Key Takeaways from the r/hubspot AMA with Kyle Jepson

Kyle Jepson, HubSpot's Principal Evangelist and the creator of the popular #HubSpotTipsAndTricks video series, recently hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on the r/hubspot subreddit. Users from across the community jumped in to ask pointed questions about product features, user experience, career development, and Kyle's own journey. Here’s a roundup of the most insightful questions and answers.

On Product Features and AI

The Question: How can we use HubSpot's AI without paying for Breeze Intelligence Credits?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle clarified that many of HubSpot's AI tools are included in standard subscriptions and don't require credits. These include:

• Copilot: For web research on companies.

• Sales Workspace Research Tool: A similar research feature in Sales Hub Pro/Enterprise.

• Data Model Overview: Can now recommend properties, pipelines, and associations based on your business.

• General Content Tools: Features for drafting/revising content, generating images, and creating audio from text are also free.
  

He noted that Breeze Intelligence credits are primarily for record enrichment and buyer intent. He also shared exciting news that HubSpot will soon include a number of free credits with subscriptions, allowing users to try these premium features.

The Question: Will reports ever get a "snapshot" feature to compare data from different points in time (e.g., last Monday vs. today)?

Kyle's Answer: While he didn't have a specific timeline, Kyle acknowledged this is excellent and necessary feedback. He confirmed that he personally passed the request directly to the reporting product team in their internal Slack channel, ensuring the user's voice was heard.

The Question: What are the plans for improving recurring revenue reporting, which currently feels tied only to a deal's total amount and close date?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle confirmed this is a common piece of feedback. While he didn't have insider information, he expressed his own curiosity about the recent Cacheflow acquisition. He hopes this will lead to a significant upgrade in revenue-related functionality, and is holding out hope that more robust recurring revenue reporting will be part of that.

The Question: Is it possible to get a list of contacts who viewed a specific form but did not submit it?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle suspected this isn't possible. While the "Analyze" tab on a form shows the number of views, it doesn't provide a list of the specific contacts. He reasoned that if a visitor has never submitted a form, they remain anonymous, so HubSpot wouldn't have their contact information to add to a list anyway.

On User Experience (UX) and Design

The Question: With so many new features, HubSpot's UI feels like it's losing its simplicity and becoming inconsistent. Is there a team responsible for the holistic user experience?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle empathized with this concern, acknowledging the "massive amount of change and expansion." He confirmed that HubSpot has a Product Design team and a Design Systems team specifically focused on creating a more consistent and cohesive UI at scale. While he couldn't share specifics, he stated that HubSpot is "more committed than ever to maintaining what differentiates us from other business software: ease of use."

The Question: Who decided to change the sources traffic chart to use checkboxes, and why?

Kyle's Answer: Taking on the "hot take," Kyle shared feedback from the product team. The change was part of a larger effort to align the report with the standard reporting experience across the platform. This new design unlocks key features that weren't available before, such as insights, metric comparisons, and advanced filtering. He assured the user that this type of feedback is always collected to help improve the experience.

On Career and Strategy for RevOps

The Question: What skills will differentiate RevOps professionals in the next 2-3 years, and how can they move from operational roles to strategic leadership?

Kyle's Answer: Calling it a "LOVE" of a question, Kyle drew on his linguistics background. He argued the biggest hurdle is vocabulary. Operations professionals must learn to translate their work (effort, efficiency, CRM adoption) into the language of executives (profits, margins, ROI). By connecting their initiatives directly to saving or earning money, they can avoid being seen as a cost center. He highly recommended his Revenue Operations Certification course at HubSpot Academy, which includes a lesson on basic accounting principles to help bridge this communication gap.

On the HubSpot Community and Kyle's Role

The Question: Why does HubSpot continue to use Bevy for its online events when it often has technical issues?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle took personal responsibility for this one, laughing that the disclaimer about technical issues in his Admin HUGs has become a running (and perhaps unkind) joke. He explained he uses Bevy because it's the tool HubSpot provides. While it had issues initially, he noted that Bevy has improved significantly, and it's probably time to retire the warning disclaimer.

The Question: How did you become the most recognized "hype man" in SaaS?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle shared that his journey was more accidental than planned.

• The Videos: He started making unscripted #HubSpotTipsAndTricks videos on LinkedIn during the pandemic lockdown because he was bored and wanted a break from high-production HubSpot Academy content. He quickly found a huge audience need for information on new product features.

• The Admin HUG: This also started on a whim. After a presentation for admins at INBOUND was packed, he realized there was a community that needed support. The user group became a self-sustaining place for product teams to share updates and for users to give direct feedback.

• In summary, he says he was "lucky to be able to connect people to the content they want."
  

The Question: With the massive growth of HubSpot content creators, what gaps are left to fill?

Kyle's Answer: Kyle sees a "TON of open space" beyond just covering new features. He encouraged creators to focus on:

• Underrated or "tried and true" features.

• Pro tips and best practices.

• The magic that happens when you connect multiple HubSpot tools together.
  

He generously offered to amplify content from others using the #HubSpotTipsAndTricks hashtag.

Want to Read Kyle’s Full AMA?

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