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- 🏆 2024's best growth plays
🏆 2024's best growth plays
Ian Ito
December 13, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
ISSUE #255
Tis the season for lookbacks and predictions. While many of us are reviewing our growth goals for the year (with a heavy pour of eggnog), others are penciling in their forecasts (finance folks, you might need something stronger).
It’s a mixed bag between the lulls, the lows, and the lift-offs. However, I’m personally bullish on the future of SaaS Weekly…but I’ll get to that later.
For now, we’ll just cue the classics – jingo bells, on the rocks.
In this week’s roundup, we cover:
2025 Predictions: What founders and VCs are saying about next year (spicy stuff)
12 months of growth: A roundup of the best growth advice throughout the year
A buyer’s framework: Should you get that AI SDR tool for Christmas?
Let's dive in!
Ian at SaaS Weekly
INDUSTRY ROUNDUP
đź”® 2025 Outlook | Thought leaders predict 2025 will be spicier than AI-flavored ramen
A roundup of founders and VCs say we'll see SaaS's big comeback (finally!), but with a twist - ROI proof is non-negotiable, and AI will transform pricing from 'renting software' to 'hiring it.' (Link)
đź’° Marketing Math | Your 2025 marketing budget: Time to get real with the numbers
The benchmarks are in: shoot for 12-18 month payback periods and a 3:1 LTV:CAC ratio, or your CFO's "new year, new budget" optimism might not survive Q1. (Link)
🎯 Product GTM | Top SaaS players are getting creative with product marketing
From Notion's one-click magic to Basecamp's "we'll compare ourselves, thanks" pricing page, these companies are turning product marketing into an art form - and yes, you'll want to steal these moves. (Link)
đź’° Expansion Plays | Is loss aversion the secret sauce to upsell emails?
B2B companies are mastering the "you'll miss out" moment - Jotform hints at usage limits, while Instapage dangles exclusive early access. Hmm, I should probably take notes here…(Link)
FOR YOUR COMMUTE
🎙B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt
Create Once, Distribute Forever: Content Marketing & Distribution with Ross Simmonds
🎙Crucible Moments | Sequoia
HubSpot: An Underdog Takes on Goliath
FROM THE TRENCHES
 | đź‘· | Stan Rymkiewicz | Head of Growth @ Default |
What’s one growth lesson you’ve learned recently?
“Relying on paid ads is such a bad position to be in. You’re locked into spending more to grow - especially if it’s working.”
How did you put this lesson into practice?
“We’re investing more in influencers, better content, and gifting items to prospects and customers. I’d rather invest in my ICP than send a fat check to LinkedIn’s HQ.”
GROWTH PLAYS IN PRACTICE
đź“ť Roundup | 6 min read | Kyle Poyar, Growth Unhinged
The best growth advice of 2024
In theory: Hot take – 2024 was the death of "good enough" GTM. Last year's playbook of isolated campaigns and spray-and-pray outbounding hit diminishing returns. As a result, companies started looking beyond disconnected growth motions.
The winners now embrace Account-Based Experience (ABX). A full-funnel framework that unifies product, sales, and marketing data to create personalized buying journeys.
In practice:
Build unified account tracking: Create automated tracking of ABX stages (Identified, Aware, Interested, Evaluating) in under 30 days. This gives teams a single source of truth for each target account's buying journey.
Use the SPICED framework for orchestration: Start with unified messaging per segment, choose your play type (1:1, 1:few, 1:many), and target the 'initiator' buyer. Every touchpoint needs a value exchange and personalization.
Run high-touch conversion events: Host intimate prospect dinners (10-15 attendees) instead of large conferences. Companies like Memo see 80% of attendees take sales meetings, with 25-40% converting to customers.
🤔 Perspective | 3 min read | Brendan Short, The Signal
Should you buy an AI SDR?
In theory: Traditional SDR teams are becoming harder to justify. The math is brutal: fully-loaded SDR costs keep rising while success rates drop (especially for early-stage companies).
Companies like 11x.ai and Artisan are proving AI can generate 70-80 qualified meetings per week at 5x lower cost than human SDRs. But AI SDRs aren't a one-size-fits-all solution – their effectiveness depends heavily on your GTM motion and market dynamics.
In practice:
Evaluate your market position: Use deal size and buyer sophistication to determine fit. High ACV + complex buyers = avoid AI SDRs. Low ACV + transactional buyers = potential AI SDR opportunity.
Choose your deployment model: Start with AI as a co-pilot to augment your existing SDR team's effectiveness. This builds internal buy-in and lets you optimize before considering full automation.
Reframe the objective: Start with your most transactional segment. Think of AI-powered emails as targeted ad units rather than relationship builders.
SAVED SOCIAL POSTS
How I leverage LinkedIn Engagement 👇🏻
Over the last 90 days I’ve generated nearly 3M engagements on my LinkedIn posts - but how do I leverage these intent signals?
I'm about to save you AT LEAST $10k/mo...
Idea: Over the next few weeks, slowly ramp down your spend on branded search.
TOP READS FROM LAST WEEK
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