Data-Mania, LLC

I’m a Fractional CMO and growth advisor to high-growth tech startups. Within this role, I deliver actionable advice and custom-tailored strategies that drive growth in revenue, conversions, leads, and brand awareness. My primary responsibility is the development and management of overall marketing strategy, team / agency, budgets, and performance. To learn more about me and my services, you can visit my website here: https://www.data-mania.com/

Some of my earlier career achievements include:
✅ 20 years of strategic consulting experience with technology and engineering companies as large as the US Navy, National Geographic & Saudi Aramco
✅ Delivered B2B / B2B2C / D2C products & go-to-market (GTM) strategies for 10% of Fortune 100 companies - incl. Walmart, Microsoft, Huawei, Dell, Amazon, Intel, HSBC, Siemens, Wells Fargo, AT&T, Citi Group, Alibaba, SAP & Accenture
✅ Delivered machine learning (ML), AI, data & strategy products that have generated $6M, while also educating over ~2 million users on how to build ML models & train AI algorithms using Python
✅ Licensed Professional Engineer, certified product manager & Microsoft Regional Director award recipient (2019 - 2021)
✅ Featured in Forbes, Fortune, National Geographic, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor & The Guardian among dozens of other publications

Fractional CMO & Growth Advisor

• Led cross-functional teams (>20 managers + contributors across marketing, data, tech & ops) to build, deliver & maintain data products, business products, research products & ML products that have generated $6M for my clients
• Wrote & prioritized product requirements, proposing new product features, managing product roadmaps & 10+ data science contributors / managers to develop ML products that support B2B2C clients in training ~2 million learners
• Utilized omni-channel analytics, KPI analysis, customer journey mapping & A/B testing to build GTM strategies for revenue & marketing optimizations that led 5 content creators / managers to grow our thought leadership communities to 700k members
• Utilized Google Analytics (GA4), user behavior analytics & market research to develop SEO-driven marketing strategies that were implemented by dozens of contributors to grow our organic website traffic to 760k+ users
• Published surveys, conducting voice-of-customer interviews, assessing product metrics & writing user stories to guide product strategies towards increasing relevance, usability & adoption, leading products to earn an avg. customer rating of 4.5 out of 5
• Defined GTM strategies for both live & simulated D2C product launches that were supported by a small part-time launch team to generate an avg. revenue of $70k/year without ads
• Took a D2C data strategy product suite from concept to execution, wrote product requirements & user stories, then led a team of 3 business analysts to build the data & research products. Built the sales funnel, incl. upsells & cross-sells to increase CLV
• Managed a D2C business product through its entire product life cycle to support brand-new bootstrapped tech founders with business & GTM strategies that earned them over $3.2M collectively
• Gathered user feedback, writing user stories, building product roadmaps, writing development / UX design specifications & reference architectures for both in-house & customer-facing products

Founder & Head of Product Growth

LinkedIn

AI Marketing Trainer

I am a LinkedIn Learning Instructor of AI and data science since early 2016.

My courses on LinkedIn have had a cumulative learner count of ~2 million students since they were first released.

My courses include:
🆕 Build with AI: Vibe Coding a YouTube-to-Blog Pipeline Automation Tool with Windsurf
🆕  AI Data Strategy: Data Procurement and Storage
🆕 Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Essential Training Part 1
🆕 Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Essential Training Part 2
🆕 Building a Recommendation System with Python Machine Learning and AI
1️⃣ Python for Data Science Essential Training - Part 1 (version 1, 2)
2️⃣ Python for Data Science Essential Training - Part 2 (version 1, 2)
3️⃣ Building A Recommendation System with Python Machine Learning & AI
4️⃣ Insights on Data Science: Lillian Pierson
5️⃣ Python für die Datenanalyse 1: Grundlagen
6️⃣ Python für die Datenanalyse 2: Machine Learning
7️⃣ Python para Ciência de Dados: Formação Básica
8️⃣ Python for Data Science Essential Training 概览

Instructor (AI Strategy, Data Science, Machine Learning)

Wiley

𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦-𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬.

In The Data & AI Imperative: Designing Strategies for Exponential Growth, celebrated data-driven growth leader, Lillian Pierson, delivers a masterclass in developing custom strategies to harness the full potential of data and AI within your organization. This book offers a clear, actionable roadmap for leveraging your company's data and technology assets to drive significant, reliable growth.

With over two decades of experience, Pierson unveils her proprietary STAR framework through which you'll learn to survey, take stock of, and assess your company's current state. Finally, you'll be guided on how to recommend strategies that drive growth via the execution of optimally positioned data- and AI- intensive projects or products that directly improve your business bottom line. From conception to execution, learn to:

• 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 for data or AI interventions within your business.
• 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 and data literacy to ensure successful outcomes.
• 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥, 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬, from strategic plans to profitable realities.
• 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 that exceed your business goals.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚- 𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐈-𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬, The Data & AI Imperative is also invaluable to data and technical professionals who aspire to elevate their impact by turning technical expertise into strategic leadership success.

