Shows
The Podcast Interview Marketing ShowMust-Have or Commodity? How Your Narrative Defines Your Category with John RougeuxIn a crowded and noisy marketplace, the story you tell determines whether you’re seen as indispensable or easily replaceable. John Rougeux, founder of Flag and Frontier and leading voice in the field of category design, explores how your narrative shapes your market perception. Talking with host Tom Schwab, John outlines six powerful strategies to help you define your space, evangelize your point of view, and position yourself as the clear category leader, not just another option. The conversation dives into why so many businesses struggle to stand out, how the right narrative can transform your positioning, and...
2025-05-0741 min
North Fulton Business RadioVernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership SummitVernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 818) Live from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit, North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray chats with Vernalisa Rougeux, the event’s logistics master. The episode delves into the history and growth of […]
The post Vernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit appeared first on Business RadioX ®.
2024-11-2200 min
North Fulton Business RadioVernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership SummitVernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 818) Live from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership Summit, North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray chats with Vernalisa Rougeux, the event's logistics master. The episode delves into the history and growth of […] The post Vernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership Summit appeared first on Business RadioX ®.
2024-11-2211 min
North Fulton Business RadioVernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership SummitVernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 818) Live from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership Summit, North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray chats with Vernalisa Rougeux, the event's logistics master. The episode delves into the history and growth of […] The post Vernalisa Rougeux, Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, LIVE from the 2024 GNFCC BOLD Women's Leadership Summit appeared first on Business RadioX ®.
2024-11-2211 min
Focus On BrandIn Conversation: Category Design, Brand Narratives, and Beyond with John RougeuxJoin us in our latest episode of In Conversation as we chat with John Rougeux — founder of Flag & Frontier, a company that specializes in narrative design and execution.
In this episode, John and host Bill Kenney break down various category design strategies, discuss how to find c-suite alignment without taking away autonomy from the larger team, dig into what the right mindset is to have when approaching a big brand change, and so much more.
Whether you're a business owner, marketer, or creative we think you'll find some valuable insights from John!
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Learn more about Flag & Fr...
2024-08-2039 min
1,000 Routes with Nick Bennett#4 The John Rougeux RouteJohn Rougeux is a narrative designer and the founder of Flag & Frontier.
John shares the route he carved from mechanical engineer, to marketer, to category designer, to solopreneur.
(00:00) - Embracing the Entrepreneurial Journey: A Personal Reflection
(00:55) - Discovering The Route
(01:10) - Networking and Learning in Business
(03:00) - The Solopreneur's Mindset
(07:48) - Finding Your Motivation and Defining Success
(11:48) - The Process of Becoming a Full-Time Consultant
(14:04) - The Turning Point
(20:35) - Navigating the Challenges
(23:22) - Overcoming Doubts
(25:55) - Embracing Failure
(27:21) - Overcoming Negative Thoughts
(28:06) - The Birth of Narrative Design
(33:27) - Navigating Challenges
(37:16) - Evolving Business...
2024-04-1252 min
Category ThinkersVoyage in Carving Out a Learning and Skill Development Category w/ Hywel CarverIn this podcast episode, Hywel Carver, CEO of Skiller Whale, shares his company's category design journey after attending a workshop by Category Design Advisors, sponsored by Concept Ventures. He discusses the challenges they faced in defining their offering and how the workshop, along with the book "Play Bigger," helped them create a new category called "Live Team Coaching." The process involved the entire senior leadership team and emphasized the importance of alignment and internal collaboration. Carver also touches on the significance of humor in their brand identity, the role of storytelling in building a...
2024-03-1957 minCategory ThinkersDesigning a Category In an Old School Industry w/ Frederik HendriksenCommercial real estate isn’t usually a place that is associated with technological innovation, neither is the HVAC industry, but that makes it ripe for category design. Meet Frederik Hendriksen, the founder of Rensair. Explore their groundbreaking smart ventilation system, seamlessly integrating hardware and software to optimize energy efficiency and indoor air quality in commercial buildings. Triggered by the massive shift in context during Covid, Rensair has pushed to transform their category. Beyond offices, envision its potential applications in homes and transportation. Witness them forging a new category from an existing one in building eng...
2024-03-1248 min
B2B Strategy14: How To Show Buyers You're The ONLY Choice (Category Design Series)On the second of the Category Design series, we get answers to:- how we clarify which problem we solve- how framing the problem is the difference between the iPad and the failed competitors- how to design a narrative that generates demand for your service and positions you to be different, not betterIf you have more questions from this episode, John's Linkedin content goes into more detail: John Rougeux ⛰️ | LinkedIn
2024-02-2829 minCategory ThinkersHow to Right-Size the Problem You’re Solving w/ Lauren PufpafIn this episode, John Rougeux interviews Lauren Pufpaf, the President, COO, and co-founder of Feed Media Group. Lauren’s company was founded on the insight that apps need the right music experience to fully engage users. But as the company grew, they learned that they weren’t going after a big enough problem. Listen in to learn how Lauren and her team used category design to shift their thinking.This episode is sponsored by:Category Design AdvisorsBeTheStage.live
2024-02-2744 minCategory ThinkersKeeping Your Point Of View Unique In A Wave Of Competition w/ Brian SchiffA.I. has created a massive shift in context, and with that comes massive opportunities for category designers, but it also means a flood of competitors into the same space.Brian Schiff had capitalized on this shift, focusing on leveraging A.I. to take customer support from a cost center to a profit center, and is now using category design to avoid commoditization as the lookalikes show up in his space.This conversation is moderated by the founders of Category Thinkers, John Rougeux and ...
