breadcrumbs

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Anirudh Kuthiala, Director of Product Analytics at Groupon, shares a powerful framework for simplifying decision-making in product development cycles. He emphasizes the importance of integrating structured thinking and data-driven decision-making to prioritize ideas for maximum impact. Anirudh guides us through the stages of the framework, from opportunity identification to evaluation, enhancement, pivoting, or discontinuation. He illustrates how this framework not only streamlines the decision-making process but also aligns teams for success.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Simplify Decision Making: The framework simplifies complex decision-making by breaking it down into manageable steps, fostering critical thinking at each stage.
• Prioritize for Impact: Prioritization is crucial in product development. Data-driven decision-making helps allocate resources to ideas with the highest impact.
• Continuous Assessment: Just like stock investments, regularly evaluate your product's progress to determine whether to pursue, pivot, or discontinue.
• Opportunity Identification: Start with identifying opportunities for enhancement, not bugs. Bugs require immediate fixing, but opportunities need this framework.
• Data-Driven Prioritization: Use a prioritization framework based on business value and effort, making it easier to identify quick wins and big bets.
• Continuous Improvement: Product development is a cycle. If a problem arises, return to stage 1 and work on enhancement.
• Aligning Teams: To get groups of people aligned around a framework, connect the impact of the product to desired outcomes. This encourages alignment and decision-making based on the bigger picture.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Simplifying something complex is difficult, but this framework is a one-time investment with a 10x return, both short term and long term."
• "In the end, data-driven decision making should enable you to decide among these three options: what to pursue, pivot from, or discontinue."
• "It's about making them successful at their jobs. In my experience, that makes it easier to get alignment."

You can find out more about Anirudh Kuthiala in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Anirudh Kuthiala
Breadcrumbs Podcast

Today's recipe is Air Fryer Pork Cutlets.

Here are the links to some of the items I talked about in this episode: #ad
Air Fryer
Baking Sheet with Oven Safe Rack
Meat Mallet
Pie Plates
Dry Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
All New Chicken Cookbook

Here's the Recipe Of The Day page with all of our recipe links.

If you want to make sure that you always find out what today's recipe is, do one or all of the following:

1. Subscribe to the Podcast,
2. Join the ROTD Facebook Group here

Have a great day! -Christine xo

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Neel Desai, Director of Product at Paddle, delves into the secrets of reducing cancellations and increasing customer loyalty. He highlights the significance of handling payment failures and the challenges in the evolving landscape of payment gateways. Neel provides valuable insights and practical tips, such as avoiding email notifications before payment failure, optimizing retries, using plain text emails, and localizing communication for global customers. The discussion emphasizes the importance of experimentation and offers strategies for optimizing term lengths and pricing to enhance the customer experience.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Reduce cancellations by 10-20% through effective salvage offers and offboarding.
• Payment failures are a major cause of customer loss, with 130+ unique reasons for card failures.
• Email notifications before payment failure can lead to higher cancellations, so use in-app messaging instead.
• Implement your own retries, targeting specific times for maximum success.
• Plain text emails perform better for payment failure notifications, resulting in 7-10% higher conversion rates.
• Localizing communication in the customer's native language can improve retention by 10% or more.
• Experimentation is key – aim for one experiment a quarter to continuously improve customer retention.
• Month-to-month pricing can reduce friction in the buying process, leading to higher conversion rates and easier upsells.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Payment failures are the largest single bucket of lost customers."
• "Aim for one experiment a quarter. If it works, great, fold it into the default experience. If it doesn't, kill it."
• "Month-to-month is such a hack for enterprise products because it reduces the risk, and people can try it."
• "Most people just want to get in and play with the tool and make sure it gets value."

