3 Questions for Madalena Rugeroni on B2B SaaS Growth Strategy

[André] When building a demand generation strategy for B2B SaaS, how do you recommend prioritizing channels that drive quick wins versus those that create long-term growth?

[Madalena] Balancing quick wins with long-term growth isn't an either/or decision – both are crucial for sustainable success.

Long-term foundation-building content and thought leadership compound over time, creating awareness that impacts future buyers. Think about it: 99% of your market isn't looking to buy right now, but when they do enter buying mode, you want to be top of mind. That's why starting early with content creation is crucial:

• Industry insights and analysis

• Customer success stories

• Educational content

• Active LinkedIn presence

• Community building initiatives

This foundation-building work creates credibility and awareness that pays dividends months and years later. When someone finally enters the buying journey, they're not starting from zero – they already know and trust your brand.

Quick-win channels while building for the future, you also need to capture today's active buyers. Focus on:

• Conversion rate optimization

• Sales outbound (leveraging modern sales tools, like Amplemarket)

• Targeted LinkedIn/Google ads

• Strategic conference participation

• Account-based marketing

The key is understanding your unit economics. Some channels might seem expensive (like paid ads or conferences) but could deliver strong ROI if your customer lifetime value justifies the acquisition cost.

The balanced approach: think of it like building a house – you need both the foundation (long-term content and brand building) and the immediate living space (quick-win channels). Starting with just quick wins is like building without a foundation, while focusing only on long-term plays might mean missing immediate opportunities.

Success lies in:

1. Starting content and thought leadership early

2. Testing and scaling quick-win channels based on RO

3. Understanding your unit economics to guide investment

4. Building systems to execute both strategies simultaneously

[André] I often see B2B SaaS companies rushing their go-to-market without first establishing key foundations, such as a crystal-clear ICP, solid core messaging, and a well-structured website. Do you view this as a serious risk that could harm the business, or can this approach help close early deals faster?

[Madalena] The rush to market without proper foundations in B2B SaaS is a significant risk that can harm long-term success. Here's why taking time to establish core foundations is crucial:

The power of niching down "The riches are in the niches" isn't just a catchphrase – it's a proven strategy. A hyper-focused ICP allows you to:

• Craft messaging that resonates better with prospects

• Lower customer acquisition costs

• Build features that solve real problems

• Generate powerful word-of-mouth

• Establish market leadership faster

The cost of rushing launching without clear foundations typically leads to messaging that confuses prospects, marketing spend wasted on the wrong audiences, longer sales cycles due to unclear value prop, features built for wrong users, loss of market credibility. Think of it like building a skyscraper – you need a solid foundation in a specific spot before you can build up and out. Many successful B2B SaaS companies started highly focused: Gong began with sales teams in B2B SaaS before expanding to other departments and industries.

Remember: You can always refine and expand your market later, but recovering from a rushed, unfocused launch is much harder. The goal isn't to move fast at any cost – it's to move deliberately in the right direction.

[André] What growth OKRs would you recommend for an early-stage B2B SaaS company?

[Madalena] I'd say the ones below:

Revenue Growth OKRs

1. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

• Growth rate target

• New MRR from new customers

• Expansion MRR from existing customers

Customer Acquisition OKRs

1. Lead Generation

• Qualified leads per month

• Lead to opportunity conversion rate

• Sales pipeline coverage

2. Sales Performance

• Sales cycle length

• Win rate

• Average deal size

Product/Market Fit OKRs

1. Customer Success

• Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

• Customer Health Score

• Time to first value

2. Product Engagement

• Active user growth

• Feature adoption rates

• User activation rate

At the end of the day, ARR should be the north star metric. Remember: The objectives should be measurable, the targets should be ambitious but achievable, and there should be a rolling forecast meeting where the leadership team reviews and adjusts every quarter.