Hunters and Unicorns

Emma Maslen, an accomplished author, angel investor, and founder of Inspir'em, shares her insights on the practical application of sales playbooks. She highlights the difference between theoretical frameworks and their real-world usage, advocating for curiosity over checklists. Emma also emphasizes the necessity of intentional networking, explaining common pitfalls and strategies for successful connections. She underscores that networking should be a consistent commitment, offering valuable advice on establishing and nurturing professional relationships.

Join Julia Weimer, Director of Solution Engineering at Wiz, as she shares her inspiring journey from SOC security analyst to leading high-performing pre-sales teams. Julia emphasizes the importance of viewing Sales Engineers as equal partners to Account Executives, rather than just technical support. She discusses the critical SE/AE relationships that drive success, the importance of nurturing talent, and building diversity in tech roles. Plus, she offers insights on balancing career aspirations with motherhood and instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in SE candidates.

Kristian Kamber, CEO and co-founder of SPLX AI, offers a fascinating look into his evolution from elite sales roles at AppDynamics and Zscaler to launching an AI security startup. He discusses the importance of finding the right technical co-founder and the pivotal moments in securing investment. Kristian emphasizes leveraging sales skills to achieve product-market fit and shares insights on building a strong team and navigating the unique challenges of AI security. His journey offers invaluable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Dave Goodmark, VP of Sales at Wiz, is a seasoned sales leader known for his dedication to mentorship and skill acquisition. He discusses the transformative power of mentorship in shaping his career, including the bold move from leadership back to an individual contributor role to learn from the best. Goodmark emphasizes the importance of a 'sibling culture' that fosters open feedback and accountability. He also shares insights on building a strong network and the value of focusing on who you work for rather than titles, which can accelerate your career growth.

Nakul Mandan, founder and partner at Audacious Ventures, brings 18 years of VC expertise to the table. He reveals how a renowned sales leader reshaped his focus from product-market fit to prioritizing founder quality. Nakul shares practical strategies for founders on when to hire sales teams and emphasizes the significance of identifying urgent problems. He also discusses the criteria salespeople should consider when evaluating startups, ensuring that exceptional talent is recognized and recruited effectively.

In this episode of the East Coast Elite series, we sit down with Madina Burkov, VP of Global Sales Development at Harness, to break down everything you need to know about starting a career in tech sales as a Sales Development Representative (SDR). Madina shares insights into the essential skills for success, how to assess if a company's SDR program is right for you, and the critical role SDRs play in generating pipeline and driving revenue. We also discuss practical advice on how to stand out during the application process, the importance of a growth mindset, and why the "gift of the gab" isn't the only path to a successful sales career. 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:48 - Madina’s role and the purpose of an SDR 03:36 - How SDRs partner with Account Executives 06:22 - Key metrics for measuring SDR success 08:03 - What to look for when joining a tech sales company 09:13 - The essential qualities of a successful SDR 11:02 - Why sales is a skill that can be learned 14:49 - How deep an SDR needs to understand the technology 16:06 - Enablement and ongoing training for SDRs 19:20 - The SDR role in a long-term sales career 22:59 - Handling rejection 33:07 - Choosing startup vs. established organization 40:51 - The value of being proactive in your job search 47:43 - The benefits of working in an office vs. remote 51:51 - How to stand out when applying for an SDR role   💥 3 Biggest Lessons: Sales is a Learned Skill: Don't be discouraged if you don't have the "gift of the gab." Sales is a skill that can be learned and taught through practice and a strong growth mindset. The ability to be curious, ask good questions, and be coachable are key attributes for success. Quality Over Quantity: As an SDR, your focus should be on the quality of the meetings you book, not just the sheer number of them. High-quality meetings that turn into qualified opportunities are what AEs and sales leaders truly care about, and wasting an AE's time can damage your reputation within the company. Be Proactive: To break into the tech sales industry, especially as a new applicant, you must be proactive. Don't just submit an application and wait. Do your research on the company and its challenges, and then use LinkedIn to find and reach out to the hiring manager and other SDRs. This demonstrates your ability to do the job and helps you stand out from other candidates. 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Notable Quotes "The SDR role in tech sales... it's not for everyone, it's a grind, it's a tough, tough job". "You have to be genuinely interested in the product and what it is in the space as well in order to do well, otherwise it's going to be really, really tough". "Usually an executive or a person would get hundreds of emails and really only a handful of phone calls". "Being proactive... that's the key... and not just submitting an application and waiting for somebody to get back to you". "What do you think is going to really set you up for success, right? And what kind of organization is going to allow you to be successful?". #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse #EastCoastElite

