Misadventures in Marketing

Pitch, Please!

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 5 of Misadventures in Marketing: Pitch, Please! In this episode, hosts Peter Farago and Steve Haney dive into the wonder of crafting compelling decks that persuade and engage your audience. We lay out our essential tips for creating impactful decks, graphics, messages, & animations, and explore the evolving role of generative AI in adding punch to all of them. We cover some fundamentals (storytelling, simplicity, and narrative flow), using bullet points, visuals, and narratives, adapting to different audiences (investors, sales teams, boards of directors), and the role of AI and LLMs, with practical tips on using Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude to punch up those slides. Also, don’t forget to check out AMA SF’s latest blog posts! Rinita Datta continues to turn out fantastic insights on topics every marketer should be up to speed on. Here is her latest: AI Can Polish Your Brand. Only You Can Build Its Story. https://www.amasf.org/blog/ai-can-polish-your-brand-only-you-can-build-its-story/ About Misadventures In Marketing The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional GTM executive in tech, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues. Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/ X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amasf/ Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios), and Brian Douglas (Creative Comms) Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales Content Producer: Rinita Datta We'd also like to thank our sponsor Workbox for their support of Misadventures in Marketing. #startups, #hightech, #misadventuresinmarketing, #MiM, #marketing, #technologystartups, #SiliconValley, #CMO, #marketingstrategy, #innovation, #casestudies, #businesschallenges, #leadership, #companyculture, #techgiants, #CMO, #AMA, #SiliconValley, #MisadventuresInMarketing, #TechMarketing, #StartupSuccess, #AIinMarketing, #DigitalInnovation, #MarketingInsights, #PitchDeckTips, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingPodcast, #TechTrends Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and episode overview 02:00 - How to craft effective pitch decks: storytelling and narrative 05:30 - Slide design tips: clarity, visuals, and supporting narration 10:00 - Tailoring decks for fundraising, sales, and internal communication 15:00 - The impact of AI and LLMs on marketing strategies 20:00 - Managing data and content for AI integration 25:00 - The future of brand presence in AI-driven ecosystems 30:00 - Practical applications of AI tools in marketing workflows 35:00 - Challenges of standing out amidst AI-generated content 40:00 - Final tips: building memorable, persuasive presentations

The New B2B Customer Journey

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 4 of Misadventures in Marketing: The New B2B Customer Journey In this episode, hosts Peter Farago and Steve Haney grapple with the age-old problem of product discovery and the new, convoluted, twisty B2B customer journey. Thanks to AI, prospects are armed with more data and more sophisticated information about the market landscape, your product and your competitors’ products. This demands that marketers shift their strategies and focus on the things they can control: brand; consistent output of relevant content from the product marketing team; and sales tools for the sales team, for when a prospect actually makes human contact with your start-up to engage. While AI is a powerful research tool and assessment partner for a buyer, ultimately, human interaction remains irreplaceable. And don’t forget to check out AMA SF’s latest blog posts! Rinita Datta continues to turn out fantastic insights on topics every marketer should be up to speed on: Resilience, Discipline, and Reputation: Lessons for Leaders https://www.amasf.org/blog/resilience-discipline-and-reputation-lessons-for-leaders/ ABOUT MISADVENTURES IN MARKETING The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional GTM executive in tech, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues. Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/ X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amasf/ Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios), and Brian Douglas (Creative Comms) Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales Content Producer: Rinita Datta We'd also like to thank our sponsor Workbox for their support of Misadventures in Marketing. #startups, #hightech, #misadventuresinmarketing, #MiM, #marketing, #technologystartups, #SiliconValley, #CMO, #marketingstrategy, #innovation, #casestudies, #businesschallenges, #leadership, #companyculture, #techgiants, #CMO, #AMA, #SiliconValley, #Marketing #AI #CustomerJourney #Technology #SurveillanceEconomy #DecisionMaking #ProductMarketing #GenerativeAI #B2B #TechNews Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Misadventures in Marketing 02:06 Tech News: Apple's AI Capabilities and Market Reactions 04:51 Surveillance Economy: The Ring and Flock Controversy 09:55 AI in Marketing: Tools and Applications 17:45 The New Customer Journey: Understanding Buyer Behavior 33:10 AI's Role in Decision Making and Marketing Strategies 47:56 Conclusion: The Future of Marketing in an AI-Driven World