You can find out more about Neel Desai in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Neel Desai
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Neel Desai, Director of Product at Paddle, shares valuable insights into boosting customer Lifetime Value (LTV) through tactical strategies. He highlights the importance of understanding that not all retention efforts are created equal and discusses how to implement strategies with high impact and low effort. Neil delves into the power of plan optimization, conversion from monthly to annual plans, and effective win-back and cancellation strategies. If you're looking to enhance your LTV and reduce churn, this episode provides actionable tactics to implement today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Not all retention strategies are equally effective. Some tactical levers can significantly boost LTV with relatively low effort.
• Longer-term plans, such as quarterly and annual options, result in much higher LTV in both B2C and B2B SaaS.
• To encourage customers to opt for annual plans, it's essential to time your outreach correctly, usually around the 8-12 week mark.
• Use plain text emails and quantify the discount in months free rather than a percentage to increase conversion rates.
• Implement win-back and cancellation strategies by cataloging why customers are leaving, offering salvage or discounted plans, and being explicit about renewals to reduce churn.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Not all retention is created equal. Some of these things like improving time to value or upsells are strategic projects. However, there are tactical improvements with high impact and low effort."
• "Longer term plans typically mean much higher lifetime value. Your power users opt into longer terms to get more benefit from your product."
• "When it comes to cancellations, it's crucial to understand why customers are leaving and predict future churn moments."
• "Use plain text emails and quantify the discount in months free to boost the conversion to annual plans."
• "Implement win-back strategies, offer salvage plans, and be explicit about renewals to save as many customers as possible."

You can find out more about Neel Desai in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Neel Desai
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Amy Beaudoin shares her expertise on competitive intelligence and why it's about much more than just feature comparisons. She discusses the importance of creating battle cards that highlight the holistic customer experience, quotes, category leadership, unique features, and weaknesses of your product in relation to competitors. Amy also emphasizes the value of interviewing customers who have switched and shares insights on how to approach feature comparisons strategically.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Competitive intelligence goes beyond feature comparisons; it's about showcasing the overall customer experience.
• Battle cards should emphasize customer success, category leadership, unique product features, and weaknesses in the competition.
• Interviewing customers who have switched provides valuable insights and credibility.
• When using feature comparisons, focus on highlighting critical features and explaining why they're better.
• Third-party endorsements, like Forrester Waves, can be powerful in side-by-side comparisons.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Competitive intelligence is really knowing how good your business is versus the competition."
• "The richer the story around what you're solving, the better."
• "Highlight the ones that are critical and show how your software is better."

You can find out more about Amy Beaudoin in the link below: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-beaudoin/

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Amy Beaudoin
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Amy Beaudoin, Product Marketing Director at Visier. Amy shares her insights on why competitive intelligence goes far beyond a simple feature-by-feature comparison. Learn how to differentiate your product or service from competitors, make informed decisions, and create a compelling sales strategy. Discover the various aspects of competitive intelligence, from customer experiences to pricing strategies and product vision. Amy's practical advice will help you stay ahead in the competitive landscape.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Competitive intelligence isn't just about comparing features; it's about understanding the overall customer experience, sales process, and more.
• Highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, including service quality and support.
• Utilize third-party interviews with customers to gain unbiased insights into why they chose or switched products.
• Evaluate pricing strategies and how your competitor's pricing may affect your market positioning.
• Leverage analyst reports to understand how your competitors are perceived in the industry and their long-term vision.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Sometimes you can't compete at all if you're going feature by feature." - Amy Beaudoin
• "You want to highlight the fact that you're able to get answers to your questions a lot faster than your competitors." - Amy Beaudoin
• "Your customers want to make sure that you're going to continuously innovate and keep up with market demands." - Amy Beaudoin
• "Competitive intelligence is about understanding not just the software but the overall experience, from buying to post-purchase." - Amy Beaudoin

You can find out more about Amy Beaudoin in the link below: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-beaudoin/

HOST: Gary Amaral

GUEST: Amy Beaudoin
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Jacki Leahy, the founder of Activate the Magic and a Salesforce consultant, and Joe Aicher dive into the complexities of Revenue Operations. They discuss the challenges of achieving a single source of truth and the importance of fostering alignment within organizations. Jacki emphasizes the need for a data dictionary squad and highlights the significance of cross-functional collaboration. The conversation also touches on the evolution of RevOps tech stack, with Jacki recommending middleware solutions like Synchry to normalize and orchestrate data effectively. Join this discussion to gain insights into how RevOps professionals can navigate the world of data ambiguity and drive success in their roles.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• RevOps professionals should not be swayed by conventional wisdom but instead approach their roles with self-confidence and a touch of humor.
• Building a data dictionary squad with cross-functional team members can help organizations align on key metrics and definitions.
• The absence of a single source of truth is a common challenge, and data normalization and orchestration are crucial for successful RevOps.
• The choice of the main source of truth (CRM, data warehouse, etc.) depends on the company's stage and needs.
• Fostering collaboration and alignment in the early stages of data architecture design is vital to avoid data fiefdoms and conflicts.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
• "The more we come to the table together to figure it out in the beginning, the better."
• "It's just, it's everywhere, and it sucks."

You can find out more about Jacki Leahy in the link below: 

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

HOST: Joe Aicher
GUEST: Jacki Leahy
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Jacki Leahy, the founder of Activate the Magic and a Salesforce consultant, shares her perspective on the concept of a "single source of truth" in business operations. She humorously dissects the idea and offers practical insights on how to navigate the complexities of data management and integration in today's business landscape. With a touch of Mean Girls humor and real-life anecdotes, Jacki challenges the conventional wisdom and presents a more nuanced approach to data management that is both informative and entertaining.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Single Source of Truth Paradox: Jacki discusses the Dunning-Kruger effect and how the more she learned about data, the more she realized how little she knew. She questions the existence of a universal single source of truth for organizations.
• Contextual Truth: Jacki suggests that different departments within an organization may have their own "single source of truth," and that the concept is highly contextual and relative.
• Middleware Evolution: Jacki highlights the limitations of traditional middleware solutions, which can break easily with minor changes. She introduces the idea of Middleware 2.0, a distributed approach that can better accommodate the complexities of modern data management.
• Data Dictionary: To bridge communication gaps, Jacki recommends creating a data dictionary that establishes common definitions within the organization, beyond software-specific definitions.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "The more I learn about data and how it works, the more I realize that I actually know nothing. I know nothing."
• "We're not special; we're all pretty much the same. So all these software solutions saying you're special, you need this – no, we're not special."
• "Manage project expectations – push back on the highfalutin idea of a single source of truth for the entire organization."
• "When we say customer, what do we actually mean? What's our organization's definition beyond software-specific definitions?"
• "Consider a distributed source of truth approach, like Middleware 2.0, to keep data in sync across the organization without being tied to a single platform."

You can find out more about Jacki Leahy in the link below: 

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

HOST: Joe Aicher
GUEST: Jacki Leahy
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Karl Wierzbicki, a VP Sales & Marketing at Weavik Inc., shares a real-world case study from his marketing experience. He dives into a campaign that underwent a significant strategic shift and discusses the challenges that arose during its execution. Karl highlights the importance of recognizing and learning from marketing failures, emphasizing the need for post-mortems and adjustments to prevent making the same mistakes in the future. The episode provides valuable insights into normalizing the idea that marketing is a probabilistic endeavor and the importance of credibility and systematic problem-solving in marketing strategies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Marketing as a Probabilistic Endeavor: Marketing involves making a portfolio of initiatives, some of which will succeed, while others may fail. Normalizing this idea is essential in the marketing profession.
• The Value of Post-Mortems: After a marketing initiative fails, conducting a thorough post-mortem to understand the root causes and make adjustments is crucial to prevent similar failures in the future.
• Credibility in Marketing: Demonstrating seriousness in addressing failures and implementing procedures to avoid recurring mistakes is vital for building credibility with the CEO, CFO, and the entire organization.
• Continuous Improvement: Marketing is an ongoing process, and learning from failures is an essential part of continuous improvement in marketing strategies.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "We were gambling with an unproven go-to-market strategy."
• "You want to make winning bets more often than you make losing bets."
• "The signals that you send after making a losing bet are extremely important to your credibility."
• "To me, it comes down to having credibility with the CEO, having credibility with the CFO, and having credibility with the rest of the organization."

You can find out more about Karl in the link below: 

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

HOST: Armando Biondi
GUEST: Karl Wierzbicki
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Karl Wierzbicki, a VP Sales & Marketing at Weavik Inc., challenges the conventional wisdom by arguing that every company should fail at marketing. He highlights the rapidly changing and unpredictable nature of the business world, emphasizing the need for adaptability and resilience. Karl delves into the valuable lessons that can be learned from marketing failures, including the opportunity to reevaluate assumptions, refresh foundational elements, and build habits that enhance a company's ability to respond to a dynamic environment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The VUCA World: The volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) nature of the business world makes it impossible to make perfect decisions, and the pace of change is outstripping companies' ability to adapt.
• Common Challenges: Karl outlines various challenges, such as chaotic workforces, talent shortages, enduring economic pessimism, and the increasing importance of AI in business strategy.
• Topic Avoidance: Avoiding discussions about marketing failures can be detrimental, as it often unfairly attributes blame to marketing teams and prevents a holistic examination of the root causes.
• Loss Aversion: The fear of failure can lead to making safer, smaller bets in marketing, hindering the pursuit of bold strategies with significant rewards.
• Shiny Object Syndrome: Blaming marketing tools for failures without a deep dive into root causes can perpetuate the belief that the latest technology is the solution, when in fact, the problem may be more fundamental.
• Learning from Failure: Embracing marketing failures as valuable data points can lead to improved collaboration, reassessment of foundational elements like ideal customer profiles and messaging, and the development of resilience in go-to-market strategies.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "We live in a world where we don't have all of the information or the opportunity to make perfect decisions."
• "Failure is good practice for adaptation and innovation. Take advantage of it."

