SPOTLIGHT: Untangling Tech Debt and Finding Product-Market Fit with Russ Mikowski of SurePeople
Russ Mikowski, CEO of SurePeople and longtime revenue leader intech, never planned to become a CEO, until he was recruited to transform a 10-year-old company grappling with technical debt, a scattered ICP, and untapped potential. In this episode of Topline Spotlight, Russ opens up about the tough decisions he’s made since taking the helm: rebuilding instead of refactoring, saying "no" to legacy customers, and doubling down on a focused go-to-market strategy for SurePeople’s innovative psychometric assessment platform, Prism.You're invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.Key Moments:(00:00) Introduction to Topline Spotlight(03:00) Understanding SurePeople and Its Mission(05:51) Russ's Journey to CEO and Company History(08:55) Navigating Technical Debt and Product Development(12:01) Defining Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Market Focus(14:50) Company Culture and Communication Strategies(17:53) Inspiration and Leadership Philosophy
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E106: AI-Driven vs AI-First vs AI-Native with Eric Wolford of Accel
In this episode, Sam Jacobs and Asad Zaman are joined by Eric Wilford, a venture partner at Accel, to discuss venture investing with a focus on AI-first companies. The discussion delves into what defines an AI-first company, the implications of AI on product development and go-to-market strategies, and the influence of macroeconomic conditions on venture investments. Eric also shares his perspectives on valuation, the competitive dynamics in AI, and the role of authenticity in successful entrepreneurship.Thanks for tuning in! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.Key Moments: (00:00) - Introduction(03:21) - Discussion on AI-First Companies(06:35) - AI in Enterprise SaaS and Product Customization(18:00) - Macro Economy and Venture Investing(22:23) - Navigating Recessions and AI Era(25:05) - Valuations in the AI Market(30:58) - Raising Capital: Strategies and Debates(35:57) - Founders' Goals and Investor Alignment(38:53) - Inspiration and Final Thoughts
Marcos Rivera, Founder and CEO of Pricing I/O offers an inside look into how he transformed his solo consultancy into a thriving team of SaaS pricing experts. He shares practical insights on pricing strategy, including why companies should revisit pricing regularly, how underpricing affects customer perception, and why adding more features isn't always the solution to retention problems.You're invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.Key Moments:(01:50) - Interview with Marcos Rivera: Pricing Expertise(04:44) - Common Misconceptions About Pricing(14:10) - Solving Business Problems: Talent Acquisition(23:05) - Reflections and Recommendations(25:48) - Closing Remarks and Call to Action
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E105: AI-Native CRMs and Early Stage Resilience: Scaling in Economic Uncertainty
The hosts dissect Attio's AI-native CRM disrupting traditional customer management and examine the surprisingly resilient seed/Series B funding landscape despite economic headwinds. Learn how AI is fundamentally changing go-to-market playbooks, enabling tech companies to scale faster than ever before, and which AI sales tools have genuine staying power.Thanks for tuning in! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.Key Moments:[02:07] AJ's Boating Adventure[04:05] Sam on Pavilion's CMO Summit and Personal Updates[06:56] Marketing and Revenue Insights[10:36] AI in Business[13:34] Economic Sentiment and Business Strategy[33:02] Hiring in Volatile Times[37:04] Compensation Strategies for Sales Teams[40:55] AI in Sales: A Conversation with an AI SDR Founder[48:06] The Future of AI in Sales and Marketing[01:00:15] Novel Uses of AI[01:08:54] Closing Remarks and Shoutouts
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SPOTLIGHT: Resilience and Growth with LucidLink CEO Pete Thompson
LucidLink CEO and Co-founder Pete Thompson offers an inside look into how he rapidly scaled LucidLink, a company that transforms cloud storage into an accessible, high-performance drive. Pete discusses the critical steps and strategies that propelled the company from its inception in 2016, through struggles to find product-market fit, to achieving breakthrough success during the pandemic.Key Moments:(00:46) - Spotlight on Pete Thompson of LucidLink(01:42) - LucidLink's Innovative Cloud Storage Solution(03:09) - Finding the Ideal Customer and Product Market Fit(08:02) - Challenges and Breakthroughs During the Pandemic(18:21) - Rapid Growth and Fundraising Success(20:42) - Reflections and Future Outlook(23:05) - Closing Remarks and Recommendations(25:15) - Outro and Subscription InformationYou're invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.
The #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. Tune in every week to hear Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman discuss and debate the trends, news, and developments impacting the B2B tech world. Enjoy the hot takes, strong opinions, and dry humor.
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