Former Frame.io COO Scott Giffis discusses aligning product development directly with go-to-market metrics.
Insight
Giffis: Product-focused startups cannot over-invest in customer onboarding
“You can over invest in acquisition. You can over invest in retention. You cannot over invest in onboarding. It's the most important motion in your business, especially if you're a product focused business, right?”
Insight
Scott Giffis: Startups cannot run PLG acquisition if users aren't buyers
“Is your user the same as your buyer? They say, no. I say, well, then you don't have a PLG motion on the acquisition side.”
Insight
Giffis: Marketers buy ad products on standard metrics, not bespoke engagement
“They wanted to talk about engagement and all these unique things, and I said, guys, nobody gives a shit what you're talking about. That's not how marketers buy the product. People buy on clicks, they buy on CPC, they buy on CPM. Don't fight the tide.”
Insight
Giffis: SaaS companies should never gate features that drive product stickiness
“So don't gate the thing, I know in your head you're like, well that creates a lot of value. Yeah, sure it does. But build value on top of the value that customers are going to get from you. Right? So don't gate the thing that's going to make you sticky, that's…”
Opinion
Giffis: SaaS startups should not maintain an SDR function
“So your SDRs, if you have SDRs, which I don't recommend, but that's a different conversation, but if you have an SDR function you know, they should be working hand-in-hand with marketing, right?”
Insight
Giffis: Startups should never hire just one person for a new bet
“If you're going to bet on something, bet on it, and put resources against it, but most importantly, if you have just one person, you're not going to know if it was a success or a failure without that, without having two, right?”