Beyond the Dashboard - A Yirla Podcast

Scott Schnaars
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Marketing

Your dashboard shows the what. We dig into the why. Beyond the Dashboard is where B2B demand gen professionals get real about what's working, what's not, and how they structure their teams to actually own pipeline. Each episode features candid conversations with growth leaders who've seen campaigns soar and flop—and aren't afraid to share both. Expect concrete examples, creative strategies, and the kind of insights you can actually use on Monday.

Episodes

  1. Valerie Tarangelo - MQLs Are a Participation Trophy

    5d ago

    Valerie Tarangelo - MQLs Are a Participation Trophy

    Valerie Tarangelo has spent over a decade building the operational backbone that most B2B SaaS companies skip on their way to scale. She's done it at Publicis Sapient, GumGum, and now Interact Software, where she owns the entire marketing to pipeline funnel end to end. This episode gets into the unglamorous stuff that actually moves the needle including data fragmentation, audience segmentation, creative fatigue, competitive intelligence, and why the MQL framework is doing more harm than good. In this episode: 00:04 — Scott introduces the show and Valerie's background 01:44 — The through line across Valerie's career: every company has the same fundamental tension between ambition and infrastructure 03:11 — Ready, fire, aim: what it looks like when a team is running campaigns without knowing what success looks like 04:27 — How to make changes without shutting everything down — and why 90 days of observation isn't as crazy as it sounds 05:57 — Where the ops side ends and the strategy side begins — and how technical credentials give you credibility with your own team 09:25 — The real cost of stitching together five dashboards every Monday morning: it's not the time, it's that the data's already stale by the time the report is done 11:44 — How confident should teams actually be that their pipeline data and ad performance data are telling the same story? (Spoiler: way less than they are) 13:53 — Why marketing is almost always overconfident and sales is almost always underconfident — and what to do about it 15:00 — The MQL is dead. How Valerie redefined the lead lifecycle at Interact to align marketing and sales around the same thing 16:31 — Creative fatigue: how do you know when a campaign has hit the wall, and what do you actually do about it? 18:57 — What good audience segmentation looks like versus what most teams think it looks like 21:01 — How granular is too granular — and when broad targeting is just burning money on the wrong people 22:39 — How much attention should demand gen teams actually pay to competitors in paid channels? Valerie's honest answer 24:28 — The magic wand question: what would AI actually have to do to be genuinely useful to a demand gen team? 27:04 — Why every tool that promises to unify everything underestimates how messy your existing environment actually is 31:52 — What's considered best practice in demand gen right now that Valerie thinks is broken 33:28 — Where the CMO should report and why it matters for revenue alignment 33:59 — If you could fix one thing about how demand gen teams are measured, what would it be? 36:18 — Micro wins for long sales cycles: how to evaluate a campaign before it's had time to close anything 37:56 — Why tracking unique contacts per account is a better signal than leads generated 39:07 — Where to find Valerie Connect with Valerie: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/valeriekuller Connect with Scott: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scottschnaars Yirla: yirla.com

    39 min
  2. Medhi Labidi - Unlocking AI's Potential in B2B Marketing: Insights from LinkedIn's Demand Gen Lead

    May 21

    Medhi Labidi - Unlocking AI's Potential in B2B Marketing: Insights from LinkedIn's Demand Gen Lead

    Summary In this episode of Beyond the Dashboard, Scott Schnaars (CEO of Yirla) interviews Mehdi Labidi about the intersection of AI and marketing. They explore how engineering thinking influences marketing strategies, the challenges of AI adoption in large organizations, and practical tips for leveraging AI effectively. Key topics * AI's impact on B2B marketing and demand generation * Pragmatic problem-solving with an engineering mindset * Challenges of AI adoption in large organizations like LinkedIn * Effective cross-channel budget allocation using media mix modeling * The role of creativity and testing in successful AI marketing campaigns Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Scott Schnaars and the podcast 00:33 - Guest introduction: Mehdi Labidi and his background 01:46 - How engineering thinking influences marketing 03:11 - Destructuring processes for scaling impact 04:50 - Internal pushback and organizational challenges 05:12 - Patterns of successful campaigns on LinkedIn 06:36 - The role of creativity and testing in campaigns 08:13 - Using generative AI for creative campaigns 09:23 - Cross-channel budget decision-making and media mix modeling 11:22 - Adapting to external factors and ROI considerations 13:33 - Challenges of AI adoption in large organizations 16:29 - Governance, security, and responsible AI 17:28 - Building AI tools for different organizational sizes 20:10 - From AI laggards to AI-enabled teams 23:16 - Future of AI in onboarding and employee tools 25:14 - What makes AI adoption easier in small teams 27:20 - The concept of micro-global companies 28:16 - Data-driven decision making in marketing 29:38 - How AI frees up creative and strategic focus 34:13 - Upskilling on prompt engineering and AI mastery 37:57 - The importance of critical thinking in AI use 38:59 - Patience and iteration in prompt engineering 39:48 - Handling variability and unpredictability of AI outputs 44:16 - Structuring prompts with frameworks like BRIGHT 45:40 - Targeting and formatting prompts for specific audiences 46:45 - Using master prompts for recurring tasks 47:54 - The ask-me-questions tip for better prompts 48:24 - Auto-prompting and optimizing prompts with AI 49:52 - Achieving consistency with master prompts 50:45 - Reusing prompts for automation and collaboration 51:52 - The future of AI literacy and competitive advantage 53:12 - Human connection versus AI personalization 55:26 - Where to find Mehdi on LinkedIn RESOURCES * https://linkedin.com/in/mehdilabidi

    50 min
  3. Korstiaan Hardam - The Dairy Farmer in Istanbul

    Apr 10

    Korstiaan Hardam - The Dairy Farmer in Istanbul

    Korstiaan Hardam has spent 25+ years building demand gen engines at some of the most recognizable names in enterprise tech — 8 years at Salesforce during their hyper-growth era, and nearly a decade at SAP where he currently leads global outbound campaign management for the corporate segment. His team supports over 500 sales development executives and is responsible for roughly 40% of SAP's corporate segment pipeline. In this episode, we get into what demand gen actually looks like at true enterprise scale — the organizational structure, the metrics that matter to leadership, and why the playbook that worked two years ago is quietly falling apart. We cover: How Salesforce's V2MOM framework created alignment from Marc Benioff all the way down to the front lineThe "STEAM" model SAP uses to run programmatic outbound at scaleWhy a Swiss insurance company complained that they didn't know who to talk to at SAP anymore — and what that broke open internallyWhy email-heavy sequences are dying, especially in Europe, and what's replacing themThe "dairy farmer in Istanbul" — Korstiaan's shorthand for what great personalization actually requiresWhere AI is genuinely moving the needle in demand gen, and where it's still more hype than realityThe three things that have stayed constant about great demand gen across every era, company, and channel If you want to understand what it takes to build a demand gen machine that holds up at real scale, this one's worth your time. Find Korstiaan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korstiaanhardam/ Beyond the Dashboard is a Yirla podcast. Yirla is an AI platform that unifies your paid campaigns, finds wasted budget, and tells you exactly where to move it. Try it out at http://yirla.com

    39 min
  4. Jason Seeba - The Playbook is Dead

    Apr 6

    Jason Seeba - The Playbook is Dead

    What happens when the marketing playbook you've spent 20 years building stops working? You rewrite it. In this episode, Yirla founder Scott Schnaars sits down with Jason Seeba, CMO of OneSignal, to talk about what's actually changing in B2B go-to-market — and what most marketing leaders are getting wrong about it. Jason has built growth engines at Bloomreach, Eightfold, MParticle, and Session AI, and advised companies like Clari, OfferFit, and LeadSpace. This conversation covers AI-driven GTM, the death of MQLs, why mass outreach is a losing strategy, and where human judgment still wins in an agent-powered world. If you're a demand gen leader, CMO, or founder trying to build a modern marketing engine — this one's for you. What You'll Learn Why the traditional B2B marketing playbook is no longer enoughHow AI agents are replacing SDR workflows — and what that means for your teamWhy MQLs are just a notification threshold — and what to measure insteadHow the CMO/CRO relationship directly drives revenueWhat the best first marketing hire looks like todayHow product discovery is shifting from Google to LLMsTimestamps 00:00 — Introduction & Jason's background01:32 — Lessons from Dynamic Signal: product-market fit and pipeline03:36 — Moving beyond MQLs to revenue accountability04:54 — Being an early adopter: from high school radio to AI workflows07:37 — Why personalization at scale is breaking outbound09:47 — How to evaluate early-stage MarTech for real value13:08 — What Jason looks for before joining a new company15:45 — How to uncover true customer pain as a marketer18:13 — What's actually changing with AI — vs. what people think21:13 — GTM mistakes Jason sees most often at startups24:22 — Who to hire first: brand, demand gen, or ops?27:08 — Volume outreach vs. hyper-personalization33:08 — Where human judgment still wins39:55 — Building a great CMO/CRO relationship42:20 — The hardest part of being a CMO right now47:00 — What Jason wishes he knew earlier in his careerConnect with Jason Seeba onesignal.com | LinkedIn | seeba.net Connect with Scott & Yirla yirla.com | LinkedIn Beyond the Dashboard is for B2B demand gen professionals who want real talk on paid media, pipeline, and go-to-market strategy. Hosted by Scott Schnaars, founder of Yirla — the AI platform that consolidates your paid campaigns, finds wasted budget, and tells you exactly where to move it. Want to see your paid campaign data in one place? Visit yirla.com.

