RevOps Lab

Janis and Philipp break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of annual planning. From late starts and siloed workflows to unrealistic capacity models and poor communication loops, they share what goes wrong in most companies – and how to fix it.We cover:• The most common annual planning pitfalls – and how to avoid them • Late starts, top-down targets, and siloed processes • Why RevOps should take the lead in annual planning • How to align FP&A, HR, and GTM leadership • The impact of capacity planning, ramp time, and attrition • Building realistic hiring and pipeline generation models • The importance of cross-functional workshops and continuous planning • How to move from static annual planning to adaptive executionWeflow: getweflow.comRevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/communityRevOps Resources: getweflow.com/revopsJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszechPhilipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Why Annual Planning Is Broken(00:02:19) Common Pitfalls: Late Starts & Siloed Processes(00:04:42) Why RevOps Should Lead Annual Planning(00:06:51) The Role of FP&A, HR & Leadership Alignment(00:08:54) Timelines, Ownership & the Cost of Starting Late(00:11:10) Capacity Planning, Ramp Time & Hiring Models(00:15:02) Pipeline Generation & Continuous Adjustments(00:19:24) Running Cross-Functional Planning Workshops(00:22:25) Setting Realistic Scenarios (Best, Base, Worst Case)(00:25:10) Board Sign-Off & Execution Cadences(00:27:00) Final Thoughts & Cheat Sheet Recommendation

Kunal Pathak, Director of Deal Strategy & Operations at ServiceNow, joins Philipp to unpack what it really takes to run a world-class Deal Desk. With experience building deal operations at Salesforce, DocuSign, and now ServiceNow, Kunal shares how the function evolved from a transactional back office into a strategic control tower for revenue execution.We cover:- What a Deal Desk is and how it’s evolved into a strategic function- When it’s time to introduce Deal Desk (hint: when your CEO reviews every deal)- Balancing governance and deal velocity: the CFO vs. CRO charter- Why a bad policy is one that creates constant exceptions- The 70/30 rule: when to automate vs. when to go high-touch- The ideal team setup and where Deal Desk should sit (Finance vs. Sales)- How to collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Pricing Strategy- Building commercial constructs that make it easy to buy- Using AI and automation to move from reactive to proactive deal strategy- How to start a Deal Desk from scratch—and what to prioritize firstKunal Pathak on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunal-pathak-66b27317/ Weflow: ⁠getweflow.com⁠RevOps Chat Community: ⁠getweflow.com/community⁠ RevOps resources: ⁠getweflow.com/revops⁠ Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech⁠ Philipp on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Kunal(00:02:29) What Is a Deal Desk and Why It Matters(00:06:58) When to Introduce Deal Desk(00:09:15) Top Challenges When Setting Up the Function(00:11:21) Balancing Governance and Deal Velocity(00:14:27) Policies, Exceptions & the 70/30 Rule(00:16:06) Where Deal Desk Should Sit (RevOps vs. Finance)(00:18:38) Building the Right Team & Hiring Profiles(00:21:20) Legal Collaboration & Ownership Boundaries(00:24:48) Partnering with Pricing Strategy(00:27:59) Value Engineering and Deal Economics(00:30:12) The Future of Deal Desk – AI & Automation(00:35:30) How to Start a Deal Desk From Scratch(00:37:01) The First Hire & Key Priorities(00:40:01) Resources, Books & Final Thoughts

