Unveiling Insights with Advanced Research Tools | Pete Larkin from Sawtooth

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Rick: Hey everybody. Welcome back to today’s episode of Pathmonk Presents. Today we are joined by Pete Larkin, the head of marketing at Sawtooth, and also the chapter president of the Silicon Slopes Marketing chapter. Pete, how are you doing? Welcome to the show.

Pete Larkin: Doing great. Thanks, Rick. Excited to be here.

Rick: Likewise. Exciting to have you. So Pete, I would love to jump right into it. Can you tell us a little bit about Sawtooth—what you guys are doing and what’s exciting there?

Pete Larkin: Yeah, absolutely. Sawtooth is survey software, similar to Qualtrics, which most people are familiar with. But it’s specifically built for those who need more professional tools—more sophisticated quantitative research capabilities. We’re working with top researchers from companies like Amazon, Google, Disney, Universal—just about every major brand. Even though many of them use Qualtrics for some functions, when it comes to quant research, Sawtooth is often the industry standard.

Rick: That’s interesting. I have a UX background—would this be useful for user researchers too?

Pete Larkin: A hundred percent. One of the thought leaders in the space, Chris Chapman, who runs UX Con, uses Sawtooth regularly. A lot of what he teaches is based on Sawtooth methodology.

Rick: That’s great. I’m sure that’ll be helpful for our listeners, especially those working in startups and wearing many hats. Are there any industries you serve particularly well or patterns you see in the types of problems customers bring you?

Pete Larkin: It’s less about specific industries and more about the methodologies. Sawtooth becomes critical when you need sophisticated research tools like conjoint analysis, max diff, or advanced modeling. Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey offer good breadth, but we go deeper in areas that demand expert-level methods.

Rick: Got it. Let’s say I’m a user researcher looking into market research—how would I typically discover Sawtooth? What channels are working best for you right now?

Pete Larkin: Sawtooth is actually a 40-year-old company. That’s ancient in SaaS. We go back to the floppy disk and CD-ROM days. Over the years, it’s grown mostly through referrals and word of mouth. Until recently, there wasn’t a formal sales or marketing program. I joined a few months ago to change that—now we’re building out a real marketing strategy and aligning it with sales.

Rick: That’s wild! So fast forward to 2025—what do you think is the website’s role for client acquisition? And what’s your honest view of the current Sawtooth site?

Pete Larkin: Oh man. Coming into this role, the marketing program and leadership were basically nonexistent. So yes, there’s a lot to improve. Websites are the face of your company. Every campaign points back to it, and people judge you within milliseconds. Right now, our website doesn’t represent us well, but we’re working on that. First, we clarified our ICP. Now that we’ve got that, it’s time to tackle messaging and design. We can’t control brand perception—but we can influence it. That’s our focus.

Rick: Makes sense. From your past experience, what makes a website convert well? Any tools, tactics, or ideas you’re bringing to Sawtooth?

Pete Larkin: You need clear differentiation and a compelling value prop—why you exist, why anyone should care, and why they should stay on your site. Right now, our website doesn’t do that well. But that’s the plan: improve messaging, demonstrate value, and show how we help people win in their jobs. Our stories need to reflect that.

Rick: I hear you. Start with the fundamentals. Now I want to switch gears and ask about you as a leader. You’re just a couple of months in. What does your day-to-day look like? What are you focusing on to get into the role?

Pete Larkin: In the early days, it was all about calls—customer calls, internal calls, discovery. But the real gold comes from speaking with customers directly. I ask them: why do you use Sawtooth? What pain points does it solve? What could we do better? Tons of customer conversations—externally focused.

Rick: That’s refreshing to hear. More people should do that. It’s easy to get stuck behind a screen instead of really talking to users.

Pete Larkin: Totally. One thing I did differently this time is record the customer calls (with permission), transcribe them, and analyze them with AI. I asked AI to identify trends, pain points, strengths—a SWOT analysis basically. I also always ask: Where do you go for news? What events do you attend? Who are the influencers you follow? Then I cross-reference all that with research from OpenAI to figure out where to show up, what voices to align with, and how to build our presence. It’s incredibly effective for prioritizing event sponsorships and outreach.

Rick: That’s super smart. You’re really getting inside the customers’ heads. That obviously helps with messaging, positioning, and even your podcast strategy, right?

Pete Larkin: Yes! That approach feeds directly into our podcast strategy. Once I know the thought leaders everyone is following, those are the folks I want to build relationships with and invite to the show.

Rick: Love it. Okay—we’re coming to the end of our chat. Let’s finish with a quick rapid-fire round. Crisp questions, crisp answers. Ready?

Pete Larkin: Let’s go.

Rick: What’s the last book you read?

Pete Larkin: A fantasy book—Magnus Chase. My son is into it, and I read what he reads so we can talk about it. Last business book? Experience Design by Matt Durden—re-read it recently.

Rick: No boundaries in technology—what’s one thing you’d fix in your role today?

Pete Larkin: I’d connect AI to a neural link in my brain to help me finish tasks I haven’t gotten to. AI-powered brain productivity, basically.

Rick: One of the most creative answers we’ve had. What advice would you give yourself if you restarted your marketing career today?

Pete Larkin: Spend more time with your family. There were recitals and soccer games I missed, and I regret that. Business wins mean nothing compared to family wins.

Rick: That’s beautiful. I’m a dad too—I feel that deeply. Pete, thank you for this fantastic conversation. Last word: if listeners forget everything else, what’s the one thing they should remember about Sawtooth and the work you’re doing?

Pete Larkin: Sawtooth helps you uncover insights you didn’t know were there—so you can better connect with your customers and grow. On a personal note: don’t build in isolation. Build with others. Relationships matter most.

Rick: Perfect closing. Where can people find you?

Pete Larkin: LinkedIn—just search Pete Larkin. I might even be wearing this shirt in my profile pic. And visit sawtooth.com.

Rick: Awesome. Thanks again, Pete. Until next time.

Pete Larkin: See you.