GTM 157: How ClickUp Scaled 17x and Cut CAC 3× — GTM Systems, Building Incrementally and Going from PLG to SLG | Gaurav Agarwal

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Aug 5, 2025

Gaurav Agarwal, COO of ClickUp, shares insights on achieving 17x growth while slashing CAC by 3x. He emphasizes that growth hinges on systems, not just marketing, advocating for a culture of experimentation and accountability. Gaurav highlights the importance of input KPIs for maintaining momentum and discusses ClickUp's strategic shift from product-led to sales-led growth. The integration of AI into workflows is also a key topic, showcasing how it enhances marketing and sales efficiency.

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INSIGHT

Growth as a Systems Function

Growth is not just marketing but a systems function connecting various teams and levers.
Winning by design requires aligning all teams under one integrated growth system, not just chance.

ADVICE

Align Teams with Clear Guardrails

Define clear roles, boundaries, and expectations across product, sales, and services teams to align efforts.
Pull everyone in the same direction to reduce bloat and improve customer experience and resource use.

ADVICE

Drive Cultural Alignment and Experimentation

Build a culture of intellectual honesty where leaders prioritize company-first decisions over personal agendas.
Use data-driven quarterly experiments to iteratively optimize team roles and GTM motions.

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Gaurav Agarwal is the COO of ClickUp, where he’s helped scale the company 17x in two years and cut CAC by 3x—all while leading across marketing, product, sales, and services. Formerly in banking and product roles, Gaurav brings a rare systems-oriented mindset to growth. He’s known for connecting the dots across GTM, scaling PLG engines, driving incrementality with rigor, and building cultures of experimentation, ownership, and speed.

Discussed in this episode

Why growth is more about systems than marketing
How ClickUp scaled 17x while reducing CAC by 3x
The cultural shifts required to align GTM teams
Incrementality testing vs. attribution modeling
Building a true sales motion on top of PLG
Input KPIs as a driver of experimentation speed
How ClickUp is using AI across marketing and sales
The concept of GTM as demand creation vs. harvesting

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Everyone is doing all the work—but you're winning by chance, not by design

02:01 — Gaurav on seeing growth as a systems function, not just marketing

13:33 — Culture alone delivered roughly half of the 3× CAC reduction at ClickUp

15:53 — Gaurav defines incrementality testing vs. flawed attribution models

29:27 — Setting input KPIs so squads deliver a “win every week” keeps momentum high

32:53 — AI is being embedded across PLG + GTM workflows—from content briefs to deal signals

Recommended Books

Shareholder Letters by Jeff Bezos

Referenced

ClickUp:https://clickup.com/
• Gong: https://www.gong.io/
• Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/
• Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/

Guest Links (Gaurav Agarwal):

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravragarwal/

Host Speaker Links (Sophie Buonassisi):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/
Newsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/

Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):

Website: https://gtmnow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
YouTube: /@gtm_now
The GTMnow Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/

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