Diversifying your product offering with Kovai.co's Saravana Kumar

How to Win podcast with Peep Laja

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1
Understanding the Elegant Math Behind Modern Machine Learning 1:14:43

منذ 7 أيام1:14:43

التشغيل لاحقا

قوائم

إعجاب

احب

1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying math that powers modern machine learning to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives, even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

منذ عامين 26:17

MP3•منزل الحلقة

This week on How To Win: Saravana Kumar, CEO of Kovai.co, a software company offering multiple enterprise and B2B SaaS products including, a customer success product, a self-service knowledge base product, and enterprise software for Microsoft BizTalk and Azure Serverless platforms. Founded in, 2011, Kovai.co has over 240 employees across the UK and India. This year Kovai.co's annual revenue has topped $10 million. In this episode, we discuss the benefits of true thought leadership, diversifying your product offering, and winning in your niche. I give my thoughts on the benefits of hiring T-shaped people, the concept of mental availability, and finding riches in the niches.

Key Points:

Saravana talks about the beginnings of Kovai.co (01:01)
How did Saravana use his blog to acquire his first customers? (03:11)
Saravana reflects on becoming a Microsoft MVP (04:50)
I weigh in on true thought leadership with a quote from Orbit Media Studios' Andy Crestodina (06:07)
How did Saravana scale customer acquisition beyond the first million? (07:27)
Why did Kovai.co become a multi-product company? (09:15)
Saravana discusses the need to launch products for different ICPs (13:08)
I give my thoughts on the concept of T-shaped people with a quote from author Mike Clayton (14:02)
Saravana breaks down his strategy to stay ahead of the copycats (16:00)
I stress the importance of understanding customers' mental availability with a quote from Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates (18:51)
What were some of the strategic decisions that paid off for Kovai.co? (21:15)
I lay out Animalz VP Ryan Law's five content marketing strategies for niche industries (22:54)
Saravana gives three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (22:36)
Wrap-up (25:18)

Mentioned:

Saravana Kumar LinkedIn

Saravana Kumar Microsoft MVP Profile

Saravana Kumar Blog

Kovai.co LinkedIn

Kovai.co Website

Kovai.co Integrate Summit Page

MVP Global Summit

Andy Crestodina Bio

Mike Clayton Website

Will Leach's Marketing to Mindstates

My Links:

88 حلقات

#Entrepreneur #Business #Marketing #Peep Laja #SaaS #Agency #Entrepreneurship #B2B #Competitive

How to Win podcast with Peep Laja

Diversifying your product offering with Kovai.co's Saravana Kumar

How to Win podcast with Peep Laja

15 subscribers

published منذ عامين

MP3•منزل الحلقة

Summary:

Key Points:

Saravana talks about the beginnings of Kovai.co (01:01)
How did Saravana use his blog to acquire his first customers? (03:11)
Saravana reflects on becoming a Microsoft MVP (04:50)
I weigh in on true thought leadership with a quote from Orbit Media Studios' Andy Crestodina (06:07)
How did Saravana scale customer acquisition beyond the first million? (07:27)
Why did Kovai.co become a multi-product company? (09:15)
Saravana discusses the need to launch products for different ICPs (13:08)
I give my thoughts on the concept of T-shaped people with a quote from author Mike Clayton (14:02)
Saravana breaks down his strategy to stay ahead of the copycats (16:00)
I stress the importance of understanding customers' mental availability with a quote from Will Leach, author of Marketing to Mindstates (18:51)
What were some of the strategic decisions that paid off for Kovai.co? (21:15)
I lay out Animalz VP Ryan Law's five content marketing strategies for niche industries (22:54)
Saravana gives three pieces of advice to fellow SaaS founders (22:36)
Wrap-up (25:18)

Mentioned:

Saravana Kumar LinkedIn

Saravana Kumar Microsoft MVP Profile

Saravana Kumar Blog

Kovai.co LinkedIn

Kovai.co Website

Kovai.co Integrate Summit Page

MVP Global Summit

Andy Crestodina Bio

Mike Clayton Website

Will Leach's Marketing to Mindstates

My Links:

88 حلقات

#Entrepreneur #Business #Marketing #Peep Laja #SaaS #Agency #Entrepreneurship #B2B #Competitive

همه قسمت ها

1
Speed's Advantage 22:37

منذ 37 weeks22:37

22:37

Peep Laja dives into why speed is a critical and often underrated competitive advantage in today's fast-paced business world. Learn how to make swift decisions, conduct rapid experiments, ship products and campaigns quickly, and gather market feedback efficiently. Drawing from historical military strategies and modern business practices, Peep explains how speed can help you stay ahead of the competition. Tune in to discover actionable insights on fostering a culture of speed within your organization, optimizing decision-making processes, and enhancing market agility. Chapters [00:00:00] Intro and Importance of Speed [00:01:15] Competitive Noise and Clones [00:02:15] Aggressiveness and Fast Action [00:03:15] Blitzkrieg in Business [00:04:45] Faster Decision Making [00:06:00] Chinese Car Manufacturers [00:07:00] OODA Loops [00:08:00] Innovate Faster [00:09:15] Reducing Waiting Time [00:10:00] Bezos Decision Speed Matrix [00:12:30] Democratizing Decision Making [00:14:30] Meeting Reduction [00:16:45] Copycats and Innovation [00:18:45] Personal Experimentation Failures [00:21:45] Final Thoughts My links: X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/ Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/ Wynter: https://wynter.com/ Speero: https://speero.com/ CXL: https://cxl.com/…

1
Nail and Scale 18:52

منذ 40 weeks18:52

18:52

In this episode, Peep Laja emphasizes the importance of deeply understanding your target market and ideal customer profile (ICP) to drive growth in B2B SaaS. He advocates for ongoing research to inform effective messaging, breaks down the key components of high-converting copy, and shares how tools like Wynter enable teams to get fast feedback and align around the ICP. By implementing these strategies, companies can speed up feedback loops and gain a competitive edge. [00:00:00] Intro: Winning through market understanding [00:01:22] Importance of regular market research [00:02:30] From annual to ongoing micro-testing [00:04:00] Optimizing for speed to insights [00:05:30] Getting budget for market research [00:06:30] Building mental availability [00:08:00] Balancing short and long-term efforts [00:09:00] Positioning vs. messaging [00:10:28] Four layers of effective messaging [00:12:30] Addressing buyer uncertainty [00:14:00] Communicating customer value [00:15:00] Importance of strong copywriting [00:16:30] Characteristics of good copy [00:17:00] Achieving team alignment [00:18:00] Speeding up feedback loops My links: X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/ Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/ Wynter: https://wynter.com/ Speero: https://speero.com/ CXL: https://cxl.com/…

1
Start in a Niche 34:06

منذ 41 weeks34:06

34:06

In this episode, Peep dives into why niching down is the key to success for early-stage B2B SaaS companies. He explains how focusing on solving a specific problem for a targeted market, rather than competing directly with industry giants, allows startups to gain traction and dominate their niche. Peep emphasizes that niching down isn't about limiting your dreams, but rather a proven strategy to break into a competitive market and lay the foundation for future growth. Chapters: [00:00] - Introduction [00:30] - Why niching down is crucial for early-stage SaaS [03:30] - Capturing a small market first [08:39] - The importance of differentiation [11:59] - Real-world examples of successful niching [18:03] - Niching is about focus, not limiting dreams [22:10] - Case study: Lattice's niche in performance management [25:28] - When to consider an all-in-one solution [29:44] - Choosing a company name that allows growth [31:09] - Identifying a profitable niche [33:30] - Conclusion My links: X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/ Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/ Wynter: https://wynter.com/ Speero: https://speero.com/ CXL: https://cxl.com/…

