How a Solo Marketer Built 80% of Pipeline With ABM and Zero Ads (with Adam O’Brien from Stackpack) | Ep. 187

This is a podcast episode titled, How a Solo Marketer Built 80% of Pipeline With ABM and Zero Ads (with Adam O’Brien from Stackpack) | Ep. 187. The summary for this episode is: <p>What happens when you're a solo marketer in a red ocean—no budget, crowded market, and limited differentiation? If you're <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcobrien/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adam O’Brien</a>, you go scrappy and win. On this episode of <em>Scrappy ABM</em>, host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/masoncosby/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mason Cosby</a> sits down with Adam to unpack how he prioritized accounts, activated a lean channel mix, and built a brand in real time—all while leading marketing solo at a nonprofit-focused SaaS company.</p><p><br></p><p>From hijacking trade show audiences to building GPT-powered microsites, Adam shares how marketing created 80% of pipeline despite not sponsoring events, skipping ads, and selling in a highly relational, low-tech vertical. This isn’t theory—it’s the actual playbook, including failures, workarounds, and honest lessons from the field. If you're thinking about ABM but light on resources, this is your blueprint.</p><p><br></p><h3>👤 Guest Bio</h3><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcobrien/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adam O’Brien</a> is the Founding Marketer at <a href="https://www.stackpack.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stackpack</a> and co-host of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/63ATo6wy4r48HITzoDSurT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Don't Be a SaaS Podcast</a>. A product marketer at his core, Adam previously ran solo ABM programs targeting nonprofit organizations, leveraging deep persona research, manual sourcing, and creative content to build marketing-sourced pipeline from 0% to 80%.</p><p><br></p><h3>📌 What We Cover</h3><ul><li>Why the first step in ABM is always reviewing closed-won and closed-lost deals</li><li>How Adam narrowed targeting to 250 accounts per rep using public nonprofit data</li><li>The role of “mission sub-verticals” in fine-tuning outbound messaging</li><li>Why trade shows were targeted—but never sponsored</li><li>The “hijack the audience” strategy that replaced traditional event marketing</li><li>Building community with donation page “glow ups” instead of webinars</li><li>How a long ebook became a GPT tool—and why it drove 4–5x more traffic than the blog</li><li>Creating a branded microsite to unify all assets and track buyer intent</li><li>Why knowing your product market fit and messaging is non-negotiable for ABM</li><li>How product limitations and crowded competition created unexpected challenges</li><li>The critical importance of customer quotes, referrals, and reviews</li><li>Advice for marketers launching ABM without resources: start with product marketing</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>🔗 Resources Mentioned</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.stackpack.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stackpack</a></li><li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/63ATo6wy4r48HITzoDSurT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Don't Be a SaaS Podcast</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcobrien/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adam O’Brien on LinkedIn</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><a href="https://scrappyabm.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Scrappy ABM</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Visit for more ABM tips and strategies.</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/masoncosby/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Connect with Mason on LinkedIn</strong></a> for a conversation about ABM.</p><p><br></p><p>If you enjoyed today's episode and found valuable insights for your business, be sure to subscribe to the <em>Scrappy ABM</em> podcast for more expert discussions. Don't forget to leave a review and share this episode with your team or fellow marketers!</p>