Phase Two & Three: Agent-Driven Selling and Buying

Mark explains phase two as AI-driven vendor processes and phase three as AI agents buying from AI sellers.

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The Biggest GTM Mistake (Spoiler Alert: Stop Chasing CAC!!!)

Mark Roberge shares how AI is transforming sales, customer success, and go-to-market strategy.

The former HubSpot CRO, now co-founder of Stage 2 Capital and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, Mark Roberge breaks down the 4 phases of AI evolution that will redefine how companies sell, serve, and scale. From agentic AI to LTV-driven growth, this is a masterclass on what the next era of go-to-market looks like.

Mark Roberge helped take HubSpot from $0 to $100M and literally wrote The Sales Acceleration Formula. Now, he’s turning his attention to the AI transformation sweeping every GTM function. In this episode, Mark explains why it’s time to stop obsessing over CAC and start optimizing for LTV—the customers who actually succeed—and how AI can make that possible at scale.

He also shares bold predictions about the future of work, the death of departments, and why capitalism itself may need to evolve for the AI era.

Timestamps

0:00 – Preview & Introduction

1:19 – Meet Mark Roberge: Co-Founder, Stage 2 Capital

2:45 – The Early Days of AI in GTM

6:33 – What’s Slowing Down AI Adoption

8:00 – Why Most AI Startups Are Still Too Iterative

12:00 – The "Agentic" Shift: From Co-Pilots to Autonomous Agents

14:15 – The 4 Phases of AI Go-to-Market Evolution

20:35 – Managing Your Agents: The New CRO Skillset

26:00 – Deciding the ICP: It’s Not CAC

29:35 – How AI Breaks Down Department Silos