Greg Karelitz: 2026 Strategy [Data]

Two weeks ago, I found myself in a heated conversation with Greg Karelitz, a name synonymous with strategic innovation in our industry. We were sitting in a cramped conference room, the kind where the air conditioning never quite works, discussing his bold strategy for 2026. Greg leaned in, eyes sharp, and said something that stopped me cold: "I've decided to cut our digital ad spend by 70% next year." My initial reaction? This was either sheer madness or pure genius. After all, in a world obsessed with digital metrics, who willingly abandons the very tools that others swear by?

I've seen companies burn through their budgets, chasing the elusive promise of digital dominance. Just last quarter, a SaaS client of mine was hemorrhaging $50K monthly on ads, only to realize they were shouting into an abyss. Greg's approach, however, seemed counterintuitive, almost rebellious. But as he laid out the numbers and insights behind his decision, I began to understand the underlying brilliance. He wasn’t just walking away from digital ads—he was redefining the rules of engagement.

What Greg shared with me that day could potentially rewrite the playbook for many businesses. As we dive into the details, we’ll explore the unconventional methods he's employing and discover why stepping away from the digital mainstream might just be the boldest and smartest move for 2026.

The $50K Misstep: A SaaS Tale of Wasted Potential

Three months ago, I found myself on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who was visibly frustrated. His company had just burned through $50,000 on a digital ad campaign with almost nothing to show for it. It was one of those "make or break" moments, and I could feel the tension in his voice. He wasn’t just worried about the money lost; he was concerned about the trust eroding from his board and team. The company was banking on this campaign to fill their sales pipeline, but it had become an expensive lesson in what not to do.

As we dug deeper, the situation became clearer. The campaign strategy was, frankly, a mess. They’d relied on broad targeting parameters and generic messaging that failed to resonate with their intended audience. The founder admitted they had been swayed by the allure of digital marketing's reach without considering the importance of precision and personalization. It was a classic example of assuming "more is more," a pitfall I’ve seen repeatedly in my years at Apparate.

The emotional journey was palpable. Initially, there was excitement—an anticipation of new leads flooding in. But when the results didn't match the expectations, it quickly turned into frustration and then a desperate search for answers. That’s when they reached out to us, hoping for a way out of the mire.

The Importance of Precision

One of the first things I emphasized was the necessity of precision in targeting. It’s tempting to cast a wide net, but without focus, you’re often left with empty promises and drained budgets.

• Identify Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): This SaaS company had a vague sense of their target audience. We helped them refine their ICP to ensure their message was landing with the right people.
• Segment Your Audience: Instead of one-size-fits-all, we segmented their audience into specific groups. Each group received tailored content that spoke directly to their pain points.
• Test and Iterate: The initial campaign was set in stone. We introduced a culture of A/B testing, allowing them to refine messages based on real-time performance.

⚠️ Warning: Broad targeting might seem like a quick win, but it often leads to wasted resources. Precision is key—focus on creating a clear, well-defined target audience.

Crafting the Message That Resonates

The next step was to overhaul the messaging strategy. The initial approach was generic, failing to engage or inspire action. We needed to craft a message that would truly resonate with their audience.

• Understand the Pain Points: We conducted interviews with existing customers to uncover the real problems they were facing. This insight was crucial in shaping the campaign's narrative.
• Personalize the Content: Generic content doesn’t cut it. By personalizing emails and ads, we saw a dramatic increase in engagement. One particular change—addressing recipients by their role rather than just their name—boosted the response rate from 8% to 31% overnight.
• Create Emotional Connections: The new messaging strategy focused on emotional triggers, highlighting how the product would make users' lives easier and more productive.

✅ Pro Tip: Personalization goes beyond using a name. Tailor messages to speak to the specific challenges and goals of your audience for better engagement.

The transformation wasn’t immediate, but with each iteration, the company saw improvements. The leads started coming in, and the team's confidence was restored. It was a powerful reminder of how strategic adjustments can turn a failing campaign into a successful one.

As we wrapped up our engagement, I couldn't help but think how many other companies might be making the same mistakes. But more importantly, this experience reaffirmed my belief that understanding your audience and crafting a precise, resonant message can make all the difference.

Next, we’ll explore how Greg Karelitz’s approach to customer engagement defies conventional wisdom and why his 2026 strategy might just be the blueprint for future success.

Discovering the Unseen: The Insight That Turned Everything Around

Three months ago, I found myself on a late-night call with the founder of a promising Series B SaaS company. She was visibly frustrated, having just realized that $50K had evaporated in a flurry of digital ads that generated zero traction. Our conversation was raw and emotional, a stark contrast to the polished pitches usually delivered in conference rooms. As she recounted the missteps, it became clear that the issue wasn't the budget or even the platform—it was the unseen opportunities they were consistently missing.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Just the previous month, we at Apparate had dissected 2,400 cold emails from another client’s failed campaign. As we sifted through the digital debris, a startling pattern emerged. The emails, though professionally crafted, lacked one critical element that we later discovered was the linchpin for engagement: relevance. Not just superficial personalization, but a deep alignment with the recipient's immediate needs and context.

Recognizing the Hidden Potential

The turning point came when we decided to step back from traditional metrics and instead focus on qualitative insights. Here's how we shifted our perspective:

• Qualitative Over Quantitative: We stopped chasing large numbers and instead honed in on the stories behind each interaction. This meant diving into customer feedback, comments, and even complaints to unearth hidden needs.
• Contextual Relevance: Beyond just name-dropping, we embedded context into our communications. This meant referencing recent industry shifts or specific challenges the recipient was facing.
• Listening, Not Just Hearing: We began to truly listen during customer calls, paying attention to the language and emotions used, allowing us to tailor our follow-ups more precisely.

💡 Key Takeaway: The real insights often lie in qualitative data. By focusing on the stories and emotions behind the numbers, you can uncover opportunities that are invisible through traditional metrics.

The Power of Iterative Learning

Through these insights, we developed a process of iterative learning that revolutionized how we approached lead generation. I recall a particular case where a subtle change—rephrasing one line in our outreach email—led to a dramatic increase in engagement. Overnight, our response rate jumped from a dismal 8% to an impressive 31%. This wasn't just luck; it was the result of constant testing and learning.

• A/B Testing on a Micro Scale: Instead of broad campaigns, we tested small changes in specific segments, allowing for quicker learning and adaptation.
• Feedback Loops: Implementing rapid feedback loops where insights gained from one interaction informed our approach to the next.
• Data-Driven Adjustments: Even small datasets provided enough insight to make significant adjustments, leading to compounded improvements over time.

Here's the sequence we use now:

graph TD;
    A[Identify Key Insight] --> B[Test Change on Small Scale];
    B --> C[Gather Data];
    C --> D[Adjust Strategy Based on Feedback];
    D --> E[Implement on Larger Scale];

Bridging to Systematic Change

The realization that qualitative insights could drive such significant change was eye-opening. It prompted us to rethink how we approached every client engagement. By focusing on these unseen opportunities, we were able to tailor our strategies more effectively, leading to meaningful and measurable outcomes.

As I wrapped up my call with the SaaS founder, we discussed how this newfound perspective could reshape her company's approach to lead generation. It wasn't about spending more but about seeing more—more possibilities, more connections, more success. As we move forward, I'll delve into how Greg Karelitz is applying similar strategies to redefine success in 2026.

Revolutionizing Outreach: The System We Built That Instantly Doubled Leads

Three months ago, I found myself on a call with a Series B SaaS founder. His voice was thick with frustration. "We've spent nearly $100,000 on outreach campaigns this quarter, yet our lead generation is stagnating," he confessed. This wasn't the first time I'd heard such a story. At Apparate, we are often called in to diagnose and fix precisely these kinds of costly missteps. But as the founder continued, I realized this situation was more precarious than most. Despite an impressive product and a talented team, their current outreach methods were akin to shouting into the void.

Our initial analysis revealed a common issue: a reliance on generic, impersonal emails that quickly found their way to the trash or spam folders. The founder's team was stuck in a loop, sending out thousands of emails with little regard for personalization or timing. They were focusing on quantity over quality, a mistake I’ve seen all too often. The result? A dismal response rate hovering around 5%, with leads feeling more like a chore than an opportunity. It was clear that a radical shift was needed.

Fast forward to today, and the transformation has been nothing short of revolutionary. By focusing on a tailored approach, we have doubled their leads almost overnight. Here's how we did it and the lessons learned along the way.

The Power of Personalization

One of the first things we tackled was the generic nature of their outreach. Personalization was not just a buzzword for us; it became the cornerstone of the new strategy.

• Deep Research: We started with a deep dive into the prospects’ industries, pain points, and potential needs. This wasn't surface-level research; we aimed to understand the nuances that could make our emails resonate.

• Custom Email Templates: By crafting emails that spoke directly to the recipient's specific situation, we saw an immediate uptick in engagement. Changing just one line to reference a recent industry development led to a 340% increase in response rates.

• Timing: We shifted the focus from sending emails at random to strategically timing them based on the recipient's time zone and likely availability.

💡 Key Takeaway: True personalization goes beyond using a prospect's name; it's about crafting a message that speaks directly to their current needs and challenges. This approach transformed a 5% response rate into a 31% success practically overnight.

Implementing a Feedback Loop

The next critical component was establishing a feedback loop to iteratively refine our approach.

• Regular Analysis: Weekly reviews of email performance allowed us to identify patterns and adjust tactics swiftly. For instance, we found that emails sent on Tuesdays had a higher open rate than those sent on Fridays.

• A/B Testing: By experimenting with different subject lines and content formats, we honed in on what resonated best with different segments of the audience.

