From RevOps to CEO: What RevOps Can Learn to Grow Into the C-Suite with Scott Sutton

What does it take for a RevOps leader to make the jump to CEO? In this episode, Eddie Reynolds sits down with Scott Sutton, CEO of Later and former VP of RevOps at ZoomInfo, to talk about his path from supply chain intern to running a $100M+ PE-backed company—and what he learned about measurement, accountability, and go-to-market strategy along the way.

Scott shares why/how he cut 2/3rds of all leads at ZoomInfo (resulting in increased revenue), the strict (but not punitive) policies he uses to ensure reps actually follow the process, and why every deal-focused CRO needs a detail-obsessed counterpart who geeks out on Salesforce logic. The conversation gets into how Later completely pivoted their business model when data showed customers spending $40M on influencer marketing but only buying $30K software licenses, why gut feel is just unorganized data in your head, and when to stop adding complexity and just nail the basics first.

From factory floor lean principles to the Moneyball hiring approach, Scott breaks down why instrumentation beats automation, when to say no to building that perfect attribution model, and how RevOps professionals can translate their work into the kind of strategic impact that opens doors to the C-suite.

Learn more about Later at later.com or check out their podcast "Beyond Influencers."

Read the article on this topic here.

[00:45] Introduction And Scott's Background

[02:02] Scott's Career Journey From Supply Chain To CEO

[05:08] Translating RevOps Work Into Executive Impact

[10:01] How Scott Cut 25% Of Leads And Increased Revenue

[11:05] Building The Data Infrastructure First

[12:11] Balancing PE Pressure With Building Foundations

[15:16] The Non-Negotiables For Sales Process Accountability

[17:00] Hiring Your Opposite - The Moneyball Approach

[21:14] When Process Becomes Critical As You Scale

[24:52] Getting Consistent On Definitions Across Teams

[27:03] The Marketing Vs Sales Blame Game

[30:20] Re-Engineering Go-To-Market For Enterprise

[33:25] Moving From Software Licenses To Media Spend Deals

[36:04] Codifying The Entire Go-To-Market Motion

[40:29] When To Instrument Vs When To Simplify

[44:24] The Limits Of Automation

[47:03] Nail The Basics Before Adding Complexity

[48:38] How To Learn More About Later

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