Alexander Estner

I help early-stage SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market foundation to grow from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀

3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU 👇
1️⃣ GTM Advisory - Work 1-on-1 with me in bi-weekly GTM sprints
2️⃣ GTM Audit - Get a 360° assessment of your current GTM status quo + custom action plan
3️⃣ GTM Content - Bi-weekly newsletter +  Daily LinkedIn posts + Free GTM Library

P.S. You will find the links to all 3 in the featured section.

Among other things, I help you with:
👉 Creating your early/ideal customer profile (ICP)
👉 Working on positioning, messaging & value proposition 
👉 Choosing the right pricing for your business (pricing model, value metric & packaging)
👉 Implementing the right sales strategy (sales-led vs. product-led)
👉 Mastering 2-3 growth channels to continuously generate new deals/trials
👉 Setting up the right tech stack in sales, marketing & customer success
👉 Building your commercial teams.

Send me a DM on LinkedIn or book a free 15-minute intro call to learn more about my offering.

Startup Consultant for B2B SaaS

As a freelance startup consultant, I help early-stage B2B SaaS Startups quickly grow their business with a powerful Growth Strategy 🚀


I work on both, strategic and operational, levels and help you with the following topics.

► For Founders (Launch to Seed Stage):
- Clarify, validate and stress test your business idea
- Win first paying customers and kickstart growth for your SaaS
- Develop and implement a powerful B2B SaaS Growth strategy
- Find product-market fit and close your first funding (business angels & seed)

► For Startups (Seed to Series A Stage):
- Accelerate your growth to 5M€+ ARR
- Review or implement a powerful B2B SaaS growth strategy
- Optimization of direct & indirect growth channels
- Create a growth team mentality, track the right KPIs, and set OKRs

► For more information:
- check out my website (www.alexestner.com)
- subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter for founders & early-stage startups (https://startupbusinesstips.substack.com/)

► Interested?
- Send me a DM on Linkedin

Fundraising still costs founders 15–20 hours every week.
I partnered with Notion to drop the AI Fundraising Kit - a free stack to help startup founders raise with clarity and confidence.

After working with 30+ founders over the last 3 years, I kept hearing the same questions:

→ Which investors should we actually talk to?
→ What does a “good” pitch deck really look like?
→ How do we structure a proper data room?
→ How do we track investor conversations without chaos?

All this is covered in the AI Fundraising Kit.

What's inside 👇

1️⃣ Investor Database (10k+ profiles)
--> including 2000+ early-stage VCs, incubators, and accelerators

2️⃣ 50 real pitch decks
--> From YC, a16z, and Sequoia-backed startups

3️⃣ AI agents for fundraising
--> Ready-to-use Notion agent prompts for:
- creating pitch docs
- logging investor emails
- building a data room

4️⃣ Notion Data room template
→ A clean, investor-ready setup you can use instantly

Plus a big Bonus 💰

$50K+ in free AI tools (Notion, v0, Supabase...):
▫️ 1 Year Framer
▫️ $60 in v0 by Vercel (frontend)
▫️ $300 from Supabase (backend)
▫️ Up to 6 months of Notion Business with AI (run your startup)

If you’re fundraising now, or planning to soon, this saves weeks of work.

👉 You can access your AI Fundraising Kit here: https://lnkd.in/e4zYDVCe

(It’s free — and yes, I’d grab it before that changes.)

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Newsletter

Join 4500+ SaaS Leaders and get actionable content in your inbox: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/saas-gtm-foundation

GTM Foundation

Build your GTM foundation: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/saas-gtm-foundation

Listen to Podcast

Listen to the podcast episode on the 3 stages to 1€ million ARR: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s6e18-the-3-step-gtm-playbook-to-grow-your-saas-from/id1670431932?i=1000713247114

Sales Deck

Build your sales deck with my free sales deck template: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/high-converting-sales-deck

Vetted Tools

Vetted Partners

SaaS GTM Guides

https://www.alexestner.com/#Best-SaaS-GTM-Guides

14 actionable CRM tactics

SaaS Homepage

https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/saas-homepage-copywriting-guide

Founder Brand on LinkedIn

https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/founder-led-linkedin-guide

Customer Success into Referrals

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexander-estner_how-moritz-weiss-turned-customer-success-activity-7327573567070420992-DkSk?

GTM Audit

https://alexander-estner.webflow.io/services/gtm-advisory#Pricing-Table

ECP to ICP Guide

https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/analyze-your-icp

SaaS Vetted Tools

👇GTM templates: https://www.alexestner.com/gtm-templates

360 GTM Audit

https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/360-saas-gtm-audit

SaaS Pricing Page Guide

Ultimate SaaS Pricing Page Guide: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/saas-pricing-page

Nocodefounders Newsletter

Read the full article on: https://nocodefounders.beehiiv.com/p/how-to-build-a-strong-gtm-foundation-0-to-1m-arr

6 founders sharing insights

Hear all 6 founders sharing their tips & mistakes: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/6-founders-insights

Experts Tips

📌 From 0 to €1M ARR: 17 Expert Tips Every Founder Should Know: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/17-experts-best-tips

MRRUnlocked Signup

Sign up on mrrunlocked.com to get all tips delivered in your inbox (+ 50+ GTM infographics for free).

