Engineer-Led Growth: Secret Weapon?

Why the most defensible moat isn’t measurable, and how top B2B brands win by living rent-free in their customers’ minds. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

July 10, 2025 |Read OnlineThe Unmeasurable Power of Your BrandWhy the most defensible moat isn’t measurable, and how top B2B brands win by living rent-free in their customers’ minds.Tyler Morian🚀 Connect on LinkedIn💡 B2B Website InspirationThe Autonomous Team: Engineer-Led Growth & New Org ModelsWhat if your fastest growth lever was your engineering team?A new model of "full-breadth developers" is emerging, giving engineers unprecedented ownership over products they build.This approach, championed byJustin Searls, empowers developers with both technical and product skills to drive productivity. They use AI tools to act as their own PMs, designers, and QA, collapsing development cycles.Cursor, the AI-native coding tool, exemplifies this—four MIT AI grads forked VS Code to build a product that fundamentally changes software development, reaching $500M ARR in just 30 months.For marketing leaders, this requires a new GTM approach. Former OpenAI VPPeter Dengadvocates for "Avengers-style" teams with high autonomy,demanding authentic, product-led marketing. AnEvil Martians analysisof 100 dev-tool landing pages confirms this, showing effective sites prioritize product-led acquisition and avoid "salesy" content.BIG IDEA:Small, autonomous teams of full-breadth engineers owning products end-to-end can unlock hypergrowth by collapsing development cycles.WHY IT MATTERS:This affects your GTM strategy directly. Products built by and for autonomous teams need marketing that's equally authentic, product-led, and technically credible.Comment insights:Jason Lemkinnotes the best VPs of Product often come from engineering, reinforcing the value of technical product leadership.Marco Seeingsuggests true "Avengers" teams need management systems supporting autonomy, not just individual talent.James Colganhighlights a tension: while some companies strip back PMs, others hire more specialized roles like Data PMs.The Unmeasurable Machine: Brand, ROI, and Word-of-Mouth GrowthAre you measuring what truly matters, or just what's easy to count?In a world saturated with performance marketing, the most powerful growth engines—brand and word-of-mouth—often defy simple ROI calculations.B2B marketing divides between short-term activation and long-term brand building. While performance marketing delivers immediate leads,brand buildingcreates the mental availability that gets you on buyers' initial shortlists. Marketing leaders onX arguethatmost B2B SaaS companies don't even measure if they're on this crucial "day-1" list.Differentiation is paramount in this landscape. Packy McCormick's essay onThe Great Differentiationargues that in an AI-driven world, being different trumps being better. This comes through authentic brand stories that drive word-of-mouth growth.Ontondemonstrated this by growing 100k users monthly through evergreen content that built market authority.BIG IDEA:Your most defensible moat isn't features—it's a powerful brand living in customers' minds, making you their first and only choice.WHY IT MATTERS:CMOs must justify "unmeasurable" marketing by connecting it to pricing power, lower CAC, and higher retention. Build belief in the brand, not just utility in the product.Comment insights:Peep Lajapoints out that a strong brand means you're already trusted when you enter the room—an unmeasurable advantage.Tom Wentworthstates retention is more emotional than behavioral; customers stay because they believe in you.Preston Rutherobserves strong brands