weskao.com

I typically work with tech leaders on: managing up to a CEO/VP, strengthening your executive communication and presence, and delegating to a team of ICs while raising the bar. Clients are leaders at Amplitude, 1Password, Amazon/AWS, DoorDash, AngelList, Product Hunt, Google, etc. If you’re interested in how I can support you, learn more about my coaching approach:

-> weskao.com/coaching

Writing for 300,000+ tech operators across LinkedIn, Twitter, and Substack.

-> weskao.com/newsletter

Check out my 2-day intensive course: Executive Communication & Influence for Senior ICs and Managers. Alumni include 1,200+ students from companies like Uber, Amazon, Grammarly, Workday, Google, Pinterest, Meta, Expedia, Twilio, Spotify, Anthropic, GitHub, Zillow, PayPal, Atlassian, Netflix, Square, Figma, Stripe, and more.

-> weskao.com/course

Reach out at wes@weskao.com

Executive coach, advisor, instructor

Maven

Maven is a platform for live, cohort-based courses. Learn more at maven.com

Co-founder

Various courses

Built, launched, and grew courses that have reached 500k+ students. Clients included: Section (Professor Scott Galloway), Outlier (from cofounder of MasterClass), Build a Second Brain, Write of Passage, Poo~Pourri, Morning Brew, and more.

Cohort-based courses

altMBA

Created and built the altMBA with bestselling author Seth Godin. One of the first mainstream cohort-based courses. Grew from zero to thousands of students in 45 countries and 550+ cities at $3,000 price point (10x higher than avg online course at the time).

Flite

Head of Digital Marketing

Bare Escentuals

Global Brand Management Marketing

Gap Inc.

Business Analyst

L'Oréal

Brand Management Marketing

Wes Kao is an executive coach, advisor, and entrepreneur who writes at newsletter.weskao.com. She is co-founder of Maven, an edtech company that raised $25M from First Round and Andreessen Horowitz. Previously, she co-founded the altMBA with bestselling author Seth Godin.

Newsletter for 60,000+ high performers on Wednesdays at 8am ET
-> weskao.com/newsletter

Live, 2-day course on Executive Communication & Influence 
-> https://maven.com/wes-kao/executive-communication-influence

1:1 executive coaching for tech leaders 
-> https://www.weskao.com/coaching

Wes Kao

Excited to share my conversation with First Round Capital! I talk about some of my favorite communication frameworks, including a checklist of questions to ask yourself to maximize your chances of getting buy-in.

Would love to hear what you think. Link in the comments.

a16z-backed founder turned executive coach. Helping tech operators improve their executive communication, leadership, and influence

StoryAngled

We help B2B founders build brand stories that resonate — and turn them into content campaigns that drive results.

From positioning to execution, we develop strategic narratives and deliver creative campaigns your audience actually connects with.

Check the Featured section to book a free consultation.

AI Data Management

• Developing communication strategy for enterprise-level AI data management solutions.
• Creation, management, and optimization of the company's content
• Inbound lead generation

Marketing Strategist

HRnest

I was responsible for the strategy, execution, and optimization of HRnest's content across multiple channels:

• Blog
• Social media
• Video
• Email marketing

I built a comprehensive product education experience (HRnest Academy) to support free trial users during product adoption in their company.

I shifted HRnest's positioning and strategy to reach more customers from international markets. Guided the process of adjusting the app's language, voice, and messaging to fit the needs of international customers better.

I co-created multiple lead magnets and materials for the Sales and Customer Care department to support them during discovery calls.

Content Specialist

Acquiring Inbound Leads for B2B Founders with Personal Content Programs • Explaining Content, one Ugly Drawing at a time

Your B2B content marketing should do more than just fill a feed.

It should: 

• Attract the right people to your offer
• Position you as a trusted expert
• Convert attention into pipeline

At StoryAngled, we build custom content programs that deliver:

• Inbound lead generation strategy
• A full-stack content production team
• An always-growing database of proven content systems, frameworks, and resources

We work exclusively with B2B founders and growth-minded teams.

If that’s you, shoot me a DM — I’ll get back to you personally.

