We explore the "F1 engineering team" analogy of GTM support, why productivity metrics are the ultimate indicator of a company’s health, and the specific questions every candidate should ask to de-risk their next career move.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - In this episode

02:44 – What is Sales Productivity Strategy?

04:00 – The F1 Analogy

05:15 – Measuring Every Step of the Process

07:45 – Cutting Ramp Time in Half at Harness

09:05 – Optimizing the Hiring Profile

12:02 – How Investors Use Productivity as a Health Signal

13:57 – Questions to Ask During Recruiting

18:23 – Benchmarks for Rep Attainment

20:00 – The Six Secrets of Excellence

25:34 – Productivity Leadership and the CRO

31:12 – Understanding CAC and Scalability

42:45 – The 5X Win Rate Improvement

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

The F1 Engineering Team Approach: Doug views the productivity function as the engineering team behind an F1 driver. Elite sellers are the drivers, but they shouldn't be dropped into any car. A world-class productivity strategy provides the fuel (pipeline), the GPS (RevOps), and the tools to optimize every contributor's horsepower to ensure they reach "elite" status.

De-Risk Your Career with Data: Candidates should scrutinize an organization’s health through productivity metrics, not just OTE. Key indicators include ramp time (e.g., 7 months vs. 15 months), the percentage of ramped reps achieving quota, and average deal size. If a CEO does not list sales productivity as one of their top three success metrics, it is a sign that the organization may view sales as a cost center rather than an investment engine.

Decision Velocity is Critical for Growth: In a high-growth environment, waiting to make decisions is not an option. Doug highlights the concept of one-way vs. two-way doors: identifying which decisions are reversible so the team can maintain high velocity. This agility allows an organization to respond to data in real-time and win the competitive race.

💬 Notable Quotes

"We are basically there to optimize the horsepower of every single seller in the organization." "Any change is incremental until you pile them on top of each other."

"If sales productivity is not one of [the top three metrics], I should probably walk away." "Great talent... can make hay in any field if they’re supported properly."

"You have to be willing to do the hard, hard stuff."

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse #salesproductivity

We explore the critical difference between "AI wrappers" and companies building genuine infrastructure, the emergence of the "Forward Deployed Engineer" in the sales pod, and how to identify technical moats in a world where models are rapidly evolving.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai 🏹

Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro 01:53 – Traversal: the AI Site Reliability Engineer

03:14 – AI Wrappers vs. AI Native

04:58 – The Importance of a Technical Moat

07:27 – Human Error and Data Scarcity

08:56 – From Experimental Budgets to Production Reality

14:42 – The Rise of the "Forward Deployed Engineer"

22:50 – From PhD to Founder 34:50 – Rethinking the Observability Stack

💥 3 Biggest Lessons: A Technical Moat Lives in Infrastructure and Data: Anish argues that a sustainable AI company must be an infrastructure and data company at its core. If your value is purely in prompt engineering or simple workflows, model companies (like OpenAI) will eventually "eat" those features. A true moat is developed through context engineering—managing petabytes of data in a way that is consumable for LLMs—and functioning on systems elements haven't been trained on, such as private observability logs.

Target Workflows Where Humans Are "Bad": When assessing the longevity of an AI solution, look at the tasks it automates. If a human is already good at the task, data for that workflow is easily collected and fed into public models, making the solution easy to replicate. The most defensible AI companies solve superhuman problems—tasks humans are inherently bad at or data types (like time-series logs) that are not publicly available for training.

The Chasm Between Pilot and Production: We are entering a phase where the "experimental AI budget" is drying up. Winners in the next two years will be companies that can connect their year-long pilots to hard labor or software spend. This requires tight technical scoping and a "pre-sales mindset" that lasts long after the initial check is signed to ensure the product survives the first renewal cycle.

💬 Notable Quotes

"As much as we’ve been an AI company, we’ve been an infrastructure and data company."

"If you are creating prompts or simple workflows, the models will just keep eating those up."

"The un-sexy part of AI—how you actually deploy this and comply with regulation—that is what is now maturing."

"Sales is a first-class citizen in the company... a less good product can win if you have the right team to bring it to market."

"I’ve become a student of sales... it eventually becomes a systems engineering problem."

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Oli Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

We explore the bridge between old-world sales principles and modern, developer-first GTM strategies. Paul breaks down why Product-Led Growth (PLG) should be viewed as a pipeline engine rather than just a revenue machine and explains the power of the "Logo Flywheel" in creating executive FOMO.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

02:20 - AI Bubble: Hype vs. Genuine Technology Value

05:19 - Building the "Logo Flywheel"

08:42 - Raising $70M in 2 Years

10:15 - Infrastructure Power

11:13 - PLG as a Lead Engine

19:15 - Selling Inspiration, Not Just Problems

32:14 - From Twilio to Browserbase

36:00 - Building a Generational Company

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Bring Critical Thinking to the AI Wave: While technology is creating real value, Paul warns against blindly buying into the financing hype. He emphasizes that both sellers and buyers must look for sustainable business models and long-term viability. Success in the AI era requires a "critical eye" to separate genuine innovation from experimental revenue that may not renew.

The "Logo Flywheel" is the Ultimate De-Risk: For infrastructure companies, social proof is invaluable. Executives often make decisions based on FOMO (fear of missing out), looking for established logos to validate their choice. By landing high-profile customers early, you create a flywheel effect that makes subsequent sales easier and de-risks the purchase for the next executive buyer.

PLG and Sales are Not a False Dichotomy: Paul challenges the idea that you must choose between being a PLG company or a sales-led company. Instead, use PLG as a lead engine. Letting developers self-serve allows them to "try on" the software like a jacket, while the sales team focuses on high-value "graduation" opportunities—converting active users into enterprise-level champions.

💬 Notable Quotes

"We need to bring critical thinking to the AI bubble and the AI wave."

"If you can get these great logos that inspire other companies, it's going to be much easier to sell."

"Developers... want to try it on. You don’t just buy a jacket without trying it on."

"You have to think a lot more like an angel investor or a VC than like a salesperson."

"First move is often lose... someone can copy everything... but they won’t get the 10,000 hours of customer understanding."

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

We explore why the BDR role is the most critical time in a career for building foundational grit and why 90% of AE struggles stem from poor front-end pipeline generation. John also shares his own unconventional journey, starting as a BDR at age 30 and scaling teams through massive growth phases at Oracle and MongoDB.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

01:53 - Software Sales as a High-Trajectory Profession

03:48 - The Six-Figure Entry: SDR/BDR Realities

06:47 - Why PG Sets You Free

10:27 - Grit and Resilience: Pushing the Boulder

16:51 - How to Assess the Right Organization 20:25 - Uncommon Investment in Development

33:28 - John’s Story: Starting as a BDR at 30

43:32 - The AE and BDR Partnership Dynamics

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Pipeline Generation is the Foundation of Success: Most Account Executives who struggle do so because they lack consistent pipeline generation skills from the front half of the sales process. The BDR role is not just a stepping stone; it is where you learn the "meat and potatoes" of sales—doing the gritty work in the dark, from cold calls to disqualification, that eventually sets a field seller apart.

Seek "Uncommon Investment" in Development: When interviewing, candidates must challenge organizations on their training programs. A high-quality program can clearly articulate its methodology (Learn, Practice, Do), validates skills through real-world application, and provides double the industry standard of coaching time—dedicating specific hours to both pipeline strategy and individual skill development.

Habits Determine Your Fate: Success in sales is fueled by a consistent "operating rhythm" and discipline. Resilience—the ability to view 70,000+ cold calls as a way to learn rather than just experiencing rejection—and the discipline to maintain consistent prospecting habits are what ultimately determine a leader's career trajectory.

💬 Notable Quotes

"You can easily make six figures right out of college as a successful BDR and it just goes up from there".

"PG is life. It sets you free".

"You don't determine your fate. You determine your habits and your habits ultimately play a huge part in determining your fate".

"I made somewhere in the neighborhood of 70,000 plus cold calls in my life... that teaches you a certain level of resilience".

"There is no AI without APIs... AI is not going to have that first conversation and really do phenomenal qualification".

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

We dive deep into the reality of the CRO role—orchestrating cross-functional ecosystems rather than just closing deals—and the personal journey of managing high-intensity burnout. Joe also offers powerful advice on finding an authentic leadership voice and why organizations must prioritize leadership training to protect their talent.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

01:57 - The Reputation and Rise of a CRO

03:39 - Viewing Sales as Business Optimization

06:47 - The Calling Card for Success

13:50 - The Cross-Functional Ecosystem

19:30 - The Strength and Weakness of Intensity

25:00 - Navigating Burnout

33:14 - The Kobe Bryant Lesson

42:34 - Finding Your Own Voice

46:36 - The Era of AI Governance and APIs

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Be a Business Leader, Not a Sales Leader: To reach the executive level, you must shift your mindset from selling products to solving strategic business challenges. Joe argues that a true business leader drives cross-functional alignment and won't do "bad deals" just for a commission because they are focused on the long-term health of the organization.

You Can’t Outwork the Job: High-performers often fall into the trap of trying to out-hustle every problem, which inevitably leads to burnout. True leadership requires ruthless prioritization, mental resilience practices like breathwork or cold plunging, and recognizing that your effectiveness is compromised if you neglect your health or family.

Never Compromise the Standard: Influenced by mentors like Cedric Pech and Luca Lazzaron, Joe believes in maintaining an unshakeable standard of excellence. He uses the "Touch the Line" philosophy to remind leaders that shortcutting small details eventually leads to personal and professional erosion.

💬 Notable Quotes "Find your voice. Find out who you are as a leader". "I tell AEs who become leaders, you can't outwork the job. Just know that". "I realized that I love what I'm doing because I love to help businesses optimize and transform". "Preparation was always my calling card... I absolutely have a big fear of failure". "There’s no AI without APIs... we like to be the picks and shovels leading to the gold".

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - intro

02:30 - Joining Kong at $1M ARR

04:34 - Pivoting from Family to Team Culture

07:42 - Hiring for Character over Industry Experience

17:22 - The Open Source to Enterprise Transition

22:31 - The Pasta Story: A Founder's Commitment

31:46 - Kong’s Role as the AI Governance Layer

50:39 - Scaling Careers in 4-Year Increments

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Hire Character, Teach Technology: In the early stages of a high-growth startup, it is more effective to hire for sales character and drive than for specific industry knowledge. Carl emphasizes that while API technology can be taught, the innate curiosity and grit required to traverse from developers to the C-suite cannot be coached. Heart Surrounded by Science: While many elite sales organizations focus 99% on "science" (metrics and process), Carl advocates for a culture of kindness over niceness. This means having the "heart" to challenge each other uncomfortably and care for the human, while using "science" to provide the repeatable structure needed for scale. The "Because Of" Journey: Carl encourages leaders and reps to seek out roles where their personal contribution leaves a visible mark on the company's trajectory. Success in a "because of you" environment sharpens a salesperson more than a fully-oiled machine, preparing them for the highest levels of business leadership.

💬 Notable Quotes

"Our culture should be: we’re not going to be nice every day, but we’re going to be kind".

"I can teach it (the playbook), but I can't teach you character".

"If you're in something you believe in... I don't tend to pick up the phone, even when great people like you call in". "We put the customers first, the company second, and ourselves last".

"I look at my career in four-year increments... that’s always helped me be pretty focused about where I need to go and learn".

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Oli Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter:   / huntersun1corns   Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns   Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

Steve opens up about his journey from a technical networking background to becoming a high-impact leader in cybersecurity. We unpick how he landed one of the industry's most sought-after CRO roles and why Cyera’s culture of humility and teamwork keeps them winning.

Steve shares profound lessons on seeking out mentors, the critical importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in delivery, and why he views leadership as a responsibility to help others reach their "ceiling".

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - In this episode

01:53 - Landing the Industry's Hottest Role

02:45 - Culture: No One is Bigger Than the Team

05:02 - The Science Behind the Playbook

06:45 - The Debt of Gratitude: Seek Mentors

13:05 - Overcoming Early Career Insecurity

35:57 - EQ: Why the Way You Deliver Matters

39:15 - A Turning Point: When My Boss Joined Me

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

EQ is About Delivery, Not Softness: Emotional Intelligence isn't just about being "likable"; it's about the strategic delivery of information. Steve emphasizes that the way a leader delivers good or bad news determines how it is received and acted upon, requiring the leader to put themselves in the other person's shoes.

Authentic Leadership is Altruistic: The most authentic form of leadership is surrounding yourself with people better than you and not being insecure about having "weapons" on your team. Steve attributes his success to Cyera's altruistic culture, where teams prioritize the customer first, the company second, and themselves last.

Active Mentorship Drives Careers: You cannot wait for an introduction; you must proactively seek out mentors and ask for help. Steve advocates for paying this forward by investing in everyone from BDRs upward, ensuring team members have the guidance they need to navigate "highs and lows" without entering a tailspin.

💬 Notable Quotes

"I love seeing the team win. I love seeing career progression and I love the thought that I'm helping people achieve their career goals".

"No one person is bigger than the team".

"Measure six times, cut once. It's the philosophy across the company".

"You almost have to have imposter syndrome to go figure it out". "You can't coach charisma, you can't coach likability... and you can't really coach desire".

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Oli Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

SEO Tags: Steve Rog, Cyera, CRO, Sales Leadership, Cybersecurity, Servant Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Mentorship, GTM Strategy, Force Management, Career Progression, Software Sales, Hunters & Unicorns

Tags: #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

He drops hard stats (91% of B2B teams missed quota, top 25 % drive 80% of revenue at 11× productivity) and explains why AI is a superpower for elite performers, a wake-up call for the bottom quartile, and a complete game-changer for SDR outreach, buyer trust, and hiring. If you lead a sales org, this 35-minute conversation is required listening. 🙌

Thanks to Our Sponsor! Aurasell AI

The first AI-native GTM platform: https://aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro & Jason returns

01:38 - AI: replace or superpower?

03:07 - Top 25% dominate revenue

04:38 - 91% teams miss quota

09:40 - AI’s impact on SDRs

12:46 - Outreach volume vs buyer fatigue

16:52 - Human trust + real-time signals

25:14 - Hiring for the AI era

28:25 - Will AI make sellers lazy?

31:12 - Keeping top talent engaged

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

1. AI Widens the Performance Gap Top 25 % already produce 11× more — AI will make them unstoppable while exposing under-performers.

2. Bottom Quartile Must Adapt Fast If you don’t aggressively adopt AI tools, you’ll fall further behind as others 2–4× their productivity.

3. Hire Character, Teach Skills Work ethic and engagement can’t be automated — get these right and AI turns good sellers into great ones.

💬 Notable Quotes “AI will be a superpower… it will unlock new levels of productivity that allow your top sellers to become even more productive.” “91 % of all B2B sales teams didn’t hit their revenue targets.” “80 % of the revenue was generated by only 25 % of the sellers.” “I don’t buy that AI makes sellers lazy — laziness exists for other reasons.”

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please smash like/share and subscribe!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

X: http://x.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

Jason shares the exact moment he became obsessed with solving a major product problem, the complexity and low productivity caused by massive tool sprawl (over 20 products) and unintentional data silos in the go-to-market stack. He details the crucial steps of founding Aurasell: partnering with a complementary CTO, validating the huge market problem (estimating over $1 billion in services spend), and securing a significant seed round to build the world's first AI-native CRM platform focused on customer-problem-centric design.

🙌 Thanks To Our Sponsor!

Aurasell AI: https://www.aurasell.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

01:36 - Founder Journey & Co-Founders

03:24 - From Operator to 3:15 a.m. Spark

05:00 - VC Detour & Market Gap

07:42 - Tool Sprawl & Unified AI Context

11:22 - Mapping the Problem to $30M Seed

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

The Spark of Product Obsession: Jason’s 20-year career as a CRO never led him to chase founding a company—until he woke up obsessing over a core product problem firsthand: the low productivity and operational cost caused by 20+ disconnected tools in the go-to-market stack.

