How 1Password is pivoting to dominate a new security category

Apr 20, 2026 · Exit Five
🎧 PodShort 29 min squeezed to 3 AI SprinklerAS Sales Tech New
Episode artwork
Mel T Littlepage
CMO at 1Password
Exit Five
29 min squeezed to 3
Full episode from Exit Five
Quotable Moments

You can't attribute your way to being hot. And if you're not hot, you're fighting for every lead, you're fighting for every deal.

Mel T LittlepageCMO at 1Password
08:00

The number one priority is to market this new category to our target buyer, to let them know it exists, that now, like, you've never been able to solve these problems before. The problems are new, the problems are important, and now there's a solution to it.

Mel T LittlepageCMO at 1Password
17:40

The buyer chooses to buy with their heart, and then they justify the decision with their head. And so much of our marketing is where marketing to the head. When I market to the heart, I can build trust.

Mel T LittlepageCMO at 1Password
27:50
Key Insights
  • The best way to win in the long run is to be the king or queen of your category. If you're not, you need to create a market where your company can be number one.
  • OnePassword is an 18-year-old company with over $250 million in ARR, and they are the market leader in both consumer and B2B password management. They are now launching a new category called Extended Access Management (XAM).
  • The shift to remote work during COVID-19 created a significant security gap for businesses, as employees started using unsanctioned SaaS apps and personal devices, leading to a rise in 'Shadow IT' that companies cannot secure or even fully see.
  • The strategy for launching a new category involves identifying an 'elephant in the room' problem that is widely recognized but not discussed because it's considered unsolvable, then associating pain with it using data and research.
  • Marketing attribution alone cannot make a company 'hot.' If a company or its category isn't 'hot,' it will constantly struggle for every lead and deal. Being 'hot' means the category is strategic and a priority for the target buyer.
  • A key tactic for category creation is to lead with the problem and the solution, rather than focusing on product features or comparisons to existing solutions. This forces buyers to consider a new approach rather than choosing between similar options.
  • OnePassword employs a Global Advisory CISO as a direct report into marketing. This CISO's role is to agitate for the problems the new category solves within the security community, fostering a desire for solutions without directly pitching the product.
  • Sports marketing, like OnePassword's title sponsorship of the Presidents Cup golf tournament, is used to reach B2B buyers when they are not at work, leveraging the irrational passion of sports fans to build brand affinity and trust, which influences purchasing decisions at a 'heart' level.
Metrics Mentioned
  • Over $250 million ARR (1Password's current annual recurring revenue.)
  • 150,000+ B2B customers (Number of B2B customers for 1Password, representing the fastest-growing part of their business.)
  • 18 years old (Age of the 1Password company.)
  • 68% of data breaches (Percentage of data breaches that result from compromised access to systems, according to industry data.)
  • 3 out of 4 breaches (Frequency of breaches becoming reputation-damaging or ransomware attacks starting with compromised access.)
  • 1,200+ employees (Total number of employees at 1Password.)
  • 80 people (Size of 1Password's marketing organization, including product marketing.)

RevBots.ai View:

  • AI Sprinkler stage companies often bolt on new features without transforming their core GTM strategy.
  • 1Password's category creation playbook shows how to orchestrate marketing and community-building.
  • Their sports marketing approach highlights the emotional layer missing in most B2B SaaS strategies.
  • ARM stage companies would integrate AI to predict buyer intent and automate category education.
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