ProductLed Podcast

In this special republished episode of the ProductLed Podcast, Wes Bush and Laura Kluz discuss The Product-Led Playbook—and announce that we're giving away the entire book for FREE on October 7, 2025. This playbook is the no-BS guide to actually implementing PLG, based on analysis of 324+ companies, and explores why some product-led companies see millions in ARR while others crash and burn. The book is structured around nine components, which guide companies from building a solid foundation to scaling for exponential growth. The first stage includes crafting a winning strategy, identifying the ideal user, and creating an intentional product model. The second stage involves establishing a frictionless onboarding process and developing powerful pricing strategies. The final stage focuses on actionable data, growth processes, and team development. The playbook offers a step-by-step approach to operationalizing PLG and is full of templates and canvases designed for team collaboration. Intended primarily for B2B software founders and early-stage go-to-market teams, this playbook provides a structured method for effectively implementing PLG—and it's yours for free next week. Sign up at productled.com/newsletter to get the free playbook on October 7th. Key Moments: 02:01 – Why the playbook was created: analyzing 324+ companies to find what separates winners from losers. 04:52 – The surprising discovery: founders were more successful with PLG than senior product executives. 06:19 – The 9 components of the ProductLed System and why strategic order matters. 11:37 – How to use the playbook (hint: it's not a one-time read). 13:34 – Who this book is for and who should be involved. 14:54 – The 3 main outcomes: Effortless Revenue, Lean Scale, and Durable Growth. 17:46 – What didn't make it into the book (and why less is more). 20:37 – How to get the free audiobook starting next week.

Most SaaS founders struggle to break through the noise in an increasingly commoditized market. With everyone using the same cold email tools and personalization tactics, how do you actually stand out and scale to eight figures? In this presentation from Founder's Summit (December 2024), Nathan Latka—who's deployed $180 million across 519 SaaS deals—reveals the three proven moats that separate $10M+ companies from the rest. These aren't theoretical frameworks; they're real playbooks with actual revenue data from companies that have cracked the code. Key Highlights: 02:57: The three moats that work best for the future06:14: Build social proof monuments 11:22: How Odoo undercuts Shopify 17:04: Turn free users into marketing armies16:01: The winning strategy Resources: 💰 FounderPath  📊 getlatka.com 🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter

Most SaaS founders dream of selling their company, but few understand what makes an acquisition target attractive to buyers. What if you could learn from someone who's actually on the buying side? In this episode, Tim from SaaS.Group breaks down how they've built an $80M ARR portfolio by acquiring 25 small SaaS companies - and reveals exactly what they look for, how they evaluate deals, and what happens post-acquisition. This is a masterclass in both building businesses buyers want and understanding the acquisition landscape. Key Highlights: 03:44: Why they focus on 1-10M ARR companies versus larger deals05:01: The organic evolution toward product-led companies06:18: 100% ownership strategy - why they don't do minority stakes11:00: The $100M revenue milestone and why it's just another number16:05: First year struggles - why acquisition was meant to leapfrog early-stage pain22:10: The 6-7 core acquisition criteria that determine green lights28:00: The Rule of 40 framework for balancing growth and profitability33:17: Post-acquisition playbook - from pricing to AI positioning44:27: Biannual performance reviews and radical transparency culture49:17: Brand manager hiring - internal promotions vs technical generalists52:25: SaaS Academy and leadership development programs56:23: The three moats being built to become unstoppable58:26: Why $1B in 3 years would actually hurt the business Stop building in isolation and start understanding what buyers actually want. Whether you're planning an exit or just want to build a more valuable business, this conversation reveals the acquisition playbook from someone who's deployed $80M+ in capital. Resources: 📧 Contact Tim - tim@saas.group 💼 SaaS.Group - Acquiring profitable SaaS companies 📚 Book Recommendations - Humanocracy, Traction 🌱 Side Project - Ecosia.org (green search engine)

In this episode of the ProductLed Podcast, we’re diving into the 3X Framework—a simple yet powerful process to consistently pull the right growth levers week after week. You’ll learn how to expose your biggest bottlenecks, explore high-impact solutions, and exploit the winners to drive predictable growth. Key highlights: 00:09 – Why most founders struggle to pull the right growth levers 01:40 – The 3X Framework: Expose, Explore, Exploit 03:00 – How to avoid the “squeaky wheel syndrome” 06:06 – Case study: CloudSpot’s signup conversion challenge 12:24 – Turning solutions into quick wins, experiments, and long-term bets Resources: 🚀 Try the Growth Co-Pilot for free 📔 Learn more about the ProductLed Roadmap at productled.com/roadmap 🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter

In this episode of the ProductLed Podcast, we’re re-sharing a part of the audiobook for The ProductLed Playbook—this time diving into the Predictable Growth Process, a proven system for turning strategy into results with disciplined execution and alignment. Key highlights: 00:36 – Why execution beats innovation every time 02:00 – The Predictable Growth Process framework 02:29 – Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly meeting rhythms that drive results 12:10 – Setting top focus and projects for maximum impact 21:59 – Why speed is the ultimate competitive advantage Resources: 📖 Book your free ProductLed Growth Session here. 📔 Buy the ProductLed Playbook here. 🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter

In this episode of the ProductLed Podcast, we’re re-sharing a part of the audiobook for The ProductLed Playbook—a proven roadmap for installing the ProductLed system and transforming your business from scattered to streamlined. Key highlights: 01:34 – Why 97% of buyers want to try before they buy02:18 – Stage One: Building an unshakable foundation03:50 – Stage Two: Unlocking self-serve customers05:40 – Stage Three: Igniting exponential expansion07:29 – Why you must continually update PLG components08:22 – Quick-start action plan for implementing the system10:07 – Free Product-Led Growth Session offer Resources: 📖 Book your free ProductLed Growth Session here. 📔 Buy the ProductLed Playbook here.

Your funnel metrics are probably wrong. Not slightly off, but completely wrong. You're using Google Analytics for everything, your visitor counts include people logging into existing accounts, and you have no idea what your real conversion rates look like. In this segment from our data workshop, Claudiu from Inner Trends walks through the technical infrastructure needed to track each stage of your go-to-market funnel correctly - from accurate visitor counts to defining trackable events for your first strike moment. Key Highlights: 01:32: Why most teams don't own activation (and who should) 04:47: The 3 stages of visitor tracking - from Google Analytics to first-party data 08:09: Why your product database beats all third-party tools for signup tracking 09:14: The minimum requirements rule for setup completion 12:37: How to technically define your first strike event 17:46 Benchmarks every SaaS company should track Stop guessing at your data setup. Use this technical framework to build accurate tracking that actually reveals where your funnel breaks down. Resources: 📔 Get a copy of the Reverse Funnel Planner – ProductLed Reverse Funnel Planner 🤝 Partner with a ProductLed Implementer to scale your GTM to 8 figures and beyond. 📩 Be the first to know about free webinars! Subscribe to the ProductLed Newsletter.

After 9 years of working with SaaS companies on product-led growth, we've tried everything - consulting, services, cohorts, bestselling books. We've seen what works, what doesn't, and what most companies get wrong. The breakthrough came when we realized something: companies don't need more advice. They need someone to actually do the work with them. In this episode, Wes pulls back the curtain on exactly how ProductLed works as your PLG partner, revealing the proven system that's powered over $1 billion in self-serve revenue and why most companies fail at product-led growth. Key Highlights: 01:11: Why ProductLed exists and what we actually do01:52: The $1M+ revenue guarantee (and what it takes to qualify)03:00: The winning formula: System + Implementation + Results04:25: The full-stack PLG system breakdown07:33: Why you shouldn’t waste time on random LinkedIn experiments09:09: The embedded operator approach vs. hiring specialists14:48: The 3-stage ProductLed System (Start, Build, Scale)17:20: Your hands-on implementer: Cross-functional VP of Growth19:23: The 90-day results guarantee (unheard of in consulting)20:00: What a typical engagement looks like (the full laundry list)27:00: Why DIY PLG takes 2-3x longer and costs more long-term Your product has the potential to sell itself. This is how you unlock it. Resources: ✨ Book your free Product-Led Growth Session 📖 Explore case studies from Boomi and Enzuzo 📑 Get an overview of our approach - ProductLed: Your PLG Partner

Most product-led businesses are tracking too many metrics and missing the ones that actually matter. They're drowning in data from 35+ different sources while their biggest growth bottlenecks go unnoticed. In this episode, Wes breaks down the exact metrics that matter for product-led growth and reveals the Reverse Funnel Scorecard - a simple tool that pinpoints your #1 bottleneck so you can focus your team's efforts where they'll have the biggest impact. Key Highlights: 01:54: The "vacation bottle" test - What 10 metrics would you track?03:43: The 3 categories of metrics every PLG business needs04:29: The 6 go-to-market metrics that actually matter05:19: What makes a "first strike" vs just clicking around your product06:21: Why tracking key usage indicators prevents churn10:23: The Reverse Funnel Scorecard walkthrough11:01: Why most founders confuse strategy problems with execution problems14:16: Live example walkthrough20:02: Why you should maximize upgrades in week 1 Stop guessing what's broken in your funnel. Use this data-driven approach to identify your biggest growth bottleneck and create focused projects that actually move the needle. Resources: ProductLed Scorecard - 07 Data_ProductLed Scorecard.pdf Reverse Funnel Planner - ProductLed Reverse Funnel Planner Project Summary Template - Project Summary - Template Partner with a ProductLed Implementer to scale your GTM to 8 figures and beyond. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive more actionable advice and learn about the best PLG playbooks from fast-growing SaaS companies: ProductLed Newsletter

In this episode, Wes Bush interviews Gaurav, founder and CEO of Jeeva AI, about how they pivoted from a failed startup to building a $5M ARR AI sales platform in just 8 months.  Gaurav reveals their unconventional approach to being "different not better," and how they recently launched a PLG motion that generated 10,000+ users and $100K ARR in their first week. Key Takeaways: [00:01:32] Gaurav’s origin story [00:05:26] Building "the cursor for sales" [00:15:05] The launch strategy: Getting 320 form fills and 27 customers  [00:25:05] The feature trap: Focusing too much on new features instead of funnel optimization  [00:30:01]  The Ogilvy principle that shaped their positioning strategy [00:37:01] Breaking down their Product Hunt launch that generated 900+ upvotes [00:42:12] The two-team approach during transitions [00:51:15] Why product, customers, and hiring/firing are the only three things that matter [00:54:09] How consistent posting (2x daily) grew from 500 to 23,000 followers  [01:01:17] The mindset shift to maintaining high energy Resources:  🤖 Jeeva AI 💼 Connect with Gaurav Bhattacharya on LinkedIn 📧 Contact Gaurav at his email gaurav@jeeva.ai

Most SaaS founders track too many metrics and still have no clue where their biggest growth bottleneck actually is. They're drowning in data but starving for insights. In this episode, Wes reveals the concept of building a "reverse funnel" - a simple framework that not only identifies exactly where users are dropping off, but shows you precisely which lever to pull to hit your revenue goals. Key Highlights: 01:39: How to structure your revenue goals (MRR, ARPU, units sold)02:40: The problem with tracking too many metrics without context03:43: How to identify bottlenecks in your quarterly planning04:26: The power of increasing ARPU vs. acquiring more customers06:30: Why founders consistently miss their revenue goals Resources:  🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter 📔 Get the ProductLed Reverse Funnel Planner 💼 Connect with Wes Bush on LinkedIn

In this episode, Wes Bush interviews Philippe-Antoine Lehoux, co-founder of Missive, about how they built a $7.5M ARR email collaboration platform with a lean team of just 15 people over 9 years. Philippe reveals their unconventional approach to growth, why they ignored startup playbooks for years, and how focusing on the "first five pages" of product fundamentals helped them compete against well-funded competitors like Front. Key Takeaways: [00:02:25] The biggest challenge: scaling the founders, not just the product [00:05:45] Why they ignored startup playbooks for years [00:06:59] How Front became their biggest growth channel by creating the market category [00:12:06] The differentiation strategy: Email-centric vs customer service-centric approach [00:15:49] Philosophy of fixing "paper cuts"  [00:24:47] The depression after hitting $100K/month  [00:34:03] Current channel breakdown [00:39:41] The lean team structure [00:46:31] The 3-4 year grind from $300K to $1.2M ARR [00:50:51] Positioning as the alternative to every funded competitor early [00:56:17] What he'd do differently Resources:  📧 Missive 💼 Connect with Philippe-Antoine Lehoux on LinkedIn and X 🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter

Most founders think they're "doing PLG” simply by launching a free trial. They add a signup form, make pricing transparent, and let people try the product for free. Then they wonder why it's not working. But you've only scratched the surface. In this episode, Wes reveals why most PLG attempts fail using a perfect analogy - the "We repair what your husband fixed” marketing campaign. Just like that leaky faucet that got worse after a DIY attempt, most founders unknowingly break their growth engine by doing surface-level PLG without building the foundation underneath. Key Highlights: 01:14: Why founders need professional PLG help02:37: The surface-level PLG trap 03:43: The fastest path to value problem06:08: Strategy misalignment and unknown ideal users07:03: Random free models that deliver no outcome08:03: Missing the right data to track user success09:25: No organizational buy-in for the PLG transition11:03: Why you can't bolt PLG onto a sales-led business12:15: The $1M ARR guarantee (and July bonus offer) Stop building your house from the roof down. Use this framework to build the real foundation that makes PLG actually work. Resources:  🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter 🎓 Enroll in the ProductLed MBA 🏗️ Learn more about ProductLed Implementation 

Only 3% of B2B buyers actually want to talk to sales before trying your product. So why are most SaaS companies still structuring their entire go-to-market around that tiny minority?  Because they don't know how to execute it without destroying their current revenue. It's time to flip the script. In this episode, Wes breaks down the complete 7-part framework for transforming your business from sales-led to product-led, plus reveals why 85% of PLG transformations fail and how to avoid those fatal mistakes. Key Highlights: 01:03: The PLG spectrum - It's not all-or-nothing03:58: The compelling business case for PLG11:28: Why 85% of PLG transformations fail (and how to avoid it)14:15: 6 readiness questions before starting your transformation20:46: Building a CFO-approved business case with real ROI calculations27:29: The complete ProductLed System breakdown29:16: 4 proven strategies to get started without disrupting sales32:04: Boomi case study - How a $4B company made the switch Stop leaving money on the table with outdated sales processes. Use this battle-tested roadmap to unlock millions in hidden revenue while building a more efficient, scalable business that grows without you. Resources: 📊 ProductLed ROI Calculator 🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter 📘 Get the ProductLed Playbook

Creating effective SaaS pricing can be challenging. You need to balance customer value with business goals while making it easy for prospects to choose the right plan. In this episode, Wes reveals the exact 4-step Value Ladder Framework that top SaaS companies use to nail their pricing strategy - plus shows you how to build a complete pricing page in under 15 minutes using AI. Key Highlights: 01:03: The Value Ladder Framework overview02:06: Identifying your value metric 03:17: Finding your ideal price point04:30: Live demo - Using the ProductLed Pricing Page GPT10:00: How to determine pricing based on competitor research12:08: Designing the final pricing page with AI tools Stop guessing at your pricing.  Use this scientific framework to build pricing pages that actually convert prospects into paying customers. Resources: 🤖 ProductLed Pricing Page GPT 🖱️ Mouseflow.com (example company used in demo) 🧠 Sign up for the ProductLed Newsletter

In this episode, Wes Bush interviews Ricardo, founder of BetterPic, about how he acquired and scaled an AI headshot company from $1.5K to $270K MRR in just 18 months - all while working part-time. Ricardo reveals his acquisition strategy, focus on fundamentals, and the three key moats that make BetterPic hard to compete with in the crowded AI photo generation market. Key Takeaways: [00:01:17] The unconventional $1 acquisition story [00:05:55] The product was "complete shit" initially - 10% refund rate vs 2% today [00:11:17] Why they invested in SEO and marketing automation early on [00:14:15] Building the foundations: marketing automation flows for 20-30 users that scale to thousands [00:16:30] Scaling AOV from $15 to $47 and how it unlocked new channels [00:21:25] How 9% conversion rates attracted top affiliates (vs industry standard 1-2%) [00:24:44] The 3 moats: 24/7 support, SEO dominance, and lowest COGS in the industry [00:27:16] Building a 50/50 marketing-tech team (unusual for most tech companies) [00:32:12] Channel breakdown: 80K from affiliates, 80K from Google Ads, plus SEO and Reddit [00:39:17] Current metrics: 7,000 monthly clients, 20 team members, 3-minute support response time [00:42:07] What he'd do differently: go all-in sooner instead of staying part-time Learn more about Ricardo: Connect with Stijn on LinkedIn

