Category First: Recent Episodes
Josh Lowman
Host Josh Lowman, and guests, share mini-masterclasses in category creation, strategy and brand design. Join us for Listener Q&A episodes and interviews with category creators at companies like Gong, Squarespace, Zapier and more.
Josh shares 5 foundational principles that category creators can use to stay focused on the work that really matters.
It’s easy to lose your way when creating new categories, use these tools and insights to keep yourself, and your category, on track for success. They are:
- Is thinking happening?
- Are you creating something in the mind of the customer?
- Is it different?
- Is it interesting?
- Is it true?
Did you know there's a newsletter too? Check it out at: categoryfirst.substack.com
Josh answers listener questions about category creation.
- My boss, the VP of marketing, wants to test everything, even an Instagram story, and I think it's making us late to get content out. Have you dealt with this?
- What are the main signs that a Category POV is not working?
- Is designing a category sort of putting the cart before the horse?
Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com
Josh shares 5 laws for branding to help you design original, interesting, and un-boring brands.
Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com
Josh shares his process for writing strategy.
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Josh talks to Paul McDonnell, Vice President at one of the world's largest private equity firms, Insight Partners, about the qualities and mindset that successful category creation teams must have. In his work at Insight's Marketing Center of Excellence, Paul has seen inside many different category leadership teams, including successes like Bizzabo, Chargebee, OwnBackup, and more, and speaks first hand to what will make or break a new category. Some highlights:
- What it means to have the right culture for category creation.
- Getting the right people in the room before you start.
- Why humility is essential to creating good category strategy.
- And how category creators can start using AI today.
Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com
Josh answers listener questions about category creation.
- What’s the difference between category design and brand design?
- Why do startups undergo category design shortly before their IPO?
- Our category launch didn’t have the impact we hoped for. And our CEO doesn’t understand their new category. Where do we go from here?
Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com
Josh talks to Sheena Badani, head of product and customer marketing at Gong.
Sheena led Gong’s category design effort resulting in the category Revenue Intelligence. She and Josh talk about:
- What is it like designing a category for the first time?
- How do you craft a visionary story and get executives and everybody on board?
- Were there people saying you were making the wrong move?
- What is it like the week of launching a new category?
- Advice for aspiring category designers.
Submit questions and subscribe to our newsletter here: categoryfirst.substack.com
In this episode…
Josh speaks with Perimeter 81 co-founder and Chief Growth Officer Sagi Gidali about their recent category launch.
Sagi talks about how his company’s recent category launch went down, the power of getting his entire company aligned around a single strategic narrative, and where they are today, six months post-launch.
Why create a new category?
While Perimeter 81 knew they had a special product, it was hard to articulate what differentiated them from the competition. After speaking with their partners, customers, and product team, they realized that their ease-of-use and simplicity are what made them stand out. So they doubled down on these ideas, creating The Cybersecurity Experience Platform.
How do you rally your employees around a new category?
For Perimeter 81, organization was key. They created new, category-aligned materials for all their internal teams—from sales to product to marketing to R&D to customer success—and then revealed the category to their employees with the company’s first-ever global company event.
Want to learn more?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
We dive into the most important moment in the life of your category: Launch Day.
If you follow our five lessons, you will be miles ahead of most category launches. You may also find something else happens. Something remarkable: Your whole company working together in a way they haven't before. Here’s a quote from Josh:
“Category Launch unites your people around a powerful origin story. It plants an unbelievable truth at the heart of your business.”
What Are The Five Category Launch Lessons?
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If it’s not news, it doesn’t work.
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Employ these three essential story points.
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If your product team thinks of launch day as a marketing event, you’ve already lost.
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Doing hard things proves your commitment.
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Throw some elbows.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
We map out the category launch journey, and the steps companies must take using a clear process. Today, we’re focusing on the Category Launch Framework.. Here's a quote from Josh:
“You need a process for setting, socializing and living by your category goals—and making this process actionable and measurable."
What is the Category Launch Framework?
The Category Launch Framework is built around two components:
- Areas of Work: Category design is a whole company effort, but it helps to break things down into four key workstreams: Inside the Company, Product, Sales, and Marketing.
- Category OKRs: They connect strategy to action, they are social, and they are measurable. OKRs help your people align, communicate and achieve.
If you follow our Category Launch Framework you will find it is more than just a Go-to-market process. It’s a system designed to weave your category idea into the very fabric of your company.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
Anna Furmanov of Modern Startup Marketing interviews Josh about the secrets of category creation—what he calls the Alchemy of Category Design.
What is Category Design?
We start by talking about what exactly is category design, and talk about the three superpowers of category design that make it uniquely suited to help startups.
What are Category Design’s biggest hurdles?
We rebut the perception category creation is too hard an endeavor for startups, and discuss how Gold Front understands the market timing for category creation.
Want to learn more?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
Josh chats with Bizzabo co-founder Alon Alroy about their category creation journey. Last year, Bizzabo pulled the rip cord on their existing category, event management software, and jumped into a new category of their own invention.
Why create a new category?
Bizzabo was stuck in what we call “The Better” archetype—drowning in a crowded category and differentiating itself only with “better” features than its many competitors. That’s a great time to create a new category, and a whole bold new brand to launch it.
Why do it in the middle of a pandemic?
The in-person event industry disintegrated when Covid hit. The event software industry was facing a life or death situation. One way to survive? Category create.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode...
We unpack the rest of our list of The Six Category Create Archetypes. And this time it’s through a lens you might not expect.
We already covered The Inventor, The Overlooked, and the Second Act. Now we dive into The Emergent, The Better, and The Huckster.
Why Are Category Archetypes Important?
Because archetype determines strategy which in turn determines success. Once you know your archetype the path forward becomes clear and things start to flow.
What Happens if You Fail to Define Your Archetype?
If you miss your archetype, you could miss your whole category. If you move forward with a bad strategy, and waste a year or more executing against it, you may never get a second chance.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
We discuss potential strategies for category creation, the purpose of defining a strategy, and the Six Category Creator Archetypes. We’ll specifically focus on the first three archetypes in Part 1. A quote from Josh:
“Customers make sense of your offering not just by what you do, but also by what you don’t. To be all things is to be nothing.”
Why Define a Category Strategy
New markets are constantly changing. Competition is fierce. Because of all this, opportunities for category creation are few and far between. If you move forward with a bad strategy, you may never get a second chance. The purpose of defining a strategy is to make it so you can reject every path save one.
Six Category Creator Archetypes
In our work with dozens of category creating companies we’ve found there are six kinds of companies. No more, no less. They are:
- The Inventor
- The Overlooked
- The Emergent
- The Second Act
- The Better
- The Huckster
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
We uncover the what, why and how of category creation. Today, we’re focusing on the strategic narrative, also known as a Category POV. Here's a quote from Josh:
“A great strategic narrative opens up closed minds, helps align executives around the work of category creation, and speeds time to market.”
What is a Strategic Narrative?
A strategic narrative is like a brand manifesto with more substance. It is often the result of months of work. It’s an argument for why the world needs the category you’re creating.
- A single story, about a thousand words in length.
- It sits at the center of your strategy.
- If you can get it right, if you get the right words in the right order, it unlocks everything.
What Are the Five Immutable Laws of Strategic Narrative?
- The Law of Story
- The Law of the New Way
- The Law of Jobs
- The Law of Proof
- The Law of CEO
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
In this episode, we’ll discuss the fundamentals of category design, including what it is, how it works, and what makes it truly different. Here’s a quote from Josh:
“...If you want to build a company of uncommon value, your product must be categorically, not incrementally, new. That’s the definition of a big idea.”
What Is Category Design and How Does It Work?
Category design is the purposeful transformation of the entirety of a company’s activities around a single goal: to define and lead a new market category. The three stages of the journey are:
- Define
- Launch
- Grow
What Makes Category Design Different?
Category design was purpose-built for new-to-the-world offerings, to champion big product ideas for which no category exists.
Like other design pursuits, category design is a thoughtful, purposeful endeavor. We put all the pieces on the table and take time to consider each of them before designing a way forward.
Category design is a whole company strategy. Because we do this work alongside CEOs and department executives, a category design project provides a unique opportunity to achieve alignment between brand, product, and sales.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.
In this episode…
In this episode, we’ll uncover the essential steps you should take as a startup’s new CMO to successfully define your category, from setting your goals to launch day. We call it a short list for ass-kicking CMOs. Here's a quote from Josh:
“It’s going to take herculean focus to drive the outcomes you’re looking for. That’s where the Very Short List for Ass-Kicking CMOs comes in. Print it out and put it on your desk where you’ll always see it. It’s not just a list, it’s a constant reminder that the best way to make new friends is to create and dominate your category.”
What Should A Startup’s New CMO Do?
1: Set your goals.
Note that these goals sit outside the category you’re creating because they are more foundational than category. If your company decided to change categories entirely, these three goals would still exist.
2: Know the customer.
There’s nothing like becoming your company’s foremost expert on the customer. It will give you credibility and authority inside your company.
3: Define your category.
If your new startup dreams of transforming their industry then they are, by definition, aspiring category creators. Most startups sort of back into category creation. But in order to work, Product, Sales, HR/People—everyone—must believe the mission to create and lead a new market category is the CEO’s highest priority.
4: Tell the world.
Now it’s time to redirect marketing and company efforts so they are in line with your category POV and growth goals. We call it a Category Launch. It consists of two areas of work: Inside the company and out in the world.
Of course the details of your specific Ass-Kicking List may vary, but the broad strokes apply to everyone: Set your goals. Know the customer. Define your category. Tell the world.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com. And if you'd like help creating and owning your category, let's chat. Just head over to our website and click Contact.
Category First is a podcast by Josh Lowman, Founder of Gold Front, the world's first and only category design studio. Here's why you should listen.
In this episode…
We're launching a podcast, newsletter, and blog for category creators. Find out why we're going all in on category design, and why we created Category First. Here's a quote from Josh:
“Founders are taught that category creation is too hard to do. It’s crazy to me because every founder I know dreams of doing something big."
Why Become a Category Creator?
- You'll capture more of the profits of your category
- You'll be the category leader on Day 1
- You'll define how the category works, now and forever
Category is important because it’s how our minds make buying decisions, even before brand. First you think "I need a new car," then "I'll get a sedan," and only then would you think about which brand to buy.
Why A Category Design Studio?
There are a few good category design consultancies out there, like Play Bigger, that focus on category strategy. There are also great brand studios.
We’re the first to combine both under one roof.
This solves a big problem for startups: no longer do you have to hire a brand studio that doesn't understand your big ambitions to lead a category. We get you, and we do both!
Why the Podcast?
There’s an urgent need for category design in the startup world. These ideas have the power to not only help startups grow, but become more purpose-driven.
This podcast exists to fight the idea of good enough.
We’ll deliver knowledge, advice, and moral support to category creators everywhere.
We’re going to pull back the curtain on what we do at Gold Front and share the tools, ideas, and principles we use to do strategy and design so you can apply them to your company and dream big.
Want to Learn More?
Sign up for our newsletter at goldfront.com/categoryfirst, and see our category design and brand work at goldfront.com.