Investing In Clay Vs Sourcing Your Own Data

Summary

MarTech Podcast ™ // Marketing + Technology = Business Growth
Episode: Investing In Clay Vs Sourcing Your Own Data
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Jordan Crawford, Founder of Blueprint GTM

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of the MarTech Podcast™, host Benjamin Shapiro engages in a compelling discussion with Jordan Crawford, the founder of Blueprint GTM. The conversation delves into strategic decisions marketers face when choosing between investing in platforms like Clay or sourcing their own data. The episode provides valuable perspectives on data infrastructure, cost-efficiency, and the future of go-to-market strategies.

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Investing in Clay vs. Sourcing Your Own Data

Jordan Crawford introduces the core topic by posing a critical question to Benjamin: "Would you choose to invest in Clay or sources where you own your own data? If you have to pick one." [01:15]

This question sets the stage for exploring the merits and drawbacks of leveraging third-party data platforms versus developing proprietary data sources.

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Guest's Perspective on Clay

The unnamed guest offers a strong endorsement for Clay, explaining his investment decision despite the company's recent funding round. "I actually did just invest in Clay even at their crazy round. I also have equity in the company already." [01:40]

Key Reasons for Investing in Clay:

1. Infrastructure Over Answers:
   The guest emphasizes that Clay aims to provide the foundational infrastructure for go-to-market strategies rather than offering direct solutions. "Clay is trying to be the infrastructure for go to market, not the answers for go to market." [01:40]

2. Flexible API Integration:
   Clay's pricing model is highlighted as a significant advantage. "They allow you to bring your API keys in and they do not charge you a tax for that. It's really their pricing model innovation." [01:40] This flexibility enables users to integrate their own data tools without incurring additional fees.

3. Cost Efficiency Over Time:
   By allowing the use of external API keys and data tools, Clay helps reduce overall costs. "Over time you actually can reduce your cost on Clay by like buying directly from the data vendors." [01:40] This approach makes Clay a cost-effective choice for sustained business growth.

4. Discovery and Action Tool:
   The guest describes Clay as a discovery and action tool rather than a "tool to tax you," underlining its utility in enabling marketers to access and utilize data seamlessly. "Clay is a discovery and action tool, not a tool to tax you. This is why I believe in it." [02:27]

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Host's Response

Benjamin Shapiro expresses surprise at the guest's confidence in Clay, given that Crawford has developed his own data sources. "I'm a little surprised. And not that you're bullish on Clay. I know you wrote a course on it, you're active on the platform, I'm sure you have some sort of relationship with the people there. But you've also created your own data sources. And it seems like that's core to your business. Why are you buying investing in Clay, not the ownership of your own data?" [02:27]

This question probes the strategic reasoning behind choosing an external platform over proprietary data management, seeking to uncover deeper insights into Crawford's business philosophy.

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Deeper Insights on Data Ownership

The guest responds by clarifying the distinction between data ownership and data storage. "How your business runs, like, how come you don't own it when you operate it on Google Sheets, it's like, no, Google Sheets just stores the information. It does not own the sell data." [02:45]

Key Points:

1. Minimal Reliance on Clay Credits:
   The guest highlights that his usage of Clay credits is negligible. "I'm not paying clay. I spend almost no Clay credits, basically." [02:45]

2. Cost-Effective Alternatives Within Clay:
   By utilizing tools like Klay Gen, which accesses web data and only requires payment for OpenAI tokens or API fees, the guest achieves substantial cost savings. "You can use a tool called the Klay Gen. It searches the web and you just pay OpenAI tokens. You just pay the API... So you're just paying those people. Clay just passes that through. And some. That is like pennies. That's like fractions of a penny per row." [02:45]

3. Leveraging Cheaper Tools Within Clay:
   The guest emphasizes that integrating more affordable tools within Clay's platform can lead to significant cost reductions. "Basically, I'll use tools that are just 10x cheaper than clay inside of clay. And that's why it's valuable." [02:45]

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Conclusion

In wrapping up the episode, Benjamin Shapiro summarizes the key takeaways from his conversation with Jordan Crawford. He underscores the importance of strategic investments in marketing technology and the value of platforms like Clay that offer flexible, cost-effective solutions for data management. Shapiro encourages listeners to explore Blueprint GTM's offerings and stay updated through their LinkedIn Live sessions.

