My grandmother hummed while standing over the stovetop. She was stirring something. Something that filled the whole kitchen with an intoxicating scent of toasted sugar and warm butter.

There was a magnetic pull. I had to see what she was making.

So I joined her, watching as she stirred sugar, cream and butter in a pan. The mixture slowly formed soft bubbles, deepening into a rich, golden colour. Then transforming into a deep amber.

“Caramel,” she said, handing me a spoonful of the smooth, silky goodness. It looked so divine I didn't even think twice. I took the whole spoonful in one go.

A burst of sweet, buttery, rich nutty flavour melted in my mouth.

Then she smiled. “Now for the secret.”

She reached for the salt cellar on the counter, pinched a small amount of sea salt between her fingers, and added it to the caramel. Stirred it in slowly. Then handed me a second spoonful.

And this one melted my heart. I was instantly transported to heaven.

The salt brought out hidden notes of buttery sugar, making the cream taste richer, and the butter taste bolder. Suddenly, one spoonful wasn't enough. I wanted to eat all of it straight out of the pan.

My grandmother always knew: salt and caramel make each other more. Together they produce something neither could alone. Something so exceptional that even the greatest pastry chefs in the world have been putting it on their menus for decades.

What if your growth motion works the same way?

Here's what I know from being inside B2B SaaS companies: they all start with one motion.

If they're selling to large accounts, it's pure SLG — a sales team, a demo process, a consultative approach. If they're selling to small accounts, it's pure PLG — a free tier, a trial, a product that sells itself.

Both motions work great. Until they don't.

In SLG?

I know the feeling of CAC climbing quarter after quarter with no end in sight. Of explaining the same thing to a different prospect for the hundredth time. Of following up, and following up, and following up. The cycle never shortens on its own. And watching the small accounts — the ones that could convert quickly and cheaply — never make it into the pipeline because the margins don't justify the sales investment.

In PLG?

I know the feeling of watching mid-market and enterprise accounts find their way into the free tier, love what they see, want more. But leave for a competitor. Because they needed a human to help them expand, answer their compliance questions, build the business case for their leadership team. And there was nobody there to answer.

That's when B2B SaaS companies end up at a fork in the road. Forced to choose: push harder on the motion they have, or wonder if there's something they're missing.

The truth? There is something missing.

And McKinsey has the data to prove it.

In August 2023, McKinsey published a study called 'From Product-Led Growth to Product-Led Sales: Beyond the PLG Hype,' analyzing publicly listed B2B SaaS companies and surveying B2B buyers across five software categories.

For many years, the software industry believed in a clear dividing line: PLG for SMB, SLG for enterprise. Small accounts self-serve. Large accounts go through sales. Two separate motions. Two separate markets.

McKinsey's research refutes this entirely. And this is based on analyzing 107 publicly listed B2B SaaS companies and surveying 625 SaaS buyers.

The lines are already blurring. Pure PLG companies are hiring sales teams to serve enterprise. Pure SLG companies are investing in product-led experiences to reach SMB. Because both pure motions hit a ceiling.

And here's the buyer data that explains why:

65% of B2B SaaS buyers strongly prefer both sales and product-led experiences in the same buying decision. Specifically: a free trial, transparent pricing, and sales interaction in the same journey.

That's where my expertise lives: bringing PLG into SLG-led B2B SaaS companies.

Your SLG motion is the caramel. The PLG motion is the salt.

On its own, the caramel is rich and sweet. But with a pinch of salt, the cream tastes creamier, the butter tastes bolder, and the whole thing becomes something you'd eat straight out of the pan.

That's what adding PLG does to your existing SLG motion. Your prospects can't stop thinking about your product. They've experienced it. They want more.

Suddenly, one spoonful wasn't enough.

Portia

P.S. I started this newsletter because I watched B2B SaaS leaders try to add PLG to their SLG motion and struggle to make it work. The few who succeeded were quiet about it, not sharing how they got there. And even when PLG information existed, it was general, templated, and dry.

So I built this with a mission to bring actionable insights in a way that's actually fun to read. Stories that pull you in. Insights you can feel, not just file away. Because when you feel something, you remember it. And when you remember it, you actually use it.

I won't lie. Putting this out into the world came with real doubts. But what truly helped is receiving your replies telling me this is the clearest explanation of Hybrid PLG you've ever read. That you've shared it with your team. That it made your day.

If you know a senior B2B SaaS growth leader who belongs on this journey, share this issue with them by clicking here to view it in the browser, then sending the link their way.