A transformational leader who specializes in data driven GTM, Allison Metcalfe has had a non-traditional path to the C Suite - starting in Account Management, and being a leader in the evolution of Customer Success, Allison has held a variety of leadership roles across sales and operations in some of Silicon Valley’s most successful companies including Jigsaw (acquired by Salesforce), Demandbase, Quotient (NYSE: QUOT) and Liveramp (NYSE: RAMP), which went from $30M to $500M in revenue and IPO under her tenure.Discussed in this Episode:Allison's non-traditional journey from customer success to CRO.The importance of building a strong post-sales function early on.Balancing product-led growth with an enterprise sales motion.The qualities that make an effective modern CRO.Leveraging customer stories as a powerful growth lever.Lessons learned from LiveRamp's explosive growth and acquisition by Acxiom.Highlights:(2:13) Choosing companies based on people and gut instinct.(7:40) The transition from purely product-led growth to supporting an enterprise sales motion.(11:52) The risk of neglecting your core customers during growth.(16:31) Operationalizing the transition from self-service to enterprise.(23:55) Lessons learned from LiveRamp's acquisition by Acxiom.(28:14) Overcoming the desire to be liked as a leader.(35:25) Beyoncé's "Sasha Fierce" persona as a leadership tool.(39:16) The role and skills required of a modern CRO.(45:18) The importance of separating new logo sales from account management.(48:29) The power of word-of-mouth and focusing on customer outcomes.Guest Speaker Links (Allison Metcalfe):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonmetcalfe/Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Sponsors:HG Insights. Feeling that AI FOMO? You’re not alone. That’s why HG Insights created The Next Generation of Sales AI report — to calm the FOMO and help you bring AI to your GTM teams. It includes a breakdown of the Sales AI landscape, adoption of GenAI and Sales software across buyer groups. Plus, an analysis of the top 75 trending sales AI tools. Why HG Insights? Simple. They’ve been writing market reports for years as the pioneer of tech adoption and market insights. Trusted by GTM leaders at the likes of Snowflake Five9 and Google Cloud to improve GTM efficiency. Thinking about AI for your sales team but unsure where to start? This free and ungated report has you covered. The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, 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.

Adam Robinson is the Founder/CEO of Retention.com and RB2B. Adam bootstrapped Retention.com to $22m ARR in 4 years by helping ecommerce stores identify their anonymous website visitors and send them triggered emails. He launched RB2B in March of 2024 to help SaaS companies identify anonymous website visitors and see their LinkedIn profiles in Slack for free! Adam lives in Austin, TX with his wife Helen and daughter Emma.Discussed in this Episode:Building demand and an audience before creating a product, rather than the traditional approach of building a product first. The power of a founder's personal brand and thought leadership to drive growth, especially in the early stages.The shifting landscape of B2B marketing and sales, and why every SaaS founder will need to build an audience via organic social media to succeed.Persevering through major challenges and low points as a founder, and how these moments can lead to breakthroughs.Highlights:(1:09) The experience of people feeling like they know you from your content.(2:27) Shifting from searching for demand to building demand, then building a product to match.(5:25) Why LinkedIn content creation is an efficient growth engine for startups.(13:29) Factors that led to Adam's LinkedIn content resonating and driving massive growth.(20:56) Swapping value with other founders by cross-pollinating audiences.(22:25) Feeling like content creation is work, not play, and how to build the habit.(30:33) The story of Adam's entire codebase being deleted right before an acquisition.(32:32) Hitting rock bottom with a failed product launch and discovering the next opportunity.(53:36) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Adam thinks is bull$***.(56:17) One thing that is working for Adam in go-to-market right now.Guest Speaker Links (Adam Robinson):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadamHost Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Sponsors:Upland Altify. A leading provider of AI-enhanced sales solutions, Altify is designed to help revenue teams work smarter. This Salesforce-native suite of sales solutions empowers seller productivity, streamlines workflows, and uncovers hidden opportunities – all leading to significant revenue growth - learn more.Vanta. With Vanta Questionnaire Automation, go-to-market teams can complete security reviews up to 5 times faster, helping you close deals in less time than ever. Over 8,000 global companies use Vanta to streamline security questionnaires and close deals fast. Experience Questionnaire Automation with a self-guided product tour, no sign-up required, at vanta.com/gtmnow.The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, 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.

Mark Kosoglow, Co-founder and CEO of Operator.ai, and Max Altschuler, Founder and General Partner of GTMfund, dive into the shifting landscape of sales and marketing tech. They discuss the alarming trend of buyers tuning out 90% of sales outreach, known as The Great Ignore. Mark shares how Operator.ai leverages AI to personalize outreach by uncovering unique insights, radically streamlining the process from 20 contacts to just 2 touches needed to secure a meeting. The duo reflects on their shared history and the challenges of relying on outdated data practices in a rapidly evolving market.

Austin Hay, Co-Founder of Clarify and MarTech expert, shares insights on the chaotic state of MarTech and RevTech, highlighting the impending 'great contraction.' He discusses the need for next-gen CRMs that unify data and improve functionality. Austin emphasizes the importance of focusing on quality tools and treating people with respect during their transitions. He critiques common misconceptions in revenue leadership and reveals what's truly effective in go-to-market strategies. His journey underscores the power of brand, culture, and community in driving success.

Leandra Fishman is the Chief Revenue Officer at Apollo.io, a leading go-to-market solution for sales and marketing teams. Apollo.io is one of the fastest-growing companies in SaaS, with 9x ARR growth since 2021 and currently valued at $1.6 billion. Leandra brings over 30 years of experience to Apollo.io. Most recently, Fishman was the CRO at Intercom, which during her tenure ranked No. 35 on the 2022 Forbes Cloud 100 List with over $200 million in annual revenue. Previously, as the SVP of Sales and Success for SendGrid, she led the company through a successful IPO and helped double its market cap in its first year as a public company. As an executive consultant, she has executed projects ranging from developing sales and marketing strategies for startups to creating business plans and serving in an advisory role for venture capitalist firms and board members. Discussed in this Episode:Apollo's product-led growth (PLG) model and how it enables a great customer experience.Balancing self-serve and sales-assisted motions to drive growth across segments.The role of AI in enhancing sales productivity rather than replacing salespeople.Advice for salespeople on redefining success and being kind to yourself.Leandra's unconventional journey to becoming a CRO and lessons learned along the way.Highlights:(10:25) The power of Apollo's PLG model in driving growth.(13:13) Balancing self-serve and sales-assisted motions.(18:01) How larger deals can come through with minimal sales interaction in a PLG model.(23:47) The future of AI in sales as an enhancement rather than replacement.(29:46) Leandra's journey from starting in sales to becoming a CRO.(44:15) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Leandra thinks is bull$***.(49:30) One thing that is working for Leandra in go-to-market right now.Guest Speaker Links (Leandra Fishman):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leandra-fishman/Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Sponsors:Brought to you by Upland Altify. A leading provider of AI-enhanced sales solutions, Altify is designed to help revenue teams work smarter. This Salesforce-native suite of sales solutions empowers seller productivity, streamlines workflows, and uncovers hidden opportunities – all leading to significant revenue growth - learn more.Brought to you by IPS. Most recruiting firms fill an order, but IPS is a different breed of search firm. They dig into your business to understand its current state and the future vision and are relentlessly in pursuit of the very best leaders, sales people, marketers, and engineering talent out there. The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, 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.

Dennis Lyandres is currently an Advisor at Iconiq Growth. Before that, Dennis spent 8.5 years with Procore during which time Procore grew from $10m to over $900m+ in revenue and went public on the NYSE. Dennis started at Procore as EVP of Sales in 2014, before moving to the CRO role in 2018 where he was responsible for driving revenue across all customer-facing functions including Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Rev Ops, Procore.org and Business Development. Before joining Procore, he held various sales and sales management roles at Cloudera and Pentaho. Discussed in this Episode:Applying the concept of Price's Law to identify and maximize the impact of top talent in an organization.Go-to-market strategies for vertical SaaS companies to win in their market, such as going hyperlocal and focusing on multi-product.The importance of hiring for potential and experience with scale over domain expertise.Personal growth lessons on reframing your relationship with drive and ambition.Highlights:(13:23) Applying Price's Law to identify and maximize top talent.(18:13) Overcoming HR pushback on programs for top performers.(28:35) Rallying the whole organization around key customer accounts.(32:02) Go-to-market strategies for vertical SaaS: going hyperlocal and focusing on multi-product.(55:15) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Dennis thinks is bull$***.Guest Speaker Links & Referenced Resource (Dennis Lyandres):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlyandresICONIQ Report: Sales Leadership, A Hiring Blueprint Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Sponsors:Brought to you by Upland Altify. A leading provider of AI-enhanced sales solutions, Altify is designed to help revenue teams work smarter. This Salesforce-native suite of sales solutions empowers seller productivity, streamlines workflows, and uncovers hidden opportunities – all leading to significant revenue growth - learn more.Brought to you by Vanta. With Vanta Questionnaire Automation, go-to-market teams can complete security reviews up to 5 times faster, helping you close deals in less time than ever. Over 8,000 global companies use Vanta to streamline security questionnaires and close deals fast. Visit vanta.com/gtmnow to learn more.Brought to you by IPS. Most recruiting firms fill an order, but IPS is a different breed of search firm. They dig into your business to understand its current state and the future vision and are relentlessly in pursuit of the very best leaders, sales people, marketers, and engineering talent out there. The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, 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.

Mark Ghermezian co-founded Braze (BRZE) and led the company as it’s founding CEO, pioneering a new category. He is also the Founder and General Partner at m]x[v Capital, and Co-Founder and CEO of Gynger and Tildei, two companies that he incubated through the venture firm. He is a serial entrepreneur and successful investor with 20+ years of experience in founding, building, and investing in early-stage SaaS startups. Discussed in this Episode:Learnings from growing Braze .The behind the scenes on incubating two companies. How to identify and hire problem solvers who can execute independently.The value of delegating effectively to scale and empower your team.Navigating the challenges of raising funding and finding product-market fit.Building a strong internal BDR team versus outsourcing sales efforts.The role of conviction and intuition in entrepreneurship and investing.Highlights:(7:10) The domino effect of luck, timing, and key decisions in Braze's success.(21:55) Mark reflects on the humbling experience of taking Braze public and the role of his team.(28:30) Advice for founders on structuring their cap table and choosing the right investors.(36:41) Raising Gynger's Series A and how it differed from Braze's early fundraising.(45:09) A pivotal moment in Mark's leadership journey and learning to delegate effectively.(49:04) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Mark thinks is bull$***.(51:44) One thing that is working for Mark in go-to-market right now.Guest Speaker Links (Mark Ghermezian):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/markgher/m]x[v Capital: www.mxv.vc/Gynger: www.gynger.io/Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Sponsors:Brought to you by Apollo. Ever wonder what automating your entire outbound workflow could do for your revenue team? Apollo.io brings this to life by centralizing your entire go-to-market execution in one platform. Sellers using automation in their outbound efforts see a 70% increase in open rates and 4x more meetings booked while saving hours on manual, tedious tasks. Brought to you by IPS. Most recruiting firms fill an order, but IPS is a different breed of search firm. They dig into your business to understand its current state and the future vision and are relentlessly in pursuit of the very best leaders, sales people, marketers, and engineering talent out there. The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, 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.

Matt Breslin, Chief Revenue Officer at Upland, shares insights from his impressive 25-year career in software sales. He emphasizes the danger of blind spots in the sales process and the necessity of aligning with customer needs. Matt recounts a pivotal multi-million dollar deal that taught him the value of detail and relationship-building. He challenges conventional wisdom about sales pipeline coverage and discusses the importance of focusing sales teams on the right motions, revealing what truly works in go-to-market strategies.

Adriana Gil Miner, CMO at Iterable, discusses her extensive marketing experience and innovative strategies that drive customer engagement. She dives into leveraging AI and ChatGPT for alarming ad-testing efficiency, generating over 300 ads in record time. Adriana emphasizes the significance of post-sale marketing, often overlooked but crucial for customer retention. She also highlights emerging B2B trends, such as the essential role of SMS in communication. Tune in for insights on building authentic influence through community engagement and digital marketing evolution.

Andrew Johnston is currently the Head of Sales at Superhuman, where he leads the go-to-market strategy as part of the executive team. Previously, he built the Mid-Market and PLS motion at Scale AI and led the global sales team at SendGrid following its acquisition by Twilio and its IPO. Discussed in this Episode:The key differences between product-led growth (PLG) and product-led sales (PLS).When and why companies should consider transitioning from PLG to PLS.The challenges of combining distinct sales teams during an acquisition.How to effectively enable sales reps during a product expansion.The importance of understanding your ideal customer profile (ICP) for successful PLS.Strategies for moving upmarket, such as implementing paid pilots.Creating career paths and incentives for sales reps in different segments.Highlights:(9:50) Andrew's definition of product-led growth and how it differs from product-led sales.(12:16) The triggers for considering a transition from a PLG to a PLS approach.(25:00) The challenges faced when combining SendGrid and Twilio's sales teams post-acquisition.(32:49) How Twilio's unique "estimated ARR" commission structure impacted sales behavior.(35:55) Using SendGrid as a "trojan horse" to expand Twilio's presence in customer accounts.(42:00) One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that Andrew thinks is bull$***(47:09) One thing that is working for Andrew in go-to-market right now.Guest Speaker Links (Andrew Johnston):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewfoxjohnston/Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Sponsors:Brought to you by Apollo. Ever wonder what automating your entire outbound workflow could do for your revenue team? Apollo.io brings this to life by centralizing your entire go-to-market execution in one platform. Sellers using automation in their outbound efforts see a 70% increase in open rates and 4x more meetings booked while saving hours on manual, tedious tasks. Brought to you by IPS. Most recruiting firms fill an order, but IPS is a different breed of search firm. They dig into your business to understand its current state and the future vision and are relentlessly in pursuit of the very best leaders, sales people, marketers, and engineering talent out there. Whether you want advice, have one hard to fill role or a team buildout, we can't recommend IPS enough. The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, 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.