LinkedIn Playbook

📌 Get the Founder + Team LinkedIn Playbook for free: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/founder-linkedin-playbook

6 GTM problems

📌 Full breakdown of the 6 GTM problems that keep repeating: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/the-6-gtm-problems

Homepage Teardown

📌 Homepage Teardown of 6 Top SaaS/AI companies: https://www.mrrunlocked.com/p/homepage-teardowns-what-6-top-saas

Digital Nudging: User Experience positiv beeinflussen

Climate Change, Risks and Challenges

Digital Advertising

The Complete Digital Marketing Course

'Hands-on’ GTM Advisor || I help SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market and go from €0 to €1 million ARR with less trial & error || Join 4000+ SaaS leaders & get my free SaaS GTM tactics in your inbox👇

I help early-stage SaaS founders build & execute their Go-to-market and quickly go from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀

3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU
1️⃣ GTM advisory - Work with me 1-on-1 in weekly or bi-weekly deep-dive working sessions to build and execute your powerful GTM strategy.
2️⃣ List of 90+ actionable SaaS Growth Tactics and Free SaaS Growth Strategy Worksheet (Links are in the Highlight section).
3️⃣ Free actionable SaaS growth tips: Daily on LinkedIn and bi-weekly in my newsletter (read by 2300+ SaaS leaders)

Bonus: Sponsor my newsletter & reach 2300+ early-stage SaaS founders/leaders/decision makers.

Among other things, I help you with:
- Creating your ideal customer profile (ICP)
- Working on positioning, messaging & value proposition 
- Choosing the right pricing for your business (pricing model, value metric & packaging)
- Implementing the right sales strategy (sales-led vs. product-led)
- Mastering 2-3 growth channels to continuously generate new deals or/and trials
- Setting up the right tech stack in sales, marketing & customer success
- Building your commercial teams.

Send me a DM on Linkedin or book a free 15min virtual coffee to learn more about my offering.

------------
ABOUT ME:

Hi, I'm Alexander Estner - but please just call me Alex.

I'm based in Munich, Germany 🇩🇪 and I've spent my whole career in the startup environment with now more than 10 years of experience in SaaS and marketplaces from being the first commercial employee of a fast-growing SaaS-enabled-marketplace to being a Co-founder of a SaaS startup and now supporting other early-stage founders on their journey from pre-revenue to the first €1 million ARR.

Over the last 2 years, I've helped 25+ SaaS companies grow their business faster with a powerful GTM strategy - as a growth advisor, consultant, or interim manager.

What I care about: 

- Brainstorming new business ideas 💡
- Sustainability, healthy food, and barista coffee ☕.
- Traveling, well-being, and all kinds of sports like skiing, beach volleyball, yoga, and fitness 🧘‍♂️
- Books & podcasts about startups, leadership, personal development, & positive mindset 📚

------------
💡 Currently getting inspired for a new startup

Go-to-market in 2024 is tough.

My best SaaS GTM Guides help you master GTM in 2024.

1️⃣ The Ultimate Ideal Customer Profile Framework
2️⃣ The Ultimate SaaS Messaging Framework
3️⃣ High-converting SaaS Homepage template
4️⃣ The perfect Sales Deck template
5️⃣ The Ultimate SaaS Pricing Guide
6️⃣ The Best Outbound Tech Stack for SaaS
7️⃣ The Ultimate Content Marketing Guide for SaaS

The 7 Best SaaS GTM Guides 2024

The free Workbook helped 3000+ SaaS leaders build their SaaS GTM Strategy.

The Ultimate SaaS GTM Strategy Workbook [Free]

Grow faster from 0€ to 3€ million ARR with 100+ actionable & proven SaaS Growth Tactics (helped 200+ SaaS leaders)

100+ actionable SaaS growth tactics

Get weekly 3 actionable SaaS GTM strategies and tactics to grow your B2B SaaS business from €0 to €1 million ARR 🚀.

MRR Unlocked 🚀 | Alexander Estner | Substack

RevGenius is a group of revenue-generating sales and marketing professionals brought together to learn, share, support, and grow with each other. You can consider us your alt work family!

The Mentoring Club is a pro bono platform where mentors and mentees meet and can schedule mentoring sessions. You can schedule a free mentoring session with me here: https://www.mentoring-club.com/the-mentors/alexander-estner

Notion

Helping SaaS & AI founders build and execute their GTM foundation to grow from €0 to €1 million ARR with less trial and error | ‘Hands-on’ GTM Advisor👇

Tactics are great, but only if you have a strong GTM foundation.

When I work with founders on their way to 1€ million ARR,

we usually start building the foundation.

This includes:

Clarity...

1️⃣ on who you target (ICP)

Focus is key here. You can't afford having 2+ ICPs.

Every segment requires a different motion.

2️⃣ on what your product is and how it's different

This is your positioning anchor.

You can lead with a product category (e.g. CRM tool) or a usecase (sending SMS to clients).

This helps prospets to understand for what they need your product.

