Welcome back to In Demand! 

In this episode, Asia and Kim take on three topics founders don’t talk about enough: how to listen for insight during customer research, what it really looks like to run a fast-moving (but focused) marketing team, and the difference between great managers and great leaders.

Whether you're hiring your first team, navigating leadership, or trying to pull messaging clarity from customer interviews, this one will hit home.

Got a question you’d like Asia to unpack on the podcast? Record a voicemail here.

Links:

• DemandMaven
• Bob Moesta (Jobs to Be Done)
• Examples of great leaders:
  • Steve McLeod - founder of Feature Upvote 
  • Josh Ho – founder of Referral Rock
  • Rand Fishkin – CEO of SparkToro
• The Captain Class by Sam Walker

Chapters

• (00:01:00) - The difference in how Asia listens during customer research interviews.
• (00:06:30) - Your prospects might be comparing you to solutions you aren't aware of.
• (00:08:27) - Once you start noticing a pattern, look at the behaviors that the pattern is leading to.
• (00:10:45) - What’s a value theme, and how can you use them to attract better-fitting customers?
• (00:15:50) - How Asia turns research insights into actual team priorities.
• (00:20:30) - What it really looks like to operate as a fractional CMO.
• (00:24:20) - Inside a product marketing launch: managing briefs, ownership, and execution.
• (00:31:55) - Leadership vs. management: what’s the difference, and what are the traits of good managers vs. the traits of good leaders?
• (00:42:00) - What makes someone a visionary, and how does that fit into leadership and management?
• (00:46:00) - Personal examples: Asia’s mom as a bank manager, Kim’s thoughts on captains and coaches.