The Revenue Formula

AI SDRs, pipeline starvation, and overhyped tools dominate today’s revenue conversations. But how much of it actually works in practice?Toni sits down with Todd Busler, CEO of Champify, to cut through the noise. They dig into the reality of AI in sales, the pressure to chase shiny tools, and why short-term thinking is breaking go-to-market strategy. Todd also shares the underestimated challenges of founding a company and where he sees real opportunities for growth.(00:00) - Introduction (01:11) - Todd's Journey to Founding Champify (06:48) - Challenges in Go-to-Market Strategies (10:44) - The Reality of AI SDRs (13:42) - Cost-Cutting with AI (18:11) - Jason Lemkin's AI Insights (21:14) - Overhyped Tools? (26:45) - The Short-Term Pressure in Go-to-Market (30:27) - Zombie Unicorns and Market Realities (32:05) - Trends in Cold Calling and Power Dialers (34:42) - The Rise of In-Person Events (36:50) - Navigating the Confusing Tooling Landscape (42:02) - The Challenges of Starting a Company (47:18) - The Pressure of Venture Capital (54:42) - Closing Thoughts (56:00) - Next Week: Antoine Fort, CEO of Qobra

Pipelines are facing a significant drought, leaving many companies struggling to adapt. The conversation dives into how traditional lead generation methods are faltering amidst rising AI influence. It highlights the contrasting fortunes of breakout companies versus smaller firms, urging a reevaluation of marketing strategies. The role of AI in reducing costs and improving efficiency is examined, alongside discussions about its impact on job roles. Finally, the need for a 'zero waste' approach in sales and marketing is emphasized for sustainable growth.

What do video games have to do with business growth? More than you think.In this episode, Toni and Raul explain how their gaming past helps them spot company issues almost instantly. Using the idea of levels, just like in video games, they show why businesses get stuck, how to know what level your company is really on, and what it takes to move forward the right way.Want to be a guest on the show? Learn more at revformula.io(00:00) - Introduction (06:53) - Levels Explained (11:53) - Hiring the Right People at the Right Time (16:41) - Strategic Roadmaps and Levels (19:12) - Situational Dependency in Business Advice (20:14) - CRM Implementation Challenges (25:28) - The Importance of Process Maturity (31:47) - Three Main Problems (35:13) - Our Solution (37:30) - Next Week: Zero Waste GTM

Exploring new research, the discussion highlights that remote workers are clocking in significantly less time than their in-office counterparts. It emphasizes the cognitive risks posed by AI, suggesting it may hinder critical thinking and slow skill development. The podcast delves into the importance of in-person interactions for career growth and soft skills, while also addressing the demographic disparities in remote work access. Overall, it raises urgent questions about the impact of technology on future productivity and cognitive functions.

In this episode, we talk about the messy shift from founder-led sales to something more scalable. A lot of teams trip up here. It's not just about hiring the right people, it's about whether the company is actually ready for them.Early sales hires often fail because the structure, process, or timing is off. The conversation introduces the idea of level awareness, a way to figure out if your setup matches the stage you're in. The same problems tend to repeat, whether you're at $1M or $50M ARR.(00:00) - Introduction (02:12) - Challenges in Founder-Led Sales (05:36) - Diagnosing Founder-Led Sales Issues (08:36) - Hiring Challenges and Misconceptions (11:12) - Framework for Scaling Sales Teams (13:39) - Levels of Sales Maturity (19:20) - Defining Level One (23:27) - Hiring for Stage Level Fit (25:25) - Common Founder Regrets (27:13) - Hiring Sales Leaders with Level Awareness (34:53) - Challenges of Premature Scaling (36:31) - Conclusion (37:37) - Next Week: Is Remote Work & AI Making Us Less Productive?

Did AI actually kill SEO? Or are recent traffic drops for sites like HubSpot a sign of something else entirely? In this episode, we’re joined by Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B and a leading expert on search strategy, to unpack what’s actually happening in the world of SEO. We talk about how AI overviews are changing the way people find information, and what it all means for marketers and revenue teams.Sam shares when SEO still makes sense, when it doesn’t, and what to focus on if you want to drive real pipeline today. We also dive into AI-generated content, the role of brand in LLM-driven search, and how to build a practical keyword strategy that works in 2025.(00:00) - Introduction (01:58) - Did AI kill SEO? (06:17) - When SEO doesn't make sense (10:05) - Does SEO still take forever to build? (12:24) - Should we just generate AI content? (15:39) - Buidling a Money Keyword Matrix (22:20) - Who should own the matrix? (24:45) - Quicker vs longer strategies (29:07) - Old school SEO in a world of LLMs (34:08) - Brand builders have a step up (36:21) - Common LLM hacks (43:00) - Measuring SEO in a world of LLMs (48:24) - Nothing's changed. Everything's changed. (50:29) - Wrapping up

Nobody wants to touch pricing. It’s political, it’s messy, and if it goes wrong, everyone remembers who led the project. But here’s the thing—when it works, it really works.In this episode, Toni and Raul talk about why pricing changes freak people out, what actually happens when you go through with them, and how even small tweaks can drive serious revenue. They’ve both run pricing projects that paid off big, and they’ve got the scars to prove it.If pricing’s been on your to-do list forever but you keep punting it… this one’s for you.(00:00) - Introduction (01:36) - The dread of pricing changes (04:29) - Balancing new prices and losing customers (05:53) - Lead pricing changes without losing your job (08:55) - Who should own pricing changes? (10:10) - Creating a pricing steering committee (12:38) - Consultants in pricing projects (17:00) - Are we over complicating it? (19:44) - Churn and pricing relationship (25:02) - The external and internal narrative (29:47) - Phasing pricing changes (31:10) - Pricing moves in PLG (32:59) - Conclusion

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Tottman from Notion Capital. Before becoming a VC, Chris co-founded MessageLabs and helped grow it into a $700 million exit, so he’s seen the startup journey from both sides of the table.We talk about what really happens when your product-market fit starts to slip—and why it quietly wrecks your entire go-to-market strategy. Sales start missing targets. Marketing can’t get traction. Churn creeps up. But most teams keep pushing forward without realizing the core problem is the product just doesn’t fit anymore.(00:00) - Introduction (09:55) - Common mistakes in Go-To-Market strategies (19:54) - Identifying a VC case (30:05) - Importance of Product Market Fit (39:38) - Transitioning from VC to PE (50:07) - Next week: pricing changes

Not all consultants are worth it. Some drive real impact. Others just burn your time and budget.In this episode, Toni and Raul dive into how to tell the difference. They break down when it actually makes sense to bring in outside help, how to vet someone properly, and the biggest red flags to avoid.You'll learn why consulting is a real skill, what good execution support looks like, and how to think about pricing and value. (00:00) - Introduction (02:48) - Do you actually need consultants? (05:22) - The consulting relationship with startups (08:29) - Identifying red flags (10:41) - The hammer people (16:17) - Consulting is a skill (21:14) - Consultants as challengers (24:40) - Pricing and value in consulting (30:06) - Execution and enablement (33:38) - Summary (35:45) - Next week: Chris Tottman on VCs

In a world of AI-generated noise and automated outreach, Cliff Simon has built a multi-million dollar business by doing something simple but rare: showing up in person.In this episode, Cliff shares how he turned events, community dinners, and authentic relationships into a powerful go-to-market strategy. He breaks down why most event-based approaches fail, what it really means to play the long game, and how founders and revenue leaders can drive growth without relying on cold outreach.Never miss a new episode! Join our newsletter at revenueformula.substack.com(00:00) - Introduction (01:53) - The Importance of In-Person (06:01) - The Role of Pavilion (08:08) - Building Relationships (12:09) - Building for Long Term (16:41) - Modern Networking Tactics (21:58) - Evaluating Event Success (24:57) - Common Misconceptions in Event Strategy (26:34) - Effective Event Strategies (31:39) - The Power of Personal Branding (32:13) - Comparing Rev Ops Events (36:28) - Next Week: What You Need to Know About Consultants