This year at SaaStanak 2025, we had the pleasure of welcoming Emilia Korczynska, VP of Marketing at Userpilot to the stage in beautiful Šibenik. If you’ve spent any time on SaaS LinkedIn, chances are you’ve seen her posts—full of insight, straight talk, and a good bit of humor.
Her talk was no different. In fact, it was one of the most grounded, honest, and practical sessions of the whole event. Here’s what we learned.
Stop Measuring What Doesn’t Matter
Emilia opened with a challenge to marketers: stop tracking metrics that look good in slides but don’t actually mean anything for your business. Likes and impressions might be easy to show off, but they don’t prove that your marketing is working.
Instead, she emphasized tracking what really counts—product signups, demo requests, trial-to-paid conversion, expansion revenue. Marketing should be measured the same way as sales or product. That means looking at actual impact, not just activity.
The Classic “Demand Gen Playbook” Doesn’t Work for Everyone
Emilia made it clear that simply throwing money at ads isn’t a growth strategy—especially for early-stage SaaS companies. The typical demand generation model, with big budgets and broad targeting, often just isn’t sustainable.
So what does work? Emilia shared how she’s seen huge success with organic growth, particularly through SEO and deep, educational content. In some companies she’s worked with, over 80% of qualified pipeline came from SEO—with no ad spend at all.
It’s not flashy. But it works.
Content Isn’t Dead—It Just Needs to Be Better
According to Emilia, content is far from saturated. What *is* saturated is generic, surface-level blog posts, especially now with AI making it even easier to produce more of the same.
The solution? Go deep. Write from real experience. Share actual insights, not just summaries of what others have said. “If your content doesn’t sound like a real person with a real opinion, it’s probably not going to stand out,” she said.
Yes, You Can Do ABM Without a Big Budget
As a VP of Marketing of Userpilot, Emilia knows a thing or two about account-based marketing. But her version doesn’t require fancy software or massive teams.
She talked about how scrappy, personal ABM efforts—like Loom videos, tailored outreach, and smart use of LinkedIn—can go a long way. It’s all about relevance. If you understand your target accounts and speak to their actual needs, you don’t need a big budget to make an impact.
The Human Side of Marketing (and Plumbing)
In between all the tactical advice, Emilia brought plenty of laughs—sharing stories about her very special relationship with cats and some bad luck with plumbing. These light moments weren’t just funny; they reminded us that great marketing comes from real people, with real stories.
That human touch is something she brings into her work every day. Whether it’s a blog post, a webinar, or a sales email, Emilia’s advice is the same: be real, be useful, and don’t be afraid to show some personality.
What We’re Taking With Us
– Track business impact, not vanity metrics
– Don’t underestimate the power of SEO and content
– Good content solves problems, not just fills space
– ABM can be personal, scrappy, and effective
– People connect with people, not brands
Emilia’s talk in Šibenik was a standout moment at SaaStanak 2025. Honest, actionable, and full of charm, she reminded us what good SaaS marketing looks like—and why it’s not about chasing trends, but about focusing on what actually works.
