Q1 2025: Joe's Goals

[joethreepwood]

You'd think Q5 comes after Q4, but actually it's this. And 'this' is a plan that, as usual, I will continue to update throughout the quarter as I tick things off, plan things, and so on.

So, what am I planning to do in Q1 2025? Well...

Better beta programs

• Waitlists?
• Figure out, and start using, a method for beta activation
• Create an email flow to support users on beta programs
• Use all of the above to support the launch of error tracking
• Use all of the above to support the launch of messaging
• Roll beta promotion into weekly digest (below)

Optimize email marketing for cross-sell

• Completely rebuild all email flows to better focus on cross-sell
• In particular focus on pushing replay adoption by D5
• Launch the weekly digest to promote cross-product activation
• Create an email onboarding branch to unblock users with ingestion issues by D28
• Strongly focus the startup programs on encouraging warehouse adoption
• Re-jig how case studies are used to bring out the cross-sell angle

Sidequest: Stay on top of paid ads

• Continue managing our digital agency and just generally plug the gap here
• Make sure we have a tie-in campaign to support the billboard ads
• Hire an Ads Person With Good Taste

Sidequest: Plan out future hiring for the Words & Pictures team

• Onboard Kevan
• And The Ads Person With Good Taste
• Plan the next hires. A PMM? A Startup specialist? Boring Partnership Manager? Email Marketer?

Sidequest: Don't get distracted by boring partnerships

• Do the AWS partnership and basically nothing else unless it's obviously amazing
• Good lord, partnerships are so boring

Sidequest: Reduce churn in group analytics (Context, starts at 5.8%)

• Pursue a Groups case study (with emphasis on cross-sell)
• Create a post-subscription email flow to encourage usage

Personal goals and Q4 Feedback

I collected some great 360 feedback in Q4 which I detailed here. As a personal goal I want to continue focusing on some of this stuff in order to improve. Quick summary below to avoid repeating the previous issue, while still keeping it visible and current.

Things to keep doing

Things that people liked and which they encouraged me on were...

• Breadth. There was feedback that people appreciate the breadth and volume of my work, so that's nice.
• Organization. It's scary, but apparently I'm one of the more organized people at the company? Crikey.
• Leadership. There was feedback that people like my management style and hiring choices, which is cool.
• Writing. It gets better the braver and weirder I make it, apparently.

Things to stop doing

Things that people gave constructive feedback on were...

• Noisiness. I had feedback that I don't give enough space for others in conversation, which I really want to solve for.
• Anxiety. 'Don't worry' is easier said than done, but I can at least not let my anxieties be infectious, right?

[charlescook-ph]

Looks good!

• Missed opportunity to call these Joals?
• Better beta programs -> Betah programs?

[joethreepwood]

Updated with +1 sidequest based on chat with @raquelmsmith