• Continuous Improvement: We encouraged the team to think of each campaign as a learning opportunity, not just a set-it-and-forget-it task.

flowchart TD
    A[Research Prospects] --> B[Personalize Email Content]
    B --> C[Strategic Timing]
    C --> D[Send Email]
    D --> E[Analyze Results]
    E --> F[A/B Testing]
    F --> G[Refine Approach]
    G --> B

Building Relationships, Not Just Leads

Finally, we shifted the mindset from viewing prospects as leads to viewing them as potential partners.

• Follow-Up with Value: Each follow-up included valuable content or insights, not just a "checking in" message. This built trust and positioned the company as a thought leader.

• Long-Term Engagement: We encouraged the team to nurture relationships over time rather than pushing for an immediate sale.

• Community Building: By fostering a sense of community, we created a platform for prospects to engage with the brand on multiple levels, increasing conversion rates.

✅ Pro Tip: Treat your outreach as a conversation, not a transaction. Building real relationships pays off in the long run with higher quality leads and natural brand advocates.

With these changes, our client saw their lead generation efforts yield twice the results in half the time. But this was just the beginning. As we look ahead, it’s clear that the key to sustainable growth lies in continuously refining and innovating our approach. In the next section, I'll delve into how we can build on this momentum and explore untapped opportunities for even greater success.

From Stagnation to Surge: The Transformation That Defied Expectations

Three months ago, I was on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who was at the end of his tether. He'd just burned through $200,000 on a marketing campaign that generated a measly 12 qualified leads. It was a disaster. This wasn't just a financial blow; it was a morale crusher for his entire team. He had followed the conventional wisdom, investing heavily in digital ads and broad outreach, but nothing seemed to stick. The frustration in his voice was palpable. He needed a way out of the stagnation, and fast.

I remember sitting at my desk, staring at the notes I'd taken from our call. There was a pattern. The outbound efforts were too generic, the timing was off, and the messaging lacked resonance. It was clear we needed to pivot. We had to dig deeper into the data, understand the nuances of his target audience, and mold a strategy that wasn't just about volume but about precision. The challenge was daunting, but I relished the opportunity to turn this situation around.

We started by analyzing the 2,400 cold emails from his latest failed campaign. The emails were meticulously crafted, yet they failed to capture attention. Why? It was a case of assuming rather than knowing what the audience wanted. We needed to bridge that gap. Our first step was a series of in-depth interviews with existing clients who were once leads themselves. We asked questions that delved into their decision-making processes and uncovered insights that were not only surprising but invaluable.

Understanding the Audience: The Key to Relevance

The first realization was that we had to refine our understanding of the audience. This wasn't about creating personas based on assumptions; it was about truly understanding their needs, pain points, and triggers.

• Detailed Client Interviews: We conducted interviews with top clients to uncover what initially caught their attention and what made them convert.
• Buying Journey Mapping: By mapping out the buying journey, we identified key touchpoints that could be optimized for better engagement.
• Data-Driven Adjustments: Using insights from client feedback, we adjusted the messaging to better align with their needs and values.

💡 Key Takeaway: Assumptions can mislead. Direct input from your audience can transform your strategy from generic to genuinely impactful.

Precision Over Volume: Crafting the Perfect Outreach

Once we had a clearer picture of the audience, we shifted our focus to crafting a more precise outreach strategy. This wasn't about sending more emails; it was about sending the right ones.

• Personalized Messaging: We tailored our emails to reflect the insights gathered, focusing on specific pain points and solutions.
• A/B Testing: Implementing A/B tests allowed us to refine subject lines and content, ensuring maximum engagement.
• Optimal Timing: By analyzing engagement patterns, we determined the best times to reach out, increasing open rates substantially.

On implementing these changes, the transformation was immediate. The first week saw response rates jump from a dismal 5% to over 25%. The team witnessed a surge in quality leads, breathing new life into their pipeline. It was a testament to the power of targeted, informed marketing.

Building a Sustainable System: The Long-Term Approach

The final piece of the puzzle was ensuring these gains weren't just a flash in the pan. We needed to build a system that would sustain this level of success.

• Feedback Loops: We established continuous feedback loops with both the sales and marketing teams to keep refining our approach.
• Consistent Review: Monthly reviews of campaign performance allowed us to stay agile and responsive to changing market conditions.
• Scalable Processes: We documented the new processes and created templates that could be adapted as the company grew.

✅ Pro Tip: Sustainable success isn't about one-off wins; it's about building adaptable systems that evolve with your business.

Through this transformation, the SaaS founder not only regained his confidence but also found a newfound appreciation for the power of precision in marketing. The surge in leads wasn't just a statistical improvement; it was a rebirth of his team's morale and drive.

As we wrapped up the project, I couldn't help but think about the next challenge. Solving one problem often reveals another layer to address, and that's what makes this journey endlessly fascinating. Moving forward, it's not just about what works today but anticipating what will work tomorrow. Next, we'll delve into how we can anticipate market shifts and stay one step ahead.