Once this is clear, you can add your differentiator (against the dominant status quo).

This might be: niche, unique feature, lite, premium...

3️⃣ on how to communicate this

This is your messaging. Your words need to resonate with your buyer.

Your website, demos, emails, sales decks, case studies all need to be aligned.

They become your core GTM assets that align your ICP, positioning & messaging.

4️⃣ on your GTM motion

Are you self-service / product-led or grow via demos (sales led).

You can't run both in parallel (too early). 

So your market, ICP and pricing defines your GTM motion. 

5️⃣ Pricing

In this phase, pricing is less about 'profit hacking' and more about willigness to pay.

You should treat pricing iterative. Key is to find the right value metric.

Build your pricing tiers (packaging).

The more clarity you have on these, the easier becomes the execution.

This includes choosing the right GTM channels.

👉 Which part needs most of your attention?

📌 P.S. Send me a DM if you want the full GTM foundation guide.

I’ve done 15+ GTM audits across:

different markets
different ACVs
different stages (0€–1M ARR)

The problems repeat.

The 6 repeating GTM problems I see.

1️⃣ ICP is defined, but not enforced

2️⃣ Positioning lacks a clear anchor

3️⃣ Sales demos are product tours

4️⃣ No clearly defined sales process

5️⃣ GTM assets are too generic

6️⃣ Content without strategy

Not because founders don’t work hard.
But because GTM is treated as disconnected tasks.

Not as a system.

👇 Which GTM area feels most fragmented for you right now? 

--- 
📌 Full breakdown of The 6 GTM Problems That Keep Repeating in the latest MRR Unlocked newsletter (link in comments).

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as GTM Advisor!

I'm deeply impressed what Yanick Frehner Ingmar Feldhoff Ramon Vorich Otto Attila Jonathan V. and the team achieved within a few months.

In November, I did a GTM audit for them.

They were doing already quite good.

But I uncovered a few areas that need their attention.
Since then, they executed crazy fast 🔥 

And now we decided to work together for the next months.

Excited about what the next months will bring together.

Co-Founder & CEO @ Leto GmbH | AI-Powered Automation | Zukunft der Arbeit gestalten

Vertriebsleiter | Leto AI | KI-gestützte Automatisierung für mehr Produktivität & Wachstum

CMO @ Leto AI

AI driven - PHP & Laravel Developer | Fullstack

I believe every B2B SaaS company has its own 'sales process'
So it's not about copying THE one.

But what you need to do is define your 'sales process'.

If you don't know what your sales process looks like,
you can't guide your prospects from first touchpoint to closing.

No need to overengineer too early.

Define:

✅ What is your primary CTA

--> Do you want them to book a call? Or do a free trial?

✅ What happens in the first call?

--> Is is a short discovery call? or already a demo?

✅ What defines a qualified lead?

--> What are your criteria for a MQL and SQL.

✅ When do you open a deal in your CRM?

--> Clear entry criteria

✅ What are the next steps after the call?

--> Do you do a technical deep dive? or a trial phase?

✅ What happens after closed won?

--> How do you handle the onboarding?

✅ How do you work with existing customers?

--> Monitor churn alerts? Identify expansion potential? 

Write down the steps your ICP take. 

👇 How is your sales process?

Over the last few months, I’ve done over 15 GTM audits across various B2B SaaS companies.

Different markets.
Different ACVs.
Different stages (all between 0€ and 1€ million ARR).

Yet the same GTM problems keep showing up.

Not because founders are sloppy.
Not because the product is bad.
Not because they don’t execute fast enough.

But because GTM is treated as a collection of independent activities, not a system.

Which is why many founders feel busy, ship constantly, and still struggle to create momentum.

Here are the 6 GTM mistakes I see over and over again.

👇 What GTM problem do you see?

---
📌 Yesterday, the first mrrunlocked.com newsletter episode went live, where we deep-dived into these 6 GTM problems. Link to the episode is in the comments.

I teamed up with web-design expert Maximilian Fleitmann for a teardown of  6 fast-growing SaaS and AI companies.

We reviewed Attio, Clay, Jimo, Fin AI, Sastrify, and introw.io.

We broke down
✅ what works
⛔ what doesn’t, 
🔥 and what we’d change immediately, 

turning all insights into a practical Figma file with concrete comments you can directly apply to your own homepage.

Comment 'teardown' to get the homepage teardown.

One of those bittersweet solopreneur moments today.

After 12 months of working closely together, my content freelancer Himani Sheth decided to take a full-time role.

And honestly?
I’m very happy for her.
And also... a little sad.

Over the last year, she helped me with:

--> My LinkedIn content

--> The mrrunlocked newsletter episodes

--> Getting sponsors

--> And a lot of behind-the-scenes work that most people never see

What I loved most about our journey:

In September 2024, she just reached out.
No pitch deck. No fancy intro.

She said:

“I’ve learned a lot from your content and would love to work with you.”

I checked her grid.
It impressed me.

We jumped on a few calls, aligned on expectations, and decided it was a good fit.

The rest is history.

This is also a reminder:
👉 Sometimes the best collaborations don’t come from job posts
👉 They come from people who already care about your work

Now, I’m looking for someone who can replace her.

