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Steli Efti, serial entrepreneur and current CEO of Close, is no stranger to success. But in 2017, when his company focused all departments on understanding their customers better, they quickly realized they'd approach the problem from the wrong angle. Doing so derailed their product roadmap, led to lots of unhappy customers and increased churn. When they shifted focus, Close got their business back on track. Learn from Close on when saying no to your customers might just be the right move. For more content like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at openviewpartners.com/newsletter.

Close's Steli Efti on Learning to Say No

Patrick says work-life balance is the wrong framework. It’s more about work-life fit and finding what suits you best. This is especially true for startup founders, where your work is often all-consuming. Episode Highlights<ul><li>[00:32&nbsp;-&nbsp;02:30] Thoughts on work/life balance</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/newsletter/#.YfRAM-rMIuU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter</a>Connect with Patrick on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>Follow Patrick on <a href="https://twitter.com/Patticus?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVvQTEaCyt2bbkoAh7wPyg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blake Bartlett on YouTube</a>.Podcast produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView</a>.View our&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog&nbsp;</a>for more context/inspiration.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/openview-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Linkedin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/openviewventure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/openviewventure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Instagram</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpenViewVenture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Facebook</a>

Patrick Campbell is the CEO of ProfitWell (formerly Price Intelligently), the software for helping subscription companies with their monetization and retention strategies. ProfitWell also provides free turnkey subscription financial metrics for over eight thousand companies. Prior to ProfitWell, Patrick lead Strategic Initiatives for Boston based Gemvara and was an Economist at Google and the US Intelligence community.

Patrick Campbell

Patrick says work-life balance is the wrong framework. It’s more about work-life fit and finding what suits you best. This is especially true for startup founders, where your work is often all-consuming.



Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell): Work-Life Balance for Founders

Culture at a startup is always tricky, but there’s one common mistake founders should avoid at all costs. It’s the desire to make everyone happy all the time. Patrick says this leads to a “culture of accommodation” which ultimately ends up not working for anyone. Hear Patrick’s journey as a founder to define the culture at ProfitWell, and how you can do the same at your startup. Episode Highlights<ul><li>[00:03&nbsp;-&nbsp;01:31] Episode intro: Patrick Campbell</li><li>[01:59&nbsp;-&nbsp;04:04] What is the role and importance of company culture in today's market environment?</li><li>[06:39&nbsp;-&nbsp;10:26] The culture of ProfitWell and the journey to get there</li><li>[12:15&nbsp;-&nbsp;16:26] The most charitable interpretation</li><li>[17:23&nbsp;-&nbsp;20:08] ProfitWell values and four principles</li><li>[20:21&nbsp;-&nbsp;23:16] Speaking their mind, being human in the most charitable way</li><li>[21:11&nbsp;-&nbsp;23:16] Values and principles must have trade-offs</li><li>[23:16&nbsp;-&nbsp;25:41] Here's how we operate, transparency in hiring</li><li>[25:46&nbsp;-&nbsp;32:10] Advice for making culture something more than theoretical, a real experience</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/newsletter/#.YfRAM-rMIuU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter</a>Connect with Patrick on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>Follow Patrick on <a href="https://twitter.com/Patticus?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVvQTEaCyt2bbkoAh7wPyg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blake Bartlett on YouTube</a>.Podcast produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView</a>.View our&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog&nbsp;</a>for more context/inspiration.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/openview-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Linkedin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/openviewventure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/openviewventure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Instagram</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpenViewVenture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Facebook</a>

CEO of ProfitWell

Culture at a startup is always tricky, but there’s one common mistake founders should avoid at all costs. It’s the desire to make everyone happy all the time. Patrick says this leads to a “culture of accommodation” which ultimately ends up not working for anyone. Hear Patrick’s journey as a founder to define the culture at ProfitWell, and how you can do the same at your startup.


Patrick Campbell (ProfitWell): What’s the “Right” Culture for Your Company?

Every startup wants to create a category. This is often a mistake. Or at least it’s prioritized too early by many founders and marketers. Ryan Carlson, longtime CMO at Okta, explains why this falls flat with customers and what to do instead. Key Takeaways: <ul><li>[00:31&nbsp;-&nbsp;01:53] &nbsp;A noted skeptic on category creation</li><li>[01:54&nbsp;-&nbsp;02:15] Everybody wants to be a category creator</li><li>[02:16&nbsp;-&nbsp;03:19] Focus on how they're better than the alternative</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/newsletter/#.YfRAM-rMIuU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancarlson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ryan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancarlson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ryantcarlson?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVvQTEaCyt2bbkoAh7wPyg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blake Bartlett on YouTube</a>.Podcast produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView</a>.View our&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog&nbsp;</a>for more context/inspiration.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/openview-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Linkedin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/openviewventure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/openviewventure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Instagram</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpenViewVenture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Facebook</a>

I love technology products, and building the companies who make them.

