The Human-First Content Strategy Powering Doist's 50M-User Growth (w/ Naomi Liddell, Brand and Content Lead)

Erik Jacobson sits down with Naomi Liddell, Brand and Content Lead at Doist, to explore how a bootstrapped productivity company built trust with 50 million users through strategic content. Competing against VC-backed giants like Microsoft and Notion with a marketing team of just nine people, Doist has long bet on brand over conversion, and it's paid off.

Naomi shares how a personal monthly newsletter, a revived YouTube channel, and a human-first content philosophy have quietly compounded into one of the most trusted brands in productivity software.

Key topics covered:

[00:00] Intro
[02:54] 95% vs 5% market prioritization strategy
[04:26] Brand as competitive moat approach
[06:21] Content builds trust over conversions
[08:36] 50 million users through content strategy
[09:23] Multi-channel content ecosystem overview
[11:26] Monthly newsletter personal connection strategy
[13:31] Personal brand vs company risk
[15:24] Youtube channel revival with iPhone
[18:21] Getting team buy-in for video content
[21:22] Human connection in B2B content
[25:08] Youtube growth from 100 to 1400 subscribers
[27:08] Youtube strategy and keyword research tips
[31:42] Thumbnail and lighting impact on performance
[35:43] Reddit community management philosophy
[39:57] Blog content in the AI era
[44:33] Long-form content as foundation strategy
[45:56] Metrics beyond conversion tracking
[48:20] Substack move for community building
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