Which, of course, is not really possible 🙂

But if you:

--> Love writing (LinkedIn + long form guides)

--> Care deeply about quality

--> And enjoy working closely with a solopreneur

Feel free to reach out (or tag someone great).

And to Himani:
Thank you for everything and good luck in your next chapter. 
You’ve earned it ❤️

Content marketing for B2B founders and solopreneurs | Influencer Marketing | Ex- VC

We all know competitor comparison pages, but CloudTalk is the only one I saw doing this on their homepage.

In crowded markets, Buyers evaluate different vendors.
You will NOT be the only one they check out.

So this is your chance to add your POV.

If you don't, someone else will do it.

And a very common way to do so is to have dedicated landing pages for competitor comparisons.

Either visible on the website footer.
Or completely hidden.

But I think if you know that buyers anyway compare you against your biggest competitors.

You can add them to your homepage.

I've seen Cloudtalk doing this.

And I think it's smart.

👇 What's your take?

P.S. If you want to learn how to position yourself against your competitors, send me a DM and I'll give you access to my new positioning&messaging framework.

graphical user interface, text, application, email

If you're SaaS/AI founder planning to launch new product pages on your website, we have something for you 👇

Quick reminder.

Your homepage is

❌ NOT a detailed page about how your product works.

❌ NOT a page purely on 1 specific use case or 1 specific feature.

Instead,

✅ That’s the job of product pages

Compared to your homepage, they come with a few benefits:

1️⃣ Homepage visitors find information that matches their specific needs quickly

2️⃣ Sales and support teams share more information about a specific feature in a snackable format

3️⃣ Search engines and LLMs understand the core capabilities of your product and recommend your tool in their answers.

You can have 3 different types of product pages:

1️⃣ Feature pages

2️⃣ Use-case pages

3️⃣ Customer segment pages (Persona/Teams, Company type, Industry pages)

Each of these pages has a slightly different focus.

✅ Feature pages and Use-case pages focus on ‘how it works’.

✅ Persona/Teams, company type, and industry pages focus on ‘Who it’s for and how this type of audience benefits from using the product’.

What are the best product pages you know?

---
P.S. If you want the 'Perfect Product Pages Guide', send me DM.

Everyone says you can't run a sales-led motion with <10k€ ACV

Unless you...

If you're a founder on the way from 0€ to your first 1-3€ million ARR, it can be fine to be sales-led. 

Because ACV alone is not an indicator if your motion is healthy or not.

At the end, you need to look at:

1️⃣ CAC payback period (fully loaded)

How long does it take you to make money (and recover your CACs).

At the early stage, I would say
🟠 Everything below 12 months is acceptable
🟢 Below 6 months is great.

This might look a bit different if you're bootstrapped.

2️⃣ ARR signed per AE

If you set healthy quotas (e.g. 4-6x on OTE), it can be fine to scale with 'more humans' - at least for the first 2-3 reps.

All this, of course, requires an efficient sales motion.

Win rates over 20%.
Sales cycles < 90 days
Mostly inbound-driven demos.

I'm not saying that PLG or sales-assisted PLG is wrong.

I just say that sales-led can still be okay if you're early.

What do you think?

If your GTM isn’t working, this might be why:

You never made a real positioning decision.

No clear:
• ICP
• category
• competitor set

And without that:
→ your content lacks edge
→ your LinkedIn profile is vague
→ your outreach doesn’t convert

Founders often say:
“I don’t want to be boxed in.”

Reality:
You’re already boxed in by indecision.

Positioning is a bet.
Execution is how you validate it.

Take the bet.
Then improve it.

P.S. I'm launching soon my new ICP & Positioning Framework. Want early access? Drop me a DM.

If you already know how to reach your first 1€ million ARR, these slides are NOT for you ⛔

GTM Foundation Infographics

Sometimes the best planning happens away from the laptop.
I unplugged for 2 weeks.
And it gave me absolute clarity on 2026.

I spent unplugged,
in nature, hiking, slowing down, and being fully present with my wife.

No notifications.
No endless tabs.
Just long walks and clear thoughts.

And while I disconnected from work...
I reconnected with direction.

I used that time to plan my 2026.

And one thing became very clear:

I don't want to add more.

But rather less. More focus.

👉 I’m doubling down on GTM Foundations for AI & SaaS founders.

Not hacks.
Not shiny growth tactics.
But the fundamentals that actually compound.

This means a stronger focus on:

--> Defining who your product is really for

--> Sharpening positioning & messaging that cuts through noise

--> Designing a GTM motion that fits your stage

A few things that are coming soon:

--> ICP Framework V2
--> Sales Demo Blueprint
--> Positioning Framework

More on this soon.

👇 What topics should I cover in 2026?

If you're doing product demos for your SaaS/AI, this one is for you.