2024-02-2054 minCategory ThinkersAl Ramadan of Play Bigger – Category Design Beyond Tech Startups – Changing the WorldAl Ramadan is the CEO of Play Bigger, LLC and one of the co-authors of “Play Bigger,” and a dedicated board member of Save The Waves Coalition. In this replay of our live AMA event, we’ll dive deep into the art of category design. Discover how shifts in context—ranging from environmental changes to global events like pandemics, wars, or financial crises—can spark innovative solutions and new categories. We’ll unpack how category designers are fortunate to have a skill that extends beyond startups to nonprofits, global warming, public companies, and more.This co...
2024-02-131h 03Category ThinkersHow Category Design Reveals Buyer Problems w/ Rebecca Kirstein ReschIn this episode, we interview Rebecca Kirstein Resch, the founder and CEO at inqli. Rebecca’s company is dedicated to helping workplace teams tap into the power of ‘tacit knowledge.’ She’s been using category design as a framework for uncovering new problems and now has a clear story about why a new type of solution called ‘social knowledge sharing’ needs to exist. Listen in to hear the insights Rebecca has unlocked through her founder’s journey and how she’s thinking about the future. This conversation is moderated by the founders of Category Thinkers, John Ro...
2024-02-0651 minCategory ThinkersHow Category Design Reveals Buyer Problems w/ Rebecca Kirstein ReschIn this episode, we interview Rebecca Kirstein Resch, the founder and CEO at inqli. Rebecca’s company is dedicated to helping workplace teams tap into the power of ‘tacit knowledge.’ She’s been using category design as a framework for uncovering new problems and now has a clear story about why a new type of solution called ‘social knowledge sharing’ needs to exist. Listen in to hear the insights Rebecca has unlocked through her founder’s journey and how she’s thinking about the future. This conversation is moderated by the founders of Category Thinkers, John Ro...
2024-02-0607 min
The Revenue Formula4 signs you're losing product-market fitEven in good times, you're slowly falling out of PMF. Inspired by Jason Lemkin, we dive into the signs you need to watch out for, to avoid losing product-market fit.Sure, you might have been hired after PMF was achieved - but it's still your problem, especially if you're in the go-to-market team.In the episode, we get into:(00:00) - TRF - 088 - 4 signs pmf is gone
(02:38) - Not just a founder issue
(06:09) - 1: Easy gets redefined
(12:00) - 2: The problem is gone
(17:08) - 3: Buyer behaviour change
(24:07) - 4: Willingness to pay
Shoutout...
2024-02-0631 minCategory ThinkersWhy Vertical SaaS is Fertile Ground for Category Design w/ Nick TippmannIn this episode, Nick Tippmann, former CMO of medtech company Greenlight Guru, joins Pablo, Damp, and John to break down his journey as a marketer turned investor. Nick shares why vertical SaaS companies should think like category designers and how he evaluates the category potential of early-stage startups. We discuss:How Greenlight Guru tipped from tool to platform to category, Why he believes vertical SaaS is fertile ground for category designers, How he evaluates the category potential of early stage startups as an investor.This conversation is moderated by the founders of Category Thinkers, Pablo Gonzalez, John Rou...
2024-01-3047 minCategory ThinkersHow a Gartner Analyst Looks at CategoriesIn this episode, we’re joined by Dan Gottlieb, a Senior Director Analyst at Gartner. Dan shares his take on how analysts like him define categories and when to establish a new one. He also unpacks how startups can stand out in crowded categories by defining their “critical capabilities” and shares how and when startups should educate analysts like him about their solutions. This episode was hosted by John Rougeux and Mike "Damp" Damphousse, and sponsored by:Category Design AdvisorsBeTheStage.liveFlag & Frontier
2024-01-2351 minCategory ThinkersSangram Vajre’s Events and Community PlaybookSangram Vajre is one of the best-known category designers in B2B SaaS, with community and events being critical parts of his playbook. Not only did Sangram bring the account-based marketing category to life during his time at Terminus, but he's also used the same playbook to launch a successful paid community (Peak), and now a service business (GTM Partners). In this recording of our life AMA with Sangram, you’ll learn how community and events can help drive your category strategy.We touch on topics like:Sangram’s playbook for events that turn communities into cont...
2024-01-161h 03Category ThinkersDo You Need Category Design (Or Is It A Choice)? w/ Brad LuttrellIn this episode, Brad Luttrell joins us to talk through how he discovered category design a year and a half ago, why it was the strategy Holler Commerce needed to adopt, and what he has done to design social commerce as a service category ever since. He speaks with our co-founder, John Rougeux and Damp, about: Whether category design is a choice or a need, and whyHow he rethought his product strategy with a category lensWhat he is doing to build a moat by being radically differentThis episode was hosted by John Rougeux a...
2024-01-0954 minCategory ThinkersHow Category Memetics Can Help A New Category Stick w/ Ken RutskyIn this episode, Ken Rutsky joins us to explore a concept he calls ‘category memetics.’ It’s the idea that new categories can act like memes – they can enter the mind, replicate, and rapidly spread to others. Ken shares his insights on how to create a successful category meme and unpacks some of the research he uncovered that led to these insights. Listen now to:Hear how memes can act as a cultural transmission tool in businessUnderstand how to create effective category language Learn how memetics can inform...
2024-01-0253 minCategory Thinkers3 Tools for Category Concepts w/ Josh LowmanIt takes a lot of time and commitment to write a great strategic narrative, but if you can use battle tested frameworks, they will save you time, money and even heartbreak. Strategy and brand design expert Josh Lowman walks us through the three tools he uses to quickly pitch and vet new category ideas, and engages with our community in our monthly AMA. He covers topics like:How the "shift" affects the category narrative, and how it differs between technological and cultural shiftsThe difference between problems, enemies, and villains when defining the category What const...
2023-12-261h 04Category ThinkersGetting Analysts To Buy Into Your Category Design w/ Scott AlbroScott Albro, co-founder and CEO of Goldie shares his insights on why analyst buy-in is crucial for category success, strategies for effectively communicating your category vision, and real-world examples from his time at TOPO. For those unfamiliar, TOPO, Inc. was a research and advisory firm that provided insights and consulting services to high-growth companies. Under Scott's leadership, TOPO became a beacon for businesses looking to understand and conquer their markets before being acquired by Gartner. Today, Scott brings his wealth of experience and knowledge to our discussion on topics like:Why it makes sense to let analyst name y...
2023-12-1953 minCategory ThinkersHow to Condition The Market w/ David West, CEO of ProsciaInnovative companies must convince buyers and analysts why their solutions differ from the status quo, and why that difference matters. But sometimes, developing the right narrative can be a challenge. This is where a well-crafted point of view (POV) can help. In this episode, we’re joined by David West, co-founder and CEO of Proscia. After attending a category design workshop, David was finally able to get the market to understand why his company’s solution in pathology was such an important breakthrough. Listen now to learn:Why category design helped David’s company set itself apart f...
2023-12-1251 minCategory Thinkers"When Should You Design a Category?" w/ Jonathan GandolfCategory design principles can be applied in different ways, for different outcomes. And while sometimes it’s clear that your business needs to act like a category designer, other times the answer is less straightforward. In this episode, we’re joined by Jonathan Gandolf, founder and CEO of The Juice. Jonathan was introduced to category design early in his career, and used the discipline in software and even breweries. Now, at The Juice, he’s in the midst of deciding if and how category design should apply to his latest venture. Listen now to find out where we land.
2023-12-0544 minCategory ThinkersHow Community & Category Design Go Hand in Hand w/ Jared Robin, Founder of RevGeniusIn this episode, Jared Robin, founder of RevGenius, shares his take on how category design and community can mutually reinforce each other. In 2020, Jared took a small LinkedIn group and turned it into a community that now has over 40,000 members. In our conversation, you’ll hear all about Jared’s journey and how he plans to build community going forward – all with a category design lens. Episode highlights include:Jared's path to discovering category design and how it has shaped his thinking about building a communityWhy some communities are replaceable (and what to do about it)Why a v...
2023-11-2855 minCategory ThinkersMinimal Viable Category Design w/ Pietro BezzaIn this episode, we’re joined by Pietro Bezza, co-founder and managing partner at Connect Ventures. Pietro shares a framework he calls “minimal viable category design,” which focuses on helping early stage startups have the right conversations about the problem they’re solving and their plans for evangelizing it. Listen now to find out: The challenges of pursuing “product/market” fit instead of “market/product” fitWhat Pietro looks for when evaluating early stage startups for investmentWhy understanding the timing and evolution of your category is keyThis episode was hosted by John Rougeux and Mike Damphousse.
2023-11-2146 minCategory ThinkersAfter 7 Years, Why Did Category Design Advisors Rewrite Their Own Point of View?After Kevin Maney co-authored the book Play Bigger in 2016, he and Mike Damphousse founded Category Design Advisors to guide CEOs in implementing category design. That was seven years ago. Now, after over 40 client engagements and joined by John Rougeux, the team decided it was time to rework its own category Point of View. In this recording of a live AMA, the CDA team shares why they decided to apply category design to themselves, the process they used to redefine their Point of View, and the lessons they learned along the way.This episode...
2023-11-1452 min
B2B Go-To-Market LeadersA Marketing Leader’s Journey In Category Design With John RougeuxIf you want to specialize your business, this space will provide you with that path. Today’s guest is John Rougeux, an executive member at Pavilion and a partner at Category Design Advisors. From the failures to their success story, John brings us into the domain of category design and what they do in the market to help others become a dominant player. He also explains why CD matters and why its go-to market relies on word of mouth and referrals. Get to see how category design evolves in their space when you tune in to this episode. Don’t mi...
2023-11-0834 minCategory ThinkersDesigning A Category As A Bootstrapped Service Agency w/ James CarbaryIn this podcast episode, James Carbary, founder of Sweet Fish Media, discusses how he went from running a blog writing agency to becoming the category king of B2B podcasting, thanks to category design. He debunks the myth that category design is only for VC-backed companies or those with large budgets and shares his pivot into designing a new category around owned media.This episode was moderated by John Rougeux.This episode is sponsored by:Category Design AdvisorsBeTheStage.live
2023-11-0738 minCategory ThinkersTaking Advantage of a Context Shift Through Category Design w/ Doug CamplejohnIn 2020, Doug Camplejohn was working at Salesforce when a global pandemic suddenly changed the world. He soon realized that there might be an opportunity to address the new ways in which people found themselves working. That’s when he decided to start Airspeed, a family of apps that helps employees feel connected and celebrated. Through the lens of category design, we dive into his journey, including:How he determined if his idea represented a new category opportunityHis process for identifying what had changed in the world and what was missing as a resultWhy he has yet to...
2023-10-3141 minCategory ThinkersFounder Clarity Through Category Design for Fundraising, Product, and Culture w/ Lauren Dunford, CEO of GuidewheelIn this episode, Lauren discusses the importance of category design for startups. We delve into startup challenges that are addressed by category design. Lauren shares how they've used Guidewheel’s FactoryOps category point of view to attract the right people, investors and customers. We talk about the evolution of sustainability as a priority, the impact of AI on data-driven companies, and the impact of category design on a startup's valuation.Listen in to unpack…How category can provide the type of clarity founders often struggle with...
