Épisodes

  • How Do Pricing Strategies Drive SaaS Growth with Marcos Rivera

    How Do Pricing Strategies Drive SaaS Growth with Marcos Rivera
    Feb 16 2026
    In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, Mark Osborne sits down with pricing expert Marcos Rivera, founder and CEO of PricingIO. Marcos shares how pricing can become one of the most powerful growth drivers in B2B SaaS when it is done with intention. He walks through his journey from corporate leadership to Vista Equity Partners, where he helped companies unlock major revenue gains through smarter monetization. But this conversation is not only about pricing, it is also about leadership, delegation, and building a business that supports your life. Marcos introduces his Trampoline framework, a simple system that helps founders scale from solo operator to a real team. If you want growth that feels strategic and sustainable, this episode is for you. Quotes: The secret to success is the accumulation of skills, relationships, and good decisions over time. I needed to control my time because I could not be the shadow of a dad. The big question every entrepreneur should ask is what I should not do. You do not need a dashboard with 90 things on it; start with the big five and build from there. There is waste in your business right now somewhere, and you have to go after it like a heat-seeking missile. Takeaways: Pricing becomes a growth engine when you stop guessing and start building it intentionally. Delegation is the shift that turns a busy expert into a scalable business owner. Hiring for effort, communication, and adaptability can outperform hiring only for experience. A strong meeting rhythm creates clarity, momentum, and less wasted time across the team. Autonomy helps people grow faster because decision-making improves through practice. Measuring a few key metrics consistently gives you better insight and better execution. Conclusion: This episode is a reminder that real growth comes from focus, not chaos. Marcos Rivera shows what it looks like to scale a company while protecting your time and energy. His Trampoline framework gives leaders a practical way to hire better, meet better, and empower their teams to move faster. If you are trying to do everything yourself, this conversation will push you to rethink what you should keep and what you should delegate. And if you want to turn pricing into a real advantage, Marcos makes it clear that the right strategy can change everything. Links Mentioned: Website "Pricing IO": https://www.pricingio.com/ Email: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcoslrivera/ Book "Street Pricing: A Pricing Playlist for Hip Leaders in B2B SaaS": https://a.co/d/0fA366Ro
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    31 min
  • Which Benefits Come from Flexibility in Transactions with Jason Bush

    Which Benefits Come from Flexibility in Transactions with Jason Bush
    Feb 16 2026
    Welcome to another episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast with your host Mark Osborne, featuring today's guest Jason Bush. Jason is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor with a rare specialty because he works in commercial real estate while helping business owners prepare for major transitions. In this episode, Jason shares how his background in engineering, structured finance, and M&A shaped the way he sees value and opportunity. Together, they talk about the powerful connection between a business and the real estate it operates in, whether the owner leases the space or owns it. Jason explains why real estate often gets overlooked during a business sale and how that can create risks or missed opportunities. If you are a business owner or an advisor supporting owners through an exit, this conversation will give you a smarter lens to maximize enterprise value. Quotes: What it really reveals is that I'm 55 years old, and I keep changing what it is that I'm passionate about over time. I'm too entrepreneurial and too willing to fully explore niches, both career-wise as well as economically. Real estate in the business and M&A relationship is often treated as an afterthought. There's always something that we can do, but there are more things that we can do the longer the timeline that you have. Oddly enough, real estate owners will tell you what they paid for it, which reveals that it's the only data point that they have. Takeaways: Exit planning becomes stronger when business owners understand that real estate plays a major role in total enterprise value. Even if the business does not own the building, the lease terms can still affect how attractive the business looks to a buyer. The earlier the real estate strategy is addressed, the more options and flexibility the owner will have during a sale. When time is short, the focus becomes tactical and centered on lease risks, term length, options, and assignability. Many owners misjudge their property value because they rely on what they paid for it or what a friend sold something for. Advisors can create immediate value by asking better real estate questions that open the door for deeper planning and smarter decisions. Conclusion: This episode makes one thing clear, real estate is not just a side detail when a business owner is preparing for an exit. Jason Bush shows how the relationship between the business and its location can either strengthen a deal or create serious risk at the worst possible time. He also explains why having clarity around leases, terms, and real market value can reduce surprises during due diligence. The biggest opportunity comes when owners treat the operating company and the real estate company as two separate assets that can be optimized. If you want to protect your deal and maximize the outcome, this episode is a must-listen. Links Mentioned: Website "Linville Team Partners": https://www.ltpcommercial.com/ Email: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-bush-value-advisor/
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    33 min
  • Can Private Equity Reshape the Future of MSPs with Doug Lowenthall

