Podcasts about GTM

With every vendor claiming their platform is a revolutionary AI silver bullet, how do enterprise leaders distinguish between genuine innovation and what's essentially just marketing hype wrapped in a new algorithm?Agility requires a clear-eyed strategy for adopting new technologies, especially AI, focusing on practical outcomes over speculative promises.Today, we're going to talk about moving past the theoretical promise of AI and into its practical application for enterprise marketing. We'll discuss:- How to demystify AI for the broader marketing organization so your teams can actually use it.- Moving beyond theory to discuss tangible applications that drive efficiency and better customer experiences.- Why a solid data foundation isn't just important for AI, but is the absolute prerequisite for its success.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Daniella Harkins, SVP, Product GTM at LiveRamp. About Daniella HarkinsDaniella Harkins is SVP, Product Go To Market at LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP), the leading data collaboration platform. She works at the intersection of product and commercial teams to drive the structure and transformation of the two functions team toward the next evolution — empowering them to achieve max productivity. She holds a deep understanding of the market and field and translating it into GTM activities such as pricing, product stories, salesplays, and launches. Daniella holds a Bachelor of Arts in French from Temple University and an MBA from St. John's University Rome, and speaks French and Italian. Daniella Harkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharkins/ ---------- Resources ---------- LiveRamp: https://www.liveramp.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 We're proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873fChaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other generative AI tools, Chaser is the only platform that brings AI-powered project management into Slack, where teams already work. Chaser is based in Toronto, Canada. Learn more at trychaser.com.The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to Salesforce, 60% of a sales rep's time is not spent selling. If you've got someone on $200K, a significant portion of that salary is going to admin — not revenue.In this episode, Dave and Regan dig into the most offensive stat in sales right now, where that time is actually going, and the exact steps sales leaders can take to get admin time down to 5% — without buying another tool.What you'll learn:→ Where the 60% of lost selling time actually goes — the breakdown will surprise you→ Why 5% admin time is the real goal and what a rep's week looks like when you get there→ How to treat your revenue operations like an F1 car — always looking for 1% improvements→ The difference between what a high performer does vs a low performer and what it tells you about admin→ Why reps default to data entry when they don't know their next step→ The internal bureaucracy silently killing your team's selling time→ How AI cold outreach and personalized list-building is changing what's possible for sales teams→ The one thing you can do right now without buying another tool→ Why sales enablement starts with removing noise — not adding more toolsIf you manage a sales team and you're pushing activity metrics instead of fixing the system — this episode is for you.

The marketing funnel you've built your whole strategy around? It never described how people actually buy. It was a tidy oversimplification, and in a world of zero-click search and AI-saturated channels, it's never held up worse.In this episode, Amber sits down with Udi Ledergor — Gong's first marketer, now Chief Evangelist, author of Courageous Marketing, and the guy who ran a Super Bowl ad and coined a category on the way to $500M in ARR.Udi's argument cuts against the "hack-everything" reflex of modern GTM: brand isn't a vibe, it's trust, and trust is the only thing that makes a buyer go straight to you instead of crawling through a funnel. What this episode covers:Why brand comes down to one thing, trust, and how raving fans replace the funnel entirelyThe unconventional bets behind Gong's brand: the Super Bowl spot, the bulldog, the 2021 enterprise rebrandWhy Courageous Marketing never mentions AI on purpose, and what makes a marketing principle timelessThe two-headed dragon: what actually fixes sales and marketing alignment (hint: do you know how your CRO takes their coffee?)Why a marketing team not working from the same data as sales is committing a crime against its own companyHow AI agents now prove marketing's hard impactThis episode unpacks exactly why the companies winning right now are the ones people demand their employer buy.-----------------------------------------------------

AI sales is often framed as replacement. Swetha Puvvada sees it differently: the real opportunity is using AI to remove the busy work so sellers can get back to listening, understanding pain, and having better conversations. Swetha is Head of Product & Growth at Teameight, an AI SaaS company building an augmentation platform for sales teams. We talk about product, GTM, customer feedback, career growth, mountaineering, and how she went from early-career intern to owning product and go-to-market inside a startup.  We also discuss: • Why AI should augment sales instead of replacing sellers  • How Teameight helps ramp new sellers faster • Why negative customer feedback is useful when it is specific • What makes someone a good salesperson • How Swetha moved from internship to Head of Product and GTM • Why younger talent needs broader product and systems thinking • How mountaineering teaches trust, risk, and preparation  • Being one of the few women in tech and mountaineering • Why taking opportunities matters more than waiting for permission  Swetha links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swetha-puvvada/ Teameight: https://www.teameight.ai/ Jason links https://linktr.ee/admin

This episode originally aired in September of 2024, however it was jam-packed with so many valuable insights I wanted to share it again. In this throwback rewind we're thrilled to welcome Jason Yarborough, a seasoned professional with a diverse background that includes roles such as:Director of OperationsAssistant Store Manager at StarbucksSales Representative/Account ExecutiveDirector of Marketing/StrategyVP of PartnershipsT-Ball Coach He currently guides partner programs to scalability through GTM training, program development, and coaching. He co-hosts the "Friends with Benefits" podcast with his wife, Sam. In this week's episode, we discussed:His journey from being a generalist to becoming a strategic partner in the business world.How he bridges the gap between agencies and leadership challenges.His diverse career experience, from operations at Starbucks to marketing and partnerships at companies like Garden of Life, Social Fresh, Terminus, and Arcadia.The importance of building long-term relationships and creating engagement through thoughtful experiences.Jason also emphasized the importance of partner experience, long-term relationship building, and creating engagement through thoughtful moments. He highlighted the "Disney Experience" approach, where partners feel seen, heard, and known, and discussed the need to move beyond transactional relationships by offering advanced training and focusing on where to invest time effectively. Please enjoy this week's episode with Jason Yarborough! I am now in the early stages of writing my first book! It will cover my journey into sales, the lessons learned, and include stories and advice from top sales professionals around the world. I'm excited to share these interviews and bring you along on this journey!Like the show? Subscribe to the email: Subscribe HereI want your feedback! Reach out at 20percentpodcastquestions@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.If you know anyone who would benefit from this show, please share it! If you have suggestions for guests, let me know!Enjoy the show!

270 | Nicolas Schell ist ein Pionier für GTM-Engineering - mit AI-Tools automatisiert er ganze Vertriebs-Teams.Mach das 1-minütige Quiz und finde eine Geschäftsidee, die zu dir passt: digitaleoptimisten.de/quiz.So erreichst du uns:Sprachnachricht senden: https://www.speakpipe.com/digitaleoptimistenEmail schreiben: alexander@digitaleoptimisten.deLearningsGo-to-market-Engineering: Vier SchritteDas Go-to-market-Engineering-Playbook besteht aus vier Schritten: ICP definieren, TAM mappen, Kontaktdaten der Entscheider finden und Cold Outreach planen. Nico erklärt diese Struktur explizit im Gespräch als Kernprozess des GTM-Engineerings. Die klare Abfolge macht GTM-operativ umsetzbar und messbar, statt vage zu bleiben.ICP und datengetriebene ZielgruppenDer ICP wird datengetrieben definiert, indem man das Problem des Kunden sichtbar macht und analysiert, in welcher Situation er es hat. Für die Longlist nutzt Scalantech Northdata, Google Maps Scraping (Epi-Fi) und Datenbanken wie AI Arc; dabei wird ein Pareto-Ansatz verwendet, um die 20% der Kunden zu finden, die 80% des Umsatzes ausmachen. In der Fallstudie Seven Senders erzielte man 10% Antwortrate per E-Mail, 25% per LinkedIn und 38 Meetings in zwei Monaten, was die Wirksamkeit datengetriebener Zielgruppenauswahl belegt.Natürliche Nachricht statt KI-MassenoutreachManuell erstellte Outreach-Nachrichten werden anschließend mit KI-gestützten Anpassungen personalisiert; vollständige KI-Generierung lehnt Nico ab. Der Fokus liegt darauf, dass die Ansprache natürlich wirkt, fast wie eine Nachricht an einen Kumpel, statt wie eine Standard-Sales-Nachricht. Obwohl Trigger-Hacks funktionieren können, bleiben Fundamentals wie gute Liste, Personalisierung und solides Angebot entscheidend.Hypothese: Services als SoftwareHypothese: Die Zukunft gehört Services as software; Unternehmen setzen KI-Agenten ein, um Services zu automatisieren; die nächste Trillion-Dollar-Firma könnte eine Softwarefirma sein, die sich als Servicesfirma maskiert. Zukunftsgespräche sehen auch produktisierte Services und AI-Agenten pro Kunde vor; eine konkrete Idee ist eine Go-to-Market-Engineering-School kombiniert mit einer Headhunting-Agentur für AI-Engineers.KeywordsGTM Engineering, Go-to-Market Engineering, Vertriebsautomatisierung, KI im Vertrieb, Sales Automation, B2B Vertrieb, Kaltakquise, Cold Outreach, Leadgenerierung, NeukundengewinnungClay, Lemlist, n8n, Claude Code, Apollo, Northdata, AI Arc, InstantlyKI ersetzt Jobs, AI SDR, KI Vertriebler, Services as Software, Vertrieb der Zukunft, Sales mit KI, Automatisierung MittelstandVertriebsteam durch KI ersetzen, Cold Outreach personalisieren, ICP definieren, B2B Leadliste erstellen, Outreach Antwortrate erhöhenNicolas Schell, Scalantech, Digitale Optimisten

