Memrise: AI-driven Language Learning Platform and the Power of Immersive Experiences with Ben Whately

The Product Launch Podcast

Player FM - Internet Radio Done Right

הוסף לפני three שנים

תוכן מסופק על ידי Sean Boyce. כל תוכן הפודקאסטים כולל פרקים, גרפיקה ותיאורי פודקאסטים מועלים ומסופקים ישירות על ידי Sean Boyce או שותף פלטפורמת הפודקאסט שלהם. אם אתה מאמין שמישהו משתמש ביצירה שלך המוגנת בזכויות יוצרים ללא רשותך, אתה יכול לעקוב אחר התהליך המתואר כאן https://he.player.fm/legal.

The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®

1
#669: It's already time to start planning for the holiday shopping season with Carey Cockrum, Cella by Randstad Digital 28:52

לפני 10 ימים28:52

הפעל מאוחר יותר

רשימות

לייק

אהבתי

28:52

Retailers are facing a rapidly evolving landscape where consumer expectations, AI advancements, and social media platforms like TikTok are redefining engagement. It feels like the holiday shopping season just ended, but when do retailers start planning for the next one, and some retailers already behind the curve for this season? Joining us today is Carey Cockrum, Director of Consulting at Cella by Randstad Digital, where she helps major brands and marketing teams optimize their strategies with data-driven insights, AI-powered content creation, and cutting-edge retail marketing trends. With the holidays just around the corner, she’s here to share what’s next for retail marketing, campaign optimization, and how brands can stay ahead in a hyper-competitive space. ABOUT CAREY COCKRUM Carey has been a part of the Creative Agency space for nearly 30 years. She has served as Designer, Creative Director, Creative Operations Lead and Agency Lead in both internal and external agencies (big and small). Carey has worked directly with C-suite stakeholders to understand organizational strategies that inform effective creative solutions. She is a bit of a data nerd and loves demonstrating results. Brands she’s supported include Fruit of the Loom, Wendy’s and Humana. In her free time, she enjoys going back to her creative roots through painting and drawing. She also spends her time improving upon the house she lives in today in Southern, MI - inside and out. RESOURCES Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company…

לפני שנתיים 21:52

MP3•בית הפרקים

In this episode, Ben Whately, the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Memrise, an innovative language learning app, shares his background in neuroscience and the development of a unique language learning approach. The episode explores the limitations of traditional methods and the power of experiential learning. Sean and Ben discuss Memrise's evolution to an AI-driven platform, offering personalized courses and immersive experiences, along with the potential of AI in language learning and the importance of resilience in the startup world

Ben Whately is a versatile entrepreneur and tech innovator who has made significant strides in the world of language learning and climate tech. As the Co-founder of Memrise, a language-learning app with over 65 million users, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the way people learn languages. Currently serving as Memrise's Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Ben combines his expertise in pedagogy, social products, media entertainment, and business strategy to continually enhance the learning experience for millions. Beyond language learning, Ben is also the CEO of Angry Teenagers, utilizing Web3 technology to combat climate change. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of Product Launch:

Memrise initially focused on memorizing words and phrases in context, then expanded to incorporate other aspects of language learning.
Being an early adopter of mobile can give a business a significant growth advantage.
AI startups have the potential to disrupt industries and ride the wave of innovation.
Balancing user feedback and founder-level insights is crucial for product development.
Understanding the changing customer insights and adapting to them can lead to business success.
Timing played a significant role in Memrise's success with AI integration.

Resources:

Connect with Ben Whately:

Connect with our host, Sean Boyce:

Quotables:

12:18 - “The reason that we unlocked growth was that we got onto mobile early enough that there were only two or three other mobile language learning apps. Apple and Google have to keep featuring different ones. We got on there early enough that we got big featuring early. We then got really good at working with Google and really understanding how to give the Google team the information that they want. Google is so metrics-driven that the more you can show them how they are building things that are helping you to grow your business, the more the internal team in Google can show off to their bosses, Hey look, this is how Google, this is how we work. Look at the great impact we had. And that allows you to get more visibility.”
15:56 - “So for us, the big growth channel was getting in the app stores early enough and then SEO taking over later on. We've never been able to compete with Duolingo or Babbel on marketing spend. They spend tens, hundreds of millions. I think our marketing spend last month was probably like $4,000. Like we just don't spend money on it, it's all organic. But we reach a point where we're like, we've got two massive gorillas in the room, and Duolingo and Babbel who are spending a huge amount and getting massive traction on that. It sucks a lot of the air out of the room.”
25:46 - “Clearly, generative AI is a way, that allows us to create tools there that you can practice with in a way that had never been possible before. So that's really been the kind of renaissance for Memrise, being another platform shift, getting into AI, Generative AI, before anyone else was there and applying it in all these different ways.”
19:33 - “I actually now see this a lot in companies that I advise where you're trying to get this balance between really good product and growth thinking where you're talking to your users all the time, you're understanding what it is they want, you're testing things really, really quickly. Particularly growth experiments have to be super fast. You want to be doing five iterations a week and getting them out with this idea of we've actually got to build something that's quite fundamentally different.”
27:20 - “I feel like that's another key takeaway here is people expect people like you and I, in terms of the products that we're building to have a plan hammered out all the way through in terms of how we're going to get there. But a lot of it keeps going. Build yourself a sustainable path to be able to continue to keep going and then take advantage of the opportunities that come at you from wherever. Just like this one I've used the AI stuff that you guys are building and Memrise. It's fantastic and it really does create much more of that immersive experience.”

Free Email Course

How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas

Connect with Sean

Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes (podcastshownotes.ai)

314 פרקים

#Tech #Sean Boyce

Memrise: AI-driven Language Learning Platform and the Power of Immersive Experiences with Ben Whately

The Product Launch Podcast

published לפני שנתיים

שתפו

MP3•בית הפרקים

Memrise initially focused on memorizing words and phrases in context, then expanded to incorporate other aspects of language learning.
Being an early adopter of mobile can give a business a significant growth advantage.
AI startups have the potential to disrupt industries and ride the wave of innovation.
Balancing user feedback and founder-level insights is crucial for product development.
Understanding the changing customer insights and adapting to them can lead to business success.
Timing played a significant role in Memrise's success with AI integration.

Resources:

Connect with Ben Whately:

Connect with our host, Sean Boyce:

Quotables:

12:18 - “The reason that we unlocked growth was that we got onto mobile early enough that there were only two or three other mobile language learning apps. Apple and Google have to keep featuring different ones. We got on there early enough that we got big featuring early. We then got really good at working with Google and really understanding how to give the Google team the information that they want. Google is so metrics-driven that the more you can show them how they are building things that are helping you to grow your business, the more the internal team in Google can show off to their bosses, Hey look, this is how Google, this is how we work. Look at the great impact we had. And that allows you to get more visibility.”
15:56 - “So for us, the big growth channel was getting in the app stores early enough and then SEO taking over later on. We've never been able to compete with Duolingo or Babbel on marketing spend. They spend tens, hundreds of millions. I think our marketing spend last month was probably like $4,000. Like we just don't spend money on it, it's all organic. But we reach a point where we're like, we've got two massive gorillas in the room, and Duolingo and Babbel who are spending a huge amount and getting massive traction on that. It sucks a lot of the air out of the room.”
25:46 - “Clearly, generative AI is a way, that allows us to create tools there that you can practice with in a way that had never been possible before. So that's really been the kind of renaissance for Memrise, being another platform shift, getting into AI, Generative AI, before anyone else was there and applying it in all these different ways.”
19:33 - “I actually now see this a lot in companies that I advise where you're trying to get this balance between really good product and growth thinking where you're talking to your users all the time, you're understanding what it is they want, you're testing things really, really quickly. Particularly growth experiments have to be super fast. You want to be doing five iterations a week and getting them out with this idea of we've actually got to build something that's quite fundamentally different.”
27:20 - “I feel like that's another key takeaway here is people expect people like you and I, in terms of the products that we're building to have a plan hammered out all the way through in terms of how we're going to get there. But a lot of it keeps going. Build yourself a sustainable path to be able to continue to keep going and then take advantage of the opportunities that come at you from wherever. Just like this one I've used the AI stuff that you guys are building and Memrise. It's fantastic and it really does create much more of that immersive experience.”