create demand while weak brands must capture it, fundamentally changing the marketing function.The SaaS Growth Playbook: Faster Growth in Vertical SaaSFeel like you're fighting for scraps in a saturated market?The data confirms: vertical SaaS companies selling to non-tech industries aregrowing over 250% fasterthan horizontal counterparts.While horizontal SaaS giants face slowing growth, vertical-focused players thrive by building deep moats. Companies likeAppFoliodominate property management with tailored solutions that increase switching costs and reduce churn. This targeted approach enables powerful multi-product strategies, as seen withSEMrush, which doubled customer count and increased average ARR by 90% through expanding its marketing toolkit.This modern "land and expand" playbook thrives on multi-product offerings and retention focus.Atlassianmastered this by continuously experimenting to drive adoption across its ecosystem.Success hinges onNet Revenue Retention (NRR), where existing customer growth outpaces churn.BIG IDEA:Sustainable growth has shifted from acquiring logos at all costs to owning a vertical and maximizing revenue from existing customers.WHY IT MATTERS:Without verticalization and a multi-product strategy, you're leaving growth on the table. Focus on your ICP, solve their problems deeply, and build an ecosystem they can't live without.Comment insights:Phil Fershtobserves a trend of service-led value creation, bundling consulting with SaaS to drive adoption.Ashu Garghighlights the power of a multi-product "operating system" that enables expansion into adjacent revenue streams.Franky Giapreinforces that leading SaaS companies are evolving from single products to comprehensive platforms.The GTM & Marketing Channel MixIs your marketing mix outdated?As traditional channels like Facebook see adownfall for B2B, leaders are rediscovering targeted, high-trust channels like events and strategic content partnerships.The B2B go-to-market framework is being rewritten. With reliable paid channels declining, defining yourIdeal Customer Profile (ICP) is half the battle. Once you know exactly who you're selling to, you can focus on trust-building channels. This includes educational content and partnerships with trusted voices.Boot.devdemonstrated this by strategically using YouTube partnerships to drive sign-ups.Even previously dismissed channels are returning. TheMKT1 team is reconsidering in-person eventsdue to "shaky performance of other channels and increasing value of human connection." Similarly,Medicai increased traffic 10xwith a sophisticated global SEO strategy.The lesson: deep audience understanding should dictate channel mix, not vice versa.BIG IDEA:Winning GTM in 2025 requires a diversified mix of high-trust channels tailored to a specific ICP, moving away from volatile paid platforms.WHY IT MATTERS:Don't pour more into same old channels. Reassess your ICP, explore niche partnerships, and consider high-touch channels like events to build a resilient marketing engine independent of any single platform.Comment insights:Cameron Pauldinghighlights the ROI of sponsoring niche YouTube creators, where a single video can drive qualified leads for years.Kanishk Agrawaladvocates building a "brand-demand engine" where you own your audience through newsletters and communities.Damian B.shares that authentic, story-driven content cuts through noise and builds trust necessary for B2B sales.The AI Sales Evolution: Agents vs. HumansIs the human SDR era ending?With AI sales agents now handling everything from prospecting to booking meetings, companies must reconsider where humans create the most value.AI SDRsand AI-powered digital humans forsales demospromise significant efficiency gains. Tools likeLuru's AI agentautomate outreach at scale, freeing reps from administrative tasks that consume 70% of their time. The emerging model pairs AI for top-of-funnel work with humans focusing on closing complex deals.The question isn't if AI will replace reps, but how it will augment them. While AI scales outreach, the "human touch" remains critical for building trust in B2B sales. AsAI agents rise, authentic communication becomes the competitive advantage. The challenge: integrating these tools without alienating customers already frustrated with impersonal automation.BIG IDEA:The future of sales isn't AI replacing humans but humans leveraging AI to focus on their uniquely human skills: relationship-building, trust, and empathy.WHY IT MATTERS:Your sales strategy must evolve. Equip your team with AI for efficiency while training them to excel at high-value, relationship-driven aspects machines can't replicate.Comment insights:Chris Silvestriquestions whether AI can truly replace the nuanced relationship-building skills of great Account Executives.Ryan from OperationsAlienidentifies unclean data and legacy workflows as major barriers to effective AI integration in sales.Guillaume Jarossonargues that in an era of AI-generated everything, communicating like a real human who cares becomes the ultimate sales edge.The AI Capability Stack: From Models to AgentsIs your company building on quicksand?As powerful new AI models release daily, defensible value is shifting from the models themselves to the systems and agents built on top of them.The base layer of large language models is becoming commoditized. As Ben Thompson ofStratechery argues, strategic advantage comes from integration and distribution, not having the best model. Real innovation happens in the "AI Capability Stack"—tools and agents making AI useful. We're seeingAI-native browsersemerge and developers winning hackathons withAI as their entire team.The key is building unique "systems of intelligence"rather than wrapping GPT calls in new UIs. Value comes from proprietary data, unique workflows, and agents solving specific business problems. As Tyler Cowennotes, "context is that which is scarce," and providing that specific context creates lasting moats.BIG IDEA:AI winners won't have the best general-purpose model but the most valuable, context-aware agents and systems built on the model layer.WHY IT MATTERS:Stop chasing model releases. Focus on applying AI to your unique business context and data to create indispensable customer tools. That's your defensible advantage.Comment insights:Alex Hughescompares the current AI landscape to early cloud days, with real value in the application layer, not infrastructure.Mike Lauerhighlights that AI systems writinglikea specific person (e.g., a CEO) represent scalable, high-value automation.Evan Kirstelnotes explosive growth in AI developer tools, indicating a maturing ecosystem for building intelligent systems.Sound Bites🎥James Hawkins of PostHog: PostHog's CEO shares insights on building autonomous engineering teams without product managers and scaling to 100+ people while maintaining rapid shipping velocity.🎥Grigory Frolov on B2B Marketing Funnels: A practical step-by-step breakdown of the five key B2B funnel stages and how to fix common mistakes that kill conversions.🎥Brannon Santos from Peel: Former CRO turned founder demonstrates how AI voice agents are transforming B2B sales discovery calls and buyer experiences.Until next week!Update your email preferences or unsubscribehere© 2025 B2B Marketing Brief228 Park Ave S, #29976, New York, New York 10003, United StatesTerms of Service

July 10, 2025 |Read OnlineThe Unmeasurable Power of Your BrandWhy the most defensible moat isn’t measurable, and how top B2B brands win by living rent-free in their customers’ minds.Tyler Morian

July 10, 2025 |Read Online

The Unmeasurable Power of Your BrandWhy the most defensible moat isn’t measurable, and how top B2B brands win by living rent-free in their customers’ minds.

Tyler Morian

🚀 Connect on LinkedIn💡 B2B Website InspirationThe Autonomous Team: Engineer-Led Growth & New Org ModelsWhat if your fastest growth lever was your engineering team?A new model of "full-breadth developers" is emerging, giving engineers unprecedented ownership over products they build.This approach, championed byJustin Searls, empowers developers with both technical and product skills to drive productivity. They use AI tools to act as their own PMs, designers, and QA, collapsing development cycles.Cursor, the AI-native coding tool, exemplifies this—four MIT AI grads forked VS Code to build a product that fundamentally changes software development, reaching $500M ARR in just 30 months.For marketing leaders, this requires a new GTM approach. Former OpenAI VPPeter Dengadvocates for "Avengers-style" teams with high autonomy,demanding authentic, product-led marketing. AnEvil Martians analysisof 100 dev-tool landing pages confirms this, showing effective sites prioritize product-led acquisition and avoid "salesy" content.BIG IDEA:Small, autonomous teams of full-breadth engineers owning products end-to-end can unlock hypergrowth by collapsing development cycles.WHY IT MATTERS:This affects your GTM strategy directly. Products built by and for autonomous teams need marketing that's equally authentic, product-led, and technically credible.Comment insights:Jason Lemkinnotes the best VPs of Product often come from engineering, reinforcing the value of technical product leadership.Marco Seeingsuggests true "Avengers" teams need management systems supporting autonomy, not just individual talent.James Colganhighlights a tension: while some companies strip back PMs, others hire more specialized roles like Data PMs.The Unmeasurable Machine: Brand, ROI, and Word-of-Mouth GrowthAre you measuring what truly matters, or just what's easy to count?In a world saturated with performance marketing, the most powerful growth engines—brand and word-of-mouth—often defy simple ROI calculations.B2B marketing divides between short-term activation and long-term brand building. While performance marketing delivers immediate leads,brand buildingcreates the mental availability that gets you on buyers' initial shortlists. Marketing leaders onX arguethatmost B2B SaaS companies don't even measure if they're on this crucial "day-1" list.Differentiation is paramount in this landscape. Packy McCormick's essay onThe Great Differentiationargues that in an AI-driven world, being different trumps being better. This comes through authentic brand stories that drive word-of-mouth growth.Ontondemonstrated this by growing 100k users monthly through evergreen content that built market authority.BIG IDEA:Your most defensible moat isn't features—it's a powerful brand living in customers' minds, making you their first and only choice.WHY IT MATTERS:CMOs must justify "unmeasurable" marketing by connecting it to pricing power, lower CAC, and higher retention. Build belief in the brand, not just utility in the product.Comment insights:Peep Lajapoints out that a strong brand means you're already trusted when you enter the room—an unmeasurable advantage.Tom Wentworthstates retention is more emotional than behavioral; customers stay because they believe in you.Preston Rutherobserves strong brands create demand while weak brands must capture it, fundamentally changing the marketing function.The SaaS Growth Playbook: Faster Growth in Vertical SaaSFeel like you're fighting for scraps in a saturated market?The data confirms: vertical SaaS companies selling to non-tech industries aregrowing over 250% fasterthan horizontal counterparts.While horizontal SaaS giants face slowing growth, vertical-focused players thrive by building deep moats. Companies likeAppFoliodominate property management with tailored solutions that increase switching costs and reduce churn. This targeted approach enables powerful multi-product strategies, as seen withSEMrush, which doubled customer count and increased average ARR by 90% through expanding its marketing toolkit.This modern "land and expand" playbook thrives on multi-product offerings and retention focus.Atlassianmastered this by continuously experimenting to drive adoption across its ecosystem.Success hinges onNet Revenue Retention (NRR), where existing customer growth outpaces churn.BIG IDEA:Sustainable growth has shifted from acquiring logos at all costs to owning a vertical and maximizing revenue from existing customers.WHY IT MATTERS:Without verticalization and a multi-product strategy, you're leaving growth on the table. Focus on your ICP, solve their problems deeply, and build an ecosystem they can't live without.Comment insights:Phil Fershtobserves a trend of service-led value creation, bundling consulting with SaaS to drive adoption.Ashu Garghighlights the power of a multi-product "operating system" that enables expansion into adjacent revenue streams.Franky Giapreinforces that leading SaaS companies are evolving from single products to comprehensive platforms.The GTM & Marketing Channel MixIs your marketing