Field Notes - Oct 15, '25

Executive Signals

AEO is the new SEO: commercial proof beats templates as models answer queries
Proof beats prose: compliance buyers reward speed-to-proof over brand theater
Creators as analysts: newsroom cadence lowers CAC and shortens cycles
High ACV, narrow channels : intent-first campaigns until unit economics prove out
Consumer lag, enterprise lead: clone trusted patterns before they become table stakes

Consumer behaviors harden into enterprise defaults on a five–ten year lag. Treat consumer patterns as scouting reports for future B2B primitives, carving dedicated budget for fast probes and clear scale-or-kill triggers.

Allocate 5–10% of R&D to 90‑day probes cloning two consumer patterns/quarter
Keep a PM‑owned Consumer→B2B watchlist; re‑rank monthly against product goals
Scale only if ≥2x engagement or ≥30% WAU in pilot; otherwise cut

Marketing

Creators-as-Analysts, Not Webinars

Streamers normalized a trusted format; the B2B version is industry‑grade creators delivering analysis on a newsroom cadence. Treat the show as a distribution and product surface, not collateral, and hold it to pipeline economics.

Ship a weekly 20–40 minute live show; commit to 12 episodes across LinkedIn/YouTube/X
Targets: ≥8 minute average watch time; sourced pipeline ≥1% of live attendees; CAC ≤75% of webinar baseline
Staff like a product: showrunner, analyst, AE; clip highlights for outbound and nurture

Proof Over Poetry in Compliance

Compliance buyers are obligated, not enthusiastic. Optimize for speed‑to‑proof and bottom‑of‑funnel demand capture. With answer engines absorbing “what is” content, templates are commodity—prioritize BOFU pages and first‑party evidence that resolve purchase risks.

Make qualified demos the North Star; connect ad → landing → CRM with company, deal size, close attribution
Publish “vs.”, “alternatives”, migrations, and ROI calculators grounded in customer data; mirror pre‑click to post‑click
Reduce pogo‑sticking: place a deep internal next step above the fold; ship Q&A format, scannable sections, clear CTA

Channel Fit Follows ACV

Acquisition channels map to ACV. Low‑ticket compliance SKUs convert on intent; high‑ticket displacement needs account‑targeted proof and social validation before broad awareness.

If ACV < $10k: bias to Google exact‑match BOFU terms; pause LinkedIn until unit economics clear
If ACV ≥ $25k: run named‑account LinkedIn to ≥300 lookalikes; lead with role‑matched social proof
For enterprise displacement: add brand conquesting and “incumbent vs. us” pages before broad plays

Ship Competitor Pages Before Fancy Funnels

Obvious wins die in backlogs while prospects search competitors today. Meet intent with fast, credible comparisons, then layer polish.

In two sprints, publish “Top 5 alternatives,” “X vs. Y,” and “Why switch from X” for top competitors
Align keywords, ad copy, and landing headlines one‑to‑one; add quotes later—launch now
Review by assisted pipeline and velocity, not form fills

Sales

Plan Paid Demo Economics Upfront

In B2B security, qualified demos typically cost $500–$1,000. Set the demo target, budget to the range, and let pipeline—not clicks—govern scaling decisions.

Set a monthly qualified‑demo target; back into media spend by $/demo and review weekly
Pipe Closed Won back to ad platforms for learning; kill channels without pipeline in 30–45 days
Report opp count, $ value, and velocity by channel/campaign; de‑prioritize CTRs

Product

Consumer Lag as B2B Roadmap Input

Consumer “toys” often become enterprise primitives. Systematize how you scout, test, and either scale or sunset these patterns so roadmap bets reflect where behaviors are headed, not just where they are.

Maintain a PM‑owned Consumer→B2B watchlist; re‑rank monthly with explicit hypotheses
Run 90‑day probes; require ≥2x engagement or ≥30% WAU to graduate
Archive learnings from cuts to avoid re‑testing the same patterns later