How marketing teams mistake motion for progress | Mattia Santin (ContentSquare, Hotjar, Uber)

What if your biggest growth unlock wasn’t more speed, but better structure?In this episode of ExperiMENTAL, host Sundar Swaminathan sits down with Mattia Santin, SVP of Brand, Growth & Operations at ContentSquare, former CMO at Hotjar, and former marketing leader at Uber. They dive deep into the B2B vs. B2C debate, why product marketing is the missing engine in many orgs, and what Mattia learned running $300M+ in global media. From in-housing entire teams to turning off ad spend for bold tests, this episode offers hard-won insights for every marketing leader who wants to scale without burning out.KEY TAKEAWAYS• Product marketing should be a two-way street, not a ticketing system• B2B and B2C are more alike than people think, speed is the main difference• The structure of your marketing team affects everything: agility, trust, impact• “Zigzagging your way to growth” creates chaos and burnout• Build the engine before you slam the gas pedal• Foundations matter more than speed; solid data systems are non-negotiable• Product marketing teams need clarity, resilience, and executive support• Testing assumptions (even expensive ones) leads to clarity and efficiency• Leadership buy-in is essential for bold experiments• Attribution isn’t just a metric problem, it’s a culture problemBEST MOMENTS00:03:02. “It’s been fascinating to observe... a lot more similarities than people think.”00:05:06. “I knew I wasn’t going to be at companies for 18 years... that wasn’t my path.”00:08:00. “Hotjar had an amazing brand, but competition was rising. It was time to pivot.”00:10:13. “I've worked in squad setups and functional models... and I prefer functional.”00:16:02. “You don’t want a car zigzagging its way through strategy.”00:23:36. “Product marketing teams will suffer without clarity and structure.”00:37:45. “We turned off all display spend for a week… and nothing happened.”🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions.🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business.📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com