2023-10-2443 minCategory ThinkersNearbound and the Early Stages of Category Design w/ Jared Fuller and Isaac MorehouseJared Fuller and Isaac Morehouse were the dynamic duo behind our recent conversation about nearbound – a radically different approach to GTM that’s reshaping the partnership landscape. These two have always been staunch advocates of category design, and they’ve harnessed this discipline to create one of the fastest-growing B2B media brands of all time.In this episode you’ll hear:How Jared and Isaac have used category design to “punch above their weight class”How content, community, and category design have...
2023-10-1750 minCategory ThinkersGetting Sales’ Buy In For Category Design w/ Dan TyreThis week’s show is with Dan Tyre, a legendary executive at HubSpot. Hired as employee number six, Dan talks about the backstory of the inbound category, how to get sales to support your category design strategy, and the importance of company culture when designing a category.This episode was moderated by Pablo Gonzalez and Mike Damphousse.This episode is sponsored by:Category Design AdvisorsBeTheStage.live
2023-10-1052 minCategory ThinkersCategory Design for Early-Stage Startups: AMA w/ Rachel Josepho and Waleed CopeFresh off a category design workshop in NYC, Rachel Josepho, Founder & CEO of Mindfull, and Waleed Cope, CEO of The Soap Box, joined us to share their journey as category designers leading early-stage startups.Listen in to unpack…How early stage startups can use category design chart their strategy Why category designers need to start with a highly targeted audience and expand over timeHow to uncover what’s missing in established categoriesThis episode was moderated by Pablo Gonzalez, John Rougeux, and Mike Damphousse.Mentioned in this episode:MindfullThe Soap Box22 Laws...
2023-10-0359 minCategory ThinkersIs Your Startup Caught In Category Jail?In this Category Short, John Rougeux explains why a concept called “category jail” needs to be on the radar of every startup. Category jail occurs when your novel solution is mentally miscategorized by buyers, causing your company to get unfairly written off as another “me-too” product.Listen now to learn:Why category jail can keep radically different ideas from gaining attention from customers and investors.How the wiring of buyers’ brains can work against you (and what to do about it).A powerful method for escaping category jail and helping your startup get a fair evaluation.Join our...
2023-09-2609 minCategory ThinkersHow to Validate Your Startup Idea Using Category Design w/ Rio HodgesIn this episode, we chat with Rio Hodges, Principal at Antler. Rio encounters hundreds of startups each year through his firm's accelerator programs, so his perspective is invaluable if you’re in the early chapters of this journey. We cover:The one crucial slide that many startups leave out of their pitch decksWhy startups should obsess about the problem instead of the productHow to right-size the problem your startup is addressingThe right way to address the TAM when pitching to VCs.Links mentioned in this episode:AntlerCategory Design AdvisorsPla...
2023-09-1942 minCategory ThinkersDone Properly, Category Design Creates Demand w/ Craig RosenbergScale Venture Partners’ Craig Rosenberg joins us on the show to talk about how category design drives demand, how he mentors founders, and a handful of stories from the startup and VC trenches.Craig is the Chief Platform Officer at Scale and long-time friend and collaborator of our co-host, Damp.In this episode, we'll discuss:Category design stories from Scale's portfolio.How Craig teaches young founders category design principles.Is it ever too late or too early to pursue category design?Common Point of View pitfalls.If you want to join a fr...
2023-09-1246 minCategory ThinkersAI Is Creating 3 Layers Of Category Design Opportunities w/ Manny BernabeVery rarely do we see such an explosion of innovation as we are seeing right now. The rise of AI reminds us very much of the early internet... just like the early dot-com era, AI will spawn a new generation of categories and subcategories.In this episode of Category Thinkers, we invited AI and machine learning expert Manny Bernabe to help us cover:New categories and subcategories that AI is making possibleHow entrepreneurs can leverage AI to create their own niche or categorySimilarities between the early internet and early AI developmentsWhy ChatGPT is currently the dominant...
2023-09-0552 minCategory Thinkers"Superconsumers" Book Club & AMA w/ Eddie YoonYou spoke and we heard you — this community needs a book club!We kicked off the first ever Category Thinkers Book Club with Eddie Yoon's classic, Superconsumers.Listen to Eddie, the co-founders of Category Thinkers (Mike Damphousse, John Rougeux, Pablo Gonzalez), and members of the community discuss:Where Eddie came up with the insights that led to his book on SuperconsumersHow to apply a Superconsumer strategy in B2B service companiesWhy understanding Superconsumers is the key to creating a profitable community strategyand much more!If you want to join future events like th...
2023-08-2955 minCategory ThinkersWhat's Next For The Inbound Category w/ Kipp Bodnar, CMO of HubSpotToday, we have a special guest whose work has made a lasting impact in the realm of category design — Kipp Bodnar, the Chief Marketing Officer at HubSpot.🛠️ About HubSpot:HubSpot isn't just a software company; it's a well-known category design success case with inbound marketing. By crafting a narrative around the inbound philosophy, HubSpot has succeeded in not just selling a product but shaping an entire ecosystem.🤝 In This Episode:Kipp shares insights on how category design has influenced his career trajectory and the broader landscape of modern...
2023-08-2242 minCategory ThinkersReinventing a 25-Year-Old Company Through Category Design w/ Carl Daikeler, CEO of BeachbodyThere's plenty of examples of founders, obsessed with a problem, applying category design to build their business and dominate their market.But realistically, most people that first encounter category design are not in the founding stages of their company. That's why talking to the CEO of a publicly traded company that decided to apply category design to reinvent his company after 25 years will give you the insights you may need to apply category thinking in your business.Carl Daikeler is that CEO. His company, BODi, has revolutionized home fitness for the last 25 years w...
