The Goats of Growth

This is a different kind of show from what I normally do, meaning that most of my shows feature in depth interviews with one guest on various growth oriented topics. However, in this episode, you will hear clips from five recent interviews that I did that basically focus on the same topic, which have been all about the strategic thinking needed for CROs to run profitable and efficient growth organizations in the wake of the growth at all cost error that ended a couple of years ago. So in this episode, you will hear the viewpoints of Meshach Amua -Fuster, portfolio CEO, Tracy Sastilli, former chief revenue officer at Intellimize, Michelle Benfer, SVP of Sales at Bill, Jacco  'Vanderkoi, Founder of Winning by Design  and Katie Ivy. Chief Revenue Officer at Walnut. Enjoy the episode. Meshachs Linkedin Profile Jacco's Linkedin Profile Tracys Linkedin Profile Michelles Linkedin Profile Caties Linkedin Profile

In today's episode of The Goats of Growth, we have Catie Ivey, CRO of Walnut! She discusses the differences between selling in today's environment versus selling just a few years ago.  Of course, as a recruiter, the thing that stuck out most to me was the what she said about the differences between great sellers and CSMs and everyone else, and the very real consequences if you're not great at what you do today.  Takeaways from this episode: Enhancing B2B Sales: Leveraging product demos to create a buyer-centric experience throughout the buying journey. Transitioning to CRO: The challenges and learning curve involved in owning the full revenue number. Optimizing Sales Processes: Strategies for go-to-market teams to do more with less and improve unit economics. Cross-Team Alignment: Creating alignment across product, marketing, sales, and customer success teams for scalability and predictability.Building a Strong Team: Hiring candidates with intellectual curiosity, growth mindset, and coachability.Mentorship and Diversity: Katie's passion for mentoring young women in sales and promoting diversity in leadership roles.Pipeline Building: Exploring new strategies for building pipeline and learning from industry peers. Caties Linkedin Profile

In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I interviewed Gregg Carman, CEO and Founder of Chiefsight, which empowers mid-market companies to make data-driven financial decisions with generative AI. Cheifsight analyzes data from multiple systems and provides relevant recommendations to make faster decsions while your competiors are stuck in analysis paralysis. Want to hear his go-to-market strategy and his visionfor the future? It's all in this episode! Data-Driven Decisions: How ChiefSight uses AI to provide real-time measurement of key performance indicators and benchmarks for better, faster business decisions. Generative AI in Marketing: Utilizing AI to analyze data from multiple systems and deliver relevant recommendations, significantly improving conversion rates. Target Audience Strategies: Focusing on CFOs, with the CEO and CRO as key influencers, and exploring omnichannel strategies for demand generation. Thought Leadership: The role of thought leadership in defining and designing a market, leading to market leadership and profitability. Market Opportunities: Tapping into the large and growing market for decision intelligence applications. Gregg Carmens Linkedin Profile 00:00 Introduction to ChiefSight and Greg 03:20 Real-Time Measurement and Benchmarks for Better Decision-Making 05:45 Using Generative AI to Analyze Data and Provide Recommendations 09:20 Targeting CFOs with Influencers in the CEO and CRO 16:13 Exploring an Omnichannel Strategy for Demand Generation 24:23 The Power of Generative AI in Demand Generation Marketing 29:14 Thought Leadership: Defining and Designing a Market 32:20 Scalable and Efficient Content Marketing with Generative AI 36:19 Building a Business for Sustainable and Profitable Growth 42:34 The Market Opportunity for Decision Intelligence Applications

In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I interviewed Bobby Touran, Co-Founder of Rainbow, an insuretech company focusing on the restauant industry.  One of the biggest questions I had for Bobby was about the keys to raising money in 2024, given that it;s much more difficult than it was just a few years ago. Enjoy the episode! Bobbys Linkedin Profile Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and background 04:27 Seizing Opportunities and Adapting to Change 13:07 Raising Funds and Building a Successful Business 37:22 The Importance of Team, Vision, and Value Proposition in Entrepreneurship

