Episode 159: Fueling Product-Led Growth with Leah Tharin, Interim Chief Product and Growth Officer, GotPhoto
February 21, 2024
In this episode of the Product Thinking podcast, host Melissa Perri is joined by Leah Tharin, Interim Chief Product and Growth Officer, GotPhoto. Join them as they explore the different types of growth strategies and when to use them, as well as the importance of aligning sales and product teams. Leah also talks about the power of data-driven strategies in bridging sales and product teams and how aligning with customer success fuels product-led growth.
In this episode of the Product Thinking podcast, host Melissa Perri is joined by Leah Tharin, Interim Chief Product and Growth Officer, GotPhoto. Join them as they explore the different types of growth strategies and when to use them, as well as the importance of aligning sales and product teams. Leah also talks about the power of data-driven strategies in bridging sales and product teams and how aligning with customer success fuels product-led growth.
Leah is a well-known figure in the B2B and product-led growth sectors, guiding organizations to align their growth, product, marketing, and sales efforts, whether scaling up or down. She focuses on practical, operational strategies rather than theoretical concepts with her clients. Also, Leah serves as an advisor to Notion Capital, NorthOne, and Paddle and hosts the "PRODUCTEA with Leah" podcast.
You’ll hear them talk about:
- [03:47] - Deciding between product-led growth (PLG) and sales-led growth (SLG) is essential for companies at any stage. For startups, leveraging PLG by offering a freemium version can be key to gaining traction in a crowded market. However, the ease of launching new products today means more competition, making it harder to stand out. Mature companies must assess their market position — opting for PLG in commoditized markets to attract a broad customer base without the need for direct sales interaction. Contrarily, in a market where personalized value and differentiation are vital, a sales-led strategy might still be necessary. While adapting to PLG can be challenging for traditionally sales-driven organizations, it's often crucial to remain competitive.
- [22:54] - To foster a product-led growth strategy while motivating sales teams effectively, focus on aligning sales incentives with customer expansion and success. Rather than rewarding salespeople solely on initial deals, offer bonuses for growing accounts and contributing to customer success activities. This will benefit the sales team by focusing their efforts on warm leads and reducing time spent on cold outreach. Moreover, it will ensure that sales strategies are aligned with delivering real value to customers. By combining insights from both sales demographics and customer behavior analytics, organizations can identify and engage with genuinely interested prospects, leading to more meaningful conversations and, ultimately, more successful expansions.
- [32:28] - Embracing a PLG strategy involves more than just offering free trials or premium versions; it's about leveraging detailed product usage data to drive sales and improve product development. A successful approach involves bridging the gap between sales and product teams, ensuring they work collaboratively to use insights from customer engagement to refine product offerings and enhance the sales process. Sales teams can use this data to better qualify leads and personalize their strategies while product teams can use feedback to build better solutions. This symbiosis requires executive leadership, especially from Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) and Chief Product Officers (CPOs), to foster a culture of data-driven decision-making and collaboration.
- [45:13] - Facing the wild tech landscape of 2024, with challenges like massive layoffs and tighter financial conditions, companies seek ways to navigate these rough waters. Leah highlights a crucial survival strategy: adopting a vertical organization. This approach could be the life jacket businesses need during the storm. By focusing on specific customer segments, companies can improve their value proposition and charge more per customer, counteracting the pressures of commoditization and increased competition. Embracing verticalization allows for more efficient use of resources and opens up new roads for growth by targeting underserved or unique market niches.
Episode Resources:
If you enjoyed this episode, please visit:
Product Thinking is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Previous guests include:
Tanya Johnson Chief Product Officer at Auror, Tom Eisenmann, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, Stephanie Leue, Chief Product Officer at Doodle, Jason Fried, Co-founder and CEO of 37signals, Hubert Palan, Founder and CEO of Productboard, Blake Samic, Former Global Head of Product Operations at Stripe and Uber, Colin Anawaty, Chief Product Officer of First Dollar, Quincy Hunte, Global Transformation Product Leader at Amazon Web Services, Ellen Chisa, Partner at boldstart ventures, and Leon Barnard, Education Team Lead at Balsamiq
Check out our Top 3 episodes:
- Episode 128: Scaling Product Operations with Blake Samic, Former Global Head of Product Operations at Stripe and Uber
- Episode 132: Simplicity by Design for Product Development with Jason Fried, Co-founder and CEO of 37signals
- Episode 153: Decoding the DNA of Successful Product Management with Quincy Hunte, Global Transformation Product Leader at Amazon Web Services