Most B2B demos fail not because of the product,
but because the structure is weak.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been building something to fix exactly that:

👉 The B2B SaaS Sales Demo Toolbox

It includes:

1️⃣ Demo Structure (1-pager)
A clear, repeatable flow for strong demos:
Intro → Time Check → Agenda → Discovery → Buy-In Summary → Tailored Demo → Recap → Next Steps

2️⃣ Sales Demo Script
Ready-to-use blurbs for every step of the demo
(no more “uhm... so yeah” moments)

3️⃣ Demo Coaching Feedback Template
A simple way to give (or receive) structured, actionable feedback

4️⃣ 2-Minute Demo Video Script
Perfect if you want a short sales/demo video without overthinking it

I’ve already tested this with 10 SaaS & AI founders over the last weeks.

Right now, I’m opening early access:
✅ Free
🔒 In exchange for qualified feedback

Heads-up:
I plan to turn this into a €50+ product soon once it’s polished.

So this is likely the only time it’ll be available for free.

👉 Want early access?
Comment “Demo Toolbox” and I’ll send it over.
,

One of the biggest GTM mistakes I see founders make:

They wait for perfect data before positioning.

But positioning creates the data.

The moment you decide:
• “We help X”
• “With problem Y”
• “Instead of solution Z”

Suddenly:
→ lead lists get easier
→ your website writes itself
→ content ideas appear
→ competitor research makes sense

Yes, it’s a bet.
Yes, it might be wrong.

If your GTM feels stuck, ask yourself:
👉 “Where am I avoiding a clear bet?”

P.S. Drop me a DM if you want my new Positioning Framework.

Me: "We're working in 2-week GTM sprints"
Founder: "Okay, but what does that look like practically?"

Below you see a real example of a GTM sprint board with one of my clients (Thomas Moussafer  Andy M. ).

We usually use Notion for sprint planning.

And a very simple Kanban board.

To keep things organized, we use:
--> Backlog
--> Ideas for next sprint
--> This sprint planned
(here we add all the initiatives that we want to focus on in the next 2 weeks)
--> In progress
--> Done this sprint

Each Initiative comes with an owner, deadline and related topic cluster.

Within a card, we share:
- templates & best practices
- updates & drafts
- reviews

It's 100% not the most sophisticated project management ever.

But I am 100% convinced.
Keep things simple.
Clarity wins.

👇Let me know. Do you like more 'behind the scenes' content?

---
P.S. Want to improve your user onboarding? Check out Jimo

I’ve asked GTM advisor Björn W. Schäfer what founders misunderstand about ICP. Let’s hear his advice 👇

ICP clarity is not a workshop. It’s a discipline.

Most founders think they know their ICP once they hit early traction. They don’t. They just have a few happy customers.

Segment by outcome:
Who gets the fastest and most measurable ROI?

Look where deals close fastest, with the lowest discount and fastest time-to-value. That’s your real ICP.

Build an Anti-ICP list. Knowing who not to sell to saves massive effort.

👉 Want to hear 15 more expert tips. Read the latest MRR Unlocked episode. Link is in the comments.

One sprint item last week:

Launching evergreen signal-based outbound for my client Jimo

In 2026, I want to share more content about the actual work I do with the founders in my GTM advisory.

The core concept:
--> 2 week GTM sprints
--> Each sprint comes with 3-5 initiatives 

So one sprint item last week was to launch signal-based outreach campaigns.

Step 1 was to decide on the relevant signals.

In our case, we decided on 4 key signals:

--> Negative reviews on competitor tools
(they operate in a highly crowded red ocean)

--> Lookalike of happy customers
(reaching out to companies very similar to their happy customers)

--> Champion getting hired
(We know if they are hiring 'the champion role' the topic the tool helps fix is hot)

--> Website visitors
(proactively reaching out to ICP contacts that are visiting their website)

Step 2

Setting up the tracking of these signals. And pushing relevant leads to the outreach tool (this time GetSales.io - most of the time I recommend lemlist)

--> Snitcher for website visitor

--> manual g2, capterra research for negative reviews (any good tips to track these signals?)

--> LinkedIn job search for hiring (and using Cargo 🧱 to automate this)

--> Ocean.io for lookalike

Step 3 

Building a LinkedIn DM campaign with (2-4 DM) for each signal.

---
Evergreen signal-based outbound is one of 4 key initiatives that we bet on in Q1. 

👇What are your best signal-based outreach campaigns?

I like being a solopreneur.
I really do.

But liking it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Content, client work, sales calls, finance, launching new products...

Most days, it’s all on my plate.
You switch contexts constantly.
You make decisions alone.

And sometimes you just want to talk to someone who gets it.
That’s why I’m genuinely excited about the solopreneur event on May 8th.

A room full of people wearing the same hats,
dealing with similar challenges.

It's the first time this year. And I'm sure Stephanie Sgura and Christiana Kunzner-Brand will host a master event 🥳 

I’ll be there and share a lot of my learnings.

Who's joining me?

Helping Women in Tech 👩🏾‍💻 Build a Career & Business They Love | Ex-Fortune 100 Exec at Google & LinkedIN | 15,000+ workers coached |

My passion for people runs deep.
I’ve coached over 15,000 women at Google
through a program that continues to empower talent today! 

Guiding the next generation to step into their potential isn’t just part of my work… 
It's my life’s mission.
I thrive in helping ambitious professionals make Quantum Shifts in their career,
especially in an AI-driven world.