Author of The Data & AI Imperative: Designing Strategies for Exponential Growth

I have been a data science and statistics author for Wiley since the title "Data Scientist" was first defined by Drew Conway back in 2012.

Data science works I have produced for Wiley include:
🆕 Data & AI Strategies for Exponential Growth (coming in 2024)
🆕 Data Science Essentials For Dummies For Dummies
1️⃣ Data Science For Dummies, version 3
2️⃣ Data Science For Dummies, version 2
3️⃣ Data Science For Dummies, version 1
4️⃣ Back to Basics: Data Analysis (Barnes & Noble Special Edition)
5️⃣ Managing Big Data Workflows for Dummies (BMC Software Special Edition)
6️⃣ Data Science Para Leigos: Tradução da 2ª Edição
7️⃣ Data Science für Dummies
8️⃣ Data Science Para Leigos
9️⃣ Big Data / Hadoop for Dummies (Dell Canada Special Edition)

Author (Data Science, Machine Learning & AI)

O'Reilly

Data & AI Strategy Instructor

Women in AI

Developing growth and marketing strategies to support Women in AI UK.

Marketing Strategist

SingleStore

Marketing Consultant

Marketing Assessment & Strategy Development (including GTM & PLG recommendations)

Marketing Strategy Consultant

Pecan AI

Go-To-Market Advisor

SheetRocks, Inc.

SheetRocks needed help in quickly securing paying users for their spreadsheet SaaS product. Within 2 months, we had brought their product to market and secured their first paying users. Within 7 months we had over 1,000 free users for their beta SaaS. Ultimately, the company decided to switch their business model from SaaS to productized services instead.

✓ Designed & implemented an "Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue & Referral" funnel that included built-in product activation & customer feedback loops. Achieved ~200x user growth for the SaaS in 1 month
✓ Designed & implemented a robust, community-focused GTM strategy & email marketing strategy that tripled email list size in 4 months (with a 37% open rate & 2% click rate)
✓ Led a product marketing team on an acquisition-focused website development project. Built a 55-page website (incl. conversion-optimized sales pages, a quiz funnel, surveys & a SEO-optimized blog) & then drove an 85x increase in visitors in 7 months
✓ Defined & delivered the company’s Minimum Marketable Product launch strategy to drive the company past its “first dollar” revenue milestone within 2 months
✓ Launched the company’s first Minimum Viable Product, which resulted in 1,100 new users in the first month
✓ Conducted quantitative market research, hypothesis testing, A/B testing & experimental optimizations to define value propositions, test messaging, identify ideal ads segments & validate our ideal customer profile

Chief Marketing Officer

Undertone

Go-To-Market Consultant

I help tech startup founders & leaders make more money with my powerful growth, marketing & product strategies ▪ Former Data Consultant to 10% of Fortune 100 ▪ Online Educator to >1.7 MM+ Learners 🎉)

Nearly 20 years ago, I was an engineer buried deep in technical systems and data models.

I saw brilliant startups with game-changing ideas… break down.

Not because the product wasn't great, but because their growth strategy was a guessing game.

That's when I realized: the difference between a startup that survives and one that scales isn't just a better product → It's a predictable, repeatable growth system.

Since then, I've…
● Helped 10% of the Fortune 100 innovate with data and AI
● Trained 2M+ professionals in AI-driven marketing and growth
● Guided startups from zero to scalable revenue, tripling inbound leads, driving 200x user growth in 1 month, and even driving 10,000+ MQLs organically for one VC-backed venture

Along the way, I developed the Marketing Maturity Model → A 3-level framework that takes startups from validation to predictable scale:
1️⃣ Market Validation & Early Sales – Prove demand through real sales before investing in scalable marketing
2️⃣ Brand & Audience Growth – Build structured brand identity and inbound lead generation systems
3️⃣ Scalable Growth & Monetization – Deploy advanced nurturing, optimization, and revenue acceleration

Today, as a Fractional CMO and Growth Partner for pre-revenue to $6M ARR tech startups.

I embed into your team, move fast, and replace costly trial-and-error with data-driven strategies and AI agent-enabled execution that compounds over time.

Because when your growth is systematic, you gain more than revenue → you regain control of your time, your focus, and your runway.

📍 If you're ready to scale without all the chaos:
→ Email me at lillian@data-mania.com or visit my website: https://www.data-mania.com/
→ Follow me on LinkedIn for free, practical, revenue-focused growth strategies
→ Subscribe to my weekly newsletters, from the featured section, for proven playbooks, AI-driven growth frameworks, and AI marketing strategies that are trusted by founders worldwide

Oct 6, OpenAI dropped AgentKit.

I was in Thailand. The LinkedIn Learning team was in California.

We worked through the night (12 time zones apart) to build and ship a certification course on how to build with AgentKit.


Here's why I think this matters:

AgentKit is a drag-and-drop interface and no-code framework for creating AI agents that can reason, act, and collaborate across tools. It lets you prototype multi-step AI workflows without custom backend code.

