The Goats of Growth

In this episode, Rouzbeh Rotabi, the Founder and CEO of The Aval Group, joined me for a second time to discuss the challenges of growing during uncertain times. We highlighted the importance of teamwork, efficiency, and getting everyone on the same page.  He also mentioned the importtance of using customer data, moving resources wisely, and making sure everyone is aligned throughout the entire organization.     Rouzbeh Rotabis Linkedin Profile   Scaling through challenging times (00:03:04) Discussion on how to continue scaling during challenging times, including alignment, efficiency, and having the right team. Becoming more efficient (00:05:05) Exploration of the concept of efficiency in scaling, including focusing on specific markets and aligning go-to-market strategies. Making data-driven decisions (00:06:12) Importance of honest and transparent conversations in decision-making, considering data, and focusing on profitable verticals for growth. Terminating customers for business sense (00:10:19) Rouzbeh Rotabi shares an example of when his company made the tough decision to terminate 27 customers due to bad revenue and excessive servicing. He highlights the importance of looking at the information and fact base correctly when making such decisions. Reallocation of internal resources (00:13:00) The conversation shifts to the reallocation of internal resources, particularly when it comes to personnel matching with different verticals. Rouzbeh suggests having honest conversations with customers about changing the servicing model and discusses the need to assess resource allocation based on ROI calculations and the specific roles and talents of team members. The importance of understanding the revenue cycle (00:18:35) The importance of understanding the revenue cycle in a B2B environment and the value of gross revenue retention. The shift towards customer success (00:19:02) Rouzbeh talks about the shift towards focusing on customer success and the need to harmonize execution in marketing, sales, and customer success. The importance of prioritization (00:28:08) Discussion on the need to prioritize and align on key unit of measures in order to drive growth and success. The challenge of alignment in venture-backed companies (00:29:43) Exploration of the difficulties in achieving alignment between different teams and departments in venture-backed companies. The significance of repeatability and product-market fit (00:31:35) Explanation of the importance of having a repeatable product and achieving product-market fit in order to demonstrate success in venture-backed companies. The challenges of technical difficulties (00:36:57) Discussion on the technical difficulties experienced during the podcast recording and the need to address and react to them. Being curious and adaptable in the face of market changes (00:38:10) Conversation on the mindset needed to navigate market changes, emphasizing the importance of being curious about technology options and adaptable to current situations.  

In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I had the privilege of chatting with Nirav Sheth, who currently serves as the VP of Presales and Specialists for the Americas at Okta. Nirav's career journey is quite a fascinating one, with stints at big-name companies like Google and Cisco. During our conversation, he shared some of his key leadership principles, notably the significance of building capacity within an organization. Nirav stressed the importance of investing in the growth and development of individuals within a company and highlighted the role of mentorship in helping people build confidence. He also gave us a glimpse into his personal journey, which took him from aspiring to be a doctor to becoming a successful business leader. This episode is packed with insights that can benefit anyone, so don't miss it! Niravs Linkedin Profile Building a Legacy by Creating Capacity [00:04:07] Nirav explains the importance of building capacity throughout all levels of the organization to create a legacy and drive growth. Meaningful Career Conversations [00:05:48] Nirav discusses the significance of having meaningful career conversations with individuals to understand their aspirations and align them with business needs. Enabling Empowerment and Entrepreneurship [00:07:37] Nirav shares an example of empowering a high-potential individual to lead a cross-functional team and drive a campaign, creating an entrepreneurial environment within the organization. Building confidence and support for growth [00:10:19] Discusses the importance of providing support and mentorship to individuals aspiring for leadership roles to build their confidence and help them transition to the next level. Striking the balance between autonomy and support [00:11:21] Explores the need to strike a balance between empowering individuals with autonomy while also providing the necessary support and removing obstacles when they face roadblocks. Investing in personal and professional growth [00:12:48] Focuses on the journey of continuous development, including cross-functional experiences, mentorship, executive coaching, and continuous learning through reading and consuming various forms of content. The surprise of not becoming a doctor [00:19:30] Nirav talks about how his 18-year-old self would be surprised that he did not become a doctor, despite initially planning to pursue a medical career. Choosing an MBA over medical school [00:19:50] Nirav explains how he made the decision to pursue an MBA instead of going to medical school, and how his family's involvement in business influenced his choice.

