SaaS Investor POV: Marketing’s Differentiating Role, with Michelle Erickson
Release Date: 11/18/2025
SaaS Investor POV: Marketing’s Differentiating Role, with Michelle Erickson
SaaS Half Full
Every founder dreams of standing out, but too many end up sounding the same. Michelle Erikson, Vice President at Straylight Capital, has witnessed her share of B2B SaaS investment trends. In this episode, Michelle explores what she sees as the (unwelcome) “commoditization of entrepreneurship,” which sectors this benefits and diminishes, and when marketing can be the key differentiator in a crowded deal landscape. She also shares how marketers can influence investment conversations, when it’s crucial to have a “professionalized” brand, and the advantages and pitfalls of a founder-led...
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Turning Platform Data into Thought Leadership with Amy Konary
SaaS Half Full
Every SaaS company has data, but few know how to turn it into meaningful thought leadership. According to Amy Konary, Senior Vice President at Zuora and founder of The Subscribed Institute, the key lies in transforming your platform data into credible, research-driven insights that executives trust. Amy shares how she built Zuora’s The Subscribed Institute to combine proprietary data, academic partnerships, and small in-person events that spark genuine connection and executive engagement. Amy also discusses the challenges of measuring brand influence, the metrics that prove value, and how...
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Building a Global “Follow-the-Sun” Model in SaaS Marketing with Wendy White
SaaS Half Full
Every SaaS marketing leader is under pressure to go faster and do more with less. But no team can work 24/7…or can it? According to Wendy White, Chief Marketing Officer at Daxko, the “follow the sun” model of a globally distributed marketing team can unlock both speed and efficiency when built with intention. She shares lessons from nearly 20 years leading global marketing teams, including hiring trade-offs across regions, establishing rules of engagement, and creating workflows that stick. Wendy also reflects on how AI is reshaping offshore execution and why empathy and cultural...
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Keeping Up with AI-Driven Product Release Cycles, with Jarod Greene
SaaS Half Full
Every B2B SaaS company is now living in the era of AI-driven product release cycles. But do you need to overhaul your entire launch playbook? Not exactly, according to Jarod Greene, Chief Marketing Officer at Vivun. While speed to market has never been faster, the real challenge is balancing agility with consistency and making sure every update gets the right level of attention. Is it a major release, a minor update, or just maintenance? In this episode, we dive into how to adapt launch strategies for the AI era, measure success with immediate customer signals, and keep messaging...
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Marketers Moving at the Speed of AI, with Mika Yamamoto of Freshworks
SaaS Half Full
In the world of AI-powered marketing, experimentation is just the beginning. But how do you scale it for real business growth? Mika Yamamoto, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Freshworks, joins us to share her journey of moving beyond AI experimentation to driving AI-powered growth within a marketing org. From creating AI-driven customer support solutions to scaling AI tools for sales teams, Mika talks about the trials, triumphs, and the critical role of experimentation in shaping Freshworks’ AI strategy. In this episode, we talk about how to implement AI tools effectively, gain...
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How to Build SaaS Pricing Pages That Convert, with Bill Wilson
SaaS Half Full
Every B2B SaaS product needs a pricing page. Period.But, do you have to show all your cards? Not necessarily, according to Bill Wilson, founder & CEO of Pace Pricing. While full transparency is best for conversion, showing how you price is more important than what you charge. Do you bill monthly, annually, per seat, or usage based? In this episode, we dive into the do’s & don’ts of SaaS pricing pages, including UX and copy, drawing from Bill’s extensive experience helping SaaS brands redefine their pricing models and pages.
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Transitioning From Enterprise to Early Stage, A CMO Journey with Niloy Sanyal
SaaS Half Full
To say there are many SaaS CMOs and marketing leaders in transition right now is an understatement. A good chunk is going the fractional route, others are consultants, and some are looking to get out of the enterprise and shake it up at an early-stage company (or vice versa). Niloy Sanyal, CMO at LeanTaaS and former CMO at GE, details the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to jumping ship at a large organization in favor of a start up or scale up. If you are a marketing leader toying with this idea, this is the episode for you.
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A Modern Video Mindset: No Gear, No Talent, No Problem with Jeremy Toeman
SaaS Half Full
Despite marketers knowing the power of video, most only produce 0-1 videos per year. Why? They are stuck in the old mindset that “video production” requires equipment, polished spokespeople, and technical chops to polish it up. In this episode, Jeremy Toeman, founder of Augie Studios, unpacks the refreshing reality of what it takes today to make videos - which is 180 degree turn from what it was 10 years ago. Unpolished, unfiltered, and short-form video is shockingly easy to execute, but its impact on engagement and SEO is immediate. Listen to get inspiration on...
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Fractional CMOs: Behind the Role’s Rise, with Andy Culligan
SaaS Half Full
It’s no secret that the CMO tenure continues to shorten. A tough SaaS economy and higher demands for the role have led to an explosion of fractional CMOs hitting the market. with many senior SaaS marketers jumping off the full-time ship in favor of focused work across more than one brand. In this episode, Andy Culligan, fractional CMO, breaks down the benefits and barriers to fractional work - both for the marketers and the companies hiring them - and the type of SaaS companies that are best positioned to hire fractional roles.
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Building a Community: Lessons from CMO Coffee Talk, with Matt Heinz
SaaS Half Full
Many marketing leaders dream of building an owned community where customers, peers, prospects and influencers gather to openly share ideas and where engagement is super high. But, this is waaaay more difficult than most marketers dream. Why? Well, Matt Heinz, founder of Heinz Marketing and moderator of the CMO Coffee Talk community, is here to unpack what he’s learned along the way. CMO Coffee Talk has more than 3,000 members (CMO or VP-level marketers) in its Slack community, and hosts a weekly Zoom call with anywhere from 300-400 members attending. It’s a living, breathing,...
info_outlineEvery founder dreams of standing out, but too many end up sounding the same.
Michelle Erikson, Vice President at Straylight Capital, has witnessed her share of B2B SaaS investment trends. In this episode, Michelle explores what she sees as the (unwelcome) “commoditization of entrepreneurship,” which sectors this benefits and diminishes, and when marketing can be the key differentiator in a crowded deal landscape. She also shares how marketers can influence investment conversations, when it’s crucial to have a “professionalized” brand, and the advantages and pitfalls of a founder-led strategy.