“Until next time, my advice is to just focus on keeping your customers happy.” [03:25]

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Notable Quotes

• Guest on Investing in Clay:
  "Clay is trying to be the infrastructure for go to market, not the answers for go to market." [01:40]

• Guest on Cost Efficiency:
  "Over time you actually can reduce your cost on Clay by like buying directly from the data vendors." [02:27]

• Host on Data Ownership:
  "Why are you buying investing in Clay, not the ownership of your own data?" [02:27]

• Guest on Cost-Effective Tools:
  "I'll use tools that are just 10x cheaper than clay inside of clay. And that's why it's valuable." [02:45]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of the MarTech Podcast™ provides a nuanced perspective on the strategic choices marketers must make regarding data infrastructure. By weighing the benefits of investing in platforms like Clay against developing proprietary data sources, Jordan Crawford offers actionable insights that can guide marketers in optimizing their go-to-market strategies for sustained business growth. Listeners gain a deeper understanding of the balance between leveraging existing technologies and cultivating unique data assets to drive success in the competitive marketing landscape.

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For more information on Jordan Crawford and Blueprint GTM, visit blueprintgtm.com or connect via LinkedIn. Don’t forget to subscribe to the MarTech Podcast™ for more expert discussions on the intersection of marketing and technology.

Transcript

[Benjamin Shapiro]

The Martech Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com.

[Jordan Crawford]

From advertising to software as a service to data, across all of our programs and clients, we've seen a 55 to 65% open rate.

[Unnamed Guest]

Getting brands authentically integrated into content performs better than TV advertising.

[Jordan Crawford]

Typical life span of an article is about 24 to 36 hours. We're reaching out to the right person with the right message and a clear call to action. Then it's just a matter of timing.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

Welcome to the Martech Podcast, a member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. In this podcast, you'll hear the stories of world class marketers that use technology to drive business results and achieve career success. Here's the host of the Martech Podcast, Benjamin Shapiro.

I'm Benjamin Shapiro and joining me today is Jordan Crawford, the founder of Blueprint gtm, which helps companies target prospects the exact moment they have their problem. And today Jordan is going to explain how you can transform your go to market with intelligence hiding in plain sight. All right, next question, toss up. Would you choose to invest in Clay or sources where you own your own data? If you have to pick one.

[Unnamed Guest]

I actually did just invest in Clay even at their crazy round. I also have equity in the company already. But the reason is that Clay is trying to be the infrastructure for go to market, not the answers for go to market. And there's a very key difference. And that means that they allow you to bring your API keys in and they do not charge you a tax for that. It's really their pricing model innovation. So you can pay, I don't know, 350 bucks a month, $400 a month and use your own API keys, your own Data tools like serper.dev or apify these all the time. And Clay does not charge a tax to do that. It's included in their platform fee. That means that over time you actually can reduce your cost on Clay by like buying directly from the data vendors. So Clay is a discovery and action tool, not a tool to tax you. This is why I believe in it.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

I'm a little surprised. And not that you're bullish on Clay. I know you wrote a course on it, you're active on the platform, I'm sure you have some sort of relationship with the people there. But you've also created your own data sources. And it seems like that's core to your business. Why are you buying investing in Clay, not the ownership of your own data?

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm not, actually. Which is just like, again, you should think about this, like, well, how your business runs, like, how come you don't own it when you operate it on Google Sheets, it's like, no, Google Sheets just stores the information. It does not own the sell data. And that's the interesting thing is that I'm not paying clay. I spend almost no Clay credits, basically. So you can use a tool called the Klay Gen. It searches the web and you just pay OpenAI tokens. You just pay the API, you just pay Papa Sam and Daddy Adario, who's the CEO of Anthropic.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

Right.

[Unnamed Guest]

So you're just paying those people Clay just passes that through. And some. That is like pennies. That's like fractions of a penny per row. Basically, I'll use tools that are just 10x cheaper than clay inside of clay. And that's why it's valuable.

[Benjamin Shapiro]

And that wraps up this episode of the Martech podcast. Thanks to Jordan Crawford, the founder of Blueprint, for joining us. If you'd like to contact Jordan, you could find a link to his LinkedIn profile in our show notes, or you can visit his company's website. It's blueprintgtm.com he's also doing LinkedIn lives for the Cannonball GTM every Friday. They're totally fascinating. You should absolutely check them out. And if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of marketing and technology knowledge in your podcast feedback, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed every week. All right, that's it for today, but until next time, my advice is to just focus on keeping your customers happy.

Thanks for listening to the Martech podcast and I hear everything. Production. Looking to launch or scale a podcast like this one for your brand? Then visit iheareverything. Com.