Building Authority with Content Marketing & Thought Leadership with Mike Montague

Building Authority with Content Marketing & Thought Leadership with Mike Montague

Every growth-stage AI company wants to become the category leader. But very few ask the question: How do you earn the market’s trust before you ever ask for a sale? In today’s AI landscape, buyers are overwhelmed with content, product announcements, and bold claims. The companies that stand out aren’t necessarily the ones with the most features or the biggest marketing budgets. They’re the ones that consistently educate, provide value, and establish themselves as trusted authorities. In this episode of Marketing Pack Leaders, host Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, sits down with Mike Montague, co-founder of Avenue9, bestselling author, and former Global Head of Content at Sandler Training, to explore how AI scale-ups can use content marketing and thought leadership to accelerate growth. Mike has spent his career helping organizations align marketing and sales around customer-first messaging that drives measurable business results. His perspective goes beyond content creation to focus on something much more strategic: building authority that influences buying decisions long before prospects enter the sales funnel. This conversation is packed with practical advice for founders, GTM leaders, and product marketers looking to rise above the noise in increasingly competitive AI markets. What This Episode Is About Josh and Mike explore how growth-stage AI companies can transform content marketing from a tactical activity into a strategic competitive advantage. Topics include: • Why thought leadership should educate rather than advertise • How AI companies can establish authority instead of simply creating more content • The types of content that resonate with technical buyers and executive decision-makers • Finding the balance between educating the market and promoting your product • How founders can become trusted voices in their category • Creating content that supports positioning and go-to-market strategy • Building long-term trust through consistency and customer-first thinking • The metrics that indicate your thought leadership is influencing real business outcomes Mike also shares practical insights on creating content that serves buyers throughout their decision-making journey while strengthening both brand credibility and revenue growth. Why It’s Worth Your Time Many AI companies mistake content volume for content effectiveness. They publish blogs. They post on LinkedIn. They launch webinars. But they never become the company buyers automatically think of when a problem needs solving. That’s because authority isn’t built through frequency alone. It’s built through relevance, consistency, and trust. This episode will help you: • Develop a thought leadership strategy that supports revenue growth • Create content that educates instead of simply promoting features • Build trust with both technical and executive audiences • Position your leadership team as industry experts • Align content marketing with broader go-to-market objectives • Understand how authority influences pipeline and buying decisions If your company wants to become the trusted voice in its category rather than simply another AI vendor competing for attention, this conversation offers a practical roadmap. Who This Episode Is For This episode is designed for leaders at AI scale-ups and growth-stage technology companies, including: • Founders building category leadership and market credibility • GTM leaders responsible for demand generation and pipeline growth • Product marketers developing messaging and thought leadership strategies • Marketing leaders focused on brand authority and customer education • Revenue leaders looking to strengthen trust throughout the buying journey If you’re trying to build an AI company that customers look to for insight—not just software—this episode is for you. About Marketing Pack Leaders Marketing Pack Leaders is the podcast for founders, product marketers, and GTM leaders building authority and revenue in the AI era. Hosted by Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, the show explores how positioning, storytelling, thought leadership, and go-to-market strategy help growth-stage companies transform innovative products into category-defining businesses. Each episode features experienced founders, operators, marketers, and consultants sharing practical frameworks and actionable lessons to help AI companies accelerate growth, sharpen differentiation, and build lasting competitive advantage. 📬 Subscribe to the Marketing Howl newsletter for more insights on AI product marketing, positioning, and go-to-market strategy: https://markethowl.substack.com/ [https://markethowl.substack.com/] 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Social Media Marketing for AI Scale-Ups with Beth Trejo