mix outdated?As traditional channels like Facebook see adownfall for B2B, leaders are rediscovering targeted, high-trust channels like events and strategic content partnerships.The B2B go-to-market framework is being rewritten. With reliable paid channels declining, defining yourIdeal Customer Profile (ICP) is half the battle. Once you know exactly who you're selling to, you can focus on trust-building channels. This includes educational content and partnerships with trusted voices.Boot.devdemonstrated this by strategically using YouTube partnerships to drive sign-ups.Even previously dismissed channels are returning. TheMKT1 team is reconsidering in-person eventsdue to "shaky performance of other channels and increasing value of human connection." Similarly,Medicai increased traffic 10xwith a sophisticated global SEO strategy.The lesson: deep audience understanding should dictate channel mix, not vice versa.BIG IDEA:Winning GTM in 2025 requires a diversified mix of high-trust channels tailored to a specific ICP, moving away from volatile paid platforms.WHY IT MATTERS:Don't pour more into same old channels. Reassess your ICP, explore niche partnerships, and consider high-touch channels like events to build a resilient marketing engine independent of any single platform.Comment insights:Cameron Pauldinghighlights the ROI of sponsoring niche YouTube creators, where a single video can drive qualified leads for years.Kanishk Agrawaladvocates building a "brand-demand engine" where you own your audience through newsletters and communities.Damian B.shares that authentic, story-driven content cuts through noise and builds trust necessary for B2B sales.The AI Sales Evolution: Agents vs. HumansIs the human SDR era ending?With AI sales agents now handling everything from prospecting to booking meetings, companies must reconsider where humans create the most value.AI SDRsand AI-powered digital humans forsales demospromise significant efficiency gains. Tools likeLuru's AI agentautomate outreach at scale, freeing reps from administrative tasks that consume 70% of their time. The emerging model pairs AI for top-of-funnel work with humans focusing on closing complex deals.The question isn't if AI will replace reps, but how it will augment them. While AI scales outreach, the "human touch" remains critical for building trust in B2B sales. AsAI agents rise, authentic communication becomes the competitive advantage. The challenge: integrating these tools without alienating customers already frustrated with impersonal automation.BIG IDEA:The future of sales isn't AI replacing humans but humans leveraging AI to focus on their uniquely human skills: relationship-building, trust, and empathy.WHY IT MATTERS:Your sales strategy must evolve. Equip your team with AI for efficiency while training them to excel at high-value, relationship-driven aspects machines can't replicate.Comment insights:Chris Silvestriquestions whether AI can truly replace the nuanced relationship-building skills of great Account Executives.Ryan from OperationsAlienidentifies unclean data and legacy workflows as major barriers to effective AI integration in sales.Guillaume Jarossonargues that in an era of AI-generated everything, communicating like a real human who cares becomes the ultimate sales edge.The AI Capability Stack: From Models to AgentsIs your company building on quicksand?As powerful new AI models release daily, defensible value is shifting from the models themselves to the systems and agents built on top of them.The base layer of large language models is becoming commoditized. As Ben Thompson ofStratechery argues, strategic advantage comes from integration and distribution, not having the best model. Real innovation happens in the "AI Capability Stack"—tools and agents making AI useful. We're seeingAI-native browsersemerge and developers winning hackathons withAI as their entire team.The key is building unique "systems of intelligence"rather than wrapping GPT calls in new UIs. Value comes from proprietary data, unique workflows, and agents solving specific business problems. As Tyler Cowennotes, "context is that which is scarce," and providing that specific context creates lasting moats.BIG IDEA:AI winners won't have the best general-purpose model but the most valuable, context-aware agents and systems built on the model layer.WHY IT MATTERS:Stop chasing model releases. Focus on applying AI to your unique business context and data to create indispensable customer tools. That's your defensible advantage.Comment insights:Alex Hughescompares the current AI landscape to early cloud days, with real value in the application layer, not infrastructure.Mike Lauerhighlights that AI systems writinglikea specific person (e.g., a CEO) represent scalable, high-value automation.Evan Kirstelnotes explosive growth in AI developer tools, indicating a maturing ecosystem for building intelligent systems.Sound Bites🎥James Hawkins of PostHog: PostHog's CEO shares insights on building autonomous engineering teams without product managers and scaling to 100+ people while maintaining rapid shipping velocity.🎥Grigory Frolov on B2B Marketing Funnels: A practical step-by-step breakdown of the five key B2B funnel stages and how to fix common mistakes that kill conversions.🎥Brannon Santos from Peel: Former CRO turned founder demonstrates how AI voice agents are transforming B2B sales discovery calls and buyer experiences.Until next week!

🚀 Connect on LinkedIn💡 B2B Website Inspiration

The Autonomous Team: Engineer-Led Growth & New Org Models

What if your fastest growth lever was your engineering team?A new model of "full-breadth developers" is emerging, giving engineers unprecedented ownership over products they build.

This approach, championed byJustin Searls, empowers developers with both technical and product skills to drive productivity. They use AI tools to act as their own PMs, designers, and QA, collapsing development cycles.Cursor, the AI-native coding tool, exemplifies this—four MIT AI grads forked VS Code to build a product that fundamentally changes software development, reaching $500M ARR in just 30 months.

For marketing leaders, this requires a new GTM approach. Former OpenAI VPPeter Dengadvocates for "Avengers-style" teams with high autonomy,demanding authentic, product-led marketing. AnEvil Martians analysisof 100 dev-tool landing pages confirms this, showing effective sites prioritize product-led acquisition and avoid "salesy" content.

BIG IDEA:Small, autonomous teams of full-breadth engineers owning products end-to-end can unlock hypergrowth by collapsing development cycles.

WHY IT MATTERS:This affects your GTM strategy directly. Products built by and for autonomous teams need marketing that's equally authentic, product-led, and technically credible.

Comment insights:

Jason Lemkinnotes the best VPs of Product often come from engineering, reinforcing the value of technical product leadership.Marco Seeingsuggests true "Avengers" teams need management systems supporting autonomy, not just individual talent.James Colganhighlights a tension: while some companies strip back PMs, others hire more specialized roles like Data PMs.

The Unmeasurable Machine: Brand, ROI, and Word-of-Mouth Growth

Are you measuring what truly matters, or just what's easy to count?In a world saturated with performance marketing, the most powerful growth engines—brand and word-of-mouth—often defy simple ROI calculations.

B2B marketing divides between short-term activation and long-term brand building. While performance marketing delivers immediate leads,brand buildingcreates the mental availability that gets you on buyers' initial shortlists. Marketing leaders onX arguethatmost B2B SaaS companies don't even measure if they're on this crucial "day-1" list.

Differentiation is paramount in this landscape. Packy McCormick's essay onThe Great Differentiationargues that in an AI-driven world, being different trumps being better. This comes through authentic brand stories that drive word-of-mouth growth.Ontondemonstrated this by growing 100k users monthly through evergreen content that built market authority.

BIG IDEA:Your most defensible moat isn't features—it's a powerful brand living in customers' minds, making you their first and only choice.

WHY IT MATTERS:CMOs must justify "unmeasurable" marketing by connecting it to pricing power, lower CAC, and higher retention. Build belief in the brand, not just utility in the product.

Comment insights:

Peep Lajapoints out that a strong brand means you're already trusted when you enter the room—an unmeasurable advantage.Tom Wentworthstates retention is more emotional than behavioral; customers stay because they believe in you.Preston Rutherobserves strong brands create demand while weak brands must capture it, fundamentally changing the marketing function.

The SaaS Growth Playbook: Faster Growth in Vertical SaaS

Feel like you're fighting for scraps in a saturated market?The data confirms: vertical SaaS companies selling to non-tech industries aregrowing over 250% fasterthan horizontal counterparts.

While horizontal SaaS giants face slowing growth, vertical-focused players thrive by building deep moats. Companies likeAppFoliodominate property management with tailored solutions that increase switching costs and reduce churn. This targeted approach enables powerful multi-product strategies, as seen withSEMrush, which doubled customer count and increased average ARR by 90% through expanding its marketing toolkit.

This modern "land and expand" playbook thrives on multi-product offerings and retention focus.Atlassianmastered this by continuously experimenting to drive adoption across its ecosystem.Success hinges onNet Revenue Retention (NRR), where existing customer growth outpaces churn.

BIG IDEA:Sustainable growth has shifted from acquiring logos at all costs to owning a vertical and maximizing revenue from existing customers.

WHY IT MATTERS:Without verticalization and a multi-product strategy, you're leaving growth on the table. Focus on your ICP, solve their problems deeply, and build an ecosystem they can't live without.

Comment insights:

Phil Fershtobserves a trend of service-led value creation, bundling consulting with SaaS to drive adoption.Ashu Garghighlights the power of a multi-product "operating system" that enables expansion into adjacent revenue streams.Franky Giapreinforces that leading SaaS companies are evolving from single products to comprehensive platforms.

The GTM & Marketing Channel Mix

Is your marketing mix outdated?As traditional channels like Facebook see adownfall for B2B, leaders are rediscovering targeted, high-trust channels like events and strategic content partnerships.

The B2B go-to-market framework is being rewritten. With reliable paid channels declining, defining yourIdeal Customer Profile (ICP) is half the battle. Once you know exactly who you're selling to, you can focus on trust-building channels. This includes educational content and partnerships with trusted voices.Boot.devdemonstrated this by strategically using YouTube partnerships to drive sign-ups.

Even previously dismissed channels are returning. TheMKT1 team is reconsidering in-person eventsdue to "shaky performance of other channels and increasing value of human connection." Similarly,Medicai increased traffic 10xwith a sophisticated global SEO strategy.The lesson: deep audience understanding should dictate channel mix, not vice versa.

BIG IDEA:Winning GTM in 2025 requires a diversified mix of high-trust channels tailored to a specific ICP, moving away from volatile paid platforms.

WHY IT MATTERS:Don't pour more into same old channels. Reassess your ICP, explore niche partnerships, and consider high-touch channels like events to build a resilient marketing engine independent of any single platform.

Comment insights:

Cameron Pauldinghighlights the ROI of sponsoring niche YouTube creators, where a single video can drive qualified leads for years.Kanishk Agrawaladvocates building a "brand-demand engine" where you own your audience through newsletters and communities.Damian B.shares that authentic, story-driven content cuts through noise and builds trust necessary for B2B sales.

The AI Sales Evolution: Agents vs. Humans

Is the human SDR era ending?With AI sales agents now handling everything from prospecting to booking meetings, companies must reconsider where humans create the most value.

AI SDRsand AI-powered digital humans forsales demospromise significant efficiency gains. Tools likeLuru's AI agentautomate outreach at scale, freeing reps from administrative tasks that consume 70% of their time. The emerging model pairs AI for top-of-funnel work with humans focusing on closing complex deals.

The question isn't if AI will replace reps, but how it will augment them. While AI scales outreach, the "human touch" remains critical for building trust in B2B sales. AsAI agents rise, authentic communication becomes the competitive advantage. The challenge: integrating these tools without alienating customers already frustrated with impersonal automation.

BIG IDEA:The future of sales isn't AI replacing humans but humans leveraging AI to focus on their uniquely human skills: relationship-building, trust, and empathy.

WHY IT MATTERS:Your sales strategy must evolve. Equip your team with AI for efficiency while training them to excel at high-value, relationship-driven aspects machines can't replicate.

Comment insights:

Chris Silvestriquestions whether AI can truly replace the nuanced relationship-building skills of great Account Executives.Ryan from OperationsAlienidentifies unclean data and legacy workflows as major barriers to effective AI integration in sales.Guillaume Jarossonargues that in an era of AI-generated everything, communicating like a real human who cares becomes the ultimate sales edge.

The AI Capability Stack: From Models to Agents

Is your company building on quicksand?As powerful new AI models release daily, defensible value is shifting from the models themselves to the systems and agents built on top of them.

The base layer of large language models is becoming commoditized. As Ben Thompson ofStratechery argues, strategic advantage comes from integration and distribution, not having the best model. Real innovation happens in the "AI Capability Stack"—tools and agents making AI useful. We're seeingAI-native browsersemerge and developers winning hackathons withAI as their entire team.

The key is building unique "systems of intelligence"rather than wrapping GPT calls in new UIs. Value comes from proprietary data, unique workflows, and agents solving specific business problems. As Tyler Cowennotes, "context is that which is scarce," and providing that specific context creates lasting moats.

BIG IDEA:AI winners won't have the best general-purpose model but the most valuable, context-aware agents and systems built on the model layer.

WHY IT MATTERS:Stop chasing model releases. Focus on applying AI to your unique business context and data to create indispensable customer tools. That's your defensible advantage.

Comment insights:

Alex Hughescompares the current AI landscape to early cloud days, with real value in the application layer, not infrastructure.Mike Lauerhighlights that AI systems writinglikea specific person (e.g., a CEO) represent scalable, high-value automation.Evan Kirstelnotes explosive growth in AI developer tools, indicating a maturing ecosystem for building intelligent systems.

Sound Bites

🎥James Hawkins of PostHog: PostHog's CEO shares insights on building autonomous engineering teams without product managers and scaling to 100+ people while maintaining rapid shipping velocity.🎥Grigory Frolov on B2B Marketing Funnels: A practical step-by-step breakdown of the five key B2B funnel stages and how to fix common mistakes that kill conversions.🎥Brannon Santos from Peel: Former CRO turned founder demonstrates how AI voice agents are transforming B2B sales discovery calls and buyer experiences.

Until next week!