The Search For Growth

In this Ask-Me-Anything session, Alfie Marsh, Co-Founder & CEO of Toolflow.ai, sits down with Devon Watts, Head of Marketing at Anrok, to discuss how to leverage AI within the marketing function. They cover a range of topics, including programmatic SEO, chatbots, content creation, and more. Here are some of the key talking points from the conversation:- Introduction to Devon Watts and her background in marketing across various companies- Overview of Anrok, a B2B SaaS company that automates sales tax compliance- Structure of Devon's marketing team at Anrok- Use of AI-powered chatbots for brainstorming and generating first drafts of content- Leveraging AI tools like Descript for video editing and transcription- Exploring programmatic SEO and its benefits for creating landing pages optimized for specific keywords- Challenges in finding accurate tax data for different jurisdictions- The potential of AI in image and video creation for marketing purposes- The importance of maintaining a unique point of view in thought leadership content- Where to find Devon and Alfie on LinkedIn and their respective company websitesTo learn more about Devon Watts and Anrok, visit their LinkedIn profiles and the website. Devon Watts:   / devonwatts  Anrok: www.anrok.comToolflow: www.toolflow.ai Alfie Marsh LinkedIn:   / alfiemarsh  Join the community and upskill with AI: https://airtable.com/appSpdQxElUSLflR... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

In this Ask-Me-Anything session, Alfie Marsh, Co-Founder & CEO of Toolflow.ai, interviews Sandy Mangat, the Head of Marketing at Pocus. They discuss the evolution of the go-to-market motion and the rise of product-led sales. Sandy provides insights into the different eras of go-to-market strategies and how AI and intent data are transforming the sales landscape. They also explore the changing role of sales teams and the importance of data literacy in revenue organizations. Key talking points:- The evolution of go-to-market strategies and the shift towards product-led sales- The importance of first-party data and intent signals in driving sales success- The emergence of intent 2.0 and the role of AI in surfacing and actioning data- The landscape of go-to-market tools and the need for consolidation and workflow integration- The future of revenue organizations and the skills needed to leverage AI effectivelyConnect with the speakers:Sandy Mangat:   / sandymangat  Alfie Marsh (Host):   / alfiemarsh  Learn more about Pocus:Website: www.pocus.comLearn more about Toolflow.ai:Website: www.toolflow.ai This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

In this episode, we have Brian Cohen, Co-Founder & CEO of Storylab.ai, joining us to discuss the power of AI in marketing and content creation. Brian shares his background in computer science and marketing, as well as his mission to support marketers in delivering valuable content to their audience. He explains how Storylab.ai utilizes AI tools to generate content and campaigns, while also emphasizing the importance of storytelling in engaging audiences. Brian and Alfie also discuss the skills needed to stay competitive in the evolving marketing landscape and the potential of AI in product marketing.Topics Discussed:The role of AI in marketing and content creationThe transition from traditional content creation to AI-powered contentThe importance of prompt writing and human judgment in AI-generated contentThe future of AI in marketing, including hyper-personalization and data analysisThe skills needed to stay relevant and competitive in the marketing fieldGuest: Brian Cohen Role: Co-Founder & CEO at Storylab.ai Company: Storylab.ai Website: https://storylab.ai/ LinkedIn:   / mrbcohen  Host: Alfie Marsh LinkedIn:   / alfiemarsh  Toolflow is an AI-powered digital workspace that enables non-technical people to build AI tools and workflows without code. To learn more about Toolflow, visit their website at www.toolflow.ai. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

In today's episode, we welcome Trevor Lee, Co-Founder & CEO at Myko AI. The platform that drives AI-powered insights to all your Salesforce data.Guest - Trevor LeeWebsite: https://www.myko.ai/Host - Alfie MarshWebsite: www.toolflow.ai Toolflow.aiToolflow.ai is an AI-powered digital workspace that enables non-technical people to build AI tools & workflows without code. You can create an account at www.toolflow.ai to find out more 💪 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

in today's episode we welcome Mark Hughes, Co-Founder & CEO @ Solidroad. Solidroad is a simulation training tool for sales and support teams. Empower your reps to perform at their best with realistic AI-powered conversations and effective feedback.Guest - Mark HughesWebsite: www.solidroad.comHost - Alfie MarshWebsite: www.toolflow.ai Toolflow.aiToolflow.ai is an AI-powered digital workspace that enables non-technical people to build AI tools & workflows without code. You can create an account at www.toolflow.ai to find out more 💪 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