Tool Sprawl Handicaps AI: The reliance on 20+ legacy SaaS products unintentionally creates data silos where crucial contextual metadata lives, rather than the core CRM. When companies try to "sprinkle" AI on this brittle structure, they severely handicap the potential for high-quality automation.

The Opportunity is in AI Native: To maximize productivity and solve the tool sprawl problem, the necessary solution is a single, AI-native platform built with a unified logic layer. This approach moves beyond small "AI tricks" to actionable automation that frees expensive sellers to attack the market.

💬 Notable Quotes

"I don't wake up at 3 in the morning and obsess over product. And then one day I did wake up at 3:15 in the morning obsessing over a product problem."

"I think it's important to make sure that your co-founding partners are complementary in skill set, like Minded and Alind on the problem."

"On average, every dollar of software you spend, historically has carried with it $3 of services." "The problem... is that those sellers are being asked to interface with... the contextual awareness that allows us to use AI to automate with high quality outcomes, often that contextual awareness lives in the metadata."

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter:   / huntersun1corns  

Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns  

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

SEO Tags: Jason Eubanks, Aurasell, AI Native CRM, Founder Journey, CRO to CEO, Tool Sprawl, Data Silos, Sales Productivity, GTM Platform, Seed Round, Co-founder, Venture Partner #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

Julia shares her unique journey from Security Analyst in a SOC to leading a high-performing SE team , emphasizing why Sales Engineers must be viewed as equal business partners to Account Executives, not just technical support. She walks us through the importance of symbiotic relationships , leveraging structure like MEDDIC , and the power of empowering SEs to build technical champions.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai

Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

02:40 - SE/AE Relationships that Lead to Failure

05:27 - The Ideal SE Profile

07:40 - SEs as Deal Realists

11:50 - Driving Cross-Functional Alignment

16:15 - Nurturing Talent: Teaching Sales Methodology

23:45 - From SOC to SE: The Biggest Career Risk

27:57 - Diversity in Tech

39:17 - Recruiting Priorities

41:23 - The Motherhood/Career Balance

42:18 - Hiring for Entrepreneurial Mindset in SEs

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

The SE Superpower is Reality: The sales engineer's superpower is the ability to look into the reality of an opportunity and be a realist about its progression. This means SEs must be empowered to act as the credible technical person and trusted advisor in the room.

Structure the Sales Instincts: For many technically inclined SEs, the sales aspect is not natural. Leaders must provide structure (like teaching MEDDIC) and enablement to help SEs embrace sales methodology as a new skill set.

Symbiosis Drives Success: Amazing things happen when sales and pre-sales embrace a symbiotic relationship and work together. This partnership ensures accountability where neither the AE nor the SE is left with an uneven workload, helping to avoid deals from falling "out of whack".

💬 Notable Quotes "Sales engineering should always be treated as an equal partner to sales." "It was probably the biggest career risk that I've ever taken." "The balance is what I seek, and if you can find people that are really great with their people's skills and relatable... and also really like to solve problems. It's a perfect blend of both." "If you give us that type of platform and that type of respect in an opportunity, then the world is our oyster." "I really find that the sales engineering role is this gem of a role for those of us who are a little bit introverted, we really like tech and our skill sets are with the tech."

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai

Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

02:17 - The Inner Motivation to Be a Founder

03:44 - The Hard Decision: Leaving a Sales Career

04:47 - The Co-Founder Hunt and Validation

06:07 - Using Sales Skills to Vet an Idea

08:55 - The Turning Point: Securing Initial Investment

11:46 - The CEO Upskilling Curve: Investor Relations

15:28 - Sales Mindset as a Competitive Advantage

17:01 - Product Pivot: Listening to the Customer

20:19 - SPLX AI's Funding and Growth Timeline

24:30 - Evolving the CEO Role: From Sales to Strategy

27:38 - Hiring A-Players for an Early-Stage Startup

30:00 - The Unconventional Sales Mindset in the US

38:05 - The Importance of Moving Fast in Your Career

40:40 - Building Champions Outside Your Geo

47:49 - The 90-Day Product Innovation Cycle

50:46 - Advice for Aspiring Founders

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

The Best Founder is the Best Salesperson: A founder must be the best salesperson in the company, constantly selling to customers, investors, partners, and potential hires. Sales experience provides a crucial competitive advantage in validating the product, building trust, and driving aggressive motion.

Finding a Co-Founder is Non-Negotiable: A sales-focused founder must pair with a deeply technical co-founder to balance skills and gain investor confidence. Kristian used his sales network and deep discovery skills to rigorously vet his co-founder's technical genius and commitment to the idea.

Master the Market, Not Just the Playbook: While sales playbooks are essential, true success in a fast-moving market like AI security requires listening to customers and being willing to pivot immediately. Kristian's team shifted their product focus after realizing the European market wasn't ready, proving that market adoption dictates the product roadmap.

💬 Notable Quotes "I'm super coachable when it comes to things I don't know, but I'm super strict about things I'm 100% I know how to do it." "I knew I need to find the right co-founder who knows how to build a tech so I can do with him the business because I know what I can't do." "You should thank God you made your co-founder. That was the turning point for me. I said, wow." "I knew I need to sell before I even have a product." "The biggest job of an early stage founder is getting term sheets. It's the biggest job."

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Koutis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

Dave shares how he consistently prioritized mentorship and skill acquisition over title or compensation, knowingly taking roles as an Individual Contributor (IC) after being a leader just to learn from the best in the industry. He discusses the power of the Playbook culture, the concept of reciprocal accountability that fosters deep team trust, and the importance of "earning your way in" to elite networks. This is a must-listen for anyone looking to scale their career by following great leaders and building an unshakeable skill set.

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🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

02:09 - Sales Career Launched by Mentorship

04:44 - The Shift to Software Sales

10:48 - Earning Your Way In: The Playbook

17:19 - Stepping Back: Leader to IC at AppD

23:20 - The Long Game: Mike's Mentorship

33:10 - Inspection vs. Inspiration

35:06 - The Two-Sided Champion Equation

40:48 - The Wiz Turnaround Story

51:00 - Advice for Aspiring Sales Leaders

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Follow the Leader, Not the Title: The most critical career decisions involve prioritizing who you work for a great leader and mentor, over a higher title, more money, or better short-term comfort. Dave consistently took an IC role after being a leader just to acquire a stronger, more teachable skill set from elite organizations.

Master the Two-Sided Account: Career success and gaining champions is a two-sided equation. You must continuously add value (make deposits) to the professional relationships you rely on, and not merely withdraw favors. You can't draw from an account that has no deposits.

Culture Needs Candor and Accountability: A highly effective sales culture operates with reciprocal accountability. The relationship must be honest and direct enough to allow for candid feedback (like being treated as siblings), which ultimately drives the mission faster.

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

💬 Notable Quotes "You could be a not great leader and have amazing people and do okay. And you could be the best leader on the planet Earth and have really bad people and you're going to be in trouble." "It doesn't matter how little you think someone might know about what they're trying to teach you... If you could try to take one thing away from these interactions..." "When you do treat each other, almost like you are siblings... It actually kind of creates a welcoming environment and atmosphere which only helps us get towards the mission faster when we're working and when we're building." "What your title is doesn't matter... build a skill set that teaches you how to do something to the point where you are consciously understanding of it." "You can't withdraw from an account that has no deposits in it."

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #EastCoastElite

After an 18-year career, Nakul discovered a powerful differentiator: an in-house playbook for recruiting exceptional talent and building scalable sales engines. He shares how his experience with a legendary sales leader transformed his investment philosophy, leading him to double down on "founder quality" and "10x individual contributors". We dive into tangible advice for founders on everything from identifying an urgent problem to solve to knowing when to hire their first sales team. Nakul also provides invaluable guidance for salespeople and execs looking to break into the world of venture capital.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

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🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro & Background

02:16 - The Audacious Ventures Thesis

04:30 - A Sales Legend's Impact

06:14 - The Genesis of Audacious

10:48 - Founder, Market, Urgency

14:40 - Coaching Founder-Led Sales

18:57 - The Repeatable Pipeline

20:51 - When to Hire Your First Sellers

24:20 - The Hands-On VC Advantage

27:40 - The Sales Comp Sticker Shock

29:34 - Good vs. Great in Recruiting

36:15 - How Reps Evaluate Startups

43:29 - Evaluating Equity Packages

48:36 - Double Trigger Vesting Explained

50:20 - Hiring Your First Sales Leader

56:31 - The Hybrid Sales Role

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Prioritize a Founder's Quality Over the Idea: The single biggest ingredient for startup success is the founder's ability to be a "force of nature" and attract other exceptional people. A great team can pivot and solve problems, but a great idea with a mediocre team is far less likely to succeed.

The Problem Must Be Urgent: When evaluating an idea, ask if it solves an urgent problem for the buyer, not just an important one. People only pay for solutions to problems that they need to solve right now, and this urgency is a key indicator of a large, scalable market opportunity.

Recruiting is Relentless: The difference between a "good" hire and a "great" hire is massive. Founders and VCs must be relentless in their pursuit of "10x" talent, a person who is in the 99th percentile of their profession. This requires deep back-channeling, a focus on recruiting as a core competency, and a willingness to pay for top-tier talent.

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes "People don't solve important but not urgent problems. People solve important and urgent problems". "The single biggest ingredient to startup success is the density of exceptional people in a company". "No VC can help you get to product market fit. But if you can get to product market fit, beyond that, there are some... frameworks that you can apply to build a scalable sales engine". "If you don't have an ICP, you're probably not ready for sellers". "I would argue that the difference between good and great is the same as the difference between good and absolutely horrible. It's light and day".

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #EastCoastElite

Madina shares insights into the essential skills for success, how to assess if a company's SDR program is right for you, and the critical role SDRs play in generating pipeline and driving revenue. We also discuss practical advice on how to stand out during the application process, the importance of a growth mindset, and why the "gift of the gab" isn't the only path to a successful sales career. 🏹

Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

01:48 - Madina’s role and the purpose of an SDR

03:36 - How SDRs partner with Account Executives

06:22 - Key metrics for measuring SDR success

08:03 - What to look for when joining a tech sales company

09:13 - The essential qualities of a successful SDR

11:02 - Why sales is a skill that can be learned

14:49 - How deep an SDR needs to understand the technology

16:06 - Enablement and ongoing training for SDRs

19:20 - The SDR role in a long-term sales career

22:59 - Handling rejection

33:07 - Choosing startup vs. established organization

40:51 - The value of being proactive in your job search

47:43 - The benefits of working in an office vs. remote

51:51 - How to stand out when applying for an SDR role

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Sales is a Learned Skill: Don't be discouraged if you don't have the "gift of the gab." Sales is a skill that can be learned and taught through practice and a strong growth mindset. The ability to be curious, ask good questions, and be coachable are key attributes for success.

Quality Over Quantity: As an SDR, your focus should be on the quality of the meetings you book, not just the sheer number of them. High-quality meetings that turn into qualified opportunities are what AEs and sales leaders truly care about, and wasting an AE's time can damage your reputation within the company.

Be Proactive: To break into the tech sales industry, especially as a new applicant, you must be proactive. Don't just submit an application and wait. Do your research on the company and its challenges, and then use LinkedIn to find and reach out to the hiring manager and other SDRs. This demonstrates your ability to do the job and helps you stand out from other candidates.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes "The SDR role in tech sales... it's not for everyone, it's a grind, it's a tough, tough job". "You have to be genuinely interested in the product and what it is in the space as well in order to do well, otherwise it's going to be really, really tough". "Usually an executive or a person would get hundreds of emails and really only a handful of phone calls". "Being proactive... that's the key... and not just submitting an application and waiting for somebody to get back to you". "What do you think is going to really set you up for success, right? And what kind of organization is going to allow you to be successful?". #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse #EastCoastElite

She's the mental performance coach for LSU football and the Chief Culture Officer at Lipper, a global manufacturing company. Amber unpacks the science behind high performance, explaining how thoughts, emotions, and mindset directly impact physical and professional success. We dive into practical strategies like mental rehearsal, self-talk, and reframing failure, offering actionable advice for anyone in a high-pressure environment.

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro & background

03:00 - The core science of human high performance

08:00 - The impact of mental rehearsal on the brain

12:30 - Mental performance for high-pressure professionals

16:30 - Understanding the power of self-talk

22:30 - How to apply self-talk and mental drills

28:00 - The power of breathwork in high-stress situations

35:00 - A new perspective on setbacks and failure

43:30 - The importance of mindset in leadership

49:30 - The difference between positive and productive thinking

51:30 - Building a championship mindset

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Thoughts Are Electrical Signals: Our thoughts are not just ephemeral ideas; they are real electrical signals that influence our emotions, physical state, and ultimately, our performance. To perform at a high level, you must take control of your self-talk and choose productive thoughts over unproductive ones.

Mindsets Are Bicep Curls for the Brain: Just as repeated exercises build muscle, repeated thoughts build mindsets. These mindsets act like filters on your brain, shaping how you perceive and respond to challenges. By intentionally practicing certain thoughts, you can build a "championship mindset" to handle pressure and setbacks effectively.

Embrace Failure as First Attempt In Learning: In high performance, failure isn't a sign of weakness—it's a form of data. By changing your mindset to view setbacks as valuable information, you can focus on rapid recovery and iteration rather than emotional volatility. This approach allows you to learn from your mistakes and quickly get back to the next play.

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes "I help people deliver their best when their best is needed... I teach science." "The brain doesn't know the difference between what's real and what's imagined. So mental rehearsal actually builds talent at the neurological level." "Winning's hard, guys... And mental performance isn't about the sunshine and roses of thinking everything's wonderful, but rather trying to drive the consistency that it takes to deliver your best when your best is needed." "What starts the process? ...Thoughts. Who controls your thoughts? ...We do." "In terms of our mindset, F-A-I-L, it simply stands for First Attempt In Learning." Tags: #highperformance #performancecoaching #huntersandunicorns

Having worked with over 100 startups, from first-ever sales rep to operating partner, Liam shares his unfiltered playbook for success in the chaotic world of early-stage companies. We cover how to identify the right opportunities, what a founder-led sales motion looks like, the red flags to watch for in an interview, and the mindset needed to thrive in a high-risk, high-reward environment. Liam also shares his famous cardboard cutout story that landed him a job at MongoDB, a company he helped take public.

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

01:53 - The Operating Partner Role at KP

05:18 - From Mongo to VC

09:34 - The Cardboard Cutout Story

11:53 - Product-Out vs. Customer-In

13:30 - Intrinsic Motivation for Startups

17:39 - The "Revenue-Generating PM"

19:53 - Qualifying a Startup as a Rep

23:26 - The Player-Coach Myth

27:49 - Scaling a Sales Team with Pods

30:34 - Evaluating Pre-Revenue Companies

35:22 - Finding the Right Company

40:30 - Red Flags when Interviewing Founders

48:09 - Faster Enterprise Buying Cycles

50:13 - The Future of Sales and AI

55:16 - The Value of Sales Training

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

The DNA of a Founder: Look for founders who see sales as a first-class citizen and have a high emotional resonance with the problem they are solving, not just a homework assignment from a board.

The "Player-Coach" Myth: The idea of a single person acting as both a top rep and a team leader is a "misnomer" that often leads to failure at an early-stage startup. It's better to hire great reps first, and then bring in a leader once the sales motion is proven.

Bet on Yourself: The best early-stage hires have an intrinsic motivation to prove they can succeed in a chaotic environment. They are not just looking for a prestigious role but for a chance to build something from the ground up. 🙌

Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes "What is the condition where a company would be so desperate and in pain they'd want what we have? And if that's the case, will they pay us anything?". "I bought a cardboard cutout of myself... It just said, can you see me working here?". "If I'm going to hire you as a founding sales rep, I need you to walk through the door on day one as a great sales rep. I can't have to enable you to do the actual function.". "The best early stage hires I've made is they're like revenue-generating product managers.". "If you ask me in 10 years, there're going to be more or less salespeople, I'd say less... the markets are getting exponentially larger... and the models are getting better, faster to be able to do full jobs.".

