Horizons Pod with Nate Desmond

By: Marketing insights from the cutting edge of growth
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  • Summary

  • Subscribe at: https://horizonspod.com/ Join Nate Desmond as he dives deep into modern marketing. Each week, you'll hear war stories and tactical breakdowns from growth operators who've scaled products from zero to millions – from consumer apps saving tens of millions in acquisition costs to B2B companies charting their course to $100M+ in revenue. This isn't theory – it's a weekly masterclass in growth strategy, featuring makers and marketers who've built the products you use daily. Each episode unpacks the hidden mechanics behind viral loops, marketplace dynamics, enterprise sales motions, and acquisition strategies that actually work.

    horizonspod.substack.com
    Nate Desmond
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Economics
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Episodes
  • How Hipcamp's PR Turned $20k into >400 Media Hits with Lydia Davey | Horizons Pod

    How Hipcamp's PR Turned $20k into >400 Media Hits with Lydia Davey | Horizons Pod
    Mar 11 2025
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Lydia Davey is the co-founder of Attentio PR, where she helps the world's most interesting startups accelerate growth through high-impact earned media coverage. Her journey began as a U.S. Marine Combat Correspondent, built through her time working in Communications at Apple, and most recently continued through fractional Communications leadership roles at various startups.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 Story > Stats: It's not just about lining up facts—it's about crafting a narrative that grabs hearts, minds, and wallets. Example: "The queen died, the king died" vs. "The queen died, and the king died of a broken heart." The second version creates emotional investment and curiosity.2/ 🔍 Media Success = Research + Relationships: Newsrooms have shrunk 20% since pre-pandemic, and journalists now receive 500+ pitches daily. Success comes from deep research into where your story fits and making it dead simple for journalists to say "yes."3/ ⏰ The "Why Now?" Factor: Even great stories need timing. Whether it's a product launch, market expansion, or cultural moment, successful PR hinges on having a compelling reason for journalists to cover your story today rather than tomorrow.4/ 🌟 Own It, Apologize, Overcorrect: The three pillars of crisis communications. When things go wrong, leadership needs to take ownership, show genuine remorse (when legally possible), and demonstrate meaningful change.5/ 📊 ROI Isn't Optional: Top PR pros quantify their impact. It's not enough to say "I ran X campaign"—you need to show the lift in brand awareness, direct traffic, or sales. Track everything and tie it back to business outcomes.6/ 🎭 Embargoed > Surprise Launches: Give journalists 3 weeks with the story under embargo. This creates a "shock and awe" moment when multiple high-quality stories drop simultaneously, versus trickling out one at a time.7/ 🤖 AI + Human Judgment: Use AI to iterate quickly and generate ideas, but rely on human judgment for the final narrative. AI can stack facts but struggles to add the emotional context that makes stories compelling.8/ 🌐 Local Knowledge Matters: For global brands, always hire local PR support. There are cultural nuances and sensitivities that even the best international team can't fully grasp.—Where to find Lydia Davey:* Web: https://www.attentiopr.com/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiadavey/* X: https://x.com/lm_davey—In this episode, we cover:00:00 From Marine to Media: Lydia's Journey 03:10 The Art and Science of Storytelling in PR 05:58 Building a PR Agency: Lessons from the Ground Up 08:41 Crafting Compelling Narratives: The Heart of PR 11:23 Finding the Right Story: Case Studies in PR Success 13:48 Navigating Crisis Communications: Strategies for Success 16:19 Measuring ROI in PR: Beyond the Headlines 18:54 The Role of Creativity in PR Campaigns 21:22 Understanding Negative PR: Lessons Learned 22:56 The Importance of Leadership Buy-In in PR 37:51 Navigating Media Opportunities 43:52 The Importance of Media Training 46:37 Starting PR on a Budget 50:01 In-House vs Agency PR 52:37 Hiring for PR Success 57:35 Finding the Right Agency 01:02:33 The Appeal of Agency Work 01:04:05 Managing Competing Priorities 01:06:31 Lightning Round Insights—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Under $10k To Launch A B2B Conference with Tosin Thomas | Horizons Podcast

    Under $10k To Launch A B2B Conference with Tosin Thomas | Horizons Podcast
    Mar 4 2025
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Tosin Thomas is Head of Marketing at Financial Cents, where she transformed virtual events into a growth engine by bringing scientific rigor from her biochemistry background to B2B marketing.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 Test Small, Scale SmartSuccessful marketing isn't about doing everything—it's about testing channels cheaply, measuring results rigorously, and doubling down on what works. Case in point: Their first brand conference cost under $10k as a test, then scaled after proving ROI.2/ 📊 Self-Reported Attribution > Assumptions Ask customers directly how they found you. When you consistently hear the same channel (like LinkedIn), that's your signal to invest more heavily. Combine this with traditional tracking for a complete picture.3/ 🎬 Virtual Events Need Unique Value PropsDon't compete with established in-person conferences. Instead, create something different—like multi-track sessions tailored to different company sizes or interactive "workflow roasts" that solve real problems live.4/ 🔄 Content Redistribution > CreationSocial media shouldn't be a channel for new content—it should redistribute existing content in new formats. Turn blog posts into carousels, event clips into short videos, and customer stories into memes.5/ 💪 Hire for Marketing Skills First, Industry Knowledge SecondWhen building a marketing team, prioritize hiring excellent marketers who can learn your industry rather than industry experts who know some marketing. The learning curve is steeper for marketing skills than industry knowledge.6/ 🎁 FOMO > Convenience Drive event attendance by emphasizing what attendees will miss—exclusive resources, live networking, speaker templates—rather than just promoting the recording access. Their events hit 40-60% attendance vs. industry standard 30%.7/ 🎨 Brand Building Makes Performance CheaperStrong brand presence reduces customer acquisition costs across all channels. When people recognize your brand from content or events, they're more likely to engage with ads and convert.8/ 🤝 Strategic Partnerships Amplify ReachPartner with complementary tools and communities to expand reach. Example: When featuring a customer using multiple tools, involve all those companies in promotion for exponential reach.9/ 📈 Focus Marketing Roles on Scale-Ready ChannelsOnly create dedicated roles for channels showing clear traction and ready for scaling. Each new hire should own a channel that's proven its worth but needs focused attention to grow.—Where to find Tosin Thomas:* Web: https://mainstack.me/tosinthomas* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosinthomas/* X: https://x.com/TosyneThomas—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:41 Transitioning from Biochemistry to Marketing 06:49 Understanding MQLs and SQLs 12:25 Balancing Brand and Performance Marketing 18:01 Innovative Event Strategies 23:32 Engagement and Attendance Strategies 29:06 Event Strategy and Education Focus 31:05 Pinpoint Webinars and Demo Days 32:26 Quarterly Branded Events and Educational Focus 33:22 Innovative Event Formats and Community Engagement 34:57 Strategies for Event Attendance and Registration 37:50 Using Events for Customer Retention 39:15 The Power of Content Marketing 42:00 Building a Marketing Strategy 44:22 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms 48:09 Marketing Attribution and Tracking 51:07 Content Creation for Social Media 56:04 Building a Marketing Team 01:02:35 Hiring for Skills vs. Industry Experience 01:04:45 Onboarding New Team Members 01:06:52 Fostering Team Culture 01:11:02 Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Use AI to Triple Your Marketing Output with Pete Sena | Horizons Podcast

    Use AI to Triple Your Marketing Output with Pete Sena | Horizons Podcast
    Feb 25 2025
    Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Pete Sena is a serial entrepreneur and creative strategist behind companies like Digital Surgeons - a consultancy he started in 2004, The Resonance - where he partners with leading experts to create new revenue streams, and District - a tech innovation campus in New Haven, Connecticut. He’s known today for being an AI expert helping people to build, grow, and scale companies using AI, creativity, branding, and storytelling.Some takeaways:1/ 🧠 Curiosity Beats CompetenceThe competitive advantage in the post-AI era will be creativity and curiosity, not just technical skills. Better questions create better outcomes. Start by asking "why" and going five levels deep to uncover core motivations and insights.2/ 🎯 Distribution + Creativity = SuccessThe next 20 years will be driven by two key factors: your ability to get people to care about what you think (distribution) and creativity. Master these and you can succeed regardless of age or background.3/ 🤖 AI = Junior EmployeeTreat AI like a junior team member - capable but needs clear direction and oversight. It excels at specific tasks but lacks wisdom and experience. Focus on giving clear instructions and iterative feedback to improve outputs.4/ 🔄 Chain Before AgentStart with simple chain-of-thought prompting before jumping into complex AI agents. String together simple prompts (input → output → new input) to create powerful workflows. Tools like Zapier make this accessible to non-technical users.5/ 🎨 Design Your Culture (Or It Designs You)Culture is like yogurt - you need the right starter culture. Intentionally design your organization's behaviors, rituals, and incentives. Clear expectations and consistent reinforcement shape stronger cultures than top-down mandates.6/ 🌱 Show Up + Do The Work90% of success is consistently showing up prepared. Under-promise and over-deliver. Build trust through reliability before seeking scale.7/ 💡 Unlearning > LearningFuture success requires unlearning old patterns and limiting beliefs. Stay adaptable and question "that's how we've always done it" thinking.8/ 🤝 Soft Skills Are The Hard SkillsEmotional intelligence and human connection matter more than technical expertise. Even in an AI world, people want to interface with people.—Where to find Pete Sena:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersena/* X: https://x.com/petesena* Web: https://petesena.com/subscribe—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Setup 00:34 The Journey of Entrepreneurship 07:24 The Evolution of Learning and Technology 09:44 Curiosity and Creativity in the AI Era 12:19 Understanding the Depth of 'Why' in Conversations 15:34 The Power of Distribution in the Digital Age 20:08 Scaling Success: The Importance of Consistency 22:40 Leveraging AI for Enhanced Marketing Efficiency 28:33 Driving Change: The Art of Transformation 32:40 Creating Conditions for Intrinsic Motivation 38:07 Getting Started with AI: Overcoming Fear and Hesitation 41:59 Common Mistakes in AI Application for Marketing 45:26 Getting Started with Agents and Automation 48:51 The Role of AI as Junior Employees 51:12 Data and Distribution: Keys to Success 53:05 Unlearning for Growth 55:46 Leadership and Operationalizing Ideas 59:03 Navigating the Challenges of Today's Youth 01:02:26 Optimizing Time with the Green Zone 01:09:15 Design-Driven Culture: Building the Right Environment—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com
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    1 hr and 16 mins

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