In this enlightening episode of Founders' Marketing Compass, host Etgar Shpivak interviews Dor Eligula, CEO and co-founder of Bridgewise. As a second-time founder at just 29, Dor shares invaluable insights from his journey leading a successful FinTech enterprise. The conversation delves deep into the evolution of marketing KPIs in B2B enterprise software, featuring a fascinating case study of Bridgewise's successful expansion into the Japanese market. Dor reveals how his team's data-driven approach led them to pursue Japan despite skepticism from investors, ultimately securing partnerships with giants like the Japanese Stock Exchange and Rakuten Securities. The episode offers unique perspectives on managing marketing-sales team dynamics, compensation structures that align interests, and crucial qualities to look for when hiring marketing leadership. Whether you're a founder navigating growth stages or a marketing professional in the B2B space, this episode provides actionable insights for building successful marketing strategies.

Key Takeaways:

* Marketing KPIs should evolve with company growth stages - what works in year one won't necessarily work in year three

* Data-driven market research can reveal unexpected opportunities - as demonstrated by Bridgewise's successful Japan expansion

* High-touch, relationship-based marketing activities like intimate executive dinners can yield better ROI than large-scale campaigns

* Aligning sales and marketing team compensation with the same metrics reduces interdepartmental tension

* Look for marketing leaders with actual sales experience who understand the day-to-day challenges of closing deals

* Strong personal references are crucial when hiring marketing leadership

* Don't settle for less than A-players, even if it means hiring fewer people

* Founders should trust their marketing experts and provide them with necessary resources rather than trying to control everything

* Early investment in top talent, though expensive, yields better results than trying to save money on personnel

* Build your company's motivation around something that drives you to make "irrational" decisions necessary for success

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction and Background

3:05 - Defining Marketing KPIs in B2B

5:50 - Market Expansion Strategy

7:36 - Japan Market Entry Decision

10:47 - Building Trust in New Markets

14:13 - Managing Sales-Marketing Alignment

16:23 - Key Qualities in Marketing Leadership

20:18 - Identifying Genuine Marketing Talent

22:53 - Common Founder Mistakes

24:55 - Startup Management Misconceptions

28:06 - Finding Entrepreneurial Motivation

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Dor's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreligula/

Etgar's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/etgar/

Keywords: B2B marketing, enterprise software, startup growth, marketing KPIs, sales-marketing alignment, talent acquisition, Japanese market entry, FinTech, leadership development, entrepreneurship, market research, team building, business development, startup scaling, international expansion

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit etgar.substack.com