• The Breakout Growth Podcast

  • By: Sean Ellis
  • Podcast

The Breakout Growth Podcast

By: Sean Ellis
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  • Summary

  • Sean Ellis and Ethan Garr interview CEOs and product, growth and marketing leaders from the world's fastest-growing companies so that you can learn from them how to take your growth to the next level. Sean and Ethan draw on decades of experience growing breakout success companies and products including Dropbox, Robokiller, LogMeIn, Eventbrite, Lookout and Uproar to ask the right questions.

    seanellis.substack.com
    Sean Ellis
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Economics Marketing
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Episodes
  • How Continuous Discovery Fuels Growth: Insights from Teresa Torres

    How Continuous Discovery Fuels Growth: Insights from Teresa Torres
    Oct 24 2024
    Listen now on Apple, Spotify and YouTubeEpisode Overview:In this episode of The Breakout Growth Podcast, hosts Sean Ellis and Ethan Garr sit down with Teresa Torres, Product Discovery Coach at Product Talk and author of Continuous Discovery Habits. Teresa is a recognized leader in the product discovery space, helping product teams integrate continuous learning into their workflows to drive growth and innovation.Teresa shares her thoughts on how teams can shift from being feature-focused to outcome-focused and why that matters. And she also explains how companies can build products that improve engagement and retention by keeping customer needs at the center of decision-making. With real-world examples and a clear framework for implementing continuous discovery, this episode is a must-listen for product leaders and growth professionals alike.What You’ll Learn:* The Power of Continuous Discovery: Teresa explains how embedding continuous discovery practices into your product development cycle helps teams stay aligned with customer needs and drive sustainable growth.* Moving from Outputs to Outcomes: Learn why product teams should focus on the impact their products have, rather than simply delivering features, and how this mindset shift leads to better customer engagement.* Balancing Business and Customer Value: Teresa dives deep into how product teams can create a balance between solving for customer problems while ensuring that business goals are met.* Assumption Testing Over A/B Testing: Why testing assumptions early on is critical for reducing risks, saving time, and building products that truly resonate with customers.* Building Continuous Discovery Habits: Practical advice on how teams can establish the right habits to continuously learn from their customers, and how these habits fuel innovation.* Cross-Functional Alignment: Teresa explains how continuous discovery can align teams across functions, helping everyone from product managers to engineers stay focused on delivering value.Key Takeaways:* "Discovery is about continuously learning and adjusting, not waiting for the perfect idea." — Teresa Torres* "The shift from outputs to outcomes is critical for driving real value for customers and businesses." — Teresa Torres* "Your assumptions are the riskiest parts of your product—test them before you build anything." — Teresa TorresTimestamps:* [00:00] – Intro: Sean and Ethan introduce Teresa Torres and her background in product discovery.* [06:00] – The importance of continuous discovery and how it fuels engagement and retention.* [12:30] – Moving from outputs to outcomes: How product teams can stay focused on the right goals.* [20:45] – Testing assumptions early to avoid building the wrong product.* [30:15] – How to build habits that support continuous discovery within teams.* [38:20] – Aligning cross-functional teams around continuous discovery and customer value.Why Listen:If you're a product leader, startup founder, or growth professional looking to improve customer engagement and retention, this episode with Teresa Torres offers invaluable insights on how to integrate continuous discovery into your organization. Teresa’s practical advice on testing assumptions, focusing on outcomes, and building customer-centric teams will help you unlock innovation and drive long-term growth.Links & Resources:* Learn more about Teresa’s work and continuous discovery at Product Talk and Product Talk Academy. * Here’s a great article by Teresa to help you get started with her work* Follow Teresa Torres on LinkedIn – Connect here* Here’s the article that Sean wrote on Why Curiosity is Key to Growth Success* Subscribe to The Breakout Growth Podcast – Subscribe hereJoin the Conversation:If you enjoyed this episode, share your thoughts on social media and tag us! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more people find the showThanks for reading Sean’s Substack! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Sean’s Substack at seanellis.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Sequoia’s Insights to Finding Product/Market Fit with Vickie Peng