If you have an opportunity where you're looking: 
- to achieve a career pivot
- to find a new job
- to gain sought after skillsets
- to get ahead in your career
- to learn to navigate corporate systems 
- to start or scale your side business
contact me.

I've coached people at Accenture, Delta, Mastercard, Barclays, Deloitte, Google, Linkedin, entrepreneurs and many more.

If you aspire to transform yourself into a bold leader, discover my top 5% method below and APPLY NOW to explore what's next for you:
https://www.top5percentmethod.com/
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Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc

Not every season will feel magical.
Some are for shedding.
Some are for building.

I’ve lived through all of them:

•  The quiet season of healing
•  The grinding season of building
•  The rising season of growth
• The radiant season of blooming

Each one required a different kind of leadership.
A new mindset. 
A sharper plan.

Some seasons called for letting go.
Others demanded I roll up my sleeves,
be heads-down, 
put food on the table,
and get things done.

Wherever you are right now: know this👇🏽

No season lasts forever.
And no season is wasted if you act with intention.

Even if the current season seems heavy...
Know that the next season might feel lighter,
and it might even sweep you away!

Keep going, and know that:  
another season is on the way. 🩷 


🔁 Repost if someone in your network needs this reminder.
📣 Follow me Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc for grounded life, career & leadership insights.

Fortune 100 Revenue Leader | My Life Mission: Helping Women in Tech 👩🏾‍💻 Become more secure in their career | Ex-Google |

Moving across countries 13 years ago 
thought me one thing:
to let things go.

To start fresh.
To leave behind what no longer fit.
The extra luggages... the extra pairs of shoes... the mindset...
Growth demands release.

And the only thing more painful than growing?
Staying stuck at the same place when you know you were meant for more.

The caterpillar digests itself before it becomes a butterfly.
That’s how transformation works.
It’s messy, it's hard, it feels like you're chewing yourself up,
literally,
but it's always worth it.

Here’s what’s helped me grow through the seasons:

1/ Be kind to yourself
This isn’t easy. You’re doing better than you think.

2/ Trust the process
Feeling lost is part of finding your true path. 

3/ Embrace the struggle
What’s hard today gets easier with time.

Max De Pree said:
“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.”

💬 What’s one thing that helped you grow? 
Drop it below.

📍 Need a growth system? Join The Top 5% Method® mindset tools sent biweekly.

♻️ Repost to help someone else grow.
🔔 Follow me (Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc) for biweekly mindset shifts.

Fortune 500 Revenue Leader | My Life Mission: Helping Women in Tech 👩🏾‍💻 Become more secure in their career | Ex-Google Exec |

I’ll always remember the leader who made me cry.

Not out of shame or ego, 
but because he cared enough to be honest.

He showed me what I couldn’t see...
Where I was holding back...
He put a mirror right in front of me.

That's the kind of leader you never forget.

The kind of leader:
• Who gives you a nudge, or a hug, at exactly the right time.
• Who sees something in you before you see it yourself.
• Who tells you the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.
• Who helps you believe in what you're capable of.
• Who reminds you who you are when you forget.

I’ll always remember the leader who made me cry.
because he cared enough to be honest.

He showed me what I wouldn’t see.
And what I could do if I chose better in the moment.

That conversation stuck with me. 
It changed how I show up: for myself and for others.

Now that the years have passed,
that a decade has vanished...
I still stand by the belief that:

People don’t just want to be managed.
They want to feel seen.

So the real question isn’t: Are you managing well?

 It is: Are you actually seeing your people?

If this hits home and you want more real talk on leadership, growth, and showing up at a higher level. I share it all in my newsletter: The Top 5% Method®

 ​📌 Here’s the link if you’re curious: https://lnkd.in/gX4mEkVA
🔁 Repost to remind leaders of what their mission is: changing people's lives.

A sign on a pink wall. It says: "People don't just want to be managed, they want to be seen. Katheline"

I have restarted multiple times.
Yes, that's true. 
It wasn't easy.  But I did it anyway. Here is why:

I’ve moved across countries.
Switched industries.
Shifted many different roles.

And every time I did... someone said:

“Are you sure?”
“You’re making the wrong decision.”
“Won’t that slow you down?”

But here’s what they didn’t see coming:  WHY I did it.

You don't get to the BE the best version of yourself by staying comfortable.
You can’t always break glass ceilings silently.

You break them by:
•  Speaking up, even when your voice shakes
•  Sharing your wins without apologizing
•  Refusing to wait for permission

I didn’t wait to be discovered.
I didn’t wait for a title to speak.
I didn’t play it small to stay safe.

I owned my voice.
I celebrated my wins.
I brought other people into the room with me.

Because this isn’t just about getting ahead,
It’s about creating your space to shine.

The difference it made:

•  My podcast ranked in Apple's top 200 in business for 6 months in a row.
•  Speaking on stages across Europe, the US, Canada and Africa.
•  Growing my following 4X to 37,000 on Linkedin in 8 months.
•  Paid consulting contracts to help others do the same.

All because, I built a brand authority that compounds over time.

It all started with one simple decision: TO START.

