The fog of organic growth (and how to fly through it)
Updated January 14, 2026
For years, “achieve organic growth” has been the mandate. I did the work. I executed. But organic reach is disappearing into a clickless web. What if organic growth was always the wrong goal?
The problem isn’t a lack of tactics. We don’t need another 100-page playbook. We need a diagnostic, a few essential questions that cut past tactics and help us to find the strategy that actually fits.
The Cost of Misalignment
The cost of getting this diagnosis wrong is immense. B2B service firms burning money on SEO strategies that attract students instead of CEOs. SaaS companies with a simple, transactional tool writing vague “thought leadership” about the future of their category, when their customers just want to know the price and if it integrates with Slack. Marketing misalignment is the single biggest source of wasted budget.
I developed the following tool for my practice to quickly evaluate the alignment between potential roles and clients. It’s my first-pass filter to determine if a business understands its own engine, or if it’s driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake.
Diagnostic Tool: Three Questions To Replace the Playbook
This three-question sequence will guide SaaS businesses to their ideal marketing playbook.
Question 1: Does your business model include both a self-serve/transactional motion and a high-touch/enterprise sales motion?
If yes: Your diagnosis is immediate. You are a hybrid. Your playbook is Full Theater Production.
If no: Your business has one dominant motion. Proceed to the next question.
Question 2: How do your ideal customers primarily discover and validate solutions?
Through direct channels like Google Search. They are actively looking for a known solution. Your playbook is The Stage Light.
Through reputation, peer recommendations, and expert content in the dark funnel. They need to trust you and your point of view. Proceed to the next question.
Question 3: What is your primary strategic position in the market?
A) You are the established market leader. Your goal is to defend your position by being the most comprehensive, stable, and trusted resource. Your playbook is The Lighthouse.
B) You are a challenger or disruptor. Your goal is to win by proving your new, provocative point of view is superior to the old way. Your playbook is The Catalyst.
Putting the Playbooks into Practice
STAGE LIGHT 🔦
A Stage Light’s job is to capture existing demand with precision. This strategy doesn’t rely on building a brand around a new philosophy but on being the most visible, trusted, and easy-to-use option for customers who are actively looking for a known solution. This is done through high-intent SEO, PPC, and aggressive conversion rate optimization—channels where you can most effectively capture buyers who are ready to act now.
Gusto is a perfect example. Their entire business is built to serve SMBs who are actively searching for payroll solutions. They win by dominating search results and converting that traffic with a seamless user experience.
CATALYST ⚡️
A Catalyst’s job is to create a new, provocative conversation. This strategy doesn’t rely on being the most visible on Google Search but on building a brand around a unique philosophy that challenges the status quo. This is done through podcasts, targeted social media, and expert commentary—channels where Catalysts are most likely to connect with new buyers in a crowded market.
For example, Refine Labs built their B2B firm on a provocative point of view about the “dark funnel,” using podcasts and LinkedIn to create a new market conversation instead of chasing existing search demand.
LIGHTHOUSE 💡
A Lighthouse’s job is to defend its position as an established market leader. This strategy doesn’t rely on being a disruptor but on being the most comprehensive, stable, and trusted resource in its category. This is done by creating a vast ecosystem of content, reports, and community platforms—channels where a market leader is most likely to reinforce its authority and answer every possible question for its diverse customer base.
Collibra, for example, acts as a Lighthouse, defending its position as a market leader with a comprehensive ecosystem of reports, community, and expert content.
FULL THEATER PRODUCTION 🎭
A Full Theater Production’s job is to run a complex, dual-engine growth model. This strategy operates two distinct sales motions at once: one for high-volume, transactional customers and another for high-touch, enterprise buyers. This is done by running a Stage Light engine (high-intent SEO and tutorials) to capture existing demand while simultaneously running a Lighthouse engine (executive-level thought leadership and polished case studies) to build trust and authority with enterprise clients.
Workato is the ideal Full Theater Production. They need a massive Stage Light engine with endless tutorials to attract developers, and a sophisticated Lighthouse strategy to sell massive automation contracts to CIOs.
The 4 P’s Are Your Diagnostic
In the fog of modern marketing, we’re obsessed with the fourth P: promotion. We chase new tactics and channels—AI, demand gen, organic growth—hoping to find a silver bullet. But the noise and complexity are the direct result of ignoring the three P’s that must come first.
The diagnostic doesn’t ask about your content calendar; it starts with product, price, and place. Get clear on those fundamentals, and the right promotion follows.