What I've seen work in practice: One founder was spending $5K+ monthly on freelancers for content. Stuck in endless editing loops.

We built a Claude MCP agent to run the workflow end-to-end. It pulled brand tone and ICP language from Airtable, generated LinkedIn posts, emails, and video scripts. n8n handled the routing.


Two weeks later:

• 8x faster content cycles

• $5,160/month saved

• Founder time: under 60 min/week

• 43% engagement boost

• 3.5x more qualified leads

That's what happens when you understand agent architecture. You multiply output without adding headcount.

The 30-minute AgentKit certification just went live. It covers workflow mapping, multi-step reasoning, and tool integration with Gamma via Zapier MCP.

We worked through the night to get it to you today.

Be an early-adopter by taking the training today: https://lnkd.in/gC_TFnRa


What's your biggest question about building with agent frameworks?

Lillian Pierson, P.E.

Fractional CMO & Growth Partner for Tech Startups ✱ AI Marketing Instructor @ LinkedIn Learning ✱ Trained 2M+ Worldwide ✱ Trusted by 10% of Fortune 100 ✱ Author & AI Agent Builder

AI isn't just for tech teams anymore. It's also reshaping how marketers think, plan, and create.

But there's one problem.

Most of the AI content out there feels like it was written for engineers, not marketers.

That’s why I like this roundup.

It features 9 AI educators who actually teach marketers how to use AI.

Not to sound dramatic, but this list could save you months of trial and error.

A few standouts:
– Paul Roetzer breaks AI down so clearly, even your least technical team member could lead an AI project.
 – Crystal King shows how to run better campaigns using AI, even if you’ve never opened a line of code.
 – Lillian Pierson teaches startup marketers how to build growth systems with AI, without overcomplicating it.

And that’s just 3 of the 9.

If you want to know who’s worth learning from in 2026, this is the list.

Read the full guide in this week's newsletter installment.

P.S. If you’ve already learned from any of these folks, tag them. They deserve the love.

View newsletter: AI Marketing Systems Architect

☝️ To get the latest growth playbooks that are working in today's market and to learn from those among the world's top AI marketing educators, be sure

Open article: Top 9 AI Marketing Educators to Learn From in 2026 by Lillian Pierson, P.E. • 17 min read

Top 9 AI Marketing Educators to Learn From in 2026

Something broke the internet last month.
But nobody noticed.

... Not in the headlines.
... Not in the SEO reports.
... Not even in the growth dashboards.

It happened inside ChatGPT.

And if you’re a founder, you really want to know what it means.

I’ve been testing something quietly.
... It’s weird.
... It’s working.

And if you want your name to show up when buyers and investors start prompting?
Read today's newsletter and take action right away (you'll thank me later)
👀

(Spoiler alert: something incredible is coming soon, but only behind-the-scenes. Sign-up here to get in on the action before it's too late) If you’re 

Open article: When a 5-figure client found me via ChatGPT, I panicked 😱 by Lillian Pierson, P.E. • 2 min read

When a 5-figure client found me via ChatGPT, I panicked 😱

I've run my company from ALL over the world, but mostly from Thailand for 10+ years. 

We've served more companies than I can’t even keep the count now TBH - from Fortune 100 companies to early-stage startups. 

And I did it using a simple 3-part approach that any founder can replicate.

Here's my approach for building a location-independent business model:

Part 1: Asynchronous-First Operations

→ Design your business to run without real-time dependency.

↳ Move meetings to Loom videos and async updates
↳ Document everything in shared systems (Notion, Airtable)
↳ Replace "quick calls" with written briefs and recorded Loom walkthroughs
↳ Time zones become irrelevant when work happens in sequence, not simultaneously

Part 2: Deliverable-Based Pricing (Not Hours) - if you're selling consulting

→ Stop selling your time. Start selling outcomes.

↳ Package your expertise into fixed-scope deliverables
↳ Price based on value created, not hours logged
↳ Build repeatable playbooks clients can buy without negotiation
↳ Your location doesn't matter when clients pay for results, not presence

Part 3: Systems That Scale Without You

→ Build a business that runs when you're offline.

↳ Create templated processes for recurring work
↳ When needed, use automation for client onboarding, reporting, and follow-ups
↳ Develop frameworks clients can execute with minimal handholding
↳ Hire contractors in multiple time zones so work continues 24/7

The Result?

I work 4-6 hours most days. I take calls between 9-11 PM Thailand time (which aligns with US mornings and European afternoons). My business generates predictable revenue without requiring me to be "always on."

Here's your action step:

Pick ONE area of your business this week and convert it to async-first. 

↳ Record a Loom instead of scheduling a meeting. 
↳ Write a brief instead of having a call. 
↳ Document a process instead of explaining it verbally.

Location independence starts with one small systems shift at a time.

♻️ Repost this to help founders build location-independent businesses.

🔔 Follow me, Lillian Pierson, for more business strategies like this.

P.S. How many hours do you actually work each week?

3 part system to make your business location independent

Free course alert: Building with AgentKit!

I worked intensively with LinkedIn to prepare for you this brand new course on OpenAI AgentKit. It's a training on how to build an end-to-end copilot using AgentKit, Zapier MCP & Gamma!

We're making it free for a limited time through the link below. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Strategy to Action: Build an AI Execution Copilot with OpenAI AgentKit

These 3 stages decide how far you grow on LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, most people never make it past Stage 2.

The 3 Stages of LinkedIn Growth:

1️⃣ Visibility 
2️⃣ Credibility
3️⃣ Convertibility

Let me explain why Stage 2 is the biggest growth blocker for startup founders.

Stage 1: Visibility

This is the easy part.

Show up consistently. Post 3-5x per aweek. 
Use engaging hooks. Optimize your profile.
Comment on other people's content.

Goal: Get people to notice you exist.

With support, most founders can handle this. It's tactical. It's repeatable.

But here's where it gets tricky.

Stage 2: Credibility

This is where 90% of founders get stuck.
Visibility gets you attention.
Credibility gets you trust.

And without trust, nobody's buying from you, partnering with you, or investing in your company.

What credibility looks like:

→ Sharing frameworks and methodologies (not just opinions)
→ Posting case studies and real results
→ Teaching what you've learned through experience
→ Being consistent with your positioning and expertise

Here's why many founders struggle:

They have the authority, but no system for communicating it effectively.

They're posting whatever comes to mind instead of strategically showcasing their expertise.

They're talking about what they're learning instead of what they've mastered.

The reality:

Your audience doesn't just want to see you show up.
They want to see that you know what you're doing.

Stage 3: Convertibility

This is where LinkedIn becomes a revenue engine.

You've built visibility. You've earned credibility.

Now it's time to turn followers into clients, partners, or investors.

What this looks like:

→ Clear calls-to-action in your posts and profile
→ Lead magnets that capture interested buyers
→ Strategic outreach to high-value connections
→ Content that directly addresses your ideal client's problems

At this stage, your LinkedIn isn't just about founder-led growth.

It's a predictable growth channel that drives real business outcomes.

Most founders I work with are ok-ish with Stage 1 (showing up).

However, they stall at Stage 2 because they lack a system for communicating their authority.

This post is just a snapshot.

Every week inside The Convergence Newsletter, I share the full playbooks that help founders move past Stage 2.

Join here → data-mania.com/newsletter

♻️ Repost this to help founders break through Stage 2.
🔔 Follow me, Lillian Pierson, for more systematic LinkedIn growth strategies.

P.S. Which stage are you stuck on right now: 1, 2, or 3?

The 3 stages of LinkedIn Growth by Lillian Pierson

3 structured content signals that tell AI models you're legit (and not just another boring SaaS landing page)

AI visibility isn't optional anymore.

If you're a technical founder, you already know this intuitively.

But here's what most people miss: AI search doesn't work like Google.

It doesn't crawl and rank.
It summarizes and recommends.


That means the old playbook - ie; keywords, backlinks, domain authority- only gets you halfway there.

Across industry, I've noticed a pattern: founders who understand how AI discovery actually works are getting found. Those who don't are becoming invisible.

Here's what actually drives AI visibility:

⚙️ Structured Content Signals
AI models don't just read your site- they interpret structure.
↳ Make sure your metadata, headers, and key pages clearly articulate what you do, who you serve, and what proof backs it up.
↳ Tools: Schema markup, clean site architecture, public documentation


👤 Author Authority
Large language models weigh who information comes from, not just what it says.
↳ Build your personal founder profile across platforms where AI can find and cite you.
↳ Tools: LinkedIn optimization, public Notion docs, podcast appearances


🔗 Entity Linking
This is how AI decides to connect the dots between you and relevant topics.
↳ If your name and company appear alongside related entities (AI ethics, predictive analytics, B2B SaaS), you become easier to recommend in context.
↳ Tools: Strategic guest posts, co-marketing, industry publications

These three elements aren't magic. They're systematic.

And they compound over time.

One or two well-placed signals can shift how you appear in semantic search, and that visibility becomes a growth engine.


If you're a founder who's been focused on product and neglecting positioning, this is your opening.

AI visibility is still early enough that small, smart moves create disproportionate results.


What's one step you could take this week to improve how AI models understand your expertise?

What I’ve seen across every founder who’s nailed this: AI discoverability isn’t about playing the SEO game harder. It’s about structuring your expertise so AI systems recognize and recommend you automatically.


That’s exactly what I’m teaching inside my upcoming live micro-course launching in early November — a practical, step-by-step system that helps founders and marketing leaders get discovered in AI search in as little as one day, without trial-and-error.

To get all the founding-member bonuses and live access for Q&A, join before doors open on November 3.

👉 Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gRizxXDx

P.S. The founders winning AI visibility right now aren’t louder. They’re more legible to machines. I’ll show you exactly how to become one of them inside the live micro-course.

Last month, I went from posting once a week to 5+ times per week on LinkedIn.

Every single day, sometimes more. 