Free Email Course

How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas

Connect with Sean

Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes (podcastshownotes.ai)

314 פרקים

#Tech #Sean Boyce

כל הפרקים

1
Tech-to-CEO Journey & the High-Touch SaaS Model 25:45

לפני 12 weeks25:45

25:45

Dive into the world of high-touch SaaS with Vee24's CEO, Tomer Azenkot. From tech roles to CEO insights, explore how close customer interaction propels company success. Uncover the power of video chat in elevating the buying experience and why focusing your market strategy reaps rewards. Join us for a masterclass in customer-centric growth. Here are a few topics we’ll discuss on this episode of the Product Launch Podcast. From coding to CEO: A tech journey The value of direct customer experience Video chat as a game-changer for sales Importance of focused market strategy Measuring SaaS success with precision Resources: Vee24 Podcast Chef NxtStep Connect with Tomer Azenkot: LinkedIn Connecting with our host, Sean Boyce: LinkedIn Email Quotables: 04:45 - I'm not super technical or maybe I don't have an engineering background, so how am I gonna be able to like lead this team or this company or what have you? I end up finding it's almost the opposite of that, as in what you just described. If you follow more along the lines of that type of a path where you've, you've been close to the customer, you've been obsessed about representing them in certain situations and leading with that kind of data that can have a significantly greater positive impact, I would say, in terms of like the outcomes, successful outcomes or the success that we're trying to achieve with the companies that we're building. So huge advocate for it. I had to learn it the hard way. I skipped steps earlier in my career, I paid for it, but now I know how important. It's so appreciate you underscoring the importance. 05:42 - I'm not technical, but, or I'm not a salesperson, but it, I don't think that's a good answer. You have to be technical, you have to be a salesperson, you have to be everything, especially when you're in front of the customer. And, and using that as a scapegoat or an excuse is just doesn't cut it. Especially not when information is so available to us. You can, you can Google, you can, you can look things up real easily. You can ask someone for help. 09:26 - So in the world of retail, we focus very much on the high consideration purchases, so jewelry, cosmetics, high-end luxury products in general automotive. So if you're buying, buying a vehicle, you want to see the vehicle, you wanna maybe speak with someone and have a conversation with 'em that goes beyond something that you would ask a chatbot and financial services because seeing someone is really important in order to build trust. So it's not always about seeing the product over video, sometimes it's just about seeing another person on video like, like you and I are seeing each other right now over Zoom. 22:00 - Definitely measure very carefully everything to do with EBITDA and cash. That's something that, especially in, in let's say the last year, year and a half, where fundraising is more challenging. Many companies have to last need their rounds to last longer. And I think many companies have gotten into trouble because they initially raise money for let's say 24 months, but now they need to make it work for 48. Being able to predict cash flow is incredibly important. And it's not always very simple because you can't predict whether customers will pay on time or not, especially when you're longer-term contracts and they pay annually and non-monthly. So I've actually, as of about six months ago, I've shifted our cashflow tracking to a weekly basis instead of a monthly basis. And that's actually helped a lot. It helped me understand much more how the business operates, both in terms of cash going in and cash going out. 20:49 - Well one thing comes to mind, which is important for our, our investors and basically at the board level, I, I do a very good job, I think in measuring backlog of revenue. So beyond who's paying us today right now, based on what's committed into the future, we have kind of a chart that shows over time how much of that revenue is locked in for 12, 18, 24 months into the future. So that's something that not, I don't think everyone measures at, at this stage of a company. You know, when you're in, in your single digit millions in a RR something that I've measured always. And it's, it's good to show the investors, you know, we've renewed a contract with, with a particular customer and now they're locked in for the next two years of the next three years and that revenue is locked in and we can be very pre we can predict well the, the revenue into the future. Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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Scaling Startups Your Way: Melissa's Real-Tech Talk 40:22

