The Revenue Formula

In this engaging discussion, Koen Stam, a senior revenue leader at Personio, emphasizes the importance of refining existing strategies rather than adding complexity for growth. He and host Toni Holbein dissect the pitfalls of the 'layer cake' approach, advocating for a focus on Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and data-driven decisions. They discuss how to enable buyers with effective resources and the necessity of documenting processes to maintain business continuity. Koen stresses that doing less but executing better can yield significant long-term success.

Most misses in sales are baked into the plan before the year even starts.In this episode, Toni talks with Scott Domareck, a four-time VP of Sales who’s been through every phase of growth, exit, and burnout imaginable. Together, they break down the hidden mistakes that ruin annual planning long before execution begins.From massaged Excel spreadsheets to unrealistic ramp times and compounding assumptions that look great to investors but kill execution, they get real about what actually happens inside revenue planning season, and how to build a plan you can actually hit.This episode is brought to you by Evergrowth  —  Their Agentic GTM Workspace enables revenue teams to collaborate and win with AI-powered teammates, breaking down silos and helping B2B teams grow smarter with fewer resources. Want to work with us? Learn more: revformula.io(00:00) - Introduction (04:16) - The Reality of Planning Season (07:22) - Transparency and Context in Planning (13:12) - Compounding Effects in Sales Planning (18:14) - Involvement of Go-to-Market Leadership (25:29) - Trust and Executive Leadership (28:43) - Top Mistakes in Hiring (30:49) - Staggering for Supply and Demand (34:02) - Challenges in Scaling and Execution (41:04) - The Reality of Adding New Elements to the Plan (43:34) - Risk Management and Buffers (46:31) - Planning for Attrition and Unexpected Events (49:13) - Final Thoughts and Future Discussions

Koen Stam, a senior sales leader at Personio and the mind behind GTMOS, dives into the reality of AI in sales. He argues that much of the AI hype is misplaced, particularly with AI SDRs and automated outreach. The discussion emphasizes the need for solid context and data quality for AI to be effective. Koen shares practical applications of AI for research, call prep, and churn prediction, highlighting that true success comes from augmenting human insights, not replacing them with automated solutions.

International expansion seems enticing, but it can be a perilous journey. The guests share insights on common pitfalls, emphasizing that merely translating a website isn't enough. They discuss the importance of understanding product fit in new markets and navigating complex local regulations. Cultural nuances and hiring the right leaders can make or break success abroad. The conversation reveals that expansion should be treated as a calculated bet, requiring strategic planning and commitment to preserving company culture.

Hiring salespeople is more challenging in 2025 than ever, with traditional methods failing to deliver results. The hosts discuss how founders often rely on resumes and gut feelings rather than a structured process. They emphasize defining specific job roles, necessary skills, and creating realistic assessments, such as role-playing scenarios. The conversation covers the importance of clarity in hiring needs and iterative improvements to the hiring process, ensuring that companies select candidates who can truly perform.

Raul Porojan, a go-to-market expert, shares insights on how AI is revolutionizing sales roles. He discusses the concept of the $5M ARR account executive and the emergence of hyper-optimized workflows. The conversation revolves around the transformation of sales meetings through AI assistance and the limitations of human-client interaction. Highlighting the ‘celebrity AE’ phenomenon, he explains how personal branding can enhance sales impact, merging influencer dynamics with traditional sales methods.

James Roth, CRO at ZoomInfo, joins Toni to break down how AI is reshaping go-to-market. From the collapse of inbound demand to the rise of intelligent outbound, he explains how teams can stay efficient, use AI without the hype, and turn data into real impact.We also talk about ZoomInfo’s $1.2B ARR growth, the myth of “AI-native” startups, and what go-to-market intelligence actually means in 2025.Want to work with us? Learn more: revformula.io(00:00) - Introduction (01:38) - ZoomInfo's Growth and Public Perception (06:45) - AI's Role Today (10:04) - ZoomInfo's Approach to AI and Competition (15:35) - Go-to-Market Intelligence Explained (21:09) - Integration and Collaboration in the Industry (26:01) - SEO Challenges and Market Impact (28:45) - The Resurgence of Outbound Sales (33:27) - AI's Role in Sales Efficiency (39:46) -  Leveraging AI for SMB Data (46:39) - The Drive for Efficiency with New Tools (53:10) - Next Week: $5M ARR per AE with AI

Chris Walker, founder and former CEO of Refine Labs, shares his transformative insights on leadership and company culture. He discusses the shift from the Information Era to the 'Frequency Era,' emphasizing how energy and mindset are more critical than credentials. Walker explains the six tiers of frequency, illustrating how higher frequencies lead to personal and professional mastery. He highlights how urgency can diminish company morale and why trusting your intuition can lead to meaningful career changes.

Automation and cheap data turned outbound into spam and Google’s new rules are shutting the door on mass email. AI only made the noise louder. In this episode we break down how the predictable-revenue model collapsed, why reply rates keep falling, and why phone calls and research-driven outreach are proving more effective. JB Daguené, founder and CEO of Evergrowth, explains how his team uses AI digital colleagues to help sales teams start real conversations instead of just firing off sequences. (00:00) - Introduction (01:05) - JB's Journey with Trustpilot (04:04) - The Early Days of E-commerce and Customer-Centric Sales      (14:37) - The Impact of Predictable Revenue (17:47) - The Rise of SDRs and Data Challenges (18:53) - How did we get here? (21:57) - Automation, AI and Pipeline Management (24:40) - The SDR Playbook (26:57) - Challenges with Tools and Silos (29:17) - Google's Crackdown on Email Spam (33:04) - The Resurgence of Phone Calls (35:48) - Evergrowth's AI Tool (37:58) - Understanding Agentic Workflows (45:47) - Avoiding AI Hallucinations (53:55) - Wrapping up (55:51) - Next Week: Chris Walker on Frequency

Leaderrs rarely talk about their own health even though it drives every decision. Toni and Raul share their own experiences and what they learned from interviews with 17 founders and C-level leaders about mental and physical habits.They dig into how stress, sleeplessness and company performance feed into each other, how common burnout and anxiety really are, and why so many leaders slip into drinking or other forms of self-medication without noticing.(00:00) - Introduction (06:45) - Mental sealth statistics among founders (09:33) - Physical Health and Company Performance (11:53) - Stress and sickness correlation (16:17) - Do we self medicate too much? (23:33) - Health routines of successful CEOs (28:20) - Exercise routines (30:32) - Challenges of maintaining health when you have kids (34:19) - Health as a job responsibility for founders (39:21) - Improving sleep quality (44:04) - Diet and nutrition (47:13) - Final thoughts (48:50) - Next week: JB from Evergrowth on sales and automation