Creating Adaptive Sales Playbooks with Dan Fougere

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Oct 30, 2025

Dan Fougere, a venture partner at Index Ventures and former CRO of Datadog, reveals his insights into creating adaptive sales playbooks. He emphasizes the need for flexibility in sales strategies, especially for Product-Led Growth (PLG) customers. Dan discusses scaling sales efforts and the importance of aligning outreach with customer usage signals. He outlines how AI tools can enhance sales processes and forecasting, while also stressing the significance of collaboration across teams. Additionally, Dan shares his philanthropic efforts, highlighting the importance of giving back.

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ADVICE

Bring A Flexible, First-Principles Playbook

Use a flexible playbook: bring a proven framework but adapt it to company context and signals.
Approach playbook design from first principles and tweak components based on who uses the product.

INSIGHT

PLG Creates Usage-Driven Buying Signals

PLG changes the buying signals: usage often precedes purchase and gives observable signals.
Tailor engagement to usage stage (awareness, testing, validation) rather than forcing old procurement rules.

ADVICE

Build Outbound Before You Need It

Build outbound and enterprise capability before you need it instead of waiting for PLG to stall.
Prepare a sales organization early to avoid plateauing when early adopters run out.

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In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Dan Fougere, a venture partner at Index Ventures and former CRO of Datadog. Dan shares insights from his extensive sales career, emphasizing the importance of developing adaptive and context-specific sales playbooks. He discusses the evolution of PLG (Product-Led Growth) strategies, the integration of AI in sales processes, and the critical need for continuous learning and adaptability. The episode also touches on Dan's philanthropic efforts, including his involvement with Homes for Our Troops and other charitable initiatives.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Connect and learn more from Dan Fougere.
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfougere/
Support Homes For Our Troops: https://www.hfotusa.org
Support Imagine Reading: https://imaginereading.com/
Support No Person Left Behind Outdoors: https://www.nplboutdoors.org
Read the Guide on Six Critical Priorities for Revenue Leadership in 2026: https://hubs.li/Q03JN74V0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:02:24] Advice for New Sales Leaders
[00:02:52] Adapting Sales Playbooks
[00:03:27] The Importance of Flexibility in Sales Strategies
[00:03:54] Understanding Product-Led Growth (PLG)
[00:06:44] Case Study: Datadog's Sales Evolution
[00:07:57] Challenges in Scaling Sales Strategies
[00:08:51] Building a Sales Organization for the Future
[00:12:14] The Role of a CRO in Modern Sales
[00:14:48] Adapting to Market Changes
[00:26:23] Traits of Effective Sales Leaders
[00:34:03] The Tip of the Spear: Leading from the Front
[00:34:16] Medallia: Building a Sales Process from Scratch
[00:36:58] Profile of a Successful Sales Leader
[00:37:47] Recruiting and Building a High-Performance Team
[00:39:25] The Importance of High Standards in Hiring
[00:52:41] AI's Impact on Sales and Forecasting
[01:02:07] Giving Back: Charitable Endeavors

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:03:21] “A big mistake is trying to force fit a playbook from a previous company into a new company.”
[00:06:01] “Approach it with a beginner’s mind… it’s actually an advantage you only get once.”
[00:10:55] “Build your outbound before you need it, because at some point you’re going to need it.”
[00:13:33] “98.5% of companies realize, ‘I wish I had a great sales organization to go with this great PLG motion.’”
[00:19:07] “The thing that tops people out is the inability to adapt and collaborate—they become too rigid.”
[00:22:25] “If you know in your heart your team is mediocre, you’re never going to be great. Raise those standards.”
[00:31:36] “Don’t just assume you can get rid of BDRs and have AI do it. I don’t see anybody telling me that’s working yet."

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