Gaurav Agarwal, COO of ClickUp, joins Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno, and Asad Zaman after ClickUp, a company north of $300 million in ARR, parted ways with 22% of its workforce while rolling out pay packages up to $1 million a year for the individual contributors who stay. Gaurav walks through how a central Foundry team builds the tooling while each function's top performers automate their own jobs, why he wants his org to run like a pirate ship before a naval fleet, and how a two-person marketing team now ships 70 to 100 campaigns a week. Topics include which roles get eaten as AI collapses the org chart, why a great seller will never get the AI leverage a great engineer does, the case for working in public so AI has full context, and the mercenary-versus-missionary tension reshaping GTM talent. Plus, a Quiz Pro Quo on the SpaceX IPO and OpenAI's tender offer, and a Bulls and Bears debate on buying applications from foundation model companies versus the pure application layer. Key Takeaways: - Gaurav's mental model moved from treating AI as a sidekick to treating AI as the worker itself. As Gaurav Agarwal, COO of ClickUp, framed it: "AI will do the job, you like it or not... Humans will build AI to do the job and AI will do the job better than an 80th percentile human. And then our jobs become managers and trainers of AI." - ClickUp is rebuilding its compensation bands around the people who create the most leverage with AI. As Gaurav Agarwal put it: "we want our top employees who are using AI to build digital workers... They should be paid higher," and he is blunt that the payoff is uneven by function: "I don't think sales gets the same leverage out of AI the way engineering does." - Standing up an AI-native org early means choosing chaos before structure. Six months into ClickUp's push, Gaurav Agarwal described it plainly: "what I need right now is I need entropy... let's go be a little bit like a pirate ship... then we will bring in someone who can structure those pirates as a naval fleet." - As AI collapses engineering, product, and design into overlapping roles, Gaurav Agarwal made the case for the multi-spike specialist over the generalist: "I think it's an E-shaped specialist... specialists who have more than 2 or 3 spikes eat up those spikes." His rule for who wins the consolidation: "the one with the best taste and the drive to work and learn and improve eats up adjacent departments." Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: Sam Jacobs, CEO at Pavilion - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/ Host: AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at Sales Talent Agency - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/ Guest: Gaurav Agarwal, COO at ClickUp - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravragarwal/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/ Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Gaurav Agarwal 03:55 ClickUp's 22% AI Layoff 05:30 AI Will Do the Job 07:42 Agentic Workflows at ClickUp 10:43 Pirate Ship or Naval Fleet 15:07 AI's Jagged Edges 17:13 Where Do You Start 24:19 AI Amplifies Talent Gaps 25:50 Should You Record Everything 40:28 Quiz Pro Quo 48:56 Paying for AI Leverage 53:27 Mercenary Versus Missionary 1:01:12 Bulls and Bears 1:09:59 Hiring Salesforce GTM Talent 1:12:25 Collapsing Roles and Specialists

In this insightful interview, Quinn Small, Founder & CEO at Driive, shares her journey from early career in window coverings to leading a tech-driven scheduling platform for home services. Discover how her innovative approach leverages AI and automation to transform industry practices, improve efficiency, and boost revenue.   key topics Quinn Small's entrepreneurial journey from window coverings to tech The challenges of scheduling in home services How AI and automation can improve industry efficiency   Chapters 00:00 The Journey Begins: From Childhood to Entrepreneurship 02:33 Identifying the Problem: The Birth of Driive 04:13 Building the Prototype: Early Days of Development 06:45 Customer Feedback: Understanding Market Needs 09:09 Navigating Scheduling Challenges: The Art and Science 12:00 AI and Automation: The Future of Scheduling 22:22 Rapid Fire Round: Personal Insights and Advice  

The Dashboard Is Dead: What Snowflake's CMO Does Instead Denise Persson runs a 700-person marketing organization at one of the most data-rich companies on the planet, and she does not start her morning by logging into a dashboard. She interrogates her data directly, gets answers to questions she used to have to Slack three people about, and moves on. No meetings about the numbers. No debates about what the pipeline data means. No waiting until end of quarter to find out if a campaign worked. In this session, Denise joins SaaStr CAIO Amelia LeRutte to break down what AI-powered marketing actually looks like when you have the scale, the data infrastructure, and the compliance requirements of Snowflake, and what founders and marketing leaders at any stage can steal from the playbook right now. You'll learn: How Snowflake cut cost per opportunity by 30% by using agents to optimize media spend in real time across fragmented channels that used to require separate analytics for each What Denise's morning brief actually contains, from pipeline projections to org health to flagged travel expenses, and why nobody gets a Slack message from her anymore Why the GTM engineer is the only marketing function Snowflake is actively hiring into, what profiles are converting into the role, and why business analysts are not making the list How to build AI fluency across a large team without making it mandatory or performative, including the weekly AI challenge, quarterly AI days, and a leaderboard that rewards curiosity over token count Why data quality is the single most important investment before deploying any agent, and why bad data plus AI just means bad decisions faster and at scale This is for you if: You lead a marketing team of any size and want to see what the "most AI-assisted marketing team in B2B" actually looks like in practice, not in a slide deck You are trying to figure out how to get a large or compliance-sensitive org moving on agents without losing control of what they are doing You want to understand what the GTM engineer role actually looks like day to day and how to find or develop one inside your existing team

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the B2B Go-To-Market Leaders Podcast, Vijay Damojipurapu sits down with Kady Srinivasan, Chief Marketing Officer at Freshworks, to explore what it really takes to build market share in SaaS, and why finding the right ICP is often the difference between accelerated growth and stalled momentum.Drawing from leadership roles across Dropbox, Klaviyo, Lightspeed, and Freshworks, Kady shares lessons from scaling PLG, inbound, outbound, and hybrid go-to-market motions, while navigating the realities of product-market fit, category expansion, and AI-driven disruption.The conversation dives into the evolution of modern GTM, from defining your initial ICP to expanding into adjacent markets without losing your positioning, and why many companies drift away from the messaging and audience that made them successful in the first place.They dive into:Why GTM is ultimately about building market share through coordinated actions across product, marketing, sales, and customer success.How great products still fail when they're sold to the wrong audience or positioned with the wrong messaging.The concept of ICP+ and how successful companies expand beyond their initial customer base without losing focus.Why many SaaS companies unintentionally drift away from their original positioning as they add products and features.The differences between PLG, inbound, outbound, and enterprise sales motions—and when each makes sense.How pricing, packaging, and expansion strategy influence long-term customer value.Kady's ABCD Framework for positioning: Audience, Benefits, Compelling Reasons to Believe, and Differentiation.Why storytelling frameworks like the Hero's Journey remain powerful tools for modern marketers.How AI is creating a new generation of multi-threaded marketers who can operate across traditional marketing silos.A creative CEO influence strategy that transformed LinkedIn engagement into pipeline and qualified opportunities.Lessons from a major ICP pivot at Lightspeed that helped drive significant market share gains in targeted geographies.Why defining and defending your ICP is one of the most important leadership decisions a company can make.Kady's core message is simple:The companies that win aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest products, they're the ones with the clearest understanding of who they're serving and why.This episode is a practical masterclass on ICP definition, positioning, GTM motion design, and the future of marketing in an AI-powered world.

How do you sell software to an industry where Google Maps and Sales Navigator don't even work?Freddy Galindo built Sprint Suite, a SaaS platform for mining contractors, after watching his family's mining services business get buried in spreadsheets and manila folders. Today he breaks down how to scale a SaaS business in a vertical that doesn't operate like tech at all — including why his team drives around taking photos of companies just to find them.What you'll learn:→ Why Freddy's team prospects by driving around taking photos of companies (no websites, no digital footprint)→ The discovery process that works when your buyer has never used SaaS before→ Why flying SDRs to mine sites changed their entire sales motion→ How AI made development a commodity — and where Freddy is reinvesting instead→ Why "stop managing the process, start managing the business" is the real value proposition→ The hard lesson about saying yes to every opportunity in the early days→ Why being coachable is the one trait Freddy looks for above all else→ What expanding into the Canadian market taught him about adapting a sales motionIf you sell into an industry that doesn't operate like tech — this conversation will change how you think about your go-to-market.

