Welcome to Catalyst—a biweekly newsletter diving into emerging fintech trends, B2B content strategy, a behind-the-scenes look at some of the top players in the space, and actionable strategies you can implement today to actually drive growth.

No fluff. No basic takes. Just clear insights on what's actually working. 💻

Our focus: Turning complex technical concepts into content that actually converts.

After spending the past year creating content for companies like Mercury, DragonFly, and Solana, I've noticed a clear pattern in what makes technical content work (and, more importantly, what makes it fail).

In this week’s newsletter we’re diving into how to craft technical content that actually drives qualified leads.

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I’m Will Leatherman, the founder of Catalyst. We help B2B founders, agency owners, and corporate marketers create executive-led, thought leadership content that drives qualified leads. Our clients include kits.ai, a16z, abode, and more.

If you’re ready to 10x your content output, I always love to chat strategy.

Will’s Picks

A few things I’ve loved reading this month—

• Why Your CAC Calculator is Lying to You

• 2025 Forecasts in 5 Cost Trends

• How to launch a founder-led content motion on LinkedIn in Q1

• Salesforce State of Marketing Report

The Technical Content Landscape Has Changed

Most technical founders approach content marketing backwards. I know because I used to make these same mistakes.I would write deeply technical content about our infrastructure, thinking that's what would impress technical decision-makers.

Spoiler alert: It didn't work.

Writing content to prove how smart you are is like bringing a really big book with really fine print and really long words to a first date. Sure, you can do it. But…why?

After working with 100+ technical founders and analyzing thousands of content pieces, here's what we've learned:

TLDR: Technical buyers focus on specific use cases, not broad capabilities

Plain language beats jargon every time

Your expertise needs to show through understanding, not complexity

1. There’s a “Reality Gap” in Technical Content

Most technical founders approach content like they're writing documentation. They focus on proving their technical expertise rather than solving customer problems.

Here's what we consistently see:

• Marketing teams write for "technical decision makers" as if they're one homogeneous group

• Content reads like API documentation instead of solution-focused marketing

Teams confuse technical accuracy with technical complexity

The result? Content that's accurate but ineffective.

According to Content Marketing Institute's 2024 B2B Content Marketing Report, 88% of B2B marketers say that case studies are actually the most effective content format for converting technical buyers.

2. You’re Not Considering the Psychology of Technical Buyers

Here's what most founders miss: Technical buyers don't need proof that you're smart. They need proof that you understand their world.

Technical buyers are thorough researchers. According to HubSpot, technical decision makers consume an average of 13 pieces of content before making a purchase decision. Yet according to the Content Marketing Institute, 46% of B2B tech marketers struggle to create content that appeals to different stages of that buyer's journey.This gap between buyer needs and current content approaches represents a major opportunity for technical companies willing to adapt their content strategy.

Think about the last time you evaluated a technical solution. Did you care more about:

1. The detailed technical specifications

2. How it would solve your specific problem

Every time I've run this exercise with clients, 2 wins.

Yet 90% of technical content focuses on 1.

Ok, So What Actually Works?

After analyzing the highest-performing technical content across our client base, here's the framework that consistently drives qualified leads:

The Problem-First Framework:

Step 1: Start with one specific problem

⛔️: "Our platform improves development workflows"

✅: "Deploy serverless functions 5x faster without touching AWS configs"

The key difference? The second version speaks to a specific pain point that resonates with your target buyer.

Step 2: Use customer language, not internal jargon

⛔️: "Implement our proprietary algorithms"

✅: "Stop writing boilerplate code for basic API endpoints"

Remember: Your customers use technical terms when they have to, not because they want to.

Step 3: Show workflow understanding

⛔️: "Advanced machine learning capabilities"

✅: "Train models without leaving your IDE"

The difference isn't technical accuracy—both are accurate. It's about showing you understand how they work.

The Content Matrix:

We've developed a simple matrix for evaluating technical content:

The Best Performing Content:

• Focuses on one specific problem

• Uses customer language (not marketing speak)

• Shows deep understanding of their workflow

• Makes complex things simple

🤮 The Worst Performing Content:

• Tries to sound smart

• Stuffs in technical buzzwords

• Focuses on features over problems

• Makes simple things complex

  
  

How to Implement This Today?

Start with this simple exercise:

• Take your last three pieces of technical content

• Count how many times you:

  • Lead with a feature

  • Use internal technical terms

  • Focus on capabilities vs. outcomes

• Rewrite each piece using the Problem-First Framework

• Test both versions with your target audience

🔑 Key Takeaway 🔑 Technical content doesn't need to prove how smart you are. It needs to prove you understand your customer's world.

Shocked by the results? Shoot me a message with your findings and we can brainstorm a future content game plan.

Will