Good Revenue

Cassie Young is a General Partner at Primary Ventures. She’s also a longtime SaaS operator with stints as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Customer Officer at Sailthru and at its acquirer, Marigold.Cassie tells us exactly why customer centricity is about driving outcomes customers care about, why retention is your cheapest form of growth, and why the best companies are all about alignment.Key Takeaways:The playbook for building a company is the playbook for building a company regardless of which stage you’re at. Resourcing and order of operations may vary, but at the core, stage doesn’t really matter in terms of building a successful venture-backed business.Centering on customers is so much more than NPS. It’s about driving outcomes customers care about. Retention is your cheapest form of growth. Too many companies miss this.Common GTM pitfalls you have to solve for from the earliest days: 1) mastering qualification and discovery & 2) pipeline coverage – how real is your plan to hit plan.There is merit to having diversity of customers in the early stage but you have to know you’ll need segmentation to actually grow longer term.All jobs ultimately converge the more senior you become.The best CEOs & senior execs are out with customers every day.People fail to thrive in executive functions when they’re overly concerned with their own team’s success, at the expense of the business. Senior leaders need to work on the business not just in the business. Top advice for CEOs & executives: Do absolutely everything you can to make your customers successful, and everything else will take care of itself. Sharing customer insights intentionally and consistently changes mindsets and helps drive alignment across GTM teams.High performance companies are completely aligned, and it really shows up in incentives at every level of the org, all the way up to executive compensation. You will see real behavioral changes when your head of product has their bonus tied to NPS and new logos.Aligned goals at Sailthru included: exit ARR, a NPS target, cash-oriented target which evolved into an EBITDA target. _Where to find Cassie:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassyoung/https://www.primary.vc/_Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/_Where to find Good Revenue:https://dfnstrategy.com/goodrevenue Sound by RPS Audio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manisha Shetty Gulati, a seasoned healthcare executive and former McKinsey partner, began her career in international development. She recently served as Chief Growth Officer at Commure and currently serves on Model N’s public company board and ReSurge International’s non-profit board.In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Manisha cover:Surprising challenges of healthcare across different countries, the critical role of understanding incentives, and the importance of personalization in care.Advice for healthcare firms, investors, and entrepreneurs on navigating the industry’s economic dynamics and emphasizes the need for partnerships and a customer-centric approach.Strategies for effective transformation in healthcare organizations and the critical role of board members in driving long-term value.How Manisha’s background and experiences with McKinsey and various health tech ventures have shaped her understanding of the healthcare system’s complexities.The importance of understanding incentives within the healthcare ecosystem and discusses barriers to innovation, particularly incentive structures and the need for integration across different sectors.The potential for technology and startup innovations to reshape healthcare delivery while acknowledging the need for systemic changes and partnerships for sustainable impact.Crucial aspects of building successful business models in healthcare, the role of customer-centric approaches, and the importance of adaptability and transformation in business strategies.Insights from Manisha’s experience on a public company board and how it informs her operational work, emphasizing the importance of balancing long-term shareholder value with immediate business needs.High performance firms focus on customer obsession, resource allocation, and strong organizational culture in a hybrid work environment._Where to find Manisha:https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-shetty-gulati/Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:14 Manisha's Career Journey02:10 Challenges in Healthcare03:25 Innovation and Technology in Healthcare05:02 Business Models and Incentives13:49 Direct to Consumer Healthcare15:11 Building Successful Business Models21:28 Transformation and Change Management25:39 Board Influence and Long-term Strategy31:00 High Performance Companies32:59 Conclusion and Farewell_Referenced:• McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/• Commure: https://www.commure.com/ • Model N: https://www.modeln.com/ • ReSurge International: https://resurge.org/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nadia Morozova is a Global Chief Analytics & Insights Officer – Brand, Marketing & Communications at EY in London. She’s an advocate for customer-centric decision making in business.In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Nadia cover:The importance of customer-centric decision-making and the value of insights in driving business outcomes.Evolving landscape of marketing mix modeling in a post-GDPR world and the necessity of a data roadmap and quality data for effective use of this tool.Significance of automation in updating models and the role of statistical quality in making