You can find out more about Karl in the link below: 

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

HOST: Armando Biondi
GUEST: Karl Wierzbicki
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Erol Toker, discusses a radical shift in sales and marketing strategies that prioritize the customer's journey over traditional sales tactics. Erol shares insights into how his team stopped doing live demos and started creating videos tailored to customers' specific needs, making the sales process more efficient. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer's "job to be done" and using this perspective to attract the right customers. Additionally, Erol challenges the conventional wisdom of sales conversations, revealing how talking more and asking fewer questions can lead to successful deals. This episode explores the changing landscape of sales and the role of Revenue Operations (RevOps) in driving this transformation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Customer-Centric Approach: Prioritizing the customer's journey and empathizing with their specific needs can greatly improve the sales process.
• Job to Be Done: Understanding the customer's unique situation and buying motivation is key to attracting the right customers.
• The Power of Informed Marketing: Tailoring your outreach to the prospect's specific situation, supported by research, can lead to more meaningful conversations.
• Rethinking Sales Conversations: Contrary to conventional wisdom, successful sales may involve more talking from your side and fewer questions, provided you've done your marketing homework.
• The Future of Sales: Sales is evolving, and RevOps is playing a pivotal role in driving this transformation.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Stop trying to make your reps more efficient; make the customer's journey more efficient, and everything will figure itself out."
• "Understanding the customer's unique situation and buying motivation is key to attracting the right customers."
• "If you can map the right person to your product and have a real strategy around that, they will be asking you the questions."

You can find out more about Erol in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Erol Toker
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Gary Amaral welcomes Erol Toker, a seasoned CEO and co-founder with extensive experience in the revenue operations (rev ops) space. Erol shares his journey and the valuable lessons he learned from his time as a CEO, emphasizing the need to reevaluate traditional sales approaches. He discusses how companies can improve their processes by shifting the focus from sales metrics to customer-centric strategies. Erol's insights shed light on why it's essential to redefine the role of sales in the modern business landscape.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Metrics can be deceiving: Today's best-in-class metrics may not be relevant in the future, and it's easy to deceive yourself if you isolate metrics without considering the bigger picture.
• Problems originate in various departments: Many challenges in business don't have a single root cause but are interconnected across different departments, making it vital to take a holistic approach to problem-solving.
• Rethinking the role of sales: Errol questions whether the effort and complexity of scaling a sales team are worth it, urging businesses to focus on the ultimate goal of making the right customers come in the door and have a seamless experience.
• Customer-centric approach: Shifting the perspective to understand what the ideal customer looks like, what they need to see, and how to meet their needs can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "It's really easy to kid yourself if you break down and silo your metrics and say, we are absolutely crushing it. And there's only one problem over there, but everything else is going great. Never works that way."
• "The job of sales is to make the business successful. Rather than talking about making sales, having a great marketing department, a great sales department, what does it mean for the business to be successful?"
• "The best fit customers are always the quietest and they always renew and they always pay more than everybody else."

You can find out more about Erol in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Erol Toker
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Dave Shanley, the founder and CEO of Content Camel, shares his insights on building a systematic approach to understanding and addressing customer pain points in B2B sales and marketing. He emphasizes the importance of going beyond surface-level marketing tactics and digging deep into the real frustrations of your target audience. Dave discusses strategies for engaging with diverse buying committees and even involving the CFO in the sales process. Discover how to equip your team to become effective "pain point sellers" and gain valuable insights into the current macroeconomic conditions affecting B2B sales.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Building a systematic approach to understanding customer pain points is essential for successful B2B sales and marketing.
• Avoid copying what others are doing and instead focus on resonating with the real problems and frustrations of your target audience.
• In complex buying scenarios with multiple decision-makers, start each conversation from scratch, ensuring all participants' concerns are addressed.
• Involve the CFO indirectly by understanding their priorities and anchoring your pitch in ways that align with their objectives.
• Utilize a systematic approach to consistently surface and address pain points, whether through warm leads, lead generation funnels, or online communities.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "You want to like think through this and really like really just think this up from like the, from the ground up." - Dave Shanley
• "What you read online is not always the truth." - Dave Shanley
• "You're turning them into sellers, but in a really systematic way." - Dave Shanley

