BUILD with Blake Bartlett

OpenView Venture Partners
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MARKETING
BUILD with Blake Bartlett

It takes 3 ingredients to build a software startup in today’s wild market: people, product and growth. Easier said than done. BUILD is here to help by featuring conversations between venture capitalist Blake Bartlett and the smartest folks in software. OpenView is a VC firm that invests in amazing companies like Datadog, Expensify and Calendly. Visit ov.vc for more details.

  1. Alex MacCaw (Clearbit & Reflect): Everything I’ve Learned as Startup Founder

    17/05/2023

    Alex MacCaw (Clearbit & Reflect): Everything I’ve Learned as Startup Founder

    Alex MacCaw is the founder of Clearbit and Reflect, and his journey with each company has been wildly different. Clearbit took more of a “classic” startup approach—raising VC money, hiring hundreds of people, and working from an office in SF.  In 2020, he charted a new course by replacing himself as CEO at Clearbit, selling all his possessions and living full-time on a sailboat in the Atlantic. And now he’s building his new company Reflect in with a totally different approach —building a fully remote & asynchronous “lifestyle” company that decidedly eschews VC money and the other common hallmarks of a tech startup.  Alex shares everything he’s learned as a founder and why he believes building startups should not be one-size-fits-all. Blake and Alex talk through: (7:07) Pros/Cons of being asynchronous by design (09:01) Why Alex doesn’t believe in remote work for large companies (10:11) Remote work pitfalls (14:21) When to replace yourself as CEO (15:52) How to find your zone of genius (18:31) When do startups hire a CFO or COO? (21:14) #1 piece of advice for founders (24:14) Things to know before you found a startup (B2B vs. B2C) (27:27) Why not raise venture capital (28:28) When startups should (or shouldn’t) raise venture capital (29:40) How Reflect started crowdfunding (39:14) What AI and ChatGPT is good for (44:13) Best time to start a company (46:20) Not all startups need VC funding (47:16) Advice for VCs from a founder

    49 min
  2. Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell): Work-Life Balance for Founders

    24/02/2023

    Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell): Work-Life Balance for Founders

    Patrick says work-life balance is the wrong framework. It’s more about work-life fit and finding what suits you best. This is especially true for startup founders, where your work is often all-consuming. Episode Highlights [00:32 - 02:30] Thoughts on work/life balance Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn Follow Patrick on Twitter Subscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView. View our blog for more context/inspiration. OpenView on Linkedin OpenView on Twitter OpenView on Instagram OpenView on Facebook

    3 min
  3. Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell): What’s the “Right” Culture for Your Company?

    22/02/2023

    Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell): What’s the “Right” Culture for Your Company?

    Culture at a startup is always tricky, but there’s one common mistake founders should avoid at all costs. It’s the desire to make everyone happy all the time. Patrick says this leads to a “culture of accommodation” which ultimately ends up not working for anyone. Hear Patrick’s journey as a founder to define the culture at ProfitWell, and how you can do the same at your startup. Episode Highlights [00:03 - 01:31] Episode intro: Patrick Campbell[01:59 - 04:04] What is the role and importance of company culture in today's market environment?[06:39 - 10:26] The culture of ProfitWell and the journey to get there[12:15 - 16:26] The most charitable interpretation[17:23 - 20:08] ProfitWell values and four principles[20:21 - 23:16] Speaking their mind, being human in the most charitable way[21:11 - 23:16] Values and principles must have trade-offs[23:16 - 25:41] Here's how we operate, transparency in hiring[25:46 - 32:10] Advice for making culture something more than theoretical, a real experience Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn Follow Patrick on Twitter Subscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView. View our blog for more context/inspiration. OpenView on Linkedin OpenView on Twitter OpenView on Instagram OpenView on Facebook

    33 min

  4. 02/12/2022

    Ryan Carlson (ex-Wiz, Okta): Category Creation is Overrated

    Every startup wants to create a category. This is often a mistake. Or at least it’s prioritized too early by many founders and marketers. Ryan Carlson, longtime CMO at Okta, explains why this falls flat with customers and what to do instead. Key Takeaways: [00:31 - 01:53]  A noted skeptic on category creation[01:54 - 02:15] Everybody wants to be a category creator[02:16 - 03:19] Focus on how they're better than the alternative Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter Ryan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz LinkedIn Twitter Subscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView. View our blog for more context/inspiration. OpenView on Linkedin OpenView on Twitter OpenView on Instagram OpenView on Facebook

    3 min

  5. 30/11/2022

    Ryan Carlson (ex-Wiz, Okta): Company Values = Marketing Message

    Okta’s CMO for 5+ years, Ryan Carlson, says marketing’s guiding light should be the company mission and values. Marketing’s job is to tell the story of the company, not to merely promote the product or drive leads into the top of a funnel. Authentic marketing is rooted in the BIG questions. Why does this company exist? Who should care about that and why?Today’s episode will help you: Understand this strategic approach to marketingSee the impact strategic marketing has on your audienceHow to hire mission/values-aligned marketersLeverage Ryan’s playbook for company storytelling by working directly with customers Key Takeaways: [00:19 - 03:37] Introduction to Ryan Carlson, and thoughts on company culture in the world of marketing[03:44 - 06:53] What should define culture is the mission, values, and vision[06:54 - 10:00] Imparting importance, and showing why culture mattered at Okta[10:02 - 13:32] Authenticity, avoiding hyperbole and marketing BS[13:43 - 16:10] Who do you hire to marketing leadership to operate more authentically?[16:13 - 18:18] Hiring true believers, and avoiding a "customer's wrong" mentality with product market fit[19:26 - 22:45] Understanding why people like the product and the people behind it[22:48 - 25:40] Combining pen to paper with mission, values, and vision[25:42 - 28:27] Storytelling and presentations, how they impact retention[28:30 - 32:26] Story and history of your company is different[32:32 - 35:37] Figuring out if a company operates by its values as a candidate Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter Ryan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz LinkedIn Twitter Subscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView. View our blog for more context/inspiration. OpenView on Linkedin OpenView on Twitter OpenView on Instagram OpenView on Facebook

    36 min
  6. Raj Sarkar (ex-1Password, Atlassian): PLG Data Infrastructure

    18/11/2022

    Raj Sarkar (ex-1Password, Atlassian): PLG Data Infrastructure

    Raj says that most of the PLG advice out there today is missing a key foundational point: data. Many PLG companies still rely on traditional sales & marketing software that keeps data in silos. The key to winning in PLG starts with your data infrastructure, and wiring it up early helps you scale later. Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter Raj Sarkar, CMO & Advisor LinkedIn Twitter Subscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView. View our blog for more context/inspiration. OpenView on Linkedin OpenView on Twitter OpenView on Instagram OpenView on Facebook

    3 min
  7. Raj Sarkar (ex-1Password, Atlassian): B2B Brand Marketing

    16/11/2022

    Raj Sarkar (ex-1Password, Atlassian): B2B Brand Marketing

    B2B marketers usually overlook brand in their marketing mix. Brand marketing is only for CPG companies, right? Raj makes the case that brand marketing is not optional, if you want to win your category. But brand marketing isn’t just buying a Super Bowl ad. Before you think about channels, you need to define your brand identity and build awareness. Done right, brand marketing can become an infinitely scalable strategy to drive growth. Key Takeaways: [01:19 - 04:05] What exactly is brand marketing? And why is it important?[04:06 - 05:41] Why we should dive deep into brand[05:41 - 07:36] Differentiation in branding, infinitely scalable[07:39 - 11:38] When to start thinking about brand, SEO, and the funnel[13:36 - 15:36] Determining your mission and values, brand attributes[15:36 - 17:26] Speaking ways that is consistent with identity[17:28 - 19:45] Balancing different brand attributes in messaging[19:47 - 21:04] House of brands or a branded house[22:08 - 25:31] Amplifying brand marketing and the channels of choice[25:38 - 28:58] Tracking efficacy in print and non-digital formats with modern tools[28:58 - 30:47] Where to take action on Raj's advice Mentioned in this episode: Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter Raj Sarkar, CMO & Advisor LinkedIn Twitter Subscribe to Blake Bartlett on YouTube. Podcast produced by OpenView. View our blog for more context/inspiration. OpenView on Linkedin OpenView on Twitter OpenView on Instagram OpenView on Facebook

    31 min
  8. Chris Degnan (Snowflake): VP Sales vs Founder/CEO Relationship

    04/11/2022

    Chris Degnan (Snowflake): VP Sales vs Founder/CEO Relationship

    Chris was Snowflake’s first sales hire, and he built the commercial business from $0 to $1B+ ARR. What is the optimal relationship between a VP Sales and the Founder/CEO during this journey? Many sales leaders solely focus on hitting their number. That’s certainly important, but sales also plays a pivotal role in product strategy by acting as the voice of the customer. The goal is to achieve a collaborative push-pull relationship with founders and sales leaders that drives more customer value.  Key Takeaways: [00:34 - 01:39] Feedback and writing SQL[01:39 - 02:47] Founders interacting with customers to make product adjustments[02:47 - 03:25] Pivoting based on feedback[03:25 - 04:38] Early days are less about profit, more about scaling and feedback

    5 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

It takes 3 ingredients to build a software startup in today’s wild market: people, product and growth. Easier said than done. BUILD is here to help by featuring conversations between venture capitalist Blake Bartlett and the smartest folks in software. OpenView is a VC firm that invests in amazing companies like Datadog, Expensify and Calendly. Visit ov.vc for more details.

Information

  • Creator
    OpenView Venture Partners
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2023
  • Episodes
    212
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 OpenView Venture Partners All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    BUILD with Blake Bartlett

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