Here's what I honestly thought would happen: 

My inbox would explode with cold outreach. More people pitching me their lead gen solutions, their automation tools, their "guaranteed growth systems." I was bracing myself for the noise.

That's the tax you pay for visibility, right?

Turns out, I was completely wrong.

What actually happened was the opposite.

I tripled my lead volume. My pipeline grew by at least $100k per year in deals that are still in progress, and I'm talking with some really big names in the AI space.

People I've wanted to work with for years.

And the best part is: I didn't see any increase in spam DMs. No uptick in people trying to sell me stuff. Zero.

Instead, I got inbound from qualified prospects. 

Founders who resonated with The Convergence philosophy. 

Technical leaders who wanted structured, data-driven strategies, not glossy marketing fluff.

The lesson here isn't just about posting frequency. 

It's about what happens when you show up consistently with value that actually matters to your audience.

Many founders I talk to are reluctant to increase their content output because they think more visibility means more noise. 

But that's only true if your content isn't doing its job. 

If you're showing up with clear positioning, a defined POV, and real expertise, the right people find you. And the wrong people ignore you.

Consistency doesn't just build awareness. It builds trust.

It gives people time to see how you think, what you value, whether you're the right fit.

I didn't change my messaging. Didn't launch a new offer. Just showed up more often.

And the right opportunities followed.

If you've been holding back on creating more content because you're worried about attracting the wrong crowd, I'd challenge that thinking. 

The right frequency + the right message does the opposite.

It filters out the noise and brings in the signal.

Building consistent content that actually converts takes a system. If you're curious how I approach this for myself and clients, feel free to reach me out.

P.S. Have you seen this happen when you ramped up consistency?

3 brutal truths about positioning that kill startups.

Most founders realize them only after the money’s gone:

Most startups are positioning themselves to lose.

They're obsessed with creating "new categories" when they should be dominating existing ones.

Here are the brutal truths about category positioning:

Truth #1: The "Blue Ocean" Myth

You think creating a new category makes you innovative.
Reality: It makes you invisible and confusing to buyers.

Customers don't buy from categories they don't understand.

Truth #2: The "Disruption" Delusion

You position as "disrupting" an entire industry.
Reality: You're just another startup claiming to change everything.

Buyers want solutions to problems, not revolutions.

Truth #3: The "We're Different" Trap

You focus on what makes you unique.
Reality: You should focus on what makes you better at solving the same problem.

The winning move?

Pick an existing category where customers already spend money.
Then dominate it by being 10x better at the core problem.

The proof:

Slack didn't create "team communication." They dominated it.
Zoom didn't invent "video conferencing." They perfected it.
Stripe didn't create "online payments." They simplified it.

Stop trying to educate the market.
Start trying to capture one.

♻️ Repost this to save founders from positioning mistakes.
🔔 Follow me, Lillian Pierson, for more no-BS startup strategy insights.

P.S. What's the worst "new category" pitch you've heard lately?

Brutal positioning truths that kill startups

Most founders think the transition from founder-led to marketing-led growth means hiring a CMO and stepping back.

That's not it.

Here's what actually happens when you get this shift done correctly:

Founder-led growth is incredible, but if it's not executed strategically, it can often result in the following situations:

- You're the bottleneck for every marketing decision.
- Growth stalls when you're pulled into other priorities.
- Everything depends on your personal network and hustle.
- Marketing feels reactive, lacking strategy and chaotic.

Marketing-Led Growth Reality:

- Systems generate leads without your direct involvement.
- Growth continues even when you're focused on product or ops.
- Data drives decisions, not gut feelings.
- Marketing becomes predictable and scalable.

The difference? It's not about hiring more people.

It's about building repeatable systems that don't require you personally to execute.

Here's the 4-step transition that works to remove you from being the bottleneck:

Step 1: Document what's working in your founder-led approach

Your founder-led wins aren't accidents. They're patterns. Capture what messages resonate, which channels convert, what timing works.

Step 2: Build structured playbooks around those winning strategies

Turn your intuition into frameworks. 
If you close deals with a specific narrative, document it. 
If certain outreach gets responses, systematize it.

Step 3: Test automated systems that replicate your best decisions

Start small. One workflow. One funnel. One nurture sequence.
Prove it works without you before scaling.

Step 4: Scale what works, kill what doesn't

This is where most founders get stuck, they keep broken processes alive out of attachment.

The goal? Marketing that runs like your product development: systematic, measurable, and designed to scale.

Not chaotic. Not dependent on one person's energy.

♻️ Repost this to help founders build scalable growth systems.
🔔 Follow me, Lillian Pierson, for more systematic growth frameworks.

P.S. Are you still the bottleneck in your marketing, or have you built systems?

4 Steps Every Startup Founder Needs Before Hiring a CMO

Most tech startup founders think they'd need to hire a full marketing team to scale. It's actually the other way around.

Here's how I've seen it play out...

The Industry Standard: Hire First, Think Later

→ Hire junior marketers who need constant direction
→ Build a team before you have systems
→ Spend $300K+ on salaries before proving what works

The result?

