Hello to Canada’s SaaS and AI Community,
2026 is underway, and many founders are approaching the year with renewed focus.
2025 clarified what truly drives pipeline and what no longer delivers results. Budgets are being deployed more intentionally. Buyers are more selective. Teams are prioritizing strategies that create real connection and long-term value.
Demand generation is entering a more mature phase. Alignment is becoming a competitive advantage. Trust is replacing reach as the currency that matters most. Community is evolving from an experiment into a durable growth engine.
That’s why this conversation matters.
We recently sat down with Dilara Cossette, Founder of FIP. A demand generation agency helping HR tech companies connect with HR leaders through demand generation events. Dilara unpacks how demand generation is evolving in 2026 and what SaaS leaders should prioritise as they plan for the year ahead. From community-led growth to irresistible offers and sales and marketing alignment, Dilara shares practical insights founders can apply immediately.
Key takeaways:
- Demand gen works when sales, marketing and purpose are aligned.
- Community and events are core GTM motions in 2026.
- AI scales output, not trust or human connection.
- Scaling companies focus on one clear, irresistible offer.
- Fewer, more meaningful touches outperform volume.
Co-Founder/Producer, SAAS NORTH Conference Editor, SAAS NORTH NOW
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The Alignment Gap Holding Demand Gen Back
Dilara started by challenging one of the most common misconceptions founders still hold.
“I see demand gen as building bridges between sales and marketing. Marketing can’t create demand if sales isn’t aligned.”
Too often, demand gen gets mistaken for paid ads or outbound tactics. Dilara believes the real work happens earlier, when teams align on messaging, offers and audience understanding.
That alignment is becoming more critical as buying committees grow and trust becomes harder to earn. Without it, even well-funded demand efforts struggle to convert.
Why Community-Led Growth Is The 2026 Advantage
Looking ahead, Dilara sees a clear shift in how buyers want to engage.
“My projection for 2026? It’s all about community building, events, and networking. People buy from people, they don’t buy from just the company.”
This isn’t about spinning up Slack groups for the sake of optics. It’s about creating spaces where real conversations happen; roundtables, small events and peer-led discussions that genuinely provide value.
“It’s not about creating the community for the sake of creating the community. Create a community and try to give something without asking for anything in return.”
That trust compounds over time. When buyers are ready to act, they already know who to call.
AI Scales Content But Humans Close Trust
AI is now embedded across the SaaS stack, from content creation to outbound. But Dilara was clear about where its impact stops.
“Content can be written by AI. Websites, outbound, everything. But what can’t be replaced is the human touch and in-person connections.”
Trust, she argues, can’t be built asynchronously.
“Connections are built on trust and transparency. This is something you can’t do offline, and I truly believe in-person events are a 2026 trend.”
For SaaS and AI leaders, the takeaway isn’t to abandon automation. It’s to use it intentionally, to create more space for real interaction, not to replace it.
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What Actually Separates Scaling Companies
Across her work with HR tech and B2B SaaS companies, Dilara sees a clear pattern among teams that scale predictably.
“Successful companies don’t rush into launching different campaigns. They take time to understand their audience’s pain point and come up with one core offer.”
That discipline shows up directly in results. Rather than chasing volume, these teams prioritize relevance and clarity.
“It’s not about sending more emails or making more calls. It’s about sending less, having more meaningful conversations, and presenting the right offer.”
The takeaway for founders is simple but difficult to execute: slow down, get sharper, and spend more time understanding the problem you’re solving before adding more motion to the system.
The Power Of The Irresistible Offer
One of the most tactical insights came from Dilara’s own outbound testing at FIP.
“We got almost three times more replies when there was a clear offer with fewer emails sent versus mass cold outreach without an offer.”
The improvement had nothing to do with tools, automation or copy length. It came down to clarity and relevance.
“It has to be a no-brainer offer. When people get your email and think, ‘I’d be stupid to say no’ that’s the goal.”
For founders, this reframes outbound entirely. Success comes from fewer messages, stronger offers and a deeper understanding of the buyer’s pain. Volume without a clear offer only creates noise.
Purpose As A Go-To-Market Advantage
Dilara’s approach to demand generation is shaped as much by her personal journey as her professional one. After working at Kudos and experiencing a strong internal culture, her perspective shifted.
“I started reading and understanding more about how to create better workplace culture, how to make sure employees feel safe, seen, motivated and appreciated.”
That experience ultimately led FIP to focus exclusively on HR tech and clarified her sense of purpose.
“If I can change one person’s perspective through my post or video, my purpose is fulfilled”
For Dilara, purpose isn’t positioning or brand narrative. It’s a practical advantage, one that attracts customers, partners and employees who genuinely care about the problem being solved.
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The Tools Behind Modern Demand Generation
Dilara closed by sharing the tools she relies on, with a clear emphasis on fundamentals over hype.
- CRM (non-negotiable)
Most of FIP’s clients use HubSpot.
“I’m a huge fan of HubSpot. A lot of early-stage startups don’t have a CRM, and when they want to implement one, it’s already too late.”
- Outbound execution
Dilara uses Instantly for email outreach and Dripify for LinkedIn automation, selecting tools based on use case, not scale for scale’s sake.
- Data and automation
Her stack also includes ocean.io, and Clay.
“Clay is an amazing tool. I see it more as a time-saving tool.”
- Where humans still matter most
Automation, she emphasized, should create time for what can’t be automated.
“You automate certain processes so you can focus on building connections, having conversations, talking to people, and getting real insights.”
Tools create leverage but only when paired with clarity, strong offers and real human connection.
What This Means For SaaS Teams In 2026
As SaaS teams reset their growth strategies for the year ahead, Dilara offers 3 tactical takeaways:
- Sustainable demand is built through alignment, trust and purpose.
- Community and clarity are no longer optional.
- Volume alone is no longer enough.
For founders planning 2026, the takeaway is simple: stop chasing reach and start earning trust, deliberately.
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