Matt Lerner

Startup growth strategist, Ex PayPal, 500 Startups VC, Founder @ SYSTM

I founded SYSTM to help startups find their big growth levers - the small actions that can have the biggest impact on their growth. We’ve worked with over 200 companies and earned a 96% founder “likely to recommend” score.

Before founding SYSTM, I was the London-based Partner of 500 Startups, an early-stage VC fund, where I built and ran an accelerator seed-stage growth program for our portfolio companies.

Prior to joining 500 Startups, I worked for many years building and managing growth teams for three  startups (two disasters, one exit), and later at PayPal. 

I approach my work first as a general manager and then as a marketer, product manager or both, as needed. My lens is quantitative, but rooted in deep customer insights and testing, and based on fast iteration. I’m always learning, and I really enjoy teaching and helping those around me to learn and improve. Skip to the references below, you'll see that I'm regarded as a thought leader in many areas of business, and an inspiring people manager who reliably delivers ahead of expectations.

Founder & CEO

At SYSTM (formerly Startup Core Strengths), our mission is to help early-stage startups find their big growth levers (and pull them). We've noticed that great startups don't waste time on small stuff, so we  focus everyone on the most impactful work.

Magnus Carlsen has a coach.

So does Serena Williams.

And Lewis Hamilton.

Taylor Swift, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods – all had coaches.

Asking for coaching doesn’t signal weakness.

It signals a hunger.

Founder @ SYSTM, Ex PayPal, 500 Startups VC

What your founder secretly wants from you.
I climbed from doing marketing scut work to running an $800 million business when I figured out one thing…

Founders desperately want to promote you.

They'd love nothing more than for you to run part of their business, if they believed you could do it well.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰

Early in my career, I started working for a guy we’ll call Alex. He was 28 years old, and running the largest division of a publicly traded tech company. (I was 27) 

I kept asking myself, "Why is he the VP, and I'm just a marketer?" I studied his every move.

In C-level meetings, he spoke like he owned the business. He talked about the work I was doing, but took it 10% further – connecting it to shareholder outcomes – revenue and growth.

Nothing esoteric. He just drew a line from my work to revenue, growth and profit.

So I did some digging to find out where this wunderkind got his MBA.

Turns out he didn't have one. Just a Bachelor of Arts. In theater. 

That's when it clicked: Alex wasn't running a business because of some credential, he was running a business because he played the part – he thought and spoke like a business owner.

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲
All I did was shift to an owner’s perspective. For example:

• Instead of "We increased engagement by 20%," I'd say: "We're retaining 20% more customers in month 2 – if it holds, that's $2M ARR over 24 months."

• Instead of test results, I'd share insights: "We learned that customers aren't price sensitive if they understand our value."

• Instead of optimizing channels, I'd think in systems: "Meta users have better retention than affiliates, so we’ll shift affiliate spend to Meta."

That’s all.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁
It worked. Within six months, I was getting invited to strategy meetings. Finance people started asking for my input, and defending my work when I wasn't in the room. 

Promotions came. Eventually I worked my way up to that GM role – running a nine-figure business at PayPal.

𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢
Imagine your CEO's point of view – Busy and overwhelmed. They don't want to micromanage you! They’d love to hand you more responsibility. They pay recruiters massive fees to find people who think like owners.

You could be that person.

Just do that last 10%: Think like an owner. Talk like an owner. Become an owner.

Helpful? Re-post to pay it forward to your network.

This is weird... 

Products make up only 16% of GDP, but 47% of stock market earnings.

And services are 72% of GDP but only 53% of stock market earnings.

Why is that?

I have a theory... 

Product companies only work at scale – logistics, sourcing, volume discounts, mass production, distribution deals, expensive to develop new products.

They're just not viable below a certain size. That's why most D2C startups end up getting acquired by big companies. When they do IPO, it usually fails (e.g. GoPro, FitBit, Peloton, Sonos)

But services businesses can be viable, even profitable, at micro-scale: Law firms, ad agencies, nail salons, medical practices, consultants and accountants – don't need money from public markets.

But services don't IPO, because they can't scale revenue independent of headcount. A law firm rents out lawyers, a radiology practice rents out radiologists.

Until now.

AI breaks the fixed relationship between revenue and headcount in services businesses – profits can scale far ahead of salaries and other fixed costs.