Before working with MEDDICC, Microlise's sales forecast accuracy sat at 25%. Today it's 85%.In this episode, MEDDICC CEO Andy Whyte sits down with Mike Blackburn, CRO at Microlise, to find out what actually changed. Not just the numbers, but the language, the culture, and the mindset that comes with knowing your forecast is real.Mike shares how he went from dismissing MEDDIC when he first encountered it to becoming one of its biggest advocates, and what it took to embed it across a GTM team in a way that actually stuck.You'll learn:✅ Why Mike resisted MEDDIC early in his career and what changed his mind✅ How Microlise used MEDDPICC as a common language across the full GTM team✅ What great deal reviews actually look like vs the ones that are just concealing weaknesses✅ How to identify and test a true Champion✅ What it takes to stand out early in a sales career

A brand's advertising is its identity showing up in public, and it tells you what that brand is about to do next. In this episode of Content Amplified, Karisa Schroeder, who works on GTM strategy at MediaRadar, explains how to use ad intelligence as a window into what brands are actually doing rather than just saying. Karisa walks through reading a competitor's next move from their creative, spend, pricing, partnerships, and sponsorships, and she expands the familiar share of voice and share of spend into share of message: do you own a category, and if not, where is the white space you can claim. She points to Airbnb at the Winter Olympics becoming the official sponsor of feeling at home instead of the official sponsor of lodging, and she frames brand building as a community you create, telling marketers to make it the party people want to be a part of. She closes with where to start: your own first-party data on the channels you already run, then enrichment to fill in the rest of the picture. If you want to turn the ad world into a competitive intelligence feed, tune in.About KarisaKarisa Schroeder works on GTM strategy at MediaRadar, where she focuses on the advertising space. She is in roughly her ninth year in product marketing and has been a marketer for about 15 years. She is well known in location intelligence, where her work centered on segmentation, behaviors, and demographics across the US, and she now applies that lens to advertising. She builds the tools she uses as a marketer every day, and she is a big advocate for connecting with people in the community.Show NotesConnect with Karisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karisaschroeder/Text us what you think about this episode!

In this episode of Hunters & Unicorns, hosts Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne sit down with Olivier Zieleniecki, Global Vice President of Partners at MongoDB, to discuss why the future of enterprise sales will be built around partnerships, ecosystems, and AI. As cloud marketplaces, hyperscalers, and AI continue reshaping how software is bought and sold, Olivier explains why traditional sales frameworks are no longer enough on their own. The next generation of sales leaders must learn how to leverage partner ecosystems, build strategic alliances, and create value beyond a single product or transaction. Drawing on nearly 20 years of enterprise software experience, Olivier shares how MongoDB scaled through partner-led growth, why partnerships are becoming a force multiplier for revenue, and what future CROs need to master to stay relevant in the AI era. In this episode: • How AI is changing enterprise sales • Why partnerships are becoming critical to growth • The evolution of partner-led revenue • How hyperscalers changed software buying • What great enterprise sellers do differently • Why future CROs must understand ecosystems • Strategic partnerships vs transactional selling • Building long-term customer value in the AI era • The future of software go-to-market   About Olivier Zieleniecki: Olivier Zieleniecki is the Global Vice President of Partners at MongoDB, leading the company's worldwide partner ecosystem strategy. Over the course of his career, he has helped scale enterprise software organizations while building strategic partnerships that drive long-term growth. About Hunters & Unicorns: Hunters & Unicorns explores the strategies, leadership lessons, and growth playbooks behind the world's most successful software companies through conversations with elite founders, operators, and GTM leaders. With thanks to our sponsors Aurasell. Timestamps: 0:00 — Trailer 1:20 — Introduction 3:10 — How Software Selling Is Changing 5:12 — How Hyperscalers & AI Are Reshaping the Landscape 7:50 — How Partner Complexity in Deals Has Changed 10:24 — Olivier's Career Journey Into Channel 13:57 — Why These Choices Are Setting Him Up for CRO 15:25 — Strategic vs Sourcing — What's the Difference 17:50 — How to Measure Partner Impact & Influence 19:20 — How Enterprise Sellers Should Work With Partners 21:30 — What Sellers Are Getting Wrong With Partners 23:15 — What Best Practice Actually Looks Like 27:43 — Has the Partner Team Ratio Changed at MongoDB 28:58 — How AI Is Impacting the Partner Ecosystem 30:57 — How AI Channel Strategy Differs From Cloud Alliances 32:40 — Will Classic Sales Principles Survive the AI Era 34:44 — The Guiding Principle Behind the Wizard of Oz Nickname 36:54 — How Partner Landscapes Differ Globally 38:31 — Biggest Predictions for Channel by 2030 40:35 — Tools to Track & Measure Partner Success 43:23 — Should Channel Become a Letter in MEDPIC 44:26 — Closing

133 million learners. 100% of the Fortune 100. And the woman steering go-to-market behind those numbers will tell you to stop chasing churn. Monika Saha, CCO of Articulate, doesn't trade in best-practice platitudes. In this episode she takes the sacred cows out back: why "customer education is a cost center" is half-wrong instead of all-wrong, when fighting retention is a flat waste of energy, and why PLG companies are quietly light-years ahead while everyone else optimizes the wrong thing. Host Josh Schachter pokes the bear. Co-host Samantha Murray pushes back. Monika doesn't blink. If you run customer success, education, or GTM and you're tired of being told what you already know, this one's built to make you uncomfortable in the good way.Josh is writing a book on building customer relationships. Follow his journey and insights at www.joshschachter.com---What You'll Learn- Why "customer education is a cost center" is partly true- How to standardize and modularize content so you stop reinventing the wheel- When improving churn is actually a waste of energy- How to segment a long tail so you invest where returns are real- Why PLG companies dominate in-app and digital motion- A simple QBR exercise to find AI-ready process bottlenecks- How to structure a number across a core product plus early cross-sells---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview and Meet Mac, Monika's dog1:08 - Meet Sam Murray, Gainsight & Monika Saha, Articulate2:11 - Articulate's Overview4:20 - Monika's remit as Chief Commercial Officer: trial to renewal5:37 - Lessons from her Gainsight CMO days9:00 - Customer education & internal enablement14:53 - Debate: is customer education a cost center?20:30 - Controversial take: when fixing churn is pointless23:43 - Why digital motion is foundational at a PLG company26:56 - Can non-PLG B2B companies experiment like this?28:48 - Embracing efficiency with AI32:30 - Hitting the number: core product vs cross-sell---Where to Find the GuestSamantha Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/Monika Saha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikasaha/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

AI may change software overnight, but company building still takes time.Ryan Smith explains why, despite the pace of AI, “the race is going to be way longer than anyone thinks.”He reflects on Qualtrics surviving multiple market cycles and ultimately being acquired by SAP for $8 billion days before going public.Guest: Ryan Smith, co-founder QualtricsConnect with Ryan SmithXLinkedInConnect with Joubin:XLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow Grit: LinkedInX​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

In this today's segment, Dan Sperring, founder and CEO of Align ICP, breaks down a mistake most revenue leaders make when defining their ideal customer profile. The instinct is to chase the highest lifetime value customers, but those segments are often the hardest to win, the slowest to close, and the first to break when the market shifts. This clip focuses on how to balance three critical factors inside your ICP: lifetime value, ease of acquisition, and market health. Dan explains why ignoring any one of these creates pipeline risk, and how leaders can avoid over-rotating into segments that look great on paper but fail in execution. For leaders responsible for predictable growth, this is about making smarter tradeoffs, not just better targeting. Dan Sperring is the founder and CEO of AlignICP, a company focused on helping revenue teams align around high-value customer segments to drive predictable growth. He brings experience across customer success, revenue leadership, and scaling SaaS businesses through product-market and go-to-market alignment. Connect with Dan: AlignICP LinkedIn Books mentioned: The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen The Innovator's Solution by Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross and ​​Marylou Tyler  Amp It Up by Frank Slootman Tools and podcasts mentioned: clay.com zoominfo.com The Science of Scaling Podcast Listen to the full episode: Aligning Pipeline to Ideal Customer Profile with Dan Sperring Get the Force Management framework for aligning your ICP, sales motion, and customer lifecycle around high-value use cases and measurable business outcomes: The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for Leaders Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results. This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Connect with Us: LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

We're back with some hot topics in GTM!This week we discuss something that's been on everyone's mind lately: AI token and credit spend. How do you choose the right tool and model for the job? Do you *really* need AI for that deterministic workflow?Then we test Hubspot's AI SDR Avatar and see how things have changed since the last time we reviewed an AI Avatar. Lastly, we plug a great job opportunity… One right here at CS2!We'll see you there.This week: 00:00 Intro01:27 How to manage AI token/credit spend in GTM20:48 Testing Hubspot's AI SDR avatar39:00 CS2's new job openingHear more from us: Subscribe to us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN-x5u0G03LWmU0Ds_4zR8wSubscribe to our newsletter here: https://www.cs2marketing.com/revenue-growth-architects#subscribe-to-newsletterFollow Crissy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crveteresaunders/Follow Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesaunders/