Kuba Czubajewski

6 things I’ll never tell a B2B founder to do on LinkedIn:

I help founders build their personal brands. But:

There are some “tactics” I’ll never recommend, no matter how much hype they get:

1. Post photos with their children

Your kids can’t give 100% consent to being online.

It’s weird.

It’s iffy.

You never know who’s looking at those photos, and LinkedIn isn’t the place.

2. Post contrarian takes just to farm engagement

Arguing for attention smells desperate.

People see right through it.

3. Use “proven” formats

If it’s “proven,” it’s probably tired.

Aim to post your original thoughts and processes. Originality gets remembered.

4. Chase every LinkedIn trend

If you’re always chasing, you’re never leading.

5. Share empty “hustle” stories

Nobody cares how early you get up.

They care about results.

6. Fake vulnerability for sympathy

Real leaders don’t perform.

They show up (wins, losses, all of it) no theatrics.

Any other things you see here that I should add to the list?

1 system to consistent inbound for complex B2B offers | 30+ founders using it | Sharing daily content advice for busy B2B leaders

This year forced me to flip StoryAngled upside down – sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity:

• You’ll see me a LOT more on YouTube soon. I’m tired of chasing LinkedIn’s shifting algo. Time to invest in content that lasts longer than a trending post.

• I’m experimenting with a lighter subscription model. For founders who want  guidance, not a “done-for-you” handoff.

• My business partner and I are parting ways. No drama – just two people choosing their own paths. StoryAngled’s now a solo act.

• And yes, I’m finally building out those client case studies I always said I would. 

(Spoiler: the results are better than I expected.)

I’ve lost sleep over some of these decisions, ngl.

Some days, it’s 90% doubt, 10% stubbornness.

I have no investors. No coach whispering in my ear. 

Just me, a laptop, and a profusely stubborn refusal to quit.

But in 10 years, I want to look back and feel f*cking proud of this chapter.

Not just for the wins, but for the grit it took to keep going.

If you’re also in the middle of a big pivot, or you’ve been there before, I’d love to hear your story.

If your buyer can't use, share or apply the CTA in your content in ~60 seconds, they'll ignore it. I run my CTAs through this filter:

1. Can they use it right now?

A cheat sheet, a checklist, a 2-slide summary – something they can put to work in their next meeting.

2. Can they share it easily?

If your CTA helps them look smart in front of their team, you win.

Think: a quick summary they can forward, a KPI sheet, or a list of questions for their next call.

3. Can they apply it in under a minute?

If it takes more than 60 seconds, it’s too much friction.

Your buyer just scrolls past.

It's about giving your buyer an option as frictionless as possible.

Not because their attention spans suck - but because they don't know you or trust you yet to invest any more time into what you have to offer.

Here's a list of 48 micro-CTA examples for different B2B niches:

Every post I publish here saves €19-49 for my business.

Last week, I checked how much it costs to "boost" my LinkedIn post.

Well, it's kind of a sh!tty offer, tbh.

I mean, 4,300 impressions for €49?!

That’s €0.01–€0.05 per impression.

And that’s just for people seeing it. Not clicking, not engaging, just scrolling by.

I get the same results (for free) for most of the stuff I post.

So here’s how I “save” ~€1200/month (and get way better results):

1. I post 2–5x a week on my company page and personal profile

2. Every post is built around a clear problem my B2B buyers actually care about

3. I use the Demand Packet method:

→ Real trigger
→ Tangible outcome
→ Tiny proof artifact (mini case, checklist, or 2-slide summary)

4. I add a Utility CTA – something genuinely useful, no friction, no forms

5. I repurpose each post for my videos or website.

As a solo operator, I can't afford to pay LinkedIn big bucks for them to show me.

So, irresistible content is my way to go.

If you want to see how I do it, DM me and I’ll send you my template.

I'm building a YT channel for founders tired of B2B content theory. Here's my roadmap:

1. Breakdowns of scrappy B2B teams doing amazing content

↪ GOAL: Catch attention, borrow audience

Every day, I find here another small yet brilliant team creating effective AND creative content here.

