The Get: Finding And Keeping The Best Marketing Leaders in B2B SaaS

In this episode of The Get, host Erica Seidel explores how AI-native marketing orgs are shaping up with guest Kady Srinivasan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadysrinivasan/]. Kady is CMO of You.com [http://you.com], the enterprise AI productivity platform that powers agentic workflows that deliver measurable business results. She previously held top marketing leadership roles at Lightspeed Commerce, Klaviyo, and Dropbox. She has been part of three IPOs. From her vantage point, running marketing in an AI-native environment, Kady shares her experiences, observations, and hypotheses for how the marketing org is changing – and will change – to enable using AI at warp speed. You'll hear about: * How GTM leadership in an AI-native company is different from GTM leadership in a typical SaaS company * The org structures that enable using AI at warp speed * How the new marketing org has both humans and agents on the marketing team * The rise of new roles on the marketing team, like prompt marketers and influence engineers, and AI agent builders * Navigating the delicate CMO balance of "feeling you need to know it all" versus respecting your CEO's intuition * Sussing out, when talking to candidates, whether a company was successful BECAUSE of a candidate's contributions versus DESPITE the candidate's contributions * How to hire for "common sense" Memorable Quotes: * "In an AI-native company, at least the one that I'm at, we have a lot to do to educate the market about the potential solutions that they can unlock with a technology or a platform like ours. So I came up with this idea… of a forward-deployed marketer, which is similar to a forward-deployed engineer, where you're basically coming up with use cases, coming up with solutions, coming up with things that you can tell people, look, this is the art of the possible…I think that's very different from SaaS, in that SaaS is a defined set of features and platform things that you can take to market." * "It used to be that we used to have these silos - product, marketing, demand, gen, and brand. Those were the big pillars in marketing. What I've found is that with AI, you don't actually need those silos anymore. What you need instead is people who are very outcome-focused. So I have a team that's only focused on inbound. I have a team that's focused on outbound. I have a team that's focused on storytelling, brand comms, that kind of stuff. The reason I've turned it that way is in this new world, every marketer needs to become like a T-shaped marketer, which is they have a spike, but they scaffold themselves with all the other functions, and that's easy to do because of agents, because you have AI." 00:00 Introduction to The Get Podcast 00:20 Meet Kady Srinivasan: CMO of You.com 00:43 The Unique Role of a CMO in an AI Native Company 02:36 Kady's Career Insights and Advice 04:22 Organizational Structure and AI Impact 12:03 Hiring the Right Marketers for the Future 25:57 Challenges and Strategies in Modern Marketing 34:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Get [https://thegetpodcast.com] is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS. This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways.  The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good [https://theconnectivegood.com/], an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS.  If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at erica@theconnectivegood.com. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaseidel/] or sign up for her newsletter [https://theconnectivegood.com/] at TheConnectiveGood.com.  The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions [https://simpler.media]. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

In this episode of The Get, host Erica Seidel talks with Monica Ho [https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamho/], CMO of SOCi, the leading AI-powered marketing platform for multi-location businesses. Monica reflects on her CMO journey as revenue has grown from ~$10MM to ~$100MM. She gets real about how she has built her adaptation muscles and her boardroom voice, and she shares how AI and efficiency have reshaped her org chart and choices. Monica and Erica discuss: * How "earning and re-earning" your seat at the table is imperative as the business evolves * Rethinking the organization at every stage of growth, and pivoting towards "more strategists than doers" * "Forcing" AI adoption by taking away tools that the team previously relied on * The importance of reverse mentoring – interns and junior employees can bring in creativity and have better results, "because they are having more fun." * Fueling experimentation, not just with tests and tech, but by collaborating in different ways * Bringing specificity to the hiring process by asking a candidate for their current boss's name and that boss's perception of the candidate * Making yourself uncomfortable in Board meetings by sharing "the bad stuff  -- that way, you're not in defensive mode but rather in collaborative problem-solving mode    Notable quotes: * "If I'm not in a changing environment, I produce that myself." * "A successful life has to be earned and re-earned over and over again. Just because you're successful at something doesn't mean you're going to keep being successful….  I liken that to the CMO role. 'I had a great year. We crushed our goals.' Guess what? No one cares anymore. What am I doing next year? What am I doing this next quarter? And that earned and re-earned concept is just really instilled in me." * "I have learned that you earn your seat at the table, yes, but then you have to make sure you have a voice, and you've got to keep earning that seat at the table. If I'm not coming with really good insight or an opinion or what we need next, I'm going to lose that seat." * "So if I went back to my pre-CMO self, it would be to get out of my head, find my voice. One of the things I remember so clearly was it was a room full of very big personalities, and I'm also a big personality, but I'm a little bit more thoughtful. I like to listen before I speak. There was no time for me to speak. There wasn't a pause, and what I learned is that I had to interrupt people. That's not natural for me, but in order to get my thoughts out, that was just an uncomfortable place I had to put myself in, and I got a lot more comfortable with it as I held that board or held that seat." 00:00 Introduction to The Get 00:32 Meet Monica Ho, CMO of SOCI 01:13 Monica's Journey and Leadership Insights 14:49 The Impact of AI on Marketing 23:41 Hiring and Career Advice 30:05 Concluding Thoughts and Industry Changes The Get [https://thegetpodcast.com] is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS. This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways.  The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good [https://theconnectivegood.com/], an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS.  If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at erica@theconnectivegood.com. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaseidel/] or sign up for her newsletter [https://theconnectivegood.com/] at TheConnectiveGood.com.  The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions [https://simpler.media]. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