If you’re tired of being undervalued.
Let this be your sign.

You don’t need permission. 
You just need to START. 

I'm hosting a Masterclass on how to build a Brand Authority that compounds.

Join me on Tuesday February 3rd at 11am PDT/ 2pm EST.
👉🏽 Register now: https://luma.com/hviyhi21
👉🏽  Become more secure in your career: https://lnkd.in/gSjNSxT5


Now, tell me: What's one thing you can do today to stop playing small?

A woman in a podcasting studio with  a microphone. Her name is 
Katheline Jean-Pierre. The quote is: "
I didn’t wait to be discovered.
I didn’t wait for a title to speak.
I didn’t play it small to stay safe.

I owned my voice.
I celebrated my wins.
I brought other women
 into the room with me. "

The highest-paid women in tech aren't chasing credit.

They're building character
when nobody's looking.

While you're worried about who's noticing your work, they're focused on doing work worth noticing.

They understand compound character.

Every time you mentor someone without posting about it.
Every moment you choose integrity over image.
Every decision to do right instead of what's easy.

Yesss. It compounds.

That quiet consistency becomes your reputation.
That behind-the-scenes integrity becomes your brand.
That's when the invisible work becomes the foundation
for very visible opportunities.

The executives making promotion decisions watch the patterns.
They see who delivers without drama.
They notice who can be trusted with bigger challenges.

In a world obsessed with performance.
Start building who you are when cameras are off.
When the masks are off.
When there's no more pretending...

Ask yourself:  Would you still lead if no one knew your name?

It's often what separates the promoted from the passed over. The little extra things done when others are chasing credit.


📣 Follow me Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc for insights on advancing your tech career with integrity.
🔁 Repost to help others focus on substance over spotlight.

Fortune 500 Revenue Leader | My Life Mission: Helping Women in Tech 👩🏾‍💻 Become more secure in their career | Google Alum

Flop before you fly.

That's what 2025 thought me.

If you’re not willing to fall flat, 
your career likely won’t take off.
You’ll see progress. 
You’ll hit goals.

But you won’t grow in the ways that matter.
It’ll look like success.
It'll look GOOD...

But underneath, 
you’ll feel stuck, 
stifled. 
Off-course.

Real growth happens when you stop performing.
When you stop hiding what didn’t work.
When you study the moments that cracked your ego wide open.


That’s when things shift.

You stop chasing.
You start leading.

People don’t need the polished version of you.
They need the truth. 
Your TRUE self. 

That's right! 

The flops. 
The rebuilds.

Share them.
 
That’s how you build Brand Authority that actually leads.
That’s how you become someone worth learning from.

🟡 What’s one tip that helped you grow?
🔁 Repost to help people see flops as stepping stones in their career.

No alternative text description for this image

Thursday reality check: 
If you're busy but not winning, your system is broken. Not your effort. 
Steal these 4 time management techniques of top CEOs.

You say you don't have time... 
But often time isn't the problem,
awareness is,
focus is...

Here's your brutal time audit.
Time management is about doing what actually moves the needle.

What most people get wrong:
They stay busy, not productive.

Let’s fix that ⬇️

Time management Tip #1:  Eat That Ugly Frog
↳ Do the hardest task first
↳ Build unstoppable momentum

Time management Tip #2:  The Pomodoro Technique (It's classic & effective!)
↳ 50 mins deep work
↳ 10 mins recharge
↳ Work smarter, not longer

Time management Tip #3:   80/20 Rule (I live by this rule for everything!)
↳ 80% results come from 20% of tasks
↳ Identify. Prioritize. Execute.

Time management Tip #4:   2-Minute Rule (The no non-sense rule)
↳ Small tasks? Do them now.
↳ Don’t let tiny things pile up.

You don’t need more hours in a day.
You need fewer distractions and sharper focus.

Master your time.  Master your results.

💾 Save this post.
♻️ Share to help your friends increase their productivity.
🔔 Follow me Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc for CEO-level productivity tips.

2024: Performance. Healing. Rest. 
2025: Standing up to everything inside and outside that wanted me small. 

2026: Dancing in the light.

Everyone asks me about my 2026 resolutions. 
I have just one word: Kanpe.
In Haitian Kreyòl, it means “to stand up” and "to rise".

But for us, it means so much more.

It’s the quiet power of resilience.
It’s standing tall in the face of hardship.
It’s dancing when the world wants to break you.

For me, 2025 wasn’t just about building a business.

 It was about standing up:
To the fear.
To the noise.
To the voices inside and outside that wanted me small.

2024 was a year of Performance. 
Healing. 
and Rest. 
Stepping onto global stages in Europe and Africa.
talking growth, AI, and careers.

But 2025?
It was heads-down.
Stepping fully into my purpose.
Coaching women, mentoring minorities, guiding those looking for their voice. Looking to build their brand authority.
Owning mine alongside them.

Oftentimes, it looked like working from home in my PJs, 
toddler on hip,
or relocating twice in a year searching of my dream community. 
Finding my vibe. 
And quietly walking away from places, people, 
and relationships that no longer served me. 

No matter how loud their stories were.
No matter what masks they were wearing this time. 

