SaaS Half Full

Hosted by Lindsey Groepper

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111

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Creating a successful SaaS marketing strategy is like mixing the perfect cocktail. What are the right ingredients? How do you mix it all together to ensure people order another round? On SaaS Half Full - the only show serving B2B SaaS Marketers - host/bartender Lindsey Groepper shares a cocktail with top marketing leaders who are crafting unique strategies for success. Care to join us for a drink?

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60 recent

June 2, 202634 min

How to Reposition Your B2B Brand Without Losing Trust, with Caitlin Allen

In fast-moving B2B markets, positioning rarely stays fixed for long. As technology, buyer expectations, and competitive dynamics shift, companies have to keep refining how they communicate their value. But repositioning too often, or too abruptly, can confuse customers, slow sales momentum, and weaken trust. In this episode, Caitlin Allen, SVP of Market & Strategic Advisory Board Chair at Simbe Robotics, unpacks what it actually takes to reposition a company multiple times while continuing to scale. Caitlin shares lessons from leading Simbe Robotics through several major shifts, from robotics to shelf digitization to the broader category of store intelligence, all while navigating long enterprise sales cycles, evolving market expectations, and increasing competitive pressure. Caitlin explains how to recognize when messaging has stopped creating meaningful differentiation and breaks down the practical work behind positioning changes, including how SaaS companies can approach AI messaging without defaulting to generic claims that fail to set them apart. Key Takeaways: How customer signals reveal when positioning has stopped differentiating Why gradual messaging shifts protect trust better than hard resets How unclear AI positioning can weaken differentiation Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:58) The retail problem Simbe Robotics was built to solve (07:01) Why Simbe Robotics has repositioned three separate times (08:55) Creating FOMO without creating fear (09:58) Building credibility through third-party validation (11:58) Moving beyond robotics into store intelligence (13:59) The signals that tell you it's time to reposition (15:57) Repositioning without disrupting active deals (17:56) Protecting brand equity while evolving the narrative (19:56) Aligning sales teams around new positioning (24:02) Why repositioning works better through "breadcrumbing" (26:58) The next shift toward store intelligence (29:00) Why most rebranding announcements miss the point (30:59) The risk of chasing AI positioning trends Check out the ebook " Trust Issues: How SaaS and AI-Native Brands Can Beat AI Credibility Fatigue" by PANBlast: https://www.panblastpr.com/resources/trust-issues-ai-credibility-ebook/

May 5, 202628 min

The AI Accountability Gap in B2B Marketing, with Holly Enneking

AI is helping marketing teams create more content than ever, but no one agrees on who's responsible when it's inaccurate or misses the mark. In this episode, Holly Enneking, VP of Marketing at Markup AI, discusses the accountability gap sitting at the center of every AI-powered content workflow. With data from a new research report, she reveals why 92% of marketers are using AI more, yet only 44% actually trust the output, and why the disconnect between executive confidence and practitioner reality is creating serious risk for B2B brands. Holly explains where AI quality breaks down most (it's in content amplification across channels), how shadow AI is spreading unchecked across marketing teams, and what immediate steps marketers can take to build governance frameworks that hold up. Key Takeaways: Why increased AI use reveals persistent trust issues in content quality Why C-suite confidence contrasts with marketers' concerns over AI output How to ensure AI-generated content meets standards Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:23) Holly's background in B2B marketing (03:52) What the AI content accountability gap looks like (06:38) Key data findings: 92% using AI more, but trust is low (07:43) Where AI quality breaks down: content amplification (11:11) Immediate steps to build your compliance framework (12:45) Who owns AI content governance in your org (14:14) Emerging roles and the rise of AI guardian agents (16:27) Managing shadow AI without killing experimentation (23:07) Why AI was adopted for quality, not speed, and fell short Markup AI Survey Report: https://markup.ai/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Markup-AI-Survey-Report.pdf Check out the ebook " Trust Issues: How SaaS and AI-Native Brands Can Beat AI Credibility Fatigue" by PANBlast: https://www.panblastpr.com/resources/trust-issues-ai-credibility-ebook/

April 28, 202629 min

Why Marketers Should Care About Reddit and How to Leverage It, with Sam Perry

Reddit is now one of the most powerful drivers of AI search visibility. For B2B marketers who don't yet know how to leverage it effectively, the channel is both an untapped opportunity and a real risk. In this episode, Sam Perry, Director of Client Relations at PANBlast, explains why jumping into Reddit with promotional intent backfires, how karma and credibility are the keys to brand participation, and why long-term engagement builds credibility in the communities your buyers live in. He also shares how marketers can identify the right subreddits to interact with and turn the channel into a meaningful source of traffic and influence. If you've been telling yourself your brand needs to figure out Reddit, this is where to start. Key Takeaways: Why Reddit is becoming a top source for AI search citations Why authentic conversations outperform promotional marketing content How brands can build credibility and visibility through Reddit engagement Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:26) Reddit's role in B2B marketing (02:46) Sam Perry's background and Reddit experience (04:24) Why Reddit is rising in AI search (06:14) Why LLMs favor Reddit conversations (09:54) How karma builds credibility on Reddit (17:19) Choosing subreddits and internal Reddit owners (23:40) Reddit rules, red flags, and moderator bans (27:44) Start personal before professional Reddit engagement Check out the ebook " Trust Issues: How SaaS and AI-Native Brands Can Beat AI Credibility Fatigue" by PANBlast: https://www.panblastpr.com/resources/trust-issues-ai-credibility-ebook/

April 21, 202630 min

The Demand Gen Engine is Breaking Buyer Trust — and What to Do About It, with Adnan Malik

The demand gen engine is built for speed and volume, which may be the biggest threat to buyer trust in B2B marketing today. In this episode, Adnan Malik, CEO and Co-Founder of Software Finder, makes the case that most B2B marketing pipelines are set up to close the wrong deals. As AI-driven recommendations and algorithm-biased search results crowd out genuine guidance, buyers are making high-stakes software decisions based on who has the biggest budget, not the best fit. And vendors are paying for it in churn. Adnan unpacks why consultative, human-driven matchmaking outperforms automated shortcuts, how independent reviews and authentic content are becoming the most powerful signals in modern B2B buying, and what marketers can do to build pipelines full of the right buyers. Key Takeaways: Why pipeline quality beats lead volume in today's market Why marketers need to rethink discovery as AI changes how SaaS buyers research vendors How B2B brands can earn genuine buyer trust through independent reviews and authentic content Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:39) Software Finder's origin story (05:32) Moving beyond review platforms (07:18) Building trust in B2B buying (11:54) LLMs and trust shortcuts explained (16:42) Marketing vs. trust-building strategies (20:40) Defining consultative selling in SaaS (24:44) Improving lead qualification processes (27:40) Adapting to fast-paced industry changes Check out the ebook " Trust Issues: How SaaS and AI-Native Brands Can Beat AI Credibility Fatigue" by PANBlast: https://www.panblastpr.com/resources/trust-issues-ai-credibility-ebook/

March 31, 202631 min

Navigating AI Credibility Fatigue and the Rise of Trust Shortcuts, with Jake Doll

AI is making information faster to access but harder to trust. In this episode, Jake Doll, VP of Client Relations at PANBlast, shares insights from PANBlast's survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers on AI credibility fatigue and how people are responding by relying on "trust shortcuts" like familiar brands, reviews, media coverage, and even AI itself to verify what they see online. He explains why growing apathy around fact-checking creates both risk and opportunity for marketers, how emerging brands can build credibility faster, and what B2B SaaS companies should do to improve visibility and trust in AI-generated search results. Key Takeaways: How AI credibility fatigue is causing consumers to feel burnt out and apathetic about verifying information online Why trust shortcuts like brand familiarity and third-party reviews are replacing deep research in a zero-click world How brands can improve their visibility in AI search results by providing genuine value on platforms like Reddit and LinkedIn Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 05:55 Jake describes AI-generated content feeding on itself like a snake eating its tail. 08:11 AI overviews can be dangerously wrong, such as claiming it is okay to give a baby soda. 11:00 Consumers are skipping deep research and relying on shortcuts like brand familiarity. 13:50 20% of respondents ironically use one AI tool to verify the accuracy of another. 18:50 Long-form video on YouTube is beating short-form clips for complex B2B topics. 24:30 Providing genuine value on Reddit helps brands surface accurately in AI search results. 27:50 A survey reveals 43% of people do not trust much of anything online anymore. Check out the ebook " Trust Issues: How SaaS and AI-Native Brands Can Beat AI Credibility Fatigue" by PANBlast: https://www.panblastpr.com/resources/trust-issues-ai-credibility-ebook/

