The SaaSiest Podcast

178. Maja Voje - GTM strategist and Best Selling Author - Why Every New Product (Especially AI) Needs an ECP Strategy!

In this episode, we sit down with GTM strategist and best-selling author Maja Voje to dive deep into the concept of the Early Customer Profile (ECP) - and why it’s more important than ever in the AI era. Maja explains what defines an ECP, where to find them, how to speak their language, and how to avoid the most common mistakes when launching new (especially AI-driven) products.

We explore how to validate willingness to pay, protect yourself from underpricing, and structure a GTM team for success. This episode is a must-listen for anyone launching new products or features - whether you're an early-stage startup or an established company entering new territory. Here are some of the questions we addressed with Maja:

• What is an Early Customer Profile (ECP) and how does it differ from an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?

• Where and how can you find your ECPs - especially in AI-related markets?

• How should you message and sell to early adopters who are skeptical or risk-sensitive?

• How do you validate willingness to pay before fully launching a product?

• What pricing models work best in early-stage AI product launches - and how do you avoid underpricing?

• What are the most common GTM pitfalls when launching new products or features?

• Who should be on your internal "launch squad" to successfully bring a new AI product to market?

Tune in and find out how you can successfully launch your new AI feature set.

177. Frederic Laziou, CEO, Puzzel - How to make the transition from a Feature Factory to an Outcome-Driven product approach!

In this episode, we speak with Frederic Laziou, CEO, Puzzel, a leading European provider of cloud-based contact center solutions, helping businesses deliver seamless customer service across multiple channels. Their AI-powered CX platform integrates voice, email, chat, and social media, enhancing efficiency and personalization. With 25+ years of experience, Puzzel continues to innovate, ensuring businesses stay ahead in customer engagement. 

We talked with Frederic about their journey well on their way to reaching 100m Euro in ARR, how M&A has been an important strategy, and a focus on defining a product operating model that supports sustainable and continued growth. Specifically in this episode, we discuss how a focus on building the right things from a product perspective is key, which also at times means sunseting product programs and features that don't support the P&L in a positive manner.

• How do you assess which features are adding real value versus those that are just adding complexity?
• Once you identify redundant or low-value features, what practical steps do you take to sunset them? 
• How do you communicate this to customers, and what challenges can you expect to face in ensuring a smooth transition?
• What are the biggest cultural or leadership challenges shifting from a "feature factory" mindset to an outcome-driven approach? 

This and much more. Tune in to learn mode from Frederic and his team's journey moving away from a feature factory to an outcome-driven product approach that drives tangible financial value to both the customer and the business.  

176. Maja Lindström, CPO, Talentech - Lessons learned from 8 acquisitions - The CPO perspective!

In this episode, we speak with Maja Lindström, CPO, Talentech, a leading developer of HR providing a seamless talent journey through a centralized platform. With main hubs in Oslo, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Copenhagen, Talentech's scalable solutions support every stage of the talent pipeline, offering personalization and flexibility to meet tomorrow's challenges.

We talked with Maja about their M&A journey, 8 acquisitions to date and counting, and how you make the unifying process work from a product and technical staff perspective. Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are: 

• First, what are the different underlying strategies that can fuel an M&A strategy of this nature?
• What is the process of "onboarding" separate product teams into a new unified and larger team working on a platform strategy?
• What are the most common pitfalls to avoid here, and why?
• What is the process of integrating different products, at times on different tech stacks and different maturity levels?
• To be successful with this amount of frequent and large acquisitions, it requires a lot from the organization. Which are the key players, processes and characteristics needed from an organization to be successful in a process like this?
• How do you find a balance between product autonomy vs central platform thinking to avoid losing speed in deployment and releases?

This is for all the product leaders out there and people considering an M&A strategy. Tune in to learn mode from Maja's journey of acquiring and integrating 8 product organizations into one platform unit.

175. Mie Elmkvist Schneider, VP Sales & CS, Queue-it - The Sales Leadership KPI Dashboard!

In this episode, we speak with Mie Elmkvist Schneider, VP of Sales & CS, Queue-it, a leading developer of virtual waiting room services, empowering 1,000+ organizations worldwide to build and nurture trust with 25+ billion visitors annually by delivering reliable, fair, and transparent online experiences. 

We talked with Mie about the important measures and KPIs to track for a sales leader when focusing on profitability. Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are: 

• What does your Sales Leadership Dashboard look like - what metrics are you keeping track of?
• What are the key metrics when focusing on profitability vs growth?
• Which are key metrics to focus on in new client acquisition vs existing customer expansion?
• Who is involved, why, and how in the ongoing process of monitoring these KPIs, and triggering necessary actions if/when needed based on deviations?
• What tool stack do you use to track this?

This is for all the sales leaders out there, tune in to see if your dashboard aligns with Mie's and if there are any KPIs that you also need to double down on.

174. Marie Claire Silfer Head of Community Management, SaaSiest - MC is in the house and here is why you should care!

This is a special episode with our very own MC, our new Head of Community Management over here at SaaSiest! 

We're building this community in the open together with all of you, and in this episode, we want to invite you on the inside, for you to start getting to know MC! And yes she does have full name, it is Marie Claire, but everyone calls her MC and we hope you will too 😀!

With MC's arrival, we can now get even closer to you, and create even more personal experiences and content helping you accelerate your career. As you can imagine we are thrilled to have her here and we are confident you will see the great impact from her work very soon.

So, who is this MC? What makes her all that special ❤️

Tune in and find out for yourself - you'll get to know the real MC, her story, what she'll be focusing on, and why that matters to you! 

Welcome MC!

173. Nataly Kelly, CMO, Zappi - AI or Die? How CMOs Can Prioritize AI Investments Under Pressure!

In this episode, Nataly Kelly, CMO, Zappi, a leading consumer insights platform that connects brands with consumers. Through AI-powered software that delivers connected insights, Zappi empowers brands to make faster, smarter, and consumer-driven decisions by leveraging real-time, continuous consumer feedback. 

We talked with Nataly about the pressure CMOs have to AI-enable their organization, both from internal demands as well as external requirements to stay competitive and efficient.

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are: 

• What’s the biggest misconception about adopting AI in marketing that you’ve seen among CMOs?
• With so many potential AI applications, how can CMOs determine where AI will deliver the most value for their specific organization?
  
• How should CMOs balance the pressure to adopt AI quickly with the risk of making investments that don’t deliver results?
• What metrics or indicators should CMOs use to evaluate the success of their AI initiatives?
• What are some of the common mistakes CMOs make when integrating AI into their marketing strategy, and how can they avoid them? 

It is clear that it is not about AI or not AI, it is about how and where to leverage AI for the greatest outcome of the business. Tune in to hear Nataly's thoughts on this from the CMO perspective.

172. Diane Wiredu, Founder, Lion Words - Message-Market Fit: How much does your message resonate with your customer?

In this episode, we speak to Diane Wiredu, a messaging expert and the founder of messaging consultancy Lion Words. She's been helping SaaS companies for a decade to achieve 'message-market fit. So they can cut through the noise, market more effectively, and sell more.

We speak to Diane about Message-Market fit, what it is, why it is important, and how to achieve it! We particularly discuss her take on the process of developing the right message representing your business, and the unique value it provides to customers.

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are:

• What is Message-Market fit? Why is it important?
• Why do so many companies fail with this - common red flags?
• What are the 5 process steps to achieve a good Message-Market fit?
• How do you balance internal vs external factors when defining the right messaging?
• How do you launch the new messaging, from inception to publishing it externally?

These are some of the questions we address with Diane, tune in if you also want to learn more about how to achieve Message-Market fit.

171. Dirk Sahlmer, Head of Origination, SaaS Group - 3 reasons why nobody will buy your SaaS

In this episode, we speak to Dirk Sahlmer, Head of Origination, at SaaS Group, a conglomerate of independent SaaS businesses founded by experienced industry veterans with proven entrepreneurial, investing, and product backgrounds.

Dirk speaks to 500+ SaaS CEOs a year and has a firm take on what good looks like! We particularly discuss his take on Exit Readiness from a founder and business perspective, which KPIs to have in order, what process to be ready for, and more.

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are:

• When is a good time to sell your SaaS business?
• Which are the key value drivers defining the value of your business?
• What common red flags will lead an acquirer to pass on you? 
• What type of historical and current data do you need to have available at all times, ready to share with an acquirer?  

These are some of the questions we address with Dirk, and if you’re a founder looking to sell your SaaS you'll find this episode useful. Tune in!

170. Wendy Harris, Revenue Leadership Coach - What is the single most important trait to have as a Revenue leader?

In this episode, Wendy Harris, a seasoned revenue leader from DropBox, Gong, and others, now a founder of The Wendy Harris, a Leadership Coaching Academy, shares her learning on what good and successful leadership looks like.

We talked to Wendy about the critical aspects of leadership in revenue organizations, emphasizing the importance of honest communication, accountability, and self-awareness. We discussed the critical aspects of what a good leader looks like,  mapping it out on her Flamingo Leadership Framework:

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are:

• What is the single most important trait to have as a SaaS Revenue leader?
• What sets strong-performing leaders apart from average ones?
• How can you use the Flamingo Leadership framework to evolve leaders in your organization?
• How do you as a leader create a feedback culture? 
• Why should employees choose the boss instead of the job?

If you’re interested in learning more about effective leadership or if you just want to find out if you're a pigeon, flamingo, or peacock  - tune in!

169. Adam Holmgren, Head of Demand Gen, Rillion - A 3 step approach on how to run successful Linkedin Ad Campaigns!

In this episode, Adam Holmgren, Head of Demand Gen, Rillion, the Accounts Payable Automation Software supporting over 3,000 companies across over 50 countries.

We talked with Adam about the process and structure of running successful LinkedIn ad Campaigns, particularly looking into the flow and goals of the different layers of a campaign.  

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode are: 

• How the Linkedin Ad Platform is fundamentally different from other platforms and thus requires a different approach?
• What is the best way to define and continuously refine target lists for best outcomes?
• Which are the 3 key layers in a successful campaign?
• Understanding why your goal is not to drive traffic to your site in the first cold layer of the campaign process?
• How do you design a good retargeting strategy to continue to drive the demand?
• What is the look and feel of a good ad? What is the breakthrough of a few examples?
• How should you measure ROI on LinkedIn ad spend?

If you’re keen to step up your Linkedin Ad game this is a must listen to episode - Tune in!