The Weekly Rundown

4/29: the ugly side of growth

Intercom x Pipedrive on the Ugly Side of Growth

Growth is a good problem to have, but it’s not always a pain free process. The experts at UC Berkeley and Stanford uncover research from over 3,000 startups, and Intercom’s Insider podcast shares those findings, exploring “the ugly side of growth” with Pipedrive’s Tara Bryant.

No More Excuses: ConvertKit Motivates

ConvertKit shares an oldie but goodie from Craft and Commerce 2017: why excuses are the number one element keeping you from your goals, given by Nicole Walters — who seemed to have it all, until her husband turned ill and she realized she was chasing something that didn’t matter. True to business, and true to life.

A Guide to Drip Campaigns c/o LiveChat 

We know drip campaigns are the way to go, combining automation with personalization to create a knockout email marketing strategy every time. LiveChat's blog has everything you need to get started nurturing those baby leads. 

SalesLoft Soars with Series D 

SalesLoft is all set up to reach new heights after a successful Series D, raising $70 million to fund investments in their ecosystem API, mobile app, and AI-powered sales coaching network.

Hulu Set to Be Disney-fied if Comcast Backs Out

A 100% Disney-owned Hulu is not just possible, it’s likely. Comcast is reportedly “in talks” to sell their stake in the streaming service, closing the curtain on the diverse Hulu of yesteryear.

4/30: from workhorse to unicorn with Auth0

Drift Into a Good Book 

Ready to settle in and crack open a good book? Drift has 25 that should be on any business leader’s must-read list. 

How-to Unicorn c/o Auth0

If you want to be a unicorn, while a little magic won’t hurt, you can also look to Auth0’s analysis of what gets startups really growing to tip the scales. 

Salesforce Boosts Zoom's Stock 

Salesforce dropped $100 million into Zoom’s IPO, doubling the conferencing software’s value in just a few days. For Zoom’s end of the bargain, they plan to do more with Salesforce, like enable live video chat for their reps, or use SF’s Einstein AI to transcribe meetings.

Slack Goes IPO

Here’s a stock opportunity you shouldn’t sleep on: Slack is finally going public via direct listing. They’ve been a SaaS success story for a minute, reporting over $400 million in revenue in 2019, so we’re stoked to see what the IPO will mean.  

Uber Takes Stock

Closing out today’s IPO news is Uber, which has finally set the price range for its offering, aiming for $44 to $50 per stock. For months there have been talks of a crazy high $120 billion dollar valuation. It feels strange to say the valuation is just at $90-ish billion, but that’s how it goes in unicorn land.

5/1: Sinemia, snapped

Healthy Relationship Marketing c/o GrooveHQ

Relationships are work, but you can make them a little easier with some self-growth for good measure. Groove has solid advice on relationship marketing and how to make sure the folks that have stayed with you since day one continue to feel that love. 

Keeping Candidates Engaged with Hireology

For more on fostering relationships, check the Hireology Candidate Engagement Playbook. There are a lot of fish in the sea, and when you’re searching for the perfect employee, make sure you’re doing all you can to get them hooked (and want to stay that way).

Viacom x FuboTV

Add this to your list of reasons to cut the cable cord: Viacom is teaming up with fuboTV, bringing programming from MTV, TV Land, Comedy Central, and several others to the live TV subscription. Starting now, everything in their catalog will be available as part of the base "fubo" package. 

What’s Next for Yext

Yext takes the Big Apple with their new headquarters, a modern global HQ designed to “inspire our team each day on our quest to put perfect answers everywhere.” While the building itself, designed by famed NYC architect Rafael Viñoly, is impressive on its own, it's the job creation we're really stoked for. 

Exit Stage Right, Sinemia

As one Endgame smashes box office records, another movie ticket subscription reaches the end of its rope. Sinemia officially shuts down, and if you remember the last time we mentioned them (shady business practices, internet outrage, and the like), it may just be popcorn-worthy drama.

5/2: sayonara, subscription world (a brief hiatus)

A Brand New Instapage Refresh

Looks like Instapage is also in the refresh stage with a brand new site. New colors, new copy, and new graphics all put Instapage’s value front and center. But why should you care? After years of investing in new value creation, the Instapage crew realized they’d been presenting their product as a tool and not as a solution to big advertising and marketing problems. This refresh helps you better understand that story.

New Show Alert: Quick Hits by Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg launches Quick Hits CRO Tips, a show that promises to offer conversion-boosting advice in under two minutes. Episode 1 brings you the value of visitor recordings, in peeking browser behavior. See for yourself if you’ll keep tuning in to the tricks. 

ManyChat's $18M Series A

ManyChat now has many more millions (18, to be exact) to further their mission of deeming Facebook Messenger an invaluable tap tool for mobile marketers, after this Series A round.

WeWorkin Hard to Go Public

Another day, another IPO: this time it’s WeWork, the startup that’s grown from one workspace in Manhattan to a global staple. Their most recent valuation put them at $47 billion, making it the biggest tech IPO after Uber (and the similarities don’t stop there, with WeWork failing to turn a profit so far). You know we’ll be keeping our eyes on the prize for what’s in the pipeline.