Sam Blond is the Co-founder and CEO of Monaco, the revenue engine for startups.Sam is one of the best sales operators in tech. He spent four years as CRO at Brex, where he helped scale it to a ~$12B valuation, ran sales at Zenefits before that, and got his start at EchoSign.If there's a modern GTM playbook, Sam helped write it. Our conversation walks through how AI has rewritten a big chunk of it. But most importantly, we talk about what hasn't changed.We get into the sales work AI is now better at than humans, and why Sam thinks 90% of startups misdiagnose their bottleneck as conversion when it's really demand gen.He explains why he doesn't measure early brand marketing at all and trusts anecdotes over attribution, walks through the full Monaco launch playbook including the Super Bowl box-truck story, and shares a rev-ops insight from Brex, including how they figured out a specific ICP converted at 4x the rate of another.Thank you to Numeral, Flex, Amplitude, and Merge for supporting this episode.Numeral: The end-to-end platform for sales tax and compliance https://www.numeral.comFlex: Get premium banking and a net 60 day credit card at 0% APY https://home.flex.one/referral/bananacapitalAmplitude: AI analytics, all you have to do is ask https://www.amplitude.comMerge: Every modal. One API. Total control. Check out Merge's Agent Handler. merge.dev/turnerTimestamps:(0:00) Scaling Brex to $12B(1:14) How AI speeds up prospecting and TAM building(5:19) Using AI to get more leverage(9:15) Incubating Monaco at Founders Fund(12:56) Innovator's dilemma in AI(15:57) Why AI companies build full platforms, not wedge products(23:30) Revenue is just a math equation(27:18) Two ways AI increases conversion rates(36:56) AI will never replace spending time with customers(39:46) Don't measure the impact of brand marketing(49:03) Your marketing must be different (and hard)(58:39) Customer discovery calls and working with design partners(1:03:03) The zero to 100 launch(1:11:00) Monaco's launch playbook(1:19:00) Send gifts that are unique and social(1:22:17) Naming your company(1:28:04) Founders should send early outbound(1:32:38) How multi-channel augments AI outbound(1:39:42) Using intent signals and outreach timing to increase conversions(1:43:28) Two common ways founders mess up when scaling revenue(1:50:22) Monaco's Forward Deployed AE'sReferencedTry Monaco: https://www.monaco.com/Careers at Monaco: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/monacoSam's launch post: https://x.com/samdblond/status/2026420015793320129?s=20Follow SamTwitter: https://x.com/samdblondLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-blond-791026b/Follow TurnerTwitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovakSubscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week: https://www.thespl.it/

You've been posting. Building followers. Showing up consistently. Then LinkedIn changes the algorithm — and overnight, your reach drops to nothing.In this episode, Dave and Regan expose the uncomfortable truth about building your brand on a platform you don't own — and the real strategy that's still generating booked calls, inbound leads, and pipeline in 2026.What you'll learn:→ Why LinkedIn stripped Dave of his Blue Tick (and what it reveals about the platform)→ The algorithm change killing reach for people with 10K, 25K, even 100K+ followers→ Why building on someone else's platform is the biggest hidden risk in sales→ The "manual connection ritual" generating real inbound without paid ads→ How to train AI to write content that sounds like YOU — not generic slop→ Why your best prospects never like your posts but are still watching and buying→ The one message 99% of reps never send after connecting on LinkedIn→ The Alex Hormozi consistency lesson every salesperson needs to hear→ Why quitting after 2 weeks is the #1 reason LinkedIn never works for youIf you've ever wondered whether LinkedIn is actually worth it — this episode gives you the honest answer.

It's official: Knownwell is now part of 2X, and together we're building the leading human-agentic GTM services company, unifying B2B marketing, sales, and customer success. In this special in-person episode of AI Knowhow, Knownwell CEO David DeWolf and 2X founder Dom Colasante join host Courtney Baker at 2X headquarters to break down the news and what drove the acquisition, including: why software and services are converging into a single category and what humans uniquely own in an agentic world. In this episode: The big news: 2X acquires Knownwell to build the first human-agentic GTM services company The trend permeating the services world: customers buy outcomes, not software or services Go-to-market fragmentation, and why marketing, sales, and customer success must run as one motion The 90/10 retention paradox every revenue leader should know Why all work should have a human in the loop Moving Knownwell's commercial intelligence up the stack into sales and marketing Show Notes: Read today's press release: https://2x.marketing/press-release/2x-acquires-knownwell/ Connect with David DeWolf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddewolf/ Connect with Dom Colasante: https://www.linkedin.com/in/domeniccolasante/ Connect with Courtney Baker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtbaker/

For years, healthcare organizations focused on securing digital channels while treating phone calls as a trusted service channel. That assumption no longer holds true.  In this episode, Sandy sits with Jason Barr, the Vice President of Strategic Sales for Healthcare at Pindrop, who explains how AI-powered voice cloning, deepfakes, and synthetic identities are transforming the cybersecurity landscape. Jason shares how healthcare organizations can defend against AI-driven fraud, verify identity in real time, and protect patients, providers, and employees in a world where even a familiar voice may not be what it seems. In this episode, they talk about: AI has transformed the phone from a trusted service channel into a rapidly growing cybersecurity threat vector for healthcare organizations. Cybercriminals can now use AI-powered tools to launch thousands of voice-based attacks per day, dramatically increasing the scale and efficiency of fraud attempts. Many attackers use voice channels not for immediate theft, but for reconnaissance, collecting sensitive information that can later be used to target providers, payers, and patients. Traditional identity verification methods such as knowledge-based questions and one-time passcodes are becoming increasingly vulnerable to modern fraud tactics. Continuous identity verification is emerging as a new security model that validates users throughout an interaction rather than only at the point of authentication. Pindrop analyzes thousands of signals during voice interactions to determine whether a caller is who they claim to be, whether they pose a risk, and whether they are even human. Healthcare organizations are facing a growing challenge in distinguishing between legitimate automation and malicious AI-powered bots. Deepfake technology is now sophisticated enough to mimic both voices and video, creating new risks across hiring, workforce management, and patient-facing operations. Help desks and support centers remain attractive targets because attackers often use social engineering tactics to pressure employees into resetting credentials. Voice-based security solutions can reduce fraud while simultaneously improving operational efficiency and the customer experience. One healthcare organization achieved a 90% reduction in fraud after implementing voice authentication and risk detection technology. Healthcare leaders must begin evaluating voice security as part of their broader cybersecurity strategy, as AI-enabled attacks continue to grow at an unprecedented pace.  A Little About Jason: As a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army Officer, Jason brings the operational rigor, discipline, and leadership foundation of combat-tested command into the boardroom and the GTM arena. He thrives where GTM transformation is mission-critical: aligning strategy to investor outcomes, building high-performing teams, and delivering predictable growth.

AI agents are not just changing sales tools. They are changing the job of the seller.In this episode, John sits down with Kris Billmaier, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Agentforce Sales and Growth Products at Salesforce, to talk about Agentforce, headless software, AI-native sales workflows, and what happens when sellers start managing teams of agents.If you are in sales, sales leadership, enablement, or GTM strategy, this episode gives you a practical look at where humans still matter, how agents can support pipeline and qualification, and why AI adoption needs clear use cases, measurement, and training.Want to stay ahead of where sales are heading next? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen.What You'll LearnWhy product-led growth is moving toward agent-led growthHow Salesforce is thinking about headless software and conversation-first AIWhy AI-first SaaS is not just a front-end feature or branding exerciseHow agents are changing SDR and BDR work at SalesforceWhy successful AI adoption starts with a narrow use case and a real training planWhat sellers need to become as agent teams take on more busy workKris Billmaier is Executive Vice President and General Manager of Agentforce Sales and Growth Products at Salesforce, where he leads the product strategy and vision for Agentforce Sales. With more than 20 years of experience across productivity software, search, and enterprise technology, Kris has launched category-defining products, scaled startups, and is now building a future where agents and sellers work together to grow revenue.Connect with Kris Billmaier:Website: https://www.salesforce.com/ap/Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisbillmaier/John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment.Connect with John Barrows:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrowsCheck out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!For years, the hard part of ops work was building the technology. Now the tech is getting easier while the people and process side is getting harder. So why are so many organizations still stuck debating AI instead of activating it?In this episode, host Michael Hartmann sits down with Andrea Tarrell, President of the Tech Services line at Trilliad and CEO of Sercante. Together, they discussed the human side of change in the AI world with speed, trust, risk tolerance, and the trade-offs GTM teams are making right now.In this episode:Why the technology got easier, but the people and process side got harderHow much of AI adoption is really a trust and change management problem, not a tech oneFear of job replacement vs. plain organizational inertiaAI may not replace your job, but someone using it well may outperform someone who refuses to adaptSolving the tension between "move faster with AI" and "watch out for the risks."What companies get wrong about risk management and tolerance for risk in the AI worldWhy old governance frameworks may not fit a world of fast experimentationAnd a lot more...Whether you lead an ops team or sit inside one, this is a timely conversation about innovation, speed, governance, and practical business reality.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone in the ops community who would find it valuable.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations ProfessionalsSupport the show

Michael Walrath, Chairman and CEO of Yext, returns to break down why the market has left a profitable, $400 million mid-cap public software company trading at one times revenue, even with over $100 million in EBITDA. He joins AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman to argue that the so-called SaaS apocalypse has almost no data behind it, that most AI layoffs are really a decade of go-to-market overhiring unwinding, and that boring compounders still out-return the hypergrowth darlings. Topics include how venture capital distorts software valuations, why no one is coming to help the 2021 unicorns stuck in broken cap tables, the great GTM despecialization, and the extend-and-pretend game inside venture funds. Plus, a Quiz Pro Quo on new business creation in the US and a Bulls and Bears debate on the future of mid-cap software and the stickiness of the AI platform. Read Michael's essay, No One's Coming to Help You: https://x.com/michaelpwalrath/status/2051364181237010778 Key Takeaways: - The market has left profitable mid-cap software for dead in favor of AI-native growth stories, and Michael Walrath, Chairman and CEO at Yext, leaned into how strange that is for a business that still prints cash. As he put it, "who's writing our obituary? It's the venture capitalists who are funding high-growth ARR companies," even as those same firms can't say what that ARR really means. - The loudest voices setting software valuations are venture investors, and Michael argued their certainty is out of step with their actual hit rate. He called them "remarkably sure of themselves for guys whose whole business model is being right 5 to 10% of the time," noting that being right much more often than that would mean a VC is playing it too safe. - Michael's answer to the hypergrowth-or-die mindset is that durable value comes from compounding cash flow, not chasing the next high-growth story. Pointing to a century of market history and operators like Berkshire Hathaway and Liberty Media, he said, "if you compound effectively, you will out-return these super high growth stories, unless those super high growth stories eventually become compounders." - A lot of the layoffs being blamed on AI may be a decade of go-to-market overhiring finally unwinding. Michael framed the skeptic's question directly: "is it really AI? Or is this a choice that you're making because you overhired for 10 years." Asad Zaman, CEO at Sales Talent Agency, agreed, pointing out that even inside the most AI-native companies he visits, the fundamental way the business runs has not really changed. Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at Sales Talent Agency - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/ Guest: Michael Walrath, Chairman & CEO at Yext - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-walrath-b63166/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/ Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters:  00:00 Cold Open and Intro 02:33 Dead But We Just Don't Know It 08:47 Narrative Violations and Hype 11:00 VCs Right 10% Of The Time 14:22 Whose Case Are You Making? 19:20 Why Boring Compounders Win 24:55 The SaaS Apocalypse Myth 28:47 Are AI Layoffs Really AI? 36:16 The Great GTM Despecialization 39:55 Quiz Pro Quo 48:54 No One Is Coming To Help You 55:11 Extend And Pretend 1:01:41 Doubling Cash Flow In 5 Years 1:04:17 Bulls and Bears 1:07:30 What's The AI Moat?

Maksym Tereshchenko is building a startup while his country is at war.  ✅ What you'll learn:Stop founder-driven sales and build a predictable machineSurvive the mental toll of doing 10 jobs all at onceHire your first GTM person without taking a guessSpot supply chain disruption before it hits youLeverage relationships to close dealsReach out to Max:LinkedIn: Maksym TereshchenkoWebsite: mantisanalytics.com

EPISODE DESCRIPTIONI sat down with Amit Mahensaria, co-founder of Pred, to explore why the $500 billion sports betting industry is ripe for disruption. Amit isn't a typical Web3 founder , he came in as a degen, a 22-year sports trader who got tired of the house always winning. In this episode, we dig into how Pred is building a trustless, peer-to-peer sports prediction exchange on Base, why live sports demand a completely different architecture than general prediction markets like Polymarket, and what it really takes to build an on-chain order book that can keep up with a goal being scored in real time. We also get into the state of the prediction market industry, who's going to win the space, and why Amit believes the Hyperliquid of sports trading hasn't been built yet , until now. DISCLAIMERNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/CONNECTPred Website: https://www.pred.app/trade/fif-cdr-den-2026-06-03Twitter/X - Pred: https://x.com/predofficialWeb3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS• [00:02] Sam introduces Amit Mahensaria, co-founder of Pred, a sports-native prediction exchange at the intersection of AI, crypto, and blockchain• [01:11] Amit shares his background , not a typical Web3 founder, but a 22-year sports trader and DeFi degen since the 2020 DeFi Summer• [02:32] His co-founder is a Web3 OG and former product and design head of Binance India• [03:38] The origin story: Amit built a peer-to-peer sports trading community 7 years ago after getting frustrated with sportsbook middlemen always taking a cut• [05:43] The core thesis , middlemen are being removed from every industry, and sports betting is one of the last frontiers where the house still always wins• [07:16] Why general-purpose prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi are not designed for sports UX or speed• [10:27] The biggest technical challenges: building an off-chain order book with on-chain matching, achieving 10x lower latency than competitors, and managing correlated multi-outcome order books in real time• [14:44] The Venn diagram problem , crypto users and frequent sports traders overlap by around 40%, poker bettors and crypto users by 60%• [16:29] How Pred abstracts crypto complexity away for mainstream users, and partnerships with fund.xyz and swap.com for on-ramping• [17:47] Key product learnings from 200-250 beta users over 8 weeks , sports UX must look nothing like a financial trading terminal• [19:47] Why Pred chose to build on Base , speed via Flash Blocks, distribution, and a roadmap conversation with Jesse Pollak• [21:55] The prediction market landscape has over 120 projects, but the space is still very early , the Hyperliquid of prediction markets hasn't emerged yet• [25:54] Pred is coming out of invite-only beta and opening to the public by end of month, starting with soccer only• [28:46] Advice for Web3 founders , do not launch a points program before you have PMF; GTM too early will kill you• [32:22] Long-term vision: a trustless, globally accessible sports trading exchange where users own the platform and trust every trade• [34:09] Liquidity management strategy , a transparent algo-driven vault similar to Hyperliquid's HLP, plus easy API onboarding for sports-focused market makers• [38:20] Current asks: users who want to trade and give feedback, sports-focused market makers, and a larger fundraise planned post-public launch

We have another guest this week! Our GTM Engineering Lead, Xander Broeffle joins us for a conversation on various tools and tech and how they are adapting in today's market. First, could Zoominfo be back from the dead with their new GTM.ai? Can agents find this data without ZI or does ZI have an edge? Then, Xander covers some Clay use cases we've been seeing in clients and discusses recent updates. Finally, can Marketo turn the ship around and release actually useful AI features? Let's dive in! This week: 0:00 Intro 5:00 ZoomInfo's new GTM.AI 21:05 Clay Updates 39:30 Can Marketo Turn the Ship Around? Hear more from us: Subscribe to us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN-x5u0G03LWmU0Ds_4zR8w Subscribe to our newsletter here: https://www.cs2marketing.com/revenue-growth-architects#subscribe-to-newsletter Follow Crissy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crveteresaunders/ Follow Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesaunders/

"Let me think about it." Every salesperson has heard it. Most accept it. Almost none of them know what it actually means.In this episode, Dave and Regan break down the most feared phrase in sales — why it almost always signals something you did wrong earlier in the conversation, and the one vulnerable move that turns a dead deal back into a live one.What you'll learn:→ What buyers actually mean when they say "let me think about it" in 3 different scenarios→ Why this phrase almost always means you asked the wrong questions upfront→ The deal size caveat — when it's actually okay to hear it→ Gong data: this phrase extends your deal cycle by 173%→ The calendar trick that forces a decision without pressuring the buyer→ The one phone call 99% of reps never make — and why it closes more deals than any script→ Why vulnerability and authenticity beat every objection handling technique→ The "marbles in a jar" trust framework that turns stalled deals into closed ones→ What never to do after you hear it (most reps do this immediately)If you've ever ended a call feeling like you blew it — this episode changes how you handle every deal from here.

SUMMARY: After the first successful AI IPO of 2026, we dig into what makes the Cerebras WSE architecture unique in the market for fast inference. GUEST: Andy Hock, at Chief Strategy Officer at Cerebras AISHOW: 1033SHOW TRANSCRIPT: The Enterprise AI Show #1033 TranscriptSHOW VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ed2nVbOtZiASHOW SPONSORS:OutShift - “Scaling Out Superintelligence”  The Internet of Cognition architectureShareGate - ShareGate Protect. Microsoft 365 Governance, we got this!Nasuni - Activate your data for AI and request a demoSHOW NOTES:OpenAI announces 750MW partnership with CerebrasCerebras and AWS partnershipCerebras announces IPOTopic 1 - Welcome to the show. Tell us about your background, and what you focus on today. Topic 2 - For anyone that's not familiar with Cerebras, give us an overview of the company, and especially an overview on the Cerebras technologies (e.g. Wafer-Scale Engine).Topic 3 - Cerebras' WSE architecture is different from many of the GPU or GPU-like architectures in the market today. Centralized vs. distributed architectures always have their tradeoffs. Walk us through the technical and economic value of the Cerebras architecture.Topic 4 - Congratulations on the recent IPO (raised $5.55B). Let's use that as a point in time vs the previous planned IPO. How has the market changed in that timeframe, and how has the Cerebras position changed? Topic 5 - Cerebras (today) offer both WSE hardware, and Cerebras Cloud (API) - very different GTM paths. Can we expect both of those to stay top priorities, or have the market dynamics shifted such that the priorities shift more towards the WSE business - as we're seeing OpenAI, AWS and other engagements announced?Topic 6 - Is Cerebras a training and inference company, or are the economics of inference significantly different enough that it needs to be the sole focus of the company (for now)? Topic 7 - How much effort is it for any company to add support for the Cerebras chips if they have previously been using other architectures?Topic 8 - An IPO is a major milestone for any company, but the markets will now look for your future story. How do you see the AI market evolving over the next 2-5 years, and what are some things that people aren't understanding yet about how it will evolve?FEEDBACK?Email: show @ the enterprise ai show dot comeBluesky: @TheEntAIShow.bsky.socialTwitter/X: @TheEntAIShowInstagram: @TheEntAIShow

After 122 episodes covering SaaS metrics, GTM analytics, and the evolving world of AI-native software, Dave "CAC" Kellogg and Ray "Growth" Rike announce that The Metrics Brothers podcast is going on hiatus.In this abbreviated special episode, Ray and Dave reflect on what made the show work, what made it hard, and why now is the right time to take a pause. They share their top-performing episodes across 122 weeks, including the all-time most-listened episode on NRR, a breakout episode on pipeline generation, and the Intercom AI transformation episode that set a record for first-week downloads.They also explain the primary driver behind the break: AI changed the subject matter faster than their accumulated operator experience could keep up. What started as two veterans trading war stories about metrics they had lived with for decades became something that required more prep, more research, and more time to do with the quality they demanded. Both hosts decided they would rather spend more time inside AI from an operator's perspective to gain real-life AI experience, then return with better stories to tell.Ray shares his plans to accelerate the AI to ROI podcast and newsletter, expand AI benchmarking initiatives with partners including Scale Ventures, and build out advisory services for companies trying to measure and justify AI business impact. Dave will be putting more time into Kellblog, deepening his work with the Balderton Capital portfolio and his advisory clients.The Metrics Brothers consistently ranked in the Top 25-50 on Apple Podcasts in the Business Management category. All 122 episodes remain available in the archive.Listeners with feedback or ideas for what comes next can reach the Metrics Brothers at metricsbros@benchmarkit.ai.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode SummaryIn this season premiere of Lessons in Product Management, John Fontenot introduces a new direction for the podcast - one focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence, product management, go-to-market strategy, product-market fit, and organizational alignment.While AI is transforming how products are built and launched, many organizations are discovering that faster execution doesn't automatically lead to better outcomes. In fact, AI often exposes existing weaknesses in strategy, communication, and cross-functional alignment. This episode introduces the concept of the Product-Market Gap: the disconnect between what organizations build, what customers need, and how products are brought to market.John shares why this gap exists, how AI is amplifying it, and why the future belongs to organizations that can align product, marketing, sales, and operations around a common understanding of customer value. Throughout this season, listeners can expect conversations on AI product management, product-market fit, go-to-market execution, category creation, product marketing alignment, product operations, and the evolving role of the modern product leader.Whether you're a product manager, founder, product marketer, GTM leader, or executive navigating the AI era, this season will provide practical lessons and strategic insights for building products, and organizations, that can thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

Hitting growth targets is often treated as a pure success metric, but missing them can create far wider risks for an organization. This episode reframes growth through a risk lens, exploring how revenue targets connect to confidence, culture, and long‑term performance. James Hargreave, Strategist for Growth and Strategy at Moody's, joins host, Alex Pillow, to unpack why “missing your number” can be the most significant risk in business and how smarter strategy can reduce that risk. Together, they explore how data‑led GTM strategy, clearer targeting, and better enablement help organizations grow more confidently and sustainably. Key topics discussed: Why “missing your number” is a business risk that goes beyond revenue alone The importance of a strong Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) in focusing sales and marketing on winnable deals The role of data quality and connected systems in modern go‑to‑market strategy How CRM ecosystems and AI improve relevance, efficiency, and sales enablement Why optimizing go‑to‑market shifts where and how companies compete and differentiate Additional resources: Moody's Sales and Marketing landing page Growth and Strategy ebook Growth and strategy blogs and case studies Steve Kleinmann and Ian Godfrey LinkedIn profiles Salesforce events Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everyone is talking about AI replacing marketers.But what if the bigger problem isn't AI at all?In this episode of The Barber's Brief, Marc Binkley and Vassilis Douros explore a series of stories that challenge some of marketing's biggest assumptions.They unpack new research showing that most CMOs aren't worried about AI replacing jobs. They're worried about whether their teams have the skills to use it effectively. The conversation quickly expands into a deeper question: is marketing facing an AI skills gap, or are we simply exposing a fundamentals gap that has existed all along?The discussion also covers:Why only 40% of marketers believe advertising is understood in the C-suiteThe eight barriers preventing organizations from integrating brand and performanceWhat H&R Block learned when its marketing mix model became too slow to be usefulWhy marketers continue to retreat to last-click attribution during moments of uncertaintyThe rise of AI as an "Iron Man suit" that amplifies marketers rather than replaces themPlus, Ad of the Week goes to Brazilian beer brand Brahma for a brilliant World Cup campaign that transforms 24 years of disappointment into hope by reminding Brazilians not what happened, but who they are.This episode is ultimately about one question:Are we optimizing for the dashboard, or are we optimizing for the business?Key TakeawayThree-quarters of CMOs are concerned about the AI skills gap.AI is transforming marketing into a talent transformation.Understanding marketing fundamentals is crucial in the age of AI.The effectiveness say-do gap highlights a disconnect in marketing.Dynamic marketing mix modeling can enhance decision-making.Measurement should build confidence, not just justify spending.Less than half of marketing decisions are evidence-based.AI should be seen as a tool to enhance human capabilities.Brahma's campaign focuses on identity and belief, not just sales.Nostalgia can be a powerful motivator for consumer engagement.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:12 - The AI Skills Gap in Marketing04:21 - Understanding Marketing Fundamentals07:47 - The Effectiveness Say-Do Gap11:54 - Dynamic Marketing Mix Modelling18:52 - The Future of AI in Marketing24:18 - Ad of the Week: Brahma's World Cup CampaignNews LinksThree-quarters of CMOs are grappling with AI skills gapLink: https://www.marketingweek.com/cmos-grappling-ai-skills-gap/WARC - The Multiplier Playbook for CMO's looking to integrate brand & performanceLink: https://www.warc.com/en/the-multiplier-playbook-2026How H&R Block rethought attribution and modelling – and found more confidence in brand and business outcomesLink: https://www.mi-3.com.au/01-06-2026/when-marketing-mix-modelling-isnt-working-how-hr-block-rethought-attribution-andRobo-dogs, driverless cabs, AI perfume & the GTM singularity: Forrester B2B Summit 2026Link: https://www.thedrum.com/news/robo-dogs-driverless-cabs-ai-perfume-and-the-gtm-singularity-forrester-b2b-summit-2026

Marketing leaders are being asked to drive more growth with less budget, fewer resources, tighter timelines, and more pressure from every direction while AI is being treated like the shortcut to replace entire marketing teams. But AI will not fix bad strategy, weak alignment, poor customer understanding, or broken marketing fundamentals. In part two of this master class conversation with Matt Hummel, CMO of Pipeline360, the focus moves into what it really takes to become the kind of CMO AI cannot replace. Not by chasing every new tool, adding more MarTech, or hiding behind automation, but by understanding the business as a whole, building trust across departments, speaking the language of revenue, and creating alignment between marketing, sales, product, leadership, and the customer. To lead marketing in a volatile market where expectations keep rising and the old playbook is no longer enough, you need to know how to: • Make sales an ally instead of your bitter rival • Build shared pipeline ownership across marketing and sales  • Communicate risk without becoming defensive • Connect marketing decisions to the larger goals of the business • Set clearer expectations with your team and leadership • Understand resource constraints without using them as excuses • Stay close to customers while leading strategy • Create momentum without pretending there is an easy button The best marketing leaders are not just managing campaigns, tools, reports, and dashboards. They are translating complexity into strategy the business can trust. The reminder is clear: AI will not fix bad strategy. More MarTech will not fix bad marketing. The CMO AI cannot replace is the one who understands the business, earns trust, aligns with sales, leads the team, knows the customer, and gets back to real marketing when everyone else is hiding behind tools. (P.S. If you haven't, listen to Ep. 149 for part one of this masterclass episode) Beyond The Episode Gems: Connect With Matt Hummel on LinkedIn Listen To Troy On Matt's Podcast, Pipeline Brew: The Evolving Role of CMOs & Community Building Visit Pipeline360 website to learn more about how they solve B2B marketers' biggest headaches Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy:  Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com  

Brendan Foody is the Founder and CEO @ Mercor, one of the leading data providers to the largest labs on the planet including OpenAI. In the last two years, Brendan has scaled the company to $1.5BN in ARR and a valuation of $10BN.  AGENDA:  True or False: Mercor lost Meta and OpenAI as a customer with the hack? Mercor has been poaching competitor talent, paying them millions?  Mercor revenue is not real revenue and is only GMV? 12:56 Would Brendan sell Mercor for $30 billion?  14:23 Why everyone is wrong that AI will lead to labor displacement? 15:59 We will create many new jobs that do not exist with AI.  16:59 Why training agents will be a massive labor category that does not exist today  19:51 Will we see the data provider market unbundle and specialize into verticals?  22:24 Is the stated revenue really revenue or is it really GMV?  27:55 How a 1 million ARR company secured one of the best investors in the world with a helicopter ride  29:41 How Felicis secured the deal of the decade with a race track and a set of Ferraris  32:59 Which investment round felt like the highest price to grow into?  34:49 Why will value accrue to the infrastructure layer, not the application layer, in the next 12 months?  35:46 Why the model is the product and why application layer companies should be scared as a result  37:22 Why network effects will be the determinant of value creation  38:46 Why the forward-deployed motion, not the GTM motion, will determine true value creation.  41:59 Why token spend within organizations is going to continue to increase  43:54 Why agent evaluation to commoditize the model layer will be a massive business for enterprises?  51:13 Why we should have increased capital gains tax  01:01:31 How to compete with $20 million a year from Meta?  01:08:49 Will Mercor go public and when?  

Great software companies often come from understanding pain points at a very deep level.On Grit, Aman Narang shares how Toast built trust with 171,000+ restaurant operators by helping restaurants manage everything from payments and online orders to staff scheduling and daily operations.He also reflects on lessons around product-market fit and scaling a company before it's fully ready.Guest: Aman Narang, co-founder and CEO, ToastConnect with Aman NarangLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-narang-155628/Connect with ToastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toast-inc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toasttab/X: https://x.com/ToastTab?lang=enConnect with Joubin:X: https://x.com/JoubinmirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/Email: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/kpgritFollow on X:https://x.com/KPGrit​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins:https://www.kleinerperkins.com/

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!Today, most teams aren't just struggling to build their AI strategies. The real struggle begins when they try to execute their strategies. In this episode of Ops Cast, host Michael Hartmann sits down with David York, Chief AI and Innovation Officer at Helix CXM, to get practical answers about what it really takes for GTM organizations to move from talking about AI to operationalizing it.David has spent years working at the intersection of marketing operations, RevOps, automation, and AI transformation. Together, he and Michael discovered an uncomfortable truth about how most teams are already overwhelmed by manual work, fragmented processes, shadow systems, and operational debt. Piling "figure out AI" on top of all that creates more chaos. In this conversation, you'll hear:Why the gap between AI strategy and implementation is so hard to closeWhat operational excellence actually looks like in practice, and why it has to come firstWhy mapping how work gets done today is the critical first step before introducing AIThe real difference between automation and "automation plus intelligence"How to identify low-risk, high-value AI use cases (like partially manual lead routing) versus harder onesThe hidden costs teams underestimate: tooling, LLM costs, maintenance, and human monitoringWhere human judgment is still absolutely requiredPractical advice on where to start if you're feeling overwhelmed by AI pressure right nowWhether you lead a scrappy SMB or a specialized team inside a large enterprise, this is a grounded discussion about the reality of AI in modern GTM, beyond the hype and the LinkedIn hot takes.David also published a new book this week, AI-Powered Growth: A 7-Step Adoption and Transformation Framework, which goes deeper into how Marketing Ops leaders can systematically prioritize and operationalize AI initiatives. Grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/AI-Powered-Growth-7-Step-Adoption-Transformation/dp/B0H2QCZG5M/Enjoy the episode!Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals MarketingOps.com is curating the GTM Ops Track at Demand & Expand (May 19-20, San Francisco) - the premier B2B marketing event featuring 600+ practitioners sharing real solutions to real problems. Use code MOPS20 for 20% off tickets, or get 35-50% off as a MarketingOps.com member. Learn more at demandandexpand.com.Support the show

Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners and co-founder of Topo, joins AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman to take on the question every founder is wrestling with: can you still build a world-class sales team when OpenAI and Anthropic are handing individual contributors $10 million equity packages? Craig argues you do not have to compete head-on, then lays out the hiring profile to chase instead, the quota-to-comp discipline that keeps packages sane, and why founder brand has become the most reliable pipeline play left as CAC keeps climbing. Topics include enterprise AE compensation, where private equity is still winning the GTM talent war, the Topo playbook for events and data-as-moat, and a bull-versus-bear debate on whether Gong goes public in the next 36 months. Plus, a Quiz Pro Quo on the real customer counts behind Salesforce, HubSpot, and ZoomInfo. Key Takeaways: - Rather than try to outbid OpenAI and Anthropic for talent, build your own farm system and develop people into the role. As Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners, put it: "You have to change your hiring profile to a unique profile that's unique to your business, but then you gotta coach 'em up." - A resume from a hot AI lab is not a guarantee of success at your company. As Craig Rosenberg noted, "The person that is going to do well at Anthropic may not do well at Series B," so hire for the stage and the hunger rather than the logo. - On compensation, Craig anchors the package to the role's real value: "you pay for what your wedge costs… if you feel like you have to pay $10 million, then you have a huge problem and you gotta go back to the drawing board." If the number runs away from you, the model is broken. - With CAC climbing and most channels breaking down, founder brand has become the highest-leverage pipeline play. As Craig Rosenberg said, "The value of building a founder brand, when you look at the data, it's amazing," pointing to gains in both pipeline and deal size. Connect with the Hosts & Guests: Host: AJ Bruno, CEO at QuotaPath - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbruno3/ Host: Asad Zaman, CEO at Sales Talent Agency - https://www.linkedin.com/in/azaman1/ Guest: Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners - https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrosenberg/ Topline is more than a YouTube Channel: Subscribe to Topline Newsletter: https://toplinemedia.substack.com/ Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-podcast Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast: https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack Chapters: 00:00 Introducing Craig Rosenberg 02:34 Can Anyone Out-Hire The AI Labs? 04:33 Why Craig Isn't Worried 06:52 Enterprise AE Comp Is Climbing 08:21 Founders Overpay For Star CROs 10:53 Why AI Reps Struggle At Series B 14:00 Hire The Slighted CRO 14:42 Quota-To-Comp And Attainment 18:45 Can AI Labs Sustain Growth? 22:20 Where PE Still Wins GTM Talent 27:17 Major Runs Reshape GTM 32:36 The Topo GTM Playbook 37:55 Quiz Pro Quo 47:45 Founder Brand And Rising CAC 58:42 Bulls and Bears

Marketing leadership has become one of the most volatile seats in business. CMOs and marketing leaders are often expected to create immediate pipeline, prove instant ROI, fix deeper business issues they did not create, defend brand investment, align sales, understand customers, translate strategy across the organization, and still become one of the first functions questioned, blamed, or cut when growth slows. In part one of this master class conversation, Matt Hummel, CMO of Pipeline360, brings a clear reminder back to the table: great marketing starts with trusting the buyer, knowing the customer, and simplifying how you market. In a market obsessed with performance data, attribution, automation, dark social, buyer signals, and immediate results, more complexity does not automatically create better customer understanding. For aspiring CMOs, current CMOs, marketing leaders, founders, and business owners, this conversation is a valuable look at how to lead marketing without getting trapped in the pressure cooker. It challenges you to rethink what it really means to put the customer at the center, not as a tagline, not as another automation workflow, and not as another dashboard filled with signals, but as a deeper responsibility to understand the person, pressure, timing, risk, and decision behind the purchase. The conversation moves through buyer trust, brand versus demand, customer empathy, attribution, sales alignment, CMO pressure, market timing, and the difference between chasing pipeline and building LTV. It is also a reminder to get out of your lane, understand product, spend time with sales, listen to customers, and learn how the whole business works. Because the best CMOs are not just campaign operators. They are translators, mediators, trust builders, and business leaders who know how to connect marketing to revenue, customer experience, and long term growth. Beyond The Episode Gems: Connect With Matt Hummel on LinkedIn Listen To Troy On Matt's Podcast, Pipeline Brew: The Evolving Role of CMOs & Community Building Visit Pipeline360 website to learn more about how they solve B2B marketers' biggest headaches Buy Troy's Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy:  Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com  

You can't be a great marketer if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.If you're a marketing leader, you know the feeling. The 12AM Slack from the CEO. The “where's-the-pipeline?” question that never goes away. The low-grade anxiety running underneath every campaign, every board deck, every quarter. In this episode, Carolyn and Amber connect the inner game to the measurement problem. The anxiety marketers carry isn't a personal failing. It's the tax you pay for being judged by numbers that miss your real contribution: shaping how the market perceives you, long before anyone fills out a form.And here's what nobody in GTM is actually talking about: you cannot build the future you want while your body is locked in defending the present. Your brain chemistry doesn't know the difference between the meeting you're dreading and the one that's already over — it reacts the same way to both. And when you live in that state, you can't create. You can only react.What this episode covers:The breakthroughs from both Amber and Carolyn's recent vacationsWhy so many B2B marketers are operating from low-grade panic, and why it's costing them their best workHow belief and brain chemistry shape what you're able to create, and why you have to embody the outcome before it shows upWhy marketing's real job is shaping brand perception in-market, and why traditional KPIs can't see that workHow to use zero-party data — what customers tell you directly — to inform the customer journey instead of guessing from last-touch behaviorThree books that reshaped how Carolyn thinks about wealth, awareness, and building a future you can't yet see: Happy Pocket Full of Money, The Power of Awareness, and Dr. Joe Dispenza's Becoming SupernaturalIf you're a marketing leader tired of doing your best work from a place of panic, and tired of watching it disappear into numbers that can't measure it, this one's for you.-----------------------------------------------------Want answers now?

Howdy y'all! We're back at analysis ranch where our final Patreon farmhand has offered up their darling for the show: Hannah Montana: The Movie. It will be your pleasure to hear three middle aged men discuss this Disney Channel Icon. We give the dual roled heroine our best though as we tease out ideas of Lynchian proportion, while looking at the child star industry, the return to simpler times, and much, much more. So, grab your favorite disguise, jump on the jet plane, and listen to us analyze Hannah Montana: The Movie. Thank you, thank you, thank you to our Patreon supporters for making this marathon happen. For information on Patreon, go to Patreon.com/GTM. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the B2B Go-To-Market Leaders Podcast, Vijay Damojipurapu sits down with PV Bóccasam, advisor to private equity firms and veteran operator across enterprise software, venture-backed startups, and category-defining companies, to explore a radically different way of thinking about go-to-market.PV argues that go-to-market is not about sales motions, pipeline generation, or even positioning frameworks—it's about one thing: reducing buyer anxiety and lowering the perceived risk of change.Drawing from decades of experience building and scaling enterprise software companies across identity governance, GRC, enterprise risk management, and private equity-backed transformations, PV shares how the best GTM leaders think less about “selling” and more about helping customers justify, adopt, and communicate measurable value internally.They dive into:Why GTM should focus on reducing customer risk, not maximizing seller activity.The difference between customer convictions and customer incentives—and why both matter.Why measurable proof is the only reliable way to break buyer inertia.How enterprise software companies should rethink value delivery in the AI era.Why AI should reduce operational uncertainty—not create more chaos.The evolution from product-led to sales-led to partner-led GTM motions.Why “platform” messaging fails for most enterprise SaaS companies.How modern AI-native SaaS products are becoming systems of orchestration, not systems of record.The importance of helping customers retell your value proposition internally.Why enterprise GTM leaders must become the clearest thinkers during periods of uncertainty.How private equity firms should approach AI adoption through organizational redesign, not just cost-cutting.And why long-term impact matters more than short-term velocity in building a career and a company.PV's central insight is simple but powerful:Customers don't buy software—they buy reduced uncertainty, measurable outcomes, and confidence in the future state.This episode is a deep philosophical and operational masterclass on enterprise go-to-market strategy, AI adoption, organizational design, and what it truly means to build trust at scale.Connect with Vijay Damojipurapu on LinkedInConnect with PV Boccasam on LinkedInBrought to you by: stratyve.com

On this episode, Pete and Julie unpack the top 10 learnings and key takeaways from the recent Workday Innovation Summit for industry analysts in Napa, California.  Each year, Workday gathers analysts for a peek behind the Workday curtain, its GTM, roadmap, customer stories, and big bets on what comes next for the ERP platform and its innovation, its customers, partners, and broader ecosystem.  Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0  X: @PeteTiliakos  X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/hrpayroll2o.bsky.social  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0    WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners': https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain' and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/

80% of deals require at least 5 follow ups. 44% of salespeople quit after the first attempt.That gap is where your pipeline is bleeding — and most reps don't even know it's happening.In this episode, Dave and Regan break down the follow up epidemic, why sequences die after touch two, and the exact multi-channel framework that closes deals other reps have already abandoned.What you'll learn:→ Why following up once already puts you ahead of 44% of your competitors→ The 18-touch multi-channel sequence that gets responses (email + LinkedIn + call + SMS)→ Why the "7-minute deal" in your CRM is actually a 12-month relationship in disguise→ How to build a follow up cadence that doesn't feel like a template to the buyer→ The two parallel tracks top sellers run — outreach cadence AND relationship building→ How to follow up on a live deal without creating scarcity or desperation→ The jab jab hook follow up ratio that mirrors how social media serves content→ How to write a breakup email that actually keeps the door open→ Why a weak pipeline is the real reason reps push deals too hard too fastIf you're an AE or BDR and your follow ups are going silent after touch two or three — this conversation is for you.

How does a growth operator who built and managed large teams at Twitch and Discord work today as a solo fractional CMO?In this episode of Intelligent Artifice, Shamanth Rao sits down with Justin Gerrard, fractional CMO and former growth lead at Twitch and Discord, to talk about how he uses Claude day to day to plan his week, build GTM plans, and deliver work for multiple startups at once. Justin shares where AI genuinely saves time, where human judgment is still the difference maker, and why letting AI run on autopilot is a trap most teams fall into.If you work in growth, GTM, or performance marketing, this is a practical and honest look at what working with AI actually looks like in 2026.Chapters:00:00 Intro: Justin's background at Twitch and Discord01:21 Building performance marketing at Twitch03:22 AI Speed: Weeks of work vs. a few hours05:54 AI as an Operating System06:33 Justin's Monday Morning AI routine08:05 The 60/70 Rule for AI productivity09:12 Why 100% AI work is a hiring red flag10:11 Case Study: A localized GTM plan14:52 Creative Strategy: Automated UGC at scale16:30 The Trap of Autonomy in AI content18:13 Brand Safety: The 18 Curses story19:15 The Librarian vs. The Author21:35 Human Creators vs. AI Avatars A/B Test24:55 Where to find Justin onlineKey things we cover in this episode:✅ How Justin structures his Monday morning using Claude Desktop and MCP connectors✅ Why he caps AI contribution at 60 to 70% on every GTM plan✅ Why AI is a fast librarian but not an author✅ How he A/B tested AI creators vs human creators in a paid ad campaign and what the results showed✅ Why fully automating content output does not drive real results✅ What experienced operators still bring to the table that AI cannot replicate

Owner.com is approaching $100M ARR selling to independent restaurants and their GTM team is producing numbers that shouldn't be possible. $150K AEs closing $2M+ ARR per year. Outbound BDRs generating $100K in closed-won ARR per BDR per month. 4X the ARR per rep compared to direct competitors. None of that happens by accident.  In this session, Kyle Norton, CRO at Owner.com, breaks down the exact AI-driven GTM playbook that got them there, including 5 decisions he believes every SaaS company needs to make right now before the gap between AI-native and AI-curious companies becomes impossible to close. What you'll learn: 1. Centralized vs. decentralized AI: why letting a thousand flowers bloom is probably killing your results 2. Build vs. buy: the 5-question framework (hint: buy your infrastructure, build your intelligence) 3. The AI sophistication ladder — Levels 0 through 4, where most companies are stuck, and exactly how to move up 4. The "5 P" prioritization framework for deciding which AI projects to tackle first 5. Agentic vs. assistive: how to think about human-in-the-loop and why chaining too many generative steps is the #1 cause of AI slop 6. Why your personal compounding AI stack is your most underrated competitive asset This isn't theory. This is what $100M ARR in a notoriously difficult SMB market actually looks like when you go all-in on applied AI.

Host: Annik Sobing Guest: Niki McKinnell Published: May 2026 Length: ~22 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Niki McKinnell on Sales, Marketing, and the Story Behind Supply Chain Growth Annik Sobing welcomes Niki McKinnell to the Simply Trade Roundup for a conversation about what happens when sales and marketing break down in B2B SaaS supply chain companies. Niki shares how her career began in public sector communications and crisis press offices, how she learned to build a story with limited resources, and how that foundation shaped the way she approaches marketing, messaging, and go-to-market strategy today. What You'll Learn in This Episode How Niki built a career around storytelling Niki explains how her path started in government communications, where she worked in press offices and crisis environments. She talks about how those early experiences taught her to think strategically about messaging, audience, and impact. Why sales and marketing break down The episode explores the most common reasons sales and marketing teams lose alignment in supply chain SaaS companies. Niki describes how different definitions, assumptions, and metrics can create friction even when everyone is working toward the same goal. What makes supply chain different Niki breaks down why supply chain has its own flavor when it comes to go-to-market strategy. Buyers are focused on their operations, not your product, which means credibility, timing, and intentional messaging matter more than ever. How to bring teams back into alignment One of the most useful parts of the conversation is Niki's framework for stronger execution: alignment, coordination, and visibility. She explains how teams can work more intentionally before, during, and after GTM activity so they are moving with the same goals in mind. Why long sales cycles need a different approach Niki and Annik discuss how complex buying committees, long sales cycles, and deeply rooted habits make this industry especially challenging. Niki shares how companies need to adapt their strategy to meet buyers where they are. What to do when pipeline stalls Niki offers advice for founders and leaders who are struggling with pipeline. Her recommendation is to focus on the brand, demand, expand framework, with brand awareness, demand generation, and customer growth all working together to support revenue. Who this episode is for This episode is especially valuable for marketing leaders, sales teams, founders, and GTM professionals working in supply chain or B2B SaaS. It is also a great listen for anyone trying to understand how strategy, communication, and alignment shape growth in a complex industry. This podcast is presented by Global Training Center.  Subscribe & Follow Stay connected with the Simply Trade community and never miss an episode that helps you trade smarter.

Ever been on the receiving end of a terrible sales pitch? Dave and Regan have — and in this episode, they're calling all of it out.As buyers who get sold to constantly, they rate the sales tactics that give them the ick, break down exactly why each one doesn't work, and give the remedy for every single one.The icks they cover:→ "Just following up" — the laziest email in sales and what to send instead→ The pitch slap — accepting a LinkedIn connection and getting sold to 3 seconds later→ Automated email cadences with zero personalization — and why they're killing your domain reputation→ Outreach without insight — product flogging with no relevance, no value, no reason to reply→ Jumping straight to demo without understanding who you're selling to→ End of quarter pressure tactics — "sign by Monday for a discount" and why it backfires every time→ The post-sale drop-off — why the best sellers never stop selling after the closePlus the outreach that actually worked on them — and won the job.Whether you're a founder, sales leader, or account executive — if any of these tactics sound familiar, this episode is your wake-up call.

Founder quality becomes more important as startups become easier to build.Trae Stephens, co-founder of Anduril and partner at Founders Fund, has spent years backing founders with strong conviction, including most recently at Roadrunner.He shares why too much capital too early can hurt startups, and why the best companies are built by teams with complementary strengths.Guest: Trae Stephens, co-founder, Anduril and Partner, Founders FundConnect with Trae StephensXLinkedInConnect with Joubin:XLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.comFollow Grit on LinkedInFollow Grit on X​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins