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PLG Trailblazers: How Keap Shifted to Product-Led with Clate Mask

Clate Mask
March 6, 2023
min read
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Key takeaways

Key Takeaways

  • Shifting from sales-led to product-led requires organizational alignment, not just product changes.
  • Set clear expectations across teams early to reduce friction during the transition.
  • Build a concrete rollout plan that covers strategy, onboarding, metrics, and change management.
  • Choose the right free model (free trial vs. freemium) based on how users reach value and convert.
  • Expect roadblocks during rollout and iterate quickly to remove adoption and workflow bottlenecks.
  • Sales can still play a critical role in PLG by focusing on high-intent users, expansion, and complex deals.
  • Long-term success depends on reinforcing PLG values through organizational design and culture.

This is the second episode in our series on PLG Founders.

Making the shift from a sales-focused business to a product-led company can be challenging, but the results make the journey worth it. In this week’s episode, Clate Mask is here to share how Keap succeeded in making the jump to PLG.

As the co-founder and CEO of Keap, Clate is dedicated to helping millions of small businesses automate their processes and focus on exponential growth. With more than 20 years of experience, Clate is excited to share his experiences and expertise in pivoting Keap into a product-led company.

Tune in for this week’s episode as we talk about managing the ups and downs of a transition to being product-led, working through internal tensions, and identifying organizational strategies to align with PLG.

Show Notes

[1:00] The Origin Story of A $100 Million Business

[3:40] Pivoting To A PLG Company

[11:13] Setting Expectations Across the Board

[12:43] Steps for Planning a Shift to PLG

[15:18] Making Your Product Free Vs. Free Trial

[23:50] How Keap Overcame Roadbumps In The Rollout Phase

[29:00] Integrating The Role Of Sales In PLG 

[35:22] Organizational Strategies to Achieve PLG Values

[38:10] Cultural Changes to Expect 

[40:50] Celebrating Wins Over At Keap

About Clate Mask

Clate Mask is the Co-founder and CEO of Keap, the leading all-in-one sales and marketing software built for small businesses. Clate has also authored a New York Times best-selling book, Conquer The Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy.

Profile

Clate on Twitter

Clate on LinkedIn

Written by
Wes Bush

Wes Bush is an entrepreneur and the author of Product-Led Growth and The Product-Led Playbook. He founded ProductLed to help founders build the best product in their market, become the obvious choice in it, and win with generosity.

More about Wes →

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