{"podcast":{"title":"The Tech Leader's Playbook","slug":"the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231","podcast_index_feed_id":6409231,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/e2d189bc/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetechleaderplaybook","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/37953831/37953831-1686074627888-b4a2beb34013c.jpg","author":"Avetis Antaplyan","episode_count":133,"summary":"Welcome to your weekly playbook for tech leadership - where founders, executives, and innovators share real strategies for scaling smarter and leading stronger. Hosted by Avetis Antaplyan, Founder and CEO of HIRECLOUT, a global leader in technology and go-to-market recruiting and consulting.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231"},"episode":{"title":"If You’re Not a Top 3 Brand, You’ve Already Lost 70% of Deals","slug":"if-you-re-not-a-top-3-brand-you-ve-already-lost-70-of-deals","published_at":"2026-01-21T14:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231/if-you-re-not-a-top-3-brand-you-ve-already-lost-70-of-deals","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetechleaderplaybook/episodes/If-Youre-Not-a-Top-3-Brand--Youve-Already-Lost-70-of-Deals-e3dv3un","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/e2d189bc/podcast/play/114314647/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-0-21%2F416524311-44100-2-6cc9169c2bd4e.mp3","summary":"For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyan In this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Kurt Uhlir, seasoned CMO, operator, and advisor to private equity-backed growth companies, for a no-BS breakdown of what modern marketing and real leadership look like at scale. Kurt challenges the mainstream playbook with sharp insight into why most CMOs aren’t actually marketers, how obsession with attribution is damaging businesses, and why the real differentiator is trust, not clicks. From dismantling the myth of PPC-fueled growth to showing how brands win by building long-term category authority, Kurt shares hard-won lessons from the trenches of B2B SaaS and services. You’ll hear how he thinks about short-term vs long-term growth horizons, why servant leadership isn’t soft, and what companies miss when they separate marketing from customer success. This is a masterclass for any founder, CMO, or growth leader who wants to scale responsibly, attract vs. chase customers, and build teams that actually own outcomes. If you’ve ever felt like traditional marketing advice didn’t match the reality of scaling a company, this one’s for you. Takeaways Most CMOs are actually salespeople afraid of making cold calls, not strategic marketers. Companies lose 70% of deals by not being one of the top 3 trusted brands in the buyer’s mind. Short-term tactics (PPC, partnerships) drive revenue from 2–12 months, but trust drives revenue from 12–36+ months. Modern marketing must focus on contribution to outcomes, not just attribution metrics. Search Everywhere Optimization (not just SEO) is now essential, across YouTube, app stores, LLMs, and social. AI is a force multiplier for small teams, i…","meta_description":"For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyan In this episode of The Tech Leader…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2811,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231/episodes/if-you-re-not-a-top-3-brand-you-ve-already-lost-70-of-deals/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231/if-you-re-not-a-top-3-brand-you-ve-already-lost-70-of-deals.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}