Aidium Shifted from PLG to Enterprise Sales

Some industries move fast. Others resist change like it’s their job. Mortgage tech — especially in a down market — definitely leans toward the second.

That’s what made my conversation with Spencer Dusebout, founder and CEO of Aidium, so insightful. Spencer and his team aren’t just building tech for lenders and brokers — they’re navigating one of the most trust-bound, tech-averse, compliance-heavy verticals out there.

And in 2023, when the market tanked and deals froze up, they made a smart shift: from serving individual loan officers through product-led growth… to winning enterprise contracts with a clear value bridge.

Key Takeaways

• Aidium helps mortgage teams align enterprise systems and individual workflows

• They shifted from serving individual users to selling into the enterprise

• In a bad market, customers only move for “A products” — not marginal upgrades

• Spencer asked tough questions to uncover urgent buying triggers

• Founders should own GTM until they've cracked the pitch — then scale the team

From Point Solution to Platform

Aidium started by giving individual loan officers a better workflow. Think CRM meets automation for the people in the trenches — helping them move faster, market better, and retain clients after the deal closes.

But over time, Aidium saw a deeper opportunity: becoming the bridge between the enterprise and the individual.

“Loan officers are powerful. They can take their book of business and leave at any time. Enterprises want consistency. We had to serve both.”

Most mortgage tech was either too rigid for loan officers or too fragmented for corporate. So Aidium positioned itself as the system that satisfies both — giving the bank compliance, branding, and control, while letting each rep run their own playbook within the platform.

That shift opened up enterprise sales — but it came with a new kind of challenge.

Selling in a Brutal Market

“2023 was the worst year for mortgage tech since 2008. It was just brutal.”

With hiring frozen and teams shrinking, no one was in the mood to “try a better CRM.” Spencer knew that to win deals, Aidium had to become an urgent, high-leverage switch — not just a nice-to-have.

“In a great market, people move from a C to a B product. In a down market, they only move to an A.”

That insight drove everything: product roadmap, sales messaging, onboarding flows. Aidium focused on one key angle — helping banks retain and recruit top loan officers through better tech.

They also made sure to check a few boxes that weren’t core differentiators, but had to be there.

“We had to build some features just to reduce friction. Even if the customer admitted they didn’t add a ton of value — people were used to them.”

The Tactical Shift: How to Find Urgent Reasons to Buy

When I asked Spencer how he figured out what messaging resonated, his answer was refreshingly direct:

“We just asked. We’d say, ‘I know you like it — but what would make you move tomorrow?’”

Those conversations helped them isolate what was stalling the deal. Sometimes it was a missing feature. Other times, it was a lack of internal proof points. So they built fast, shared customer stories, and framed everything in terms of urgency.

“Can we prove the value? Can we show that this will help you retain talent or reduce costs now — not in 6 months?”

The result? Deals started closing again. Even with the market still down.

Founder Advice: Own GTM Before You Try to Scale It

One of my favorite parts of our chat was Spencer’s take on when and how to scale your go-to-market team:

“You as the founder own GTM until you’ve cracked the pitch. The idea that you’ll just hire a sales director and they’ll figure it out? That rarely works.”

Instead of throwing more people at the problem, Spencer inserted himself back into sales calls, tested talk tracks, and worked the pitch until it clicked.

Only after that did he start documenting what worked, handing it off, and scaling the process.

“Go slow until you’ve cracked it. Once you do, that’s when you scale — not before.”

It’s a reminder most early-stage teams need to hear (myself included).

What’s Next for Aidium

Aidium is continuing to double down on their “bridge” value prop — helping enterprise mortgage teams unify their workflows, improve adoption, and retain top-performing loan officers.

Spencer’s also looking to connect with other founders and product leaders who are deep in the SaaS trenches — especially those exploring integrations, market trends, and what’s next in the space.

“I love those conversations — where’s the puck going? What can we build faster, better, cheaper with the right inputs?”

Book a Free AI Assessment if you’re building in a complex or slow-moving market and want help figuring out how AI can support your GTM, automate critical workflows, or give you a sharper edge in a tough sales environment. We’ll help you map the opportunity and build a roadmap that fits your stage and your buyer.