Welcome to The Search For Growth, the show that takes you inside the minds of the world’s greatest startup founders and entrepreneurs.Today, it's my pleasure to introduce Bob Marsh, a seasoned sales executive with a passion for helping companies grow.Bob has spent his career in sales and sales leadership, and is currently the Chief Revenue Officer of Bluewater Technologies. Prior to that, he was the Founder and CEO of LevelEleven, a sales management system used by some of the world's most progressive sales organizations.Through building two category-creating businesses, Bob is a professional speaker on the topics of sales growth and leadership and has had the opportunity to speak at several industry leading events and been published in Fast Company,, Quotable, and the Harvard Business Review.Join us as we unpack Bob's story and learnings from his experience helping companies grow through sales and leadership. (00:00) Intro(00:51) Podcast Starts(01:47) The first $5 Bob ever earned(02:48) Lessons from working in a golf store(05:35) Pivotal failures and nearly getting fired(09:03) Why everyone hate salespeople(13:52) Defining your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP)(18:52) Becoming your true self (26:39) Building canals vs Flowing with the river(28:00) Entrepreneurs must balance optimism with paranoia (32:41) Starting LevelEleven and becoming an entrepreneur (36:42) “The Jockey & The Horse” analogy to investing(38:55) Building a SalesTech software to $5M in revenue and exiting(41:00) Finding a technical co-founder vs outsourcing your MVP(43:00) Selling LevelEleven and Bob’s first exit as a founder(45:48) Working with PE, retaining equity, and the PE playbook(49:31) Bob’s stint as a professional speaker(52:00) Rapid fire questions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

Today, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Lihong Hicken, the CEO of TheySaid, and a seasoned startup veteran.Lihong was raised in a remote village in China, and learned five languages before immigrating to the US where she then rocketed into a successful career in tech.Starting out as an individual contributor selling high school parents' education packages, Lihong quickly moved up the ladder and became one of User Testings' first female employees and later became CRO at GitPrime where she grew revenues 300-400% YoY.GitPrime’s co-founder, Ben Thompson, referred to her as "the most impactful hire they ever made”.Since then Lihong has gone on to experience 4 successful exits from acquisitions to an IPO and is currently leading “TheySaid” as CEO.Together, we unpack Lihong's story from China to the US and the learnings she’s had along the way.(01:19) Growing up in China, running family businesses(03:31) Coming to the US, visas(06:02) Growing skills throughout her career(09:02) Deciding to go to business school at Berkeley(10:14) Building the Wild Dog sales team at GitPrime(11:01) How her immigrant work ethic impacted her(17:14) Building her sales team with the customer in mind(21:58) Creating team incentives(25:48) Exits and golden handcuffs(29:47) Building ‘nuffsaid(37:29) Why NPS doesn’t cut it(45:36) How to get insights from 500 people(50:12) Customer Perceived Value(53:52) Rapid-fire questionsLihong Hicken's LinkedInTheySaid.ioCrossing the ChasmThree-Body ProblemThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

Alfie and Chris read a lot of newsletters. Here are some of our favorites and why you should subscribe to them.(01:33) Axios - A collection of newsletters across news, tech, and various industries(06:49) Not Boring - Deep dives into industries and his Weekly Dose of Optimism(10:46) Other VC Newsletters - Chamath, Marc Andreessen, Fred Wilson, Paul Graham(11:30) Matt Levine's Money Stuff - Learn complex topics in finance, law, and regulations easily (15:23) Bits about Money - About modern financial infrastructure(16:31) The Diff - Inflections in finance and tech(17:29) Thomas Tunguz - Data-driven blog about startups(18:24) Climate newsletters - Build in Climate, CTVC, Keep Cool(18:57) Marketing Examples - Explaining how marketing works through screenshots(19:50) Wait But Why - Long-form content on our past, present, and future.Other:Morning BrewThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

Alfie (and Chris) listen to a lot of podcasts. Here are some of our favorites and why you should subscribe to them.(02:59) Nathan Latka - Evaluating bootstrapped founders' numbers(09:04) Conversations with Tyler - Interviewing smart people with specificity(15:08) Tim Ferriss - Daily habits of top performers(16:21) Hacks to read non-fiction books quickly(20:06) Founders - Book summaries so you don't have to read them(22:01) Misc - Men In Blazers, The Pod has SpokenOtherAll InKnowledge ProjectThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