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse #EastCoastElite

He reveals the difficult but essential pivot from founder-led sales to building a world-class team, the qualities he looks for in top-tier sellers, curiosity, paranoia, and hunger and the mindset that propelled Cyera to nearly $100M ARR and a $6B valuation in just four years.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors! PGAI: https://www.getpg.ai & Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

01:55 - From the military to founding Cyera

05:30 - Why *** is the only compass that matters

08:02 - How top salespeople act

09:16 - The importance of a humble approach

12:22 - The hardest part of the early stages

16:01 - Validating a hypothesis with "dollars"

20:00 - The impact of moving to the U.S.

20:31 - From founder-led sales to building the first team

29:19 - The market transition

32:39 - The three characteristics of a great seller

37:05 - The balance between a playbook and excitement

40:02 - The importance of energy and mindset

49:43 - The core dynamic of the co-founder relationship

52:17 - Cyera's North Sta

54:47 - Why top talent should join Cyera

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Your Compass is the Customer: Your opinions don't matter; building a great product means constantly listening to and learning from your customers' pain points.

Sales is a Team Sport: In an early-stage company, a founder must stay engaged in the sales process to build trust, as a salesperson alone can't provide the same assurance.

Mindset is Everything: The difference between an average and exceptional performer is often their attitude. Bring energy, curiosity, and a relentless drive to everything you do.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes "Your idea sounds like a B-minus and that's a compliment. We're investing in the team, and if the customers tell us they want to buy that, we'll build it". "We don't build products according to those opinions. Maybe your mother. We build products according to the customers with a very attentive view to the customers' pain and to the guidance they're providing us". "A company only exists, the oxygen for a company is business. It's a net new ARR. That's the oxygen for these companies that we're all playing in". "The journey itself is the price. And it's not a full lack of ambition. Like we want to take over the world if we could and we're walking towards it". "The best sellers... are curious, genuinely interested, caring about the customers, the challenges, the pains, what they're trying to accomplish, why they're trying to accomplish it, why have they not accomplished it yet again and again and again".

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

austin shares his fundamental principles for sales leadership, emphasizing the importance of making every individual on the team successful.

We learn about his focus on skill acquisition, the value of learning from challenges, and why empathy is crucial for both employees and customers. Austin breaks down his "playbook" for problem identification and how to apply it at various stages of a company's growth, from building a sales process and managing pipeline to scaling international teams.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

PGAI: https://www.getpg.ai

Seller: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

00:58 - Flipping the org chart upside down

01:48 - The fundamental principles of sales

05:00 - Focusing on productivity

07:13 - Using frameworks for problem identification

09:17 - Translating a sales mindset to a leadership role

12:48 - Skill training and retention

18:56 - The benefits of non-linear career progression

24:00 - Learning through setbacks and hard times

32:27 - Why Austin chose to leave Rubrik for DBT

35:35 - Empathy as a core leadership trait

41:31 - The biggest challenges and learnings as a CRO

43:35 - The advantages of in-house company culture

49:55 - The playbook as a blueprint

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Flipping the Org Chart: Leaders are overhead, and their primary job is to make every individual sales rep successful.

Embrace the Hard Times: The only way to get through tough situations is through them, which is how you acquire new skills and become more resilient.

Playbooks are Blueprints: A playbook is a framework for problem identification, not a step-by-step instruction manual to be applied universally.

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunico...

Twitter:   / huntersun1corns  

Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns  

Blog: http://huntersandunico...

💬 Notable Quotes

"If you're in one job and you just go the next job and the job after that and you're just learning from people that are exactly like you, there's only so much skill that you can get."

"Productivity is like the most important metric and everything services that."

"The leaders that do that really well will be able to grow with the company."

"I think it's a blueprint, not an instruction manual."

"Trust is generated by the quality of the questions you ask. The amount of try it next time like try talking... If somebody comes and asks you... 'I need some advice or can I pick your brain', next time somebody says that try saying nothing but questions about 10 minutes into this. The person will reach across the table, grab your arm and say, 'Oh my gosh, you solved my problem.' And they'll leave and you'll just be like, 'I didn't say a word.'"

From making high-stakes decisions with limited runway to navigating board dynamics and founder alignment, Brian unpacks what it really takes to succeed in an early-stage company.

We dive deep into how he evaluated FireHydrant before joining, what he looks for in founders and boards, and how sales leaders should think about burn rate, valuations, and growth expectations. If you're in sales and considering a startup role, this episode is a must-watch.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

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🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 - Intro

01:00 - Startup chaos

05:00 From Startup Grind to Scalable Sales

09:17 The Hardest Hiring Lessons

13:46 Selling Without a Playbook

18:24 Coaching Reps to Think Critically

22:40 Building Repeatable Pipeline

29:03 Staying Grounded as a Sales Leader

35:17 Career Advice for Aspiring CROs

42:00 The Power of Humility in Leadership

50:30 The Role of Curiosity and Grit

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Chaos is a Feature, Not a Bug: Embrace early-stage ambiguity—true sales leadership is forged in unpredictability.

Hiring is Everything: The reps you bring on will define your success. Make every hire count.

Ask the Bigger Questions: Scaling isn’t just tactics—it’s teaching your team how to think.

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter:   / huntersun1corns  

Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns  

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes

“If you have a mediocre RD, avoid it. I would even avoid a good company if I didn’t have a good RD.”

“You’re not just asking ‘did I make my number?’ You’re asking: does this company even exist in 12 months?”

“There’s no bigger mistake than hiring the wrong person—it costs you a year.”

“Some founders just burn through VPs. You need to know that before you join.”

“You’re wearing a hundred hats and trying to hit growth targets with minimal runway. It’s not for everyone.”

Tags #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

From his early days at Uber to founding one of the most disruptive startups in observability, Martin shares what it takes to navigate uncertainty, build conviction, and win at scale. We dive into the mindset shifts behind leaving a tech giant to build something bold, how Martin sees the future of observability, and what it means to lead with clarity in a rapidly evolving market. If you're a founder, engineer, or operator seeking real insights from a builder at the top, this one’s for you.

Key Topics Covered

00:00 Intro

02:10 What Makes a Strong Founder

04:48 Why Martin Left Uber

09:22 Founding Chronosphere

13:41 Competing with Industry Giants

19:05 The Startup Learning Curve

26:38 Early GTM Decisions

33:20 Scaling with Intent

39:40 Balancing Vision and Feedback

46:14 Leadership Lessons in Hypergrowth

50:12 What’s Next for Chronosphere 52:49 Closing Reflections

3 Biggest Lessons

Leaving comfort for conviction: Martin’s leap from Uber shows that bold moves start with internal clarity, not external certainty.

Product-market fit is just the beginning: Real traction comes from execution, team culture, and continuous iteration.

Disruption requires ruthless focus: Be crystal clear on who you serve and why your product matters—then say no to everything else.

Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter:   / huntersun1corns  

Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns  

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

Notable Quotes “You don’t need to have all the answers before you start.” “It’s not about being better—it’s about being different in a meaningful way.” “Startups work when you're solving real pain, not just building cool tech.”

This episode is sponsored by SELR & PG:ai

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai

Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 – Intro & First Sales Job

04:20 – Choosing Leadership Over Sales

08:00 – WANs: Coaching with Metrics

12:10 – Building Loyalty Through Care

16:15 – Sales vs. Leadership Thinking

21:00 – IPO Learnings & Pressure

26:10 – Territory, Quota & Fairness

31:25 – Love-Driven Leadership

36:20 – Hiring for Intellect & Agility

42:05 – Structuring First-Line Teams

48:40 – Closing Advice & Reflections

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Real leadership is people-first – Helping someone grow, even if it means leaving your team, is true leadership.

2. Structure drives consistency – Weekly Activity Numbers (WANs) give both clarity and accountability to teams.

3. Love creates loyalty – When leaders genuinely will the best for their people, performance naturally follows.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes “If this is better for you and your family, leave. I will help you get promoted.” “You either really care about people and their development, or you don’t.” “Love is willing the best for others—and that’s how I lead.”

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

• Why the super-rep mindset is killing your team-building potential

• The 3 stages of a winning recruitment process: Pipeline. Discovery. Close.

• The 3 WHYs vs the 3 WHY NOTs — the ultimate framework to avoid dropouts

• Feedback loops, debrief sessions, and how to control the narrative between interviews

• Why you should never make an offer unless you know they’ll say yes

• Backchanneling: how the best CROs use it to recruit like assassins — and how to avoid blowing it up

Whether you're a first-time hiring manager or a seasoned VP, this is your playbook for hiring without luck or guesswork.

🔗 Subscribe & Connect If this episode resonated, drop a comment, like the video, and hit subscribe. We’re here to help you build teams that win.

In this episode, Hunters and Unicorns very own Simon and Ollie answer four critical questions every ambitious sales professional should be asking:

1. What’s the common thread among top-tier CROs? Discover the power of “Career Champions” and why no one gets to the top alone.

2. Why are you being overlooked for promotions? It’s not always about performance. We unpack how alignment, visibility, and internal champions dictate career momentum.

3. How do you position yourself as the irresistible first pick? We share hard-earned insights into how the best salespeople get fast-tracked for leadership roles.

4. How do you break the glass ceiling — and stay there? From skill mastery to the right strategic choices, we talk about what it really takes to go all the way.

This episode is for ambitious AEs, aspiring leaders, and current managers ready to level up with clarity, intent, and strategy. If this episode hit home, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. We drop practical gold every week.

#SaaSSales #CROCareer #TechSalesLeadership #SalesSOS #HuntersAndUnicorns

Marina shares hard-won lessons on building and recruiting world-class teams, navigating rapid promotions, overcoming imposter syndrome, leveraging EQ alongside IQ, and championing diversity in sales. Whether you’re an aspiring sales leader or a seasoned executive, Marina’s playbook offers actionable insights to elevate your career and drive lasting impact.

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors!

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🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 – Intro & Career Beginnings

01:30 – Transitioning from first line to VP

06:00 – Building the First Enterprise Team

12:00 – Transition to Major Deals Leadership

18:00 – Stepping into Second-Line Role

24:00 – Crafting Vision & Enabling Teams

30:00 – When to Step Back & Pivot

36:00 – Imposter Syndrome as Superpower

42:00 – EQ vs. IQ in Modern Sales

48:00 – Writing The Female Sales Leader

54:00 – Reflections & Future Outlook

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Embrace Humility & Listen First – Early listening builds credibility; understand before imposing change.

2. Leverage EQ to Drive Trust – Emotional intelligence is irreplaceable; it underpins long-term partnerships and diverse teams.

3. Purposeful Career Moves – Stepping back into roles refines understanding of where you add value at scale.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this deep dive, please like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes “Imposter syndrome can be a superpower if you let it drive you to earn your seat at the table.” “Leaders must give teams the tools to imagine the art of the possible.” “EQ is never replaceable by AI; it’s what builds genuine partnerships.” #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

From taking a struggling ZScaler team and transforming it in under three quarters, to embodying Wiz’s values of confidence and humility, Alice’s journey is proof that authenticity and unrelenting work ethic drive lasting impact. She delves into the hard lessons of leading through fear-based tactics early in her career, learning the Force Management Playbook at AppDynamics, and then applying it to close LogicMonitor’s largest deal ever. Ultimately, we focus on how Alice builds culture, leading by example, caring genuinely for people, and creating internal champions, so that teams win together, not just as individuals.

Whether you’re scaling a hyper-growth sales org, building a new culture, or simply looking to be a better human in leadership, Alice’s playbook is packed with actionable insights on driving growth through customer success and winning with authenticity.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!

PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai

Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 – Intro

05:00 – Why Alice Was Chosen for Wiz

10:00 – Wiz Values: Humility & Authenticity

15:00 – Leadership Evolution: Leading Without Fear

20:00 – Early Work Ethic & Foundations

25:00 – Learning the Playbook at AppDynamics

30:00 – Applying Playbook at LogicMonitor

35:00 – Career Pivots & Decision to Join Zscaler

40:00 – Turning Around the Zscaler Team

45:00 – Building Culture & Final Reflections

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

Authenticity Over Authority – Leading by fear alienates; leading by genuine care and humility builds lasting loyalty.

Learn & Apply Fast – When you join a Playbook organization, absorb everything like a sponge and execute immediately – that’s how you prove its value.

Culture Eats Strategy – Even in hyper-growth, small ritualistic acts (e.g., cleaning up after yourself) set the tone for accountability, trust, and team unity.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this deep episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes “People see through it as much as you might think they don’t. You have to genuinely care.” “Being right is not very valuable. It’s more important to be valuable than be right.” “The most important thing for me is I genuinely give a shit about people more than anything.”

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

If you're navigating messy growth, operational debt, or building CS from scratch, this conversation is packed with hard-earned insights.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!

🏹 Key Topics Covered

• 00:00 – Intro
• 03:43 – Natasha's evolving career
• 05:50 – Building with No Playbook
• 08:43 – When Your Org Chart Fails
• 12:41 – Driving Revenue from CS
• 16:00 – Rebuilding Customer Success at Hook
• 22:10 – Scaling Fast Without Losing Focus
• 27:45 – Coaching vs. Commanding
• 32:12 – Mistakes That Made Her Better
• 36:30 – What Growth Looks Like Now

• Running toward chaos is how you earn your seat. The people who grow fast are the ones who face the hardest problems first.
• Customer growth must be tied to revenue. Fluffy CS doesn’t survive—alignment with GTM is critical.
• Rebuilding is part of scaling. You often have to break what you built to keep growing the right way.🙌 Thanks for listening!This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!
• 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
• Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
• Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog
• 💬 Notable Quotes “Run towards the fire. The hardest problems are where growth comes from.” “Customer success has to earn the right to be there. You tie it to revenue or it dies.” “Sometimes you scale by breaking everything and starting over.”

Description In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre Spillane, co-founder of Selr.ai and former sales leader at MongoDB and Segment. She shares her incredible journey—from building high-performing teams in one of the most feared sales orgs in tech, to stepping into the unknown and launching her own company.

We dive into the power of coaching, the danger of drowning in data, and why understanding the “why” behind people’s actions is everything. If you're in sales, leadership, or considering your next bold career move—this is your playbook.

🙌  Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - From Oracle to MongoDB 04:01 - Learning from Carlos Delatorre 06:58 - ICP and Hard Lessons in Fit 08:44 - Coaching Is About Trust 11:14 - How to Truly Meet People Where They Are 13:19 - Building Intentional Sales Teams 15:01 - Diversity of Thought in Sales 17:38 - Data Overload in Sales Leadership 21:19 - Tracking the Right Metrics 24:10 - Aligning Personal Why with Business Goals 27:03 - Grit, Motivation & Early Indicators of Success 30:49 - What Seller Actually Does 34:42 - Founder Life vs Sales Leader Life 36:59 - Why Coaching Is Her Life's Work

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💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Trust Before Tactics: Effective coaching doesn't begin with playbooks—it starts by understanding and trusting your people. 2. Data Isn’t Insight: Sales orgs today are flooded with metrics, but the true game-changers are conversion points and coaching conversations. 3. Your 'Why' Is the Multiplier: Aligning your personal drive with business objectives creates clarity, resilience, and momentum.

---

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

---

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

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💬 Borrow these quotes from Deirdre!

“Once you get this opportunity, you take it with both hands… and you leave nothing on the field.” “You’ve got to meet people where they are—that’s where the trust builds.” “We don't lack data—we lack the right coaching to make sense of it.” “Being gritty is more important than being gifted.”

---

Description

From selling boat party tickets in Ibiza to leading with data and empathy at some of the UK’s fastest-growing startups, Libby shares the pivotal moment that changed everything — and the power of combining gut instinct with hard analytics.

We explore her early experiences in sales, how Jeremy Duggan and Steve McCluskey shaped her development, what it means to build inclusive teams, and how she balances motherhood with high-performance leadership.

Raw, inspiring, and deeply insightful, this is a masterclass in becoming more than the sum of your parts.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!