Tessa Whittaker, VP of Revenue Operations at ZoomInfo, joins Janis Zech to discuss the critical challenge of shifting to an AI-First mindset within the RevOps function. Many leaders feel pressure due to the AI hype, but how do you ensure your teams implement the technology effectively? Tessa shares her proprietary RevOps Maturity Scale, a framework that identifies the operational foundation (systematization and process discipline) required before AI can be successfully deployed to boost upstream RevOps team efficiency.    She reveals how her team at ZoomInfo—a multi-billion-dollar valuation company with over a billion in ARR—transformed their roadmap prioritization and requirements gathering process using AI agents. This strategy helps them eliminate "human behavior" and resource fights, leading to maximum execution speed.   We discuss:Why manual processes and poor data are the biggest roadblocks to successful AI implementation (Garbage In, Garbage Out).    Tessa's RevOps Maturity Scale (0 to 5), and why AI-Augmented Workflows only begin at Step 3.    How to build Operational Excellence as the foundation for AI (Ad Hoc → Manual but Defined → Systematized Rigor → Agentic Assistance).    The RevOps team structure at ZoomInfo: How Sales Operations, Business Process (Product Managers), and Revenue Technology collaborate.    The transformation of the RevOps Roadmap process: Moving from firefighting to data-driven stack ranking of strategic initiatives.    The use of an AI Agent for Requirements Gathering and generating Prioritization Scores to end subjective resource battles with stakeholders.    How to coach Internal Stakeholders to bring problems instead of prescribed solutions, and how AI facilitates this shift.    Tessa’s Hackathon strategy to mandate an AI-First mindset across the RevOps team and build internal efficiency agents.    Mallory Lee on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-whittaker-44903940/ Weflow: ⁠getweflow.com⁠RevOps Chat Community: ⁠getweflow.com/community⁠RevOps resources: ⁠getweflow.com/revops⁠Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech⁠Philipp on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters:(00:00:00) Introduction and Welcoming Tessa(00:01:52) Tessa's Career Path: From Executive Assistant to VP of RevOps (00:03:16) The RevOps Team Structure at ZoomInfo (Sales Ops, Business Process, RevTech) (00:06:19) Introducing the RevOps AI Maturity Scale (00:08:43) Steps 0 through 5: From Ad Hoc to Autonomous Operations (00:10:45) The necessity of Operational Excellence as an AI prerequisite (00:16:03) The RevOps reality before systematization (Chaos and Firefighting) (00:21:44) Building Systematized Rigor: Central intake, JIRA, and capacity measurement (00:26:40) Dealing with noise and Fire Drills: How centralized stack ranking eliminates resource fights (00:35:17) The AI-First Leap: Transforming the RevOps Roadmap process with AI (00:37:50) The AI Agent for Requirements Gathering: Eliminating time-consuming meetings (00:40:24) How the AI agent calculates Prioritization Scores for dynamic sprint planning (00:43:39) Additional AI Use Cases: Process documentation, slide generation, and monitoring (00:44:40) The Hackathon Strategy to instill an AI-First mindset in the team (00:46:10) Community Recommendations: The value of a tight-knit expert network

Mallory Lee, VP of Revenue Operations at PhoneBurner, shares her expertise on automating CRM data entry. She dives into the chaos of poor CRM hygiene and its impact on trust and forecasting. Mallory discusses how automation can streamline activity capture, improve pipeline accuracy, and enhance forecasting using AI insights. She also explains the importance of distinguishing between process and judgment in sales. Lastly, learn how automation fosters more effective pipeline discussions and mitigates data verification time!

In this episode:Laura Cross, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, joins Janis and Philipp to unpack the shift from annual to continuous planning. Laura shares why static, one-and-done plans don’t work in today’s fast-changing environment and how RevOps can take the lead in building adaptive, customer-centric planning processes.We cover: Why annual planning often creates misalignment and mistrust The rise of continuous, “always-on” planning cycles How to balance board-level compliance with GTM agility Common pitfalls: siloed planning, unrealistic timelines, political dynamics Why putting the customer at the center fixes more than process RevOps as the facilitator of sync & sequence across functions Practical steps to operationalize strategy through revenue cadencesLinks: Laura Cross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauracross Weflow: getweflow.com RevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/community RevOps resources: getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Intro & Meet Laura (00:02:10) Annual vs. Continuous Planning – The Shift (00:05:30) Why Annual Planning Fails in Practice (00:09:20) Misalignment, Finger-Pointing & Trust Issues (00:14:15) The Role of RevOps in Sync & Sequence (00:19:00) Overhead, Culture & Mindset Shifts (00:24:30) From Strategy to Execution: Revenue Cadences (00:29:40) Final Thoughts & Forrester Resources

In this quick special episode (under 3 minutes!), Janis and Philipp announce something big:👉 Together with 50 RevOps leaders from around the world, we’re launching a free Slack community exclusively for Revenue Operations professionals.Here’s what you need to know: • 💬 No pitches, just real conversations • ✅ Strictly RevOps-only (every application is reviewed) • 🤝 Share challenges, get support, and learn faster • 🌍 Local chapters for real-life meetups (yes, IRL!)🚀 Request early access now: getweflow.com/community

