SaaS Half Full

Every founder dreams of standing out, but too many end up sounding the same. Michelle Erikson, Vice President at Straylight Capital, has witnessed her share of B2B SaaS investment trends. In this episode, Michelle explores what she sees as the (unwelcome) "commoditization of entrepreneurship," which sectors this benefits and diminishes, and when marketing can be the key differentiator in a crowded deal landscape. She also shares how marketers can influence investment conversations, when it's crucial to have a "professionalized" brand, and the advantages and pitfalls of a founder-led strategy.

Every SaaS company has data, but few know how to turn it into meaningful thought leadership. According to Amy Konary, Senior Vice President at Zuora and founder of The Subscribed Institute, the key lies in transforming your platform data into credible, research-driven insights that executives trust. Amy shares how she built Zuora's The Subscribed Institute to combine proprietary data, academic partnerships, and small in-person events that spark genuine connection and executive engagement. Amy also discusses the challenges of measuring brand influence, the metrics that prove value, and how other SaaS marketers can start small, partnering with their data science teams to uncover insights that drive demand, credibility, and long-term relationships.

Every SaaS marketing leader is under pressure to go faster and do more with less. But no team can work 24/7…or can it? According to Wendy White, Chief Marketing Officer at Daxko, the "follow the sun" model of a globally distributed marketing team can unlock both speed and efficiency when built with intention. She shares lessons from nearly 20 years leading global marketing teams, including hiring trade-offs across regions, establishing rules of engagement, and creating workflows that stick. Wendy also reflects on how AI is reshaping offshore execution and why empathy and cultural awareness matter as much as KPIs in global collaboration.

Every B2B SaaS company is now living in the era of AI-driven product release cycles. But do you need to overhaul your entire launch playbook? Not exactly, according to Jarod Greene, Chief Marketing Officer at Vivun. While speed to market has never been faster, the real challenge is balancing agility with consistency and making sure every update gets the right level of attention. Is it a major release, a minor update, or just maintenance? In this episode, we dive into how to adapt launch strategies for the AI era, measure success with immediate customer signals, and keep messaging consistent even when product roadmaps change overnight.

In the world of AI-powered marketing, experimentation is just the beginning. But how do you scale it for real business growth? Mika Yamamoto, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Freshworks, joins us to share her journey of moving beyond AI experimentation to driving AI-powered growth within a marketing org. From creating AI-driven customer support solutions to scaling AI tools for sales teams, Mika talks about the trials, triumphs, and the critical role of experimentation in shaping Freshworks' AI strategy. In this episode, we talk about how to implement AI tools effectively, gain executive buy-in, and unlock true growth potential with AI.