How do you not only keep up with seismic changes as a SaaS marketing leader but also proactively confront them? In this episode of The Get, host Erica Seidel of The Connective Good talks with Wanda Cadigan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandacadigan/], SVP of Marketing for Cloudinary.   Wanda shares how she delivers on the 'supply chain of revenue' in an environment where AI has joined the buying committee. From growing organic traffic when buyers arrive far more informed, to orchestrating smartly across PLG and enterprise motions, to building trust not just with humans but with AI-driven gatekeepers, Wanda offers valuable insights for leading SaaS marketing teams. You will learn about: * Treating the entire go-to-market as a revenue supply chain, not siloed teams * Why experimentation can go off the rails if it’s “a mile wide and an inch deep,” and how to drive disciplined experimentation with rapid prototyping by micro experts * Treating AI chat agents as a persona to market to, since AI is now part of the buying committee * How PR teams will experience an opportunity to really prove their worth and connect to more commercial intent by leaning into citations, structured data, and micro-influencers, and optimizing for discoverability in both human- and machine-driven ecosystems. * Designing an org with both Swiss army knives and scalpels: a mix of broad generalists and more narrow specialists to tackle specific experiments and channels * Orchestrating across PLG and enterprise motions without siloed thinking * Smarter interviewing: Defining not just questions, but also what good, average, and great answers look like to align interviewers across the org * Protecting your time: Staying fiercely focused and resisting the “people pleaser” trap   Notable quotes: * "Nobody just wakes up one morning and says, I'm going to submit a Contact Us form. Of course not. It's been pre-planted in your head. You've learned about a company or been educated about a problem that you may have been grappling with, and you could be exposed to press relations, analyst reports, events. You might have seen a vendor at an event. All of these great marketing programs do influence the final point of conversion of, Hey, I'm going to reach out and talk to these people. I think they can help me with my problem… so it's a supply chain." * "Your time is your most valuable asset. Be ferociously protective of it and resist the common marketing challenge of being a people pleaser." 00:00 Introduction to The Get Podcast 00:29 Meet Wanda Cadigan: SVP of Marketing at Cloudinary 01:26 Wanda's Journey and Marketing Strategies 03:47 The Dual Funnel Approach at Cloudinary 08:31 Navigating the Tsunami of Change in SaaS Marketing 13:05 The Role of PR and Brand in the Age of AI 16:10 Experimentation and Micro Experts in Marketing 21:43 Hiring Strategies and AI in Recruitment 28:22 Final Thoughts and Advice for Marketing Leaders 31:59 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser The Get [https://thegetpodcast.com] is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS. This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways.  The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good [https://theconnectivegood.com/], an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS.  If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at erica@theconnectivegood.com. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaseidel/] or sign up for her newsletter [https://theconnectivegood.com/] at TheConnectiveGood.com.  The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions [https://simpler.media]. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

