#252 Category Creation | Dave is joined by Josh Lowman, Founder and Creative Director of Gold Front, a category design studio that’s worked with brands like Uber, Notion, and Qualtrics. Josh is a leading voice in strategic brand positioning and category creation. He’s spent over a decade helping high-growth B2B companies define what makes them irreplaceable in crowded markets.
Dave and Josh cover:
Why most category creation efforts fail (and what to do instead)
The four real paths to category leadership: create, transform, niche, or go solo
How B2B marketers can align product, brand, and messaging around a single strategy to stand out and scale
Whether you're launching a new product or repositioning an existing one, this episode is a masterclass in strategic clarity.
Timestamps
(00:00) – Intro
(02:38) – Josh’s backstory and founding Gold Front
(05:53) – How Gold Front became a category design studio
(08:08) – What “category creation” really means
(11:23) – Why being irreplaceable is the real goal
(14:28) – The four paths to category leadership
(18:13) – Why Drift didn’t succeed in creating a true category
(22:08) – Clay and Notion as category-of-one examples
(24:58) – Marketing vs. actual customer perception
(28:23) – Can Exit Five be more than the “Dave Gerhardt community”?
(31:18) – How to scale brand DNA beyond the founder
(34:08) – Defining Exit Five’s ethos as a company
(36:28) – Strategy as a company-wide unifier
(39:18) – Advice for CMOs on driving strategy with CEOs
(41:53) – Why strategy is always the root cause
(43:23) – Vibe marketing and the rise of right-brain thinking
(46:08) – Josh’s mental health journey and long-term therapy
(49:38) – LinkedIn, self-worth, and staying grounded
(52:08) – Weightlifting, discipline, and mental clarity
(55:08) – Daily habits that improve mindset
(58:23) – What 30 days of silent meditation does to your brain
(01:03:08) – Final thoughts on presence, self-work, and leadership
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What is B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt?
Dave Gerhardt (Founder of Exit Five, former CMO) and guests help you grow your career in B2B marketing. Episodes include conversations with CMOs, marketing leaders, and subject matter experts across all aspects of modern B2B marketing: planning, strategy, operations, ABM, demand gen., product marketing, brand, content, social media, and more. Join 5,000+ members in our private community at exitfive.com.
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