לפני 1 year40:22

40:22

Join Sean and tech whiz, Melissa Kwan, as they unravel the allure and struggles of bootstrapping startups. Melissa dives into founding eWebinar and transforming pains into gains, all while crafting a business that perfectly suits her digital nomad lifestyle. She drops valuable gems on pricing pitfalls and the underrated power of slow growth. Don't miss these candid confessions! Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of Product Launch Podcast: Bootstrapping is a lifestyle, not just finance. Price on value, not just to compete. Growth is slow and steady, not instant. Solving personal problems can fuel success. Grandfathered pricing can be a trap. Resources: eWebinar NxtStep Podcast Chef Connect with Melissa Kwan: LinkedIn Connect with our host, Sean Boyce: LinkedIn Email Quotables: 13:33 - Sean: So I'd love to hear you talk a little bit about why that strategy makes the most sense for you and how it compares to basically whatever type of situation you may have found yourself in if you were fundraising instead. Melissa: Yeah so my first company was Bootstraps because I didn't know that raising money existed so this was 13 years ago like all the tech stars and Y Combinators came after that like shortly after that. But like you know I'm from Vancouver so it wasn't a big tech community right back then it was just meetups and then I guess along the way I learned that you know people raise money and build companies on other people's money which actually seemed pretty cool at the time but I didn't really understand that concept. 5:44 - I think when you build a company it becomes so much of your life and you're spending so much time on it that you have to start with what makes you happy first. And that's what I didn't do in my previous two startups I was like this is an idea it makes money, let's do this. But for 10 years I was always discontented and frustrated because I didn't start from a place of love I guess, like and love for myself. 05:48 - So coming to eWebinar I didn't choose eWebinar as a business. I really sat down and I wrote 10 non-negotiables that I had to have in my next business so things that made me happy. For example, I have to have a completely remote team of contractors because I know I'm not really great at managing people hiring and firing and having those tough conversations I wanted a product that could be sold 100% through the internet I was so sick of going to conferences and sitting at booths and doing face-to-face meetings. 03:10 - So I ended up living the problem of doing you know repetitive trainings and onboardings and always wondered why there wasn't an incredible product that solved that problem. And I think being able to build a company that solves a problem that I know so well and one that I feel really connected to because you know freedom has always been my number one priority and that was a problem that was restricting me from living my life cause I was also also digital nomadding. 08:30 - And if you think about those things like Alibaba, for example, was like the eBay of China right. They didn't need to show the world eBay was successful eBay was already successful, like Word for example was not the first Word software so it's kind of along the same line. So I think first is like make sure it's something that makes you happy that you want to work on and especially if you're a bootstrap company don't go and try and start a blue ocean opportunity unless you know exactly what you're up against. Find something that you know you can improve and make that your business and you can probably cut down on at least two or three years of trying to get something new out there on the market. Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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From Side Hustle to Tech Stardom: The PickFu Story 29:15

לפני 1 year29:15

29:15

Dive into the journey of John Li, PickFu's co-founder, as he switches from tech giant to startup maven, revealing how keen insights and customer feedback fuel software success. Discover how PickFu's savvy use of AI revolutionizes consumer research, making it a game-changer for all seeking market savviness. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of Product Launch: Insights on finding product market fit. AI integration and the future of PickFu. Co-founders quit Big Tech jobs. PickFu's evolution from side to main. Importance of the qualitative feedback. Resources: PickFu NxtStep Podcast Chef Connect with John Li: LinkedIn Connect with our host, Sean Boyce: LinkedIn Email Quotables: 1:33 - We realized, we quickly realized that doing display advertising is not a fun game. It's not a fun industry to be in. And so we've built a number of products along the way. One of those things along the way that we built was PickFu. So initially Justin and I were trying to figure out ways to get unbiased feedback and also being just two co-founders trying to figure out a tiebreaker. And so being the engineers that we were, we didn't really want to talk to strangers at a coffee shop. So instead we built a tool to help us get unbiased feedback from a whole bunch of strangers on the internet. 4:13 - I wish I had a really good answer for you, but I think it was really more about, well, trying to see it as many industries as possible and seeing which ones, which ones got the most value, like which customer segments got the most value from our product. We've always built PickFu, it's a, you know, consumer research platform to make it as simple as possible for anyone to access a pool of consumers to get unbiased feedback for their creatives. So we try to make it industry-agnostic. It still is industry agnostic, but just sort of trying different customer segments like, hey, how do authors like it? 8:11 - For other places there might be more dots to connect, in which case it's much harder to make that value prop. Like for example, if you're a game developer, game developers use PickFu, like a kind of like a digital focus group to market test different character designs or different game concepts before launching. Now I think we provide a lot of value in that situation, but it's much harder to make a economic argument at that point. 15:06 - I think we, we try to tell our customers, you know, you want to test before you invest, right? Like, and previously you don't have that capability, but PickFu does give you that opportunity to test the hypotheticals to test in a sandbox. I mean, we have software companies who are using PickFu to test their landing pages, their billboards, their, you know, their Google ads, all of this stuff. Because why wouldn't you wanna know how your market's gonna react before putting, you know, either launching it or putting a whole bunch of paid spend behind it. 21:53 - We hear that a lot from our users is that there's a nice magic moment of when they're actually seeing they, we try to make it easy to set up a poll so it takes like a minute or two, right? And then once you launch it, it goes out, it goes out to the panelists. The crazy thing is that those panelists start responding immediately. So it's almost a game of watching, hey, you know, there's another person coming right now and they're, what are they gonna say about, you know, what are they gonna say about my website or my, you know, or my creatives or so on. And it's, yeah, it's pretty addictive. Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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Joining Sean's SaaS Community: Free Access Offer 5:37

לפני 1 year5:37

5:37

Summary Dive in with Sean as he spotlights the power of SaaS communities! Yearning for your feedback and eager to foster dynamic interactions, he unveils a thrilling offer for listeners to join his nascent community for free. Email or survey, choose your path to shape content that resonates with you. Hit play for an episode that bridges the gap between podcast and participation. Key Points Build a SaaS community. Sean seeks listener engagement. Free community access offer! Use email/survey to respond. Help shape future content. Quotes "I love creating the podcast. I love chronicling the things that I'm doing with my SaaS businesses and sharing those strategies with you. But part of what I don't get is feedback from you and questions from you." Community If you're interested in joining the community, email me at sean@nxtstep.io Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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Marketing in an AI World: Risks & Opportunities 6:24

לפני 1 year6:24

6:24

Summary Dive into AI's rapid evolution with Sean's latest panel experience! Uncover why businesses lag in tech adoption, the SEO balancing act, and making smart tech choices. Plus, learn to leverage AI for operational efficiency and potentially create market-worthy solutions of your own! Key Points Most businesses lack an AI strategy Keep pace with SEO's AI transformation Overcoming tool selection anxiety AI as a tool for operational efficiency Building and marketing your own AI solution Quotes "It's really interesting to get a sampling from folks out there in terms of where they're at related to artificial intelligence." "My best advice is to keep one foot in the old world and one foot in the new world." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
SaaS Strategies in a Crunch: Growth in Tough Times 7:13

לפני 1 year7:13

7:13

Summary Dive into the seismic shifts challenging SaaS companies in 2023's economic terrain! Sean unpacks the OpenView Benchmarks report, reveals key survival tactics for SaaS founders and CEOs, and uncovers the profitable edge AI integration offers. Tune in for insider insights to pivot, adapt, and outperform in a financial squeeze! Key Points SaaS trends from OpenView 2023 Economic dip's impact on SaaS AI native companies excel Monetizing AI fosters growth Only 15% capitalize on AI Quotes "'cause it was so cheap to access money. Money was cheap because interest rates were low." "But good news is there are pockets here where performance hasn't just beat expectations, but actually they're growing faster than anticipated." "You have a greater than three times likelihood of being an outlier in that growing faster than a year before if you are an AI native company." "What you need to do is figure out not just how to leverage it appropriately, but you have to figure out how to successfully monetize it." "If you can do that, you can dramatically increase the probability of better financial performance in a more difficult economic climate for your SaaS company." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
Stop Managing Passwords: The OTP Revolution 6:26

לפני 1 year6:26

6:26

Summary Join Sean as he decrypts the world of design patterns, focusing on the seamless authentication revolution of one-time passcodes (OTPs). Learn why rehashing old methods is out, and how adopting OTPs can be a game-changer for software innovation and security. Key Points Design patterns simplify innovation. OTPs transform authentication. Password management made obsolete. Exponential improvement with OTPs. Guide to essential design patterns. Quotes "What they (design patterns) are essentially is the modern day standard for how something should work." "You punch in your email. If you wanna go that route and it sends you a code, you punch that code in and you're good." "So if you can ever eliminate steps in the process and accomplish multiple things at the same time, that is, and what I refer to as an exponential improvement, or like a 10 x effect could be 10 times better than the previous design." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
SaaS in 2023: Growth Trends Unveiled 6:17

לפני 1 year6:17

6:17

Summary Dive into the SaaS world with Sean as he unpacks OpenView's latest report. Discover why growth rates are plummeting and which outliers are defying the trend. Is it all about AI and vertical specialization? Tune in for insights on the evolving SaaS landscape amidst a shifting economic climate. Key Points SaaS growth rates decline sharply Economic climate impacts SaaS Outliers defy downward trends AI-native SaaS sees success Specialization boosts SaaS growth Resources https://openviewpartners.com/2023-saas-benchmarks-report Quotes "Some, I would say a third is not all that uncommon based on the data that I'm looking at. Some of them are down by half or more than half, which is a pretty dramatic fall off from where we were previously just a year ago." "There's been a pretty dramatic shift in the macro economic climate that's predominantly been the catalyst of which I would say has been the steep increase in interest rates." "However, the remaining category, the outliers that I mentioned that makes up the balance, which is about 27%, those companies are growing faster than last year." "Now in the report, and I'm gonna dive into this in greater detail in future episodes, but they categorize anyone that's falling into this category that's growing faster than last year as, which probably won't become a surprise to many those companies that are AI native." "So the more specialized your SaaS product is, the higher growth rate those companies have seen as well." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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Future Tech Fails: Learn From Design Oversights 6:06

לפני 1 year6:06

6:06

Summary Ever excited about creating something groundbreaking only to overlook essentials? Sean dives into the innovation paradox, sharing epic blunders from tech history and tips to ensure new solutions don't leave users cold, or in some cases, literally cold. Tune in and learn to innovate without sacrificing the crucial bits! Key Points Understand before innovating. Some legacy features are vital. When new doesn't always mean better. Costly redesign blunders. Innovate without losing functionality. Quotes "What I mean by that is providing supposedly updated, arguably better solution, but missing something important, which ultimately means you take functionality away." "So we have, as a family had problems multiple times where it's too cold outside, we can't turn on the heat, it's too warm outside, we can't turn on the air conditioning." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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Profit Will ALWAYS Matter More Than Growth 6:41

לפני 1 year6:41

6:41

Summary In today's episode, Sean dives into the profits vs. growth debate, inspired by startup dramas from Silicon Valley. He analyzes the roller-coaster stories of WeWork and Uber, urging a pivot to profitability over reckless expansion. Tune in for a gripping discussion on sustaining software businesses through smart economics, and why growth for growth's sake can be a perilous pursuit. Key Points Importance of profitability in SaaS Growth vs. solid economics debate WeWork and Uber's dramatic stories Pitfalls of growth for growth's sake Control and ownership through profit Quotes "Now, I wanna talk to you about this from the perspective of a couple of drama series that I've dove into regarding kind of these spectacular successes and failures in the startup world." "Not a hundred percent sure why perhaps some precedents were set along the way, but it certainly appears that that is a flawed strategy for a bunch of obvious reasons." "But growth for growth's sake is severely flawed and it's ridiculously unsustainable at the same time." "The sooner you do that, the more you remain in the driver's seat, the more that you remain in control, the more that you remain largest percentage owner of your business..." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
Navigating Tech Turbulence in Economic Headwinds 7:14

לפני 1 year7:14

7:14

Summary Join Sean as he decodes the US economic tremors and their ripple effects on tech and software companies. From rising interest rates to strategic survival, this episode is a must-listen for every techpreneur seeking to steer their ship through stormy monetary seas. Key Points In-depth look at US economics Interest rates rocking tech boats Layoffs & hiring freezes insight SaaS spending and growth tips Profitability as a safety net Quotes "Now, something I may not have shared before is I actually have quite a bit of experience and background in business in addition to my background and experience in tech and engineering." "And what is happening at the moment is there's a tightening in the broader US economic cycle." "Now, they typically do that when something like inflation starts to increase significantly and apply a lot of pain to American consumers." "So if you haven't noticed, there has been a pretty rough patch for the tech industry." "A lot of the larger companies were laying off thousands of people." "If you have solid fundamental economics and your business is profitable from day one, Then these larger gyrations in the broader economy are not nearly as impactful to what it is you're trying to do." "'because it puts you in the driver's seat and it significantly reduces the negative impact these gyrations on the water the larger, broader economic landscape can have on your business." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
Thriving in the AI Disruption as a Software Founder 6:24

לפני 1 year6:24

6:24

Summary Dive into the AI tidal wave with Sean as he shares vital strategies for software company founders. Discover how to shield your innovations from copycats, why niche dominance is key, and why playing it safe could be your biggest risk. Tune in for an insider’s take on staying afloat in the bustling sea of AI development. Key Points Disruption is rapid in the AI era. Importance of defensible strategies. Markets are quickly saturated. Niching down boosts defensibility. Diverse product strategy is safer. Quotes "Progress is gonna continue to fly at us more quickly than ever because of how capable these tools are in terms of enabling you to build something rather impressive rather quickly." "Markets for low touch software products in the AI era are becoming more saturated more quickly, which means that if you're to continue to double down on whatever it is that you've built, you really need to do so in a direction or area that starts to add back some of these areas of defensibility..." "So if you've built a low touch software product, if you turn it into a business rather quickly and cost effectively, just expect others to be able to do the same." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
The AI Hype Cycle: Separating Fear from Future 6:58

לפני 1 year6:58

6:58

Summary Dive into the AI frenzy with Sean and learn why there's no need for panic. From AI adoption curves to practical applications, get the reassurance you need to embrace technology without fear. This episode is your guide to understanding AI’s true pace of change and how it can be a powerful tool in your arsenal. Key Points AI isn't changing everything overnight Adoption of new tech takes time Learn AI at your own pace Use AI effectively in business Don't panic, just understand & apply Quotes "The daily lives of most folks shouldn't change dramatically all of a sudden." "It's still important though, for you to invest the time and energy to figure it out, understand it, and most importantly, focus in an area where it can help you." "There's a lot of ways to be able to make significantly more progress and a lot less time because of what these tools can do." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
Startup Savvy: Advertise, Validate, and Scale 6:14

לפני 1 year6:14

6:14

Summary Dive into the world of SaaS advertising with Sean's expert take on how to go from naught to a software sensation! Get the scoop on early validation, economical campaigns, and savvy scaling. Let's turn your software dreams into profitable realities. Key Points Validate SaaS ideas with ads Save resources with strategic testing Create landing pages for impressions Use ads for early business proof Plan for scalable ad campaigns Quotes "Some people love it, some people hate it. My opinion, I've kind of been on both sides of this spectrum, probably somewhere in the middle, but I certainly lean towards the fact that advertising can provide a lot of value for us who are building software companies." "I've been working on product X for months, maybe years. I spent a lot of time, I spent a lot of money and I can't get anyone to use it, or I don't have any users, or I can't get anyone to pay for it, something like that." "You can do the keyword research, you can figure out what the volume looks like in terms of who's searching for that." "I've made those mistakes. I'm trying to make sure you don't." "You can validate all these things by designing and building an ad campaign and marketing it through a landing page that gives the impression that you already have the software." "I've done this very recently and this exercise works very well that you don't need the actual software to test whether or not your concept, your idea can be successful as an actual business." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

1
Sky's the Limit: Low-Touch Software Competitive Research 7:18

לפני 1 year7:18

7:18

Summary Dive into the world of low-touch software business with Sean. Discover the skyscraper technique's role in content marketing, SEO and how it helps us perform competitive research better when it comes to low-touch software products. Join us as we explore competitive research, product-led growth, and Sean's unique insights on building innovative tools. Watch, listen, and level up your product game! Key Points YouTube move for daily podcasts Advantages of low-touch software SEO and skyscraper technique value Gaps in the market & competitive research Product review videos for insight Quotes "I'm starting to record my daily podcasts as live streams or prerecorded videos." "Now, as I've been doing the product review videos, I've been learning a lot about what other people Are building in the area in which I wanna build software." Free Email Course How to Build a Profitable AI-Powered B2B SaaS Business for Less Than $750 - https://nxtstep.io/b2bsaas Connect with Sean Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@nxtstepsean Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-boyce/ Notes generated by Podcast Show Notes ( podcastshownotes.ai )…

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The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About

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The Product Launch Podcast « » Memrise: AI-driven Language Learning Platform and the Power of Immersive Experiences with Ben Whately

Memrise: AI-driven Language Learning Platform and the Power of Immersive Experiences with Ben Whately

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The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About

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The Product Launch Podcast « »
Memrise: AI-driven Language Learning Platform and the Power of Immersive Experiences with Ben Whately