One universal truth of marketing for B2B Tech companies
- Part 1Navigating the AI boom with resilient marketing
- Part 2The most overhyped AI use case in marketing right now
- Part 3New line of responsibility between the marketing and engineering teams
- Part 4 One universal truth of marketing for B2B Tech companies
- Part 5The biggest risk of marketers trusting AI
- Part 6Which frontier model will win the AI-platform battle?
Episode Chapters
-
00:38: Everything Changes All the Time
The fundamental reality of B2B tech marketing is constant change, making adaptability the key differentiator for successful companies. Wi ers in this space will be those who can adapt to change the quickest rather than relying on static strategies.
-
01:28: Marketing Like Stock Market Strategy
Marketing requires balancing long-term anchor strategies with short-term adaptability, similar to stock market investing. While companies can have stable foundations, the landscape constantly shifts with new disruptors challenging established players.
-
01:54: Nothing Lasts Forever Principle
The only certainty in B2B tech marketing is that nothing remains permanent and change is inevitable. This reality requires marketers to embrace continuous evolution rather than expecting any strategy or market position to last indefinitely.
-
Episode Summary
-
One Universal Truth of Marketing for B2B Tech Companies
# nIntroduction
# Dave Steer, CMO of $4B design-forward tech company Webflow, brings over two decades of experience leading marketing at category-defining companies like GitLab, Cloudflare, Facebook, Twitter, PayPal, and eBay. His perspective on B2B tech marketing comes from navigating multiple technology shifts while scaling enterprise growth and launching AI-powered platforms. With expertise spa ing both B2C and B2B marketing, Steer offers a unique vantage point on what truly drives success in technology marketing.#n#n1The Constant of Change in B2B Tech Marketing
# When asked about his one universal truth for marketing B2B tech companies, Steer's answer cuts straight to the core: "Everything is changing all the time." This isn't just an observation—it's the fundamental reality that separates successful B2B tech marketers from those who struggle to keep pace. The shift from B2C to B2B marketing revealed to Steer just how dramatically the landscape transforms, with the rate of change in B2B technology and marketing showing no signs of slowing.#n#n1Adapting to Win in Dynamic Markets
# The implications of constant change go beyond simply staying current with trends. According to Steer, "The wi ers I think in this space are going to be the ones who can adapt to change the quickest." This adaptability isn't just about reacting to market shifts—it's about building marketing organizations and strategies that thrive on experimentation and rapid iteration. The static playbook approach that might work in more stable industries becomes a liability in B2B tech, where yesterday's best practices can quickly become tomorrow's outdated tactics.#n#n1Marketing as a Dynamic Investment Strategy
# Benjamin Shapiro draws an insightful parallel between marketing strategy and stock market investing, noting how companies can have long-term anchor strategies while recognizing that "nothing's ever certain." The technology landscape exemplifies this volatility—Apple disrupted Xerox, and now OpenAI potentially threatens Apple's dominance. This perspective reinforces that B2B tech marketers must balance stability with agility, maintaining core strategic pillars while remaining ready to pivot when market dynamics shift.#n#n1Building for Perpetual Evolution
# The certainty that "nothing lasts forever" in technology markets demands a specific approach to marketing infrastructure and team building. Marketing leaders must create systems that embrace change rather than resist it. This means investing in flexible martech stacks, fostering cultures of experimentation, and developing teams comfortable with ambiguity. The most successful B2B tech marketing organizations aren't those with the most rigid processes, but those designed to evolve continuously.#n#n1Conclusion
# Dave Steer's universal truth—that everything in B2B tech marketing is constantly changing—serves as both a warning and an opportunity. For marketing leaders at companies like Webflow, which empowers over 300,000 companies to build enterprise-grade websites, this reality shapes every strategic decision. The key takeaway isn't to fear change but to build marketing capabilities that thrive on it. In B2B tech, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to adapt faster than your competition, turning perpetual change from a challenge into your greatest strategic asset.#n#n1
- Part 1Navigating the AI boom with resilient marketing
- Part 2The most overhyped AI use case in marketing right now
- Part 3New line of responsibility between the marketing and engineering teams
- Part 4 One universal truth of marketing for B2B Tech companies
- Part 5The biggest risk of marketers trusting AI
- Part 6Which frontier model will win the AI-platform battle?
Up Next:
-
Part 1Navigating the AI boom with resilient marketing
Most marketers treat AI as a copywriting assistant instead of a customer experience transformation tool. Dave Steer is Chief Marketing Officer at Webflow, specializing in AI-driven website personalization and answer engine optimization for enterprise growth. He explains how to structure content for both human visitors and AI crawlers, implement automated multivariate testing at scale, and maintain strategic direction while experimenting with AI-powered optimization tools.
Play Podcast -
Part 2The most overhyped AI use case in marketing right now
Content generation is the most overhyped AI use case in marketing. Dave Steer, CMO at Webflow, argues that marketers are focusing too narrowly on AI as a content creation tool rather than exploring its broader strategic potential. He advocates for building agentic AI workflows that orchestrate customer experiences and automate complex marketing processes. Steer emphasizes creating sophisticated automation systems where marketers become editors of AI output rather than manual content creators.
Play Podcast -
Part 3New line of responsibility between the marketing and engineering teams
Marketing teams now handle engineering workflows as AI tools blur traditional boundaries. Dave Steer, CMO at Webflow, explains how marketers are gaining developer superpowers while maintaining distinct responsibilities. He outlines how marketing owns vision creation while engineering ensures reliability and infrastructure. The discussion covers how no-code platforms enable marketers to build technical solutions while preserving the critical need for engineering expertise in enterprise environments.
Play Podcast -
Part 4One universal truth of marketing for B2B Tech companies
B2B tech marketing requires constant adaptation to survive industry disruption. Dave Steer, Chief Marketing Officer at Webflow, brings two decades of scaling experience from GitLab, Cloudflare, and other category-defining companies. He explains why successful marketers treat their strategies like stock portfolios with both long-term anchors and rapid pivots. Steer outlines how experimentation frameworks help teams adapt quickly when market conditions shift unexpectedly.
-
Part 5The biggest risk of marketers trusting AI
Marketers risk becoming lazy by blindly trusting AI outputs without critical thinking. Dave Steer, CMO at Webflow, explains how to maintain strategic judgment while leveraging artificial intelligence effectively. He demonstrates creating a custom "chief of staff" GPT trained on company context and decision-making frameworks to challenge thinking rather than replace it. Steer emphasizes treating AI as a strategic partner that asks probing questions instead of a tool that generates mindless outputs.
Play Podcast -
Part 6Which frontier model will win the AI-platform battle?
AI platform selection remains uncertain as frontier models rapidly evolve. Dave Steer, Chief Marketing Officer at Webflow, brings two decades of scaling experience at GitLab, Cloudflare, and other category-defining companies to discuss navigating the current AI landscape. He argues that context-aware platforms built on top of commodity frontier models will determine competitive advantage, with marketing workflow platforms like Webflow positioning to compete against developer-focused tools like GitHub and GitLab.
Play Podcast