Burned cash. Misaligned execution. No clear path to revenue.

My Approach: Leadership + Lean Execution + AI Automation

→ Start with one strategic marketing leader who knows systems
→ Use AI agents and selective freelancers to handle execution
→ Build proven frameworks before hiring in-house

Why this works better:

Speed: AI executes faster than hiring and training junior staff
Cost: $6K/month fractional CMO + automation vs $25K/month team salaries
Quality: Strategic leadership ensures everything maps to revenue

Here's the progression to scale:

Phase 1: Strategic Leader

Bring in a fractional CMO who builds systems, not just strategies. They design your growth engine.

Phase 2: AI Automation

Deploy AI agents for repeatable execution: content repurposing, email sequences, lead nurture, reporting.

Phase 3: Selective Hiring

Only hire in-house when you know exactly what works and that you can't automate it.

The difference this makes:

→ You validate your marketing strategy before committing to headcount
→ Your runway lasts 2-3x longer
→ Every dollar spent has clear ROI
→ You build a growth engine, not a marketing department

What founders get wrong:

They think:

✅ Team size = growth potential.
❌ System quality = growth potential.

A fractional CMO with the right AI stack can outperform a $300K marketing team.

Startups that start lean with strategic leadership + automation hit their first $1M ARR faster than those who build teams first.

Why?

Because they're optimizing for learning and iteration, not coordination and overhead.

I believe growth should be engineered, not forced. You don't need a department to create predictable revenue, you just need systems.

If you’re ready to engineer growth the smart way, fill out the form and let’s talk: https://lnkd.in/gRyfHUxX

P.S. How many people are on your marketing team right now?

Most founders think more content = more visibility, but AI models are trained to notice contextual authority, not volume.

After working deeply with a handful of startups on this, I've noticed a clear pattern in which founders show up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, and which ones don't.

It's not about SEO strength. It's about source recognition.

The distinction matters because the tactics are completely different.

Here's the framework I use with clients:



🎃 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀

AI models don't discover you through keywords. They build confidence through repeated signals across credible contexts.

I've found that one bylined article in an industry publication moves the needle more than ten blog posts on a founder's own site.

Why? The model already trusts the publication. When you appear there, you inherit some of that trust.

Strategic implication: Place your expertise where AI already looks for credible information.



🎃 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

I run every client through what I call the clarity test: If an AI scraped your digital footprint right now, could it confidently answer "What does this founder solve, and for whom?"

The ones who pass have one authoritative positioning statement repeated consistently across every platform.

The ones who don't have messaging that shifts based on campaign or context.

Fix this first. Everything else compounds from here.



🎃 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻

AI models learn relationships through co-occurrence. When your name appears alongside specific industry terms or recognized experts, the model strengthens its classification of your expertise.

This is why collaborative content, panel discussions, and strategic partnerships accelerate AI visibility faster than solo content.

One client got cited consistently after appearing in a research roundtable with three recognized industry leaders, even though their individual reach was smaller.



The AI connected the context dots.



What I’ve learned from helping founders implement this framework: AI visibility isn’t about publishing more... It’s about shaping how AI understands you. Once the right signals are in place, discoverability compounds automatically.

That’s exactly what I’m building into my live micro-course launching in early November: A practical, step-by-step system that helps founders and marketing leaders get discovered in AI search in as little as one day, without trial-and-error.

👉 Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gRizxXDx

Waitlist members get:

▶️ Founding-Member Pricing (lowest it’ll ever be — under $50)

▶️ Free Fast-Action Toolkit (available free only for 24 hours after launch)

▶️ Founding-Member Only Advisory Hours (live access to my direct help)

To get all the founding-member bonuses and live access for Q&A, join before doors open the first week in November

👉 Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gRizxXDx

AI-models-dont-find-you-through-volume.pdf

I thought I was failing because my growth wasn’t explosive.

Two kids, a steady high-margin business running on autopilot, living in Thailand with world-class internet & help.

Most people would call that winning.

But I kept watching other founders talk about their 10x growth, their funding rounds, their 50-person teams…

And I felt like I was doing it wrong.

My business made good money but wasn't explosive. 
My systems worked but weren't sexy. 
My life was calm, not chaotic.

I was comparing myself to people playing a completely different game.

Then one conversation changed everything for me:

A client with 30+ employees and serious funding said: 

"We need someone who can execute without breaking everything. Everyone else wants to rebuild our entire operation."

That's when it clicked.

My "limitation" wasn't that I couldn't scale fast. 
It was that I chose not to break what already worked.

Running a smooth business came from thinking in systems, not chaos.
Having a good life made me protective of unnecessary complexity.
Consistent income taught me to optimize for staying power, not just speed.

I stopped trying to copy everyone else and doubled down on what actually worked for me.

The result? 

A business that generates reliable revenue, serves amazing clients, and supports my life instead of consuming it.

My constraint wasn't ability. It was intention.

Your limitations might not be about what you can't do.
They might be about what you're smart enough not to do.