Ryan Carlson

Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz

Every startup wants to create a category. This is often a mistake. Or at least it’s prioritized too early by many founders and marketers. Ryan Carlson, longtime CMO at Okta, explains why this falls flat with customers and what to do instead.


Ryan Carlson (ex-Wiz, Okta): Category Creation is Overrated

Okta’s CMO for 5+ years, Ryan Carlson, says marketing’s guiding light should be the company mission and values. Marketing’s job is to tell the story of the company, not to merely promote the product or drive leads into the top of a funnel. Authentic marketing is rooted in the BIG questions. Why does this company exist? Who should care about that and why?Today’s episode will help you:<ul><li>Understand this strategic approach to marketing</li><li>See the impact strategic marketing has on your audience</li><li>How to hire mission/values-aligned marketers</li><li>Leverage Ryan’s playbook for company storytelling by working directly with customers</li></ul> Key Takeaways: <ul><li>[00:19&nbsp;-&nbsp;03:37] Introduction to Ryan Carlson, and thoughts on company culture in the world of marketing</li><li>[03:44&nbsp;-&nbsp;06:53] What should define culture is the mission, values, and vision</li><li>[06:54&nbsp;-&nbsp;10:00] Imparting importance, and showing why culture mattered at Okta</li><li>[10:02&nbsp;-&nbsp;13:32] Authenticity, avoiding hyperbole and marketing BS</li><li>[13:43&nbsp;-&nbsp;16:10] Who do you hire to marketing leadership to operate more authentically?</li><li>[16:13&nbsp;-&nbsp;18:18] Hiring true believers, and avoiding a "customer's wrong" mentality with product market fit</li><li>[19:26&nbsp;-&nbsp;22:45] Understanding why people like the product and the people behind it</li><li>[22:48&nbsp;-&nbsp;25:40] Combining pen to paper with mission, values, and vision</li><li>[25:42&nbsp;-&nbsp;28:27] Storytelling and presentations, how they impact retention</li><li>[28:30&nbsp;-&nbsp;32:26] Story and history of your company is different</li><li>[32:32&nbsp;-&nbsp;35:37] Figuring out if a company operates by its values as a candidate</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/newsletter/#.YfRAM-rMIuU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancarlson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ryan Carlson, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryancarlson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><a href="https://twitter.com/ryantcarlson?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVvQTEaCyt2bbkoAh7wPyg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blake Bartlett on YouTube</a>.Podcast produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView</a>.View our&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog&nbsp;</a>for more context/inspiration.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/openview-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Linkedin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/openviewventure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/openviewventure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Instagram</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpenViewVenture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Facebook</a>

Okta’s CMO for 5+ years, Ryan Carlson, says marketing’s guiding light should be the company mission and values. Marketing’s job is to tell the story of the company, not to merely promote the product or drive leads into the top of a funnel. Authentic marketing is rooted in the BIG questions. Why does this company exist? Who should care about that and why?


Ryan Carlson (ex-Wiz, Okta): Company Values = Marketing Message

Okta’s CMO for 5+ years, Ryan Carlson, says marketing’s guiding light should be the company mission and values. Marketing’s job is to tell the story of the company, not to merely promote the product or drive leads into the top of a funnel. Authentic marketing is rooted in the BIG questions. Why does this company exist? Who should care about that and why?Today’s episode will help you:
Understand this strategic approach to marketing
See the impact strategic marketing has on your audience
How to hire mission/values-aligned marketers
Leverage Ryan’s playbook for company storytelling by working directly with customers



Raj says that most of the PLG advice out there today is missing a key foundational point: data. Many PLG companies still rely on traditional sales &amp; marketing software that keeps data in silos. The key to winning in PLG starts with your data infrastructure, and wiring it up early helps you scale later. Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/newsletter/#.YfRAM-rMIuU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajsarkar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Raj Sarkar, CMO &amp; Advisor</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajsarkar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><a href="https://twitter.com/rajsarkar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVvQTEaCyt2bbkoAh7wPyg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blake Bartlett on YouTube</a>.Podcast produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView</a>.View our&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog&nbsp;</a>for more context/inspiration.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/openview-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Linkedin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/openviewventure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/openviewventure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Instagram</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpenViewVenture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Facebook</a>

I just transitioned from the Chief Megaphone Operator to Advisor of 1Password. At 1Password I was part of the c-suite that raised $920M from top-notch VC-firms, executives, and artists for a valuation of $6.7B; was recognized as one of the top 100 Private Cloud companies by Forbes; exceeded 100,000 B2B customers (and many more individuals and families) with triple digit revenues and high double-digit revenue growth; launched the first 1P commercial (search "cybersecurity skincare"); and built out the marketing organization from the ground up. 