2023-08-1559 minCategory ThinkersThe Life Of A Founder In The Middle Of Category Design w/ Hannah Grady WilliamsYou can read the books, and listen to all the podcasts about Category Design, but nothing beats learning from the experience of someone currently in the trenches of designing a new category.That's why we wanted to pull the curtain back on what it feels like to be actively designing a category as a startup founder/CEO with Hannah Grady Williams, Founder of d'Skills.After a TEDx Talk and best-selling book led to a thriving consulting business, Hannah decided to design a new category of education for Gen Z...So she founded a...
2023-08-0850 minCategory ThinkersHow Category Design and Product Led Growth Shaped Slack's Go To Market Strategy w/ Bill MacaitisBill Macaitis is the former CMO then CRO of Slack, CMO of Zen Desk, and SVP of Marketing at SalesForce and in this conversation we dive deep into what made Slack the category king of team collaboration tools it has become.You'll notice that most of this story took place before Play Bigger was even written so this was intuitive category design by Bill and his team, and you'll have a chance to see:How Bill thinks about the way category design and product led growth work together within a go to market strategyWhy S...
2023-08-0152 minCategory ThinkersWhat the WWE and Sports Entertainment Can Teach Us About Category Design w/ Raj "Rajnation" NathanCategory Thinking is everywhere, and your ability to identify it in the wild will sharpen your skillset as a category designer.And in this episode of #CategoriesInTheWild, we'll examine WWE's development of the "sports entertainment" category. It's a perfect case study that every category designer should learn from.Join John Rougeux and Pablo Gonzalez in their conversation with Rajiv "Rajnation" Nathan as they explore why the WWE is one of the best modern examples of category design. They'll discuss: How new language was used to differentiate WWE from other forms of wrestling and even o...
2023-07-2556 minCategory Thinkers"Do We Have A Category?" w/ Josh Roenitz and Kim Bach from DailyHumanWhen founders first start considering a category strategy, they spend a lot of time bouncing ideas back and forth to develop a point of view.That can feel great or it can feel like a battle, but it's impossible to know if it's productive until they share it with someone else to see if it resonates.But how should the conversation go? How do you know if you're making progress? How do you know if you should really pursue a category strategy?That's why we decided to produce an entirely new type of e...
2023-07-1840 minCategory ThinkersHow to Influence Buyers to Care About a New Category w/ Mark Kilens (CMO of Airmeet)Mark Kilens has built a career as a marketing leader and category designer with HubSpot and Drift. Now, he's the CMO at Airmeet, the company behind Event-Led Growth.In this conversation, we break down what Mark's learned as a category designer, including:How to wrap your category in a familiar context to help buyers understand it.Mark's 3 step framework for developing category language.Why category design needs to be led by a CEO who can keep the team focused on the category strategy.To participate in our live podcasts and events, join our community for...
2023-07-1146 minCategory ThinkersWhat Apple Got Wrong With the Launch of the Vision Pro w/ Jordy Van de LochtWhen Apple launched the Vision Pro, it wasn't just a product launch, it was the launch of a new category called "spatial computing." But did Apple get everything right? They did a lot of things well, but we think Apple had a couple misses, too. Join us as we deconstruct Apple's newest category launch and discuss what we might have done differently.In this #CategoriesInTheWild episode, we'll cover: What Apple did differently from MetaThe problem of "leaving out the problem" Who Apple's REAL target audience for the announcement wasAbout our...
2023-07-0451 minCategory ThinkersThe State Of Category Design And Who It's For In 2023 w/ Christopher LochheadOne of the biggest reasons we knew the world needed the Category Thinkers Community (apart from our own desire to talk category strategy all day) is that there are many misconceptions about the discipline of category design, and who it's for.In fact, the term "category thinking", expands the tent on category design in a way that allows us to use it more freely in our efforts to create businesses, careers, or social impact. Where category design was the discipline we all flocked to, category thinking is the daily muscle memory that brings categories to life.
2023-06-271h 07
B2B BetterHow to Design a Category for Your BrandBefore we get into it…Have you thought about launching a podcast for your brand but aren’t sure where to start? Book 60 minutes with me to brainstorm some ideas and get practical advice on how to create a show your customers care about. Totally free.Want to talk? Hit this link.In this episode, I talk to John Rougeux, Partner at Category Design Advisors.We talked about what category design ACTUALLY means in B2B, the eight levers to pull to build a business that is radically different, and how to t...
2023-06-2723 minCategory ThinkersA Call To Action For Category Designers w/ Play Bigger Co-Authors Christopher Lochhead, Al Ramadan, and Kevin ManeyThe discipline of category design was formally launched seven years ago with the book, Play Bigger. If you were paying attention, it predicted what was coming – that in the next six to ten years, category design would tip into the mainstream.That’s why on category design’s seventh birthday, we decided to reunite three co-authors of Play Bigger (Christopher Lochhead, Al Ramadan, Kevin Maney). In this episode, they look back at the birth of the discipline, map out the current lay of the land, and paint a vision of a rich future for catego...
2023-06-2059 min
Pipe DreamHow to Design a Category for Your Brand w/ John RougeuxIn this episode, I talk to John Rougeux, Partner at Category Design Advisors.
We talked about what category design ACTUALLY means in B2B, the eight levers to pull to build a business that is radically different, and how to think about category design against company positioning.
You can learn more about John at www.categorydesignadvisors.com
And the Christopher Lochhead article we referenced can be found here:
https://categorypirates.substack.com/p/8-category-levers-how-to-build-a
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Have you thought about launching a podcast for your brand but aren’t su...
