The GTM Podcast

Harmony Anderson, VP of Growth and Marketing at Superhuman, shares her expertise in building successful marketing strategies for AI companies. She highlights the common pitfalls in AI messaging and advocates for unique, outcome-focused communication. Anderson emphasizes the importance of user-generated content in cultivating brand advocates and discusses methods for tailoring campaigns to resonate with potential customers. With insights on leveraging data and building strong narratives, she reveals what sets standout marketing apart in a crowded market.

Udi Ledergor, former CMO of Gong and author of 'Courageous Marketing,' discusses the art of human-centric brand building. He dives into why traditional B2B marketing often fails and emphasizes the importance of bold strategies over playing it safe. He shares insights on hiring for potential, building a culture of healthy risk-taking, and the often-overlooked 95/5 rule. Udi also explains how to create memorable campaigns that resonate with both a core audience and the wider market, ultimately transforming buyers into loyal fans.

Jeff Perry, Chief Revenue Officer at Carta and former VP at Oracle, shares invaluable insights on sales leadership and growth. He discusses the importance of mentorship in career development and how to effectively transition from corporate landscapes to startups. Jeff emphasizes balancing empathy with accountability in leadership and challenges the myth that automation replaces personal connection in sales. Additionally, he reveals strategies for scaling revenue and building solutions engineering teams, offering lessons learned from both big tech and the startup world.

Hayden Stafford, President and CRO at Seismic, shares insights from his extensive career at Microsoft and Salesforce. He discusses how Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft's culture and emphasizes the importance of partnerships in scaling businesses. Hayden reveals the playbook for transitioning from SMB to enterprise markets and highlights the significance of customer retention in sales teams. He recalls closing a $600M deal during the 2008 financial crisis and explains why focusing on vertical markets, especially financial services, can drive growth.

Ray Smith, Microsoft’s VP of AI Agents and former CEO of DataHug, explores the revolutionary impact of AI agents on business. He explains how these agents differ from traditional bots and automation, driving ROI and reshaping team structures. Ray discusses the challenges of adapting SaaS pricing models to fit an agent-first world and shares real-world applications of AI at Microsoft. He also highlights essential skills in this new era, emphasizing the importance of customer relationships and strategic thinking for business success.

Jaleh Rezaei, CEO & Co-founder of Mutiny, is transforming the B2B buying landscape with AI-powered personalization. She discusses how AI is revolutionizing sales and marketing, highlighting that personalized experiences can lead to 14x higher conversion rates. Jaleh shares insights on effective lead scoring, overcoming sales objections in real-time, and the importance of aligning sales and marketing teams. She also warns against common pitfalls in AI-driven strategies, emphasizing the need for genuine customer relationships in today's digital age.

Cassie Young, General Partner at Primary Venture Partners, shares her extensive experience in turning around businesses, moving from Chief Customer and Commercial Officer to investor. She dives into the impressive turnaround at Sailthru, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding customer trust after failures. The conversation covers crucial themes like leveraging Net Promoter Scores for insights, the effectiveness of Customer Advisory Boards in driving growth, and innovative engagement strategies that foster strong customer relationships.

In a captivating discussion, Jessica Gilmartin, a seasoned go-to-market leader and former CRO/CMO at Calendly, shares her journey through tech giants like Asana, Google, and Microsoft. She dives into the challenges of transitioning from product-led to sales-led growth and emphasizes the need for clear ideal customer profiles. Jessica also highlights the importance of fostering a culture of experimentation, building trust within teams, and the strategic role of marketing in startup growth. Her insights on hiring and nurturing creativity are invaluable for aspiring leaders.

Katrina Wong is the CMO of New Relic and a top marketing leader. She specializes in launching products, entering new markets, and scaling companies to the enterprise. With 15 years of experience at Twilio, Zuora, Salesforce, and SAP, she has led award-winning campaigns and helped six companies exit successfully.Discussed in this Episode:Why you should be using "marketing sprints"Importance of operational excellence and agility in marketingThe role of marketing in preparing for a successful exitIs 'fire fast' the right approach for managing your teamsHighlights: 07:08 Secrets to picking winners09:30 Attaining operational excellence in startups15:43 Marketing's role in successful exits29:12 Transforming PIP programs for successful employees31:26 Challenging the 'fire fast' mentality35:20 The importance of team dynamics40:24 Navigating getting acquired successfully48:58 Tactics for modern marketingGuest Speaker Links (Katrina Wong):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinawong11/New Relic Website: https://newrelic.com/Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):Website: https://gtmnow.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_YouTube:    / @gtm_now  Sponsor: PursuitThe best talent isn’t actively job hunting. Pursuit helps companies hire elite go-to-market talent on a non-retainer basis. As a key GTMfund partner, they equip sales and marketing teams with top performers.If you're hiring for sales or marketing roles, reach out to Pursuit at pursuitsalessolutions.com/gtm or message a GTMfund team member.The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.

Joe DiMento, Head of Go-To-Market & Industry Partnerships at Bain Capital Ventures, shares his wealth of experience in sales strategies. He discusses the critical timing for hiring your first sales reps and what traits to look for, such as grit and adaptability. Joe emphasizes structuring simple yet effective compensation plans and the value of hiring multiple account executives simultaneously. He also delves into the importance of aligning candidates with company mission and highlights how AI is transforming sales and revenue generation.