After analyzing dozens of software company acquisitions and scaling teams at Microsoft, Stijn Hendrikse has identified the specific patterns that separate companies achieving explosive growth from those that plateau at $5-10M ARR. In this conversation, Wes Bush sits down with Stijn, who breaks down the T2D3 framework (Triple, Triple, Double, Double, Double) - not as a theoretical model, but as a practical roadmap he's seen work across his PE portfolio and enterprise scaling experience. This isn't about growth hacking tactics. But it's about understanding that each stage of rapid scaling requires completely different strategic muscles. The discussion reveals why most founders fail at T2D3 by trying to solve the right problems at the wrong time, how to navigate the brutal transition from startup agility to enterprise execution, and the counterintuitive reality that people - not product or market - become your primary growth constraint after $20M ARR. Key Highlights:  01:27: The T2D3 framework decoded 13:56: Why chasing new customers kills growth 17:51: The muscle-building phase that breaks most companies 24:40: The people scaling crisis 47:19: The founder bottleneck  Learn more about Stijn's work: T2D3 Book Kalungi - B2B SaaS Marketing Agency Connect with Stijn on LinkedIn

In today's episode, Wes Bush announces the launch of the Product-Led MBA, a comprehensive nine-week program designed to address the massive talent shortage in product-led growth (PLG). After nine years of helping over 400 companies generate $1 billion in self-serve revenue, he identifies a critical gap: there’s a real shortage of talent that understands the full spectrum of PLG implementation.  The Product-Led MBA teaches "full stack product-led growth," covering everything from strategy and user research to pricing, data analytics, and team building. This implementation-focused program provides real-world skills, templates, and a proven system that participants can immediately apply to any company, making it a valuable career investment in an AI-driven economy where PLG skills remain highly sought after. Key Highlights: 00:47: Massive talent shortage in PLG 03:49: Get templates and systems we use with our clients05:16: AI-proof your career with high-demand PLG skills07:34: Limited time: $549 (50% off) for first 100 people Learn more about the Product-Led MBA program

In today’s episode, Wes explores creating a frictionless onboarding experience to showcase a product’s value in under seven minutes. He introduces the Bowling Alley Framework, a strategy to direct users quickly to the value of a product by mapping out the shortest path—from sign-up to success. Wes explains that effective onboarding should eliminate unnecessary steps, label essential ones, and set up “bumpers” to guide users back if they stray. Product bumpers, like tooltips and progress bars, keep users on track, while conversational bumpers, such as emails and support messages, re-engage users who have dropped off. This combined approach helps retain new users and boosts their likelihood to upgrade. Key Highlights: 00:44: Importance of an effortless experience for retention.02:09: Overview of the Bowling Alley Framework.04:36: Building a straight line for users to see value.10:08: Adding profiling questions to personalize the user journey.14:28: How to streamline onboarding and reduce the number of steps19:05: Role of product and conversational bumpers to re-engage users You can buy The Product-Led Playbook here.

I’m taking you behind the scenes of ProductLed’s wild 8-year ride. From our embarrassing original name (“Traffic is Currency” - yikes) to helping 400+ companies generate $1B in self-serve revenue, it’s been anything but linear. I share the honest truth about riding the pandemic capital wave, the year I was completely lost, and how accidentally discovering our implementation program changed everything. Key Takeaways: [00:01:55] My first client took a chance on me [00:05:03] I was making $33K/month but was miserable [00:09:44] Writing my book in a 6-month sprint [00:13:23] How COVID forced us to pivot from workshops to cohorts [00:20:07] The accidental discovery that transformed our business model Looking back, my journey followed exactly what Jim Collins calls the “Hedgehog Concept” - first finding what makes money, then following my energy to PLG, and finally creating a unique system that could become world-class. The intersection of these three elements is where unstoppable businesses are built.