The Founder-Led Marketing Show

Finn Thormeier
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In this podcast, Finn Thormeier, Founder of Project 33, shares the best Founder-Led Marketing strategies & playbooks from CEOs & Founders. Prior guests include Jason Fried, Henry Schuck, Megan Bowen, Guillaume Moubeche, Josh Braun, Todd Busler, Peter Caputa, Chris Walker, Greg Head, Adam Robinson, Gal Aga, Alina Vandenbergh, Alec Paul, Melissa Kwan and many more. Key Topics: Demand Gen, SaaS Growth, B2B Marketing, B2B Content, Linkedin, Personal Branding, Founder Branding.

  1. -6 Ч

    Exec Comms Lessons from Salesforce, Toast and Wellhub & the Future of PR

    Joe Ciarallo led comms at Salesforce, Toast (through IPO), and now Wellhub (formerly Gympass), a $2.4 billion corporate-wellness company.He’s seen what happens when scrappy startup PR turns into an IPO-ready machine. In this episode, Joe breaks down exactly how to build that engine. From category creation at Salesforce to crisis playbooks at Toast, and how to make your founder’s voice a real strategic asset. What you’ll learn: - How Salesforce invented the “Marketing Cloud.”- The shift from scrappy PR to strategic comms.- The new PR mix: owned + earned.- Where AI fits in comms, and why thought leadership will become more valuable, not less.- How companies like Ryanair earned trust by explaining the logic behind unpopular choices.- Why separating those functions is already outdated.- How Salesforce and Toast decide who shows up, what to say, and why empathy is non-negotiable.- Joe’s rule: just start. Post, iterate, learn, repeat.Perfect for founders who:- Want to look public-ready long before the IPO- Need to balance credibility with control- Are scaling fast and can’t afford to “wing comms” anymore- Believe the founder’s voice is part of the brand- Want to build real authority on LinkedIn without sounding corporate Connect with Joe:- Joe’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeciarallo/- Wellhub: https://wellhub.com/ Connect with me: - *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/- *Website:* https://www.project33.io/- *Podcast:* https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 – “Dress for the job you want, even as a startup.”01:20 – The Salesforce Marketing Cloud story05:50 – How owned + earned media play off each other08:30 – The rise of podcasts as the new PR11:40 – Turning scrappy PR into an IPO-ready function14:00 – How Toast prepped for IPO16:15 – AI, content, and speed18:20 – Why AI can’t create thought leadership20:30 – The new transparency: explaining the why22:00 – When journalists check your LinkedIn25:50 – Internal vs external comms is outdated30:00 – The rise of the Chief Comms Officer32:00 – Coaching founders to lead industries, not just products34:00 – Crisis playbooks and empathy36:00 – Why comms leaders should post too38:10 – CEO visibility and leading by example40:00 – Wrap-up

    40 мин.

  2. 23 ОКТ.

    Gong's Executive Content & LinkedIn Thought Leadership Playbook w/ Udi Ledergor

    Udi Ledergor joined Gong as their first marketer in 2016, back when “revenue intelligence” wasn’t even a thing.Nine years later, Gong is one of the most recognizable B2B brands in the world, doing well over $300M ARR and followed by 300,000+ people on LinkedIn.In this episode, Udi breaks down the marketing playbook that made that possible, and why best practices are just boring practices. We talk about: Why best practices are boring practices and how to replace them with a sharp POV The 3 levels of content that actually earn attention (data, surveys, opinions) Inside Gong’s Content Council and how 21 employees drive organic reach How to safely build a “courageous” marketing culture that rewards risk-taking Udi’s biggest lessons from Gong’s Super Bowl ad (what worked, what didn’t) Balancing personal brands vs. company brands — and how Gong grew both What founders should do first when building brand at $5M ARR How Gong adapted its LinkedIn strategy as it moved upmarket The “Punch Above Your Weight” principle that’s inspiring campaigns worldwide Perfect For: Founders building an early-stage marketing motion CMOs creating brand differentiation in crowded categories Marketing leaders trying to activate their team on LinkedIn Connect with Udi: Udi’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/ Gong: https://www.gong.io/ Udi’s new book: https://a.co/d/djoOhWR Connect with Finn: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ 00:00 — Intro: from Gong’s first marketer to $300M+ ARR02:00 — Why best practices lead to boring marketing03:40 — How courage creates differentiation05:00 — Examples of bold B2B marketing done right06:20 — Dreaming of product placement for B2B07:40 — The truth about ROI from Gong’s Super Bowl ads09:40 — “Show the damn product” what Udi learned the hard way11:00 — Building internal influencers: Chris Orlob & Devin Reed13:00 — Personal brands vs. company brand: how Gong balanced both15:00 — Why Gong lets employees post freely on LinkedIn17:00 — The structure and role of Gong’s “Content Council”20:00 — How onboarding includes LinkedIn training for every employee23:00 — Turning customers into advocates: Gong Love Week25:00 — Why celebration fuels consistency27:30 — How Gong’s LinkedIn content evolved as the company scaled30:00 — How to build brand at $5M ARR (Udi’s playbook)33:00 — Why paid ads don’t work for early-stage startups35:00 — The 3 levels of content: data, surveys, and opinions38:00 — Why being polarizing beats being agreeable42:00 — How strong opinions build categories44:00 — The story behind Gong’s viral “group therapy” CEO post46:00 — Building a courageous team: psychological safety in practice50:00 — Why boldness is Gong’s real competitive advantage52:00 — Writing Courageous Marketing — and what surprised Udi most54:00 — “Punch Above Your Weight”: the framework inspiring global campaigns