March 3, 202626 min

Beyond the Slop: Using AI to Actually Understand Your Customers, with Chris Silvestri

AI doesn't have to flatten your messaging into the same forgettable copy as everyone else. In this episode, Chris Silvestri, Founder of Conversion Alchemy, discusses why B2B SaaS teams are facing a "trust recession," how weak positioning leads to churn and misaligned expectations, and why a strong point of view rooted in customer insights is now the real differentiator. Chris shares his research-first process for finding message-market fit, which includes customer interviews, competitor language analysis, and sales-call testing. He also explains how AI can be used as an input machine to deepen empathy, rather than just generate output. Additionally, he explores synthetic personas, context management, and practical ways emerging SaaS teams can validate messaging, even when customer data is limited.

February 10, 202629 min

Turning Inbound into 24/7 Pipeline with AI Agents, with Maura Rivera

Inbound marketing doesn't have to solely depend on human capacity anymore. In this episode, Maura Rivera, CMO at Qualified, shares how AI SDR agents are transforming how SaaS teams generate pipeline not by replacing people but by working the entire inbound funnel 24/7. She explains why traditional marketing automation and MQL models are breaking down, how agents can follow up instantly across every lead source, and what happens when you redeploy human SDRs to higher-value outbound work. Maura also discusses practical use cases like event follow-up, reactivating dormant leads, and the emerging 'bot manager' role inside modern marketing teams.

January 20, 202634 min

Rethinking Market Research in the AI Era, with Kate O'Keeffe

Every company wants better market insights, but up until AI's entrance, results have been highly speculative. How is AI upending tried-and-true market research methodology? Kate O'Keeffe, CEO and founder of Heatseeker, joins SaaS Half Full to explain why traditional surveys and customer-led insights are no longer cutting it, and how behavioral data and AI-driven experimentation are providing marketers with data they can actually trust. In this episode, Kate outlines how brands can move beyond speculative research by leveraging live market experiments, first-party data, and synthetic personas to uncover real customer signals in real time. She also shares how leading B2B and B2C brands are using these methods to test ideas before launch, build stronger campaigns, and give marketers the confidence to push bolder creative decisions backed by quant-driven insights.

January 6, 202635 min

How to Get a Wikipedia Page in 2026 (and What to Do If You Can't), with Rhiannon Ruff

Every company dreams of having a prominent Wikipedia page, but navigating the path to it is far from simple. Oh, so you want a Wikipedia page? So does everyone else, and it's increasingly harder to achieve. Rhi Ruff, Founding Partner at Lumino Digital, has had a front-row seat to Wikipedia's rise in popularity during the AI era. In this episode, Rhi breaks down why Wikipedia is more valuable than ever, explains the challenges that SaaS and AI businesses face in securing a Wikipedia page, (with near-impossible editorial guidelines), and what steps companies can take to improve their chances. Rhi also shares insights into the increasing challenge of securing quality media coverage and what brands can do to influence Wikipedia when securing a page isn't likely.

November 18, 202534 min

SaaS Investor POV: Marketing's Differentiating Role, with Michelle Erickson

Every founder dreams of standing out, but too many end up sounding the same. Michelle Erikson, Vice President at Straylight Capital, has witnessed her share of B2B SaaS investment trends. In this episode, Michelle explores what she sees as the (unwelcome) "commoditization of entrepreneurship," which sectors this benefits and diminishes, and when marketing can be the key differentiator in a crowded deal landscape. She also shares how marketers can influence investment conversations, when it's crucial to have a "professionalized" brand, and the advantages and pitfalls of a founder-led strategy.