A more effective mental model than PLG vs. SLG is analyzing which activities create new demand versus which ones harvest existing demand. Both sales and product can serve either function. Creating demand is always the harder, more critical challenge for any revenue engine.

The 'MQL death cycle' is over. Forward-thinking marketing organizations should align around Net Annual Recurring Revenue (Net ARR) as their ultimate measure of success. This metric, which combines new customer acquisition with retention, forces a focus on the entire customer lifecycle and proves marketing's contribution to sustainable business growth.

Metrics like "Marketing Qualified Lead" are meaningless to the customer. Instead, define key performance indicators around the value a customer receives. A good KPI answers the question: "Have we delivered enough value to convince them to keep going to the next stage?"

Data governance is often seen as a cost center. Reframe it as an enabler of revenue by showing how trusted, standardized data reduces the "idea to insight" cycle. This allows executives to make faster, more confident decisions that drive growth and secure buy-in.

To get buy-in for developer experience initiatives, don't use generic metrics. First, identify leadership's primary concerns—be it market share, profit margin, or velocity. Then, frame your measurements and impact using that specific language to ensure your work resonates.

Ditch MQLs. For sales-led motions, measure marketing on qualified pipeline (deals converting at >25%). For PLG motions, measure 'activated signups,' where users hit their 'aha moment.' This aligns marketing with quality and revenue, not volume.

Leaders often get paralyzed by GTM decisions, fearing system-wide consequences and accountability. The solution is to reframe decisions as temporary pilots. Instead of a full overhaul, test a new motion with a single Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), learn from it, and then iterate. This lowers the stakes and encourages action.

To bridge the communication gap with leadership, reframe common product metrics into financial terms. Instead of reporting daily active users (DAU), calculate and present average revenue per daily active user (ARPA-DAU). Similarly, frame quality initiatives not as ticket reduction but as operating expense (OPEX) savings.

Repositioning Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) from a purely financial ROI calculation to a measure of consumer response and brand health can secure broader organizational buy-in, especially from brand-focused teams.