1
Scientific Laws of Marketing 28:03

منذ 42 weeks28:03

28:03

In this episode, Peep Laja explores the scientific laws of marketing, focusing on building mental and physical availability for brands. Drawing from the works of Professor Byron Sharpe and the Ehrenberg Bass Institute, Laja emphasizes the importance of being top of mind and easily found when potential customers are ready to make a purchase. The episode features insights from marketing experts who provide real-world examples. Peep also discusses distinctive brand assets, the limitations of hyper-targeting in B2B marketing, and the duplication of purchase law. He concludes by offering practical advice on increasing brand awareness and making target customers remember the brand when they need its product. 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Mental and physical availability concepts 04:40 - Brand building with Paul Dorsey 05:45 - Buying triggers 07:05 - HockeyStack's content marketing strategy 11:00 - Physical availability in B2B SaaS 12:00 - Distinctive brand assets 18:45 - SurveyMonkey's rebranding story 20:10 - B2B brands lack distinctive assets 21:00 - Meaningless distinctiveness vs. differentiation 22:20 - Identifying customer values with Wynter 23:00 - Reaching all buyers in a category 24:30 - Limitations of hyper-targeting 26:00 - Category reach and lead generation 27:45 - Ad reach and frequency 28:50 - Duplication of purchase law 30:00 - Conclusion My links: X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/ Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/ Wynter: https://wynter.com/ Speero: https://speero.com/ CXL: https://cxl.com/…

1
Winning Beyond the Product 30:26

منذ 43 weeks30:26

30:26

This episode explores the critical factors that define market leadership, from being first in a category to leveraging innovation and strategic marketing. Hear from experts like David Aaker, Mark Ritson, and Byron Sharp on how top brands maintain dominance and why small brands face uphill battles. Discover actionable insights on standing out, staying top of mind, and converting prospects into loyal customers. [00:00:00] Intro: Winning in B2B SaaS [00:01:23] David Aaker on Market Stability [00:03:00] Mark Ritson: Challenges for Small Brands [00:04:08] Byron Sharp's Law of Double Jeopardy [00:06:30] The Importance of Mental Availability [00:09:30] Innovation vs. Excess Share of Voice [00:12:15] Case Study: Monday.com's Marketing Spend [00:17:08] LG's Failed Market Strategy [00:19:00] Creating a Unique Market Position [00:22:00] Staying Top of Mind Strategically [00:25:39] Creative Low-Cost Marketing Tactics [00:30:00] Outro: Key Takeaways My links: X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/ Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/ Wynter: https://wynter.com/ Speero: https://speero.com/ CXL: https://cxl.com/…

1
Differentiation: How To Stand Out 21:52

منذ 44 weeks21:52

21:52

In this new style of "How To Win", Peep Laja discusses the importance of differentiation in today's highly competitive B2B SaaS market. He explores various strategies for standing out, such as focusing on brand, taking a polarizing stance, being radically transparent, and leveraging personal brands. Laja emphasizes that differentiation is a CEO-level problem and that companies must build their vision around being unique rather than simply copying competitors. Chapter Markers: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:00 - MarTech landscape and sameness 00:02:30 - Differentiating beyond features 00:05:00 - Competing to be unique 00:07:15 - Limited consideration sets 00:09:00 - Commitment to differentiation 00:10:15 - Three types of standout brands 00:13:00 - Eight traits of commodity brands 00:15:00 - Personal brands for differentiation 00:17:30 - Strategies from "Differentiate or Die" 00:20:15 - Jillion down on what works 00:20:45 - Differentiation as a CEO problem My links: X: https://twitter.com/peeplaja LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peeplaja/ Personal site: https://peeplaja.com/ Wynter: https://wynter.com/ Speero: https://speero.com/ CXL: https://cxl.com/…

1
The Secret Sauce to $80M Bootstrapped - with AppSumo's Noah Kagan 22:47

منذ 1 year22:47

22:47

This week on How To Win: Noah Kagan of AppSumo , a platform for digital marketplace deals focusing on software aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses. They have bootstrapped to over $80 million in revenue. You’ll hear insights on scaling business by focusing on what works, the importance of staying true to your core values, and the strategy behind AppSumo 's success. Discover how AppSumo thrived where others didn't and why focusing on the customer always pays off. Find out how AppSumo navigates competition and continues to grow by doubling down on effective strategies. Key Points: [00:03:36] "How does AppSumo compete with lower prices?" [00:08:33] "How did strategic choices evolve with growth?" [00:10:57] "How does focusing on what works help?" [00:14:42] "Do cheaper products lead to higher sales?" [00:15:18] "Why focus on solopreneurs despite challenges?" [00:19:30] "Key to AppSumo's successful marketing strategy?" Mentioned: Noah Kagan AppSumo Noah Kagan's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
From Zero to Unicorn: Factorial HR's Strategic Success - with Factorial HR's Bernat Farrero 24:02

منذ 1 year24:02

24:02

This week on How To Win: Bernat Farrero of Factorial HR , sharing insights on revolutionizing HR for SMBs. You’ll hear about the importance of simplifying complex HR processes for small and medium businesses, Factorial HR 's strategic approach to scaling internationally while addressing localized needs, and how they navigated the challenges of rapid growth and product development to meet the diverse needs of their global clientele. Key Points: [00:01:21] Why start as an all-in-one from day one? [00:02:24] Does diversification improve SMB retention? [00:03:36] Was targeting SMBs your initial customer profile? [00:10:03] Time from 1 million to 10 million in revenue? [00:12:09] How has prioritizing growth changed for you? [00:14:15] How closely do you watch competitors? [00:15:54] Why expand beyond HR into finance? [00:17:24] Do all added products boost revenue and retention? [00:18:00] What are the trade-offs of expanding your product? [00:18:54] Why has Factorial HR succeeded in a competitive market? [00:20:24] Top three lessons for B2B SaaS founders? Mentioned: Bernat Farrero Factorial HR Bernat Farrero's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
Scaling Beyond $100M and Creating New Categories - with Pendo's Todd Olson 26:21

منذ 1 year26:21

26:21

This week on How To Win: Todd Olson of Pendo , revealing the secrets behind building a product-led growth company. You’ll hear how Pendo 's focus on product experience revolutionized customer interaction, the importance of integrating customer feedback into product development for sustained growth, and the strategic approach to scaling a software company beyond traditional boundaries. Key Points: [00:03:15] "What propelled your initial revenue growth?" [00:06:42] "Challenges in transitioning to enterprise clients?" [00:10:58] "Impact of product decisions on company scale?" [00:15:24] "Strategies for expanding product functionality?" [00:18:37] "Approach to building a scalable team?" [00:19:12] "Strategy behind bowling pin model?" [00:22:45] "Insights on maintaining company culture?" Mentioned: Todd Olson Pendo Todd Olson's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
Building a $180M PR Powerhouse with MuckRack's Gregory Galant 24:39

منذ 1 year24:39

24:39

This week on How To Win: Gregory Galant of Muck Rack , discusses the journey of transforming a podcasting venture into a leading software solution for public relations professionals. You’ll hear insights on the importance of building strong journalist relationships, the strategic pivot from service to software, and the value of slow, deliberate growth in the tech industry. Key Points: [00:04:21] "Time to first million in revenue?" [00:05:51] "Early days buyer understanding?" [00:07:12] "Shift to sales-led approach?" [00:09:36] "Product and sales balance for growth?" [00:10:12] "Changes post-$10 million revenue?" [00:13:48] "Market size doubt at $10 million?" [00:18:09] "Reasons for outlasting competitors?" [00:20:24] "Top advice for B2B founders?" Mentioned: Gregory Galant Muck Rack Gregory Galant's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
Disrupting the B2B Marketplace -- with TrustRadius's Vinay Bhagat 25:45

منذ 1 year25:45

25:45

This week on How To Win: Vinay Bhagat of TrustRadius , revolutionizing B2B software buying with in-depth user reviews. You’ll hear how TrustRadius overcame the challenge of creating a trusted review platform in a saturated market, the strategic decisions that led to successful monetization, and the importance of focusing on quality over quantity to cater to both software vendors and buyers. Key Points: [00:02:30] - Inspiration behind your business model? [00:03:15] - Tackling initial cold start problem? [00:04:00] - Scaling outreach effectively? [00:05:15] - Competitive landscape at inception? [00:08:45] - Monetization through content syndication? [00:10:00] - No initial go-to-market strategy? [00:13:30] - Differentiation strategy in sales? [00:14:15] - Building a differentiated audience? [00:15:00] - Creating a buyer-centric platform? [00:18:00] - Strategy for targeting large tech companies? [00:18:45] - Focus on thought leadership and content? [00:19:45] - Advice for B2B founders? [00:20:15] - Balancing bootstrap with funding? [00:24:30] - TrustRadius's keys to winning? Mentioned: Vinay Bhagat TrustRadius.com Vinay Bhagat's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
The Differentiation Advantage - with Retention.com's Adam Robinson 19:40