robust decisions.Relevance of Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) versus Return on Investment (ROI) as metrics for ad performance.A case study from her time at TikTok, illustrating the application of segmentation and audience mindsets to shift advertiser perceptions and improve user engagement.How companies can better integrate insights into business strategy and execution, underscoring the importance of senior leadership trust and cultural change.Insights on leveraging data for product discovery and purchase decisions, and how companies can structure their analytics functions to maximize business impact. Key takeaways include the importance of a clear data roadmap, senior leadership commitment, and building a culture of trust to ensure data insights are effectively used in decision-making._Where to find Nadia:https://www.linkedin.com/in/morozovanadia/ Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction to Nadia Morozova00:29 The Value of Insights in Business Outcomes01:31 Marketing Mix Modeling in a Post-GDPR World04:42 Automation in Marketing Mix Modeling07:38 Understanding ROAS and ROI09:49 Segmentation and Audience Mindsets18:23 PhD Research and Business Impact21:53 Connecting Insights to Business Results26:48 Advice for Smaller Companies and Startups29:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts_Referenced:• Marketing mix modeling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing_mix_modeling• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): https://advertising.amazon.com/library/guides/return-on-ad-spend-roas• The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): https://gdpr-info.eu/ • EY: https://www.ey.com/en_us • Enriched Insights: https://enrichedinsights.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hilda Mwangi is a customer-centric CFO with experience across private equity, large enterprises, the public sector, and startups. In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Hilda cover:Risk assessment, resource allocation, and prioritizing quality over quantity in revenue, EBITDA, and customer acquisition.Hilda emphasizes the importance of strategic planning, effective team collaboration, and adaptive leadership.The pitfalls seen in venture-backed models that prioritize quantity, leading to high churn rates and misallocated resources.Importance of team-based strategic planning and highlights the necessity of understanding and adapting to customer needs.The changing buyer journey, the role of marketing in this new era, and the need for predictive rather than reactive strategies.Key takeaways include the role of a visionary CEO, the importance of cohesive teamwork, and the critical need for resilience and perseverance in business leaders._Where to find Hilda:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hildamwangicfo/Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:15 The Role of a CFO in Large Entities02:01 Quality vs. Quantity in Revenue03:52 Challenges in Investor-Backed Models07:40 Resource Allocation in Uncertain Times10:42 Teamwork and Strategy in Decision Making12:40 Addressing Misaligned Expectations16:20 Fixing Business Models and Customer Issues21:30 The Importance of Attribution in Marketing30:15 High-Performance Companies and Leadership32:17 Final Thoughts and Encouragement_Referenced:• Neustar: https://home.neustar/• Fannie Mae: https://www.fanniemae.com/ • HAZ: https://hazadvisors.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Gershkoff Bolles is a founder, former CEO, and public company board member with deep expertise in strategy and operations.In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Amy cover:Her diverse experiences leading startups, growth stage companies, and public companies like eBay, Zynga, WPP, and Levi Strauss.How to turnaround a company in less than 1 year. The importance of building teams by hiring for potential rather than traditional experience, which leads to diverse and creative teams.How to balance strategy and operations, using data-driven metrics while understanding the limits of ROI calculations for certain initiatives.Short-term and long-term initiatives, the importance of team alignment in turnarounds, and how empathetic leadership is crucial for success.Risk vs investment calculus involves 3 vectors: balance short & long term, risk of potential upside, and holistic perspective on the total timeline in terms of risk / return.The significant challenge of representation in the tech industry and suggestions to improve diversity in executive roles and boardrooms.What sets high-performing companies apart, including clear strategic decisions and robust operational systems.Join us for actionable insights for balancing strategic initiatives and executing successful turnarounds._Where to find Amy:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amygershkoff/Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:16 Amy's Career Journey01:08 Building Successful Teams04:01 Diversity and Hiring Philosophy05:19 Strategy and Operations08:39 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals14:38 Executing Turnarounds22:05 Empathetic Leadership25:34 Challenges in the Tech Industry31:32 High Performance Companies33:58 Conclusion and Farewell_Referenced:Levi Strauss: https://www.levistrauss.com/ EBay: https://www.ebay.com/ WPP: https://www.wpp.com/ Zynga: https://www.zynga.com/ Tradesy: https://www.vestiairecollective.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kara Cabassa, a Customer Success leader with diverse experience in B2B and B2C firms, offers candid insights into effective Customer Success practices, particularly the impact of poor revenue decisions on Product, Sales, and Marketing.In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Kara cover:• The often undervalued function of customer success in SaaS and tech companies.• Her experiences transitioning from ad agencies to customer success roles, and why she believes in only hiring people with experience delivering services under pressure.• Root causes of customer dissatisfaction, emphasizing the need for experienced leaders and robust processes early in a company’s lifecycle.• The importance of process implementation, the need for strong leadership, and the pitfalls of poor sales-to-success handoffs.• Strategies for achieving better alignment and collaboration between sales and customer success teams.• Insights on diagnosing and addressing root issues within companies, providing exceptional service, and the importance of forming strong client relationships.• Kara’s approach to balancing revenue responsibilities and retaining customers to optimize lifetime value.• Why you should hire individuals with grit and adaptability over purely technical experience or prestigious resumes.• Advice for CEOs to listen to CS teams and address root issues holistically for better long-term customer value and business performance.This straightforward conversation is rich with examples, practical advice, and reflections on what makes high-performing customer success teams and companies stand out._Where to find Kara:https://www.linkedin.com/in/karacabassa/Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:24 The Importance of Customer Success00:51 Challenges in Customer Success03:31 Sales and Customer Success Handoffs05:48 Strategies for Effective Customer Success11:33 The Role of Relationships in Customer Success20:32 Diagnosing and Addressing Customer Fit Issues26:01 Balancing New Business and Retention35:50 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways_Referenced:Chute / Ignite: https://ignitetech.ai/Amperity: https://amperity.com/ Optimizely: https://www.optimizely.com/ Evolv AI: https://evolv.ai/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Heilmann is a Revenue Operations and Sales executive with two decades of experience scaling revenue organizations from zero to several hundred million dollars at companies like Demandbase and StrongView. In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Mike cover:• The ‘Wild West’ phase in startups and the transition to scalable, structured processes.• Importance of writing clear and comprehensive instructions for new hires.• Challenges at the $100 million revenue mark, including reorganizing different business units for better customer experience.• Building sales playbooks and maintaining relevance to the sales team’s real-world needs.• The critical role of humility and adaptability for executives transitioning between companies.• Necessity of focusing on the customer experience for growth.• Advice on annual planning, including starting early and setting realistic goals.• Problems with overly aggressive growth targets and their impact on the organization.• The importance of internal synergy between sales and marketing, realistic and collaborative annual planning, and avoiding unqualified leads.• Challenges of resource management in young, non-profitable companies and the need for realigning goals.• Buyer behavior changes and its impact on sales and marketing strategies.• The role of intent data and customer observable behaviors in identifying valuable accounts.• Balancing long-term and short-term priorities in sales and marketing activities.• Examples of scrappy marketing tactics during tough economic times.• The significance of sales and marketing alignment and holding joint accountability for pipeline and revenue goals._Where to find Mike:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeheilmann Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:14 Scaling Revenue: From Startup to Success01:34 Building a Scalable Sales Machine03:27 Creating Effective Sales Playbooks06:04 Navigating Organizational Changes07:59 Annual Planning and Growth Challenges18:07 Aligning Sales and Marketing30:57 Surviving Tough Economic Times39:47 Final Thoughts and Advice for Executives_Referenced:• Strongview: http://www.strongview.com/ • DemandBase: https://www.demandbase.com/ • ScaledRev: https://www.scaledrev.com/   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spencer Fox is the SVP Business Lead at Cannes Lions Advisory, part of internationally known Cannes Lions, an authority in brand, marketing, and creative excellence.In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Spencer cover:• Insights from the ‘Marketing Challenges’ report by Lions, and the importance of maintaining a strategic focus in marketing efforts• Shift in focus for marketers from tactical metrics back to strategic objectives• Spencer emphasizes the importance of aligning creative ambition with commercial strategies like AB InBev and Skinny• Role of technology, data, and metrics in modern marketing, emphasizing the need for a balance between short-term and long-term goals• Practical advice for CMOs and CEOs, underscoring the necessity of clarity in purpose and business objectivesCannes Lions Report Highlights:• Data reality for most companies is: “Data soup; too much, too little, the wrong sort, poor quality.”• 4 major challenges for CMOs: #1 Ability to win over the C-Suite, #2 Connecting disparate data sources to commercial decisions, #3 Achieving alignment across diverse disciplines, #4 Implementing unified KPIs across diverse activities. • Attribution remains a huge challenge: “As channels multiply, data proliferates and processes become ever more complex, marketers increasingly struggle to connect the various kinds of measurements available to them. This makes it hard to prepare a coherent, single-minded case for the Board.”_Where to find Spencer:https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerjordanfox/ Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:26 Spencer Fox's Career Journey02:28 Marketing Challenges and Strategic Insights04:25 Creativity and Commercial Outcomes06:39 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals08:21 Building Effective Brand Strategies10:18 Creative Transformation and Business Case16:05 Data, Technology, and Measurement22:07 High-Performing Brands and Their Secrets26:31 Final Thoughts and Advice for CEOs_Referenced:• Cannes Lions Marketing report & analysis: https://www.canneslions.com/news/marketing-challenges-whitepaper• The Long & Short of It by Les Binet & Peter Field: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Short-Balancing-Long-Term-Strategies/dp/085294134X AB Inbev: https://www.ab-inbev.com/ Skinny & Cannes Lions: https://adage.com/article/special-report-cannes-lions/telecom-brand-skinny-wins-cannes-lions-2023-radio-audio-grand-prix/2500491 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristy Friedrichs is Chief Operating Officer at New Relic, and was formerly their Chief People Officer after a 15-year career at Bain & Company.In this episode of Good Revenue, host Neeta Bidwai and Kristy cover:Embedding empathy in leadership, improving organizational communication, and maintaining a healthy company culture during turbulent times, like the COVID-19 pandemic.Effective influence, profitability, and sustainable revenue growth with guest Kristy Friedrichs, Chief Operating Officer at New Relic.The importance of taking on challenges without feeling fully prepared, using first principles thinking, and fostering strong organizational culture and leadership dynamics.Key topics discussed include navigating business model transformations, especially shifting to consumption and platform-based pricing at New Relic, managing the transition from a founder-led to a professional CEO-led company, and driving organizational change.Working with HR and finance for scaling, understanding priorities during transformations, and maintaining healthy leadership dynamics to prevent toxic environments.Organizational culture, particularly the balance between written and unwritten rules,along with strategies for restoring trust after breaches.Advice for CEOs on practicing empathy, communicating effectively, and maintaining performance accountability to drive high performance in companies._Where to find Kristy:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-friedrichs-mcbride-6590a127/Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights00:00 Introduction to Good Revenue00:19 Meet Kristy Friedrichs: Career Journey01:28 Navigating Challenges and Surprises04:36 COVID-19: Leadership During Crisis08:15 Driving Organizational Change15:03 Transitioning from Founder to CEO18:12 Partnering with HR for Success22:04 Fostering Healthy Leadership Dynamics24:40 Defining and Repairing Company Culture28:15 Empathy and Trust in Leadership30:09 Strategic Decision Making in Tough Times35:18 Final Thoughts and Advice for Executives_Referenced:Bain & Company: https://www.bain.com/New Relic: https://newrelic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Neeta Bidwai explores the intricacies of Product-Led Growth (PLG), providing a comprehensive guide for tech and SaaS companies aiming to implement or enhance their PLG strategies. Neeta distinguishes between starting from scratch with a self-serve or freemium motion and adding it to an existing sales-led motion.In this episode of Good Revenue, we cover:• Why it’s easier to start with PLG, and why you have to still plan ahead for marketing and sales, no matter how good your product is• Mapping the business model across all four go-to-market functions: Product, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success for success• Why you shouldn’t optimize for signups alone, and why unified go-to-market goals and data sharing need to be built into your strategy from the start• Designing price, product, and GTM for the unique needs, value, and WTP of each segment you want to acquire and retain• The evolving role of sales teams in a PLG model: you’ll lose pipeline, you may have too many reps, you may need to change the role of SDRs• The potential challenges when transitioning from a sales-led to a PLG model and offers solutions to mitigate them: even though you have Sales, you should never assume customers actually want to talk to someone unless they ask The episode is packed with practical advice and real-world examples, making it a valuable resource for those looking to drive sustainable revenue growth._Where to find Neeta:https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetabidwai/Where to find Good Revenue:https://goodrevenue.io/goodrevenuehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrhuWbpYnUwrR75H2Ip4yQ_Highlights:00:00 Introduction to Good Revenue00:21 Deep Dive into Product-Led Growth (PLG)00:56 Starting from Scratch with PLG01:07 Marketing and Sales Planning for PLG02:25 Importance of Brand and Marketing in PLG05:24 Unified Go-to-Market Goals06:51 Data Sharing and Communication in PLG09:59 Enterprise Segment Considerations11:05 Sales Team Dynamics in PLG13:03 Lead Management and Customer Conversion15:13 Adding PLG to a Sales-Led Model23:16 Conclusion and Next Steps_Sound by RPS: https://www.rps-audio.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.