2023-06-1423 minCategory ThinkersThe Category Thinkers Community Point Of ViewThis isn't just a podcast. It's the launch of a community. A different community dedicated to the understanding and application of category design.Naturally, we're kicking it off with our POV.If you are a category designer looking for a band of pirates to be a part of...If you are category curious and looking to become category capable...If you know different beats better...Join the community at CategoryThinkers.com
2023-05-2605 min
Simple But Hard with Anj BourgeoisSBH 8 - How radical differentiation and naming the problem you solve will transform your business and career with John RougeuxJohn Rougeux, A Category Designer at Category Design Advisors, joins the podcast to discuss how category design can be used to drive business growth and how it can apply to personal career development. Rougeux explains that category design involves naming and framing the problem you solve, which can be applied to both businesses and individuals seeking to niche down their career. He also emphasizes that category design is not just a marketing strategy, but can be used to guide product development, hiring strategy, and partnerships. The conversation also touches on the importance of radical differentiation, and how a strong...
2023-04-1422 min
The Deep Specialization™️ PodcastRadically Different: Specializing Your Business With Category DesignTired of blending in?
My guest is John Rougeux with Category Design Advisors
In this episode, John breaks down the key concept of being radically different and addresses the question, ‘But is Category Design just another marketing strategy or a holistic business approach?’ We also talk about overcoming the perceived risk of specializing your business, the symptoms in your business of needing a more intentional category strategy, and much more.
The resources mentioned in this episode are:
- 8 Category Levers: How To Build A Massive, Pacific Ocean-Sized Differentiation Moat: https://categorypirates.subst...
2023-04-1242 min
B2B GrowthOne of the Dumbest Marketing Campaigns Ever with Christopher Lochhead (2 of 2)In this replay episode (part 2 of 2) John Rougeux talks to Christopher Lochhead, 3-time Silicon Valley CMO and host of the Legends and Losers Podcast.
2022-04-1531 minB2B GrowthWhy Category Design is a Marketing Superpower with Christopher Lochhead (1 of 2)In this replay episode (part 1 of 2) John Rougeux talks to Christopher Lochhead, 3-time Silicon Valley CMO and host of the Legends and Losers Podcast.
2022-04-1431 min
The Master Marketer ShowEp. 8 John Rougeux - The Proof is in Designing a New CategoryWe liked our conversation with James so much that we decided to talk about category design again. This time with John Rougeux - VP of Marketing Strategy. What you’ll learn in this episode:What is category design, and what is the benefitWhen does category design make sense to pursue, and when it doesn’tThe time horizon for a category design initiativeThe impact of category design on the various teams within your organizationHow to get the right information from customers to drive the category definition and messaging languageHow to build experiences that bring the categ...
2021-07-1455 min
See The Solution PodcastEp 36 — Category DesignToday I connected with Sheena Badani, senior director of Marketing at Gong, and John Rougeux, VP Marketing Strategy at BombBomb. We talked about category design, and the challenges and lessons that they’ve learned as both Gong and BombBomb have pivoted to new market strategies. To receive updates on future episodes, subscribe today at marcusschaller.com/podcast.
2021-01-2537 min
SaaS Marketing MakeoverSaaS Marketing Makeover - With BombBomb's VP of Marketing Strategy, John RougeuxIt's makeover time.
In this live show, CEO and Co-founder of Directive, Garrett Mehrguth, and a SaaS marketing leader work together to build a strategy for a recognizable SaaS brand - as quickly as possible.
The company will be randomly selected by spinning a wheel at the beginning of the show, and together, the two will craft a strategy for SaaS marketing leaders everywhere.
Today's guest...BombBomb's VP of Marketing Strategy, John Rougeux!
2021-01-2037 min
Smart Chickens A B2B SaaS Demand Gen Drives Innovation & Growth PodcastJohn Rougeux VP of Marketing Strategy: How to Create a Category Design Business StrategyJohn Rougeux Bio and Show Notes:LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbrougeux/B2B Growth Podcast Co-HostFlagandFrontier.com Category Design StrategistBook Recommendations to get 1% better:Never Split the Difference by Chris VossMarketing High Technology by William H. Davidow7 Category Design Business Strategy Criteria & What CD is Not:Category Design Isn't Necessarily Being First to MarketCategory Design Isn't Winning Awards on Gartner, G2Crowd, or ForresterCategory Design Isn't a Gimmicky Slogan or Advertising GTM campaignDon't Vilify Something that is Good at Another Context as Nemesis to...
2020-10-201h 04
Marketing Spark (The B2B SaaS Marketing Podcast)John Rougeux: An Insider's Look at the Category Design ProcessYou hear a lot of talk about category creation and category design. The terms are often intermingled.
In this episode of Marketing Spark, John Rougeux goes into depth about what category design involves and the features it delivers to companies looking to differentiate what they do to drive marketing and sales.
Rougeux, VP, Marketing Strategy at BombBomb, provides first-hand insight into how to implement a category design process and, as important, how to get key stakeholders on board.
BombBomb is video email platform for medium and large enterprise companies.
2020-10-1323 min
GTM Made Simple693. Why Terminus Embraces Their CompetitorsThe script has flipped. Embracing the competition? Aren’t we supposed to hate each other? Not according to #FlipMyFunnel founder and host, our very own Sangram Vajre. He emphasizes the power of bringing competitors together to cultivate growth. FMF guest-host John Rougeux swaps spots with Sangram in this topsy-turvy #TakeoverTuesday episode. We learn about category creation versus category leadership, the advantage in building a community, having passion for the problem instead of the product, and more. John Rougeux is the founder of Flag & Frontier, a marketing consultancy that helps B2B sta...
2020-09-1532 minGTM Made Simple693. Why Terminus Embraces Their CompetitorsThe script has flipped. Embracing the competition? Aren’t we supposed to hate each other? Not according to #FlipMyFunnel founder and host, our very own Sangram Vajre. He emphasizes the power of bringing competitors together to cultivate growth. FMF guest-host John Rougeux swaps spots with Sangram in this topsy-turvy #TakeoverTuesday episode. We learn about category creation versus category leadership, the advantage in building a community, having passion for the problem instead of the product, and more. John Rougeux is the founder of Flag & Frontier, a marketing consultancy that helps B2B sta...
2020-09-1532 min
GTM Made Simple688. How Drift Uses Branding and Category Design to Drive GrowthThe times, they are a-changin’. In the old days, you might have gotten away with promoting the best feature of your product, making a transaction, and sending the customer on their merry way. Try that today and you’ll go out of business. Why don’t consumers care as much about the product as they used to? FMF guest-host John Rougeux asks CEO of Drift and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business, David Cancel, what he thinks about the current SaaS market disruption. This #TakeoverTuesday explores effective branding, category design, and more.
2020-09-0843 minGTM Made Simple688. How Drift Uses Branding and Category Design to Drive GrowthThe times, they are a-changin’. In the old days, you might have gotten away with promoting the best feature of your product, making a transaction, and sending the customer on their merry way. Try that today and you’ll go out of business. Why don’t consumers care as much about the product as they used to? FMF guest-host John Rougeux asks CEO of Drift and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business, David Cancel, what he thinks about the current SaaS market disruption. This #TakeoverTuesday explores effective branding, category design, and more.
2020-09-0843 min
GTM Made Simple683. The Physical Therapist Who Built a $100M SaaS CompanyInspiration can hit us anywhere. Most times, it’s not when we’re forcing it. It tends to reveal itself in the most mundane of activities. But, when it shows up, it’s a beautiful thing. This is what happened to the president and co-founder at WebPT, Heidi Jannenga. As a physical therapist, she saw the need for a more sophisticated method of documenting patient visits. Pen and paper was the protocol. In this #TakeoverTuesday episode, Heidi fills in FMF co-host John Rougeux on her story through category creation, gaining 40% of the ma...
2020-08-2934 minGTM Made Simple683. The Physical Therapist Who Built a $100M SaaS CompanyInspiration can hit us anywhere. Most times, it’s not when we’re forcing it. It tends to reveal itself in the most mundane of activities. But, when it shows up, it’s a beautiful thing. This is what happened to the president and co-founder at WebPT, Heidi Jannenga. As a physical therapist, she saw the need for a more sophisticated method of documenting patient visits. Pen and paper was the protocol. In this #TakeoverTuesday episode, Heidi fills in FMF co-host John Rougeux on her story through category creation, gaining 40% of the ma...
2020-08-2934 min
GTM Made Simple678. Category Creation: How to Build a MovementSelect the best approach to entering the marketplace: A) Category creation B) Building a better mousetrap The answer? Both. We sat down to discuss market strategies with one of HubSpot’s co-founders and current CEO of Lola.com, Mike Volpe. Mike has been involved in both ends of the spectrum: category creation and building a better tool to serve an existing category. He gives FMF co-host John Rougeux the lowdown in the first of four #TakeoverTuesday episodes focused on category creation. *More about John Rougeux*John is...
2020-08-2027 minGTM Made Simple678. Category Creation: How to Build a MovementSelect the best approach to entering the marketplace: A) Category creation B) Building a better mousetrap The answer? Both. We sat down to discuss market strategies with one of HubSpot’s co-founders and current CEO of Lola.com, Mike Volpe. Mike has been involved in both ends of the spectrum: category creation and building a better tool to serve an existing category. He gives FMF co-host John Rougeux the lowdown in the first of four #TakeoverTuesday episodes focused on category creation. *More about John Rougeux*John is...
2020-08-2027 min
The SaaS Marketing ShowHow BombBomb Onboarded 4000+ Users Via Word Of Mouth Marketing - Episode 005In this episode we chat with John Rougeux, VP of Marketing Strategy at BombBomb about how they recently onboarded 4000+ users to their platform within a few days, all via word of mouth marketing. Check it out!
2020-04-2926 minB2B Growth#BestOf2019: One of the Dumbest Marketing Campaigns Ever w/ Christopher LochheadIn this episode (part 2 of 2) of the #CategoryCreation series, John Rougeux talks to Christopher Lochhead, 3-time Silicon Valley CMO and host of the Legends and Losers Podcast. See why leading companies like Glint, Shopify, Spotify, Slack and more are using Guru for their knowledge management needs. Go to b2bgrowth.getguru.com to start your 30-day free trial & discover how knowledge management can empower your revenue teams. Want to get a no-fluff email that boils down our 3 biggest takeaways from an entire week of B2B Growth episodes? Sign up today: http...
2020-01-2800 minB2B Growth#BestOf2019: Why Category Design is a Marketing Superpower w/ Christopher LochheadIn this episode (part 1 of 2) of the #CategoryCreation series, John Rougeux talks to Christopher Lochhead, 3-time Silicon Valley CMO and host of the Legends and Losers Podcast. No. 2 in our countdown of the Top 20 episodes of 2019. Want to get a no-fluff email that boils down our 3 biggest takeaways from an entire week of B2B Growth episodes? Sign up today: http://sweetfishmedia.com/big3 We'll never send you more than what you can read in < >
2020-01-2700 min
GTM Made Simple429: Why Terminus Embraces Their Competitors w/ Sangram Vajre`The script has flipped. Embracing the competition? Aren’t we supposed to hate each other? Not according to #FlipMyFunnel founder and host, our very own Sangram Vajre. He emphasizes the power of bringing competitors together to cultivate growth. FMF guest-host John Rougeux swaps spots with Sangram in this topsy-turvy #TakeoverTuesday episode. We learn about category creation versus category leadership, the advantage in building a community, having passion for the problem instead of the product, and more. John Rougeux is the founder of Flag & Frontier, a marketing consultancy that helps B2B sta...