In this episode I interviewed Michelle Benfer, Senior Vice President of the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Product Lines for BILL. I asked Michelle about a post she shared on LinkedIn that caught my eye about the Rule of 40 and how focusing on the right roles and the right intelligence in RevOps makes you less reliant on sales headcount. Listen to the episode to find out more, including: Balancing Profitability and Growth: Understanding the rule of 40 and its significance for public SaaS companies. Driving Productivity: The critical role of RevOps and how to effectively align bonuses with productivity benchmarks. Sales Enablement: Strategies for boosting productivity and disseminating best practices across the sales team. Effective Sales Management: Tips for hiring well, coaching effectively, and focusing on pipeline management, performance, and culture. Navigating 2024: Insights into the challenges of running a sales team and the importance of investing in the right resources. This episode is packed with actionable advice for sales leaders aiming to achieve a balanced and productive sales organization! Tune in and let us know your key takeaway.   Michelles Linkedin Profile Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Michelle Benfer and Bill 01:37 The Rule of 40: Balancing Profitability and Growth 10:17 The Importance of Sales Enablement in Supporting the Sales Team 35:20 Challenges of Running a Sales Team in 2024

In this episode, Steve Travaglini, the CRO that led LinkSquares from $500K to an astounding $50M in ARR in just 5 years, shares his entire journey.  Struggling with startup setbacks and doubt? Steve resilience, drive, and bias towards action, will inspire you in a way that could set you on path to the same kind of success. Of course, you'll have to do it without Steve.   Tune in to discover Steve's insights on: Uncovering Success: The journey from setbacks to triumph, and the lessons learned along the way. Building a Sales Culture: Hiring for grit and optimism to create an unshakable team. Driving Revenue: The pivotal role of a game-changing product in the sales landscape. The Blueprint for Growth: Strategies for forging an unbreakable sales culture and fostering explosive growth. This episode is packed with actionable advice for entrepreneurs and sales leaders aiming to achieve extraordinary success! Tune in and let us know your key takeaway. Steves Linkedin Profile 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:01 Getting Fired and Joining Link Squares 08:56 Building the Sales Team at Link Squares 15:54 Lessons Learned and Adjustments Made 32:10 Continued Growth and Challenges Faced 37:55 The Evolution of a Sales Leader 38:22 Staying Involved in the Day-to-Day Operations 39:23 Building a Sales Culture and Scaling a Sales Organization 40:12 Delegating and Working on the Business 44:09 Introducing WinRate 48:45 Addressing Pain Points in Pricing, Packaging, and Value Presentation

On today's episode of The Goats of Growth, we have Tracy Sestili, Chief Revenue Officer of Intellimize! Struggling to bridge the CMO-to-CRO gap? Tracy, a former CMO herself, reveals how marketing expertise can supercharge your CRO role. Can a marketing background be the secret weapon for CRO success? Tune in to discover Tracy's insights on: Unlocking Growth: Collaboration, data-driven decisions, and the power of a user-friendly product. Scaling Revenue: Pricing, ICP, and the challenges (and rewards) of new market expansion. Product-Led Growth: Dominating your niche, lowering barriers to entry, and building brand advocacy. The Future of Sales: Adapting to change and the ever-evolving sales landscape. This episode is packed with actionable advice for marketing and sales leaders looking to drive explosive growth! Tracys Linkedin Profile 00:00 Introduction and Tracy's Background. 03:30 The Value of a Marketing Background in the CRO Role. 11:45 The Importance of Cross-Functional Collaboration for CROs. 25:15 Addressing Pricing, ICP, and Product Feature Issues. 28:59 Strategies for Scaling Revenue. 32:19 Challenges of Expanding into New Markets. 35:35 The Challenges of Product-Led Growth. 37:24 Dominating a Market before Expanding. 39:12 Creating a Seamless User Experience. 44:09 Balancing Growth and Efficiency. 46:08 Motivation: Doing Impactful Work. 48:38 Personal Goals and Hobbies. 53:01 The Future of Sales Teams in 2024.

