AMA: DocuSign Sr. Director, Global Solutions Marketing, Paul Rudwall on Solutions Marketing
June 4 @ 9:00AM PT
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👋 Paul Rudwall
Great products don't win markets on their own. Someone has to build the engine. I did it at DocuSign for 7.5 years, scaling product marketing from pre-IPO through +$3B in revenue. Then I did it again at Hedra, an a16z-backed AI startup, delivering record revenue and 6x growth in traffic and signups. I also spent time pre and post-IPO in sales and marketing roles at Responsys and SuccessFactors.
The challenge I'm most drawn to: building the narrative and the GTM motion that takes AI-native companies from initial traction to repeatable, durable growth.
The challenge I'm most drawn to: building the narrative and the GTM motion that takes AI-native companies from initial traction to repeatable, durable growth.
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
At its simplest, I think product marketing typically focuses on "What does this product do?" whereas solutions marketing typically focuses on "How do they come together f...
10726 Views
2 requests
How do you handle the tradeoff between addressing many needs for one vertical vs. addressing 1-2 needs for multiple verticals?
We are a B2B company with a horizontal platform considering vertical expansion, and trying to decide which new verticals to enter.
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
To move to verticals, you need verticals large enough to support a dedicated GTM strategy and distinct enough to justify dedicated resources. Essentially, is the vertical...
3341 Views
2 requests
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
I don't think there's a significant difference. Ultimately, creating a category is about: Identifying a customer problem Reframing the way they think about it Presenting...
1881 Views
2 requests
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
Start with the customer. If you start anywhere else, you're likely to run into a lot of issues. While there are a number of contributing factors here, the core of it is y...
1105 Views
2 requests
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
I think it's helpful to consider the following following: Focus on What Matters to the Customer: Understand your customers' primary needs and pain points. What aspects o...
1606 Views
3 requests
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
Yes, we aim to gather quantitative feedback whenever possible. While I don't believe it's necessary for great messaging, it can complement existing efforts and help reduc...
1706 Views
2 requests
Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
The list of things I wish I had known is long, but I'll try to highlight some of the more important ones. (I really wish I had a resource like Sharebird when I was starti...
1176 Views
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Hedra Head of Marketing | Formerly Docusign, Responsys, Invoca • 1y
This is a great question. The conclusion I've come to is that while internal messaging is critical, it's not sufficient on its own to drive a significant shift. Incentive...
1339 Views
2 requests