What Morning Brew's Founder Knows About B2B Marketing That You Don't 🤔

Why some B2B startups are ditching traditional tactics for this strategy.

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What Morning Brew's Founder Knows About B2B Marketing That You Don't 🤔

Alex Lieberman, co-founder of Morning Brew

Still clinging to those dense whitepapers and cold emails for your B2B marketing?

While everyone was busy buzzing over Paul Graham’s "Founder Mode" most missed Alex Lieberman, co-founder of Morning Brew, casually rewriting the rules of B2B marketing.

In this post, I’ll break down how B2B marketing is changing—not by dropping what works but by tweaking it for today’s digital-first, personality-driven Internet.

I’ll explore:

• The shiny new B2B marketing stack

• Goodbye (ish), Whitepapers

• Why Founders Need to Step Up

• Stop Hiding Behind Your Logo

• Overcoming common hurdles

• Metrics that actually matter

• Final thoughts and next steps

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The New B2B Marketing Stack 😎

Alex—is not just talking about adding a few tweaks here and there.

You might see this as an extreme take, but deep down, you know there’s truth in it.

Your brand is no longer a faceless logo.

Outdated tactics like whitepapers and trade show booths often yield low engagement, especially when used as a lazy fallback.

On the other hand, Founder-led social media and video podcasts are where the new opportunities are emerging. Especially for early stage B2B startups with limited resources.

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Why is this shift happening?

Because old-school B2B methods are being used with little consideration. Just because they might work in some segments or industries does not mean they work for every use case. Decision-makers are drowning in content they’ll never bother reading.

It’s time to evolve.

Goodbye (ish), Whitepapers

Before you throw your entire marketing strategy in the trash, hold on a second.

Traditional B2B marketing tactics—like whitepapers or trade show booths—still have value.

My advise is to blend old-school methods with new-school thinking. It’s not about dropping one for the other—it’s about finding a balance.

For example, combine a whitepaper with a social media campaign that teases insights and sparks curiosity, thenf ollow it up with a video podcast that makes your brand feel more human.

Why is this important?

Because behind every business decision is a real person craving connection. The goal is to connect, not just communicate.

By merging the personal touch of founder-led content with the depth of traditional tactics, you create a multi-layered strategy that works across all industries and preferences.

Why Founders Need to Step Up

You scroll LinkedIn and you see two posts about AI in marketing.

One is from a faceless company. The other?

A founder sharing a real story about how AI shook up their strategy—including all the mistakes.

Which one do you click? Exactly!

However not every decision-maker is scrolling through LinkedIn or X, though—so it's important to understand where your audience is and tailor your approach accordingly.

I agree with Alex, it’s time for founders to take center stage and become their own media channels.

Share your stories, your insights, even your screw-ups. People crave genuine connection, not corporate speak. By sharing insights, behind-the-scenes looks, and even failures, you build trust through transparency. This will also help attract top talent to your startup.

You can’t fake realness.

Here’s your playbook:

• Be the face of your brand. No more hiding.

• Build in public: Share your wins, your losses, and everything in between.

• Think like a publisher: Get your team creating killer content, not just planning it.

Marc Lou is a bootstrapped SaaS founder and solopreneur, who is building in public with his portfolio of 6 SaaS companies. From his Bali office (and likely a hammock), Marc shares his journey on X and YouTube, giving transparent insights into his successes, challenges, and lessons.

Authenticity? He’s living it.

Marc Lou

Joel Gascoigne, co-founder and CEO of Buffer, didn’t stop being transparent as his company grew. Joel shares everything—from financials to product updates to team insights. If that’s not building in public, what is? Oh, and did I mention Buffer’s thousands of global customers? That’s where transparency gets you.

But if building in public isn’t your thing, no worries. You’re not alone.

Sam Parr nailed why it’s not for everyone.

Sam Parr

You can still build a public persona without live-tweeting every move. Just stick to what feels real for you. Whatever route you choose, make sure it’s real, because that’s what sticks.

Stop Hiding Behind Your Logo

I know what you’re thinking.

“But my industry is different!” Or “What will the board think?” (That’s if you even have a board, right?)

Remember - Your logo doesn’t create loyalty—your people do.

But success hinges on knowing where your decision-makers are and how they prefer to engage. Not everyone’s on social media looking for memes—some crave technical insights or in-depth analysis. Balancing these strategies is crucial.

To avoid a corporate identity crisis:

• Understand your audience: Analyse your current customer base and create an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). If your audience prefers technical content on YouTube over memes on X, lean into that.

• Start small: Test one new strategy at a time to avoid overwhelming your team.

• Show proof: Use real-life success stories from companies like yours to get internal buy-in.

• Set boundaries: Clearly define what your team can and cannot share publicly.

• Invest in talent: Hire or train people to create content, not just plan it. Think creators, not just marketers.

What’s working now?

• Memes that people genuinely want to share.

• Real conversations that spark meaningful engagement.

• Drop the stiff, corporate vibe.

Give your team the freedom to experiment, and watch your brand build deeper connections that resonate on a human level.

Smashing Through the Usual Hurdles 💥

Worried about oversharing?

Or maybe you’re afraid you’ll run out of content ideas?

Honestly, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Your daily work is a treasure trove of content ideas. That problem you solved last week? It’s your next LinkedIn post.

Afraid of inconsistency?

One quality post a week is better than just pumping out filler.

Metrics That Actually Matter

One real connection beats 100 awkward coffee chats.

So, forget about vanity metrics.

Likes and impressions are nice, but they won’t pay the bills.

Here's what really counts:

1. Engagement rate: Comments, shares, and meaningful interactions are your new currency. I've seen a post with 100 likes outperform one with 1000 because of the quality of discussion it sparked.

2. Follower quality: Are industry leaders taking notice? One decision-maker follower can be worth more than 100 random ones.

3. Lead quality: Are your incoming leads more informed and sales-ready? You want leads who've already bought into your vision.

4. Brand sentiment: How are people talking about your brand in industry chats? This is your real-time feedback loop.

5. Speaking and partnership opportunities: As your profile grows, these should increase. I've seen founders go from unknown to keynote speakers in months with this approach.

This approach is a long-term game.

You won’t see instant results, but when you do, they’ll stick.

Don’t just track numbers—focus on creating real value.

My Final Thoughts

Putting yourself out there is tough.

But if you want to break through the noise in B2B marketing, hiding behind a logo isn’t an option.

Founder-led marketing? It's a game changer—if you know how to play it.

But it's not about just following the latest trend. It’s about knowing your audience and meeting them where they are. Not every decision-maker is scrolling through X.

Some still want depth and technical insights. That’s fine. Give them both.

The point?

Whether it’s founder-led or not, the real win comes from understanding who you’re talking to and how they prefer to engage.

Honesty is key, but it’s not just a trend—it’s a long-term strategy.

Your move, Founder. 👊