    Can Private Equity Reshape the Future of MSPs with Doug Lowenthall
    Feb 9 2026
    In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, host Mark Osborne sits down with Doug Lowenthal, CEO and co-founder of MSP Fuel, to unpack what it really takes to grow and scale a business the right way. Doug shares lessons from over 25 years in the IT and MSP world, including how he built True Technology into a 7-figure operation and successfully exited in 2021. Together, they explore the difference between building a long-term "cash machine" versus preparing for a short-term liquidity event. Doug also breaks down the concept of "skinny bombing," why private equity is reshaping the MSP space, and how leaders can protect culture while increasing profitability. If you want practical strategies for improving EBITDA, building stronger systems, and scaling with confidence, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately. Quotes: I always loved technology, but I found I really had a passion for business. For the first decade, I worked for a lunatic myself. Timeframe is critical because you're always looking at what you want from X to Y by when. Culture is what allows you to make change in the organization without resistance. Don't do something you wouldn't do in the normal course of operating your business because deals can fall through. Takeaways: The right systems and processes are what turn a business from owner-dependent to scalable and sustainable. Exit planning requires a different strategy than long-term growth, and your timeline determines what matters most. Skinny bombing can boost short-term EBITDA, but it can also damage culture and raise red flags during due diligence. Private equity activity can affect your business directly and indirectly through competitors and even your clients getting acquired. Strong leadership, consistent communication, and intentional culture-building create trust that makes growth easier and change smoother. Conclusion: Doug Lowenthal delivers a powerful reminder that scaling a business isn't just about working harder—it's about building smarter systems that create leverage. Whether you're focused on long-term growth or preparing for an exit, clarity around your goals and timeline shapes every decision you make. Doug's insights on profitability, client evaluation, and building a consistent sales engine highlight the tactical steps that can immediately strengthen your business. Just as importantly, he emphasizes that leadership and culture are the foundation that allows companies to grow without burning out their people. If you're ready to scale with confidence and build a business that holds real value, this episode is one you'll want to revisit. Links Mentioned: Website: MSP Fuel: https://mspfuel.com/ Email: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglowenthal
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    29 min
  • Is Proxy Foods Truly the "Canva" for Food Scientists with Panos Kostopoulos

    Is Proxy Foods Truly the "Canva" for Food Scientists with Panos Kostopoulos
    Feb 9 2026
    Mark Osborne sits down with Panos Kostopoulos, Founder and CEO of Proxy Foods, to explore how AI is transforming food innovation. Panos shares how his journey from chemical engineering in Greece to biotech entrepreneurship in the U.S. led him to build a platform that helps food and beverage brands create and optimize recipes faster. You'll hear how Proxy Foods is merging data science, food science, and engineering to improve everything from nutrition and flavor to cost and shelf life. The conversation also dives into what it's really like being a technical founder who must also sell, lead, and scale a company. If you're building in a technical space and trying to grow smart, this episode is packed with insight and real-world founder lessons. Quotes: Food is the most universally and frequently asked question across every culture and even across nature. The unique advantage technical founders have is being able to speak the language of other technical buyers during sales conversations. The most important thing in sales is understanding the value proposition, the market segment, and the end user. You cannot effectively sell to everyone in the beginning because you have limited resources, limited time, and limited money. A startup's biggest advantage is speed of validation and quick execution through fast iteration and feedback. Takeaways: Proxy Foods helps brands develop and optimize recipes using AI-driven predictions across nutrition, flavor, shelf life, cost, and compliance. Technical founders can sell more effectively to technical customers because they can handle deep questions without needing backup. Choosing the right market segment early is critical because trying to sell to multiple audiences at once slows growth. Proxy Foods initially aimed to serve smaller companies but shifted toward enterprise customers due to strong inbound demand. Startups win by moving faster than large companies through rapid testing, execution, and constant market validation. Conclusion: This episode highlights how Proxy Foods is using AI to reshape the way food and beverage companies innovate, optimize, and bring better products to market. Panos Kostopoulos shares an inspiring founder story rooted in engineering, biotechnology, and a mission to make food healthier and more sustainable. Beyond the technology, he breaks down the realities of startup growth, especially for technical leaders who must also step into sales and strategy. His insights on market focus, enterprise selling, and rapid iteration offer valuable lessons for any founder building in a complex space. If you're looking for a smart, real-world perspective on scaling innovation and selling as a technical expert, this conversation is a must-listen. Links Mentioned: Website: Proxy Foods: https://proxyfoods.ai/ Email: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/panos-ko/
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    28 min
  • Why Is Financial Preparation Key to Maximizing Business Value with Jessica Fialkovich

    Why Is Financial Preparation Key to Maximizing Business Value with Jessica Fialkovich
    Feb 2 2026
    Are you building a business you can walk away from on your terms without leaving money legacy and people behind? Jessica shares how losing a corporate job during the Lehman era pushed her to take control of her career by becoming an entrepreneur then selling her first company and learning the hard way that exits require preparation not excitement She explains that most owners do not exit on their own terms and that the biggest preventable mistake is not running the company like it could exit at any time Her framework centers on having a target exit option plus a backup plan focusing on profitability instead of revenue vanity and removing owner dependency so customers and employees stay after the handoff She closes by pointing listeners to her book The Exit Factor and the upcoming Exit Summit plans for 2026 Quotes: Don't confuse what's urgent with what's important. If it's more than that, then you don't have a company, you have a job. You never lie a dollar about the past, because they will find it. You have no idea what people will tell you if you buy them a beer. The sum total of my mistakes cost me 5 years and 50 million. Takeaways: Have a target exit option even if it is ten or fifteen years away so your decisions align with the end game Build a backup plan that works this year, so an unexpected life event does not force a fire sale Shift from revenue obsession to profitability focus because earnings drive most of the valuation Reduce owner dependency in sales clients' delivery and people management so a buyer is not buying you personally Use accountability support to stay focused on the important long-term work instead of only urgent daily fires. Conclusion: If you want an exit that protects your wealth your team and your customers the work starts long before you ever think you are ready to sell Jessica makes it clear that exits happen whether we plan for them or not and the difference is whether you control the outcome or the outcome controls you When you set a target and a backup you stop operating on hope and start operating on options When you prioritize profit and remove owner dependence you build a healthier business today and a more valuable asset tomorrow If you are serious about your next chapter take her roadmap and start treating your business like it could transfer at any time. Links Mentioned: Website: https://jessicafialkovich.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafialkovich Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicafialkovich/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicafialkovich/
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    23 min
  • Can Fractional CMOs Help Struggling Businesses Scale Faster with Melanie Asher

    Can Fractional CMOs Help Struggling Businesses Scale Faster with Melanie Asher
    Feb 2 2026
    What if the real reason your marketing is not working has nothing to do with your ads or your posting schedule? Melanie Asher explains why businesses stall when they chase checklists and vanity metrics instead of aligning marketing with clear 6 month and 5-year goals. She breaks down how ownership of core assets like your domain data and brand protections directly affects value during a transition. The conversation also spotlights common breakdowns like disconnected systems undocumented processes and marketing efforts that cannot be measured end to end. Her core point is that marketing is bigger than advertising and it must connect operations sales and customer experience to truly scale. Quotes: A true entrepreneur is unemployable If you outsource everything you do not actually own your own data The average social media post has a lifespan of 2 seconds Marketing includes the internal aspects of your business. Takeaways: Start with clear 6 month and 5-year goals because they decide the right strategy tactics and metrics Do not slash marketing and sales when preparing to transition because you risk killing revenue and perceived value Make sure you own your brand assets like trademarks domain logo and your own database before due diligence Connect systems like your CRM and website so you can measure what works and follow up with the right prospects Simplify workflows and approvals so execution gets faster and more intentional instead of expensive busy work Conclusion: The episode closes with a simple truth real value is built when marketing supports a business that is measurable transferable and owned by the company. Melanie stresses that cutting revenue generating functions or giving away ownership of data and brand assets can weaken valuation fast. Mark reinforces that buyer want systems and processes not a business dependent on the owner to sell and run everything. Melanie ends by sharing that she works with B2B scale ups and transition ready companies who feel they have tried everything with no results. Links Mentioned: Website: https://omicle.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omicle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yesmelanieasher/ Books: Contractors: Doing it Right, Not Just Getting it Done: https://a.co/d/69lc1Nt Contagious Think Pad: https://a.co/d/bKBEUX1 Hiring a Contractor, 2010. Brand or Culture.: https://us.simplerousercontent.net/uploads/asset/file/4186405/Book-HiringAContractor.pdf
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    31 min
  • How Can Founder-Led Companies Break Through Growth Plateaus with Alexis Sikorsky