For many growth-stage AI companies, social media has become a confusing channel. Everyone agrees it’s important. Everyone says founders should post more. Everyone talks about building a brand. But very few teams can answer a simple question: How does social media actually contribute to revenue? In this episode of Marketing Pack Leaders, host Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, sits down with Beth Trejo, fractional CMO at Chatterkick, to explore how AI scale-ups can use social media strategically to build trust, strengthen market positioning, and drive measurable business outcomes. Beth has spent years helping B2B companies transform social media from a branding exercise into a growth engine. Her work focuses on connecting content, executive visibility, and community engagement to real business goals, helping organizations create social strategies that influence both perception and pipeline. This conversation moves beyond likes, impressions, and follower counts to focus on what matters most: building authority in increasingly competitive AI markets. What This Episode Is About Josh and Beth unpack how AI scale-ups should approach social media in a market where trust is becoming increasingly valuable. Topics include: • Why trust matters more than visibility in today’s AI landscape • The role social media plays in shaping buyer perception • What types of content generate meaningful engagement for AI companies • How founders and executives can strengthen the company narrative through personal thought leadership • Balancing educational content with company messaging • Building credibility with technical and executive audiences • Aligning social media efforts with broader GTM objectives • Measuring success beyond vanity metrics Beth also shares practical advice on how leadership teams can show up authentically online while reinforcing company positioning and creating stronger market awareness. Why It’s Worth Your Time AI companies face a unique challenge. The technology moves quickly. The market is crowded. And buyers are increasingly skeptical. In this environment, social media isn’t just a distribution channel. It’s often where prospects form their first impression of your company, your leadership team, and your expertise. This episode will help you: • Build trust with potential customers before sales conversations begin • Create social content that supports pipeline generation • Develop executive thought leadership that strengthens company positioning • Better understand the relationship between social engagement and revenue outcomes • Focus on metrics that indicate real business impact If you’re investing time and resources into social media but struggling to connect those efforts to growth, this conversation provides a practical framework for evaluating and improving your approach. Who This Episode Is For This episode is designed for leaders at AI scale-ups and growth-stage technology companies, including: • Founders building category authority and market credibility • GTM leaders responsible for pipeline growth and brand awareness • Product marketers shaping narrative and market perception • Marketing leaders looking to improve the business impact of social media • Revenue leaders interested in how trust influences buying decisions If your company operates in a competitive AI market and you’re looking to build authority, attract buyers, and strengthen your go-to-market strategy, this episode is for you. About Marketing Pack Leaders Marketing Pack Leaders is the podcast for founders, product marketers, and GTM leaders building authority and revenue in the AI era. Hosted by Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, the show explores how positioning, storytelling, and go-to-market strategy help growth-stage companies turn complex technology into market momentum. Each episode features experienced practitioners, operators, and thought leaders sharing actionable insights on product marketing, positioning, demand generation, customer understanding, and growth. 📬 Subscribe to the Marketing Howl newsletter for more insights on AI product marketing, positioning, and GTM strategy: https://markethowl.substack.com/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. #MarketingPackLeaders #SocialMediaMarketing #ThoughtLeadership #AIStartups #ProductMarketing #GTM #ThunderwolfConsulting

Why Great Products Fail to Generate Revenue with Bruce Law

Many growth-stage AI companies make the same assumption: If we build a great product, customers will come. But the market doesn’t reward the best product. It rewards the product customers understand, believe in, and know how to buy. That’s why so many companies with strong technology struggle to generate consistent revenue, while others with less sophisticated solutions gain traction and grow faster. In this episode of Marketing Pack Leaders, host Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, sits down with Bruce Law, founder of Sprout Marketing, to explore the gap between building great products and building great businesses. Bruce has spent years helping B2B technology companies sharpen their positioning, align their go-to-market strategy, and connect product innovation to customer demand. His work focuses on helping companies bridge the distance between what they build and what the market actually values. This conversation gets to the heart of why growth stalls, why messaging breaks down, and what leaders can do to reconnect their product with the market. What This Episode Is About Josh and Bruce explore one of the most important questions facing founders and GTM leaders: Why do some companies build strong products but struggle to generate revenue? Topics include: • Why product quality alone doesn’t guarantee commercial success • What go-to-market strategy actually is—and what it isn’t • Why many companies misunderstand GTM execution • The most common breakdowns between product and market • How positioning influences adoption and revenue growth • Why customers often fail to see value the way internal teams do • The warning signs that your company may need repositioning • How to evaluate whether growth challenges stem from product, positioning, or GTM execution Bruce also shares practical insights on helping organizations move beyond feature-centric thinking and focus on the customer problems that truly drive buying decisions. Why It’s Worth Your Time AI companies face a unique challenge. They often build products that are technically impressive but difficult for customers to understand. The result is a familiar pattern: Marketing talks about capabilities. Sales talks about features. Product talks about innovation. Meanwhile, customers struggle to connect those things to their actual business problems. This episode will help you: • Better align product, marketing, and sales around customer value • Understand the role positioning plays in revenue generation • Recognize when GTM issues are limiting growth • Identify product-to-market disconnects before they become major problems • Create stronger market narratives that improve adoption and pipeline performance If your company has strong technology but growth feels slower than expected, this conversation will help you diagnose where the friction may be occurring. Who This Episode Is For This episode is designed for leaders at AI scale-ups and growth-stage technology companies, including: • Founders responsible for growth strategy and market direction • GTM leaders building repeatable revenue motion • Product marketers shaping positioning and messaging • Revenue leaders focused on adoption, conversion, and scale • Product leaders looking to improve product-market alignment If you’re trying to turn innovation into market momentum, this episode offers practical insights on where companies get stuck—and how to move forward. About Marketing Pack Leaders Marketing Pack Leaders is the podcast for founders, product marketers, and GTM leaders building authority and revenue in the AI era. Hosted by Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, the show explores how positioning, storytelling, and go-to-market strategy help growth-stage companies transform complex products into market-leading businesses. Each episode features experienced operators, marketers, founders, and consultants sharing practical lessons that help companies accelerate growth, sharpen differentiation, and improve execution. 📬 Subscribe to the Marketing Howl newsletter for more insights on AI product marketing, positioning, and go-to-market strategy: https://markethowl.substack.com/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. #MarketingPackLeaders #ProductMarketing #GTM #AIStartups #Positioning #RevenueGrowth #ThunderwolfConsulting

GTM Strategy for AI Scale-Ups with Tom Malesic

Building a great AI product is only half the battle. The harder challenge? Getting customers to actually understand it. Many growth-stage AI companies hit the same wall: product, marketing, and sales all operate with different interpretations of the value story. Messaging becomes overly technical, positioning drifts, and go-to-market execution starts breaking down as the company scales. In this episode of Marketing Pack Leaders, host Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, sits down with Tom Malesic from EZSolution to unpack what effective go-to-market strategy really looks like for AI scale-ups navigating rapid growth and complex markets. Tom brings experience across product marketing, customer engagement, and GTM strategy, helping organizations simplify technical solutions into clear, customer-centered messaging that drives adoption and measurable business outcomes. This conversation explores how AI companies can move beyond feature-heavy communication and create alignment between product, marketing, and sales around a shared understanding of customer value. What This Episode Is About Josh and Tom dive deep into the realities of building GTM alignment inside AI scale-ups. Topics include: • Where AI companies most commonly misalign product, marketing, and sales • How GTM breakdowns show up in pipeline, messaging, and customer adoption • Translating complex technical capabilities into customer language that resonates • Why many AI companies struggle to communicate differentiated value clearly • How to market products customers don’t fully understand yet • What effective GTM strategy looks like in emerging AI categories • The key signals that your GTM motion is working—or quietly breaking down • Why alignment matters more as organizations scale Tom also shares practical insights into how companies can simplify their messaging without oversimplifying their product—and why customer understanding should anchor every GTM decision. Why It’s Worth Your Time For AI scale-ups, go-to-market challenges rarely come from lack of innovation. The real problem is usually translation. Product teams speak technically. Sales teams simplify differently. Marketing creates messaging that sounds good internally but doesn’t fully land with buyers. The result? Longer sales cycles, inconsistent positioning, and stalled adoption. This episode will help you: • Build stronger alignment between product, marketing, and sales • Clarify technical messaging for non-technical buyers • Recognize early signs that your GTM strategy is drifting • Improve adoption through clearer customer communication • Create more consistent execution across the buyer journey If your AI company is scaling quickly but struggling to maintain clarity and alignment, this conversation offers a practical framework for diagnosing and improving your GTM motion. Who This Episode Is For This episode is designed for leaders at AI scale-ups and growth-stage technology companies, including: • Founders shaping market narrative and growth strategy • GTM leaders responsible for scaling pipeline and adoption • Product marketers translating technical complexity into customer value • Revenue leaders aligning sales execution with positioning If you’re responsible for helping customers understand and adopt complex AI solutions, this episode will help sharpen how your company communicates value. About Marketing Pack Leaders Marketing Pack Leaders is the podcast for founders, product marketers, and GTM leaders building authority and revenue in the AI era. Hosted by Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, the show explores how positioning, storytelling, and go-to-market strategy transform complex products into market momentum. 📬 Subscribe to the Marketing Howl newsletter for more insights on AI product marketing and GTM strategy: https://markethowl.substack.com/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Behavioral Science for Better Product Marketing with Shannon Kearns