Building a Web Agency That Lasts

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 3 of Misadventures in Marketing: Building a Web Agency That Lasts. In this episode, hosts Steve Haney and Peter Farago welcome guest Eric Weidner, a seasoned marketing professional who has built and run a successful web agency for the last 30 years. Traversing multiple technology waves since the internet boom of the 90’s, Eric shares his experience adapting to new business models, new technologies, and new devices over the decades. With a special focus on the pharma and biotech sectors, Eric covers his journey from a web agency founder to a specialized marketer. Particular focus is placed on how to navigate the regulatory environment of building websites for pharmaceutical companies. We also dive into the intricacies of building a website in the modern era that is tuned for AI bots, as well as SEO, as well as humans. Even in today’s AI-swept world, an organization’s website still remains a vital component and needed asset of a company’s marketing success. ABOUT MISADVENTURES IN MARKETING The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional GTM executive in tech, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues. Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/ X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amasf/ Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios), and Brian Douglas (Creative Comms) Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales Content Producer: Rinita Datta We'd also like to thank our sponsor Workbox for their support of Misadventures in Marketing. #startups, #hightech, #misadventuresinmarketing, #MiM, #marketing, #technologystartups, #SiliconValley, #CMO, #marketingstrategy, #innovation, #casestudies, #businesschallenges, #leadership, #companyculture, #techgiants, #CMO, #AMA, #SiliconValley, #Marketing #TechIndustry #Leadership #AI #WebDesign #Podcast #Innovation #PharmaceuticalMarketing #MarketingTools #CreativeLeadership

Channel Surfing

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 2 of Misadventures in Marketing: Channel Surfing! In this episode, hosts Peter Farago and Steve Haney share their insights on determining which marketing channels to exploit in the current online, vertical video, AI-driven environment we find ourselves in. After some intriguing banter about the government’s role in regulating AI, and exploring the intersection between entertainment and technology vis a vis Disney & OpenAI, they dive into the very, very hard job of identifying which marketing channels work best for an early stage tech start-up. From social media and email marketing to SEO, conferences, trade shows, and content generation, they highlight the necessity of utilizing existing resources to build one’s presence without significant budgets. Next they talk about experimenting with new marketing channels, like influencer partnerships and niche podcasts. Identifying industry-specific influencers and engaging with them to maximize outreach while minimizing costs is one relatively new channel that could leave SEM in the rear view mirror. Don’t forget to check out the latest blog posts from AMA SF, expanding on the topics we explore in Misadventures in Marketing. More Than a Mic: Strategic Speaking That Drives Growth https://www.amasf.org/blog/strategic-speaking-that-drives-growth/ ABOUT MISADVENTURES IN MARKETING The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional GTM executive in tech, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues. Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/ X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amasf/ Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios), and Brian Douglas Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales Content Producer: Rinita Datta We'd also like to thank our sponsor Workbox for their support of Misadventures in Marketing. #startups, #hightech, #misadventuresinmarketing, #MiM, #marketing, #technologystartups, #SiliconValley, #CMO, #marketingstrategy, #innovation, #casestudies, #businesschallenges, #leadership, #companyculture, #techgiants, #CMO, #AMA, #SiliconValley, #MarketingStrategies, #TechStartups,# ArtificialIntelligence, #AI, #PodcastInsights, #DigitalMarketing, #InfluencerMarketing, #SEO, #EmailMarketing, #ContentCreation

Stage Ready

Season 3 of Misadventures in Marketing is here! We kick off 2026 and Episode 1, Stage Ready, with a discussion about public speaking spots and how to integrate them into your marketing mix. Sure, I know you want to talk about AI and how PLG and SEO are going away and how in just 2 months every company on the planet is going to get side-swiped by our AI overlords. But after that’s all over and we’re standing in the ruins of the demand generation apocalypse, your company still has to send humans out into the meat space to talk about your company, shake hands with other humans, share ideas, and bond over beverages. Arms length transactions only go so far, especially on large, 7-figure purchases. That means your speaking plan has to be strategic, not random, just like any other program in your marketing mix. Peter and I also touch upon the significant tech news of the day and our latest use of AI tools for our personal use, as well as for company wide martech systems and marketing programs we’re currently working on. ABOUT MISADVENTURES IN MARKETING The American Marketing Association San Francisco Chapter presents Misadventures in Marketing, a podcast about high tech marketing in Silicon Valley, focusing primarily on marketing challenges in early stage technology startups. Hosts Peter Farago, a career high tech marketer and Steve Haney, a fractional GTM executive in tech, chat weekly about marketing practices in high tech, the latest martech product news, their experiences from the front lines, and interviews with their CMO friends and marketing colleagues. Listen: https://mim.captivate.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMASanFrancisco/ X: https://x.com/AMASanFrancisco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amasanfrancisco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/amasf/ Hosts: Peter Farago and Steve Haney Marketing: Ian Robinson-Lambert Editing: Lorenzo Fernandez-Kopec, Marisa Gabriela Ramos (Peakbound Studios), and Brian Douglas Consulting Producer: JulieAnn Bornales Content Producer: Rinita Datta We'd also like to thank our sponsor Workbox for their support of Misadventures in Marketing. #startups, #hightech, #misadventuresinmarketing, #MiM, #marketing, #technologystartups, #SiliconValley, #CMO, #marketingstrategy, #innovation, #casestudies, #businesschallenges, #leadership, #companyculture, #techgiants, #CMO, #AMA, #SiliconValley, #LegacyVsStartup, #AIFuture, #InnovationChallenge, #Marketing, #Podcast, #MisadventuresInMarketing, #TechDebate, #Marketing, #AI, #Podcast, #Technology, #DataManagement, #Public Speaking, #AuthenticityInAdvertising, #ProductivityTools, #MarketingStrategies