We recently worked with Ramana Jampala, CEO at Avlino. Here we discuss choosing customer love before short-term profitability.

Many $1M to $5M CEOs wrestle with this tradeoff. A product customers love but struggles to monetize versus a profitable product that customers tolerate. Ramana’s perspective is refreshingly clear. If customers do not genuinely love the product, sustainable profit is unlikely to follow.

Chasing margins too early often means lowering the bar on features, usability, or outcomes. That creates short-term EBITDA at the cost of long-term trust. As Ramana explains, a product that delivers real efficacy earns the right to improve margins over time.

This mirrors what I see repeatedly with scaleups. When teams argue about pricing, positioning, or features, the real issue is usually misalignment with customer reality. The fastest path forward is not internal debate. It is listening directly to customers, exposing product teams to unfiltered feedback, and resetting the roadmap around real adoption blockers.

Love from customers is not a nice-to-have. It is the foundation that makes monetization durable.

I dive deeper into this concept of customer-led product decisions driving long-term profitability on page 162 of my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards. Check it out at:

https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

If you know someone who wants to write a bestselling business book (the gold standard of thought leadership!) with my done-for-you service (only pay per week that your book achieves Amazon bestseller status) message me!

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app.

#CEO #Scaleups #ProductStrategy #CustomerCentricity #SaaS #B2B #Growth #WisdomFromWizards

We recently worked with Riccardo Pellegrini, CEO at Knode AI. Here we discuss whether early-stage CEOs should prioritize hiring top talent or developing the team they already have.

Ricky makes a clear distinction that resonates with many $1M to $5M CEOs. Large companies can afford structured development, long timelines, and formal training. Early-stage companies cannot. At this stage, you need people who can deliver fast, adapt daily, and grow by being thrown into real problems.

This mirrors a pattern I see repeatedly with first-time founding marketers. At zero-to-one, the role is not about waiting for enablement or perfect processes. It is about hiring someone who can educate product, earn sales trust, and build the playbook while executing it. Impact earns credibility. Speed earns influence.

The lesson for CEOs is simple. Early-stage growth rewards builders, not passengers. Hire people who can create momentum first, then help them grow inside the role as the company matures.

I dive deeper into this concept of building impact before infrastructure on page 164 of my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards. Check it out at: https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

If you know someone who wants to write a bestselling business book (the gold standard of thought leadership!) with my done-for-you service (only pay per week that your book achieves Amazon bestseller status) message me!

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app.

#CEO #StartupLeadership #HiringStrategy #ProductMarketing #GoToMarket #Scaleups #WisdomFromWizards

We recently worked with Andrew Devlin, CEO at PitchHub. Here we discuss whether tech should automate humans or empower them.

Andrew makes a clear case for empowerment. The goal is not to replace people or automate charisma, but to reduce friction so humans can show up better, communicate clearly, and deliver stronger outcomes. That distinction matters more than ever for CEOs scaling from $1M to $5M.

This ties directly to a bigger shift I unpack in Wisdom From Wizards. Winning companies move from “I” metrics to “We” outcomes. Not just how often customers log in, but what they actually achieve because of you. More clarity. More confidence. Measurable results.

When your product empowers customers to succeed, value becomes undeniable. Trust grows faster. Partnerships deepen. And customers become advocates because they experience real outcomes, not just features.

In an AI-driven world, the advantage is not who automates the most, but who enables customers to win and shares in that success.

I dive deeper into this concept of moving from “I” metrics to shared customer outcomes on page 166 of my bestselling business book Wisdom From Wizards. Check it out at:

https://WisdomFromWizards.com/s

If you or someone you know wants to become a bestselling author (the ultimate thought leadership flex!) with my done-for-you service (don’t pay unless your book becomes an Amazon bestseller) message me!

Listen to Wisdom From Wizards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app.

#CEO #TechLeadership #CustomerValue #B2BSaaS #AI #Scaleups #WisdomFromWizards