My ancestors fought for freedom.
And in my own way, 
so did I.

I stood up to the forces,
internal and external 
that tried to dim my light.
And I chose to carry it anyway.
So no, I don’t have a long list of resolutions.

In 2026, I’ll be dancing in the light. 
Every. Single. Day.
Grateful for making it another day. 
Literally standing 'kanpe'
and stepping it up. 💃🏾

If you’re ready to claim your light.
🕯️Comment LIGHT below.

🔁 Repost to inspire others to fearlessly step into their power.

You're not really too busy, 
You're just misaligned with your priorities.
Today is your opportunity to take care of you.

This is your reminder to:

Go for a long walk in the sun
Get your workout in
Drink your glass of water
Take that nap
Stretch
Meditate for 5 minutes

You only get one body. 
One mind. 
One you.

And if you don’t self-care today, 
you’ll be forced to self-repair later.

This is your call to invest in you.

Start now.

🔁 More people need to see this, share it with your network.
📣 Follow me Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc for daily life inspiration.

image credit: Rob Dance

no one is too busy, it's just a matter of priorities. This is your reminder today to take care of you.

The women getting promoted 2.3x faster know something about themselves that you're still figuring out. 

You think you fail because of your willpower.
The reality is you fail because of your identity.

Who do you believe you are?

Who you think you are drives your performance.
It also drives your success.

That’s one clear insight in James Clear's book Atomic Habits. 

You win when you can change who you believe you are. 

Then, you can add all the systems, the rules and the outcomes tied to who you know yourself to be.

When identity changes, behavior can follow. Not the opposite.

What identity are you reinforcing with your habits right now?

♻️ Repost to help someone start their 2026 planning with the right approach. 
➕ Follow me Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc. I help women in tech gain insights on how to advance their career.

The best time to ask for a raise 
isn't at your annual review. 
It’s 48 hours after you made your boss look good to their boss.

 That’s the small window when you’re TOP OF MIND for them.  

This window of time is important, 
and as my kiddo says:
 It's "tiny tiny". 

This win is the "tiny tiny" window for you to ask for more.
...and the more you keep stacking these wins,  the more you can build your case for more...

Because in reality:
Your promotion might be delayed.  
But your raise doesn't have to be.

40% of companies now offer promotions without pay increases. 👀 
Which means you can negotiate a raise without the title.

Most professionals wait for their manager to bring it up.

The Top 5% creates the conditions that make "yes" inevitable.

Here are 6 simple ways to do it:

1/ Build your case 90 days early

Average: Asking during annual review with no prep
Top 5%: Tracking impact for 3 months before the ask

Document:
→ Revenue driven or protected
→ Costs reduced
→ Time saved
→ Problems solved outside your job description

"I improved morale" = nothing.
"I cut turnover by 40%, saving $180K in recruiting costs" = leverage.

2/ Time it right

Ask after:
→ A major win
→ You made your boss look good to their boss
→ Strong company earnings
→ During off-cycle reviews (62% of orgs now offer these)

Never ask during budget freezes or layoff rumors.

3/ Reframe it as market correction

Don't say: "I think I deserve more."
Say: "I'd like to discuss a market adjustment. My compensation doesn't reflect the level I'm delivering at."

You're not asking for a favor.
You're correcting a gap.

4/ Name the expanded scope

Your role grew. Your pay didn't.
Script: "When I started, I handled X. 
Now I'm doing X, Y, and Z. I want my comp to match the scope I'm already delivering."

This isn't "give me more for the same work."
This is "pay me fairly for the work that already changed."

5/ Give them a timeline

If budget is tight:

"I understand timing might be challenging. Can we set a date in 60 days to revisit? I'd like to know what I need to hit to make this happen."
Keeps it alive without the fight.

6/ Negotiate beyond base salary

Salary frozen?

Comp isn't just your base number. Ask for:
→ Professional development budget
→ Flex work arrangements
→ Performance bonus
→ Stock options
→ Extra PTO

Your promotion might take 18 months.
BUT your comp conversation can happen in 18 days.

If you wait for your company to value you, you'll be waiting a long time. Think about a 5 year old who says - impatiently: "Are we there yet?" It's all encompassing, all demanding and unmissable...  That's the energy you will need to stay top of mind and become unmissable.


📩 Ready to stop waiting? Join the Top 5% Method® Career Accelerator cohort starting Feb 5th https://lnkd.in/gSjNSxT5

♻️ Repost to help someone get paid what they're worth.

"I never thought it was possible."

"I was completely overwhelmed."

Meet Paola: Digital marketing manager who was looking to successfully pivot in her career.

In a few weeks in the top 5% career accelerator program, she went from feeling overwhelmed to being offered the role she was targeting at Accenture. 

Listen to her story below.

➝ If you are ready to create the next level version in your career, apply to join the waitlist today: https://lnkd.in/dfk8B-WT

📅 Next cohort starts in February 2026: https://lnkd.in/gSjNSxT5

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Alexander Estner

Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc

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The Battle

Alexander Estner

Katheline Jean-Pierre MSc

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Alexander Estner's LinkedIn Performance

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