Andy Mowat, Founder of Whisperd and longtime RevOps leader at companies like Upwork, Box, CultureAmp, and Carta, joins Janis and Philipp to share how to build a successful career in RevOps. Andy breaks down the six “superpowers” of RevOps, what separates a VP from a Director, and how to pick the right company to accelerate your growth. He also shares his perspective on how AI will reshape the future of RevOps and the GTM tech stack.We cover:The six “superpowers” of RevOps every operator should masterDirector vs. VP: the real differences in scope and leadershipWhy choosing the right company and boss matters more than compHead of RevOps at a startup vs. #2 at a breakout scale-upHow to identify breakout companies—and avoid toxic onesFuture trends: AI, data architecture, and the reinvention of SalesforceResources for career growth from WhisperdAndy Mowat on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymowat/Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: ⁠⁠https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet⁠⁠⁠ Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠  ⁠ Phillip on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer⁠⁠ Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Andy(00:04:46) The Six Superpowers of RevOps(00:07:44) Director vs. VP – Key Differences(00:10:39) Picking Companies That Accelerate Your Career(00:15:13) Startup vs. Scale-Up Roles(00:23:22) Future Trends in RevOps: AI & Data(00:29:48) Whisperd Playbooks & Final Takeaways

Lauren Hughes, VP of Revenue Effectiveness at Justworks and former Global Head of RevOps at InMobi, joins Janis and Philipp to share how RevOps can become the connective tissue between product and go-to-market. Lauren walks through her experience scaling RevOps during hypergrowth, driving alignment with product, and building operating cadences that keep leadership on the same page.We cover: • Lessons from scaling InMobi from $300M to $600M+ revenue • How to build RevOps from 2 people “tinkering in Salesforce” to a 25+ person team • Driving interlock between product and revenue teams under pressure • Why operating cadences matter more than tools • Balancing short-term firefighting with long-term roadmap planning • How RevOps can translate customer needs into product strategyLauren Hughes on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenehughes10023/Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: ⁠https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet⁠⁠ Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech ⁠ ⁠⁠  ⁠ Phillip on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer⁠ Chapters:(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Lauren(00:02:00) Scaling RevOps at InMobi During Hypergrowth(00:07:15) First Hires & Building Business Planning Into RevOps(00:12:40) Driving Product <> Revenue Interlock(00:18:20) Operating Cadences & Leadership Alignment(00:23:30) Balancing Fix-It Mode With Future Planning(00:29:10) Lessons Learned & Applying Them at Justworks(00:34:30) Podcasts & Resources Lauren Recommends

In this episode, Janis and Philipp sit down with 5x CRO John McMahon, the Author of “The Qualified Sales Leader”, board member at Snowflake and MongoDB, and co-host of the Revenue Builders Podcast. John shares how revenue operations can play a critical role in preparing CROs and CEOs for board meetings, what metrics truly matter, and why scaling go-to-market teams is often harder than building products.From avoiding common pitfalls in hiring and territory planning to designing repeatable frameworks for growth, this conversation is packed with insights from someone who has guided companies through hypergrowth at the highest levels.What You’ll Learn:How RevOps leaders can equip CROs for successful board meetingsWhy headcount, productivity, and churn are the only real levers in scaling salesThe cost of hiring too late and under-investing in frontline managementWhy territory fairness is critical to rep success and retentionKey frameworks for reporting to the board (5-quarter model, productivity per rep, new logos vs. existing growth)The importance of evolving your ICP, sales process, and common language as you scaleJohn McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcmahon1/Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: ⁠https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet⁠⁠ Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech ⁠ ⁠⁠  ⁠ Phillip on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer⁠ Chapters:(00:00:00) Meet John McMayhem(00:03:45) Board Meeting Dynamics(00:08:20) Preparation Strategies(00:12:30) Sales Team Scaling Pitfalls(00:16:50) Proactive Hiring Importance(00:21:15) Territory Management(00:25:45) Reducing Ramp Time Through Training(00:30:00) Key Performance Metrics(00:34:40) RevOps as Strategic Eyes and Ears(00:38:10) Closing Thoughts & Book Recommendation

Kristina Kardell, Director of RevOps & Strategy at Leapsome, joins Janis to explore how revenue cadences can move RevOps from execution to strategy. Kristina shares how she structures cadences that align leaders, drive accountability, and unlock real business impact.We cover: • What revenue cadences actually are—and why they matter • How to set up cadences that align GTM leadership • Turning recurring meetings into drivers of accountability • Balancing operational detail with strategic oversight • Lessons learned from scaling RevOps at Leapsome • How cadences unlock cross-functional alignmentLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinakardell/Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: ⁠https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet⁠⁠Janis on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ Phillip on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer⁠Chapters: (00:00:00) Intro & Meet Kristina(00:02:05) Why Cadences Are a Strategic Lever(00:06:20) Designing Cadences That Stick(00:10:45) Leadership Alignment Through Revenue Cadences(00:15:00) From Operations to Strategy(00:18:25) Lessons Learned at Leapsome(00:21:40) Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways