The Science of Scaling
The Founder Selling to Professional Sales Transition w/ Dmitry Shevelenko (CBO, Perplexity)
May 7, 2025
Dmitry Shevelenko, Chief Business Officer at Perplexity, shares insights from his journey in tech and sales. He discusses Perplexity's bold mission to challenge Google's search dominance and reflects on the shift from founder-led sales to professional selling. Dmitry emphasizes the importance of innovative growth strategies, like partnerships and subscription models, and how AI is shaping future career paths. He also highlights the value of real-time data in meetings for enhanced engagement and the role of CRM tools in driving revenue growth.
35:46
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Quick takeaways
- Dmitry Shevelenko emphasizes the importance of resilience and learning from failures to foster entrepreneurial success in the tech industry.
- Perplexity's growth strategy involves partnering with mobile carriers to enhance user acquisition and retention through tailored subscription offerings.
Deep dives
The Journey of Perplexity and Its Vision
Perplexity, a new competitor in the search engine space, aims to challenge Google's dominance by focusing on a unique subscription-based model and utilizing artificial intelligence. The company's journey began with founder Erevin, a PhD in AI, who lacked business experience when initially seeking advice on sales strategies. Dmitry Shevelenko, the chief business officer, was intrigued by the ambitious goal of taking on an established giant like Google, which sparked his interest in joining as an advisor. This transition reflects the evolution from being founder-led to adopting a more structured professional sales approach.
