Advertise on podcast: SaaS Half Full

Every company wants better market insights, but up until AI's entrance, results have been highly speculative.   How is AI upending tried-and-true market research methodology?  Kate O'Keeffe, CEO and founder of Heatseeker, joins SaaS Half Full to explain why traditional surveys and customer-led insights are no longer cutting it, and how behavioral data and AI-driven experimentation are providing marketers with data they can actually trust. In this episode, Kate outlines how brands can move beyond speculative research by leveraging live market experiments, first-party data, and synthetic personas to uncover real customer signals in real time. She also shares how leading B2B and B2C brands are using these methods to test ideas before launch, build stronger campaigns, and give marketers the confidence to push bolder creative decisions backed by quant-driven insights.  

Every company dreams of having a prominent Wikipedia page, but navigating the path to it is far from simple.   Oh, so you want a Wikipedia page? So does everyone else, and it's increasingly harder to achieve. Rhi Ruff, Founding Partner at Lumino Digital, has had a front-row seat to Wikipedia's rise in popularity during the AI era. In this episode, Rhi breaks down why Wikipedia is more valuable than ever, explains the challenges that SaaS and AI businesses face in securing a Wikipedia page, (with near-impossible editorial guidelines), and what steps companies can take to improve their chances. Rhi also shares insights into the increasing challenge of securing quality media coverage and what brands can do to influence Wikipedia when securing a page isn't likely.

Every founder dreams of standing out, but too many end up sounding the same. Michelle Erikson, Vice President at Straylight Capital, has witnessed her share of B2B SaaS investment trends. In this episode, Michelle explores what she sees as the (unwelcome) "commoditization of entrepreneurship," which sectors this benefits and diminishes, and when marketing can be the key differentiator in a crowded deal landscape. She also shares how marketers can influence investment conversations, when it's crucial to have a "professionalized" brand, and the advantages and pitfalls of a founder-led strategy.

Every SaaS company has data, but few know how to turn it into meaningful thought leadership. According to Amy Konary, Senior Vice President at Zuora and founder of The Subscribed Institute, the key lies in transforming your platform data into credible, research-driven insights that executives trust. Amy shares how she built Zuora's The Subscribed Institute to combine proprietary data, academic partnerships, and small in-person events that spark genuine connection and executive engagement. Amy also discusses the challenges of measuring brand influence, the metrics that prove value, and how other SaaS marketers can start small, partnering with their data science teams to uncover insights that drive demand, credibility, and long-term relationships.  

Every SaaS marketing leader is under pressure to go faster and do more with less.   But no team can work 24/7…or can it? According to Wendy White, Chief Marketing Officer at Daxko, the "follow the sun" model of a globally distributed marketing team can unlock both speed and efficiency when built with intention. She shares lessons from nearly 20 years leading global marketing teams, including hiring trade-offs across regions, establishing rules of engagement, and creating workflows that stick. Wendy also reflects on how AI is reshaping offshore execution and why empathy and cultural awareness matter as much as KPIs in global collaboration.  

Every B2B SaaS company is now living in the era of AI-driven product release cycles.   But do you need to overhaul your entire launch playbook? Not exactly, according to Jarod Greene, Chief Marketing Officer at Vivun. While speed to market has never been faster, the real challenge is balancing agility with consistency and making sure every update gets the right level of attention. Is it a major release, a minor update, or just maintenance? In this episode, we dive into how to adapt launch strategies for the AI era, measure success with immediate customer signals, and keep messaging consistent even when product roadmaps change overnight.

In the world of AI-powered marketing, experimentation is just the beginning. But how do you scale it for real business growth? Mika Yamamoto, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Freshworks, joins us to share her journey of moving beyond AI experimentation to driving AI-powered growth within a marketing org. From creating AI-driven customer support solutions to scaling AI tools for sales teams, Mika talks about the trials, triumphs, and the critical role of experimentation in shaping Freshworks' AI strategy. In this episode, we talk about how to implement AI tools effectively, gain executive buy-in, and unlock true growth potential with AI.  