منذ 1 year19:40

19:40

This week on How To Win: Adam Robinson of Retention.com , an innovative leader in the email marketing space. You’ll hear about the journey of identifying a market gap and creating a differentiated product in a competitive environment, the importance of strategic focus on a specific target market, particularly in e-commerce, and the implementation of focused go-to-market strategies for sustained growth and market penetration. Key Points: [01:48] - What was your first market product? [02:51] - How did it become a standalone product? [04:12] - Who's the primary buyer for this? [07:30] - Post-revenue, how did strategy evolve? [15:00] - How did you achieve business differentiation? [16:48] - Top three advice for B2B founders? [18:45] - What's behind Retention.com's winning strategy? Mentioned: Adam Robinson Retention.com Adam Robinson's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
Finding Your Focus - with Blackthorn's Chris Federspiel 26:53

منذ 1 year26:53

26:53

This week on How To Win: Chris Federspiel of Blackthorn.io , a company specializing in Salesforce integration and application development. You’ll hear about Blackthorn's strategic approach to the Salesforce ecosystem, the critical role of customer feedback in shaping their product development, and the journey of focusing their offerings to achieve significant growth in the competitive SaaS market. Key Points: 00:00:16 How did Blackthorn achieve its growth? 00:01:30 How long to build first product? 00:03:36 Time to hit 1 million ARR? 00:04:21 Target customers for your products? 00:06:09 Explain go-to-market strategy? 00:08:18 Go-to-market for growth acceleration? 00:09:54 Current product lineup? 00:14:10 Target customer segment evolution? 00:16:09 Effective customer acquisition channels? 00:17:42 Monitoring competition? 00:19:12 Unsuccessful strategic bets? 00:21:45 Importance of company focus? 00:22:12 What set Blackthorn apart from others? 00:24:00 Top advice for B2B founders? 00:25:57 How did Blackthorn win? Mentioned: Chris Federspiel Blackthorn.io Chris Federspiel's X My Links: Twitter / X LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
Finding Your Ideal Customer Profile - with Keap's Clate Mask 23:12

منذ 1 year23:12

23:12

This week on How To Win: Clate Mask of Keap, marketing automation and CRM platform for small businesses. You'll hear how Keap found the right customers, why they combined software with services, and how Keap evolved its marketing over time. Key Points: 01:15 Building the initial product based on own business needs 03:00 Pivoting to serve small businesses dealing with chaos 04:30 Evolving from just marketing automation to full business automation 07:15 Renaming the company to reflect simplicity and ease of use 09:45 Sticking to core small business customers amid pressure 13:00 Combining software, services, and strategy for customer success 22:30 Embracing partners and gradual upmarket moves for growth Mentioned: Clate Mask's Linkedin Clate Mask's X Keap My Links: Twitter LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

1
Moving Upmarket for Growth - with Process Street's Vinay Patankar 24:20

منذ 1 year24:20

24:20

This week on How To Win: Vinay Patankar of Process Street, a workflow management software company. You'll hear why they didn't monetize for the first 2 years, how going upmarket increased retention and revenue, and why they focused the product on specific use cases. Key Points: 01:15 Identifying market need from personal frustration 03:00 Deciding not to monetize for 2 years to optimize fundraising 06:15 Recognizing larger customers have higher retention and expansion 07:00 Transitioning from SMB to mid-market and enterprise 14:30 Having over 50% of revenue from inbound channels 15:00 Needing specialized use cases to differentiate amid competition 19:00 Advising founders to get very clear on product and go-to-market strategy Mentioned: Process Street https://www.process.st/ Vinay Patankar's Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinaypatankar Vinay Patankar on X https://twitter.com/vinayp10?lang=en My Links: Twitter LinkedIn Website Wynter Speero CXL…

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