    57 мин.

  3. 16 ОКТ.

    How SentinelOne’s ($1B ARR) CMO Uses LinkedIn to Drive Brand & Pipeline

    Bryan Law is the CMO at SentinelOne, an AI-powered cybersecurity company that just crossed $1B ARR. Before joining SentinelOne, Bryan led marketing at Salesforce and ZoomInfo, where he learned the power of distinctive brands and founder-led storytelling. In this episode, Bryan breaks down how he helped SentinelOne become the fastest-growing cybersecurity brand on LinkedIn (up 61% YoY) — and how he’s rethinking executive content, AI, and brand-building in enterprise SaaS. What you’ll learn The difference between being different and being distinct and why it matters more for B2B brands How SentinelOne doubled its LinkedIn followers in 12 months Why follower growth isn’t vanity when it drives top-of-funnel awareness How to get executives posting consistently without forcing it Bryan’s 4 stages of adopting AI in marketing teams How synthetic audiences and agentic AI are changing customer research The “Day 1 Buyer List” every marketer needs to understand Why every brand investment should have a measurable impact on demand Perfect for Founders, CMOs, and marketing leaders who want to: Build distinctive brands that dominate the buyer’s “Day 1” list Turn executive teams into LinkedIn thought leaders Blend AI, content, and brand for measurable pipeline impact Connect with Bryan Bryan’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbasdenlaw/ SentinelOne: https://www.sentinelone.com/ Connect with me Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters 00:00 Distinct vs Different02:00 Why distinctiveness beats differentiation05:30 Brand assets that make you recognizable08:30 Using AI and synthetic audiences for messaging10:45 Why SentinelOne made LinkedIn a top priority13:00 Metrics that actually matter beyond follower count16:00 The 3 levers that drove 100K+ new followers18:00 Getting executives active on LinkedIn19:45 The Henry Schuck story on building a personal brand21:30 How executives should approach LinkedIn posting25:00 Balancing personal content vs company relevance27:00 Why CEOs should post on LinkedIn (and how to convince them)30:00 The CEO as a distinctive brand asset32:00 Inside SentinelOne’s internal brand ambassador program35:00 The “Day 1 Buyer List” and marketing to the 95%38:45 Brand investments that actually drive demand42:30 What every CMO should still do in the AI era46:00 How SentinelOne uses GenAI operationally47:30 Favorite AI tools in Bryan’s stack49:00 Closing thoughts

    49 мин.

  4. 9 ОКТ.