Every B2B SaaS product needs a pricing page. Period. But, do you have to show all your cards? Not necessarily, according to Bill Wilson, founder & CEO of Pace Pricing. While full transparency is best for conversion, showing how you price is more important than what you charge. Do you bill monthly, annually, per seat, or usage based? In this episode, we dive into the do's & don'ts of SaaS pricing pages, including UX and copy, drawing from Bill's extensive experience helping SaaS brands redefine their pricing models and pages.

To say there are many SaaS CMOs and marketing leaders in transition right now is an understatement. A good chunk is going the fractional route, others are consultants, and some are looking to get out of the enterprise and shake it up at an early-stage company (or vice versa).    Niloy Sanyal, CMO at LeanTaaS and former CMO at GE, details the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to jumping ship at a large organization in favor of a start up or scale up. If you are a marketing leader toying with this idea, this is the episode for you.

Despite marketers knowing the power of video, most only produce 0-1 videos per year. Why? They are stuck in the old mindset that "video production" requires equipment, polished spokespeople, and technical chops to polish it up.    In this episode, Jeremy Toeman, founder of Augie Studios, unpacks the refreshing reality of what it takes today to make videos - which is 180 degree turn from what it was 10 years ago.    Unpolished, unfiltered, and short-form video is shockingly easy to execute, but its impact on engagement and SEO is immediate. Listen to get inspiration on how to finally get your video strategy off the ground.   

It's no secret that the CMO tenure continues to shorten. A tough SaaS economy and higher demands for the role have led to an explosion of fractional CMOs hitting the market. with many senior SaaS marketers jumping off the full-time ship in favor of focused work across more than one brand.    In this episode, Andy Culligan, fractional CMO, breaks down the benefits and barriers to fractional work - both for the marketers and the companies hiring them - and the type of SaaS companies that are best positioned to hire fractional roles.  

Many marketing leaders dream of building an owned community where customers, peers, prospects and influencers gather to openly share ideas and where engagement is super high. But, this is waaaay more difficult than most marketers dream. Why? Well, Matt Heinz, founder of Heinz Marketing and moderator of the CMO Coffee Talk community, is here to unpack what he's learned along the way.  CMO Coffee Talk has more than 3,000 members (CMO or VP-level marketers) in its Slack community, and hosts a weekly Zoom call with anywhere from 300-400 members attending. It's a living, breathing, thriving community. Join Matt on this episode to dive into the do's and don'ts and lessons he's learned in building a community.  

If you touch any part of comms or content at your SaaS org, you are hammering AI right now. The AI topic is making its way into even the most conservative verticals, and you are hard-pressed to find any media outlet or tech leader without a public POV on AI. When it comes to forming a compelling AI narrative, it's crucial to understand where the conversation is headed. Jake Doll, Director of PR at PANBlast, helps his clients develop AI narratives that catch the tails of what's trending vs. piling on top of an already-dead topic. Join us as Jake tackles what's currently "wired" and "tired" in AI storylines.

While B2B marketers have progressed their thinking to be more B2C-minded, there are concepts we simply shouldn't borrow from our B2C counterparts regarding ad copy and creative. Naomi Suman, founder of Storylogick Consulting, is an English major turned SaaS marketing consultant who has tested thousands of campaigns. In this episode, she breaks down the elements we should borrow from B2C marketing and, on the flip side, details the concepts B2B marketers should leave alone. Does ad copy containing a question convert, what about ads that feature people? Tune in to get these questions and more answered. Connect with Naomi: Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/ Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/

Sydney Sloan is a Chief Market Officer - ditching the "ing" in marketing. Why? Because the role isn't about the "doing," it's about knowing and owning the market. In this episode, Syndey discusses elevating your role as a CMO, the best strategy for board presentations, and advice for aspiring Chief Market Officers. Join us and learn how to get out of the weeds as a marketing leader and start owning your role as a strategic lead. Connect with Sydney: Connect with Lindsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/ Learn more about BLASTmedia: https://www.blastmedia.com/