One sunny September morning in 2018, thousands of inbounders and HubSpotters were gathered in Boston watching HubSpot cofounder Brian Halligan's keynote, which revealed something wildly new that none of us were expecting ...

... the HubSpot Flywheel, which is how HubSpot visualizes what's possible for an organization, in terms of their ability to "grow better," when everyone in your organization is aligned around delivering a fantastic customer experience.

It was quite a moment because, up until the great reveal, inbound marketers were (for the most part) worshipping at the altar of the inbound marketing funnel:

But HubSpot was now challenging us to set that funnel aside:

Images courtesy of HubSpot

Now, we've talked quite a bit about the HubSpot Flywheel before in previous HubHeroes episodes, as we conducted deep dives into different segments — attracting customers with great content, what engagement actually looks like, and breaking down who really owns customer delight.

But we've never gotten our hands dirty and talked about what the HubSpot Flywheel is because, truth be told, it's a messy topic once you start unpacking it.

For example, some folks thing the funnel is a nice idea, but what was actually wrong with the funnel? Did it really need to be replaced? Is the inbound marketing funnel dead like so many say? Others struggle with the funnel because they think it sounds great, but don't quite get how to unpack it for their organization. How do you align everyone so seamlessly? How do you track performance around the entire flywheel?

And that's exactly why we knew we had to talk about it this week. There's too much confusion, and it's time to end it once and for all. Does this episode get heated and passionate? Absolutely:

Do all of us agree with each other? No, we don't. 

However, I think this conversation is really going to help you and your teams understand what the HubSpot Flywheel really is and isn't, and what changes you need to make your mindset (and your team alignment) to see success in 2023. 

Here's what we cover in this episode ...

• Why did we need the Flywheel and what problems does it solve?
• Is the original inbound marketing funnel actually dead?
• Is the HubSpot Flywheel actually for everyone?
• Why do marketers continue to ruin absolutely everything we touch?
• What would it feel like to have the audacity of a tone deaf sales guy who can't read a room?
• Why is it so important to understand where you have force and friction within your organization?
• What happens when Devyn takes us to Inbound Marketing Church and preaches straight fire?

Buckle up, everybody! You have no idea what's in store for you in this episode.

YOUR ONE THING FROM THIS EPISODE

At the end of the day, whether you subscribe to the Flyweel or the funnel, you must accept that two things are true:

• Gone are the days when your teams (marketing, sales, service) can play around in their own little silos. The way you grow effectively as an organization is together; the more you're in silos, the harder that will be. 
• Your customers always matter, even and especially after they officially become a customer. Don't stop caring about the humans you serve just because you won the sale. The journey is only beginning for them ... and for you.

Or, put another way, in order to better attract, engage, and delight the humans you seek, you need to make sure the humans inside your own house are aligned first. You can't do one without the other.