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Amber Selking, a high-performance coach with a Ph.D. in Applied Sports Psychology. Dr. Selking works with elite athletes, executives, and organizations to help them achieve their best. She's the mental performance coach for LSU football and the Chief Culture Officer at Lipper, a global manufacturing company. Amber unpacks the science behind high performance, explaining how thoughts, emotions, and mindset directly impact physical and professional success. We dive into practical strategies like mental rehearsal, self-talk, and reframing failure, offering actionable advice for anyone in a high-pressure environment. 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro & background 03:00 - The core science of human high performance 08:00 - The impact of mental rehearsal on the brain 12:30 - Mental performance for high-pressure professionals 16:30 - Understanding the power of self-talk 22:30 - How to apply self-talk and mental drills 28:00 - The power of breathwork in high-stress situations 35:00 - A new perspective on setbacks and failure 43:30 - The importance of mindset in leadership 49:30 - The difference between positive and productive thinking 51:30 - Building a championship mindset   💥 3 Biggest Lessons: Thoughts Are Electrical Signals: Our thoughts are not just ephemeral ideas; they are real electrical signals that influence our emotions, physical state, and ultimately, our performance. To perform at a high level, you must take control of your self-talk and choose productive thoughts over unproductive ones. Mindsets Are Bicep Curls for the Brain: Just as repeated exercises build muscle, repeated thoughts build mindsets. These mindsets act like filters on your brain, shaping how you perceive and respond to challenges. By intentionally practicing certain thoughts, you can build a "championship mindset" to handle pressure and setbacks effectively. Embrace Failure as First Attempt In Learning: In high performance, failure isn't a sign of weakness—it's a form of data. By changing your mindset to view setbacks as valuable information, you can focus on rapid recovery and iteration rather than emotional volatility. This approach allows you to learn from your mistakes and quickly get back to the next play. 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Notable Quotes "I help people deliver their best when their best is needed... I teach science." "The brain doesn't know the difference between what's real and what's imagined. So mental rehearsal actually builds talent at the neurological level." "Winning's hard, guys... And mental performance isn't about the sunshine and roses of thinking everything's wonderful, but rather trying to drive the consistency that it takes to deliver your best when your best is needed." "What starts the process? ...Thoughts. Who controls your thoughts? ...We do." "In terms of our mindset, F-A-I-L, it simply stands for First Attempt In Learning." Tags: #highperformance #performancecoaching #huntersandunicorns