• 00:00 – Intro
• 00:39 – From Hard Work to Data-Driven Execution
• 03:01 – Learning to See the Patterns
• 06:03 – Becoming a Convert to the Playbook
• 08:17 – How Libby Leads Today
• 11:40 – Data vs. People: Earning Buy-In
• 14:38 – The ‘Cookie Cutter’ Myth
• 16:20 – Libby’s Unconventional Start in Sales
• 21:40 – Navigating Pregnancy, Leadership & Career Decisions
• 24:00 – Female Leadership & Real-World Challenges
• 27:00 – Imposter Syndrome and Identity at Work
• 30:00 – Balancing Motherhood and Ambition
• 34:00 – The Mission Behind ComplyAdvantage
• 38:00 – Values, Priorities & Why This Role Was the Right Move                   💥 3 Biggest Lessons1. Data doesn’t replace instinct — it amplifies it: Libby learned that great leadership isn't about abandoning your gut; it’s about backing it up with data that tells the real story. 2. Authenticity scales, imitation doesn’t: Early on, Libby tried to imitate powerful leaders, but real growth came when she embraced her own leadership voice. 3. Support isn’t just nice — it’s strategic: From Jeremy Duggan’s belief in young talent to Luke Rogers’ immediate support during Libby’s second pregnancy, backing people fully brings out their best. 🙌 Thanks for listening!This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
• Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
• Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

• Libby Derbyshire, sales leadership, ComplyAdvantage, Jeremy Duggan, female sales leaders, data-driven sales, sales playbook, Hunters and Unicorns, The Playbook Universe, sales transformation, motherhood and career, female empowerment, B2B sales podcast, sales manager advice, sales coaching, tech sales UK, revenue leadership, leadership podcast UK
• #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

From growing up in foster care to leading revenue responsibility for over $10B at one of the most influential enterprise software companies, Shakira’s story is a masterclass in grit, champion building, and unapologetic ambition. She shares how she developed her tenacity, why she dropped out of university, and how she found her path through selling timeshares at 14 to leading massive enterprise deals. We dive deep into her early influences, her playbook for high-performance sales leadership, and what truly drives her to never settle. This is not just about sales. It’s about identity, impact, and proving you belong—on your own terms. 

Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹

Key Topics Covered

00:00 In this episode...

01:25 Intro and backstory

03:24 Why she never wanted to be like her boss

06:33 Getting recruited by Jeremy Duggan

11:22 Champion-building as a life skill

15:01 Her biggest deal (and what it taught her)

19:47 What makes a great sales leader

24:08 Owning your ambition unapologetically

28:34 From maternity policy to mindset shifts

31:10 Advice to her younger self

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

Champion-building isn’t just for sales – It’s how you win people over in life and career, especially when you come from a non-traditional background.

Authenticity scales – Shakira’s leadership works because she leads as herself, not as a copy of what leadership is “supposed” to look like.

You don’t need to be perfect to be powerful – She’s made mistakes, changed direction, and still kept rising—all while carrying massive responsibilities at home and work. 

Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes from Shak! "I didn’t want to be a psychologist. I wanted to sell stuff." "You don’t have a deal until you have a champion who passes the test." "I am the only provider in my house. That’s the role we’ve landed on. So I have a duty of care to make it work." "I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not to make people comfortable." "Would I change things? Yeah—I would’ve done it sooner."

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

From engineering roots to building elite go-to-market engines, Dan unpacks the battle-tested frameworks that turned great ideas into generational companies. He shares hard-won lessons from PTC, BladeLogic, Medallia, and Datadog—including how to scale a sales org, recruit world-class talent, and align GTM with visionary founders.

Whether you're a startup founder, CRO, or early-stage sales leader, this is a masterclass you don’t want to miss. Dan also reveals the make-or-break mindset shifts that helped him navigate adversity, imposter syndrome, and the constant pressure of building under extreme constraints.

This episode is packed with insights you simply won’t find in any sales playbook. 🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹

Key Topics Covered

00:00 Intro 02:00 Dan’s 4 IPO Journey

06:45 Why Mentorship Mattered Most

12:00 Building Datadog’s GTM from Scratch

19:30 When Founders Should Hire a CRO

26:00 Go-to-Market Mistakes Startups Keep Making

32:00 The Wrong Way to Hire Sales Leaders

36:30 Datadog’s Hardest Challenges

42:00 Leading Through Pressure & Burnout

48:00 The Power of Having Great Mentors

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Your job as CRO is to make the CEO successful. Leadership alignment and trust are the ultimate foundations for scalable growth.

2. Play the long game—optimize for learning, not short-term comp. Dan’s biggest career leaps came from choosing mentorship over money.

3. Don’t break what’s working—build what doesn’t exist. Great GTM leaders complement product momentum by filling strategic gaps, not overhauling systems.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

🌐 Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

🐦 Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

📝 Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Borrow These Quotes from Dan!

🗣 “My job as a CRO is to make the CEO successful. Period.”

🗣 “Great sales orgs win even with an average product. That’s the secret.”

🗣 “Don’t try to fix what’s already working—go build what doesn’t exist.”

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

Jennifer had to dig deep, rebuild trust, and take a bold approach. From gathering data to relentless preparation, she and her team refused to back down, showing up day after day until they changed the game.

This is a masterclass in resilience, strategic thinking, and leadership in high-stakes sales.

🏹 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 Intro

1:15 A crushing loss

4:16 The account no one wanted

8:03 The turning point

10:52 Winning back trust

12:46 The emotional moment

14:38 Lessons in resilience

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

🔥 Data is power – Understanding real usage data gave Jennifer the leverage to turn the deal around.

🔥 Trust is earned through action – Showing up consistently and demonstrating commitment made all the difference.

🔥 Own the problem, own the solution – Jennifer refused to let go, took full ownership, and transformed a losing situation into a victory.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Koutis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode’s Links:

Jennifer Ortegon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferortegon/

Harness Website: https://www.harness.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

🌐 Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

🐦 Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

📝 Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: "This will be different." – Brian Johnson "We just kept showing up every day until we won the deal." – Jennifer Ortegon

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

Facing financial pressure & personal life challenges, Josh breaks down the emotional investment, strategic pivots, and relentless determination that ultimately secured a massive win. This episode dives deep into the importance of resilience, the power of champion-building, and the art of navigating high-stakes negotiations.

🏹 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 - Intro

02:19 - A Scrappy Patch & an Unproven Market

05:11 - The Deal No One Believed In

07:08 - The Pivotal Meeting

08:59 - The Missing ‘Why Now’

10:32 - Finding the Real Champion

11:38 - Everyone Gave Up, But I Had No Choice

13:29 - The Biggest Lesson in Deal Making

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

1️⃣ Emotional investment can blind you – A deal isn’t real until you align it with the customer’s true business drivers. Personal stakes don’t equal urgency for the buyer.

2️⃣ The "why now" follows the "why anything" – If your deal lacks a compelling reason for change, there is no urgency. Customers must see value beyond just your product.

3️⃣ The real champion is the one who benefits the most – Look beyond those who like your solution. The real decision-maker is the one who gains money, a promotion, or influence. 🙌

Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

🔹 Connect with Josh Bey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabey/

🔹 Learn more about Obsidian Security – https://www.obsidiansecurity.com/

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: 📢 "If you don’t have a strong enough ‘why anything,’ you’ll never get a ‘why now.’” – Josh Bay 📢 "Customers don’t care about your fiscal year or personal stakes. They care about their business needs." 📢 "Find the champion who has something to gain—more money, a promotion, or expanded control."

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

John shares his journey from the early days in sales to leading high-performing teams, diving deep into the mindset, strategies, and lessons that drive success. Whether you're a sales professional or a leader looking to elevate your team's performance, this episode is packed with raw insights and practical advice you won’t want to miss.

🏹 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 Intro

02:10 John's First Role in Sales

05:45 Learning from Early Mistakes

09:20 The Key Traits of High-Performing Sales Leaders

12:35 How to Build and Scale an Elite Sales Team

15:50 Takeaways

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

1️⃣ Success Starts with the Right People – John emphasizes that recruiting and developing the right talent is the foundation of any high-performing sales team. Skills can be taught, but mindset and drive are critical.

2️⃣ Leadership is About Empowerment – Effective sales leaders don’t just manage; they inspire, coach, and create an environment where their teams can thrive. John shares how he fosters a culture of accountability and excellence.

3️⃣ Adaptability is Key to Scaling – As organizations grow, sales strategies must evolve. John discusses how flexibility, data-driven decisions, and continuous learning are essential for long-term success.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

John Behm on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-behm-75935120/ Harness Website: https://www.harness.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: "Great sales teams aren’t built overnight; they’re built with intention, process, and the right people." "The best leaders don’t just push results; they develop people." "Sales success is about consistency—show up, do the work, and keep improving."

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

Hillary shares her journey through the challenges of enterprise sales, her approach to building trust with clients, and how she stays resilient in the face of adversity. This conversation is packed with actionable insights for sales leaders and anyone looking to elevate their game. Hillary also discusses the importance of aligning personal values with professional goals, strategies for standing out in competitive markets, and how to lead with authenticity. Her passion for empowering others shines through in every story she shares. Whether you’re in sales, management, or simply interested in hearing a candid and inspiring journey, this episode has something for everyone.

🏹 Key Topics Covered

00:00 Intro

02:12 Breaking Barriers and Building Trust

05:30 Handling Setbacks with Resilience

08:40 Strategies for Standing Out in Competitive Markets

11:20 Aligning Values with Professional Goals

15:10 Leadership Lessons and Empowering Teams

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Resilience Leads to Growth: Hillary highlights how setbacks are opportunities to learn and grow, emphasizing the value of persistence in sales.

2. Authenticity Builds Trust: Success comes from being genuine and aligning your values with your professional goals.

3. Leadership Is About Empowerment: Great leaders focus on uplifting their teams and fostering an environment where everyone thrives.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

Hillary Unis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillary-unis/ Harness Website: https://www.harness.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes "Trust is the foundation of every successful deal. Without it, you have nothing." – Hillary Unis "The best leaders empower their teams to achieve greatness together." – Hillary Unis #rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

Rush discusses the initial six months of no progress, highlighting the frustration of dealing with a giant like Amazon. Rush shares his strategic shift, focusing on research, pinpointing the right Amazon unit, and refining his pitch. Despite setbacks, he made a bold move by renting a restaurant near Amazon's secretive office, which finally got him noticed by key players, including Gur Kimchi, leading to a critical meeting, and a $15 deal down the road.

🏹 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 - Intro

01:13 - Rush’s Initial Struggles with Amazon

02:00 - Turning the Situation Around

03:36 - The Role of Belief in Success

06:14 - Getting Amazon’s Attention

07:36 - THAT Email from Bezos’ Lieutenant

10:50 - Securing 15 Minutes with Amazon

11:17 - The Most Important 15 Minutes of His Career

13:00 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

14:25 - Cultivating Long-Term Client Relationships

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

1. Persistence Pays Off: Even after early setbacks, keep adapting your approach and pursuing opportunities.

2. Think Outside the Box: Use creative tactics (like hosting events) to catch the attention of major clients.

3. Understand the Client's Needs: Align your strategy with the long-term goals and evolving needs of your client to create lasting partnerships.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

Rush Williams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rush-williams-64a5127a/ Impact.com Website: https://www.impact.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: “It’s not about the rejection; it’s about learning from it and staying committed.” “The biggest deals are made by understanding the client’s vision and being a part of their growth.” “Sometimes, you need to be creative and unconventional to break through the noise.”

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

From early struggles to breakthroughs, she reveals how a single cold call worth $50,000 became the turning point in her career. Lori discusses the challenges she faced along the way, the lessons she learned, and the mindset shift that helped her close the deal of a lifetime. In a field dominated by competition and high stakes, Lori’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and persistence. She opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of sales, from missing out on big deals to hitting that one major win. Lori also dives into the personal growth that comes from taking ownership of your success.

Tune in to hear more about how Lori turned obstacles into opportunities and how you can apply these lessons to your own career. Whether you're in sales or another field, this episode offers valuable insights on overcoming setbacks and staying determined in the pursuit of success.

🏹 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 Intro

01:11 Early Challenges in Sales

02:35 Missing the Big Deal: Turning Point

04:52 Mindset Shift: Owning Your Success

06:36 The $50K Cold Call

08:24 Building Resilience Through Results

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

Lesson 1: Embrace Setbacks as Stepping Stones: Lori’s journey shows that each setback, even the ones that seem like failures, can be an important learning experience. Rather than being discouraged, it’s about embracing those moments as growth opportunities that set you up for greater success.

Lesson 2: Persistence Pays Off in Sales: Lori emphasizes that in sales, persistence is everything. Success doesn’t happen overnight, but through consistent effort, you will eventually break through. It’s the repeated actions that build momentum and create opportunities.

Lesson 3: Mindset Shifts Unlock Greater Success: Lori’s story highlights how changing your perspective and taking ownership of your journey can radically transform your outcomes. By shifting from a reactive to a proactive mindset, you empower yourself to take charge of your career trajectory.

🙌 Thanks for listening!

This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

Lori Lipscomb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-lipscomb/

Codeium's Website: https//www.codeium.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: “Every ‘no’ was just one step closer to the ‘yes’ that really mattered.” “The mindset shift was crucial — owning your own success rather than waiting for others to hand it to you.”

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

From immense personal stakes to relentless belief in his solution, Andreas shares how he transformed a potential failure into a life-changing success. Discover the strategies, mindset, and lessons that turned a €16,000 bank balance into a groundbreaking achievement for Andreas and his company.

🎓 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 Intro

00:48 Managing Pressure and Preparation

04:19 From LinkedIn Message to Closing the Deal 06:12 Building Champions and Gaining Buy-In

08:21 Overcoming Roadblocks and Creating Opportunities

12:46 Worldwide Travelling to Close a Deal 16:04 The Big Win: Receiving the Life-Changing Call

🔑 Biggest Lessons from the Episode:

1. Mindset and Routine: Success starts with a disciplined routine and an unshakable belief in your ability to close the deal.

2. Relentless Preparation: Understand every detail about your stakeholders and tailor your approach to build trust and connection.

3. Collaborative Execution: Big wins require teamwork; orchestrate resources effectively to tackle large-scale deals.

4. Resilience Through Adversity: Turn setbacks into opportunities and maintain a long-term vision for success.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

Grafana: https://grafana.com

Connect with Andreas Stanger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasprofile/

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

🔔 Notable Quotes: "Discipline and belief are the foundation for winning big." "If I don’t close this deal, no one will." "It takes a village to close transformational deals."

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

From facing rejection and disillusionment to achieving 302% of his sales quota, Tim’s story is a testament to perseverance, mindset shifts, and relentless focus. Discover the strategies that helped Tim overcome challenges, reframe his approach to sales, and close over $10M in deals in a single year.

This episode is PACKED with actionable insights for anyone looking to elevate their career and redefine success.

Key Topics Covered:

00:00 Intro

01:11 Early Challenges in Sales

02:35 Missing the Big Deal: Turning Point

04:52 Mindset Shift: Owning Your Success

06:36 The Cold Call That Changed Everything

08:24 Building Resilience Through Results

🔑 Biggest Lessons from This Episode:

1. Own Your Success: Success isn’t handed to you. Embrace accountability and take control of your career trajectory.

2. Ask Tough Questions: Don’t shy away from testing champions and qualifying opportunities rigorously.

3. Resilience Wins: When setbacks arise, double down on effort and focus to bounce back stronger.

4. Trust the Process: Results may take time, but consistency and persistence always pay off.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links: Tim Moxness on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/example Tesl website: http://tesl.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: "No one is going to waste my time." "Ask for the business stone cold—don’t assume the deal will close itself." "Turn disillusionment into drive and watch what happens." #rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

Michelle shares how she turned rejection into motivation, built relationships that transformed her career, and mastered the balance between the art and science of selling. Discover her innovative strategies for breaking into accounts, winning deals, and connecting with clients on a personal level. Michelle’s passion for her craft is a masterclass in grit, creativity, and perseverance.

🏹 Key Topics Covered:

00:00 Intro

01:06 Starting with a Challenging Patch

03:29 Turning Rejection Into Motivation

07:18 Mastering the Art and Science of Sales

11:03 Building Relationships That Transform Careers

15:39 Grit, Determination, and Going the Extra Mile

🔑 Biggest Lessons from This Episode:

1. Rejection Fuels Growth: Embrace setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow. Every rejection gets you closer to success.

2. Art + Science of Selling: A strong sales process is essential, but personal connection and creativity are what truly win deals.

3. Build Relationships Beyond Business: Treat clients like friends; understand their goals, motivations, and challenges to create lasting partnerships.

4. Go the Extra Mile: Stand out by doing what others won’t—whether it’s delivering sandwiches, baking cookies, or finding innovative ways to connect.

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🔗 Episode's Links:

Michelle Bove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bove-8b79a224/

Wiz website: http://wiz.io 🦄

Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns

Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns

Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes: "People ultimately buy from people." "A strong sales process is the foundation, but art is everything." "Go meet your clients, get to know them personally and professionally."

#rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:25 Why First-Line Leadership Is the Hardest Role
• 03:49 Challenges in Transitioning to Leadership
• 06:01 From Super Sales to People-Centric Leadership
• 10:52 Embracing Failure
• 15:32 Developing a Unique Leadership Style
• 20:23 The Key to Building High-Performing Teams
• 25:55 Choosing the Right Company for Career Growth
• 27:45 Navigating Career Milestones and Staying Competitive

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and edited by our friends at VideoScale.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🔗 Episode's Links:

• Zahir on LinkedIn:   / example  
• Navan website: http://navan.com

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns:

• Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
• Twitter:   / huntersun1corns  
• Instagram:   / huntersandunicorns  
• Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

🔔 Notable Quotes:

• "Leadership isn't about results; it's about developing people."
• "Slow down, focus on people, and the results will come naturally."
• "You don’t choose when you're ready—your performance speaks for itself."

He discusses the importance of having fun in business, the challenges of navigating the startup landscape, and the critical role of sales strategy and market fit.

Varun emphasizes the future of AI and its impact on software development, as well as Codeium's vision to revolutionize the industry. He also highlights the significance of cultural principles, lean operations, and personal motivation in driving success.

Key Takeaways

• Having fun is essential in business.
• Codeium achieved unicorn status in three years.
• Intellectual honesty is vital for startups.
• A product must solve real pain for customers.
• ROI is crucial for AI products.
• Running lean is important for sustainability.
• It's more valuable to be adaptable than to be right.
• Personal motivation drives success in startups.
• Surrounding yourself with smarter people is key.

Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of effective channel strategies in driving business growth. In this conversation, Michael Musselman discusses the importance of leveraging the channel and partner strategy to scale revenue for startups. He emphasizes the need to build relationships with cloud service providers and other strategic partners to generate qualified pipeline and close deals faster. Musselman introduces the concept of the 5 C's (Co-sell, Co-build, Co-market, Consumption, and Champions) as a framework for evaluating and developing successful partnerships. He also highlights the growing influence of cloud service providers in the software sales market and the need for companies to adapt to this trend.

Key Takeaways:

• Building successful partnerships requires understanding the partner's business and adding value to their operations.

• The evolving market trends indicate that every business is becoming a technology or software business, and cloud service providers play a crucial role in this transformation.

• Effective channel strategies involve aligning with market trends, leveraging the power of cloud service providers, and nurturing strong relationships with partners.

• Balancing the give-and-take relationship in partnerships is essential, where adding value to the partner's business should come before asking for favors.

• The channel sales role requires individuals with attributes like an entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity, and a growth mindset. Leveraging the channel and partner strategy can have a significant impact on the size and speed of deals.

• Building relationships with cloud service providers and strategic partners is crucial for generating qualified pipeline and closing deals faster.

• The 5 C's (Co-sell, Co-build, Co-market, Consumption, and Champions) provide a framework for evaluating and developing successful partnerships.

• Cloud service providers are playing an increasingly influential role in the software sales market, and companies need to adapt to this trend.

Gardner emphasizes the importance of data and metrics in understanding partner performance and driving success. He also highlights the need for buy-in from the entire go-to-market organization and the value that a well-executed partner ecosystem can bring. The hiring criteria for partner managers are similar to those for account managers, focusing on intelligence, entrepreneurship, and a sense of urgency.

In this conversation, Gardner and the hosts discuss the qualities and skills required for success in partner management roles. They highlight the importance of drive, coachability, and experience in building successful partnerships. They also explore the challenges of convincing AEs to transition into partner roles and the need to check ego and take a backseat in sales campaigns. The conversation delves into the critical role of champion building in partner management and the need to build champions both internally and externally. They also discuss the evolving role of the channel in the changing buyer landscape and the emergence of marketplaces. Gardner shares his insights on why the channel is becoming more important and the potential for a channel-first approach. The conversation concludes with Gardner discussing his new role at Codeium and the exciting opportunities in leveraging AI and large language models to solve specific business problems.

Key Takeaways

• Building a successful channel ecosystem requires buy-in from the entire go-to-market organization.

• Data and metrics are crucial in understanding partner performance and driving success.

• A well-executed partner ecosystem can bring significant value to an organization.

• The hiring criteria for partner managers are similar to those for account managers, focusing on intelligence, entrepreneurship, and a sense of urgency. Drive, coachability, and experience are key qualities for success in partner management roles.

• Convincing AEs to transition into partner roles can be a challenge, as it requires checking ego and taking a backseat in sales campaigns.

• Champion building is crucial in partner management, both internally and externally.

• Enablement plays a critical role in building successful partner ecosystems.

• The channel is becoming more important due to the emergence of marketplaces and changing buyer behaviors.

• AI and large language models offer opportunities to solve specific business problems and drive meaningful business value.

Ghazal emphasizes that companies often fail to track the incremental contribution of the channel to the business, leading to mistrust and self-sourcing of deals. To address this, she recommends measuring the deals that are sourced by partners and approved by reps to ensure accurate tracking. This approach will enable companies to understand the channel's true impact and make data-driven decisions.

Ghazal advises companies to highly qualify their partners, commit to a few strategic partners, and invest in them instead of trying to work with a large number of partners. This strategic approach will allow companies to build stronger relationships, improve focus, and increase accountability. Ghazal attributes the failure of the conventional channel playbook to the lack of understanding of the channel's true impact, particularly among software companies. She notes that many large technology companies that have grown up in the hardware industry may not fully comprehend the importance of measuring channel contributions. This gap in understanding can lead to misguided strategies and ineffective channel partnerships. Ghazal shares a personal anecdote about a turning point at AppDynamics, where they realized the need to establish leading indicators for their channel partners. These leading indicators would help track progress, ensure accountability, and provide a more sales-organization-like approach to the channel.

Rubrik has implemented a set of leading indicators to measure the performance of their channel partners, including:

* Deal registration: The number of deal registrations submitted by partners

* Deal registration conversion: The conversion rate of deal registrations into opportunities

* Opportunity conversion: The conversion rate of opportunities into closed deals

* Save the Data: A group of people who learn about the chaos caused by cyber attacks and attend events that generate pipeline

* Account mapping: Research and identification of high-potential accounts

* Propensity to buy: Researching and identifying accounts with a higher likelihood of purchasing the company's technology

Early Career Challenges

Arturo Marin, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of cast.ai, shares his remarkable transformation journey from being a talented salesperson to a successful leader. In the early stages of his career, Marin reflects on his time at SAP, where he was initially successful due to his "take-charge" personality. However, his inability to accept feedback and criticism from others led to a significant issue - his entire team quit. This critical moment forced Marin to realize the importance of adaptability and humility in leadership.

Mentorship and Growth

Marin's awakening was a turning point in his career. He met his first mentor, Bob Ranaldi, at PTC, who taught him the value of selling by emphasizing the importance of process, prioritizing transparency, and adapting to new challenges. Marin was initially hesitant to learn from Ranaldi but eventually developed the skills to lead and retain top talent, resulting in increased revenue. Marin's growth continued under the guidance of another mentor, Helio Samora, who instilled in him the responsibility that comes with leadership. Samora encouraged Marin to take on leadership roles, which ultimately led to his appointment as the director of Latin America.

Leadership Roles and Success

Marin's success in Latin America caught the attention of Jason Eubanks, who approached him to lead the Latin America team for Meraki, a Cisco acquisition. Despite initial hesitation, Marin took on the challenge and led the team to success. Throughout his journey, Marin credits his mentors for providing valuable guidance and support, which helped him evolve into a high-potential CRO. His mentors, including Helio and Bob, taught him the importance of following a process, prioritizing transparency, and adapting to new challenges.

Key Takeaways and Insights

Marin's story highlights several critical factors that contributed to his success in sales and leadership:

1. Mentorship: Marin emphasizes the importance of choosing leaders and mentors who can guide and mentor young salespeople, providing valuable advice and feedback.

2. Continuous Learning: Marin believes that being open to learning from others, asking for help, and surrounding themselves with people who are better than them have been critical to their success.

3. Adaptability: Marin's ability to adapt to new challenges and learn from his mistakes has been instrumental in his growth as a leader.

4. Diversity: Marin's experience with diverse mentors and leadership styles has taught him the value of embracing different approaches, which has greatly benefited his development as a leader.

In conclusion, Arturo Marin's transformation journey from a talented salesperson to a successful leader serves as a testament to the power of mentorship, diversity, and continuous learning. His story provides valuable insights for those looking to build a successful career in sales and leadership.

Laurent Gil, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of cast.ai, shares his insights on finding product-market fit and how it drives organizational success. Discover how elite sales, combined with product-market fit, create a successful company.

**Journey as an Entrepreneur**

Laurent recounts his entrepreneurial journey, from his 2005 startup using facial recognition technology acquired by Google to founding a cybersecurity company leveraging GPUs for machine learning. Learn how he overcame skepticism and demonstrated the potential of facial recognition, paving the way for digital sharing and social media.

**From Idea to Success**

Laurent emphasizes that commercial viability comes from solving real problems, not just building cool products. He underscores the importance of understanding issues and developing effective solutions.

**Cast AI: Optimizing Cloud Costs**

Laurent's company, Cast AI, tackles the problem of cloud over-provisioning, where 87% of machine utilization is wasted. Cast AI's engine dynamically adjusts resources in real-time to optimize costs, especially for applications with variable user traffic.

**Key Insights**

- Over-provisioning wastes 87% of machine utilization.

- Cast AI dynamically adjusts cloud resources to optimize costs.

- Beneficial for applications with variable user traffic.

**Case Study: Bank Client**

Learn how a bank client used Cast AI to scale compute resources based on user activity, minimizing waste and reducing costs during off-peak hours.

**Challenges in Selecting Machine Types**

Laurent discusses the difficulty of choosing the right machine type from numerous options. Cast AI automates this process, selecting the most efficient machine based on real-time usage and cloud provider availability.

**Traction and Scalability**

Discover how Cast AI developed its technology with a California client, optimized their compute resources, and gained traction with other clients, becoming a scalable solution for cloud optimization.

**Actionable Insights**

- Understand and solve real problems.

- Optimize cloud costs to reduce waste.

- Utilize technology like Cast AI for real-time resource adjustment.

Laurent's experiences offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and tech professionals on finding product-market fit and building successful companies.

Carlos' Talent Development Philosophy Carlos reflects on nurturing talent over decades by spotlighting strengths and developing people beyond their current roles. He discusses specific examples like Jessica Roman and Matt McClernand who he challenged outside of their experience, furthering their leadership abilities. Carlos emphasizes the importance of grit, commitment to excellence and learning from failures.

Evaluating Growth Opportunities Carlos looks for "angry markets" with differentiated products and scalable, aligned teams when evaluating opportunities. He chose Harness due to the massive potential in automating developer workflows and its product-led growth model.

Prioritizing Inclusive Cultures Carlos evolved to prioritize developing talent and building inclusive cultures. He organizes teams like internal startups to drive rapid innovation.

Insights on Scaling to $1B Revenue Carlos shares that scaling 10x requires optimizing processes through data-driven priorities and leveraging strategic channels like hyperscalers to accelerate growth.

In closing, Carlos' enduring passion and infectious energy for developing world-class teams shine through. His lessons offer a blueprint for leadership and sustained success.

The podcast episode profiles Josh Reiner, current VP of EMEA at SaaS company Wiz. He discusses his career path, having started at BMC where he was part of a reverse takeover by BladeLogic. Josh then transitioned to roles at AppDynamics and Zscaler, learning valuable lessons about collaboration under executives like Dally Rajic.

Establishing Clear Goals and Optimizing Processes

As the leader of Zscaler's UK team, Josh emphasized the importance of having a shared vision. Their goal was to gain 3 million users on the platform. To work as one global organization, he optimized handoffs between teams through open communication and incremental weekly improvements. By publishing regular updates on progress, the entire company remained aligned.

Driving Accountability and Continual Learning

Josh stresses that frequent coaching sessions and publishing performance metrics kept employees accountable to goals. This also supported continual self-improvement. He looks for candidates willing to learn when hiring and prioritizes diversity to foster new perspectives in teams.

In Summary

Through empathetic leadership, Josh achieved significant growth while unifying remote functions. His insights offer a blueprint for maximizing collaboration across borders and building high-performing global organizations.

Key Takeaways from the Entire Podcast:

1. **Introduction and Background**: Rick Kickert, co-founder of Rev-Logic, brings extensive experience in revenue enablement, having worked with influential leaders such as Dali Rajic. Simon and Ollie, introduce Rick, highlighting his energy and promise for an insightful discussion.

2. **Enablement Dynamics**: Enablement is defined as aligning with business goals and integrating them into the company's DNA. Rick's journey from a buyer to an enablement expert was driven by the opportunity to expand his skill set and professional network.

3. **Sales Evolution**: The focus should shift towards buyer enablement, adapting to changing buying behaviors, leveraging technology, and emphasizing product-led growth to provide unique and context-rich communication.

4. **Enablement's Role**: Establishing robust enablement programs, even in early-stage organizations, is crucial for scalability and long-term success. Continuous evaluation and adaptation are necessary to maintain productivity and reduce attrition.

5. **The Formula for Success**: Rick emphasizes making the go-to-market team as productive as possible to achieve revenue goals. The productive capacity model includes hiring, onboarding, pipeline generation, conversion, and customer expansion or consumption.

6. **Rev-Logic's Approach**: Rev-Logic aims to provide revenue enablement as a service, leveraging experienced operators in the field to help companies achieve their revenue goals. Continuous learning and collaboration within the sales community are emphasized for shared knowledge and insights.

Overall, the podcast provides valuable insights into the critical role of enablement in driving predictable and repeatable success in sales, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and collaboration within the sales community.

The duo dive into the story of how Bugcrowd transitioned from its founder-focused roots to a broader leadership horizon, unpacking the wins and hurdles of growing a company. Their camaraderie is a testament to how trust, respect, and diverse strengths can forge a strong leadership bond.

They also peel back the curtain on the art of cybersecurity sales, shedding light on the intricate dance of pitching to top security chiefs and the journey from the sales floor to the corner office. Both Casey and Dave are champions for cultivating a team spirit and a culture where everyone pulls together.

Looking ahead, Bugcrowd's blueprint is all about upscaling the business, pushing the growth pedal to the metal, and branching out into untapped territories—all while honing their message to showcase their full suite of cyber-defenses beyond just bug bounties. It's clear that for Bugcrowd, the future's not just bright; it's groundbreaking.

Key Takeaways:

1. Pavel recounts his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting three ventures, including internet portals in the late nineties. He emphasizes the need for venturing beyond local borders and seeking co-founders with aligned moral and ethical values for a long-term commitment, emphasizing the importance of building a client-focused company.

2. The co-founder selection process involved identifying co-founders with a shared vision and technical capabilities. The motivation for founding Keboola stemmed from a desire to simplify data usage for businesses by integrating and orchestrating tools in a modern data stack.

3. Pavel emphasizes the need for hands-on understanding through customer interactions and initial implementations, debunking the idea of a sophisticated framework for startups. The two approaches to startup initiation are outlined, either addressing a specific problem within a familiar vertical or identifying a broader market need.

4. Initial efforts focused on reaching out, organizing events, and engaging with potential customers. Key customer, Tomas Chopra, provided crucial insights and challenged them to simplify complex processes for end-users.

5. They recognized a niche in retail, combining physical and virtual elements, and further explored industries like fast-food operations and banking. The validation process involved focusing on customers with large CRM and logistics systems.

6. They tested and refined their hypotheses, targeting different market segments and industries to understand market positioning. Bootstrapping helped in building a strong culture and a committed team, allowing them to adapt and scale when the time was right.

7. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation, aligning with their market positioning. They emphasized the importance of understanding when to sell a finished product versus involving customers in the product development journey.

8. Hands-on involvement from the leadership is seen as crucial for rapid adaptation in a rapidly changing environment.

9. Different methodologies like Agile, Six Sigma, and Lean are selectively applied based on the development stage and requirements.

10. Olli Krebs, Keboola’s advisor, helped them refine their deal lifecycle and introduced a structured approach to evaluating deals, improving efficiency. They realized the importance of understanding who excels in what aspect and how to effectively utilize individual strengths within the team.

In our latest Playbook Universe episode, we had the privilege of speaking with Olli Krebs, a sales veteran with three decades of experience. During this time, he achieved notable milestones including 15 President's Club recognitions, involvement in five acquisitions, participation in one IPO, and membership in two Chairman's Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) circles. Notably, Olli was an integral part of the initial Blade Logic crew and was among the earliest hires in the European market.

Here are some key takeaways from this enlightening conversation:

1️. European Expansion: European software and SaaS companies are making waves in the US market, challenging Silicon Valley's dominance. Innovation hubs are emerging across Europe, fostering tech growth.

2. Value of European Investors: European investors offer guidance and experience, beyond capital, to startups.

3. Cultural Adaptability: Sales strategies vary due to cultural differences, emphasizing adaptability and understanding local markets.

4. Sales Training: Sales training should emphasize mastering the craft and understanding the company's ethos.

5. Managerial Transition: Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager requires a delicate balance of relationships and authority. It's complex, requiring guidance and coaching to lead effectively.

6. Understanding 'Why': Emphasize understanding the 'why' behind methodologies, focusing on collaboration and individuality.

7. Sales Fundamentals: People buy from people; honesty and integrity are paramount in sales. Align with customer needs, provide solutions, and build strong relationships.

8. Key Traits: Confidence and adaptability are vital for sales professionals, especially in dynamic markets like cryptocurrency.

Olli's wisdom underscores, that sales, at its core, is about understanding customer needs, offering solutions, and building lasting connections. It's a journey of evolution, from traditional relationship-focused sales to a consultative approach, especially for enterprise solutions. Success lies in embracing change, upholding ethics, and embodying confidence. Thank you, Olli, for these invaluable insights! 🚀 #SalesLeadership #BusinessInsights #HuntersAndUnicorns

The emphasis on developing applications around real-world use cases struck a chord, highlighting the need to identify broader relevance beyond a specific scenario for achieving impactful market fit.

Key Takeaways;

1. Early Life and Education: Grew up in a rural part of India called Nalanda, Bihar, without modern amenities. Initially struggled adjusting to a city environment due to a shift in language and educational medium to English.

2. Career Aspirations: Initially wanted to join the Army like family members but was rejected due to colour blindness. Had an interest in literature, poetry, and writing but was discouraged from pursuing it as a career.

3. Academic Journey: Accidentally got into computer science during college in India and discovered a passion for programming. Moved to the US for a master's at Stanford but felt pressure to start a company during this time. Pursued research projects at MIT, one of which was Data Hub, exploring abstracting complex data for diverse applications. Faced challenges with visa status and legal issues but was supported by MIT during this period.

4. Formation of Databricks: Founded Databricks without a clear commercial application but had an academic focus initially. Initially targeted academia, providing free products to professors and students at various universities.

5. Discovery of Commercial Use: Identified a commercial use case with companies like Zenefits and Lending Club needing data extraction from diverse sources like PDFs and images.

6. Product Development and Market Fit: Iterated the product based on market needs and feedback, eventually finding a product-market fit in data extraction and analysis for various industries. Emphasized a fearless and experimental approach to adapt to new opportunities and discover viable product uses.

7. Key Advice from Martin Casado: "Use cases precede the product; product precedes the platform; platform precedes the ecosystem." Don't build a product without understanding the use case it solves. Don't build a platform without a real product. A platform allows value creation by someone other than the creator.

8. Discovery of Product-Market Fit: Understand the key drivers and drags for customers; drivers are critical to why they buy. Find the one or two core drivers that make customers want to buy your product. Prioritize features that cater to these key drivers and address critical pain points.

9. Approach to Product Development: Engage in parallel experimentation to find both the use cases and the right product. Engage early customers to help validate and define the product, ensuring it addresses their needs. Focus on problems applicable across a wide range of industries to have a broad market impact.

10. Building a Platform: Allow customers to create value by building their own apps on your platform. Separate the product from custom services and prioritize building a scalable product. Be open to iterating and adjusting the product based on customer feedback and use cases.

11. Ecosystem Building: Move towards creating an ecosystem by enabling third-party developers to build on the platform. Aim for apps built by one entity to be usable and valuable for another, promoting a broader ecosystem.

12. Early Growth and Funding: Achieved significant growth from $250k to $5 million in a year, gaining investor interest. Raised funding at a $1 billion valuation in 2019 due to perceived strong product-market fit.

13. Challenges in Scaling Sales: Initially, sales were handled by the founder, but transitioning to a sales team required careful planning. Incorrect hiring and lack of understanding of sales dynamics led to a wasted year in scaling sales.

14. Building an Effective Sales Team: Hiring salespeople requires careful consideration of ramp-up times, quotas, and net new revenue targets. Defined sales process stages: first meeting, technical deep dive, proof of value, success criteria, business value, commercial and pricing, legal.

15. Sales Process and Experimentation: Focused on identifying and repeating successful use cases to drive sales effectively. Employed a small growth team for experimentation and exploration of new use cases and verticals. Launched a self-serve product (iHub) to understand the market, not focusing on specific deal sizes initially.

16. Sales Velocity and Incentives: Emphasized velocity of feedback and signal collection over deal size to learn from a larger customer base. Experimenting with sales team incentives to encourage high-velocity growth and learning from a diverse customer set.

Episode 3 of 'The Founders Edition' is not to be missed!

Navigating the Fierce Terrain of Competitive Markets. Join us as we dive deep into the world of disrupting highly competitive markets with Jeremy Burton, the dynamic CEO of Observe Inc., a pioneering startup backed by Sutter Hill Ventures that's reshaping the Observability landscape. Jeremy joined at the inception of Observe Inc., under the mentorship of industry luminary Mike Speiser.

Observe Inc. embarks on a formidable mission: challenging established giants in the SaaS arena.

In this episode, we explore:

🚀 Strategies for Disrupting Established Markets

🛠️ Prioritizing Product Development for Mass Appeal

🌟 Winning Customers Before Your Product is Fully Cooked

🤝 The Interplay Between Sales and Marketing, plus Making Your First Marketing Hire

Jeremy Burton, a celebrated executive once hailed by Forbes as one of the world's leading CMOs, brings a wealth of experience. His illustrious career includes roles such as "Entrepreneur In Residence" at Sutter Hill Ventures, CMO at Dell Technologies, President at EMC, President + CEO at Serena Software, and Group President at Symantec. Jeremy also lends his expertise as a board member at Snowflake and serves on the Advisory Board for the McLaren Group.

Get ready to unravel the technology-value conundrum and discover how a seasoned campaigner successfully transitions to embrace the founder's grind. Jeremy answers these burning questions and more in this exhilarating episode, brought to you by Hunters and Unicorns as part of The Founders Edition. Don't miss out!

Today we welcome Jyoti Bansal!

Key takeaways from this episode are:

- How AppDynamics became the industry blueprint for sales execution best practice.

- The relationship between Product Market Fit and Sales Motion.

- Appointing the right advisors at the right times is imperative for scalability.

- Understanding the evolution of the sales process as you approach $10m in sales.

Jyoti Bansal is a multi-unicorn founder, currently the founder and CEO of two high-growth technology companies: Harness and Traceable AI. In addition to running Harness and Traceable, Jyoti is highly involved in developing the next generation of technology companies through mentorship and investment.

In 2017 he launched BIG Labs and in 2018 co-founded VC firm Unusual Ventures with John Vrionis. The firm currently has more than $1 billion under management. Jyoti shares his incredible journey with us. His passion for the highest calibre of sales execution is profound and he reflects on the lessons he’s learned from his own advisors – industry titans; Dev Ittycheria, John McMahon, Dali Rajic, Jeremy Duggan and Joe Sexton.

Jyoti candidly opens up about his own awakening regarding giving sales the same parity as product strength. He also delves into why slowing down in order to forecast correctly is crucial to onward success and cadence. In this episode, Jyoti discusses:

- How the Business Value Assessment was a game changer for AppDynamics

- How to stimulate customer affinity - The importance and limitations of founder lead sales

- Why Business Value Realisation is the true metric for sustained success

- When to adopt a top-down sales approach vs down-top, vs the “sandwich” strategy

This podcast is full to the brim of insight, honesty and undeniable tenacity. How do you identify a good seller? When’s the right time to appoint a CRO? Is the rolodex enough anymore for a salesperson?

Jyoti answers these questions and many many more in the first edition of The Founders Edition, bought to you by Hunters and Unicorns. Don’t miss it!!

We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success.  

We aim to uncover:  

• Why the ICE formula is imperative. 

• The criticality of the Economic Buyer. 
• How to elevate your Execution whether that be selling consumer side or enterprise software. 

Today we are joined by Chris Mahoney, SVP for the Worldwide Sales Team at LaunchDarkly.  

In this Hunters and Unicorns podcast, Chris shares his professional journey with us including examples of his application of the Playbook. 

He also discusses how he’s building the global sales team at LaunchDarkly with rapid scale. You don’t want to miss this exciting episode with one the industry’s titans! 

Chris has consistently operated within the elite playbook space, with experiences at prestigious companies including ServiceNow, BMC Software and Phase 1.  

Amongst his plethora of achievements, he was the most successful Solution Sales leader at ServiceNow, he lead the first product line from under $50M to more than $1B, scaled teams from less than 10 to over 650 and helped grow the market capital from £12B to a  staggering $125B.  

Whilst at BMC, Chris built the number one performing sales team globally and at Phase 1, he went through 27 mergers and acquisitions in consumer software.  

Prior to enterprise software, Chris spent 10 years in consumer software working in operations and sales.  

Under strong leadership and immersing himself in absorbing as much knowledge as possible, Chris navigated the enterprise software space with cadence and agility.  

He thrived in learning not just the solutions but also the processes. Chris discusses with us the role of the Beginner’s Mindset and how maintaining a strong degree of curiosity throughout your career will directly contribute to success.  

Chris also discusses times in his career where the focus was not on performance and numbers, but in fact on character and drive.  

Hunters and Unicorns loved hearing about Chris’ formidable career, accented with pivotal conversations with the likes of A-players such as Tom Schmidt, John Donahoe, Frank Slootman, Andy Byron, Keith Butler and Bill McDermott. 

Make sure you tune in! 

We aim to uncover:

• Strategic Pipeline Principles

• Lessons derived from the Customer Engagement Model

• The role of Culture. How does an environment which nurtures learning directly facilitate tangible success?

Today we are joined by Seth Olsen, Country Manager for the Northern European region for MicroStrategy. His role includes leading GTM teams for six countries with focussed disciplines including sales, marketing, partner and business development. Seth champions the MEDDPICC playbook and also focuses on PG and net-new focus.

In this Hunters and Unicorns podcast, Seth reflects on his pinnacle moments at high calibre playbook-centric companies such as MicroStrategy, Snowflake and Birst. Don’t miss it! Seth is a renowned and proven leader, with successes as both an individual contributor and as a senior leader.

When discussing his journey as an Account Executive, Seth shares with us his average attainment of over 200%, including his best year which saw him achieve over 470% of his target. Seth also touches upon closing large seven-figure deals - The largest in excess of $4M!

As a Senior Leader, Seth discusses how he rebuilt an underperforming region - over just three quarters, he transformed the results from 30% of the quarterly achievement to 210%. The period of transition between being a SDR for EMEA to being a Leader for the EMEA and APAC regions was a space for exponential learning and growth for Seth. He shares his lessons regarding people strategy, business tactics, quotas and targets whilst also making an impact on peoples’ careers.

Seth also discusses his quest for operating in an environment where he can continuously learn more. Amidst numerous seven-figure deals, it was his thirst for knowledge that kept propelling forward his phenomenal career. In this insightful episode, Seth discusses what the future looks like for him at MicroStrategy. From a product perspective, with new products released moments ago to more coming out imminently, to their evolved GTM global strategy, Seth discusses the sophisticated style MicroStrategy will continue to add huge value to their clients moving forward.

We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success.

We aim to uncover:

· How to apply an enterprise playbook motion to product lead and viral lead growth strategies

· Working with second time founders

· How science and nurture can generate world class high performing sales teams

Today we are joined by Jason Eubanks, CRO of Harness.

In this episode, we explore Jason’s astronomical career trajectory, from a first line leader to a CRO in just ten years. We also get invaluable insight into Harness’ formula for success. Since it was founded six years ago, Harness has seen phenomenal valuation growth of over 1000%.

His first exposure to the Playbook goes back to BMC, where under the leadership of John McMahon and his formidable leaders, he experienced profound impact on every aspect of his career. Jason shares how he was able to apply his learning within Meraki which went onto be acquired by Cisco. He shares the importance of adaptability to the go-to-market rhythm he inherited and company culture.

Jason talks about the alignment of the sales leadership and the business executives, the collaboration to work with founders with established go-to-market operating rhythms, and how an investment in sales enables scale at pace.

Jason places huge significance on iterating feedback along the way with his teams and why the early alignment of big goals is crucial to a harmonious and successful working dynamic. From a conversation about trust with John McMahon early on in his career to his current working relationship with Jyoti – CEO and Founder of Harness, Jason shares with us the conversations which accented his professional journey.

We aim to uncover:

· The Evolution of the Playbook

· Leading indicators that are proven in SaaS to create sustained success

· The changing landscape of sales cycles

Today we are joined by Chris Singletary, RVP-East at Coralogix. In this episode, we dive into Chris’ impressive sales career which began after his time with the US military – an experience which has shaped him profoundly. Chris has worked at many industry powerhouses including; Oracle, Opsware, BMC, Cisco, AppDynamics, Lacework and Coralogix. His career trajectory has always been aligned to the Playbook community – join us in listening to his experience and lessons learned! Chris shares with us his perspective on the Playbook Mindset and MEDDIC principles – at a time where buyers and sellers’ needs may have changed, the principles of the Playbook Mindset still ring true today. On the theme of today’s changing landscape, Chris also shares the challenges involved with remote working, the ever-evolving length of sales cycles and how to curate successful sales executions in today’s market for the individual, team and organisation. Chris places huge importance on empathy and making genuine connections within the sales space. He also shares the characteristics of strong leaders. At what point does support and guidance become rigid oversight? How does accountability feed directly into account progression? Chris also discusses the importance of leaders spending time with their reps to nurture progression not revenue. Chris distils the core principles of identifying pain and hunting for champions. As a keen advocate of following the playbook fundamentals, Chris also shares why research is a critical pillar in the sales process. He shares his insight in how to launch a great sales campaign. Understanding what’s changed in this software sales space, as well as what still stands strong, Chris offers views and phenomenal insight into the Playbook universe.

We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success. We aim to uncover: 

·         How best to optimise sales within EMEA for scaling companies

·         The role of self-awareness when driving your own career trajectory

·         Why amplifying strong leadership over management is critical to success.

Today we are joined by Philip van der Wilt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA, Samsara.

In this episode, Philip shares his inspiring professional journey. From a sales role in the Netherlands, to phenomenal success on the international platform.

He shares his insight on how the current economic climate, similar to the financial downturns in the past, will inevitably lead to future opportunities. Philip’s time at Data Domain ignited his passion for implementing European strategy to success. Whilst at CommVault,

Philip further developed his leadership skills, identifying the gulf between a good leader as opposed to a good manager.

Philip’s perspective on seeing challenges as opportunities to develop rather than opposed to isolated problems to solve, is incredibly thought provoking.

Philip discusses his experience at ServiceNow. From understanding the importance of cross-functionality for scaling, to understanding when to expand your product portfolio.

Now at Samsara, he shares with us his vision, mission and purpose.

Throughout the discussion, Philip talks to us about the role of self-awareness throughout the successes and learning points which have peppered his illustrious career. Make sure you tune in!

Today we are joined by Dr Molly Maloof, physician, entrepreneur, university lecturer and best-selling author. Working with a plethora of individuals and entities including executives from the VC and tech space, Dr Molly shares with us her insights regarding optimizing high performing individuals and teams via healthy best practices. She addresses the topic of burnout head on – an issue which is very much on the rise amongst sales professionals and executive leaders. From a psychological perspective, Dr Molly addresses the correlation between a safe psychological work environment and strong engagement with tangible results. Does remote working impact our need for human connection? Do we prioritise money over the mission? Dr Molly discusses these key points and shares more insights from her new book “The Spark Factor”.

Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs. 

“Forget the R. The revenue comes from your customers and you better focus on them or that revenue and growth will never come. I chose to be Chief Customer Officer. I never wanted a Chief Revenue Officer title because I thought it was the wrong emphasis. So, forget the R, go focus on your customers. Go make them successful. Go ensure that they trust you. Whether you're just starting out in that first quota role, think about those customers. Make sure that they are first and foremost. Customers first, company second, your unit third, you, a distant fourth.” 

Today we are joined by Gerri Elliott, Tech & GTM Senior Advisor for BCG and former Chief Customer and Partner Officer at Cisco, to talk about her incredible career trajectory. We look back on Gerri’s 42 years in the technology industry and how the diverse chapters of her global experience paved the way for life-changing opportunities, shaped her as a leader and led her to her current role.  

Listen to discover how to rethink and revitalize your approach mentorship and sponsorship opportunities to scale your career as a future leader as well as Gerri’s strategies on how to actively increase the level of diversity, inclusivity, and collaboration in your workplace to give your company the edge it needs to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. 

“Dear Future CRO, first, take bold risks on yourself and others. Second, be careful whose toes you step on today, they may be attached to the person you end up having to kiss tomorrow. Third, take each opportunity to learn, not only about the technical stuff but about the individuals and people you're working with because ultimately, we're in this game to be with other people, not to be with products or profit.”

Today we are joined by Elaine Mason, Senior Vice President of Purpose Strategy and Innovation at Cisco, to talk about her incredible career journey and how the chapters of her diverse experience and background in organisational development and change management have led her to her current role powering an inclusive culture at Cisco.

Listen to discover which aspects of Elaine’s journey provided the foundations for her upward career trajectory as well as vital strategies for progression in sales leadership roles as she speaks from her own experience on the benefits of creating a strong culture of sponsorship, mentorship, coaching and peer-to-peer connections within SaaS organizations.

Dear Future CRO - A Culture Crunch and GrowthQ collaboration

Join the GrowthQ Community: www.growthq.co

The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ. Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs.

“Dream big. Take risks. And most importantly, be authentic to yourself.”

Today we are joined by, Debbie McClure, Vice President of Sales at Americas at Dropbox to discuss her incredible 30-year career trajectory from Sales Executive to Sales Leader.

Listen to this episode to discover Debbie’s experiences and personal journey through the ranks as she enlightens us with strategies for establishing a strong and sustainable career in sales and offers her advice on mentorship, sponsorship, skill translation, and the importance of diversity of perspective in today’s sales environment. Sharing both her triumphs and mistakes with our audience today, Debbie pays forward the mentorship she has received in her own career to support the next generation of revenue leaders.

We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success. We aim to uncover:

· What their non-negotiables were in propelling forward their career

· The importance of dynamic hiring

· The most effective methodologies utilised when scaling successful teams

Today we are joined by Marina Ayton, Regional Director for the Majors UK + Ireland for Zscaler. In this episode, we explore Marina’s formula for success both as an IC and as a leader. The last eight years have seen Marina surpassing 200% of her target consistently year or year and inspiring her teams to all hit the President’s club criteria.

Marina shares the importance of thinking BIG for her own ambitions and to that of her teams, and why challenging the status quo is imperative when driving your own career within the software sales space at any level. Whilst serving as a Regional Manager for AppDynamics during Cisco’s acquisition, Marina shares her professional experience and the importance of adaptability and agility.

Now at Zscaler, she discusses how hiring diverse teams, focussing on tenacity and revisiting the company vision with the team contributes to her success in building world class sales forces. Marina’s ability to articulate the importance of creating the right work environment where teammates feel safe to fail, illustrates why she and her team will keep on succeeding. This podcast uncovers how best to utilise the formidable playbook community network.

Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs. 

“Dear future CRO, your job is to create and lead cross-functional teams focused on revenue generation and that is a role that will always be evolving. And because of the rapidity of that evolution, more than any other leader, I would encourage you to invest in yourself and your teams by bolstering transferrable skills, which measurably bolster culture and strengthen financial performance because these skills encourage people to be better performers, hands down and predictably.” 

Today we are joined by Kat Salazar, CEO & Founder at weThink, to talk about her incredible career journey and how her unique life experiences led her to identify a huge problem with traditional approaches to education and inspired her to start weThink, an intelligence software platform built to help people and organizations thrive in team-based environments. 

Listen to discover how transferable skills directly impact the bottom line of every company and learn strategies for identifying the skills that optimize the way people learn and perform in teams. With advice to present and future revenue leaders on how to recognise and engage with soft skills to create better career progression and placement for employees, Kat shares her unique tactics for galvanising office culture, increasing employee performance and propelling sales teams forward. 

Dear Future CRO - A Culture Crunch and GrowthQ collaboration

Join the GrowthQ Community: www.growthq.co

The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ. Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs.

“Remember that you're a CRO because you were a great sales leader and being a great sales leader is the first priority of the CRO. Don't forget the things about sales leadership that are important - building high performance teams, giving great sales coaching to the sales leaders, and talking to the customers of your organization. You are the top salesperson in the organization with access to every customer and every top salesperson so take advantage and understand what's working in your organization and what's not.”

Today we are joined by Larry Satterfield, retired Sales Leader at Jazz Networks, to talk about his professional career from learning the sales playbook back in the eighties, to becoming the Sales VP for companies like Dell, Tanberg, and Cisco. Leading with the philosophy of “lift as you climb”, Larry has solidified the science behind sales growth and competitiveness and is currently coaching CEOs and CROs across the industry, consistently creating opportunities and sponsors for the next generation of future revenue leaders to shine. Join in to listen to Larry’s expert opinion on how to transition from sales to leadership as well the value of mentorship and sponsorship, and what it can do for your company. Sharing his strategies for increasing diversity and minimising unconscious bias in the hiring process, Larry talks about his personal journey from the bottom to the top and offers valuable advice to young professionals looking to get into leadership positions.

Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs. 

“Dear future CRO, think about how you are contributing to building quality teams, investing in talent, investing in people's development, thinking about what it is that you need from your team of people, your leaders, your individual contributors to deliver on the result that you have because when you think about it in that concept, you'll do different things on a daily basis than you would if you're only thinking about your responsibility to deliver.” 

Today we are joined by Paula Hansen, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Alteryx. With over 25 years of experience in SaaS, we discuss Paula’s incredible career trajectory, including her transition from engineering into sales in the early years of her career and how she married her passion for knowledge in the technology space with interpersonal skills to forge a clear path to her current role. 

Listen to this episode to discover Paula’s experiences and personal journey through the ranks as she enlightens us with strategies for establishing a successful career in sales and offers her advice on how to cultivate mutually beneficial mentorship relationships, develop new sponsorship opportunities, remove unconscious bias across interview panels and nurture diversity of perspective in today’s sales environment.  

Sharing tactics and tips on how to scale your leadership career, Paula offers real-life examples from within the walls of world-class organisations to support and accelerate the careers of next generation revenue leaders.  

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. 

By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover: 

• Why engagement is critical  
• The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion  
• How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players 

Today we are joined by Hash Basu-Choudhuri, General Manager of EMEA at Cribl. In this episode, we discuss Hash’s history in the observability industry, his experiences as first man on the ground opening up EMEA operations at Cribl, and the business plan he executed against to introduce the 18-month-old startup to a brand-new market and territory in 2021.  

“Credibility, integrity, and trustworthiness are three things that I think will always stand you in good stead, whether you're in this business or any other business and I've never compromised on those three. You say what you're going to do and do what you're going to say. That's number one. Number two, it's the team, it's never about one man, it's about working together in unison and then, let’s be honest, it’s about the product.” 

Taking us from the early days of cutting his teeth at Sybase – to joining Splunk in the middle of an economic crisis in 2008 – through to his current adventure at Cribl and the entrepreneurial drive that led him to this role, Hash opens our eyes to the change mindset required to succeed in the fast-paced Observability sector as we discuss the benefits of his deep technical background and the key drivers that push him to accept new challenges and continually reinvent himself in different areas of business.  

With a variety of tools and techniques for propelling an upward career trajectory in the tech space, listen to this podcast to discover the foundations that enabled Hash to accomplish success as well as his strategies for building sustainable, repeatable, and high growth business. 

Welcome to Culture Crunch.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover:

Why engagement is critical

The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Corean Canty, Executive Coach, Workplace Well-being Expert, and Former COO with over 20 years of experience in the Media and Marketing space, to discuss her thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out why we need to place wellbeing at the centre of our organisations to attract and retain top talent, bring out the best in our employees and maximise business outcomes.

“Good company culture is life centred. We hear a lot about people first and human first and I am very much aligned with that but one thing I've recognized over many years is that, whether you're selling a product or a service, all businesses are in service of life, yet the people in the businesses usually end up last on the list.”

Whilst many assume that wellbeing is a "soft" issue and not a management problem to solve, Corean draws our attention to the impact of the pandemic on company culture and how it created a power shift from employer to employee and a new perspective of wellness in the workplace. Thanks to the pandemic, employees are now in the driving seat and employers need to be flexible, listen and talk to their people, and identify how to make their organisation a more appealing place to join and stay.

Citing the U.S. Surgeon General’s new guidance around strengthening workplace well-being, Corean takes a deep dive into why mental health and comprehensive wellbeing strategies need to be a top priority in contemporary workplaces and offers advice to leaders on how to create space for feedback and collaboration with their workforce to drive change, increase retention and positively impact performance.

In relation to her experience of hyper growth industries specifically, Corean highlights the need for business owners to address the “pace and pain gap” and harness the power of pause - the pressure to hit financial numbers may tempt many leaders to focus only on the balance sheet, but Corean believes that the key to peak performance is, paradoxically, a long and restful pause. She encourages leaders in organizations large and small to embrace the cyclical nature of business growth and incorporate time for reflection into their strategy to avoid burnout, diminishing returns and employee attrition.

With a variety of tools and techniques to help you transform your workplace culture, listen to this podcast to discover Corean’s strategies for supporting and facilitating a contemporary workforce, diminishing unconscious bias, and increasing productivity through communication, understanding and flexibility.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover:

- Why engagement is critical

- The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

- How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Harsha Jalihal, Chief people officer of MongoDB, to discuss her thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out why we need to focus on the human element in this age of technology to increase productivity, reduce attrition and create better business outcomes.

“Every business problem in any company boils down to human behaviours. It's why so many CEOs and C level execs talk about how much time they spend dealing with people issues. Especially here at a MongoDB, we've got all the other raw material - we've got a great product, we've got a great business model, we've got all the things we need to run a successful business - when problems arise, it always boils down to human behaviour and that understanding of human behaviour is what we bring to the table. My goal is to get managers to learn how to do that well so they can then make decisions more independently and not rely on HR to tell them what to do.”

Sharing key leadership lessons with us in this interview, Harsha explains the ongoing cultural challenges being faced by organisations in the tech space due to the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. She describes how the melding of people's personal and professional lives has resulted in the development of a new leadership paradigm and emphasizes that the skills required for a future in tech are actually human skills: e.g. communication, empathy and cognitive thinking. As technology continues to change at an accelerated pace, Harsha believes that the key to good company culture is educating leaders and managers to understand human behaviour and set the tone from the top down. Outlining how high growth environments can have both positive and negative impacts on company culture, Harsha offers advice to forward thinking leaders on how to embrace change whilst preserving core company values.

“A lot of leaders, particularly in companies they have built or seen grow from ground up, tend to want to protect the culture, sometimes at all costs, and that's not necessarily a good thing. For me, it’s not about protecting it, it's about keeping the conversation about culture front and centre in your business strategy conversations.” With a variety of tools and techniques to help you transform your workplace culture, listen to discover Harsha’s future-proofed solutions to increasing revenue and productivity by bringing culture and core values to the centre of your business conversations.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover:

Why engagement is critical

The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Jenny Kang, talent partner at Battery Ventures, to discuss her thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a dispersed digital world and find out how leaders can move beyond ticking the diversity checkbox and ensure they are achieving their goals of elevating DEI and creating better workplaces.

“I think that most companies that have a true commitment to diversity and inclusion understand that diverse workforces and diversity of thought and experiences lead to more innovation, stronger company culture, higher retention, and better business outcomes. But I think that we still need to hone that message correctly and we still have work to do to engage the market in the right way in terms of how we approach candidates and how we position these values.”

These days, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are at the forefront of hiring conversations, however, while many businesses are working toward equity and inclusion, minorities continue to face challenges in the tech industry. As someone from a diverse background who has transitioned into tech from a seemingly unrelated industry (before starting her career in executive recruiting, Jenny was a defence attorney), Jenny has first-hand experience of how the unique perspectives and experiences brought to the table by a diverse workforce can generate product innovation, better decision making, and stronger teams.

Offering strategies and tangible steps for business leaders across the tech landscape, Jenny talks us through how to drive real inclusion and diversity by redefining hiring profiles, taking a multithreaded approach to recruitment and being openminded to people from non-traditional backgrounds. Emphasising the need for authentic communication and genuine commitment to core company values, Jenny’s number one tip for leaders across all industries is that in order to infiltrate company culture, demonstrate a genuine commitment to DEI, and introduce new behaviours, change must come from the top-down.

Listen to discover how to demonstrate DEI mindfulness in your hiring process and why promoting these values throughout your organization is the only way forward. Jenny provides vital advice to help you connect and engage with a dispersed workforce as well as a variety of tools and techniques to help you transform your workplace culture and propel business growth.

The information contained herein is based solely on the opinion of Jenny Kang. This material is provided for educational purposes to cover industry or sector trends, and it is not, and may not be relied on in any manner as, legal, tax or investment advice or as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any fund or investment vehicle managed by Battery Ventures or any other Battery entity.

By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover:

Why engagement is critical

The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Go-to-Market Strategy and Operations leader Eugenia Chiang, to discuss her thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out how a work environment centred around diversity, equity and inclusion can inspire teams, improve recruitment and retention of talent, and foster innovation.

“Through acceptance, you can gain awareness so you can drive change in behaviour. Companies with tangible DEI practices are more likely to have higher performing teams and better company results. Furthermore, much of the changing behaviour in society also aligns with tech's ethos in challenging status quo and creating a better future for all of us, and that's another way where tech can also play a role in that societal change as well.”

Providing eye-opening statistics and examples relating to racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, Eugenia draws our attention to the need for cultural evolution in the SaaS sector and offers tangible steps for business leaders to start embracing a DEI growth mindset. With over fifteen years of experience in leading diverse teams and defining organisational vision across high profile, high growth companies in the tech space, Eugenia has witnessed first-hand the challenges associated with protecting and propelling DEI in this ever evolving fast-paced sector.

Whilst the competitiveness and high-performance of this industry naturally lends itself to an acute focus on company culture, Eugenia reminds us that improving DEI is not a one-day task and that in order to create positive cultural changes, we need to address our own deep-rooted biases, outlook and habits before trying to impact societal or systemic issues.

With a variety of tools and techniques to help you transform your workplace culture, listen to this podcast to discover Eugenia’s strategies for creating a sense of community and belonging in your workplace, whilst inspiring your team and peers to achieve their full potential. The work may be challenging at times, but the rewards—both for business and for your employee culture—are well worth the effort.

Discover how thirty-three sales execs from one organisation, BladeLogic, became CXOs in the world’s 100 fastest growing technology companies. We uncover the stories and playbooks of the most prolific sales leaders in the industry. In this episode we sit down with Graham Moreno, Regional Vice President, Central, Southeast, and LatAm at Grafana Labs to take a look back at his incredible career trajectory and discuss how his early indoctrination in the Playbook community at MongoDB shaped and influenced his leadership style today, enabling him to recognise the huge opportunity presented by Grafana Labs and play an incremental role in scaling this company from 30 to 1000 employees in just three and a half years.

“They had almost $5 million in revenue. No salespeople, no customer success people, it was a team of very extraordinarily talented engineers and I just remember sitting at a bar with Raj and saying, " I think there's the opportunity to do something really amazing here." And he was like, "I do too, but I'm not a sales guy." After a couple of months, I joined and it's really been incredible.”

Founded in 2014 by Raj Dutt, Torkel Ödegaard and Anthony Woods, Grafana Labs has not only experienced overwhelming growth in recent years, it has also been recognized for the second year in a row as one of America’s best start-up employers.

We ask Graham to guide us through his experience of scaling the hiring process from the bottom up at Grafana Labs and how he implemented structure in the early stages of development using the foundations of Playbook methodology to create a successful growth strategy based on both repetition and continual evolution.

Offering advice and guidance to current and future leaders, Graham insists that it’s not only the Playbook but the people and culture of Grafana Labs — which fosters transparency, autonomy, and accountability — that has proven to be the cornerstone of the company. No matter how big the organization gets or how fast it scales, leaders are dedicated to prioritising culture above revenue, staying true to company values and building long lasting relationships to improve communication and cultivate trust and respect. “With experience and maturity, I have learned to communicate a lot more effectively because as we've gotten bigger, it is so important that even if you disagree, you're able to do it in a way that is opening up a productive conversation and I don't think I was always awesome at that early on. I've had an opportunity to evolve - if you look at the most effective selling teams at Mongo and Grafana, it's the teams where customer success, engineering, and marketing are all onboard and working together and there's a really good environment in terms of how we're sharing knowledge and what we're able to bring to our customers as a result.”

In this vodcast you will discover:

The framework that enabled Graham to scale the Grafana Labs workforce from 30 to 1000 employees in record time

How to maintain high performance throughout your career by surrounding yourself with astonishing talent and learning to accept feedback

How to scale the hiring process through periods of rapid growth How to protect the culture of an organisation as it scales Graham Moreno understands exactly

How to build a sales force to stand the test of time.

We discuss key challenges and accomplishments from Graham’s journey at Grafana Labs and what he believes to be the core ingredients needed for a company to reach unicorn status. This wide-ranging discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space.

- Why engagement is critical

- The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

- How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Chelsea Krakowski, innovator of people at AuditBoard, to discuss her thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out how a work environment centred around communication, feedback and core company values can inspire teams, deliver customer success, and foster innovation.

“We make hundreds of decisions every single day from the way that we choose to bring ourselves to work in the morning, the approach to the work, the communications, and also those really big decisions. It's all of it. I hope that that framing it through that mindset empowers individuals who may not feel like decision makers, to know that they're having a meaningful impact on shaping the culture - if everyone's shaping the culture, it creates an accountability and a responsibility for everyone to be making decisions every day that help move the culture in the direction that we want it to go.”

Throughout her career, Chelsea has helped to scale global organizations and transform them from the inside out by unleashing the potential of their employees. In this podcast, she offers advice to forward-thinking leaders on the importance of developing a human-centred culture that treats employees as valued individuals who are respected, empowered, and trusted. As technology continues to change at an accelerated pace, Chelsea offers a holistic look at creating a desirable workplace culture and highlights the need for innovation and transformation of culture-building strategies in modern tech organisations.

Whilst leaders play a vital role in defining the culture they want for their company; Chelsea explains how workplace culture is the result of everyone's behaviour. She has witnessed first-hand how participation drives a strong sense of ownership and encourages leaders in this space to ask for continuous feedback from their teams, welcome new ideas from employees and embrace failure to create an environment of open communication, inclusivity, and progression. With a variety of tools and techniques to help you transform your workplace culture, listen to discover Chelsea’s future-proofed solutions to grow revenue, engage remote teams, and innovate the people space.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. 

By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover: 

• Why engagement is critical  
• The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion  
• How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players 

Today we are joined by John Germinario, Senior Director, Head of People at PebblePost, to discuss his thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out how creating a culture that is centred around collaboration and cross-functional interaction can improve the workplace environment and lead to increased performance and retention.  

“The best company cultures are ones where people feel like they can be collaborative at all levels of the organization. At a smaller organization it's a bit easier, but even at a larger organization when an entry-level person can rub elbows with the CFO and people feel like they're heard not only from a professional, but a personal perspective, I think that allows all of us to feel a level of family.” 

Having previously served as Director, Human Resources at The Avon Company, now part of LG H&H Americas, John understands how to support rapid business growth via people programs. Bringing over 10 years of HR experience to our discussion today, he describes the strong relationship between culture and recruitment that comes into play during employee sourcing, selection, and retention and highlights the need for evolution and leadership development in order to overcome key corporate culture challenges facing employers in the tech space. 

John witnesses first-hand how the culture around tech is changing as employee expectations evolve and has seen how a widespread, inclusive mindset and a more flexible approach to leadership can start by simply listening to employees, responding to their feedback, and making them feel heard. The tech industry is all about moving fast, testing everything, and innovating with the times. John believes that it is now essential for tech companies to apply that same work ethic to boost their cultures and processes to retain and attract talent.  

The best investment you can make for your company is an investment in your team. Listen to discover John’s strategies for empowering leaders and improving company culture. Learn how to develop your hiring process by throwing outdated credentials out the door and expanding the talent pool to actively participate in inclusive recruitment and positively impact your growth rates. 

Welcome to Culture Crunch.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover:

Why engagement is critical

The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Dalton Van Hatcher, Chief Customer Officer at Felux and co-founder of Us in Technology, to discuss his thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out why creating a culture that is centred around diversity and inclusion can improve the workplace environment and radically increase performance.

“It starts with diversity of mindset. Having people from different walks of life and different experiences is a big part of that. Diversity is not just about race, it's not about skin colour, it's not about gender, it's beyond that, it's about diversity of mindset. So having people from lots of different walks of life is going to help you be creative and overcome better challenges.”

Dalton started his career under the leadership of the legendary John McMahon and Dev Ittycheria as an SDR at BladeLogic. As an early employee, he helped build several multi-billion-dollar businesses and high-performance growth functions including IPOs at BladeLogic, Sumo Logic, and Fuze. He is now a board advisor for several tech companies and has helped Co-found a DEI Platform: Us in Technology helping underrepresented talent get into Tech. Addressing the massive pipeline problem of diversity and gender gap in tech, Dalton discusses the need for more understanding around the practices and the barriers that minorities and underrepresented communities face and how his company, Us in Technology, is working to close this gap whilst simultaneously coaching organizations to see past potential unintentional discrimination in their hiring practices.

Whilst many companies are now being more intentional about ramping up their diversity and inclusion efforts, Dalton highlights key challenges preventing leaders from deepening their candidacy pool and achieving their goals. He provides guidelines for companies to consider when developing a successful workplace diversity and inclusion strategy and offers advice to senior leaders on the importance of externally increasing awareness by reaching out to marginalized communities as well as internally nurturing new workforces through their career progression and adhering to individual needs to enable people with varied skillsets to succeed.

“Diverse teams outperform homogenous teams by 30%, so this is a business problem, it's not just a societal problem.”

Listen to discover Dalton’s strategies on how to build and lead a diverse team in the tech industry and why driving DEI transformation is mission critical to early-stage start-ups. Learn how to develop your hiring process, deepen your talent pool, and actively participate in inclusive recruitment to positively impact your company culture and growth rates.

Welcome to Culture Crunch.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement.

By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover:

Why engagement is critical

The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion

How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players

Today we are joined by Ni’coel Stark, Organizational Systems Officer and Decision Intelligence Coach, to discuss her thoughts on the key human challenges connected to working in a highly innovative tech environment and how to improve company culture in line with technological advancement through innovation of current workplace systems.

“The biggest problem that companies have is when their brands do not match who they are because brands tend to be descriptions of values and principles yet who they are as humans inside a company are not that. Company culture is simply when we match who we say we are, and I think that that requires a human centeredness that is above the product or service that we are providing. Who we are as a company in business is equally or more important than what we produce.”

Ni'coel's professional life focuses on relationships and technology that power the future of culture, human systems, and innovation. As a thought leader in this space, she recognizes the importance of authenticity in relation to company values and has witnessed the human cost associated with the widening gap between product innovation and cultural evolution. Having observed a dramatic rise in anxiety amongst employees in the tech sector in recent years, Ni’coel believes that current workplace systems need to be updated to enable employees to adapt to new circumstances propelled by science and technology. Challenging leaders to rethink the way they are building their companies, especially in terms of communication and constructing an authentic brand identity, Ni’coel puts forward three philosophical pillars designed to progress organisational and operational systems and drive cultural development in the workplace from a more holistic standpoint. Reflecting on the key challenges associated with merging technology with the human experience, Ni’coel offers a variety of tools and techniques to help you empower your employees, build trust, and transform your workplace culture. Listen to discover how to leverage intelligence within your ecosystem and achieve the positive culture you envision for your team by putting your people at the centre of your organisation.

- Examples of Kyle’s data driven strategy to early procurement

- How to use data tracking to create repeatability and streamline your sales strategy

- Why expansion deals take less time to secure than land deals

- Kyle’s multi-threaded approach to prospecting in a consumption-based world

Today we are joined by Kyle Kearns, regional sales director at Starburst, for a Hunters and Unicorns exclusive.

Whether you're at the top of your game or just starting out, listen to discover more on how to adapt your mindset and apply Kyle’s strategies to real business scenarios – learn tactics and best practices for improving accountability within your ecosystem and how to use data collection to help your team accelerate and land deals. “Are you on the mission?”

We're here to unlock tribal wisdom from tech sales legends to help you get one step closer to mastery.

Today we are joined by Kyle Kearns, Regional Sales Director at Starburst. In this interview, why he is so passionate about data collection and accountability in this ever evolving, consumption-based marketplace and what it takes to thrive in this environment.

“I review my business for the previous week and the week ahead. How many new business meetings have I got set up for that week? What are the key impact meetings that I've got set up for that week? Collecting that data becomes important, particularly when you start to land deals six - nine months in. When you start to land these enterprise accounts, you can reflect on that data and then you can understand, how many meetings did it take to land that organization? How many partners were involved as a result of this?”

Kyle elaborates on the complexity of closing deals in pre-IPO tech companies and explains the operating rhythm and constant analysis required to effectively track data in the early stages of growth to create a blueprint for repeatable success. With advice for both reps and managers on how to use research and smart prospecting to close deals, Kyle offers tips and insights on the power of data and how you can use it to help you stay in control of your position in the deal cycle, prioritise your time and increase your efficiency. Kyle talks on his chosen topic of ‘Accountability’ and why he believes that it is the key to success, especially in pre-IPO tech companies. With an abundance of experience as ‘first man on the ground' in early-stage technology companies, Kyle offers his advice to individuals considering a role at pre-IPO tech organisations. He explains Listen to our story session to discover more on how to adapt your mindset and apply Kyle’s strategies to real business scenarios – learn tactics and best practices for improving accountability within your ecosystem and how to use data collection to help your team accelerate and land deals.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. 

By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover: 

• Why engagement is critical  
• The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion  
• How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players 

Today we are joined by Susan Whittemore, Revenue Operations Leader at TeamPay, to discuss her thoughts on what it takes to create a good company culture in a digital world and find out why creating a culture that values mental health can improve the workplace environment and lead to increased performance from employees and teams.  

“There is a cost to a bad culture. A lot of times we don't see it, we don't measure it, we don't put it on that balance sheet, but there is a performance tax that takes place when you have a rogue culture. If there is on the surface, a sense of belonging, but then behind closed doors individuals are feeling isolated, you're not going to get the optimum performance that you hired them originally for – this is happening with organizations that are spending so much time, energy, and money hiring, and yet they're losing their employees 6-12 months later.” 

With an extensive background in analytical thought leadership, Susan has experienced first-hand how a toxic workplace culture can be the best predictor of employee attrition, particularly in the tech sector. With a focus on data-driven solutions and innovation, technology companies have a tendency to put products above all else when it comes to creating meaningful change, sometimes to the detriment of their employees. Susan puts forward pivotal strategies for today’s leaders on how to create a more synchronised and cohesive work environment. She offers tangible steps on how to develop a positive people-first culture and retain A Player talent by aligning your organisation, facilitating communication between all revenue-generating teams, and taking time to understand what drives people both professionally and personally.  

Reflecting on the challenges behind us and how to position yourself for the future, Susan illuminates the path forwards and identifies simple and inexpensive measures you can take today to empower your employees, build trust, and transform your workplace culture. Listen to discover how to put people at the centre of your organisation to create a work environment that not only reflects the core mission and values of your company but also allows you to continually improve and scale at a faster, more predictable rate.   

- How to beat competition using the Value Framework

- Recent examples of how David has used the Value Framework to win transformational deals

- Examples from David’s past of how not using the value framework has led to failure Strategies that will help you test whether your champion is ready to sell on your behalf.

Today we are joined by David Boyle, Strategic Accounts leader at Aware, for a Hunters and Unicorns exclusive.

We’re here to showcase leaders within People and Culture and explore how the fastest growing tech companies are amplifying performances through increased employee engagement. 

By highlighting and celebrating the executives driving the evolution within the highest growth software companies in the world, we aim to uncover: 

• Why engagement is critical  
• The importance of diversity, equality, and inclusion  
• How to achieve true scale by attracting a diverse workforce of A Players 

Today we are joined by Jennie Byrne, physician leader, brain and behaviour specialist, entrepreneur, and author, to discuss her interpretation of a healthy workplace culture and find out how an understanding of human psychology and behaviour can give us the tools we need to thrive in a digital world. 

“We spend a lot of time and effort thinking about operations and technology in business settings and we spend so much time on that without accounting for the human side of things, that we end up wasting our time. You could spend years optimizing operations, but if you're not accounting for the human side, it's just a waste of time.” 

In her new book, Work Smart: Use Your Brain and Behaviour to Master the Future of Work, Jennie describes how the human brain and behaviour work and how this translates to a business environment. She describes the implications on mental health related to a lack of consideration for the human condition in the tech space and how we must understand human nature to create positive change within our organizations.  

Sharing her own story of being more authentic to herself and to others, dissolving the boundary between her personal and professional being, Jennie pinpoints that the future of work will be more focussed on being better people than about having the best technology.  

“I think people in leadership should really focus on equity, whether that's gender equity, racial equity, socioeconomic equity, I really do believe that if we can get equity at the leadership level, it can quickly start to translate into equity at other levels.” 

As a founding member of CHIEF, a private network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders, Jennie is passionate about empowering women in leadership. She shares her views with us on role models within the female leadership landscape and offers mentorship advice to women in business looking to strengthen their skills, magnify their influence, and pave the way to bring others with them.  

Whether you are an employee, manager, or leader, listen in to discover how to drive cultural cohesion and a forward-thinking mentality into your workplace and learn how a better understanding of behavioural health can help us all improve communication, maximize efficiency, and move forward faster.  

Thea shares how her background in Olympic lifting helps her achieve consistent results. We explore the importance of finding balance with personal accountability and leveraging you your team to propel success.

We explore the fundamentals and dispel the misconceptions of MEDDICC to help you achieve consistent results. A must listen from the author of one of the most important books written on MEDDICC best practices.