That's why VC and Private equity are snapping up small local medical practices. And boutique law firms, agencies, tax preparers... will all get rolled up, or rolled over, soon.

There's a lot at stake – 72% of GDP!

Are you working in a services firm? Because AI adoption is a matter of life and death.

They didn't forget; they objected.

Instead of "activation" or "abandonment" emails, try this...

People don't abandon checkouts and free trials because they 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵, they abandon because they 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵. 

Instead of sending “reminders,” figure out 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 and address the 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 – Not just in your emails, but at the root cause, before they abandon.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
If you ask ChatGPT, it'll tell you to offer free shipping and enable guest checkout – but you know it’s not that simple. Fixing “process friction” will only get you so far – most abandonment is caused by 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, like an unanswered question or a nagging doubt.

𝟲 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺)

1. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Is it compatible with…? Does it do X thing? 
   𝗙𝗶𝘅: Live chat & detailed Q&A
   
2. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 [𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹]?  
   𝗙𝗶𝘅: Show the main use cases, testimonials with specific results
   
3. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁? Or forget it but keep getting billed? 
   𝗙𝗶𝘅: Generous cancellation / return policies
   
4. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – What will my boss / team / spouse think?  
   𝗙𝗶𝘅: Give them a story to justify the purchase to themselves (e.g. “it's cheaper in the long-run” or “you only live once.”)
   
5. 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲? (e.g. Coders, non-native speakers, gen Z women?)
   𝗙𝗶𝘅: Say & show who it’s for
   
6. 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 – They are switching from their last product for a reason, so they need to believe your product won't have that flaw.
   𝗙𝗶𝘅: Position against your competitor’s flaw (e.g. “99.999% availability,” or “24/7 live support.”)

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Don't speculate. Ask your 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴: 
1. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 – “What are the main objections you hear from prospects?”
2. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 – “What made you almost not buy?”

Prospects who abandoned probably had 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 as the ones who bought.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲
Many people will say they’ve “been too busy.” That’s bullsh*t. Reality: either they don’t understand how it helps, your product or site confused them, or they don’t actually need it.

Helpful? Re-post to help others in your network.

The podcast agency I’ve built has:
→ Produced almost 10,000 episodes
→ Across 140+ brand podcasts
→ With 15 million downloads combined

It started as just me in 2016 and now is a global team of 35, incredibly talented podcasters.

We create the best brand podcasts in the business.

But it wasn’t always like this.

On LinkedIn, I'm sharing the hard-won lessons from developing, producing, and growing all these amazing shows that got us here.

Follow along if you want to create a bigger and better podcast for your brand.

********************

"MoneyWise started as an idea that really intimidated me. It's a ton of work, and Lower Street have made it very easy for me to make a very popular show."

Sam Parr, Host of MoneyWise and Co-Founder of Hampton

********************

"Harry and the team are professional, knowledgeable and friendly. But perhaps more importantly, the output they produce is exceptional.”

Michael Bird, Head of Audio at HPE

Harry Morton

What a load of old bollocks this is in The Times.

Mistaking video-led discovery for the death of audio is dangerous.

James is right, podcasting is shifting and the big shows are largely going video. As are brands.

And it makes sense, video (in YouTube + social) gets you

- Distribution and discovery
- A multi-channel platform
- Community engagement
- Quicker algorithmic feedback on content - what works and what doesn't

But to suggest audio is obsolete and dying is ridiculous.

Yes - as James talks about in the article - when TV came along, the status of radio stars dropped significantly and the big talent shifted to the visual.

But today 86% of the UK adult population listens to the radio every week.

Its role has changed, but it hasn't gone anywhere.

We can talk all day about intimacy, the fact that you can consume audio when your eyes and hands are busy, the role it plays in companionship and community.

The economic challenges of producing narrative audio are real and yet it survives because of these things.

At the end of last year, CUMULUS MEDIA and Signal Hill Insights shared with us that 92% of podcast consumers listen. Only 8% *only* watch podcasts.

Of those 92% who listen, do they *only* listen? No, many of them watch as well, but to say that audio is "dying" is complete rubbish.

Growth and consumption are two totally different jobs and audio is doing the consumption bit just fine.

Video is a distribution multiplier not a replacement for audio.

Debate over the definition and future of podcasting is really only something we on the inside care about. The consumer just wants good shows to listen to and watch, they don't care what it's labelled.

Perception is important. When “podcast” becomes shorthand for video chat shows, it creates a discovery and buying problem for audio-first formats. If people think podcasts require sitting and watching, many of the best use cases for audio never even get considered.

So while discussions like this are fairly navel gazey, I think they're potentially quite harmful in influencing creator decisions, investment strategies, what gets commissioned.

If we all believe and reinforce the idea that video is the only way forward, and we over-invest in the formats and content that perform in that medium, we'll neglect the things that make audio so special and that there is still so much demand for.

The future is "yes and..." Video helps with reach and content validation. Audio is for depth and habit.

I see this first hand with Moneywise, a podcast I co-present and talk about a lot. The reach and engagement in the comments comes in video.

But the die hards, the people who show up every week and consume the entire episode and who - most importantly - convert the best for Hampton, the brand behind it. Those people are the listeners.

It's attention vs retention.

Video will change how podcasts are discovered.

Audio is about how they fit into our lives.

The Podcast Strategist, sharing everything I know and learn about brand content | CEO, Lower Street, podcasts for brands | Clients Pepsico, Fidelity, Booking.com & more.

Building a new podcast and video studio in this space. I’ll be sharing the whole process here.

This is the “before” shot.

As I go, I’ll document things like:

- How content strategy informs design
- Set design and creative decisions
- Sound treatment and lighting
- Tech considerations
- All the gear
- How tos

And then you’ll see the “after” shot.

If that sounds interesting give me a follow.

If you have questions or things you want me to cover as I document this, let me know.

Also I’m keen for input - let me know what you think I should do with the space.

Humans hire other humans.

So your LinkedIn profile should read like one...

Stop writing about yourself in the third person, or using corporate language to describe your experience selling "innovative solutions".

If I'm bored reading your profile, chances are I'm not looking forward to speaking to you for an interview.

I totally get the instinct to be conservative, not offend, play it safe. But the problem is, if you do that, you sound like literally everyone else on the planet.

Totally indistinguishable.

On the other hand, if I read your profile and get a sense of who you actually are as a person, how you communicate, what you care about and believe in, how you approach your work - I get so excited when I find those.

Your past job titles and descriptions, the posts you publish and share, definitely your "about" section. These are all opportunities to reach out of the screen and make a connection with the human reading about you on the other end.

Hey, I'm just one hiring manager. I guess if you want a role as a senior accountant at a big 4 firm, maybe this advice doesn't track. But even accountants are humans, right?! :)

This ad cost us £5k to make. We shipped it in 3 weeks.

Here's what that looked like.

This was a bonkers project and not like any client work we've done.

I'll break down what it cost, how and why we did it...

We were planning the promotion of our new video podcasting services for brands and 3 weeks out, we didn't feel like we had enough to do the announcement justice.

So the team pitched a concept for a video ad to show - as well as tell - what we're all about.

We didn't have time and we didn't have budget. Constraints breed creativity and this ended up being the most fun project (if also one of the more stressful) of 2025.

The concept came about quickly - I part own a small herd of cows. This felt different and interesting enough to stand out and also kept our costs down.

Cows can be divas but their fees aren't too high. Fields are a bit more logistically challenging than a studio, but they're much cheaper!

At Lower Street we're expert writers, producers, editors, storytellers, so much of this we could do in house.

We had to outsource:

- A camera crew (including sound)
- Makeup 💅 
- My friend Marguerite as resident cow wrangler
- Food for humans and cows on set
- Some transport

Everything else we handled ourselves. It was a mammoth effort.

Week 1: we came up with the concept, wrote it, edited the script, and booked in all the freelancers. We prayed for sun (not a guarantee in England).

Week 2: I learned my lines (ish). We shot it.

Week 3: we edited it, graded the video, planned the release copy, and shipped it.

Week 4: the video launched here, on industry press, and on YouTube.

We paid for some targeted views on YouTube to help us reach who we needed to.

The reception to the ad was great, we had some inbound off the back of it, and it sparked many ideas of content we should produce going forward. Overall a big win.

Moving this fast isn't possible for all teams - particularly in bigger companies. But this does show how committing to an idea and working within tight constraints can create really great outcomes, and original content.

I'd love to hear your stories of shoestring productions and what you have planned for this year?

Looking for the right person to lead the commercial side of the business.

We're growing and need someone to own revenue, how we show up in the market, and play key role in shaping our strategy going forward.

If that's you, or someone you know, take a look at the info below and submit an application. We'd love to hear from you.

Growth hack your way to a big podcast in 2026...

Grey hat guide to growing a hit show:

1. Create AI slop content farms

Create burner youtube accounts and fill them with hundreds or thousands of AI generated clips from your episodes to mass A/B test content, titles, and descriptions.

the winners tell you how to position and package your episodes, what content to make.

2. Fake it 'til you make it

buy followers and youtube subscribers. pay to boost episode views on youtube. Create fake accounts to comment early on your episodes.

Use this social "proof" to book big name guests.

use the proof and the guests to pitch sponsor deals. use that cash to repeat the above.

3. Mine TikTok for controversy

controversy = comments = reach

look for anything loosely related to your niche that gets people going on social media. misinformation, fear mongering, whatever.

we just want engagement.

4. spam

Use tools like Apollo to build lists of your target audience and then auto-enroll them to your podcast newsletter.

you have a huge newsletter overnight - add it to your sponsorship pitch deck.

5. buy youtube ads against your competitors

get banners and pre-roll clips of your content on the shows who's audience you want to steal.

make the packaging similar to improve ctr.



What am I missing? would you (do you) use these tactics for your show?

Trade shows are one of the best places to grow a B2B podcast.

Here's a great example from Raptive.

B2B podcasts can be challenging to promote. It's not just quantity of listeners you're typically trying to reach but also quality.

Spray and pray doesn't work, you have to be focused.

Trade shows and conferences are the perfect place to activate your podcast.

You have a high density of industry-specific people (your target audience), who are explicitly in the room to network and learn.

That's exactly where podcasts fit.

Use your booth to promote your show. That could mean flyers, QR codes, or giveaways.

Or, like Raptive did, put your show front and center. They had screens and headphones so folks could sample the show right then and there - no friction.

It gives visitors a reason to hang out at your booth, it immediately stands out from all the other companies sitting behind desks or trying to give you a free mint and a stress ball.

It's the perfect representation of your company's brand, its voice, its values, and its expertise.

And the perfect opportunity to capture the exact listeners - and maybe even guests - you want for your podcast.

Some nice podcast PR wins for two of our clients.

The trick to coverage like this isn’t just a great promo team (though that helps 😉).

It's earned by having something genuinely worth talking about.

That might be recognisable talent having more honest, human conversations than you'd expect, like Changing Rooms from Elect.

It might be taking a familiar topic and approaching it differently, like 1440 Explores, unpacking how large language models actually work in new ways.

If you want your show to stand out and earn attention, it has to have something noteworthy about it - something worth talking about.

If you nail that in the development of your show, it makes the growth and promotion stages of the project so so much easier and more effective.

My son (6) wrote his first song the other day.

The lyrics go

All day, I lik to play
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah.
All I lik to do is play play!


Here's what it taught me about creativity...

I dunno, something about authenticity, whatever, I just thought it was sweet.

AI redesigned my office as a podcast studio.

Here’s what it gave me.

More incredible podcast conference activation. So good!

We’re officially counting down to IPPE 2026 in Atlanta 🥚🎙️Last year at PEAK, which was our first in-person event, we had an absolute blast connecting with so many industry professionals. There was great conversations, great energy, and a lot of ideas that stuck with us long after the show floor cleared.

This year? Let’s just say… we’ve been planning. 👀 Eggheads is excited to engage with producers, processors, suppliers, and industry leaders again by sharing ideas, learning what’s top of mind, and continuing the conversations that move this industry forward.

If you’re attending IPPE:
• Drop a comment with the day(s) you’ll be there
• Tell us what you’re most excited to see or talk about
And if you still need to register, use code EX76112 for a discount.
Atlanta, we’ll see you soon. 🥚✨

#IPPE2026 #EggIndustry #PoultryIndustry #EggheadsPodcast #AgIndustry #AgNetworking #FoodProduction

taplio

The Battle

Matt Lerner

Harry Morton

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Performance ScoreMatt Lerner's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreHarry Morton's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Matt Lerner

Harry Morton

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Matt Lerner's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreHarry Morton's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreMatt Lerner's LinkedIn Performance