In this episode of The Goats of Growth, we're joined by Solomon Kahn, the CEO behind Delivery Layer. We discuss his data industry journey and the inception of his brainchild, unveiling the niche market's potential as well as Delivery Layer's mission: furnishing robust tools for seamless data sharing—a sector long overlooked. From the exhilaration of securing the inaugural client to navigating the complexities of missed opportunities, Solomon shares candid anecdotes. Tune in as he unveils his LinkedIn playbook, deciphering how strategic audience cultivation fuels outreach and cultivates promising leads. Solomons Linkedin Profile 00:00 - Introduction to Solomon Kahn and Delivery Layer 03:32 - The Need for Delivery Layer in the Market 08:35 - Building Delivery Layer and Pricing Strategy 11:34 - The Power of Building an Audience on LinkedIn 22:50 - Future Growth and Challenges for Delivery Layer 35:50 - Exploring the Use Cases of Delivery Layer 46:19 - Building Trust and Reliability in the Data Industry 53:27 - The Long-Term Vision for Delivery Layer 57:26 - Motivation and Learning in the Data Industry 01:02 - Navigating the Jump from $100K to $1 Million in ARR 01:05 - The Importance of Sleep and Personal Well-being

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I interview Jacco van der Kooij, founder of Winning by Design, about the challenges facing SaaS companies in achieving go-to-market fit. Jacco explains that the "growth at all costs" mentality has led to inefficient spending on sales and marketing, resulting in unsustainable growth. Tune in to learn how he advocates for a shift towards process-centric strategies, emphasizing the need for data-driven decisions, cost efficiency, and the unique treatment of different market segments.  Jaccos Linkedin Profile Revenue Architecture (00:01:12) Jacco's book "Revenue Architecture" and its insights into successful revenue leadership. Has SaaS lost go to market fit? (00:01:48) Discussion on a paper titled "Has SaaS lost go to market fit?" and its implications for venture-backed SaaS companies. Product market fit and go to market fit (00:02:53) Exploration of the concepts of product market fit and go to market fit, and their significance for sustainable growth. SaaS companies' go to market challenges (00:04:23) Analysis of the challenges faced by SaaS companies in maintaining go to market fit and the increasing cost of marketing and sales. Impact of cost increase on go to market fit (00:05:22) Discussion on the rising cost of acquiring revenue and its impact on go to market fit and sustainability. Automation and evolving go to market strategies (00:11:13) Insights into the potential impact of automation on certain tasks and the evolution of go to market strategies in response. The role of the CFO and CRO in go to market strategies (00:13:47) Exploration of the evolving roles of the CFO and CRO in managing go to market strategies for rapid growth companies. Scaling and efficiency in go to market motions (00:17:25) Consideration of tactics for scaling and maintaining efficiency in go to market motions for companies reaching the $200-300 million revenue level. The importance of being process-centric (00:21:01) Discussion on the shift from people-centric to process-centric organizations and the need for optimization and automation. Impact of process automation on productivity (00:22:21) Exploration of how automation and technology can increase productivity and revenue per headcount. Skills and certification for executives (00:25:54) Discussion on the necessary skills and certification for executives in the context of revenue architecture and the changing business landscape. The need for education and certification in revenue architecture (00:29:32) Exploration of the importance of education and certification for executives to understand revenue architecture and compound growth. Investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth (00:32:10) Insights into the shift from new revenue acquisition to investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth. Challenges in shifting marketing and sales alignment (00:37:43) Discussion on the challenges and time required for shifting marketing and sales alignment in organizations. Balancing short-term demands and long-term growth (00:40:04) Exploration of the paradoxical challenge of meeting short-term demands while focusing on long-term growth strategies. Server, software, and GTM (00:41:13) Discussion on the design and success rates of server, software, and go-to-market motion. Success rates of server and software (00:41:57) Explanation of the success rates of server (99%) and software (five nines). Success rate of GTM (00:42:39) Exploration of the success rate of companies in the go-to-market motion, defined as closing over a $3 million round in funding. Vision and compound growth (00:45:41) Discussion on the importance of vision and compound growth in go-to-market strategy. Changing GTM motion (00:47:44) Exploration of the evolving go-to-market motion and the need for proper architecture in sales strategies. Exploring future topics (00:48:43) Request for a future episode to delve into the seeds being planted for the next phase of go-to-market strategies.

In this episode, you will hear the excerpts from 6 inetrviews I did for The GOATS of Growth book. I asked everyone the same question, which was, "What major setbacks did you face early on and how did you overcome them?" In order of appearance, you will hear: Ed Calnan Elissa Fink Mark Roberge John McMahon Laura Zwahlen Ryan Burke Each one of them has acheived, by definition, uncommon success, and all of them faced challenges early on in their journeys before they achived their respective success. Persistence, is the common theme that I took away from hearing their stories, and I think you will too.  Enjoy