How are PE-backed environments unique for SaaS CMOs? And what's the difference between the CMOs who flourish in PE-backed companies and those who flounder? This episode is required listening for any current or prospective CMO in a PE-backed company. This week on The Get, Erica Seidel dives into the nuances of marketing leadership in PE-backed B2B SaaS orgs with guest Julie Zadow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliezadow/], Growth Marketing Leader at The Riverside Company. They explore Julie's role in private equity as a marketing operating partner, insights into aligning marketing strategies with investment firm goals, and the impact of AI on marketing roles and operations.  You will learn about: * What it's like to be a marketing operating partner in a PE shop: As Julie describes it, she offers "battle scars for hire" and brings a mix of empathy, speed, and practicality * How to speak marketing in a way that aligns with the investor's lens * How to talk about brand in a way that doesn't make your investors run screaming * How the different phases of the hold period matter for marketing – and how conversations with investors should evolve as the end of the hold period approaches * Coaching junior employees in an AI+ environment, and a shortcut for contextualizing things for your most junior employees so they don't just 'do' with AI but 'learn' as well: Julie asks her interns: "Where did you feel you were parroting AI without understanding what it was saying?" and "What do you recommend that AI didn't think of?" * The role that is hardest to disintermediate with AI * The line of questioning CEOs are likely to pose to CMO candidates about their AI fluency * Advice to CEOs who have failed at hiring marketing leaders 00:00 Welcome to The Get: Introduction and Overview 00:58 Introducing Julie Zadow: A Marketing Leader's Journey 02:10 The Role of a Marketing Operating Partner in Private Equity 03:58 Aligning Marketing Strategies with Investor Expectations 14:30 The Impact of AI on SaaS Marketing Organizations 26:18 Advice for CMOs in Private Equity-Backed Companies 34:21 Final Thoughts and Conclusion The Get [https://thegetpodcast.com] is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS. This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways.  The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good [https://theconnectivegood.com/], an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS.  If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at erica@theconnectivegood.com. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaseidel/] or sign up for her newsletter [https://theconnectivegood.com/] at TheConnectiveGood.com.  The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions [https://simpler.media]. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

In this episode of The Get, host Erica Seidel explores the changing landscape of SaaS marketing organizations with guest Jay Roxe, CMO at Inriver. You'll learn about: * "Firing your tech stack" in order to re-imagine the marketing org and how marketing gets done * Leveraging AI for everything from last-mile content customization to product marketing to building authority in situations where prospects say, 'ChatGPT told me I should talk to you" * The evolving structure of marketing ops * Why content is no longer king, but context is king: "Customers have done 80% of their research by the time they reach you. That number is actually going up. It's so easy for people to understand your organization." * What a full-stack customer marketing org looks like * Building a culture of gratitude on the marketing team * Advice for rising CMOs: You have to love the process, not just want to HAVE DONE the CMO role. Intellectual curiosity about the job is not enough. * Advice to CEOs on how to identify the CMOs who are the best problem solvers * Hiring, and how to find people who are "curious, smart, and unexpected" Quotes: * "You're AI first or you're unemployed." * "Adoption is the new MQL… As you put more stuff into the product, are people actually adopting and using it?" * " From an org design point of view, you want to think of where you need person-to-person face-off. Your partners don't want to talk to your AI chatbot. They want to talk to a person who can help them, brainstorm with them, and give them context." * "One of the things I like talking about with candidates: what have they changed over the past year? How have they changed how they work based on everything that's going on?" 00:00 Welcome to The Get 00:16 Introducing Jay Roxe 00:40 Jay's Marketing Journey 02:32 Inriver's Global Marketing Org 06:24 Future of SaaS Marketing Orgs 11:15 The Role of AI in Marketing 14:54 Hiring for the Future 19:30 Human-Centric Leadership 21:53 Customer Marketing Insights 24:32 Final Thoughts and Advice 29:21 Closing Remarks The Get [https://thegetpodcast.com] is here to drive smart decisions around recruiting and leadership in B2B SaaS marketing. We explore the trends, tribulations, and triumphs of today’s top marketing leaders in B2B SaaS. This season’s theme is how SaaS marketing organizations are changing — in both seismic and subtle ways.  The Get’s host is Erica Seidel, who runs The Connective Good [https://theconnectivegood.com/], an executive search practice with a hyper-focus on recruiting CMOs and VPs of Marketing, especially in B2B SaaS.  If you are looking to hire a CMO or VP of Marketing of the ‘make money’ variety, rather than the ‘make it pretty’ variety, contact Erica at erica@theconnectivegood.com. You can also follow Erica on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaseidel/] or sign up for her newsletter [https://theconnectivegood.com/] at TheConnectiveGood.com.  The Get is produced by the team at Simpler Media Productions [https://simpler.media]. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy