Trust in B2B relationships has reached a critical low point. According to recent research, B2B consumers—particularly millennials and Gen Z decision-makers—have grown increasingly skeptical of traditional marketing and sales approaches. So what happens when prospects no longer believe your case studies, doubt your testimonials, and avoid your demo requests?
Braydan Young - SlashExperts, co-founder and CEO of SlashExperts, has pioneered a revolutionary answer: buyer-led growth. After scaling Sendoso to 700+ employees, Young noticed a pattern where prospects would bypass formal sales channels and instead seek validation from peers in industry forums. Rather than fighting this behaviour, he built a solution around it.
Slash Experts flips the traditional sales funnel by moving reference calls from the end to the beginning of the buying journey. Their platform allows companies to place a "Talk with a Customer" button directly on their website, connecting prospects with actual users who can provide honest, unfiltered feedback. The key innovation? Giving reference customers complete calendar control so they don't get burned out.
The results speak for themselves. Companies implementing this approach see higher conversion rates, more qualified prospects, and valuable first-party conversation data that can inform everything from product development to marketing strategy. Young explains, "We're taking the reference from the end of the sales cycle to the beginning," creating authentic connections that build trust when it matters most.
Beyond buyer-led growth, Young shares invaluable insights on scaling teams, maintaining healthy friction between sales and marketing, identifying the right customers, and achieving work-life balance as a founder. His candid advice about managing remote teams, creating meaningful company perks (like their ingenious "vacation bonus"), and evolving your work expectations through different life stages offers a refreshingly honest perspective on startup leadership.

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