2019-08-3032 minGTM Made Simple429: Why Terminus Embraces Their Competitors w/ Sangram Vajre`The script has flipped. Embracing the competition? Aren’t we supposed to hate each other? Not according to #FlipMyFunnel founder and host, our very own Sangram Vajre. He emphasizes the power of bringing competitors together to cultivate growth. FMF guest-host John Rougeux swaps spots with Sangram in this topsy-turvy #TakeoverTuesday episode. We learn about category creation versus category leadership, the advantage in building a community, having passion for the problem instead of the product, and more. John Rougeux is the founder of Flag & Frontier, a marketing consultancy that helps B2B sta...
2019-08-3032 min
GTM Made Simple424: How Drift Uses Branding and Category Design to Drive GrowthThe times, they are a-changin’. In the old days, you might have gotten away with promoting the best feature of your product, making a transaction, and sending the customer on their merry way. Try that today and you’ll go out of business. Why don’t consumers care as much about the product as they used to? FMF guest-host John Rougeux asks CEO of Drift and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business, David Cancel, what he thinks about the current SaaS market disruption. This #TakeoverTuesday explores effective branding, category design, and more. John...
2019-08-2743 min
GTM Made Simple419: The Physical Therapist Who Built a $100M SaaS Company w/ Heidi Jannenga Inspiration can hit us anywhere. Most times, it’s not when we’re forcing it. It tends to reveal itself in the most mundane of activities. But, when it shows up, it’s a beautiful thing. This is what happened to the president and co-founder at WebPT, Heidi Jannenga. As a physical therapist, she saw the need for a more sophisticated method of documenting patient visits. Pen and paper was the protocol. In this #TakeoverTuesday episode, Heidi fills in FMF co-host John Rougeux on her story through category creation, gaining 40% of the ma...
2019-08-2734 min
GTM Made Simple414: Category Creation: How to Build a Movement w/ Mike VolpeSelect the best approach to entering the marketplace: A) Category creation B) Building a better mousetrap The answer? Both. We sat down to discuss market strategies with one of HubSpot’s co-founders and current CEO of Lola.com, Mike Volpe. Mike has been involved in both ends of the spectrum: category creation and building a better tool to serve an existing category. He gives FMF co-host John Rougeux the lowdown in the first of four #TakeoverTuesday episodes focused on category creation. *More about John Rougeux*John is the founder of Fl...
2019-08-2727 minGTM Made Simple414: Category Creation: How to Build a Movement w/ Mike VolpeSelect the best approach to entering the marketplace: A) Category creation B) Building a better mousetrap The answer? Both. We sat down to discuss market strategies with one of HubSpot’s co-founders and current CEO of Lola.com, Mike Volpe. Mike has been involved in both ends of the spectrum: category creation and building a better tool to serve an existing category. He gives FMF co-host John Rougeux the lowdown in the first of four #TakeoverTuesday episodes focused on category creation. *More about John Rougeux*John is the founder of Fl...
2019-08-2727 minGTM Made Simple419: The Physical Therapist Who Built a $100M SaaS Company w/ Heidi Jannenga Inspiration can hit us anywhere. Most times, it’s not when we’re forcing it. It tends to reveal itself in the most mundane of activities. But, when it shows up, it’s a beautiful thing. This is what happened to the president and co-founder at WebPT, Heidi Jannenga. As a physical therapist, she saw the need for a more sophisticated method of documenting patient visits. Pen and paper was the protocol. In this #TakeoverTuesday episode, Heidi fills in FMF co-host John Rougeux on her story through category creation, gaining 40% of the ma...
2019-08-2734 minGTM Made Simple424: How Drift Uses Branding and Category Design to Drive GrowthThe times, they are a-changin’. In the old days, you might have gotten away with promoting the best feature of your product, making a transaction, and sending the customer on their merry way. Try that today and you’ll go out of business. Why don’t consumers care as much about the product as they used to? FMF guest-host John Rougeux asks CEO of Drift and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business, David Cancel, what he thinks about the current SaaS market disruption. This #TakeoverTuesday explores effective branding, category design, and more. John...
2019-08-2743 min
B2B Revenue Acceleration9: Internal Evangelism as Part of Your Branding Strategy w/ John RougeuxDo you practice what you preach? What about your team? Do they practice what your company preaches? John Rougeux is the VP of Marketing at Skyfii where he has two main priorities: 1) Build his company’s presence in North America and 2) Rebuild Skyfii’s brand with a clear position in the marketplace. John knows that he can’t accomplish his second priority by only marketing his company externally. He has to be walking the walk and getting his team excited internally as well. It’s crucial to their success. John joined us for this episode of B2B Revenue Acceleration to talk a...
2018-08-2224 min
The Engage For Good Podcast with Alli Murphy202: Causely Helps Businesses Grow with Word-of-Mouth Cause MarketingToday on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to co-founders Matt Sharp and John Rougeux at Causely, a service that helps businesses use cause marketing to grow and build community.
With Causely, the business benefits from a big increase in word-of-mouth (typically a 4-6x increase in social media impressions!). Businesses also earn a charitable reputation in the process. Customers benefit because it gives them an easy (and free) way to support great causes. And, of course, non-profits benefit as Causely has donated over $2 million since it launched.
On the show, Megan, John and Joe dis...
2017-02-1435 min