Radical Clarity: Leading with Purpose and Accelerating Growth with Pete Steege, Founder of B2B Clarity

GUESTS: Pete Steege, Founder of B2B Clarity

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In the B2B tech industry, we often celebrate the brilliant engineers and technical experts who launch groundbreaking products. But what happens when these same individuals suddenly find themselves in the CEO’s chair?

In this episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience, host Cory Cotten-Potter is joined by Pete Steege, the Founder of B2B Clarity, to unpack the challenges of the “accidental CEO” and help technical founders successfully transition into strategic leadership roles.

What You'll Learn:

• How to transform from a technical expert to an effective CEO
• The Truth Chain Framework for identifying your company's core purpose and ideal customers
• Why relationships are the foundation of B2B business success and how to nurture them effectively
• Why simplifying messaging and removing obstacles is more effective than adding features
• How to build authentic connections by focusing on customer value rather than technical capabilities

Pete Steege is a B2B marketing expert and the Founder of B2B Clarity, a marketing advisory firm specializing in helping technical founders transition into strategic leadership roles. With over 30 years of experience across tech and manufacturing landscapes, from Silicon Valley startups to Fortune 100 organizations, Pete began his career as an engineer before evolving into a trusted growth advisor for CEOs. He is the author of Radical Clarity: How Accidental CEOs Uncover Meaning, Lead with Purpose, and Accelerate Growth, which provides a strategic roadmap for technical leaders scaling beyond their expertise.

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Key Insights:

1. 03:51 - The “Accidental CEO” and Why They Struggle

An accidental CEO is someone who started out as a technical expert and suddenly finds themselves leading a company, often without the leadership toolkit they need. These founders are brilliant at solving technical problems, but leadership isn’t just the next step up; it’s a completely different game. They often get stuck in the weeds, second-guessing decisions, overloaded with back-to-back meetings, and unsure how to scale without burning out. That’s where the concept of radical clarity comes in, helping them uncover their purpose, focus on what matters, and step into strategic leadership.

2. 06:18 - Why Meaning Is the Real Growth Strategy

In B2B, real growth doesn’t come from adding more. It comes from stripping things back to the essentials: your true story, your purpose, and the value you deliver. When companies focus on clarity instead of clutter, relationships become meaningful, emails stop being ignored, and customers actually pay attention. The path to growth is simpler than most think: do less, but make it matter.

3. [10:02] - The Truth Chain Framework

The Truth Chain is a five-part framework Pete uses to help founders reconnect with their company’s core purpose and communicate it with clarity. It starts with identifying your Bullseye Customer, not just who could use your product, but the one who hears about it and says, “Where have you been all my life?” Then it links to your why. In the middle are your customers’ pain points, your business superpowers, and how you uniquely solve that problem.

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FAQs

1. Q: What is an accidental CEO and why do they struggle to scale?

A: An accidental CEO is someone who started out as a technical expert and suddenly finds themselves leading a company, often without the leadership toolkit they need. These founders are brilliant at solving technical problems, but leadership isn’t just the next step up; it’s a completely different game.

2. Q: What is the “Truth Chain” and how does it help companies grow?

A: The Truth Chain is a five-part framework Pete uses to help founders reconnect with their company’s core purpose and communicate it with clarity.

3. Q: How can technical founders avoid becoming bottlenecks as their teams grow?

A: The key is shifting from being the sole decision-maker to building a culture of empowered accountability. Pete introduces the Impact Matrix, which helps founders assess where decision-making lives in the company and where it should.

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