Early-stage B2B tech companies often face an uphill battle when it comes to demand generation. Limited budgets, lean teams, and high expectations make it difficult for founders to find a strategy that consistently generates pipeline and revenue.
In a recent episode of our podcast, we sat down with Kartik Krishnan, Founder of Expedite GTM, to discuss how startups can build an effective demand generation engine. Kartik shared valuable insights on everything from defining demand-gen terms to selecting marketing hires and budgeting for experiments. Below, we break down key takeaways from the conversation.
“Early-stage founders aren’t going to have the luxury of hiring a full-fledged marketing team. They’ll need to balance demand creation and capture themselves.” – Kartik Krishnan
Before diving into strategies, it’s important to clarify key terms:
According to Kartik, most early-stage founders default to demand capture—relying on outbound sales and paid search. However, they often overlook the importance of creating demand through brand-building and education.
“You can’t just wait for the businesses that are in-market and ready to buy—you need to generate demand, or you won’t have enough pipeline to capture.” – Kartik Krishnan
Many startups struggle with demand generation because it’s a tough skill to master. Founders and small teams often prioritise short-term wins over long-term brand-building.
Additionally, many startups are creating new categories—solving problems that businesses don’t yet recognise as urgent. That means startups must invest time and resources into educating the market.
“If you’re building a new category, you have to generate demand. Your prospective customers may not even know they have the problem yet.” – Kartik Krishnan
Should early-stage founders prioritise outbound targeting or inbound marketing? Kartik recommends a mix of both. Founders need to go after ideal customer accounts while also building an inbound motion to generate consistent interest over time.
An effective way to balance both is by looking at pipeline metrics:
“Founders should ask themselves: Am I setting up enough pipeline for Q3 while closing deals in Q1? You have to manage both.” – Kartik Krishnan
Choosing the right demand generation channels is critical. While LinkedIn is a go-to channel for many B2B startups, Kartik emphasizes the effectiveness of webinars.
By positioning the founder as the host and inviting respected industry leaders, startups can create credibility, engage prospects, and generate both demand and trust.
“A well-executed webinar not only builds brand awareness but also serves as demand capture—it gives your sales team a reason to reach out to warm prospects.” – Kartik Krishnan
One of the biggest challenges in demand generation is ensuring that marketing efforts bring in the right leads. Kartik warns against chasing every inbound lead just because it looks interesting. Instead, startups should prioritise accounts that fit their ideal customer profile (ICP).
“Don’t stray too far from your ICP. I’ve seen too many founders get distracted by big logos or new markets they can’t properly serve.” – Kartik Krishnan
Product-market fit is often discussed, but Kartik introduces another critical factor: Product-Market-Price Fit.
Early traction doesn’t always mean long-term success. Founders need to ensure that:
“You can win early deals, but if your pricing isn’t aligned with value, retention will suffer. Retained revenue is just as important as new revenue.” – Kartik Krishnan
How much should startups allocate for experimenting with new demand-gen strategies? Kartik suggests reserving 10–15% of the sales and marketing budget for experimentation.
This allows companies to test new industries, channels, and messaging strategies without risking their core revenue engine.
“The best companies run small, strategic experiments every quarter. They learn what works, scale it, and then try new things again.” – Kartik Krishnan
Startups often struggle with their first marketing hire. Should they bring in a product marketer, a demand generation expert, or a generalist?
Kartik suggests hiring someone hands-on who can execute and strategise, ideally supported by a fractional expert for mentorship.
“Hire someone who can think deeply about your business and execute, not just talk strategy. Too many startups hire too senior, too early.” – Kartik Krishnan
Looking ahead, Kartik predicts three major shifts in B2B marketing:
“The teams that will win are those embracing AI, breaking down silos, and running smarter experiments.” – Kartik Krishnan
Demand generation is a challenge for any early-stage B2B startup, but by balancing demand creation and capture, experimenting wisely, and hiring the right talent, founders can build a repeatable revenue engine.
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