    50 min
  5. Dots Oyebolu - B2B Wants to Be Fun

    Mar 23

    Dots Oyebolu - B2B Wants to Be Fun

    In this episode of Beyond the Dashboard, Scott Schnaars interviews Dots Oyebolu, a fractional CMO and creator of the StrategyMaker framework. They discuss Dots' journey from a computer science major to a marketing expert, the evolving landscape of B2B and B2C marketing, and the importance of understanding the job to be done for clients. Dots shares insights on leveraging LinkedIn for marketing, common mistakes in demand generation, and the impact of AI on marketing strategies. He emphasizes the need for alignment within marketing teams and the significance of closed one revenue as a key performance indicator. Key Takeaways Dots Oyebolu transitioned from computer science to marketing, driven by a passion for connecting with people.The StrategyMaker framework integrates market intelligence, brand positioning, and growth strategies.A fractional CMO should bridge the gap between demand generation and brand strategy.Understanding the job to be done is crucial for effective marketing.B2B and B2C marketing strategies are increasingly overlapping.90 days is a critical timeframe for assessing marketing strategies' effectiveness.Digital maturity is often low in organizations, impacting marketing effectiveness.LinkedIn can provide better ROI when focusing on closed deals rather than leads.AI can enhance marketing efficiency but requires careful parameter management.Closed one revenue should be prioritized over pipeline metrics in marketing. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Marketing and AI 01:20 Dots Oyebolu's Journey into Marketing 04:32 The Role of a Fractional CMO 07:59 Navigating Marketing Opinions and Strategies 10:36 The Blurring Lines of B2B and B2C Marketing 13:59 Understanding the StrategyMaker Framework 19:26 The 90-Day Transformation as a Fractional CMO 22:17 Identifying Opportunities in Marketing Audits 26:09 Understanding the Job to Be Done 27:01 The Power of Specificity in Marketing 29:28 The Importance of Alignment in Teams 30:44 Understanding LinkedIn Advertising 33:17 The Evolution of Video Marketing 36:07 Common Mistakes in Demand Generation 38:18 Shifts in B2B Marketing Strategies 41:15 The Role of Revenue Operations 45:01 AI's Impact on Marketing Practices 47:29 Insights from Top Marketers 49:39 Lessons Learned in Marketing

    53 min
  6. Katerina Fotiadi - The Art of Quick Adaptation in Marketing Campaigns

    Mar 3

    Katerina Fotiadi - The Art of Quick Adaptation in Marketing Campaigns

    Katerina Fotiadi - Head of Demand Generation SE Ranking - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerina-fotiadi/ Summary In this episode of Beyond the Dashboard, Scott Schnaars interviews Katerina Fotiadi, Head of Demand Gen at SE Ranking. They discuss the nuances of demand generation, the importance of quick adaptation in marketing campaigns, and the role of AI in reshaping marketing strategies. Katerina shares insights on measuring campaign success, engaging with communities for feedback, and the evolving landscape of content strategy in the age of AI. The conversation also touches on regional differences in PPC strategies and the importance of personalized best practices in demand generation. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Demand Generation and PPC Background 02:54 Successful Campaign Strategies and Quick Adaptation 05:41 Measuring Campaign Success and Metrics 08:45 Community Engagement and Customer Feedback 11:40 Sales Alignment and Communication 14:21 Creative Fatigue and Ad Refresh Strategies 17:06 The Impact of AI on Demand Generation 20:08 Navigating Regional Differences in PPC 22:42 The Evolution of Content Strategy 25:45 AI's Role in Speeding Up Demand Generation 28:20 Best Practices in Demand Generation

    32 min
  7. Divya Giritharan - Repeatable, Measurable, Explainable

    Feb 24

    Divya Giritharan - Repeatable, Measurable, Explainable

    Summary In this episode of Beyond the Dashboard, Scott Schnaars interviews Divya Giritharan, a demand generation leader at Appen. They discuss the evolution of marketing metrics from lead volume to pipeline ownership, the importance of integrated campaigns, and how to effectively communicate marketing impact to executives. Divya shares her insights on creating measurable and repeatable marketing strategies, balancing top-of-funnel activities with revenue goals, and the significance of alignment between sales and marketing teams. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity in communication and the importance of focusing on outcomes rather than vanity metrics. Takeaways Engineering trains me to reject anything unmeasurable.Leads are not the same as progress.Pipeline ownership makes marketing feel like the main character.Focus on quality of leads over quantity.Integrated campaigns create coordinated pressure inside accounts.Attribution fails in handoffs, not in execution.Keep executive updates simple and focused on outcomes.Treat performance shifts like weather, not identity.Avoid drowning executives in dashboards.Systems compound; marketing is about probability engineering. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Demand Generation and Marketing Accountability 02:46 The Importance of Measurable and Repeatable Marketing 05:38 Shifting Focus from Leads to Pipeline Ownership 08:47 Balancing Top of Funnel and Revenue Metrics 11:36 Integrated Campaigns: A Strategic Approach 14:22 Navigating Challenges in Integrated Campaigns 17:30 Attribution and Proving Impact to Leadership 20:09 Simplifying Executive Updates 22:55 Managing Performance Conversations with Executives 26:08 Teaching Demand Generation: Key Insights 28:28 Evolving Perspectives on Demand Generation

    34 min
  8. Sherry Prescott-Willis - Navigating Demand Generation in the Age of AI

    Feb 18

    Sherry Prescott-Willis - Navigating Demand Generation in the Age of AI

    Summary In this episode of Beyond the Dashboard, Scott Schnaars interviews Sherry Prescott-Willis, a seasoned B2B marketing executive, about the evolving landscape of demand generation and growth marketing. They discuss the importance of planning and metrics, the challenges of managing sales cycles, and the need for effective communication between sales and marketing teams. Sherry shares insights on creative fatigue in campaigns, the significance of sales feedback, and a successful case study of an ABM strategy that significantly increased pipeline. The conversation also touches on the future of demand generation with AI integration and the potential pitfalls of overestimating AI's capabilities. Sherry emphasizes the importance of trust and engagement in marketing and the necessity of having a backup plan for campaigns. Takeaways Planning and metrics are essential for demand generation success.Sales cycles can significantly impact revenue timing.Creative fatigue can hinder campaign effectiveness.Sales feedback is crucial for refining marketing strategies.Ineffective advertising can lead to wasted budget and missed opportunities.Integrating sales and marketing efforts can drive better results.ABM can lead to substantial increases in pipeline when executed well.AI will play a central role in future demand generation strategies.Trust and engagement will become key metrics in marketing.Having a backup plan is vital for adapting to changing market conditions.

    41 min
  9. Beyond the Dashboard - Vincent Nguyen - Senior Marketing Manager, Bill

    Feb 16

    Beyond the Dashboard - Vincent Nguyen - Senior Marketing Manager, Bill

    The conversation covers the evolution of advertising, challenges with manual reporting, strategies for staying ahead of AI, data-driven decision making, handling campaign failures, budget allocation, competitor analysis, and the need for comprehensive ad channel tools. Vincent Nguyen shares insights on creative fatigue, audience shift, and the desire to reduce manual reporting time to focus on optimization and creativity. Takeaways AI in advertisingManual reporting processCreative fatigue Chapters 00:00 Introduction to B2B Marketing05:21 Audience Shift and Campaign Performance11:18 Handling Campaign Failures17:28 Expensive Lessons in Budget Allocation22:39 Need for Comprehensive Ad Channel Tool

    28 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Your dashboard shows the what. We dig into the why. Beyond the Dashboard is where B2B demand gen professionals get real about what's working, what's not, and how they structure their teams to actually own pipeline. Each episode features candid conversations with growth leaders who've seen campaigns soar and flop—and aren't afraid to share both. Expect concrete examples, creative strategies, and the kind of insights you can actually use on Monday.

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  • Creator
    Scott Schnaars
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Scott Schnaars