You can find out more about Dave in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Dave Shanley
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Dave Shanley, the founder and CEO of Content Camel, dive deep into the world of B2B sales. Dave, with his unique background as a technical founder, shares invaluable insights into the power of urgency in B2B sales. This isn't just about value propositions or organizational pain points – it's about understanding the individual decision-makers, their fears, and their frustrations. Dave reveals how to tailor your messaging, align sales and marketing efforts, and consistently drive urgency to close deals successfully.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Urgency is the key to success in B2B sales.
• Instead of chasing gimmicks, focus on a repeatable system to drive results.
• Tailor your messaging to the individual decision-makers and their personal pain points.
• Reinforce these pains and frustrations consistently throughout your sales process.
• Highlight the gap between their current situation and the impact of doing nothing.
• Use prospects' own words to maintain consistency and drive urgency.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "It's really about what's the one thing you focus on? It's urgency and driving and getting deals done."
• "You could literally be handing gold bricks out on the side of the street, and people will be like, 'I'm too busy.'"
• "People are hardwired to be consistent. They don't want to be inconsistent."

You can find out more about Dave in the link below: 

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

HOST: Gary Amaral
GUEST: Dave Shanley
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Katheline Jean-Pierre Coleman explores the critical relationship between marketing and finance within organizations. Drawing inspiration from the world of dating, she introduces the concept of "DTR" (Define the Relationship) to assess where your marketing and finance teams stand. Are they siloed or collaborating? Do they operate with doubt or trust? Katheline breaks down the journey towards a mature relationship between these essential departments, providing actionable steps for alignment. She shares insights from Anushka Elliot, the global brand managing director at the Royal Bank of Canada, on how she bridged the gap between marketing and finance. Katheline's three key tips—shedding marketing jargon, securing a seat at the decision-making table, and becoming indispensable—serve as a roadmap for success in this dynamic relationship.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "DTR, or Define the Relationship, is a term we use in dating, but it's equally valuable for understanding the marketing and finance relationship in organizations."
• "Building a long-term relationship between marketing and finance is about fostering trust. You can evolve from being remote to evolving and, eventually, mature."
• "To win more budget and create more value, get out of the marketing lingo."
• "Be the steak, not the gravy. Get closer to the financial team, the board, and prove your critical role in driving growth."

You can find out more about Katheline in the link below: 

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

HOST: Joe Aicher
GUEST: Katheline Jean-Pierre Coleman
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Katheline Jean-Pierre, a senior director at LinkedIn with extensive experience at Google and in the startup world, discusses the crucial intersection of marketing and finance. She emphasizes the need for marketers to understand financial metrics and align their efforts with the organization's goals, ultimately driving value, profitability, and revenue growth. Kathleen introduces the "Value Framework" to guide marketers in this alignment process and shares insights on how marketing can contribute to margin and profit. Join us to learn how to evolve from marketing to moneymaking!

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "We need to focus on the steak and not the gravy."
• "Marketing really drives shareholder value and profitability, which is the name of the game."
• "The financial literacy is not present in marketing across different levels."
• "You have to provide evidence with an empirical mindset, looking at data beyond digital."

You can find out more about Katheline in the link below: 

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

HOST: Joe Aicher
GUEST: Katheline Jean-Pierre Coleman
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Thomas Shields, a seasoned product marketing leader with over a decade of experience in the B2B SaaS world, and Armando Biondi dive into the intriguing world of category creation within the business landscape. They discuss the critical questions companies should ask before venturing into category creation, the challenges and expenses associated with it, and how it can be a game-changer for businesses looking to stand out in competitive markets.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Ultimately, the value of having a new category has to be greater than the value of your solution existing in an established category." - Thomas Shields
• "Category creation is expensive, but sometimes making big investments if you're a small growing company is the right move." - Thomas Shields
• "It's not something that, if you have everyone in a strong signal from everyone, then yeah, the answer is yes. This is where a little bit of the art comes in." - Thomas Shields
• "There are more categories maybe than a lot of the kind of naysayers think." - Armando Biondi
• "The only time you're going to be a single player in a category will largely be related if you have really high network effects." - Thomas Shields

You can find out more about Thomas in the link below: 

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

HOST: Armando Biondi
GUEST: Thomas Shields
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Thomas Shields, a seasoned product marketing leader with over a decade of experience in the B2B SaaS world, takes us on a deep dive into the world of category creation. Thomas shares his valuable insights and a five-question framework to help businesses assess whether pursuing a category creation strategy is the right move. From the importance of positioning in existing markets to understanding shifts in audience needs and ecosystem building, Thomas provides actionable advice for those considering this high-risk, high-reward strategy.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "We need to explore whether pursuing a category creation strategy is the right move. It's a decision that carries significant implications for the ultimate success of your business and products."
• "The increased risk being that the company will not ultimately succeed—this sort of bias in the data of the study is called survivorship bias."
• "Is there an ecosystem that we believe exists or can develop around this category? What does that look like? Well, it could be as simple as customers talking about the category, buying into it, discussing things online, like the unique challenges they faced and how old solutions don't work as well today."
• "Brute forcing this is really hard, unless maybe you're Apple and you have those kinds of resources, but you need to be really crafting your strategy to make sure you leverage your resources intelligently."

You can find out more about Thomas in the link below: 

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

HOST: Armando Biondi
GUEST: Thomas Shields
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Armando and Gary dive deep into the world of data analytics. They discuss the importance of cohorted breakdowns in understanding data sets, the Pareto Principle, and the art of making data-driven decisions. Discover how focusing on specific cohorts can transform your decision-making process and drive revenue growth. Get ready to unlock the potential of data-driven insights that go beyond averages.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Always ask for cohorted breakdowns of key relevant data sets when making important decisions.
• Understand the Pareto Principle: 20% of inputs generate 80% of outputs.
• Trade-offs are essential when parsing through data; prioritize what matters most.
• Data tells a story, but breakdowns tell a better story by pinpointing what truly impacts your objectives.
• Data-driven decisions based on average data yield average results; aim for more.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Data-driven decisions based on average data will only get you average results."
• "Focus and sacrifice are key when making operational decisions based on data."
• "Granularity in cohorted views drives operational decisions, emphasizing the importance of focus and sacrifice."

You can find out more about Armando Biondi in the link below: 

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

HOST(s): Armando Biondi, Gary Amaral
GUEST: -
Breadcrumbs Podcast

In this episode of The Revenue Cafe Podcast by Breadcrumbs Hot Takes Live, Armando Biondi, the co-founder and CEO of Breadcrumbs, takes us on a journey through the world of data analysis and why relying solely on averages can limit your company's potential. With real-world examples and practical insights, Armando explains how breaking down data into cohorts and understanding their behavior can lead to more informed decision-making and significant business growth. Join us as we dive deep into the importance of data granularity and discover how to unlock your company's full potential.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Averages Aren't Enough: Averages often oversimplify data. To gain a deeper understanding of your business performance, break down data into cohorts based on different behaviors or characteristics.
• Cohort Analysis: Cohort analysis can reveal hidden insights. Armando shares examples of how different customer cohorts can dramatically impact key metrics like conversion rates and average contract values.
• Informed Decision-Making: By focusing on cohort analysis, businesses can make more informed decisions and allocate resources effectively to areas that truly move the needle.
• Benchmarking: Benchmarking against cohorts can help businesses set more realistic goals and understand where they stand within their industry.
• The TED for B2B Tech: HotX Live is dubbed as the TED for B2B tech, featuring short, insightful talks from industry leaders across marketing, sales, product, and operations.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

• "Averages are a lazy way of measuring, enough with that."
• "One thing is the average. The other thing is what are the cohorts? What are the different behaviors/makeups that are contributing to that average point?"
• "Isn't this a way more informative, educated way of having that conversation and a better way to focus on the things that move the needle?"
• "Benchmarking against cohorts can help businesses set more realistic goals and understand where they stand within their industry."

You can find out more about Armando Biondi in the link below: 

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

HOST: Armando Biondi
GUEST: -
Breadcrumbs Podcast