ShiftLeft

Helping ShiftLeft redefine B2B SaaS marketing positioning and transformed their client into an AI innovation partner

Role: UX Designer & Brand Strategy Intern

Tools: Figma, Adobe Suite

Used with permission. ©ShiftLeft, LLC. 2023

Timeline: May 2024 - August 2024

Team: Anwesa Chatterjee & Deepti Illa

overview

my approach

Created a comprehensive messaging framework targeting CMOs, VPs of Demand Gen, and Growth Marketing leaders at growth-stage B2B SaaS companies (100-500 employees, $50-200M ARR)

impact

overview

research

the process

impact

what i learned

I joined ShiftLeft, a B2B SaaS marketing agency, as a UX Designer and Brand Strategy Intern. I was tasked with positioning ShiftLeft as the go-to marketing partner for early-mid-stage B2B SaaS startups while delivering strategic repositioning for a key client. I shaped clear narratives and crafted messaging that resonates with users. I also worked with their key client, LenioLabs, to highlight their cutting-edge AI work.

Part 1: Giving ShiftLeft Its Edge

CHALLENGE

ShiftLeft needed to differentiate itself in the crowded B2B SaaS marketing space and establish credibility with C-suite executives at growth-stage startups. The company lacked a compelling pitch deck and cohesive website experience to convert prospects into clients

Developed core value proposition: "Elevate marketers into growth catalysts" to transform B2B marketers by championing customers early in their journey

Helped refine the ShiftLeft website with tighter UX and sharper messaging to make the value proposition clear from the moment someone landed on the site.

35% increase in inbound interest from target prospectives

40% increase in lead form conversions on redesigned website

Successfully established clear messaging targeting early to mid stage companies

Part 2: Repositioning LenioLabs, ShiftLeft’s Key Client, as an AI Innovation Parter

CHALLENGE

LenioLabs, a full-stack development agency, wanted to transition from being perceived as a traditional software development company to becoming an AI innovation partner. Despite having AI capabilities, they were struggling to communicate this expertise to potential clients

I analyzed AI outsourcing market trends and found:

  • Identified critical market shifts:

    • Global AI investment could near $200 billion by 2025 (Goldman Sachs)

    • Software development outsourcing will dramatically increase by 70% between 2022 and 2023

    • 21% of businesses are using nearshoring in 2023, and Latin America is experiencing 161% increase in foreign hiring

Using my research, as well as talking to several people who work in the tech industry, I created user personas:

I began by brainstorming the key strengths of LenioLabs to establish the foundation for its positioning:

  1. Mastery of Front-end and Back-end Languages → Expertise across React, Angular, Vue, Java, Python, Node, Ruby, serverless AWS/GCP/Azure

  2. AI-Driven Solutions → Proficiency in LLMs integrations, RAG architectures, embeddings, vector databases, RNN, sentiment analysis, risk detection, custom speech recognition, OCR, time series analysis

  3. Empowering Innovation → Upgrade enterprise architecture, develop data architecture for quality data access, create cross-functional AI platform teams

  4. Seamless Collaboration → Nearshoring partner working in client timezones, bridging gap between ideas and implementation

  5. Customized Solutions → Customer-centric approach with flexible, rapid staffing ensuring quick team ramp-up, SOC2 compliant

The Campaign Plan: October-December 2024

For Social:

  • LinkedIn campaign targeting IT and Engineering leaders

  • Promoted LinkedIn Live sessions and high-value content

  • Social posts highlighting: #FullStackMagic, #AIWizardry, #TechRevolution, #CollaborativeTech, #TailoredTech

For Content:

  • eBook: "Success Stories: How LenioLabs Full Stack and AI Transformed Businesses Like Yours."

  • Featured real case studies from PayPal, SAP, and TriNet to serve as proof points

  • Positioned as lead gen gold

For Web:

  • Interactive GIFs where the languages in “From” and “To” change. For example, FrontEnd to BackEnd with the languages changing, such as “From React to Python, and everything in between”

  • Add an AI landing page that includes capabilities and projects to highlight

For Events:

  • December webinar with industry expert Mark Woodward

    • Topics: "The Future of Full-Stack Development" and "Unlocking AI Architecture"

    • Promoted across every channel

3x increase in AI-qualified project leads

Enabled premium pricing for AI-specific engagements

Strengthened competitive differentiation in the nearshoring market

This internship changed my perspective on marketing. I used to view it solely as the "creative" function: making things look pretty, writing compelling copy, running campaigns. Now, I understand that effective marketing is strategic. It involves comprehending market dynamics, buyer psychology, and competitive positioning and translating that into campaigns that drive real business outcomes.

For example, seeing LenioLabs' 3x lead increase showed that their brilliant engineering team was finally getting the recognition and opportunities they deserved. Watching ShiftLeft's founders use the "Discover Your Edge" deck to secure meetings with CMOs they'd been chasing for months was the kind of tangible impact that made me excited to go to work.

But more than the results, I realized that this is exactly the kind of work I want to do, research-driven strategy that transforms how businesses show up in the market and resonate with human beings trying to solve real problems.