In this exciting episode of the Goats of Growth I had the pleasure of interviewing Tony Medrano, an experienced go-to-market executive with a track record of success in health tech and AI SaaS.  Tony focuses on the art of prioritization in the context of a high-growth environment and  underscores the critical nature of honing in on high-revenue opportunities, a strategic move that can lead to your success.  But what truly sets this episode apart is the personal touch Tony brings to the discussion. He opens up about his most significant failure, a story that holds important lessons for us all. In addition to his professional insights, ensuring this episode is one you won't want to miss. Tony's LinkedIn Profile Deals first [00:03:23] Tony discusses the importance of prioritizing deals and focusing on closing them, especially in hypergrowth scenarios. How to prioritize your deal time [00:04:25] Tony explains how to prioritize deal time by allocating a significant portion of time to pursuing high-revenue opportunities and dedicating a portion to strategic long-term initiatives. Q Health's growth during COVID [00:07:35] Tony provides context on Q Health, the company he worked for during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their premier molecular diagnostic point-of-care test for COVID-19. He highlights the company's growth and their initial customer, the NBA. The 60-30-10 Rule [00:10:34] Discussion on how to prioritize time for highest revenue, strategic thinking, and flexibility. Building a Small Team [00:13:50] Importance of starting with a small team and managing them properly in a hypergrowth situation. Making Your Bed [00:18:39] Emphasis on taking care of administrative tasks early in the day to be prepared for unexpected customer needs and urgent situations. The underdog story [00:22:10] Tony discusses how underdog stories motivate him in business and personal life. Completing another Ironman [00:23:03] Tony shares his goal of completing another Ironman triathlon competition and the benefits it brings to his life. Tools for learning [00:26:25] Tony provides tips for learning new information, including using chat bots, utilizing YouTube, and taking online courses. Travel [00:30:26] Tony talks about his experiences traveling and exploring different countries, including biking, running, and swimming in various locations. Biggest Failure[00:31:47]  Tony shares the story of starting a company during his grad school days, raising funding, experiencing growth, and then facing a sudden market crash. Question for my next guest [00:34:01]  Tony suggests a question for the next guest, asking what their 18-year-old self would think if they were suddenly placed in their current situation.

In this (part 2) episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Steven Birdsall, a 3X CRO and 4X COO, of both private and public companies. To recap part 1, we explored pivotal nuances between private and public companies, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of going public as well as the strategies for optimizing go-to-market approaches, including insights on maintaining focus, achieving margin expansion, and the significance of the "rule of 50" in creating value. This episode is a contuation of that discussion, but it starts off with Steven answering the question of how to manage expecatations when you have multiple investors, in his case, Board members from 5 separate PE firms. Whether you're in that position now, or it's possible you could be in the future, you'll find Steven's perspective and advice helpful.  Steven's LinkedIn Profile What to listen for: Managing Expectations with Board Members  Managing the expectations of different board members requires understanding their specific goals and context, whether it's achieving rule of 50 or market expansion. Doing more with less: Explains two ways to do more with less: planting seeds by developing new products and adjusting pricing. Transparency in communication Emphasizes the importance of transparent communication from the CEO when making changes, such as cutting resources or expanding into new markets. Focus, efficiency, and channel model Discusses the importance of focusing on a specific market, improving efficiency, and utilizing channel models effectively for growth. What motivates Stephen?  Stephen discusses his motivation to help others in various aspects of his life, such as at work, at home, and in church. Stephen's goal to become a CEO  Stephen shares his goal to become a CEO and his decision to leave his current company to focus on achieving this goal by the end of the year. And much more!

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Steven Birdsall, a 3X CRO and 4X COO, of both private and public companies. Together, we explore pivotal nuances between private and public companies, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of going public as well as the strategies for optimizing go-to-market approaches, including insights on maintaining focus, achieving margin expansion, and the significance of the "rule of 50" in creating value. So much so that like mentioned in the outro, I had to seperate this epic episode into 2 parts. Stay tuned for part 2. Steven Birdsalls Linkedin Profile Laying the Proper Foundation for Going Public [00:01:12] Discussion on the importance of laying a strong foundation for a company before going public. Difference Between Board Expectations in Private and Public Companies [00:01:41] Exploration of the contrasting expectations from boards in private and public companies. Experience with Taking a Company Public [00:07:58] Stephen Birdsall shares his experience of taking Anaplan public in 2018 and discusses the different scenarios he has encountered in his career regarding IPOs. The significance of changing the go-to-market model [00:11:27] Stephen Birdsall discusses the importance of changing the go-to-market model when preparing for an IPO and the challenges faced in the planning software market. Creating a pod-based go-to-market strategy [00:14:20] Birdsall explains the concept of a pod-based go-to-market strategy, focusing on the benefits of streamlining different functions and creating accountability at a TAM (Total Addressable Market) level. Building scale through industry-level TAMs [00:17:08] Birdsall talks about the next step in scaling the business by creating industry-level TAMs and how it leads to a more efficient go-to-market strategy centered around specific industries. Focus on Industry and Geography [00:18:00] Companies under $100 million should focus on a specific industry or geography to maximize their opportunities and scale. Traditional Go-to-Market vs Pods [00:19:00] Sub $100 million companies selling to specific personas, such as CFOs, should focus on traditional go-to-market strategies instead of implementing pods. Private Equity Rule of 50 [00:23:34] Private equity-backed companies aim to achieve the Rule of 50, balancing growth and margin expansion to ensure profitable growth in the business. Solving Math Equations [00:27:15] Explanation of how to solve math equations by separating known and unknown variables and the importance of setting up the problem correctly. Different Approaches to Learning Math [00:28:10] Discussion about how kids learn math differently today and the importance of coming to the same solution regardless of the approach. Growth at All Costs Mentality [00:30:28] Exploration of the concept of growing at all costs and the potential consequences of disrupting the rule of 50 in terms of profitability and workforce. Private Equity's Value Creation Mode [00:36:43] Private equity firms aim to create value by acquiring rule of 50 companies and unlocking their potential. The Importance of Rule of 50 [00:37:40] Having a plan to reach rule of 50 is essential for creating value and attracting investors in a company.

