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The GTM playbook that actually converts | With 4X B2B CMO
Ash Parikh, CMO @Absolute Security, 3x B2B CMO (Informatica, Druva, Trellix), sits down with Mala Ramakrishnan to talk about what most marketers get wrong — and what the best ones obsess over.
Spoiler: it's not MQLs.
Ash breaks down the "dark funnel" — the invisible buying journey where 70% of decisions are made before a vendor even knows a prospect exists. He walks through how pre-intent signals, reverse IP lookups, and tools like ShiftUp are changing the way pipeline actually gets built.
The conversation gets real about the CMO gig — why most people don't last, how Ash accidentally fell into the role from product management, and why he thinks of himself as a business owner first, marketer second.
He also shares a killer practice: every marketer on his team spends 10% of their time each month piloting new tools and ideas. That's how you stay ahead.
For founders, Ash has pointed advice: hire a data-obsessed marketer before a brand person, know your ICP cold, and don't touch AI until your data foundation is solid.
If you're building a startup, running marketing at a growth-stage company, or just trying to figure out how modern B2B buying actually works, this one's worth your time.
__________________________________________________
Timestamps
00:00 Meet Ash Parikh: 3x CMO, accidental marketer
01:00 From bad coder to product manager to CMO
02:55 Starting in product marketing because he knew the product
04:23 Getting over the "marketing is fluff" mindset
06:14 The stat that changes everything, 70% of buying happens invisible
07:08 What the dark funnel actually is
08:46 Pre-intent vs. intent, and why the difference matters
10:06 Reading signals from buyers who never raise their hand
11:56 Too many tools, how to cut through the noise
13:35 The 10% rule his whole team lives by
14:44 Why CISOs are the hardest buyers to reach
16:09 Don't touch AI until your data house is in order
17:06 The CMO job is about growth
19:00 What founders get wrong when hiring their first marketer
21:07 ChatGPT killed the website visit. Now what?
23:01 Why he abolished MQLs and what replaced them
__________________________________________________
🔗 Connect with Ash Parikh → https://www.linkedin.com/in/aysha-khan-77ba9014/
🔗 Connect with Mala Ramakrishnan → https://www.linkedin.com/in/malaramakrishnan
🎧 Subscribe to the podcast
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnL3D6aI60R-cCvypFIkh4A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NIDE4cT5fuVjC3HaGbCDK?si=eoSTNmhqQNKHQl9d1Jx0UQ
Apple Podcast: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/talking-to-the-leaders-of-ai-the-ceo-series-with-mala/22ad2bae-502b-4eb1-aa74-53bc79754db7
Visit our Website: https://malaramakrishnan.com | https://founderscreative.org
View all episodes
By Mala RamakrishnanAsh Parikh, CMO @Absolute Security, 3x B2B CMO (Informatica, Druva, Trellix), sits down with Mala Ramakrishnan to talk about what most marketers get wrong — and what the best ones obsess over.
Spoiler: it's not MQLs.
Ash breaks down the "dark funnel" — the invisible buying journey where 70% of decisions are made before a vendor even knows a prospect exists. He walks through how pre-intent signals, reverse IP lookups, and tools like ShiftUp are changing the way pipeline actually gets built.
The conversation gets real about the CMO gig — why most people don't last, how Ash accidentally fell into the role from product management, and why he thinks of himself as a business owner first, marketer second.
He also shares a killer practice: every marketer on his team spends 10% of their time each month piloting new tools and ideas. That's how you stay ahead.
For founders, Ash has pointed advice: hire a data-obsessed marketer before a brand person, know your ICP cold, and don't touch AI until your data foundation is solid.
If you're building a startup, running marketing at a growth-stage company, or just trying to figure out how modern B2B buying actually works, this one's worth your time.
__________________________________________________
Timestamps
00:00 Meet Ash Parikh: 3x CMO, accidental marketer
01:00 From bad coder to product manager to CMO
02:55 Starting in product marketing because he knew the product
04:23 Getting over the "marketing is fluff" mindset
06:14 The stat that changes everything, 70% of buying happens invisible
07:08 What the dark funnel actually is
08:46 Pre-intent vs. intent, and why the difference matters
10:06 Reading signals from buyers who never raise their hand
11:56 Too many tools, how to cut through the noise
13:35 The 10% rule his whole team lives by
14:44 Why CISOs are the hardest buyers to reach
16:09 Don't touch AI until your data house is in order
17:06 The CMO job is about growth
19:00 What founders get wrong when hiring their first marketer
21:07 ChatGPT killed the website visit. Now what?
23:01 Why he abolished MQLs and what replaced them
__________________________________________________
🔗 Connect with Ash Parikh → https://www.linkedin.com/in/aysha-khan-77ba9014/
🔗 Connect with Mala Ramakrishnan → https://www.linkedin.com/in/malaramakrishnan
🎧 Subscribe to the podcast
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnL3D6aI60R-cCvypFIkh4A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NIDE4cT5fuVjC3HaGbCDK?si=eoSTNmhqQNKHQl9d1Jx0UQ
Apple Podcast: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/talking-to-the-leaders-of-ai-the-ceo-series-with-mala/22ad2bae-502b-4eb1-aa74-53bc79754db7
Visit our Website: https://malaramakrishnan.com | https://founderscreative.org