Most product marketing assumes one thing:   That buyers are rational.   They’ll read your messaging. They’ll evaluate your features. They’ll make a logical decision.   But that’s not how people actually buy.   Decisions are shaped by emotion, bias, context, and perception long before logic enters the picture. And when product marketing ignores that reality, messaging falls flat, positioning doesn’t stick, and deals stall.   In this episode of Marketing Pack Leaders, host Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, sits down with Shannon Kearns, founder of More Than Said, to explore how behavioral science can reshape the way product marketers think about messaging, positioning, and go-to-market strategy.   Shannon has built his career around uncovering what customers actually think and care about through interviews, win-loss analysis, and qualitative research. His work helps companies move beyond internal assumptions and align around real customer language that drives action.   This conversation brings that lens into product marketing. What This Episode Is About   Josh and Shannon unpack how behavioral science applies directly to product marketing and GTM execution.   Topics include:   • Why buyers don’t behave as rationally as most messaging assumes • How cognitive biases and emotional drivers influence decision-making • Where product marketing teams unintentionally fight against buyer psychology • How to use customer interviews to uncover what truly drives action • Applying behavioral insights to improve positioning and messaging • Why asking better questions is the foundation of better product marketing • Small behavioral nudges that can help move deals forward   Shannon also shares how teams can move beyond surface-level personas and into deeper customer understanding that reflects real-world behavior—not just theoretical models. Why It’s Worth Your Time   For AI and B2B technology companies, messaging is often built around features, capabilities, and differentiation.   But customers don’t buy features. They buy outcomes, confidence, and clarity.   And those decisions are shaped long before a product comparison happens.   This episode will help you:   • Build messaging that aligns with how customers actually think • Avoid common mistakes that weaken positioning and reduce impact • Use qualitative research to uncover meaningful insights • Improve how your team understands and communicates customer pain • Increase the effectiveness of your GTM strategy through better alignment with buyer behavior   If your positioning isn’t resonating, or your messaging feels technically correct but not compelling, this conversation will help you understand why—and what to do differently. Who This Episode Is For   This episode is designed for leaders at AI scale-ups and growth-stage technology companies, including:   • Founders defining their company narrative • GTM leaders responsible for messaging and pipeline performance • Product marketers translating complex products into customer value • Revenue leaders looking to improve conversion and deal progression   If you’re building and marketing AI products in competitive markets, understanding how buyers actually think is one of the most powerful advantages you can have. About Marketing Pack Leaders   Marketing Pack Leaders is the podcast for founders, product marketers, and GTM leaders building authority and revenue in the AI era.   Hosted by Josh Porter, founder of Thunderwolf Consulting, the show explores how positioning, storytelling, and go-to-market strategy turn complex products into market momentum. 📬 Subscribe to the Marketing Howl newsletter for more insights on AI product marketing and GTM strategy: https://markethowl.substack.com/   🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.