Wes Bush wrote the original bestseller on Product-Led Growth—and then watched everyone try to copy Dropbox and Slack without truly getting it. Now, he’s here to break down exactly what goes wrong when early-stage founders jump into PLG, how to spot your product’s “million-dollar free problem,” and how to fix the three biggest onboarding gaps that sabotage new users.

He’ll show you why some sales-led companies die when they try freemium, how to carve out a simpler “first strike” moment, and the reason you need bumpers (like an onboarding checklist) to guide people to success. If you’re still using the “Request a Demo” button, this episode could totally transform your approach and give you a self-serve funnel that scales faster than any sales deck ever could.

Why You Should Listen

1. Make Users “Smell the Cologne” – Learn Wes’s approach for letting users experience the core value before they buy.

2. Turning Complex Setups into a No-Brainer – How to map out product, skill, and knowledge gaps so anyone can get started.

3. Bowling Alley Onboarding – A framework to slash unnecessary steps, guide users to that “aha” moment, and cut churn.

4. Freemium vs. Free Trial vs. Reverse Trial – How to pick the perfect model for your startup.

5. Sales-Led to Product-Led – Why some founders fight this shift, and how to pull it off without blowing up your funnel.

Keywords

Product-Led Growth, PLG Strategies, SaaS Onboarding, Freemium Model, Free Trial Optimization, User Adoption, Customer Success, B2B SaaS Growth, Onboarding Framework, Go-to-Market Tactics

Timestamp
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:27) What is Product Led Growth
(00:04:37) When to use PLG
(00:18:20) Why Simplicity is the key
(00:20:15) Wes's Favorite Case Study
(00:25:42) The Bowling Alley Framework for Onboarding
(00:31:02) Free Trials Must Have Progression
(00:36:28) Finding Those Ideal Limits on your Trials

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The secrets to mastering product-led growth. | Wes Bush, Author of the #1 Bestselling Book on Product-Led Growth

A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders