If you want to work at a product-led company, read this first

How Timeless Is Timeless Advice?

This is a fascinating read about why much of the advice we get is "timeful" (not timeless), along with counterarguments and alternative ideas for each of them. Here are examples of typical advice we get: read the news daily, buy a house, save for a rainy day, travel the world, and don't rush to find love. John Luttig says we may not be better off for following this advice, after all. Which of these counterarguments do you agree with?

Lessons for the Startup C-Suite

This article is a masterclass on how to function well at the c-suite level–from leading in an executive role to holding a board seat. While there is no one playbook for making executive decisions, this is a good starting point for learning how to hire and nurture effective executive leaders, make successful leadership transitions, mine internal talent, and find great board members.  

Why Did I Leave Google, or Why Did I Stay So Long?

When Waze was acquired by Google, people who knew the traffic app's former CEO Noam Bardin thought he wouldn't last seven weeks at the tech giant. He ended up staying for seven years. In his words: "I took the acquisition as a personal challenge. I believed that I could build out Waze within Google, breaking the myth about what happens to companies after being acquired by large corporations." His breakdown of what he calls "the nature of the beast" is fascinating—as is his recap of why he finally left Google a few weeks ago.

How to Know if You're Interviewing at a Product-Led Company

Many talented product people are coming to the same conclusion: They're set up to fail. Too many companies are not set up to facilitate the collaboration of product, design, and engineering to build stuff that matters. If you're thinking about leaving your company in search of a new opportunity at an organization that is truly product-led, this is a must-read guide to help you interview companies just like you would customers. 

How Product Analytics Maturity Feeds a Product-Led Startup Strategy

Product-led startup strategy is predicated upon the assumption that the product itself will be the primary driver of customer acquisition and expansion. But for this to happen, founders have to be able to answer important questions about their most passionate users. PLG doesn't work unless you first have a very clear understanding of the value your product provides for different kinds of users. Layering in advanced product analytics helps. 

How to Solve the Marketing and Sales Feud

Within most B2B companies, marketing and sales are two of the biggest functional areas responsible for driving revenue, but they often work independently (or, even worse, seemingly against one another). If you're feeling this disconnect at your company, it probably has to do with broken communication flows, acquisition funnels, and follow-up friction. Here are some things you can do to bridge the gap between marketing and sales. 

A Definitive Guide to In-App Marketing

I don't think enough companies focus on in-app marketing. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you no longer have to market to a user once they are in your product, but every interaction impacts how a customer views your brand. In-app marketing is an important strategy for long-term brand building and retention. If you aren't actively focusing on it, read this. Your product—and your MRR— will be better for it. 

How to Optimize Your Funnels for Lead Generation in 2021

For early-stage startups, it can be tricky to know exactly where to start when it comes to qualified lead generation. This is a case study about a company that chose a blend of content, SEO, CTAs, and email marketing to generate close to 700k pageviews and 15k qualified leads. The amount of detail in this article allows you to copy-paste anything that might work particularly well for your business.