    How Can Founder-Led Companies Break Through Growth Plateaus with Alexis Sikorsky
    Jan 26 2026
    Ever feel like your business hit a ceiling—and no matter how hard you grind, it won't budge? In this episode, Alexis Sikorsky breaks down the real reasons founder-led companies stall around the $5M–$10M mark. He shares how he scaled New Access, survived the 2008 crash, and eventually reached a $100M+ exit. You'll hear why "more ideas" isn't the problem—lack of clarity is. And you'll leave with a simple way to assess what to fix first, so growth becomes engineered instead of chaotic. Quotes: Don't confuse what's urgent with what's important. If it's more than that, then you don't have a company, you have a job. You never lie a dollar about the past, because they will find it. You have no idea what people will tell you if you buy them a beer. The sum total of my mistakes cost me 5 years and 50 million. Takeaways: The $5M–$10M plateau usually hits when founder fatigue, too much "in the business" work, and missing leadership all collide. Breaking through starts with assessment—knowing your numbers, your gaps, and your true opportunities. Upgrading from doers to C-level leaders isn't about talent alone—it's matching the right role to the right level of expertise. Private equity isn't "dumb money"—they often know exactly what value they can unlock those founders can't see yet. Strategy beats shiny objects: the question isn't which 3 of 10 ideas to do, it's what problem you're solving first. Conclusion: If you've been grinding for years and the next level still feels out of reach, this episode is your wake-up call. Alexis shows that plateaus aren't a mystery—they're predictable, and that's good news. When you know your numbers, upgrade leadership, and stop treating strategy like a luxury, momentum returns fast. Instead of chasing ten "smart" moves, you focus on the one core constraint holding the business back. That's how you stop running like a headless chicken—and start building a company that can scale and exit on your terms. Links Mentioned: Website: https://www.asikorsky.com/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alexis-sikorsky-consulting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexissikorsky/
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    39 min
  • What Are DATA Principles for Realistic Projections with Jeffrey Kates

    What Are DATA Principles for Realistic Projections with Jeffrey Kates
    Jan 26 2026
    Welcome back to the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast. What happens when a company is one bad decision away from real trouble? In this episode of the B2B Growth Blueprint Podcast, host Mark Osborne sits down with Jeffrey Kates, a veteran turnaround and M&A advisor who steps in when clarity and discipline matter most. Jeffrey shares why clean historical financials are important, but why forward-looking projections are what separate average operators from best-in-class leaders. He breaks down how strong projections must be tied to real operations, from workflow and supply chain timing to margins and conversion rates. You will also hear his DREAM Projections framework, a practical approach that builds credibility for owners, improves decision-making, and strengthens valuation when preparing for a future exit. Quotes: You can't pull the wool over their eyes, nor should you try. If you want to be next level. I'm shocked at the percentage of companies that we run into that don't even have their financials up to date, you know, or there are issues with them. Good exit planning is just good business planning, so… My answer is, where are you with 2025 numbers? Takeaways: Accurate historical financials matter because you need a trustworthy baseline before you can build projections you can actually use. Projections should be built from operational drivers like workflow, supply chain timing, margins, and conversion rates rather than hopeful growth targets. When projections are solid, variances become an early warning system that helps you find problems fast or spot opportunities sooner. Strong projections boost credibility in valuation and due diligence because they show a defensible path to future cash flows and growth. Keeping the original projection baseline prevents false confidence that comes from constantly adjusting the target during the year. Conclusion: This conversation highlights why financials are not just a reporting tool, but a decision tool. Jeffrey makes the case that the best operators do not rely on bank balances or backward-looking results to steer the business. Instead, they build projections grounded in real operational assumptions, then use variances to learn and respond quickly. He also connects projection discipline directly to valuation, buyer confidence, and smoother due diligence. If you are serious about growth or planning an eventual exit, this episode lays out the mindset and the framework to start doing it the right way. Links Mentioned: Website: www.foundersgroup.biz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreykates
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    28 min