In this episode Andy Hershey, Chief Revenue Officer at NS1, shares his journey and drops gems of wisdom on various aspects of successful teamwork and marketing strategies. We dicuss the critical importance of alignment and collaboration within go-to-market teams, explore the power of cross-functional partnerships and the magic of shared goals, as well as why prioritizing lead quality is paramount--especially in challenging business landscapes. To our listeners, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and leave a review if you found this episode as enlightening as we did. Your feedback is our fuel! Andy Hersheys Linkedin Profile Aligning Goals with Cross-Functional Teams [00:03:19] The importance of building strong partnerships and aligning goals with the CMO, CFO, and CPO for successful scaling. Investing in Relationships and Building Trust [00:05:09] The value of investing in relationships and getting to know team members personally to foster collaboration and effective teamwork. Focus and Alignment for Successful Execution [00:08:15] The significance of having a clear focus and aligned goals to drive execution and achieve desired outcomes. The importance of revenue and focus on pipeline [00:08:57] The speaker discusses the common goal of revenue and the opportunity cost of investing in a new product. Aligning go-to-market teams [00:10:49] The host asks for advice on how to achieve cross-functional alignment within go-to-market teams. Career trajectory and steps to become a revenue leader [00:17:22] The speaker shares the steps he took to transition from an individual contributor to a revenue leader role. The trade-off between quantity and quality of leads [00:18:41] Discussion on the importance of not solely focusing on the quantity of leads, but also considering the quality to maximize closing opportunities. The challenge of managing leads and labeling [00:19:26] Exploration of the age-old question of how to balance the trade-off between quality and quantity when it comes to leads and developing pipeline. Closing remarks and call for guest nominations [00:19:32] Speaker 1 wraps up the conversation, thanks the guest, and encourages listeners to subscribe, rate, review the podcast, and nominate potential guests. Are you happy with the results?

In this episode, I spoke with Mike Conti, VP of Sales at Copado, about how to properly instrument a go-to-market org to enable it to scale.  We delve into the importance of aligning sales with what buyers really want and how companies can revamp their product descriptions and marketing materials to emphasize the benefits of their products, leading to increased sales. Mike also walks me through crafting a winning sales plan, which includes implementing a tiered pricing strategy and offering different product bundles to cater to various customers to boost revenue while improving customer satisfaction Finally, we discuss the importance of getting everyone at the top on the same page. He shares a story about how Copado's leadership team came together to define a clear vision for the company's growth, which served as a compass for all their strategic decisions.   Mike Conti's Linkedin Profile Finding Your Buyer [00:03:13] The importance of finding the right target audience and marketing the problem rather than the product to attract qualified leads. Aligning Sales Process with Buyer Emotions [00:07:33] Understanding the emotional journey of the buyer and aligning sales activities with each stage of the buyer's emotions to move prospects efficiently through the buying cycle. Instrumenting a Scalable Sales Model [00:10:00] The process of continually tweaking and optimizing the sales model to make it scalable, including lead generation, qualification, value demonstration, and post-sales activities. Finding the Buyer [00:11:05] Discussion on the importance of understanding the organization's structure, decision-makers, and their motivations to navigate the sales process effectively. Building a Strategy to Win [00:13:06] Exploration of the need for executive alignment, commitment, and investment from early customers, as well as the significance of their role as references in crossing the chasm. Instrumenting a Scalable Sales Model [00:13:30] Explanation of the process of hiring and scaling a sales team, ensuring resource alignment, enablement, and the exploration of additional channels for growth. Building teams and businesses [00:22:25] Mike discusses his motivation for building teams and businesses, and the importance of developing salespeople and seeing a business succeed. Finding the next exciting opportunity [00:23:00] Mike shares his goal of finding a challenging new opportunity by January. The future of AI in biotech [00:25:18] Mike discusses the potential for AI to make advancements in the biotech space, particularly in genomics and the development of cures.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing, Daniele Di Nunzio who serves as the VP of Sales at Storyly. We dive into Danieles role, their remarkable success in securing key clients, and his keys for expansion into the Latin American market. We also explore the challenges of conducting interviews with non-native English speakers, underlining the importance of evaluating soft skills. Wrapping up our discussion, we venture into the world of mobile industry opportunities and the boundless potential of AI across various fields. See timestamps below. Building a Motion for the Americas [00:01:49] Our guest discusses his role as VP of Sales at Story League and his responsibility to build a motion for the Americas, specifically North America and Latin America. Keys to Building a Team in Latin America [00:03:35] Daniele shares insights on building a team in Latin America, emphasizing the importance of understanding the market, localization, and leveraging the talent pool. Financial Technologies in Brazil [00:10:40] Daniele explains that the financial technologies in Brazil are advanced, with top-notch remittance and online payment systems, surpassing those in the US. Localization and technology [00:11:07] Discussion on the importance of investing in technology to ensure localization of websites and content for different markets. Building a local team [00:12:22] Exploration of the preferred approach of building a local team in Latin America to ensure cultural understanding and market expertise. Talent acquisition challenges [00:15:52] Discussion on the challenges of finding the right talent in Latin America and the importance of validating credentials and focusing on skills rather than just language proficiency. Overcoming language challenges in interviews [00:22:31-00:23:35] Discussion on how to overcome challenges when interviewing non-native English speakers and the importance of seeking help from consultants or headhunters specialized in the market. Importance of soft skills and cultural fit in hiring [00:24:31-00:26:18] Emphasis on the significance of soft skills and cultural fit when hiring, rather than focusing solely on language skills or technical abilities. Motivations, goals, learning methods, and personal interests [00:26:36-00:29:05] Rapid-fire questions covering topics such as motivation, career goals, preferred learning methods, hours of sleep, and favorite activities outside of work. The discussion also highlights the connection between cooking and sales, as well as the changing landscape of jobs due to technological advancements. The opportunity in mobile [00:32:29] Discussion about the current opportunity in mobile technology and creating the next big thing. The future of soccer in the US [00:33:11] Exploring the growth and popularity of soccer in the US, especially with Messi joining Inter Miami. The biggest opportunity with AI [00:33:36] The potential of AI in video editing software and its ability to make the process easier and faster.

I noticed this skills gap during a recent leadership search, which is why I made it the focus of this episode. The gap was between candidates with global GTM leadership experience and those without. How do you go from leading a domestic GTM team to leading a global GTM team, and what skills do you need to acquire?How do you build and inspire confidence when applying for a global role if you don't have the experience? What are the first steps you should take once you've landed a new global GTM role? All questions I asked Amy Slater, Vice President of GSI Global Sales at Genesys. She has a wealth of experience leading global teams and was kind enough to share some of it with me, so I can now share it with you.  Amy Slaters Linkedin Profile

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shawn Green, a seasoned CRO and go-to-market advisor for startups. We go deep into the crucial tasks that every new Chief Revenue Officer should prioritize during their initial 90 days on the job as well as the importance of tailoring your approach to the specific stage of the startup you're joining. Assessing the current state of the company [00:02:17] Sean discusses the importance of spending time understanding the company's current revenue generation process, strategies, and overall revenue goals. Developing a revenue growth strategy [00:02:17] Sean emphasizes the need for a comprehensive revenue growth strategy, including setting clear revenue targets, identifying new market opportunities, and creating a roadmap to achieve company revenue goals. Building and optimizing the sales team [00:03:40] Sean explains the importance of assessing the current sales team, identifying gaps in skills or resources, and making necessary adjustments such as restructuring, hiring new talent, and providing training and development opportunities. The skills gap assessment [00:12:35] Discussion on how to assess the skills gap in a sales team and the importance of aligning skills with the company's go-to-market strategy. Failing fast and constant pace [00:13:43] The significance of failing fast and maintaining a constant pace in revenue growth, and the need for internal and external validation in decision-making. Rapid fire five [00:16:34] A quick Q&A session covering topics such as motivation, preferred learning methods, sleep habits, and favorite hobbies outside of work. Shawn Greens Linkedin Page