Databricks Mastered the AI Wave—Founders Must Follow
"Databricks rode the 'AI Wave' better than anyone else in B2B. They were successful pre-AI, but man, JFC since then. And that's every founder's job. To ride the AI Wave." with @HarryStebbings @rodriscoll + me https://t.co/8DQ8PcZpux
13 Years of Daily Posts Built AI Knowledge Engine
👉August 22, 2012 to December 28, 2025 = 4,877 days 📖 I’ve written a SaaStr post every single day since August 22, 2012 That’s ~3.5 million words — more than 2x the entire Harry Potter series. Roughly 30+ full books. More than...
Scaling Founders Excel at Editing, Not Just Creating
Founders who scale well are better editors than creators.
Proper Account Structure Still Drives Growth and Profitability
Account structure in the ad account is still crucially important. Media buying has been simplified but overall still varies from brand to brand. We run our CPG clients drastically different than our high AOV jewelry brands. Is it most important? No. Can it still...
Even VPs Discover CEO Role Is Tougher than Expected
"I actually didn't know being CEO was this hard" -- every top VP that starts their own startup
No Time for AI? That's the Biggest Excuse
“I don’t have time to learn AI. I’m too busy with work.” is the biggest BS excuse. ‘Work’ means being useful and the definition of useful is changing. The past might’ve been designing creative by hand, today it’s orchestrating workflows for 10x...
Future‑Ready Insights: Marketing, Behaviour, Leadership Wrapped
15 minutes that’ll set you up for 2026 success? Right here. “We hosted conversations across marketing, behavioural science, leadership and the human side of growth. From these enriching discussions, we’re closing out the year with our very own Beginners Mind...
Own Your Vision, Align Agreements, Embrace Discomfort
I've been writing for most weekends this year and published close to 84,000 words on everything I'm learning, relearning, and experiencing as a CMO. But also what I'm learning about parenting, sobriety, and being a human. Going to recap the...
Stop Busywork; Focus on Actions that Move the Needle
Marketing output doesn't equal marketing impact. You can launch 10 campaigns and move nothing, post daily and still have no real brand, and spend six figures on ads and learn nothing. Motion is cheap, impact is earned. If your team is maxed out...
Email Success Comes From Relevance, Not Volume
If your emails aren’t working, it’s probably not the send volume. It’s the relevance. Too many brands get scared when unsubscribes tick up or open rates dip, so they slow things down, when what they actually need is better targeting and messaging. Stop...
Free 2026 Strategies to Get Found & Land Clients
If you’re thinking about how to get more visible and bring in more consistent clients as we move into 2026, this will be a valuable conversation to join. On Tuesday 13th January, I’m speaking at a free online event with...
Turn Slack Reactions Into High‑Signal Leads Instantly
This GTM workflow will multiply your pipeline: Scan Slack for 🔥-reacted leads → lock them into a system of record (Google Sheets is fine) → research what changed recently (new CMO or funding round) → learn ICP patterns → generate lookalike...
Upgrade Your Audio Setup, Land $18K Contracts
I once had a client who told me they’d sign with me instantly if I upgraded my microphone setup. They loved our work but hated the way my setup sounded. I ordered an XLR mic after call and our next stage they...
Separate Paid Performance From Brand Identity for Success
Reminder that your paid performance doesn’t have to match your brand identity. Who you are for your organic audience doesn’t have to match who you need to be to sell products. Determine what matters: performance or brand. Then decide how much you’re okay...
Scaling Secrets in AI Era Revealed by 10,000 Experts
https://t.co/5gjWmKLRrD is back. MAY 12-14 2026. The Secrets to Scaling in the Age of AI 10,000 of the best sharing how it's done https://t.co/f9I8gHsF4U
Create Business Podcasts That Solve Real Buyer Problems
What kind of podcast should your business create? One that solves real problems for your buyer. Period. - Focus on being useful, not just entertaining - Interview experts, share insights, or break down trends - Keep every episode relevant to...
Performance Before Payment Secures Deals
Yesterday, I got 2 emails from vendors trying to close deals by 12/31 with me. The first was a vendor that started off a bit rough, but then really delivered. They upgraded the team on the account, and they stepped...
California Tops List as Worst State for Startup Exits
California already taxes founders far, far more than any other state. Far more. 5 worst states for startup exits (tax rate + QSBS combo): California - 13.3% + NO QSBS exclusion 💀 Hawaii - 7.25% + only 50% QSBS Alabama - 5% +...
In-Person Events Build Relational Wealth Beyond AI Hype
As marketing gets flooded with AI, one counterintuitive tactic is becoming more valuable. In-person connection. I'm talking about events. Dinners for 10 people. Mini-events for 20-30. Even larger gatherings with your customers. Nothing is going to replace human connection. Even if you don't...
AI Agents Halve B2B Sales Teams by 2026
Ok I'm not any sort of savant. But I chatted (using AI) with every SaaStr AI speaker from 2025 — from OpenAI to Anthropic to Zapier and beyond — reviewed 100+ past conversations, and synthesized what the best operators are actually...
People Decisions Drive Business Success, Not Tools
The best investment I made this year wasn’t in a channel or a tool. It was in people. As the team grows, the difference between good and great becomes leverage. Strong leadership compounds. 👉 That’s why the talent bar can’t be delegated entirely. You...
People Don’t Change; Best Marketers Tap Timeless Emotions
Marketing tactics, channels and tools change rapidly. People don’t. The best marketers find new ways to connect with old emotions.
More Ad Spend Won’t Fix a Bad Offer
Scaling paid ads doesn’t fix a broken offer. It just makes the problem more expensive. Most marketers forget that paid traffic is just amplification. If your creative isn’t converting, more spend won’t save it. If ROAS drops the moment you scale, it’s the...
Growth Requires Clear Constraints, Not Just Dashboards
Most brands don’t have a clear growth strategy. They have: • Some goals • A few dashboards • A long list of “should probably do this soon” A real growth strategy is clear constraints and ruthless priorities. That’s it. Until you define those, you’ll always mistake...
AI Disruption Hits Jobs, Margins, and Markets
📰 Top AI+B2B News - Fri, Dec 26 https://t.co/MWFHfEuzpm Top Stories: 1. A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Fleeing 2. They graduated from Stanford. Due to AI, they can't find a job 3. Oracle shares on pace for worst quarter since 2001...
Treat Creative as a Loss Bucket, Not an ROI Driver
Hot take - Creative should be a 100% loss bucket. You should never aim to have creative be an ROI positive bucket on your expenses otherwise you’re always chasing winners. When you always focus on winning ads a majority of your account...
10K+ Leaders Reveal Scaling Strategies at SaaStr AI 2026
We’re back SaaStr AI Annual 2026. May 12-14, SF Bay 10,000+ of the best sharing How to Scale in the Age of AI https://t.co/NVT7jfcW2s
Ask: Are You Using Lookalike Lists for Agency Ads?
Anyone running ads for your agency etc... are you using any LaL lists? Any interest based targeting etc...? Or just leaving things as broad? What's working well for you? Any indicators on quality etc??
Redefine B2B Personas with AI‑Driven Semantic Connections
If there ever was a time to move beyond surface-level buyer personas built on assumptions and demographics, it's now. B2B buyers have taken control and AI has irrevocably shifted the buying process... In this interview with C2 Media , I...
Mediocre VP Breeds a Cascade of Weak Hires
When you get tired, and settle on a mediocre VP You also settle on their 10-15 mediocre hires to come
Charge $3k‑$25k+ per Post Based on Revenue
If you’re an operator- creator, here’s how much you should charge per post based on your revenue (not reach): <$1M: $3k $1M-$5M: $5-10k $5M-$10M: $10-25k $10M+: $25k+ Why? Because the opportunity cost of growing your business vs posting to social is too high.
Early Customer Development Beats Niche Product Focus
My biggest marketing loss this year wasn’t one specific mistake. It was on the Karrot side of things. The product works, it still brings in leads and customers but it’s a very niche feature, and that matters more than I originally...
Stories Sell—Keep Them Concise and Memorable
Remember that time at the family reunion when your cousin droned on about his fishing trip for an hour straight? Stories are 22X more memorable than facts alone… But start rambling and people tune out. The lesson for marketers? Tell stories. Stories sell. But cut the...
Search Still Thriving: Google & Bing Ad Spend Rises
If search were dying, people wouldn't be planning on spending more on Google and Bing ads in 2026. See the chart below. https://t.co/GptknNSfgR
Fix Post‑Purchase Leaks to Recover 20‑30% Revenue
If acquisition is a faucet, retention is the plumbing. Your ads poured water in, but if your post-purchase system is full of holes, you’re just leaking revenue. Audit for: • Broken reorder flows • Dead-end thank-you pages • SMS that says nothing new • Loyalty systems...
Consistency Beats Talent in Marketing Success
Most marketers don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they can’t stay consistent. You can be a brilliant strategist, a creative wizard, or a top-tier founder, but if you can’t show up every day and keep shipping, your edge disappears. Consistency...
Invest in Key Startups for Pre‑IPO M&A Premium
Groq is a reminder that "important" startups can get a massive premium in M&A It all normalizes at IPO, more or less Valuations then are based on revenue, growth and profits But for venture, investing in important startups can lead to massive outcomes...
Turn Boring Tasks Into AI‑driven Efficiency, Then Deliver Value
Pro tip: If you're doing work that is boring and feels like a grind, you can often inject excitement by spending some time on figuring out how to do it better/smarter or in a more automated way with AI. Don't get...
Attend Few Key Events, Build Relationships Regularly
My rough advice for events, having produced many of them, with lots of data: - Go to 2 of the top events in your industry each year - Go to 2 local meet-ups, dinners, etc. in your industry each month...
AI Cites Only Top Structured Sources—Place Your Brand There
ChatGPT Doesn't Just Recommend Products. It Reveals Its Entire Playbook. The more your content appears on authoritative sites, review aggregators, and detailed Reddit threads, the more AI systems like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews will cite you as a top...
Marketers Boost 2026 Budgets for LLM SEO
SEO for LLMs like ChatGPT remains extremely popular. Just look at the 2026 budgets. Almost all marketers plan to spend more. https://t.co/wqS6ywFuIU
Consistency Beats Strategy: Test, Persist, See Results
Hard truth: If you’re not growing, it’s probably not a strategy problem, it’s a consistency problem. 90% of success as a marketer is testing, then doing the right things long enough for them to work. Most people quit long before the results...
Ship Your Plans: Execution Beats Over‑Engineering in 2026
Marketing plans without execution are just potential collecting dust. As we head into 2026, don’t over-engineer your strategy. Keep it simple and ruthlessly executable. The biggest growth next year will come from actually shipping the plans that you already have.
SEO Budgets Surge: Companies Boost Spend Into 2026
People say SEO is dead, but is it really? The companies we've talked to are increasing their budgets from 2025 to 2026. Checkout the results.
From Coder to Manager of Infinite AI Minds
Required reading for anyone who wants to level up their AI fluency. Most people in organizations are holding ‘the rearview mirror’ too sacred. It’s time to reimagine how we work and become managers of infinite minds. “My co-founder Simon was what we call...
Improving HubSpot's Core Boosts 270k Companies
These are kinds of things that delight customers (and founders). When a core part of HubSpot gets better, 270k companies benefit.
LinkedIn Bans AI SDR Spam, Proving Quantity Fails
The AI SDR model just got its death sentence. LinkedIn banned Artisan (raised $35m) and their entire leadership team - for spamming the platform into oblivion. Let that sink in. This isn’t some scrappy startup getting slapped. This is a...
Startups Now Dictate the Standards for Incumbents
This is how it used to be between startups and incumbents. Now the smallest player can shape the environment the incumbent is judged inside. https://t.co/R7sbpfhGV0
Turning Mergers Into Synergy: 1+1=3
1 + 1 = 3: Successfully Navigating Post-Merger Integrations https://t.co/Qwfo9TA8XC via @TTCapPartners #mergers https://t.co/S4PM5RoY6m
Cold Emailing VCs Succeeds at Seed Stage
Yes, cold email to VCs works. Especially at Seed and earlier -> https://t.co/ibiQ9FIQyV