In this episode of the East Coast Elite series, we sit down with Liam Mulcahy, Operating Partner at Kleiner Perkins. Having worked with over 100 startups, from first-ever sales rep to operating partner, Liam shares his unfiltered playbook for success in the chaotic world of early-stage companies. We cover how to identify the right opportunities, what a founder-led sales motion looks like, the red flags to watch for in an interview, and the mindset needed to thrive in a high-risk, high-reward environment. Liam also shares his famous cardboard cutout story that landed him a job at MongoDB, a company he helped take public. 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:53 - The Operating Partner Role at KP 05:18 - From Mongo to VC 09:34 - The Cardboard Cutout Story 11:53 - Product-Out vs. Customer-In 13:30 - Intrinsic Motivation for Startups 17:39 - The "Revenue-Generating PM" 19:53 - Qualifying a Startup as a Rep 23:26 - The Player-Coach Myth 27:49 - Scaling a Sales Team with Pods 30:34 - Evaluating Pre-Revenue Companies 35:22 - Finding the Right Company 40:30 - Red Flags when Interviewing Founders 48:09 - Faster Enterprise Buying Cycles 50:13 - The Future of Sales and AI 55:16 - The Value of Sales Training 💥 3 Biggest Lessons: The DNA of a Founder: Look for founders who see sales as a first-class citizen and have a high emotional resonance with the problem they are solving, not just a homework assignment from a board. The "Player-Coach" Myth: The idea of a single person acting as both a top rep and a team leader is a "misnomer" that often leads to failure at an early-stage startup. It's better to hire great reps first, and then bring in a leader once the sales motion is proven. Bet on Yourself: The best early-stage hires have an intrinsic motivation to prove they can succeed in a chaotic environment. They are not just looking for a prestigious role but for a chance to build something from the ground up. 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Notable Quotes "What is the condition where a company would be so desperate and in pain they'd want what we have? And if that's the case, will they pay us anything?". "I bought a cardboard cutout of myself... It just said, can you see me working here?". "If I'm going to hire you as a founding sales rep, I need you to walk through the door on day one as a great sales rep. I can't have to enable you to do the actual function.". "The best early stage hires I've made is they're like revenue-generating product managers.". "If you ask me in 10 years, there're going to be more or less salespeople, I'd say less... the markets are getting exponentially larger... and the models are getting better, faster to be able to do full jobs.". #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse #EastCoastElite

Join Paul Cap, Chief Revenue Officer at MongoDB, as he reveals his journey from finance to tech sales. He discusses the vital mindset shifts that fuel MongoDB's growth and shares insights on building high-performance teams. Paul emphasizes the importance of nurturing future CRO talent and the role of culture in hypergrowth. He also reflects on leadership during crises, advocating for empathy and mission-driven approaches. This conversation is packed with actionable lessons for both emerging leaders and seasoned pros.

In this episode of the East Coase Elite series, we sit down with Yotam Segev, co-founder and CEO of Cyera, to explore the incredible journey of building a cybersecurity unicorn. From the early days of a "B-minus" idea, Yotam shares how a relentless focus on customer feedback, not internal opinions, became the company’s compass. He reveals the difficult but essential pivot from founder-led sales to building a world-class team, the qualities he looks for in top-tier sellers, curiosity, paranoia, and hunger and the mindset that propelled Cyera to nearly $100M ARR and a $6B valuation in just four years. 🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors! PGAI: https://www.getpg.ai & Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:55 - From the military to founding Cyera 05:30 - Why *** is the only compass that matters 08:02 - How top salespeople act 09:16 - The importance of a humble approach 12:22 - The hardest part of the early stages 16:01 - Validating a hypothesis with "dollars" 20:00 - The impact of moving to the U.S. 20:31 - From founder-led sales to building the first team 29:19 - The market transition 32:39 - The three characteristics of a great seller 37:05 - The balance between a playbook and excitement 40:02 - The importance of energy and mindset 49:43 - The core dynamic of the co-founder relationship 52:17 - Cyera's North Sta 54:47 - Why top talent should join Cyera   💥 3 Biggest Lessons: Your Compass is the Customer: Your opinions don't matter; building a great product means constantly listening to and learning from your customers' pain points. Sales is a Team Sport: In an early-stage company, a founder must stay engaged in the sales process to build trust, as a salesperson alone can't provide the same assurance. Mindset is Everything: The difference between an average and exceptional performer is often their attitude. Bring energy, curiosity, and a relentless drive to everything you do. 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog 💬 Notable Quotes "Your idea sounds like a B-minus and that's a compliment. We're investing in the team, and if the customers tell us they want to buy that, we'll build it". "We don't build products according to those opinions. Maybe your mother. We build products according to the customers with a very attentive view to the customers' pain and to the guidance they're providing us". "A company only exists, the oxygen for a company is business. It's a net new ARR. That's the oxygen for these companies that we're all playing in". "The journey itself is the price. And it's not a full lack of ambition. Like we want to take over the world if we could and we're walking towards it". "The best sellers... are curious, genuinely interested, caring about the customers, the challenges, the pains, what they're trying to accomplish, why they're trying to accomplish it, why have they not accomplished it yet again and again and again". #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse