Erica Kuhl joins us this week for an inspiring episode on how to build your community in today's environment, with over 20 years of enterprise community expertise. Erica shares some valuable tips and tricks that she learned after spending over a decade successfully building the Trailblazer community and ecosystem at Salesforce. What You Will Learn:How she built the Trailblazer Salesforce community from scratch and what inspired her to do it.How to run programs with any size budget and any size team.How to build community strategies to scale.The positive outcomes of exceptional leadership.The importance of aligning community to a business strategy.Highlights:(2:30) Intro & Erica's experience building out trailblazers at Salesforce.(10:55) Hot take: The over saturation of community.(18:25) Challenges scaling the community at Salesforce.(35:24) What Erica would do differently if she could go back and build Salesforce's Community all over again?(42:58) Erica's advice on how to make team meetings more upbeat, lively, and productive.(45:20) Erica's take on a widely held belief that revenue leaders share that she thinks might be bullsh*t.(47:23) Step 1 when starting a community.Guest Speaker Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakuhl/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericakuhlBlog: https://medium.com/@erica.kuhlWebsite: https://www.ericakuhl.comHost Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Dave Kennett joins us on this week's episode to discuss lessons learned throughout his years transforming businesses to adapt for a digital world, the art form of sales, how to lead from the front, and walks us through the genesis and evolution of Replayz.In 2019, after an extensive career at notable companies such as AutoTrader.ca, Strutta, Payfirma, Hootesuite, and MergeBase, Dave founded Replayz - a predictive SaaS platform that uses Data Science to analyze Call Scoring Results to predict what skills matter the most.What You Will Learn:The importance of role-playing, how to communicate to the CFO.Steps to building trust and rapport through credibility.How to cultivate and leverage customer stories for a competitive advantage.5 leadership tools to arm your team with.Ways to visibility improve your win rate.How to lead from the front, and learn the most from past mistakes.Strategies to navigate career path options in the current environment .Highlights:(5:20) Call coaching culture & Replayz pain point solution strategy.(7:45) Blind spots in discovery/demos & how to avoid them.(13:22) Common threads of sales reps that consistently crush it.(18:10) How to introduce a customer story?(21:45) The importance of role-playing.(25:00) Digitally transforming AutoTrader to Trader.ca.(27:10) Leadership lessons from experience.(34:25) How to think about career pathing.(39:10) Rounding out your leadership skills.(40:25) Widely held beliefs that are wrong.(44:30) Actionable moves available now.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkennett/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

‘Thinking more out of the box instead of just following playbooks is something that I think is important.’ - Martin Gontovnikas. In this week’s episode, Scott Barker chats with Martin Gontovnikas ‘Gonto’ about taking big risks in marketing, Generative AI, and understanding customer behavior while making marketing strategies.Gonto is the founder of Hyper Growth Partners. He previously worked with Off Zero where he started in branding relations and ended up in marketing and growth, growing with the company in revenue from 20 dollars to 20 million average revenue.What You Will Learn:The impact of Generative AI on marketing.How to achieve big hairy audacious goals in marketing. Experimenting in marketing when risk tolerance is low.Highlights:(04:02) Generative AI for marketing.(09:56) Where will Generative AI be in 10 years?(13:31) Audacious goal experiments that worked.(22:53) Big audacious goals that turned out successful.(30:29) Restructuring back after implementing an audacious idea.(33:40) Running experiments when risk tolerance is low.(36:40) How long do you run an experiment before making a decision?(39:31) What most revenue leaders believe but Gonto doesn’t agree with.(44:01) Fitting marketing strategies into users’ habits.(46:36) How to get in touch with Gonto?Guest Speaker Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgonto/enWebsite: https://www.hypergrowthpartners.com/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Episode SummaryThere are many benefits of the marketing and sales teams working together. It helps generate better leads, improve conversion rates, and eventually, increase company revenue. But how do you align marketing and sales strategy? In this episode of the Sales Hacker podcast, our host Sam Jacobs welcomes Mariana Cogan, the CMO of People.ai. They talk about why buying needs to be a team sport, why forecasting won't lead to the growth you need, and the importance of diversity in technology.Guest-at-a-Glance💡 Name: Mariana Cogan💡 What she does: She's the CMO of People.ai.💡 Company: People.ai💡 Noteworthy: Mariana is known for building strong alignment with sales. She's also a committed advocate of diversity inclusion and founded the Hispanic ERG resulting in building the best teams and bringing different lenses to the C-suite.💡 Where to find Mariana: LinkedInThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Max Altschuler and Scott Barker back at it for another monthly jam session. Sharing some compelling internal company updates as well as the impact of our candidate placements in the last year (placing over 80 candidates in the last year). We also can't help but discuss some topical stuff, including: Whether companies should begin to ban alcohol at work related events, generational trends, and ChatGPT's takeover on our creativity. Highlights:(1:50) The generational evolution within the work force.