Why B2B Marketing is Broken (And How to Fix It) | Jon Miller | GMS 2026

The traditional B2B demand gen playbook is officially broken. Marketers are spending 70% more to generate a dollar of new ARR than a decade ago, buyer fatigue has peaked, and the classic "gumball machine" model—put budget in, get MQLs out—no longer matches how modern buying committees actually operate. In this keynote session from Position²’s Growth Marketing Summit 2026, Jon Miller (Co-founder of Marketo & Engagio, former CMO of Demandbase) breaks down why buying is a complex, nonlinear system governed by chaos theory, why 92% of B2B deals are won by vendors on the initial shortlist, and how go-to-market teams must adapt. Learn the three levers that beat "AI slop" (Relationships, Experiences, and Craftsmanship), how to rethink pipeline attribution, and why the future of MarTech is shifting from rigid rules to AI reasoning. What You’ll Learn: The Macro Shift: Why CAC is soaring, Google CPCs are up, and traditional inbound tactics are hitting a wall. The 92% Shortlist Problem: 6sense research showing that buying decisions are mostly made before a prospect ever talks to sales. Chaos Theory in B2B: Why linear attribution models fail and how buying committees (6–16 stakeholders over 2 years) actually behave. Three Countermeasures in the AI Era: Relationships: Leaning into communities, partner ecosystems, and creator/founder brands. Experiences: Designing single-table executive dinners and memorable offline engagements. Craftsmanship: Beating generic AI-generated content with proprietary data and original research (e.g., Gong Labs, Carta). Fixing Broken Metrics: Moving past MQLs to hand-raisers, marketing-qualified accounts, and total influenced pipeline. MarTech’s Next Frontier: Transitioning from "If-This-Then-That" automation rules to autonomous AI reasoning. Timestamps / Chapters 00:00 - The Thesis: Why Traditional B2B Marketing Stopped Working 02:12 - Buyer Fatigue & The Tragedy of the Commons 04:47 - The 6sense Data: Why 92% of Deals Are Won on the Shortlist 05:55 - Lessons from Demandbase: Playbooks Don't Work Without Brand 08:23 - Positioning & Emotion: What Do Buyers Say When You're Not in the Room? 09:48 - The Gumball Machine Fallacy: Why Linear Funnels Fail 11:40 - Chaos Theory: Treating B2B Buying as a Complex, Nonlinear System 14:18 - The 95/5 Rule: Moving from Demand Capture to Demand Creation 18:23 - Marketing in the Age of Zero-Click Search & AI Inboxes 20:28 - Pillar 1: Relationships (Community, Influencers & Founder Brand) 27:00 - Pillar 2: High-Touch Experiences & Executive Roundtables 28:49 - Pillar 3: Craftsmanship (Standing Out Against AI Slop with Proprietary Data) 38:38 - Retiring the MQL: Hand-Raisers, Buying Groups & Signal Data 42:38 - The Soccer Analogy: Why Sourced Pipeline Attribution is Flawed 44:30 - Measuring Brand Health: Perception Surveys & Positioning Mindshare 46:46 - The Future of MarTech: Moving from Rules-Based to AI Reasoning About the Speaker: Jon Miller is a martech pioneer and entrepreneur. He co-founded Marketo (acquired by Adobe) and Engagio (acquired by Demandbase), and subsequently served as Chief Marketing Officer at both. He is an active B2B advisor, investor, and thought leader on the evolution of revenue marketing and AI in go-to-market strategies. About Position²: Position² accelerates demand and pipeline growth for high-growth tech companies through integrated performance marketing, content, media, and martech solutions. Learn more: https://www.position2.com/