Hey, I'm Obaid 👋🏼

Here's my journey, so far:

☎️ started off in sales, scaled a content writing company from $1.7M ARR to $7.2M ARR in 2 years (this was also my intro to content writing/SEO)

🎭 bootstrapped a 5-person content & animation team to $35k MRR, and edited 3,000+ blog posts, grew 6 websites to 150k+ in monthly search traffic, trained 40+ content marketers, wrote and directed 15 animated explainer videos, and closed $1M in sales along the way

💤 got bored of that side of content marketing (I didn't it find it challenging anymore nor was I learning anything new), so I moved on from running an agency in late 2021, gradually quit all my writing gigs, and began transitioning to demand gen

🎨 started posting more on LinkedIn in March 2022, began exploring new marketing concepts, and creating a variety of content (marketing music, marketing/gaming content, skits, etc.) that got some traction

📚 created a framework that grew a marketing agency's LinkedIn presence (872% increase in views, 917% increase in likes, 104% increase in shares, 64% increase in followers, and $274k in new MRR) in 4 months

🎮 started a podcast called Cheat Codes (which became one of the top 20% most-shared podcasts in the world) and co-created The Easy Mode Framework, which helps B2B SaaS companies turn their in-house marketing team into creators & establish a content engine built on their company's goals, narrative, product, and audience

🎯 implemented the Easy Mode framework at Cognism over a 4-month period, helping them craft a strategic narrative, ideate and create a wide variety of content, and refine their content engine (Alice de Courcy, their CMO, wrote a book and talked about me in it, FTW)

🔮 started 2023 tired of jumping around from place to place all of 2022 (and having stumbled upon something I really enjoyed doing with the Easy Mode framework), I took a break from job hunting, deciding I'd choose what kind of work I did and which companies I worked with from that point on

🐐 after a 3-month break and passing on a few companies, I was convinced by Emir Atli to join HockeyStack as their first full-time marketer in March 2023, and it's been the perfect place for me to learn, experiment, and make an impact

I'm a life-long fan of music, anime, the Philadelphia Eagles, and my wife and kids.

Feel free to connect if you want to talk about HockeyStack, The Flow, marketing, design, consultation, video games, or space. ✌🏼

Obaid Durrani

Founder & Creative Director

Helping B2B SaaS companies increase ARR through strategic media engines

Hey, I'm Obaid 👋🏼

Here's my journey, so far:

☎️ started off in sales, scaled a content writing company from $1.7M ARR to $7.2M ARR in 2 years (this was also my intro to content writing/SEO)

🎭 bootstrapped a 5-person content & animation team to $35k MRR, and edited 3,000+ blog posts, grew 10+ websites to 150k+ in monthly search traffic, trained 40+ content marketers, wrote and directed 30 animated explainer videos, and closed $1M in sales along the way

💤 COVID hit, the world changed, so I moved on from running an agency in late 2021, gradually quit all my writing gigs, and began focusing on learning B2B GTM 

🎨 started posting more on LinkedIn in March 2022, began exploring new marketing concepts, and creating a variety of content (marketing music, marketing/gaming content, skits, etc.) that got some traction

📚 created a framework that grew a marketing agency's LinkedIn presence (872% increase in views, 917% increase in likes, 104% increase in shares, 64% increase in followers, and $274k in new MRR) in 4 months

🎮 started a podcast called Cheat Codes (which became one of the top 20% most-shared podcasts in the world) and co-created The Easy Mode Framework, which helps B2B SaaS companies turn their in-house marketing team into creators & establish a content engine built on their company's goals, narrative, product, and audience

🎯 implemented the Easy Mode framework at Cognism (their CMO Alice de Courcy wrote two books and talked about me in them, FTW), and parts of the framework at Meta. The Easy Mode Framework is now being used by 20+ B2B SaaS companies, such as Intercom, Directus, and more

🔮 started 2023 tired of jumping around from place to place all of 2022 (and having stumbled upon something I really enjoyed doing with the Easy Mode framework), I took a break from job hunting, deciding I'd choose what kind of work I did and which companies I worked with from that point on

🚀 after a 3-month break and passing on a few companies, I joined HockeyStack as their first and only marketer in March 2023. I created a media engine from scratch that drove millions in pipeline and resulted in the company growing from 0 to 7 figures by December 2023

✈️ in Dec 2023, I moved back to the US and in March 2023, moved on from my role at HockeyStack

🏔 after taking some time off and settling down in Colorado, I joined Clay to help build out their influencer marketing program

I'm a life-long fan of music, anime, the Philadelphia Eagles, and my wife and kids.

Feel free to connect if you want to talk marketing, video games, or space. ✌🏼

Creator Advisor

Cognism on Easy Mode.

"IF I WAS THE HEAD OF MARKETING AT A $70M+ ARR COMPANY, HERE'S-"

but you're not

are you?

so i dont wanna hear it

Chicago Teachers Union

Built PR strategy for:

2024 contract campaign,

Strike at Instituto Charter Schools,

The launch of member contract negotiations, 

Newcomer support at Sustainable Community Schools, 

March 2024 Primary Election, 

General rapid response PR strategy,

Talking point development, opposition research, digital and PR strategy audit, video planning.

Communications Specialist

Movements

Created “Narrative Shift for Organizers” trainings and workshop,

Generated tens of thousands of dollars in earned media for clients including Antonio Daza for Georgia, Chicago aldermanic candidates, Haymarket Books, the Tenant Education Network, and other local Chicago organizing groups.  

Organizers have described my training as "the only communications I've ever seen with a power analysis."

My experience includes developing and executing technology training (from VAN to TikTok), writing explainers for organizing and civic groups about municipal policy, and creating multichannel digital strategy with a power analysis.

Communications for Organizers

ONENorthside

I managed ONE Northside's communication strategy.

In 2018 I doubled strategic earned media coverage of our campaigns (in top tier Chicago media) and added 400+ people to our email list through communications work.

To me, communications strategy means narrative shift goals (how are people talking about our work?) and absorption goals (are people coming into the organization?). 

I train and support organizers in creating strong communications strategy and run crisis/rapid response communications.

I also support our communications committee, a group of 7 members building their movement storytelling skills and the organization's communications plan. 

Our training program includes: This includes: how to be a good media spokesperson, how to use social media to achieve their goals, and how to create a frame and message for a campaign as a team. 

ONE Northside is a community organizing group on the North Side of Chicago. 'Community organizing' means we believe everyday people make political change. We focus on affordable housing issues, from helping people facing eviction organize a tenants union to lifting the Illinois ban on rent control.

Communications Strategist

City Bureau

Fellow

Social Movement Technologies

Created two new trainings: "Snapchat for Organizers," (200+ attendees) and "Digital Security 101 for Organizers," a four part series. 

Supported grassroots groups in building a Twitter, email, website, and digital security strategy tailored to their organization's strengths and weaknesses.

A movement partner providing organizing strategy, training and campaign support to build progressive power in the digital age.

Campaigner

GetEQUAL

Built communications plan for 4 campaigns designed to move the LGBTQ towards a vision of racial, social, and economic justice. This included "Prisons Out of Pride," a campaign to expose companies that fund LGBTQ Pride events that also fund private prisons, like Wells Fargo. 

Managed and produced content for social media, ran press for actions, and wrote and edited opinion pieces related to GetEQUAL's religious discrimination, immigration, and anti-criminalization campaigns.

Developed relationships with reporters, pitching staff expertise and angles aligned with our messaging.

Digital Communications Coordinator

Food Research and Action Center

Conducted survey of state agencies regarding the implementation of the Afterschool Meal Program.

+ Facilitated meetings between state administrators and program sponsors and advocated for changes to the Afterschool Meal Program's administration in Maine.

+ Created an implementation toolkit for after school programs interested in the Afterschool Meals Program in Maine.

Emerson Congressional Hunger Fellow

PolicyMic

Pitched stories, wrote stories on call specifically relating to labor, antipoverty, LGBTQ issues, and social movements, with stories shared 700+ times.

Contributing Writer

I’m passionate about building content strategies for progressives that actually work.

taplio

The Battle

Obaid Durrani

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The Battle

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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);}Obaid Durrani's LinkedIn Performance

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