The Logan Bartlett Show EP 147: How Chris Degnan Built Snowflake's Sales Org From Scratch
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Jun 13, 2025 Chris Degnan, former CRO of Snowflake and the company's first sales hire, shares his remarkable journey from the ground up. He discusses the challenges of building a sales organization in a competitive landscape and the importance of resilience and sales methodology. Degnan reflects on hiring strategies, mentorship, and adapting to leadership changes throughout his decade-long tenure. He also highlights the symbiotic relationship between sales and marketing, offering insights into the evolution of sales dynamics in the age of AI.
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Early Snowflake Sales Struggles
- Chris Degnan shared how he joined Snowflake as the first sales hire in stealth mode without products or customers.
- He personally conducted early sales enablement and whiteboarded basics for new hires like how computers connect to the internet.
Sales Enablement Foundations
- Invest in world-class sales enablement with a consistent sales methodology like MEDDPICC.
- Enforce weekly forecast calls and regular sales meetings as non-negotiables for building a mature sales organization.
Measure Sales Rep Productivity
- Focus on sales rep productivity as the ultimate sales leader metric.
- Hire great people and train them to hit $250K net new ARR per quarter by month seven.