Raj Sarkar

CMO, Advisor | Google, Atlassian Alum

Raj says that most of the PLG advice out there today is missing a key foundational point: data. Many PLG companies still rely on traditional sales & marketing software that keeps data in silos. The key to winning in PLG starts with your data infrastructure, and wiring it up early helps you scale later.


Raj Sarkar (ex-1Password, Atlassian): PLG Data Infrastructure

B2B marketers usually overlook brand in their marketing mix. Brand marketing is only for CPG companies, right? Raj makes the case that brand marketing is not optional, if you want to win your category. But brand marketing isn’t just buying a Super Bowl ad. Before you think about channels, you need to define your brand identity and build awareness. Done right, brand marketing can become an infinitely scalable strategy to drive growth. Key Takeaways: <ul><li>[01:19&nbsp;-&nbsp;04:05] What exactly is brand marketing? And why is it important?</li><li>[04:06&nbsp;-&nbsp;05:41] Why we should dive deep into brand</li><li>[05:41&nbsp;-&nbsp;07:36] Differentiation in branding, infinitely scalable</li><li>[07:39&nbsp;-&nbsp;11:38] When to start thinking about brand, SEO, and the funnel</li><li>[13:36&nbsp;-&nbsp;15:36] Determining your mission and values, brand attributes</li><li>[15:36&nbsp;-&nbsp;17:26] Speaking ways that is consistent with identity</li><li>[17:28&nbsp;-&nbsp;19:45] Balancing different brand attributes in messaging</li><li>[19:47&nbsp;-&nbsp;21:04] House of brands or a branded house</li><li>[22:08&nbsp;-&nbsp;25:31] Amplifying brand marketing and the channels of choice</li><li>[25:38&nbsp;-&nbsp;28:58] Tracking efficacy in print and non-digital formats with modern tools</li><li>[28:58&nbsp;-&nbsp;30:47] Where to take action on Raj's advice</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/newsletter/#.YfRAM-rMIuU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for OpenView's weekly newsletter</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajsarkar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Raj Sarkar, CMO &amp; Advisor</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajsarkar/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><a href="https://twitter.com/rajsarkar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVvQTEaCyt2bbkoAh7wPyg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Blake Bartlett on YouTube</a>.Podcast produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView</a>.View our&nbsp;<a href="https://openviewpartners.com/blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog&nbsp;</a>for more context/inspiration.<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/openview-/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Linkedin</a><a href="https://twitter.com/openviewventure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Twitter</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/openviewventure/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Instagram</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OpenViewVenture/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OpenView on Facebook</a>

B2B marketers usually overlook brand in their marketing mix. Brand marketing is only for CPG companies, right? Raj makes the case that brand marketing is not optional, if you want to win your category. But brand marketing isn’t just buying a Super Bowl ad. Before you think about channels, you need to define your brand identity and build awareness. Done right, brand marketing can become an infinitely scalable strategy to drive growth.


Raj Sarkar (ex-1Password, Atlassian): B2B Brand Marketing

B2B marketers usually overlook brand in their marketing mix. Brand marketing is only for CPG companies, right? Raj makes the case that brand marketing is not optional, if you want to win your category.

But brand marketing isn’t just buying a Super Bowl ad. Before you think about channels, you need to define your brand identity and build awareness. Done right, brand marketing can become an infinitely scalable strategy to drive growth.


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It takes 3 ingredients to build a software startup in today’s wild market: people, product and growth. Easier said than done. BUILD is here to help by featuring conversations between venture capitalist Blake Bartlett and the smartest folks in software. OpenView is a VC firm that invests in amazing companies like Datadog, Expensify and Calendly. Visit ov.vc for more details.

Culture at a startup is always tricky, but there’s one common mistake founders should avoid at all costs. It’s the desire to make everyone happy all the time. Patrick says this leads to a “culture of accommodation” which ultimately ends up not working for anyone. Hear Patrick’s journey as a founder to define the culture at ProfitWell, and how you can do the same at your startup.

Close's Steli Efti on Learning to Say No

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