Sometimes the best move is protecting what works while making it better, not blowing it up to chase someone else's scorecard.

Know someone who needs to read this? Repost ♻️ it for them.

P.S. What's one thing you chose NOT to do that actually made your business stronger?

Big news: We’ve been shortlisted for the 2025 B2B Website Awards!

When Emily Hadas Lieberman 🎗️ and I built my site, it wasn’t about aesthetics... It was about making it damn effective.

Clear message. Clean flow. Strategic copy.

Design that supports the strategy, not distracts from it.

But getting shortlisted for an award like this?

With Elena Verna on the judging panel??
That feels next level. 🥰

This is a little “look what’s possible” moment for the nerds building behind the scenes.

For the founder-designers.

For the strategy-over-aesthetics people.

Thanks for riding this wave with me.

Drop a comment and help me celebrate! 🎉👇
#B2BWebsiteAwards  Thank you Optise!

If I were a founder stuck at the same revenue level for 6+ months, here's exactly what I'd do:

I'd go all in on building one repeatable system.

Most founders think they need more channels, more tactics, more complexity. 

But systematic growth is the single approach that has held its value across every market change we've seen.

Systems thinking is a meta skill.

If you can build one system that works, you can often replicate it across channels.
If you can build one system that works, you can scale it predictably.
If you can build one system that works, you can turn revenue from guesswork into engineering.

And anyone can learn it, with the right framework.

Here's the 3-step system I'd build:

1. Audit what's actually driving revenue (Not what you think is driving it)

This is where systematic thinking starts. 
Most founders are shocked when they discover their assumptions about lead sources are completely wrong. 

→ I helped one client realize their "best channel" was actually their worst ROI.

2. Build one repeatable system around your best channel

Stop trying to be everywhere. 
Pick ONE channel and systematize it completely. 

→ I worked with SingleStore and generated 10,000+ MQLs through one systematic approach: Webinar promotion. Omni-channel marketing, executed brilliantly.

3. Test and scale systematically

Before scaling anything, validate the system works predictably. 

→ I helped a marketplace founder choose between two products then he used simple paywall tests to turn guesswork into engineering - and generated first revenue within days.

The difference? Engineering growth instead of forcing it.

While most founders are playing marketing roulette, 
smart ones are building predictable revenue engines.

P.S. What's one system you could build instead of adding more complexity to your growth?

P.P.S. Send me a DM if you want the framework I use to turn scattered marketing into systematic growth.

Stuck at the same revenue for 6+ months.pdf

Your expertise is sitting in a vault & AI search is the key that opens it

You’ve built your expertise over years. Maybe decades.

You’re not chasing followers.
You’re not selling a course.

You just want your hard-earned knowledge to matter & be recognized in your field.

But what if no one can find it?
What if no one knows you exist?

👇 Here's how AI search changes that.

☝️ Join my private newsletter, Convergence, for more content like this. I've been hearing from a lot of you lately, especially from experienced techni

Open article: 3 missed opportunities technical experts face when AI tools don’t recognize their name by Lillian Pierson, P.E. • 3 min read

3 missed opportunities technical experts face when AI tools don’t recognize their name

Your free trial isn't broken, it's bleeding conversions you can't see (and here's the 4-step fix).

You've built something that works. Users sign up. But then... silence.

Your conversion funnel has more holes than a startup's first business plan.

Here's what most founders get wrong:

They obsess over getting more sign-ups when the real problem is what happens after someone signs up.

Here's my playbook for diagnosing free trial dropoff, in the same type of systematic approach I used to help a client generate over 10k leads in a matter of months - and turn their webinar strategy into a repeatable acquisition engine.

The 4-Phase Diagnostic Framework:

Phase 1: The Activation Audit

Map your user's first 5 minutes.
Where do they get stuck?

Most founders focus on sign-up volume when the real issue is post-signup experience.

I've seen companies increase trial-to-paid by 40% just by fixing their onboarding sequence.

Phase 2: The Engagement Drop Analysis

Track usage patterns day-by-day.
Are users engaging on Day 1 but disappearing by Day 3?
That's a value demonstration problem, not a product problem.

Your trial needs to show value faster than users lose interest.

Phase 3: The Friction Point Investigation

Capture every click, form, and decision point.
Sometimes the "upgrade" button is buried 3 levels deep in settings.

One UI change can increase conversions by 60%.

Phase 4: The Competitive Reality Check

Your trial might be perfect, but if competitors offer more value in less time, you're losing on positioning, not execution.

Sometimes the fix isn't your funnel, it's your messaging.

The pattern in founders with broken funnels:

→ They're assuming instead of diagnosing
→ They're adding features instead of removing friction
→ They're optimizing sign-ups instead of optimizing experience

The companies that scale predictably?

They treat their funnel like a system that can be engineered, not a mystery that needs solving.

The result?

Instead of guessing why users don't convert, you have data-driven insights that directly map to revenue growth.

Because sustainable growth generally isn't about more traffic.
It's about better systems.

♻️ Repost this to help founders fix their conversion funnels.
🔔 Follow me, Lillian Pierson, for more systematic growth frameworks.