(4:45) The importance of our creativity and whether ChatGPT has much competition against it.(13:17) Hot take on whether companies should ban alcohol or not.(16:20) Internal company updates & the motivation behind our decisions [new HQ office, new official GTMfund hires].(27:00)  Deal updates & SPVs.(29:42) Angel Investing sessions and candidate placements at our portfolio companies.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Mark Stephenson joins us in this week’s episode to talk about the modern revenue architecture. Mark has 30 years of solution sales leadership experience, with high growth series A through D companies. Currently he's an advisor at Evisort, former VP of Sales at Avi Networks, and has worked at large companies such as HP, Cisco, & Xerox.. We kick off this episode by unpacking the 5 leading and 4 lagging indicators of a strong go-to-market team that drive your business.What You Will Learn:The importance of getting cross functional alignment within your team.Leading metrics that every leader should be focused on.5 layer framework on modern revenue.Highlights:(8:03) 5 Layers on how to Go-to-market.(13:48) Problems to solve on the Go-to-market approach.(20:37) Where Mark’s gone right and wrong in defining ICP.(26:10) How to hire great talent.(32:18) Cross-functional alignment.(36:00) the leading and lagging metrics for successful alignment.(45:00) Mark’s take on the layoffs happening in todays market.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-s-2b28054/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this week’s episode, Scott is joined by Bryan Breckenridge and Corey Marshall, the co-founders of VITAL, a company that harnesses impact-powered revenue and culture to accelerate growth.Corey Marshall is a builder, advisor, and investor with a strong background in CRM Data. He previously worked with Splunk, a cybersecurity startup where he built programs around workforce development, employee engagement and volunteerism.Bryan Breckenridge is a social intrapreneur who thrives at the intersection of corporate and nonprofit mission fulfillment maximizing social, environmental and economic returns. He has implemented growth and impact strategies and integrated nonprofit networks into core operating structures at Salesforce, LinkedIn, Box, Zillow, and Snyk.They explore the world of social impact issues in startups, including how and when startups should get involved in social issues, which issues to take on, how to align these with the company’s values and how these help in connecting with the customers for eventual profitability.Highlights:(1:44) Introduction of speakers.(2:50) Corey Marshall’s background story.(5:15) The impetus for Splunk.(6:36) Bryan’s background.(9:42) Bryan’s time at Salesforce.(11:08) The truth about the Sales profession.(13:26) Having environmental, social and governance in mind as a Startup.(19:34) Attracting talent that aligns with your company’s values.(22:09) When should a company take a stance on social issues?(29:11) How should startups establish which social impact issues to focus on?(36:42) Corey’s story about building strong partnerships through participating in social impact issues.(40:16) Merging problem solving for clients with addressing social issues they are passionate about.(47:39) Strategies that revenue leaders or founders can implement.(53:56) Social impact participation extends beyond sales and marketing.(56:14) How to get in touch with Bryan and Corey.Guest Speaker Links:Bryan's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanbreckenridge/Corey's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymarshall/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Pivoting and verticalization has the potential to be a  game-changer for many companies. A case in point is the story of Seismic.On the podcast today is Ed Calnan,  the founder and former CRO of Seismic, a company he led through the pandemic. In this episode, you will learn how Ed, as the  company’s first BDR, grew the company to 1,500 people, 2,000 customers, and $300 million in ARR  through successful pivoting and verticalization to financial services.What You Will Learn:The power of pivoting and verticalization and how to do it successfully.The value of vacation, rest, and relaxation.The importance of analyzing and sharing team successes.Highlights:(3:00) Ed’s reflection on founding Seismic and taking a long break after 11 years.(9:30) The value of sales enablement.(13:00)  How to pivot and verticalize successfully: Case study of Seismic.(32:20) The benefits of being a specialist and an expert.(35:50) Why you need to analyze and share team successes.(48:42) Discussion on consistent communication, being open and authentic.(49:42) Strategies for growing a company and harnessing customer stories.(52:20) A strategy founders and revenue leaders should implement to move the needle.(55:30) One common misbelief held by revenue leaders. (57:03) The challenges of being a revenue leader: How to identify and address core issues.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edcalnan/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Today on the podcast, we have the privilege of speaking with Cara Felleman - a dynamic advisor, investor, and sales powerhouse. Cara is currently serving as the Vice President of Sales at Vividly and is also an LP at GTM Fund, where she uses her expertise to help startups grow and scale.With a wealth of experience, Cara has a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in a fast-paced and competitive environment. When it comes to hiring, she identifies two key attributes that she looks for in employees. The first is the unwavering drive to succeed despite obstacles. The second is having a positive outlook and being able to stay hopeful even when things seem hard.Cara is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She believes that companies need to take into account the emotional and cultural impact of their decisions, such as layoffs, on employees.. Cara thinks we can make workplaces that are more fair and open to everyone if we approach these problems with empathy and understanding.Join us as we delve into these important topics with Cara Felleman and gain valuable insights into what it takes to create fair, safe, and successful workplaces and sales teams.Highlights:(2:37)  Qualities of a successful go-to-market professional.(5:46)  Why companies need to be more considerate in layoffs. (8:00) How layoffs have a greater impact on women. (11:50) Exploring strategies for attracting and retaining Gen Z talent.(16:24) Building the sales team at Resy: The challenges and lessons learned.(20:35) Finding the middle ground between control and collaboration.(32:19) Discussion on how to relinquish control and trust your sales team.(37:06) Conversation on radical candor. (38:26)  One thing most go-to-market leaders believe that is not true.(42:49)  The value of human connection in business.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carafelleman/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode, John Barrows, CEO of Sell Better by JB Sales, helps you understand what the new reality of sales looks like and how to stay ahead of the AI curve. With his expertise and experience, John discusses the implications of AI and automation and how it will challenge the sales profession, as well as the importance of remaining human and personalizing your sales approach. What You Will Learn:The future of sales with AI and automation.How sales professionals survive and thrive in a world of AI and automation.The potential ramifications of automating jobs.AI personalization at scale.Highlights:(4:40) John and his daughter’s children book about sales.(7:34) How ChatGPT will change the sales profession.(9:10) Why you must get interested and learn to leverage ChatGPT.(11:20) AI personalization at scale.(15:00) The impact of the recession and AI revolution on sales jobs.(17:25) The failure of the education system today.(23:55) Addressing the university ban of ChatGPT.(28:00) John’s learnings from getting fired twice – “They were two of the best things that ever happened to me.”(43:01) John’s best actionable advice to revenue leaders.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Max Altschuler and Scott Barker back at it for another monthly jam session. They share company updates for the month of January, including some exciting PortCo announcements. They also discuss the ongoing layoffs and some strong advice on how to create and maintain solid pipeline in this market, as well as some predictions on the future of the SDR role.Highlights:(1:47)  PortCo updates and highlights.(6:55) A behind the scenes intel on the 70+ candidates that the GTMfund placed in the last year.(13:00)  Most common challenges founders and revenue leaders are facing today.(17:24) The future of the SDR role. Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Episode SummaryAI is here to stay, and restaurants must follow the trend to stay relevant and grow. However, regardless of the concern around it, technology will not replace human staff. Instead, you can use it to provide an exceptional customer experience. In this episode of Sales Hacker, we are joined by Brandon Barton, a hospitality tech entrepreneur, to discuss his career path, especially his transition from the non-tech to the tech side of the business. Brandon explains the role of AI in the hospitality space and how it can help enrich customer experience. He also talks about his transition into the C-Suite and becoming the CEO of Bite. Finally, Brandon shares valuable advice for anyone who is considering a career change but fears that it is a mistake.Guest-at-a-Glance💡 Name: Brandon Barton💡 What he does: Brandon is the CEO of Bite.💡 Company: Bite💡 Noteworthy: Brandon Barton is a hospitality tech entrepreneur and has used his experience in operations at top hospitality groups to build and scale early-stage tech products. Before Bite, Brandon was employee number four at Resy, a leading restaurant reservation platform, where he built and oversaw sales operations. Bite's goal is to elevate hospitality, which is also Brandon's passion.💡 Where to find Brandon: LinkedInThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Udi Ledergor is the former CMO of Gong and the company's current Chief Evangelist. The insights he offers in this episode are invaluable for anyone interested in branding, content development, negotiating, or creating a devoted fan base. What You Will Learn:How Udi Ledergor and Gong achieved 100x growth in a short period of time.The hacks and strategies used to create a powerful brand presence on a limited budget.The impact of providing an exceptional candidate experience even if they are not given an offer.How to negotiate well.Highlights:(0:49) Udi Ledergor: From Gong’s CMO to Chief Evangelist.(13:49) Udi’s superpowers: Branding and Negotiation.(14:58) How Udi secured a Super Bowl commercial with a modest investment.(21:15) Marketing hack: Amplifying modest offline investments like billboards with digital.(28:00) How to create raving fans.(31:00) Content strategies: New, thought-provoking, and controversial create conversation.(36:33) How to negotiate properly.(41:00) Why you shouldn’t have pricing conversations over email.(44:08) Getting noticed on LinkedIn: Bold, controversial, conversational content.(49:03) How revenue leaders can succeed by going back to basics.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/udiledergor/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode, we are joined by Rick Smolen. Rick is the current Head of Sales at Loopio. He is a results-focused revenue leader with over 20 years of experience in tech and enterprise software sales. Rick used to be the Head of Sales at Greenhouse Software, where he oversaw the company's annual recurring revenue tripling to over $65 million in less than three years. Prior to that, he spent over a decade at Interlinks in sales, sales leadership, and international roles, and helped the company grow to over $300 million in annual sales.What You Will Learn:How to transition from a great salesperson to an effective people leader.Three sales methodologies, when to use them, and how to teach them.How to sell in a different global market.Highlights:(1:25) Rick’s background.(4:13) Rick’s first management role and career journey.(8:08) His opinion on promoting your top sales rep to leadership.(11:00) How to foster people management skills. (11:20) The value of mentorship in developing leadership skills.(14:20) Why transparency is key in team and leadership building.(16:40) How to deliver/receive tough feedback constructively.(18:18) Three different sales methodologies, when to use them, and how to teach them.(25:40) Rick’s learnings from spending 12½ years at a company.(29:40) Rick’s experience and learnings from selling in Asia.(33:52) Comparing doing business in North America and Asia.(37:37) Strategies to keep your team motivated through tough times in 2023.(41:28) One actionable strategy Rick has used to increase revenue.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricksmolen/  Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Bob Elliott is the former managing director at SAP Canada, former SVP of sales at HootSuite, and former CRO of Built and Forder and limited partner in GTM funds. Bob shares insights from his own story of acquiring $53 million for one of his customer’s SAP, taking a chance on a sales representative, and some of his personal thoughts on work ethic and work-life balance.Highlights:(02:05) Bob’s backstory.(04:50) Shifting the end of year quarter to January.(7:44) Is the old marketing playbook breaking down?(11:47)  Balancing quick transitions and giving experiments time to get results. (15:07) Knowing when to ramp up a sales representative.(20:35) Resolving the work-life balance equation. (22:45) Engaging in conversations that bring you energy.(25:14) Bob’s story of growing SAP’s revenue to $53 Million.(30:45) Bob’s story on taking a chance on a sales rep at SAP.(35:29) Don’t let your imagination limit the size of your potential.(37:49) Bob’s biggest motivation at age 25.(40:21) What must one do to get noticed for a promotion?Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobelliott1/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Pukar C. Hamal is the CEO and founder of SecurityPal, a company that makes security questionnaires. Pukar has a strong background in Startups and Tech having started out in San Francisco in the early 2010s in a time of booming innovation and creativity. He talks about how startups ought to navigate the topic of data privacy. He also shares insights on what security leaders should look out for, understanding the context of your specific organization in managing data security, evolving with the times, advancing best practices, and more.This discussion explores his experiences as a sales development representative, his philosophy on risk-taking and regret-minimizing, and some of his career lessons.What You Will Learn:What sales development representatives do.Data privacy: what it is and what it means for startups.What security leaders ought to look out for.Pukar’s career learningsHighlights:(1:33) Pukar’s background story and SecurityPal beginnings.(6:47) The future of the SDR rule with increased tech automation.(12:25) The challenging nature of SDR roles.(16:49) How the SDR environment has evolved over time.(21:15) Pukar’s journey in tech: taking risks and minimizing regrets..(27:40) How to resolve deals that are stuck in legal procurement.(31:41) Advice for sales development reps on closing deals.(45:30) What security leaders should be looking at.(50:35) Pukar’s key career learnings.Guest Speaker Link:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pukarhamal/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In our first bonus episode of 2023, Max Altschuler and Scott Barker share updates for the new year and insights into how the year of 2022 unfolded. Max also shares his top tips and guidance for goal-setting at the beginning of a new year to set yourself up for personal and professional success.Highlights:(3:26) New Year’s Resolutions.(11:56) Max’s Goal-Setting Exercises.(17:58) What are we most proud of?(20:59) What to expect in 2023 and beyond.(24:17) The IPO Backlog.Guest Speaker Link:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Brendan Dell is a positioning and messaging expert with over ten years' experience in helping businesses optimize high impact sales and investment pitches, and build and execute high-growth GTM strategies.What You Will Learn:Why it’s important for a business to hone it’s messaging to better position itself.When the business should broaden its messaging.Love for the customer Vs Love for the Tech. Highlights:(2:55) About Brendan Dell.(5:40) Brendan’s thoughts on the Sam-Bankman Fried trial.(11:28)  What is positioning?(12:26) Brendan’s story about failure.(20:45) How founders can focus on solving real problems before rolling out products.(24:34) How do founders know when to broaden their marketing message?(30:12) What makes great B2B brands unique?(33:38) Why it’s important for businesses to position themselves for a specific persona.(39:00) Brendan’s message to listeners.Guest Speaker Link:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 188: Carl-Erik Michaelson The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg, CEO and Co-founder at TicketCo, an event sales solution for organizers and venues. Join us for a playfulconversation about a wild guy who took a wild ride to become wildly successful at selling tickets.What You’ll LearnWhy money alone will will never be enoughFind love in what you do and for the people around youHow your early career will inform the later part of your career  Show Agenda and TimestampsAbout Carl-Erik & TicketCo [00:40]Biggest lessons in building a business [06:35]The power of remote work [11:03]Pay it forward [19:48]Sam’s Corner [00:00]The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Erik Kostelnik is the CEO and founder of Postal. He is an award-winning entrepreneur and sales leader that has founded and scaled multiple tech companies that have led to hyper revenue growth and major capital investments.Erik gives his take on the possibility of a recession by explaining indicators like the IPO traffic jam, the commercial real estate situation, and rising debt.What You Will Learn:The value of strong network (and how to build one).Reading the current economic downturn.The three most important company metrics and why you prioritize them. Highlights:(2:40) The value of your network. (How to prune and develop a strong network).(9:27) Erik’s take on the current down market/looming recession.(10:50) Why it is going to be difficult for unicorns to IPO.(14:00) Why commercial real estate leasing could be a cliff.(21:40) The experience that changed the trajectory of Erik's career.(35:33) What Erik would do different in his career.(39:39) How to attract great talent in the down marke.(42:48) The three most important company metrics. (43:02) Why you can’t sacrifice your average revenue per employee and customer acquisition cost for bad talent.(46:20) Summary of Erik’s career learnings.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikkostelnik Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 187: Alex BucklesThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Alex Buckles, Co-Founder and CEO of Forecastable, which helps people sell in partnership with other vendors to deepen traction, penetration and integration to extend customer lifetime value. Join us for an engaging conversation about developing and implementing new, effective go-to-market strategies.The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Suresh Khanna is the Co-Founder and COO at Pieces. He is the former CRO and president of AdRoll Group, where he led the go-to-market strategy, scaled sales, success, and support teams from 10 to 400 people, and increased revenue from about $3 million to over $150 million when he left. Suresh also established award-winning training and development programs that helped the company win Best Place to Work multiple times What You Will Learn:How to build a performance culture that works.How AI advancement could impact go-to-market and agencies.How to maintain raw energy while scaling. Highlights:(5:12) Suresh’s background and story.(10:00) Why Suresh turned down a once-in-a-lifetime McKinsey job at 26.(12:22) Suresh’s experience at Google.(13:22) Why Suresh left Google for AdRoll.(14:39) Suresh’s success at AdRoll.(14:39) Suresh founding Pieces.(17:00) AI advancement and its potential impact on go-to-market and agencies.(25:21) How to build a winning performance culture.(28:54) How to find and hire people wired for greatness.(34:01) How to train managers to make better hiring decisions and scale the hiring process.(38:29) How to reduce new hire ramp-up time.(44:20) How AdRoll created a winning self-policing culture.(46:20) What Suresh would do differently.(49:15) How to keep the raw energy when rapidly scaling.(53:32) The number one reason startups fail.(57:30) Summary of Suresh’s career learnings.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khannasuresh/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Dini Mehta is the former CRO of Lattice, a people management software for growing companies. She’s an operating partner at Operator Collective, bringing together 150+ of the world’s most successful tech operators from a variety of backgrounds as Limited Partners (LPs), each with current experience building, growing, and running the world’s most admired companies.Additionally, Dini serves as a mentor, advisor, and angel investor.She discusses her journey from hating sales to deciding on it as a lifelong career, how her leadership and collaborative skills have grown, and how she dealt with loss of control as a leader during the pandemic.Highlights:(3:57) Dini Mehta’s background.(6:28) Dini’s take on AI.(9:10) How did Dini decide to get into sales?(15:24) How should founders plan for their incremental growth?(18:49) Making bets on business.(21:47) Deciding on whether to make a bet or shelve it.(25:49) Dealing with change during the COVID Season.(32:50) How to deal with loss of control as a leader.(40:23) How to articulate the need to adjust expectations without seeming like you’re avoiding a challenge. Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinimehta/ Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this month’s bonus episode, Max Altschuler and Scott Barker share updates and insights into what’s going on in the venture capital landscape.How do companies stay afloat during a recession? How do they build the right foundation to set themselves up to operate efficiently? When is the right time to ‘restart the car’? These and more are the questions they answer in this update.Highlights:(1:06) - Thanksgiving.(3:18) - The latest from GTMfund.(3:56) – Why is capital going to more experienced leaders?(7:25) - Tough times are the most rewarding.(9:11) - Setting the right foundation for long-term sustainability.(12:35) - When to restart the car (Focus on growth again).(16:15) - Get in touch with GTM.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this week’s episode, we are joined by Chris Donato who shares his journey: lessons, losses, and wins in the Sales profession. Chris is the CEO of Esellas, a company that helps salespeople sell.He discusses finding purpose in work, taking big risks in sales, and some lessons in his career. Chris shares stories from his experiences in turning a napkin idea into a $300-million contract, losing an $850-million deal, being instinctive in making business partnerships, being strategic in attempting to make a sale, and so much more. What You Will Learn:How to find purpose and create meaning in your work.How and when to take big risks in sales.How to transition from mid-market to enterprise.Highlights:(0:57) Introduction.(1:27) Why is there a drop in Gen Z workforce participation?(4:30) Finding purpose in work.(9:05) A napkin idea worth $300 million .(14:50) How to turn a business problem into an opportunity.(20:45) Does it get easier to take big risks?(22:44) What would Chris do differently now?(25:50) Using relationship mapping to your advantage.(27:55) How to transition from mid-market to enterprise.(31:40) Lessons from a career in sales.Guest Speaker Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmdonato/ Website: https://www.esellas.com/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

May Habib is CEO and Co-Founder of Writer, the full-stack generative AI platform for enterprises. Writer empowers your entire organization to accelerate growth, increase productivity, and ensure compliance. May has worked in NLP and ML for 10 years, and before Writer, she founded and built Qordoba, a localization software company. She is an expert in AI-driven language generation, AI-related organizational change, and the evolving ways we use language online.She sits on the board of TechWadi, an organization that bridges MENA-based entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley-based VC and talent networks, and is a MELI Fellow with the Aspen Institute.May graduated from Harvard University and spends her time between San Francisco, where Writer is based, and London, where her two children live.Highlights:(01:40)  May’s introduction.(04:15)  May’s learnings from Lehman Brothers and the economic crisis of 2008/2009.(08:40)  What you need to consider when accessing capital in 2023.(12:57)  How much attention should you be paying to AI and its impact?(21:17)  What is going to happen to AI in 2023.(23:55)  Writer’s product-led growth motion and stories.(30:24)  The importance of consultative sales and how it impacts everything else in the business.(37:08)  How to recruit A-players in the macro-environment.(43:52)  Summary of May’s career learnings.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/may-habib/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Lars Nilsson is the VP of global sales development at Snowflake. Prior Snowflake, Lars was the CEO of SalesSource, a premier RevOps consulting firm. Before that he was the VP of Global Inside Sales for Cloudera. Lars and his team at Cloudera developed the sales methodology known as account-based sales development, which has transformed how businesses approach high-value targets, and is an integral part of most teams playbooks today.Lars has also served in sales exec roles at ArcSight, Hewlett Packard, Riverbed Technology, and Portal Software, all three of which achieved IPOs.Lars starts this episode by sharing what he learned early in his career at Xerox and the world-famous Xerox Management Training Program. He then talks about Cloudera's account-based sales development method, including how it started and why it was successful.What You Will Learn:How to use personalization to your advantage.How to speak among people in a way that brings them together.What to look for when hiring a BDR.Highlights(05:00) Insights on nurturing young talent while fostering loyalty.(14:40) Cloudera's account-based sales development methodology: origins and early successes.(21:40) Insights on the power of personalization.(27:30) How to create a lasting impression in front of people and bring them together.(31:00) Why you should express gratitude or tell a story in front of people more often.(32:49) How to overcome fear and nervousness and find the courage to speak among people.(38:03) Things to look out for when hiring a BDR.(41:26) Summary of Lars’ career learnings.Guest Speaker Link:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanilsson/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Ashley Hansen Grech is the Chief Operating of Recharge, a company that empowers merchants through recurring commerce.  She spent her first 12 years climbing the ranks at JPMorgan before joining Square (now Block) and becoming the Global Head of Sales for four-and-a-half years. In this episode, she discusses how she manages teamwork, tasks, and decisions when there are several people involved. She describes how she makes her impact felt in a team of 700+, and how she succeeds at it. What You Will Learn:How to scale yourself.The value of frontline managers.Why it is important to prioritize shared values and principles over job skills when hiring.Highlights:(03:25) Google’s Project Starline and what it means for collaboration.(08:30) Ashley’s career story and what she would do differently.(16:21) The value of frontline managers.(19:36) How to coach frontline managers and set them up for success.(23:02) How to scale yourself.(24:05) Understanding principled decision-making and how to make it work.(27:38) How to make yourself known in a large company and keep accountable.(34:50) Ashley’s take on recruiting more women leaders.(35:00) Why "leadership traits” is a myth.(36:10) Why you should hire based more on personality and values, not simply jobs to be done.(40:22) Ashley’s summary of career learnings.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyhgrech/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

What's new in the world of venture capital and the GTM Fund? Get up to speed in this update as Max Altsuchler, the firm's founder and general partner, joins Scott Barker.In this update, Max shares why first-mover advantage doesn't exist and cites examples where being first to market didn't help a company. He also talks about the deals and investments GTM Fund is doubling down on, why LPs are valuable for the future of the fund and the value of community to the fund.Make it a point to listen in and discover the latest in the VC landscape and the GTM Fund.Highlights:One thing you would be surprised about Max Altschuler.Deals that GTM Fund did.How founders are finding GTM Fund.Why first-mover advantage is not a real thing.Why LPs are important for the future of the fund.Investments that GTM Fund is doubling down on.Why community is important for the future of the fund.What’s next for the GTM community.The value of having more LPs in an area.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Kyle Norton was the VP of sales at Shopify, and now is the SVP of Sales at Owner.com and a super-active Limited Partner of GMTfund. Compared to trying to get so much done in little time, Kyle demonstrates how taking things slow while maintaining focus, patience, and prioritization will lead to more sustained success in the long term.What You Will Learn: Whether or not the e-commerce sector is a good place to put your money right now.Why it's important to take care of your physical and mental health even as your startup expands.How to disagree with higher-ups in a way that fosters understanding and growth.Highlights:(02:48) Introducing Kyle Norton.(03:24) Kyle’s transition from big tech to startup.(05:28) Kyle’s take on the state of e-commerce SaaS today.(9:19) How to start a company without getting out-innovated by a big player.(12:50) Kyle’s career story and what he would do differently.(13:28) Why you should prioritize your physical and mental health.(15:20) The need to be mindful of where you will scale.(16:10) How moving slow drives sustained growth.(19:10) Why you must be honest with your metrics.(20:53) How to build a strong business foundation.(21:46) The differences in goal setting and growth between big tech and startup.(26:17) Learning to disagree well.(36:59) How to determine the makeup of your sales hire.(45:56) Summary of Kyle’s career learning.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecnorton/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Referenced Resources:An article by Adam Grant (Psychologist and Wharton Professor): ‘You can’t say that!’: how to argue, better.A book by Article by Adam Grant (Psychologist and Wharton Professor):Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know.The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 186: Patrick HudginsThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Patrick Hudgins, Co-Founder and CEO at Delegate. Join us for an in-depth conversation about scaling your company through incentives and employee retention, especially when facing a recession.What You’ll LearnCreating careers with incentive compensation to prevent off-shoringRunning a business on profitability when not sourced through outside capitalFocusing on the employee retention for company growthThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Brian Murray, partner and COO of Craft Ventures and the co-founder of Cabal, joins Scott Barker to discuss his experience in the startup world and the metrics that define a successful startup. Brian discusses the burn multiple and why it's a better indicator than ARR for gauging a startup's performance. He elaborates on the idea of intellectual honesty, the distinction between genuine and false signals, and the importance of recognizing the difference between the two when gathering information. You won't want to miss out on Brian's insights into what he's learned from his time in the startup world, both the successes and failures.Highlights:(04:19) How the venture capital landscape is changing.(04:45) The concept of burn multiple: How much burn does it cost to generate one new dollar of ARR?(07:31) The relationship between companies and investors and how to get the most out of them.(08:09) The misconception that more employees mean more success.(08:45) The story that shaped Brian's career.(11:46) The concept of intellectual honesty.(13:10) How to discern true signals from misleading signals.(17:22) Brian's achievements at Cotap.(21:39) Brian's experience at Cabal and key learnings from there.(26:27) Bitcoin as an inspiration.(27:25) Why "contributor" is a more suitable word for an advisor.(31:15) How much you should leave for strategic investors in an early round.(36:10) Brian's learnings in his career.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-m-b6952b15/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 185: Ido Niv-RonThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Host Scott Barker holds a jam session with regular guest, friend and mentor, Max Altschuler.  Max heads up the VC firm GTMfund, which is focused on investing in hyper-growth B2B SaaS companies. He is also the founder of Sales Hacker and has written three books that encompass his knowledge and expertise in the sales industry.Guest Speaker Link:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of The GTM Podcast, we have Holly Firestone. She is in charge of creating the vision, strategy, and roadmap for the Venafi Community, which includes the Venafi Warrior and Jetstack Communities, on a worldwide scale.Holly discusses her inspiring career journey, working with both Salesforce and Atlassian, and how she was involved in the growth of Community in two of these companies. She discussed her experience building this Community from scratch and talks about the misconceptions of having multitudinous people in the Community, and the ideal time to invest in the Community.Highlights: (4:05) Holly Firestone’s experience at Salesforce.(11:03) Growth of the User Group Program while working for Atlassian.(19:57) Why Community should not be a Marketing tool. (22:45) Why Community is not growing to executive level.(31:39) When to start investing in community.Guest Speaker Link: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollygfirestone/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Referenced Resource:Feature of Community Centre of Excellence by Holly Firestone in Why Community Needs A Seat At The Table (And How To Get One)The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Ido Niv-Ron, CRO at Cloudshare, a former Israeli army soldier that became a startup expert for several companies. Join us for an informative conversation about the uncertainty in the economy for the last quarter of 2022 and in 2023 and how you can prepare for it. .What You’ll LearnIt’s never too late to make a career change, be open-minded to itKeeping a level head in an uncertain economy for 2023Finding opportunities in the economy with the uncertaintyThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Mark Cranney is an enterprise go-to-market operator and three-time unicorn creator. Most recently, he was the COO at Skydio. He's also a founding operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and has been involved in the acquisitions of Opsware and Aster Data Systems by HP and Teradata, respectively.What You Will Learn:How to create a winning culture.How to keep your competition at bay.How to hire talent that culturally fits your organization.Highlights:(02:25) Introducing Mark Cranney.(03:48) Two books that shaped Mark's winning culture.(10:39) How to keep your competition at bay.(14:10) Three questions to ask when scouting for culture-fit talent.(15:46) How to keep recruited talent motivated.(16:16) "Process triumphs heroics." How Mark created and used playbooks to create winning cultures.(23:00) Why you need to get more granular in your competitive strategy.(35:17) How to create a winning culture without turning your team's culture toxic.(37:18) "If it's not a competitive environment, for me, that's toxic."(39:09) Mark's parting advice.Guest Speaker Link:https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcranney/Host Speaker Links:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/Referenced Resources:Books by Ben Horowitz: The Hard Thing About Hard Things & What You Do Is Who You Are.The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 184: Haydar Al SaadThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Haydar Al-Saad, Founder of RevSetter, a customer success platform that helps companies raise their customer retention. Join us for an honest conversation about creating a customer success program to expand your business. What You’ll LearnMitigating churn by finding your happy customers and expanding with themProfiling your customer success teamsCustomer success investment as revenue generation Show Agenda and TimestampsAbout Haydar and RevSetter[02:05]Differences in retention platform features [08:18]Finding the right Customer Success people [15:32]Why Execution is more important than Innovation [19:29]Paying it forward [23:38]Sam’s Corner [26:08]The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 183: Alex SchrecengostThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

DESCRIPTIONIn this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Alexandra Schrecengost, Founder of Culture With Us, which brings DEI-based immersive experiences to hybrid workplaces. Join us for an eye-opening conversation about delivering high-quality employee experiences.What You’ll LearnYou don’t need to be perfectly qualified for every opportunity.The importance of getting started and having a planWhy you need to give yourself permission to be successfulThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 182: Scott BartonThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Scott Barton, VP of Incentives at Varicent. Scott is an expert in the sales world, particularly in revenue operations and incentive compensation. Join us for a great conversation about driving the right behaviors within your sales team.What You’ll LearnBuilding a compensation structure that works for both salespeople and the companyA holistic thinking about compensation, which includes development opportunities, benefits, advancement opportunities, and moreBest practices for managing your sales team through economic uncertainty  Show Agenda and TimestampsAbout Scott & Varicent [02:44]Best practices for designing compensation structure [07:00]How salespeople are empowered to shape how they’re recognized & rewarded [13:00]Increasing productivity by lowering the bar for success [14:42]Advice to management teams navigating the current economic uncertainty [20:43]Paying it forward [22:29]Sam’s Corner [25:10] The GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

Friday Fundamentals 181: Brandon BartonThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.

In this episode of the Sales Hacker Podcast, we have Brandon Barton, CEO of Bite and a hospitality tech entrepreneur and expert. Join us for a fantasticconversation about how to make the jump into a technology career from a non-tech career.What You’ll LearnWhat it means to create an incredible experience for peopleHow technology is impacting the restaurant industry during global labor shortagesThe transferable skills needed to make an industry or career jumpThe GTM Podcast Features conversations with the top 1% of tech executives, VCs, and founders - the experts who have ‘been there, done that’ to build some of the fastest-growing software companies. Every week, a guest joins Scott Barker to dissect their stories - revealing what worked, what didn’t, and how things actually went down.This podcast is produced by GTMnow, the media brand of VC firm GTMfund. Visit gtmnow.com to see more content and subscribe.