On today’s episode, we are joined by an incredible sales leader, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker with over two decades of experience in the field. After starting his career in sales, he went on to found the highly successful sales training and coaching firm, Vorsight, in 2005. But that's not all - he also had the vision to build one of the first conversational intelligence platforms, making him an early competitor to the likes of Gong and Chorus. Later, he sold ExecVision to Mediafly and now serves as the SVP of Sales Excellence.In today's episode, we dive deep into his journey from employee to self-employed sales trainer, and the transition into running a successful service business that later became a software company. We cover everything from the life of a solopreneur to competing with the biggest names in the game and lessons learned from being acquired.(02:14) Starting an appointment-setting business(05:22) Idea behind conversational intelligence business (09:42) Getting customers(12:01) Value of creating a training business - scaling your time(15:12) First hires, the first office(18:51) Pricing, revenue per month, margins(19:56) Building your own business with significant profitability(22:21) Building a curriculum(27:02) Why there is more to building a business than an exit(28:20) Building ExecVision and learnings from Vorsight(30:54) Value of a technical cofounder(34:18) Building two businesses at once(43:06) Splitting responsibilities with another cofounder(43:44) Process of acquisition(46:12) Learnings after acquisition - being so focused on product(51:51) Should salespeople build a software business or a service business(54:16) Don't be a destination island(55:13) Rapid-fire questionsSteve Richard's LinkedInMastering the Rockefeller HabitsCatcher in the RyeThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

On today’s show, we are joined by Will Ross the CEO & Co-Founder of Federato. After previously being an AI researcher at Stanford working on climate and atmospheric modeling, Will came up with the idea for Federato alongside his co-founder. They recently raised a $15M Series A in 2022 to help insurance carriers execute better decision-making at all levels of the underwriting process.   On today’s episode, we’re going to dive into how Federato was born, lessons from the insurance industry, and Will’s frameworks for entrepreneurs.(00:41) Federato origin story(03:33) Optimization vs classification(06:21) Meteorology and business at Stanford(09:46) How Federato helps insurance companies(16:54) Federato's MVP and first-paying customer(19:18) Targeting first customers(22:29) Why insurance companies can't do this themselves(24:03) Insurance sales hacks and using 10-ks(29:21) Pricing Federato(34:28) Federato's moat(36:32) Federato's "unreasonable hospitality"  culture  Will Ross' LinkedInFederato WebsiteUnreasonable HospitalityDouble BlindThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

Kevin Blake is one of the top entertainers in the country. He’s a San Francisco Bay Area magician and mentalist who has been featured on America’s Got Talent and Penn and Teller’s Fool Us. You can watch him at his weekly show, the Illusionist at the Palace Theater (in San Francisco), or at his in-person and virtual corporate events. In addition to magic, he’s a big swimmer and has competed in the US Olympic Team trials twice in the 50 freestyle. In this episode, we discuss how Kevin got into magic, the business dynamics of magic, what it was like to perform on national tv, and his current performances.(00:44) Getting into magic(06:31) Ethical frameworks for mentalism(08:27) First time getting paid to do magic(09:34) Doing magic as a side-gig(11:49) Moving into magic full-time during COVID(16:43) How to get audience feedback to improve(17:15) Magician pricing and distribution strategies(19:01) Impact of VC on distribution(20:44) His ideal customer profile and personal brand(24:33) Magician competition(26:17) Where magicians make money(30:41) Where magicians buy tricks(35:10) How magicians spend their time(37:55) Are magicians lonely?(39:17) Going on America's Got Talent and Penn and Teller's Fool Us(47:44) Kevin's show the Illusionist at the Palace Theater in SF(49:26) Relationship with theater and producers in regard to distribution(52:54) Rapid fire - favorite books, advice that is incorrect in magic(56:36) Where to find KevinBook Kevin for Corporate EventsThe Illusionist at the Palace Theater in SF Favorite BooksAbsolute Magic by Derren BrownTitus Groan by Mervyn PeakeThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(01:16) Background(04:26) Learnings from his first startup(06:11) Finding co-founders(09:18) Learnings from Spendesk(12:03) Pitching tent framework(17:56) Defacto(23:31) Importance of distribution(30:05) Macro interest rate trends on Defacto(33:49) Defacto geography(34:29) Rapid fire questions - Favorite books, advice that is wrongJordane Guily LinkedInThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:55) First business in Toronto(03:12) Building a zero-emissions landscaping business(06:35) Value of door-to-door sales experience(08:32) Prospecting with LinkedIn, selling to CRO of Shopify(10:41) Using the Sphere of Influence in sales(14:05) Why the first 100 days of a new hire is so valuable in sales(18:05) Think of your CRM as an iceberg(22:51) The biggest problem in sales quota attainment(27:21) How relationship signals can give you insight into your customer success strategy(33:12) Top recommendations for SDRs(36:46) How to spot job changes, where Pipeline Signals gets its data(40:31) How data is insufficient. You need sales enablement to get the full value of relationship signals(43:22) Value of outsourced labor. Building multiple businesses at once(50:13) Why picking a lane in your career is important(52:54) Rapid fire questions - favorite books and advice that is wrongJamie Shanks’ LinkedInPipeline SignalsSales for LifeGet LevrgBooksUnbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and RedemptionBuy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your EmpireSocial Selling Mastery: Scaling Up Your Sales and Marketing Machine for the Digital BuyerSPEAR Selling: The ultimate Account-Based Sales guide for the modern digital sales professionalThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:50) Starting at Beacon, a YC-backed crowdfunding journalism company(03:03) Pivoting to Chargehound(09:01) Using tech stack to get the idea for Chargehound, chargeback overview(13:53) Getting first YC customers(17:04) Identifying the correct types of customers(22:10) Identifying which is easier to sell to - customers using alternatives or ones without a solution(27:53) Leveling sales up over time(28:33) Distribution strategy and using puppies as a marketing hack at a conference(36:48) Getting acquired by PayPal - timeline, process(39:29) Getting ideas for new companies(42:20) Hiring insights(44:13) Challenges at Chargehound(45:44) Rapid fire questions - Books and pieces of advice Pallavi Kuppa-Apte's LinkedInChargehoundBooks MentionedThe Messy MiddleMaking of a ManagerWhen Breath Becomes AirThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:00) Remembering vs Experiencing Self - What is it(03:22) Peak-End Rule(05:29) Duration Neglect(14:36) Emotion in Demos(20:14) Why Journaling is ImportantBooks MentionedThinking Fast and SlowThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:00) Intro - Daniel Kahneman Thinking Fast and Slow(00:58) Defining System 1 and System 2(04:22) Cognitive friction(06:23) Pattern matching in sales and hiring(07:36) System 1 as heuristics(08:34) System 2 takes energy(10:05) Narrow vs broad framing(12:19) Narrow framing in life and the availability heuristic(15:24) Framing when making business decisions(19:45) Framing in sales(23:58) B2C as System 1, B2B as System 2 implications(29:56) Interplay between System 1 and System 2 - illusions and traps(31:38) Loss aversion and EV(34:12) The biggest competition in sales is the status quoBooks MentionedThinking Fast and SlowThe Chimp ParadoxThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:00) Intro - Founder & CEO @Lempire, Guillaume Moubeche(01:33) Growing up in Paris, first business(3:55) Starting a business with his dad(10:22) Raising $30m as a publicity stunt(15:07) Reasons for bootstrapping(16:53) Quickly profitable, early strong growth(19:36) Using community as a strategy(24:31) Deciding to take VC(29:25) Mission, narratives, and stories(36:35) Financially supporting himself in France while bootstrapping(42:42) How to measure success(45:59) Pressure of last 12 months(51:20) What's next(52:44) Rapid fire questions - books, adviceGuillaume Moubeche TwitterGuillaume Moubeche LinkedInLemlist YouTubeThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:53) Wavelength Overview(02:09) The Idea - How to better map user networks using organization data(06:02) Why Wavelength was bootstrapped(07:55) Reason for alumni networks. Importance of donations(10:37) Why Wavelength focused on data. What it does with the data(14:47) Why focus on schools(17:17) Problem of focusing on product vs distribution(19:55) Colleges vs high schools. Endowments and how they work(27:52) Importance of domain expertise(32:06) Cofounder dynamic(39:43) First customer strategy(45:30) Motivation of building Wavelength.(53:29) Major takeawaysWavelengthThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris' Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com

(00:00) Intro to Alexa(04:15) When did Alexa know she wanted to be an entrepreneur (06:20) Problems experienced at Dataminr that inspired Pocus(08:30) Stanford's "Lean Launchpad" program designed to help you launch your idea(12:15) How to choose your co-founder(20:30) Only 2.4% of VC money went to solely female founders. Alexa's tips for female founders(24:30) Importance of having the right people on your cap table(30:10) Community driven category creation(33:30) Category creation This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alfiemarsh.substack.com