    Sequoia’s Insights to Finding Product/Market Fit with Vickie Peng
    Oct 10 2024
    Listen now on Apple, Spotify and YouTubeEpisode Overview:In this episode of The Breakout Growth Podcast, hosts Sean Ellis and Ethan Garr sit down with Vickie Peng, a partner at Sequoia Capital and former product leader at Instagram and Polyvore. Vickie shares her journey from leading product growth to the world of venture capital and offers a deeper look into how Sequoia identifies and supports early-stage startups on their path to product/market fit (PMF).Through her experiences, Vickie outlines the critical factors that lead to sustainable growth, including why “conviction” is a key component in building for success, and why laser focus on customer happiness is important for startups navigating their way to PMF.What You’ll Learn:* Sequoia’s Arc Program: How Sequoia Capital supports pre-PMF companies and why it matters in accelerating growth.* Framework for Conviction: Vickie’s four areas of conviction—problem space, customer needs, product value, and growth potential—and why mastering these is critical before scaling.* The Role of Cross-Functional Teams: How Sequoia's EPD (Engineering, Product, Design) team works with startups to align strategy and execution and builds products for their investors, founders, and members of their ecosystem (such as their Scouts and Builder network).* Retention vs. Growth: Key insights from Vickie’s time at Instagram, where she managed SMB ad products, and how retention often serves as the foundation for sustainable growth.* The Importance of the Right Metric: How finding your North Star Metric can help maintain focus on customer happiness and long-term success.Key Takeaways:* "Growth only comes after you nail the product and the customer experience." — Vickie Peng* "Conviction is about understanding the customer's pain and knowing exactly why your solution matters." — Vickie Peng* "You need a North Star Metric that helps you measure customer happiness, not just growth." — Vickie PengTimestamps:* [00:00] – Intro: Sean Ellis and Ethan Garr introduce Vickie Peng and her views on product/market fit.* [05:30] – Vickie’s journey from product leader to VC and how that shapes her view on PMF.* [10:50] – Sequoia’s Arc Program: How Sequoia supports early-stage startups pre-product/market fit.* [20:00] – The four areas of conviction: Understanding the customer and problem space before scaling.* [28:10] – Lessons from Instagram: Retention, growth, and the delicate balance between the two.* [37:30] – Finding the right North Star Metric and why customer success should be your focus early on.Why Listen:Startup founders, growth leaders, and anyone looking to better understand the road to product/market fit will benefit from this conversation. Vickie Peng offers insights from both her time leading product at Instagram and Polyvore, as well as in her current role as a VC at Sequoia Capital. Whether you’re pre-PMF or scaling your business, the frameworks and principles shared in this episode will help you sharpen your strategy and avoid common pitfalls.Links & Resources:* Sequoia Capital – Learn more about Sequoia’s Arc program* Follow Vickie Peng on LinkedIn – Connect here* Subscribe to The Breakout Growth Podcast – Subscribe here* Arc Website - Learn more about Arc* Sequoia Product-Market Fit Framework - Learn more about PMF frameworkJoin the Conversation:If you enjoyed this episode, share your thoughts on social media and tag us! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more people find the show. Get full access to Sean’s Substack at seanellis.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • How to Find Product/Market Fit: A VC’s Take

    How to Find Product/Market Fit: A VC’s Take
    Sep 24 2024

    Listen now on Apple, Spotify and YouTube

    Episode Overview:

    In this episode of The Breakout Growth Podcast, Sean Ellis and Ethan Garr engage with Pablo Srugo, a Partner at Mistral VC and Host of The Product Market Fit Show Podcast. Pablo delves into the essentials of finding and leveraging product/market fit from a venture capitalist's perspective, sharing unique insights shaped by his dual role as a VC and podcast host.

    What You’ll Learn:

    * Venture Insights: Pablo shares why he started his podcast and how it serves as a strategic tool for content marketing and enhancing deal flow.

    * Deep Dive into Product/Market Fit: Discover the nuances and strategies for achieving and maintaining product/market fit, as Pablo explains through vivid examples from his interactions with successful founders.

    * Engagement with Startups: Learn about the criteria and metrics Pablo considers when engaging with early-stage startups and how these factors influence his investment decisions.

    * Sustainable Growth: Discussion on how sustainable growth is driven by a deep understanding of product/market fit and the importance of continuously adapting to market needs.

    Key Takeaways:

    * "Product/market fit is not a one-time achievement but a continuous pursuit." — Pablo Srugo

    * "Understanding and adapting to your customer's needs is crucial for long-term success." — Sean Ellis

    Timestamps:

    * [00:00] - Introduction: Sean and Ethan welcome Pablo Srugo.

    * [03:15] - Why Pablo started a podcast and its impact on his VC activities.

    * [10:30] - Strategies for identifying and investing in startups with potential for product/market fit.

    * [22:45] - Examples of successful product/market fit strategies from Pablo’s podcast interviews.

    * [35:00] - How product/market fit drives sustainable growth.

    * [47:50] - Q&A with Pablo: Insights into common pitfalls and success stories in venture capital.

    Why Listen:

    This episode is a goldmine for entrepreneurs, startup enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the intersections of venture capital and startup growth strategies. Pablo’s experiences and insights offer a rare glimpse into the mind of a VC who actively shapes the growth trajectories of innovative startups.

    Links & Resources:

    * Follow Pablo on LinkedIn here

    * Subscribe to The Product Market Fit Show Podcast here

    * Subscribe to The Breakout Growth Podcast here

    Join the Conversation:

    If you enjoyed this episode, share your thoughts on social media and tag us! Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more people find the show.



    Get full access to Sean’s Substack at seanellis.substack.com/subscribe
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    59 mins

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