RS309: Growth Fundamentals Most Founders Get Wrong

RS309: Growth Fundamentals Most Founders Get Wrong

Author: RogueStartups April 24, 2024 Duration: 42:14
Alison French joins Craig behind the mic today to talk about ICP and go-to-market strategy, as well as the challenges that bootstrap founders have. We can all overcome these struggles with the right tools, systems, outlook, and determination. She commiserates with Craig about what bootstrappers have to go through and also gives some great advice for new startups and entrepreneurs.  Alison runs a boutique sales and marketing consultancy all around B2B SaaS startups. She is the Marketing Gal who got bit by the revenue bug and became passionate about helping companies scale their revenue by focusing on the intersection of sales and marketing. With over 20 years of experience in the field, she specializes in assisting B2B founders and leaders who venture into new markets. Her ultimate goal is to help you build a robust sales and marketing infrastructure that not only streamlines lead generation but also maximizes your ability to close deals. And the best part? She does all this while keeping your expenses to a minimum. Do you have any comments, questions, or topic ideas for future episodes? Send Craig an email at podcast@roguestartups.com. If you feel like our podcast has benefited you and it might benefit someone else, please share it with them. If you have a chance, give Rogue Startups a review on iTunes. We’ll see you next week! Highlights: Why everyone sucks at execution. Ideas are cheap. Execution is the hard thing. Recognize how to get out of your own way and when to delegate How can you delegate cheaply Free up your time so you can do the higher-leverage tasks Getting good content writers and/or a copy editor The entire team needs to know the values and priorities of the company People discount the importance of brand research and focus ICP: marketing, content,  When you’re taking a dollar of profit and reinvesting in growth, where do you focus? Build a prospect list and then proactively nurture that small segment Versium: matched audience media The importance of retargeting Your Dream 100 Cold E-mail: a balance of who you can go after, the right time, and the right place Starting your bootstrapped B2B business today: where do you focus? Look at your prospects, laser focus on your ICP Apollo.io for data hacking Recognizing you can’t do it all Look at your tech-stack Know, instantly, who you can delegate to Throw tasks out into the world and see what happens As a founder, you’re never going to find someone who can sell as much as you Resources:  Alison French, LinkedIn LTO.com  Follow Craig on Twitter/X Castos Founder Insights

Behind every new company is a story, and Rogue Startups digs into the real ones-the messy, uncertain, and exhilarating paths founders actually walk. This isn't about polished success tales; it's a candid look at the day-to-day grind of building a business from the ground up. You'll hear directly from entrepreneurs in the thick of it, along with seasoned experts who specialize in the crucial engines of growth: sales, marketing, and product development. Conversations focus on practical tactics, particularly around scaling productized services and SaaS offerings, exploring the real "how" behind their growth hacking strategies. The value of this podcast lies in that shared experience-hearing how others navigate the very obstacles you might be staring down, and learning what moves actually led to a win. It’s for anyone who prefers the unvarnished truth of entrepreneurship over theory, offering a sense of camaraderie and a toolbox of ideas drawn from the front lines. Tune in for authentic dialogue that skips the fluff and gets straight to the challenges and victories of building something new.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Rogue Startups
Podcast Episodes
RS358: Your Design Sucks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:07
In this episode, Craig sits down with Francois Brill, Head of Product at Castos and longtime design collaborator, for an honest and entertaining conversation about what it really takes to build great-looking products in…
RS357: I Got Hacked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:26
This week on the Rogue Startups, Craig gets roasted. He brought in experienced software engineer Brandon Hancock after building the AI-powered SaaS app Outlier largely through “vibe coding,” so Brandon could audit the en…
RS356: When to Pivot, When to Push w/ Jesse Hanley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:06
In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig sits down with Jesse Hanley, founder of Bento, for a wide-ranging conversation about building and growing SaaS businesses in the age of AI. From vibe coding and AI-assisted develo…
RS355: Code Velocity and the Future of SaaS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:05
What does it mean to be a SaaS founder in a world where AI can build features faster than we ever could? In this conversation, Craig sits down with Arvid Kahl to unpack the shifting reality of software, competition, and…
RS354: The State Of Podcasting Heading Into 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:22
Craig is back! Today, he welcomes fellow podcaster Colin Gray back to the podcast. They dive into the ever-evolving world of podcasting, reflecting on how much the landscape has shifted over the last decade and what peop…
RS353: Is This the Last Organic Marketing Channel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:57
In today’s episode, Craig sits down with SaaS founder and entrepreneur Brian Casel to talk about the future of software and AI. With years of experience building and growing SaaS companies, Brian shares his perspective o…
RS352: AI Killed Traditional Marketing – Here's What's Next [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing, has built a reputation for helping ambitious SaaS and B2B brands stand out online with data-driven growth strategies. In this episode, Craig sits down with Ross to dive int…
RS351: Why Brands Fail on Reddit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:05
Today on the podcast, Craig sits down with Reddit marketing expert Paul Xue to explore how brands can tap into one of the internet’s most engaged and skeptical communities. Reddit can be a tough nut to crack, but when ap…
RS349: Ranking In ChatGPT with Devesh Khanal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:42
Today on Rogue Startups, Craig sits with Devesh Khanal from Grow and Convert to talk about how to get your brand showing up at the top of search results in LLMs. They dive deep into the world of AI SEO—covering everythin…