What to expect:

• Stefan's 25-year journey as an entrepreneur, including how he navigated companies through pivots after they'd already achieved product-market fit
• A practical framework for assessing when your business needs minor adjustments versus a fundamental change in business model
• Why the AI revolution is forcing many B2B SaaS companies to consider pivoting to managed service providers
• The importance of systematically exploring alternative paths, even when your business is growing
• How to avoid founder blind spots when your current business model starts showing warning signs

My highlights:

• Stefan's "wake up in the middle of the night" test: If you can't see how your business survives the next 12 months, it's time to pivot
• His E3 model for balancing resources: Exploit what works, Experiment with promising ideas, and Explore future possibilities
• The revelation that 90% of VC-backed startups don't meet their initial plans, and why the best time to discuss pivoting is right after funding
• How his Pivot Framework, based on Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas, maps 49 different pivot patterns from studying 300+ companies

About my guest:

Stefan Zanetti is a veteran entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in founding and scaling multiple companies. After stepping back from his operational roles 18 months ago (though he remains board president of his last venture), he focuses on helping founders systematically approach pivots. Drawing from his own hard-earned lessons, including one company that lost 75% of its revenue, Stefan has developed a comprehensive framework for detecting when a fundamental business model change is needed and executing it successfully.

Who should listen to this episode:

• Founders of SaaS companies experiencing slowing growth or market saturation
• CEOs assessing whether their current challenges demand tactical fixes or fundamental pivots
• Leadership teams evaluating the impact of AI on their business model viability
• Investors seeking frameworks to help portfolio companies navigate existential challenges

The success formula?

Don't wait until you hit the wall – create systems to evaluate the fundamentals of your business model regularly, involve outside perspectives to overcome blind spots, and be willing to make tough choices when adjusting sales and marketing strategies isn't enough to resolve your growth challenges.

- - -
Björn's Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order Now: My GTM Book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

My Homepage: www.rowing8.com

In this special 100th episode, host Björn sits on the other side of the microphone as guest Rico Wyder interviews him about his journey as a podcaster, author, and entrepreneur.

What to expect:

• The story behind how Björn started the podcast two years ago and his reflections on reaching 100 episodes
• A deep dive into Björn's personality through his self-described three key traits: playful spirit, structured approach, and sporting passion
• His unexpected path into sales, from selling ads for a school magazine to working at a mobile phone store without owning a mobile phone
• Candid insights about his experience writing his book "Funky Flywheels" and why he wanted to create a resource he wished he'd had when starting his companies
• How Björn manages his work-life balance and the importance of intentional breaks from social media and business

Highlights:

• Björn's unique colour-coded wardrobe system that reflects his structured yet playful personality
• His practical approach to finding the right amount of structure when working with early-stage startups
• The story of how he narrowly avoided burnout in December despite having his most successful year professionally
• How trail running has become his secret weapon for mental recovery and relaxation

About the guest/host:

Björn is a go-to-market specialist, author of "Funky Flywheels," and the regular host of this podcast. With a background in founding three companies and supporting over 150 startups, he specialises in helping early-stage companies (€1-10M ARR) establish effective sales processes and structures. Turning 45 this year, he balances his professional pursuits with family life, regular trail running, and his weekly challenge of climbing Uetliberg, Zurich's local mountain, at least once a week.

Who should listen to this episode:

• Regular listeners curious to learn more about the voice behind the microphone
• Founders interested in Björn's personal journey and the philosophy behind his structured approach
• Anyone struggling with work-life balance and looking for practical insights on recharging
• Go-to-market professionals who want to understand the person behind the frameworks

The success formula?

Find the balance between playfulness and structure, establish consistent routines while remaining flexible, prioritise physical and mental health, and always stay curious about new challenges, like Björn's upcoming exploration of Gen AI applications in Q2.

- - -
Björn's Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order Now: My GTM Book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

My Homepage: www.rowing8.com

What to expect:

• Why investors no longer fund multiple attempts at finding product-market fit and what this means for founders
• Dave's counterintuitive approach to measuring product-market fit: "If 70% of new users hit first impact before running out of attention span, you can start scaling"
• The danger of hiring experienced revenue leaders too early and why curious problem-solvers outperform decorated executives at this stage
• How to build a revenue architecture with proper instrumentation before attempting to scale
• Take an inside look at how HubSpot, MongoDB and Unity successfully launched new growth initiatives by creating dedicated "pods" outside their core structure

My highlights:

• Dave's brilliant framework: "You need three things - mindset, talent, and time. It will take 18 months to iterate into a new business that works"
• His candid perspective on why founders struggle to know when to pivot: "You're simultaneously convincing investors, employees and yourself that you're onto something"
• The tactical blueprint for building your first commercial team: Hire director-level sales leaders and heads of demand generation, not CMOs
• Why a CEO should insist that all go-to-market leaders get certified in revenue architecture: "I don't want to waste time translating between silos"

About the guest:

Dave Boyce brings a wealth of experience from both enterprise (Oracle) and high-growth SaaS environments. As Chief Strategy Officer at Winning by Design, he's helped countless companies build scalable revenue architectures. His upcoming book, "Freemium" (August 2025) explores how companies can successfully implement product-led growth strategies. Dave's unique perspective bridges traditional enterprise sales and modern PLG approaches, making him the perfect guide for founders navigating the growth journey.

Who should listen to this episode:

• Founders who've achieved initial traction but are unsure if they genuinely have product-market fit
• CEOs building their first commercial team beyond founder-led sales
• Established companies ($10M-100M ARR) looking to rediscover growth through new verticals or products
• Anyone responsible for aligning product, marketing, sales and customer success

The success formula?

Don't scale until you've confirmed product-market fit through usage data, build a unified commercial language with proper instrumentation, hire curious problem-solvers at the director level, and give them time to iterate toward success.


P.S. Highly recommend. Pre-order Dave's book, "Freemium" (gets published in August 2025)

- - -
Björn's Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order Now: My GTM Book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

My Homepage: www.rowing8.com