Jeff built a billion-message marketing machine at Calm with three people. But it was a journey. Push notifications sparked a three-year battle until a new CPO, unburdened by notification trauma, green-lit the project in six weeks. It was a four-year battle for ML recommendations but the data tells an unexpected story. Jeff also shares tactics for winning over the most skeptical product and engineering teams. It starts with operational empathy by taking a stab at a working prototype of your idea but also recognizing that product and martech decisions often stem from personal bias that requires champions who have experienced positive outcomes.More
Tag Archives: marketing automation
152: Sarah Krasnik Bedell: A data eng turned marketer on embedded marketing analysts and batch vs webhook pipelines
What happens when a data engineer with an obsession for truth-testing crashes into marketing’s ‘best practices’? Sarah’s journey from code to growth unfolds like a trained detective story, where she picks apart marketing myths and rebuilds them with an engineer’s first principles. Her fresh take on centralyzed vs decentralyzed data team structures favors embedding an analyst deeply in marketing and growth teams.More
148: Stephen Stouffer: Understanding AI’s role in customer journeys and messaging
AI can transform your marketing without overwhelming you. Start with one use case. Watch the results, and go from there. You don’t need to master data science to add AI value, but you need to be willing to experiment, keep what works, and let the tech do the heavy lifting.More
136: Benoit Leggieri: Livestorm’s Head of Growth on crafting revenue driving workflows with Customer.io
Benoit offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Livestorm’s martech stack drives growth and personalization. At its heart is Customer.io, seamlessly integrated with tools like Amplitude, Segment, and Mutiny, creating a powerful system that delivers tailored experiences while scaling effortlessly. By leveraging data-driven workflows to address user needs with precision and automating processes like product certification, Livestorm not only boosts conversions but also deepens customer relationships. More
129: Re: Why Martech is Actually for Engineers
Homegrown tools aren’t appealing to marketers, they’re hard to scale, most have a shitty UI and it’s not a recognisable martech tool you can add to your resume. Homegrown martech tools are even less appealing to engineers, they can’t stand the chaos of marketing. We’ll always need for cross-functional translators, disproving the claim that martech is actually only for engineers.More
128: Vish Gupta: Why simplification should come before automation if you want to avoid a Frankenstack
We touch on the pitfalls of Frankenstein stacks and the perks of self-service martech. Vish explains why martech isn’t just for engineers and highlights the efficiency of customized Asana intake forms. We also tackle the dangers of over-specialization for senior leaders. Additionally, we explore the intersection of martech and large language models (LLMs), providing insights on how to stay ahead in the evolving landscape.More
118: Mandy Thompson: Intent data pitfalls, diagram-first automation, and agency-style team management
Mandy shares powerful mindsets and practical frameworks for marketers aiming to future-proof their careers in the complex galaxy of martech mixed up with AI, data privacy, and genuine customer engagement. We cover the art of documentation to avoid feeling like you’re in an Indiana Jones adventure sifting through digital cobwebs from ghosts of marketers past when you dive into a company’s martech setup. More
107: Justin Norris: What MOPs can learn about AI from WALL-E and Star Trek
Justin is a polished voice of reason in martech. In our conversation, he focused on the practicality of AI, the shift towards flexible, composable tech stacks and the importance of diverse skills alongside a few Sci-fi references.More
106: Crissy Saunders: Funnel reporting, composable automation and the future of outbound
Crissy takes us through the evolution from tactical management to strategic leadership, and the adaptation to changing marketing strategies. We discuss the significance of specialized platforms in marketing automation, the critical role of the sales funnel in revenue growth, the shift in email marketing towards ‘inbox influence’, and revitalizing outbound marketing strategies. More
91: David Chan: How dual-zone approach and journey orchestration are reshaping CDPs
Expect to reevaluate the roles of older platforms in your martech stack as CDPs get smarter. And if your organization’s data strategy resembles more of a herding cats scenario than a well-oiled machine, maybe it’s time to look into that dual-zone approach. It’s a way to make sure everyone from your IT folks to your marketing creatives are playing from the same strategic playbook.More