I analyze their strategies to get inspired and push my own ideas further.

Got a giant Notion doc with notes – and I want to share it with you.

My hypothesis: this format should bring the exposure both to the brands (they deserve it) and my channel. 

2. Content strategy deep dives

↪ GOAL: Target problem-aware audiences, offer practical solutions

A lot of B2B content strategy videos on YT focus on theory too much.

I want my videos to feel like you're having a 1:1 workshop with me.

You'll get examples, exercises, and supplementary resources you can use to nail each element of a good content strategy.

3. My own case studies

↪ GOAL: Target solution-aware audiences, show – don't tell

Every week, I gather all the wins and losses from my clients' work.

So why shouldn't I turn each one into a separate video, breaking down what worked (or didn't)? 

You'll get really specific breakdowns, from many niches you might call "difficult."

4. Personal content journey

↪ GOAL: Target most aware audiences, build relationship

I share my own journey here – the tests, the lessons, the mistakes.

Here, you'll see the most of my peppy energy.

This format lets me pre-qualify clients who are looking for a creative guy, not just someone who will check boxes for them.

We're in the middle of finalizing the first two videos.

If you're curious how this plan turns out, I put the link to my channel in the first comment.

Pumped to see you there.

How I build B2B inbound flywheels for my clients:

(that attract high-ticket 6-12 leads every month):

1. Demand Packet

Instead, package your expertise as a crisp, self-contained story:

• What real-world pain triggered the search?
• What job does your buyer actually need done?
• What measurable outcome matters?

If you've got proof, show it in 2 slides or a checklist.

You don’t need NDA-breaking data.

You need a story buyers can repeat to their boss.

Example:

“Last quarter, a mid-market ops team cut reporting time by 35% with a single Power BI layer. Here’s the 2-slide brief we gave them.”

That’s a Demand Packet.

2. Utility CTA

Don’t ask for a call.

Offer a micro-win – something useful the buyer can grab right now.

• 2-slide summary
• Risk checklist
• KPI sheet
• Project scoping questions

Zero friction.

Only real prospects bite.

You look helpful, not hungry.

3. Momentum Loop

This is where most founders fall off.

They create content, but never compound it.

How to fix it:

• Pull a Demand Packet from your weekly article
• Pair it with your Utility CTA
• Publish on LinkedIn, send in your newsletter, add to your site
• Engage replies, deliver the asset, gather feedback

Each cycle builds your “library of proof.”

Each asset makes the next easier.

And you don't have to start from scratch.

PS. Which element sounds the most difficult to you right now? Comment below and I'll suggest a fix.

Zero-click behaviour is the new normal for SEO.

Users get their answers inside an AI response box before they ever click through.

That's why we started tracking AI Visibility as a core metric. It shows whether we're present when AI composes its response, long before anyone clicks.

How I explain it to stakeholders:

→ Mindshare vs traffic – A 70% visibility score means we shape 7 of 10 answers in our space, whether users click or not.

→ Platform differences – ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity pull from different sources and favour different formats.

Our weekly process includes 3 steps:

1/ Measure → Monitor visibility and mention position by platform and category

2/ Diagnose → When a prompt underperforms, inspect which domains get cited and how competitors are framed

3/ Improve → Convert long content into extractable blocks, add precise definitions, refresh timestamps

We have been using Writesonic to answer four questions:

• Which prompts include us vs competitors?
• Where competitors get cited and we don't?
• Which pages does AI reference most?
• How often does each platform mention us?

If you know where you stand in AI answers, you can fix the content that's costing you positioning.

I find this shift more interesting than frustrating. 

Do you?

We're currently helping a client get out of the LinkedIn algo slump. Here's what we did to triple his impressions in 2 weeks:

1. Post 5x per week

Consistency matters. The algorithm rewards you for showing up.

2. Engage with top creators in your niche for 1 hour before posting

Leave thoughtful comments to get on their radar. People on LinkedIn are cool and they reciprocate fast.

3. Reply to EVERY comment under your posts

No lazy “thanks.” Real conversations boost your visibility.

4. Second engagement round – 30 more mins on your feed

2 hours after the post goes live, double down. Engage with new faces and support your circle.

5. Send 10 connection requests daily

Target active creators and true pros in your space.

The results are quite decent:

⬆️ +322% impressions

⬆️ +449% people reached

All in a complicated, B2B tech space.

PS. If you're looking for LinkedIn help, click "Book an appointment" below my profile name.

One of my clients recently returned to work with us on his YT. What he said on our first call:

"You're not just creating great stuff, but you're also a great communicator"

That hit me in the feeelzzz...

Look, just like any other content agency, I'm obsessed over deliverables.

I want the work to be top-notch + delivered on time – that's table stakes.

But from Day 1 of StoryAngled, I was also obsessed with giving my clients clarity.

• Translating your expertise into plain English (not jargon soup)

• Asking sharp questions until your real differentiator shows up

• Never “ghosting” – always keeping you in the loop

• Challenging your assumptions when something won’t work

My clients are mostly tired of yet another vendor pushing PDFs over the fence.

They want a partner who listens, gets their world, and closes the loop every step of the way.

Want to see what “content + clarity” feels like?

DM me and I’ll show you how we work – no pitch, just a peek behind the scenes.

PSA: LinkedIn doesn’t need another “innovative” framework that nobody actually uses.

Recently, I noticed a weird trend among content creators.

While they're writing their posts with AI (nothing wrong with that), they let the bot slap a fancy name on a problem they barely understand (everything wrong with that).

Example:

"Data Frankenstein Effect"
"Pipeline Paradox"
"Conversion Chasm"

Sounds cool, right?

But none of these terms actually mean anything in the real world. 

They’re just empty calories for your feed.

And what happens when somebody asks:

“Hey, I’ve never heard of the Pipeline Paradox. How does it show up in your work?”

Now you’re on the spot. 

You either scramble to make something up, or you ghost the thread. 

Both make you look clueless.

Why does this keep happening?

Because AI’s great at stringing together buzzwords. 

It’s easy to let it do the heavy lifting. 

But when you publish jargon you don’t use in real life, you’re burning trust.

I talked about it more in Audrey Chia's podcast that went live this week – and offered a few solutions to this problem (I'm not just bitchin')

You can listen to the whole thing here: https://lnkd.in/dKM4-UUQ

Building Brands That Convert | Copywriting + AI + Content Strategy | Founder of Close with Copy | Your Growth Partner 💛

My friend Lee Densmer recently published her book about B2B Content – and I'm OBSESSED!!

Lee is one of my favorite creators out here. Her expertise shines through every post. 

And not because she's using fancy words or flexes bloated numbers. 

But because she brings simplicity and logic to the world so overcomplicated by many "experts."

If you're looking for a guide to build your B2B content program, this book is exactly what you need.

I also had the honor to provide 2 quotes for the book – one about AI + Human content systems and the other about gated content.

Got a lil' emotional seeing my name in a REAL FREAKING BOOK.

Thank you, Lee, for being so awesome!

3 micro-triggers that make B2B buyers actually reply to your content (tested on 2000+ posts this year):

1/ Use their own complaints - word for word

Don’t guess. Steal the exact line your buyers grumble about to their team.

Example: “We’re drowning in broken dashboards every Monday morning.”

Our client posted this and got 5 DMs from ops leaders - 2 booked calls.

2/ Show proof, don’t just promise

Nobody cares about “great results.” They want to see it.

Drop a real before/after screenshot or a no-BS checklist.

We posted a 2-slide “bottleneck fix” for a client - one prospect sent it straight to his COO.

3/ Tell people who should scroll away

Stop trying to please everyone. Say who your solution isn’t for.

Example: “If you don’t have reporting chaos, keep scrolling.”

Every time, the right people lean in and reply – the rest self-select out.

Want to know which trigger fits your market right now?

DM me or drop a comment, I’ll give you my honest answer.

taplio

The Battle

Wes Kao

Kuba Czubajewski

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreWes Kao's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreKuba Czubajewski's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Wes Kao

Kuba Czubajewski

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);}Wes Kao's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreKuba Czubajewski's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreWes Kao's LinkedIn Performance