P.S. What's your biggest trial conversion challenge right now?

Comment "FUNNEL" if you want the complete diagnostic checklist.

Playbook for diagnosing free trial dropoff by Lillian 

A data consultant I worked with went from no inbound leads to a $750,000 contract for work delivered in <14 days → All because of positioning.

Here's how it happened:

He had everything you'd expect from a top consultant.

Technical chops. Deep specialization. Real expertise.

But he was stuck in scattered project mode with zero inbound leads.

The problem wasn't his skills. It was his 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

When we started working together, we didn't just fix his LinkedIn.

We repositioned him as a founder-led brand that could solve enterprise-level data problems others couldn't touch.

Then came the breakthrough moment:

Instead of pricing by hours, he proposed something radical to a large enterprise client:

"Pay me based on results. If I can't solve your data problem and save you money, you don't owe me anything. If I succeed, I earn a percentage of what you save."

That confidence - backed by strategic positioning - changed everything.

The result?

A $750,000 performance-based contract.
Delivered in 14 days.

Here's what really happened:

His technical skills stayed the same.
His experience stayed the same.
His positioning changed everything.

When you know your worth and can communicate it clearly, the market responds.

Ready to position yourself as the only choice for enterprise clients? 

Drop your details in this form and get in touch with me: https://lnkd.in/gRyfHUxX

Most startup teams go all-in for 6 weeks…

They plan one big launch. Scramble for 6 weeks. Send a few LinkedIn posts.

Then go radio silent until the next "campaign."

They treat quarterly growth like a one-and-done event.

The companies that scale consistently do something different:

They run quarterly launches AND nurture continuously between them.

Here’s my framework that actually builds momentum:

👉🏼 Every Quarter = One Major Launch (Weeks 1-4)

a. Product release, feature launch, or major promotion.
b. Full-scale go-to-market execution.
c. All hands on deck for maximum impact.

👉🏼 Plus Continuous Nurturing (Weeks 5-12)

a. Audience building and relationship development.
b. Educational content and thought leadership.
c. Community engagement and social proof collection.

Why this works:

When you launch in Q2, you're not starting from zero.
You have an audience that's been warmed up for 8 weeks.
They know who you are. They trust you. They're ready to buy.

Resource allocation that builds momentum:

→ 40% dedicated to quarterly launch execution
→ 35% focused on continuous audience growth
→ 15% allocated to content and relationship building
→ 10% reserved for testing new opportunities

The pattern I see in companies that scale:

They don't treat marketing like a light switch (on during launches, off between them).

They treat it like a compounding system.

Each quarter builds on the last.
Each launch reaches a bigger, warmer audience.
Each campaign converts better because trust was built in the quiet weeks.

Stop treating quarters like isolated events.

Start treating them like chapters in a growth story.

♻️ Repost this to help teams build consistent momentum.
🔔 Follow me, Lillian Pierson, for more systematic growth frameworks.

P.S. Are your launches getting easier or harder each quarter?

Legacy tech brands face a universal challenge.

Despite world-class innovation and global market leadership, they struggle to connect with the next generation of B2B decision-makers.

Their digital presence feels outdated.

Their messaging lacks relevance for younger audiences.

The gap between their technical excellence and brand perception keeps growing.

And here's what makes this expensive:

→ Sales cycles lengthen as younger buyers don't see you as relevant
→ Competitors with "modern" brands win deals on perception, not product
→ Your innovation doesn't translate to market position

The real problem?

It's not your technology. It's your narrative.

You need complete narrative repositioning, from "established industry player" to "future-facing tech innovator."

Here's how I solved this for a global telecommunications leader:

When I partnered with Ericsson through TechMode.io, we tackled this exact challenge.

The strategy:

Instead of incremental updates, we built a systematic brand transformation.

Over 2 years, we executed:

→ Live social coverage at major industry events (Ericsson Studio, MWC Barcelona) 
→ 20+ blog posts, interviews & live streams across LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube 
→ Strategic influencer collaborations and cross-promotions
→ Educational content that bridged developer excitement with enterprise validation

The transformation:

✅ 1.1M+ impressions across campaigns 
✅ 80K+ engagements during MWC campaign alone
✅ 6.4M+ targeted visitors 
✅ 850+ MQLs (from one campaign alone, the only one I could get conversion data on) 
✅ Successfully modernized brand appeal to a younger demographic

What the client said:

Chelsea Andrews from TechMode.io: 

"𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 10,000 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳!"

The lesson?

Even the most established brands can reclaim relevance when you combine the right strategy with consistent, high-credibility execution.

If you're facing this challenge:

Your brand has strong legacy credentials but struggles with modern B2B buyers.
Your technical excellence isn't translating to market perception.
You need systematic narrative repositioning, not just content updates.

Let's talk about your brand transformation.

📩 Email me at lillian@data-mania.com with subject line "BRAND REPOSITIONING"

P.S. Is your brand's biggest challenge connecting with younger decision-makers or something else?

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