakes founders make during the product-market fit phase.

This episode of Revenue Today features Andrew Gazdecki, Founder and CEO of MicroAcquire. A story around a cause you believe in makes you stand out and this same story can close deals and dominate markets. Andrew shares how his previous companies harnessed the power of storytelling and the structure by which others can follow too.

Takeaways

• Start your story by looking for shifts in the market, reinforcing themes, and letting them combine into a movement centered around your brand.
• You can compete in price on in brand, and one of the best ways to build brand is through storytelling.

Quote of the Show

"This brand and storytelling framework is really looking for a shift. What's changed in the market? What's new? Maybe you're selling against legacy software, maybe there's an opportunity to create a category, there's an opportunity to reinforce a theme, and that all combines into a movement where people are really rooting for your company to succeed because they believe in the story that you're telling so much." - Andrew Gazdecki

Connect with our Andrew in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/
• Website: https://microacquire.com/

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

A lot of success in sales and even in running whole businesses comes not only from experience in the industry but also from working for customers and knowing the problems that need to be solved.

In this episode of the Revenue Today podcast, Jared has a great conversation with his long-time friend Ryan Scalera, Head of Business Development at Flosum. Ryan debunks a myth about generating revenue, shares the key metrics he typically follows, and provides insight into the opportunities in a Business Development Representative (BDR) role.

Takeaways

• Revenue Myth: Most companies and founders have no idea about the actual business problem that they solve for
• Finding the north star metrics is usually easier said than done
• Strengthen your weaknesses instead of just doubling down on your strengths
• The BDR role might return to the roots of full cycle in the incoming years

Quote of the Show

"That's why I'm glad I went to AE before I went into this role because I was an SDR, then I was an AE, and I sold to sales leaders so I started to understand them and what they measure. That's how I became a better sales leader is by selling to them and really just running great discovery on them to learn what good looks like and where you can spot problems in a funnel." - Ryan Scalera

Connect with Ryan in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanscalera/
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanscalesales

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

Today, we have an amazing panel of guests who share how to scale your revenue operations. We are joined by Darrell Alfonso, Global Marketing Operations at Amazon Web Services; Mollie Bodensteiner, Global Revenue Operations Leader at Deal; and Eddie Reynolds, CEO and Revenue Operations Strategy Consultant at Union Square Consulting.

The panel discusses building revenue operations and making sure it runs at its best as you start to have larger marketing and customer success teams. They focus on the importance of processes to keep revenue operations firing on all cylinders.

Takeaways

• Start with centrally-accessible key processes so as to not rely on a sole individual to keep the business running as you scale
• There are broken processes but there are also those that can simply be made more efficient

Quote of the Show

"When I think about process, you're always balancing quality and speed. When I think about scalable process, it's always like a tightrope. You're always either leaning towards the direction of 'it's too constraining' or 'it's a little bit too empowering' which can translate to chaos." - Darrell Alfonso

Connect with our guests in the links below:

Eddie: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardreynolds/
• Website: https://www.unionsquareconsulting.com/

Mollie

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

Darrell

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellalfonso/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemandDarrell

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

This episode of Revenue Today features Mark Roberge, Managing Director at Stage 2 Capital. Today, he presents the data on the correlation between leading indicators and customer retention for product-market fit. He then talks about scalable unit economics as a goal in the go-to-market fit phase.

Takeaways

• Product-market fit is not a revenue line or survey, it's based on leading indicator retention
• We need to understand the leading indicators of unit economics just as much

Quote of the Show

"Do you know how many entrepreneurs come up with an idea and never get customers to see the value they envision? Do you know how hard it is to come up with an idea and get the majority of your customers to realize that value? If you do that, you have experienced something so many people wanted to experience and never did." - Mark Roberge

Connect with Mark in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/
• Website: https://www.stage2.capital/

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

This episode of Revenue Today features Nadja Komnenic, Senior Sales Development Manager at Lokalise. Before achieving product-market fit, founders must first overcome the phenomenon known as internal dishonesty.

Internal dishonesty makes founders seek validation from their own personal networks that their idea will change the world instead of using metrics. Getting over internal dishonesty will save a lot of wasted effort and creates a product that actually helps your audience. 

Takeaways

• Companies will only achieve product-market fit when founders overcome internal dishonesty.
• Use metrics like customer feedback, not personal validation, that your product is viable.

Quote of the Show

"I want to make sure that everybody that is currently potentially looking to grow their businesses to think about one very important factor in growing your initial stages of your business which is the phenomenon that a lot of founders face which is the internal dishonesty." - Nadja Komnenic

Connect with Nadja in the link below:

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

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

This episode of Revenue Today features Mark Roberge, Managing Director at Stage 2 Capital. Today, he provides insights on when companies should scale and how fast based on product-market fit. Mark also discusses the definition of product-market fit that uses leading indicators like retention as the basis. 

Takeaways

• Scaling has less to do with revenue and customer lines and more to do with product-market fit.
• Use leading indicators like retention to determine if you have achieved product-market fit.

Quote of the Show

"When someone uses your product and then chooses to re-buy it, to renew or buy more from you if you're not in the subscription business... if any metric out there, I'd say that's product-market fit." - Mark Roberge

Connect with Mark in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/
• Website: https://www.stage2.capital/

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

This episode of Revenue Today features Andrew Gazdecki, CEO of MicroAcquire. Today, he highlights the importance of branding and how to use storytelling to cut through the noise and to make your brand recognizable. You can even use stories from another customer, a David versus Goliath story, to drive across relevance.

Takeaways

• Use storytelling in your branding to set yourself apart.
• Roll out your own story to help sales teams understand their commissions.
• Find your David versus Goliath story.

Quote of the Show

"Your biggest competitor today for your company is customer attention, and so that's why storytelling can really help you cut through the noise and have people recognize your brand which gives you air cover over your sales call." - Andrew Gazdecki

Connect with Andrew in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/
• Website: https://microacquire.com/

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast

YouTube:

 https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

Today, we have an amazing panel of guests who share how to scale your revenue operations. We are joined by Darrell Alfonso, Global Marketing Operations at Amazon Web Services; Mollie Bodensteiner, Global Revenue Operations Leader at Deal; and Eddie Reynolds, CEO and Revenue Operations Strategy Consultant at Union Square Consulting.

The panel discusses how to build revenue operations during different stages of a company. They talk about building RevOps, both before the company reaches product-market fit, as well as immediately after. 

Takeaways

• Revenue operations should make the go-to-market process more seamless
• Make sure operations are effectively delivering the things that should be delivered

Quote of the Show

"Revenue operations, ultimately, should strive to make the go-to-market process more seamless, repeatable, and scalable. And if you haven't achieved product-market fit, there's not much to optimize there." - Eddie Reynolds

Connect with our guests in the links below:

Eddie: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardreynolds/
• Website: https://www.unionsquareconsulting.com/

Mollie

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

Darrell

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellalfonso/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemandDarrell

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs

This episode of Revenue Today features Andrew Gazdecki, CEO of MicroAcquire. Today, he shares insights on evoking emotion and why understanding your audience is key before you even start crafting and telling a story catered to any specific market.

Takeaways

• Servicing problems within a story can be even more powerful by understanding your audience and evoking emotion
• Start by getting brutally honest feedback from your customers

Quote of the Show

"When you really nail it with a customer story, customers start creating their own stories for you, for you to tell to other customers. Word of mouth marketing will and always will be the most powerful form of marketing." - Andrew Gazdecki

Connect with Andrew in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki/
• Website: https://microacquire.com/

Ways to tune in:

• Amazon Music
• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Google Podcast
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/6KEho9RSaHs