    Sales, Life, and Career Lessons from Owner.com CRO Kyle Norton

    Owner.com powers 10,000+ restaurants with tools to grow sales, from online ordering and loyalty programs, to marketing automation. Behind that growth is Kyle Norton, CRO and former Shopify revenue leader, who’s helped rebuild the business from zero to multi-millions ARR, twice. In this episode, Kyle opens up about the habits, frameworks, and trade-offs that drive long-term success as a leader, parent, and athlete. From rebuilding after failure to finding balance with two kids and a hyper-intense founder, this one’s packed with real talk on what high performance actually looks like. What You’ll Learn - How Owner.com rebuilt from $0 to $1M ARR in a year, twice - Why Adam Guild’s intensity sets the bar for what “founder-led” really means - How martial arts shaped Kyle’s approach to sales, discipline, and resilience - The real trade-offs between startup growth, family, and health - What separates great CROs from good ones and why “bar raising” matters - How Kyle uses AI in his revenue org (and what actually delivers ROI) - Why he doesn’t chase AI hype and how Owner’s mission keeps him grounded - Lessons from Jason Lemkin on board trust, transparency, and tough feedback Founders, sales leaders, and executives who want to: -Scale teams without burning out - Lead with discipline, not chaos - Build brand trust that compounds - Stay grounded while chasing growth Connect with Kyle: - Kyle’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecnorton/ - Revenue Leadership Podcast: https://www.therevenueleadershippodcast.com/ - Owner.com: https://www.owner.com/ Connect with me: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters 00:00 Owner.com’s story and rebuilding from $0 to $1M ARR 03:00 Lessons from martial arts and disciplined practice 07:00 Physical fitness as a superpower for startup leaders 09:30 What makes founder-led intensity different 13:00 Investing early in brand and why it paid off long-term 17:30 Balancing family, health, and high performance 24:00 The truth about kids, work, and “having it all” 26:00 What separates elite CROs from good ones 31:00 Company culture, ownership, and “the numbers too high” 34:00 Why building a personal brand matters as a leader 39:00 Kyle’s favorite podcasts and why he started his own 42:00 AI in sales and what actually works 51:00 Lessons from Jason Lemkin on trust and board management 53:30 Closing thoughts and reflections #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

    54 мин.

  5. 7 ОКТ.

    lemlist CEO’s LinkedIn Playbook ($33M ARR, 10:1 LTV/CAC)

    Charles Tenot is the CEO of Lemlist, the $33M bootstrapped B2B SaaS company behind LinkedIn favorites like Lemwarm, Taplio, and TweetHunter. In this episode, he walks us through the transition from COO to CEO, what it’s like to follow a founder like Guillaume Moubeche, and how Lemlist builds brand without performance marketing. He also unpacks his personal LinkedIn writing system (including how he gets post ideas on his motorbike), why repurposing content is underrated, and why shipping features again was key to breaking their $15M ARR plateau. This one’s packed with stories and tactics from internal growth challenges to building a content-first culture that attracts top hires and drives 10:1 LTV to CAC. What we cover: - Charles’ transition from COO to CEO - The honest truth about why Lemlist stopped growing and how they broke through - How they restarted product velocity after 12 months of “tech debt” - The Lemlist brand playbook: what it actually means to build trust - Why Charles doesn’t believe in performance marketing (and what works instead) - How he writes LinkedIn posts in 10 minutes - His system for idea capture (Slack voice notes + ChatGPT for hook ideation) - Why clickbait kills audience quality - Internal content pods, incentives, and how Lemlist encourages employee posting - Why he killed their SEO blog and what they replaced it with Perfect for: - B2B founders stuck at a revenue plateau - CEOs looking to activate their teams on LinkedIn - Marketing and brand leaders scaling a bootstrapped company - Anyone trying to build trust in a noisy category Connect with Charles: - Charles’ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlestenot/ - lemlist: https://lemlist.com/ Connect with me: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters: 00:00 – LinkedIn is a game. Play it. 01:16 – Lemlist, Lempire, and $33M ARR 03:05 – What it’s like to take over as CEO 04:45 – The power of a “clear contract” when transitioning leadership 06:40 – Biggest lesson: trust your gut (even if the founder’s still around) 08:37 – Why Charles started posting on LinkedIn (and what pissed him off) 10:44 – Why personal branding helps attract top hires 12:38 – Can you track LinkedIn ROI? Not really. Here’s what to measure instead. 13:55 – Charles’ full posting system: ideation, hooks, writing, time spent 16:15 – The difference between engagement and quality (and how to balance) 18:37 – How he gets ideas on a motorbike (and his Slack system for saving them) 20:54 – “Done is better than perfect” The mindset for scaling content 23:00 – Why Charles doesn’t repurpose content (but why you probably should) 24:23 – Guillaume’s advice, and why you need your own voice 26:40 – “Why should anyone care what you write?” (Especially if you're early) 28:40 – Why every company should think like a niche content brand 30:55 – Internal pods, incentives, and how Lemlist encourages posting 34:33 – How Guillaume helps team members write—and why some say no 36:57 – Why they stopped paying employees for impressions 38:13 – 10:1 LTV to CAC – How Lemlist drives growth with brand 40:32 – Why they killed their SEO content 42:45 – What actually builds a trustworthy brand (from sales to product) 44:48 – Breaking through the ARR plateau: what finally worked 46:47 – Why complex orgs have lagging feedback loops 48:32 – “Ship something every month that excites the customer” 50:34 – How to build a personal brand when you’re just getting started 52:38 – Use your lack of experience as your brand 54:45 – “Do cool shit and talk about it”—Content advice for students and juniors #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

    55 мин.

  6. 2 ОКТ.

    DHH: How to Make F*ck You Money, Writing, US vs EU, Building Basecamp, 37signals & Ruby on Rails

    David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) is the co-founder & CTO of 37signals (Basecamp, HEY) and the creator of Ruby on Rails. In this episode, DHH breaks down how he built real wealth without playing the Silicon Valley game, why “f**k you money” is misunderstood, and what it really takes to stay independent for 20+ years. We talk about effort, writing, grit, parenting, and how the most meaningful success doesn’t always look like a unicorn. Topics we cover in this episode: - How Basecamp started as a side project and became a 20-year business - What most people get wrong about building “fuck you money” - Why DHH bet on Ruby when no one else cared - The 2% rule: how David outworked luck - The real cost of deferred living and why it’s not worth it - Why content creation is a byproduct, not a goal - What Europe gets wrong (and right) about work and family - Why blogging and replying to people still matters Perfect for: - Founders who don’t want to raise $100M to be successful - Indie hackers and devs building side projects - Creators who actually ship things - Anyone tired of the same recycled startup advice Connect with DHH: - DHH’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-heinemeier-hansson-374b18221/ - DHH’s X: https://x.com/dhh - DHH’s blog: https://world.hey.com/dhh - DHH’s personal website: https://dhh.dk/ - 37signals: https://37signals.com/ - Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/ - HEY: https://www.hey.com/ - Once: https://once.com/ - Ruby on Rails: https://rubyonrails.org/ Connect with Finn: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Why wisdom becomes platitude 01:58 – The watch blog that changed lives 03:20 – What “fuck you” money really means 06:31 – Betting on Ruby when it made no sense 09:50 – Why Building for yourself means long-term leverage 11:45 – Don’t wait to live your dream 14:20 – DHH’s 2% mindset (via David Goggins) 16:45 – How one helpful email led to 37signals 18:20 – Redrawing patterns: giving gifts with no ask 20:40 – Standing out: The 0.1% effort rule 23:55 – “Content creator” is an insult. Here’s why 25:40 – Share your ideas *after* taking action 27:15 – Marketing without ads or attribution 29:40 – Gary Vee and the power of retail scale 32:00 – Jim Rohn, Stoicism, and seasons of life 35:10 – How to survive the storm 37:05 – Platitudes only work when they land 38:30 – Authenticity means being maskless 41:20 – On “f**k Apple” and reputation caveats 42:40 – Why compliments should be clean 44:30 – Balaji, network states, and philosophy 47:00 – Europe and ambition shame 50:40 – Cultural change is possible (but slow) 53:00 – Bringing success back home 55:30 – Final thoughts: Be the 2%. Always. #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

    59 мин.

  7. 30 СЕНТ.

    The Modern Executive’s Communications Playbook

    Ted Merz spent 32 years at Bloomberg. He started as reporter #15 and ended as Global Head of News Product. In this episode, Ted breaks down how storytelling became his next career. He shares the turning point after getting fired, the content habits he developed, and how that turned into Principals Media, a company helping executives build real audiences through honest stories. We talk about founder content, comms vs. brand, what most ghostwriters get wrong, and the difference between vulnerability and clarity. Topics we cover in this episode: - The truth about getting laid off at 57 (and what came next) - How LinkedIn became a proving ground for executive content - Why most founder content sounds like it was written by ChatGPT - What Bloomberg taught Ted about voice, clarity, and leadership - The difference between being vulnerable and being honest - Why memorability is more important than engagement as metric - How ghostwriters can help execs find their POV (not just polish) - The real ROI of storytelling is reputation, not reach Perfect for: - Founders and execs trying to grow on LinkedIn - Comms teams turning leadership into creators - Ghostwriters building long-term client relationships - Anyone starting over and using content to get back in the game Connect with Ted: - Ted’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-merz-cfa-b711257/ - Principals Media: https://www.principalsmedia.com/ Connect with me: Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Chapters 00:00 From Bloomberg to LinkedIn: how storytelling became the next chapter 02:30 Getting laid off at 57 with no plan 05:00 Going viral with real stories (and no strategy) 07:45 Why so much founder content feels generic 09:30 What ghostwriters should be doing for execs 12:15 The Bloomberg comms lessons that stuck 14:45 The danger of over-polished “vulnerability” 17:10 What metrics Ted cares about (and what he ignores) 20:20 Starting Principals Media: from DMs to clients 23:00 Helping execs write without dumbing it down 25:30 Why founder content is just good leadership in public 27:40 How writing helped Ted clarify what came next 30:00 If you want to start posting this is what you should start with #linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

    44 мин.

  8. 26 СЕНТ.

    The Founder Brand Playbook Behind Recall.ai’s $38M Series B

    Amanda Zhu is the co-founder of Recall.ai, the API that lets SaaS tools access data from Zoom, Meet, Teams, and more. In just 8 months, Amanda grew her LinkedIn following to 40,000+ and turned content into a serious GTM channel, helping Recall land customers like HubSpot, Calendly, Apollo, and Datadog, while scaling past $20M ARR. In this episode, Amanda walks through her full playbook, from getting lucky with her first viral post, to building a structured, repeatable system for consistent growth. We also break down Recall’s content ops, audience targeting, and why Amanda believes credibility is earned in public, not in your pitch deck. Topics that we will cover in this episode: - The 2-week LinkedIn experiment that changed Recall’s GTM strategy - How Amanda and her marketer co-write 6 posts every week - Building a Notion database of content ideas, voice notes & pillars - Why “hook + value” is still the core formula for going viral - How to keep content fresh by varying tone, depth, and topic - What they’ve learned about the LinkedIn algorithm (and how it’s changing) - The real ROI: 20M+ impressions and customers that “already know her” - Why Amanda briefly added PS product pitches and why she removed them again Connect with Amanda: - Amanda’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhu-amanda/ - Recall.ai: https://www.recall.ai/ Connect with me: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters 00:00 Amanda’s Background & What Recall.ai Does 02:10 Why LinkedIn Became Their Top GTM Channel 04:00 The First Posts: No Framework, Just Instinct 06:15 Going Viral Early - Luck or Strategy? 08:00 Reverse-Engineering What Works (And Building a System) 10:00 Notion Board, Weekly Content Meetings, Hands-on Writing 13:00 Voice Notes, Pillars, and Getting Granular 16:00 Scheduling Posts vs. Posting Live 17:45 Daily LinkedIn Routine & Why They Avoid Automation 19:20 The Target Account List Strategy (Manual, Not Automated) 20:45 What They Track Instead of Attribution 22:00 The Unquantifiable ROI (Conferences, Familiarity, Warm Leads) 24:30 Why Hooks Matter More Than Anything Else 25:30 The Role of Founder Stories, Frameworks, and Granular Value 27:30 Tradeoffs: Building for Founders vs. Selling to Product Leaders 29:00 Why Content Only Works if You’ve Lived the Story 30:30 Should Her Co-founder Post Too? Why Timing Matters 32:00 Advice to YC Founders: Just Start Posting (Even If It Sucks) 34:20 How to Build Your Own System 36:15 The “PS Buy Our Product” Era (Why It Worked & Why They Paused It) Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ Website: https://www.project33.io/ #founderledmarketing #b2bmarketing #linkedin #saas #founderbranding #executivebranding #pr

    39 мин.
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In this podcast, Finn Thormeier, Founder of Project 33, shares the best Founder-Led Marketing strategies & playbooks from CEOs & Founders. Prior guests include Jason Fried, Henry Schuck, Megan Bowen, Guillaume Moubeche, Josh Braun, Todd Busler, Peter Caputa, Chris Walker, Greg Head, Adam Robinson, Gal Aga, Alina Vandenbergh, Alec Paul, Melissa Kwan and many more. Key Topics: Demand Gen, SaaS Growth, B2B Marketing, B2B Content, Linkedin, Personal Branding, Founder Branding.

Информация

  • Автор
    Finn Thormeier
  • Годы выхода
    2022 - 2025
  • Выпуски
    135
  • Ограничения
    С ненормативной лексикой
  • Авторские права
    © Finn Thormeier
  • Сайт подкаста
    The Founder-Led Marketing Show

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