RevOps Rockstars RevOps Rockstars

Joining us for our season finale is a GTM genius who helped grow some of the biggest SaaS companies on the planet. With experience at Box, Salesforce, and Google, he has developed a well rounded expertise in all things RevOps. This week’s RevOps Rockstar is Growth Partner at Emergence Capital, Doug Landis!
Doug sits down with David and Jarin for a potentially controversial conversation on the right time to implement RevOps teams. Doug dives into the importance of having a strong data plan, the areas of most impact for an early stage RevOps team, and why now is the time to double down on understanding your ICP.
Takeaways:
While it may seem controversial, many early stage companies should hire for RevOps before sales. While CEO’s need to focus on leading the growth of the first million before bringing on more sales people, RevOps can enable the CEO to sell better.As companies focus on scaling, they need to ensure they have strong data practices in place. Without knowing what data and metrics drive the success of your company, you will fail to grow efficiently. In today’s market companies need to be focusing on one thing, ICP. Building a pipeline is hard, and you need to ensure that you are targeting the right people, in the right ways, at the right times. At early stage companies, the best thing a RevOps leader can help with is building an overview dashboard. This helps senior leadership not only understand the business better, but communicate more effectively with the board of directorsIf your sales team doesn’t understand what a RevOps team should do, that RevOps team becomes a catch all team. When sales is more aligned with RevOps, they can advocate for better support for RevOps teams as work loads fluctuate during the year.Pipeline is the heartbeat of any company, and companies need to be focusing on tracking the right metrics to understand it. Identify your company goals and their corresponding metrics to track, rather than solving with technology. When planning ahead on strategy, you need to also incorporate the ramp up time of your reps into your timeline. If you only start hiring by the time you start implementing, you are already behind on hitting your goals. Quote of the Show:
“The right rev ops leader who is really strategic in the business understands what fundamentally we're trying to do from the top down.” - Doug LandisShoutouts:
Amy Volas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyvolas/ Samantha McKenna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsalesli/ John Barrows: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ Ian Koniak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iankoniak/ Kevin "KD" Dorsey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kddorsey3/Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglandis/ Website: https://www.emcap.com/ Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08a4b302-d25e-4b7b-a11a-60e9b51df083/revops-rockstars Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revops-rockstars/id1654084702 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynGAP60cktaDs1Cb6Chxh 

When you operate a small ops team, you need to have your processes down. Joining the show this week is a professional who excels at all aspects of operations. Please welcome to the show, Director of Revenue Operations at Otter.ai, Chris Hudson!
Chris sits down with David Carnes and Jarin Chu for a thoughtful discussion on the role of RevOps. Chris explores how Otter is using their own tool internally, how AI can help ops teams, the value of building a scalable dashboard, and why RevOps is a seller’s best friend. 

 
Takeaways:
To excel in RevOps, one must learn the importance of ruthless prioritization due to the limited time available for completing tasks. Additionally, mastering the art of saying no is crucial in order to focus on the most significant priorities.As a mighty team of one, Chris holds four pivotal roles, encompassing DealDesk, Business Systems, Go-to-Market Operations, and Reporting Dashboards. Through careful planning, Chris enabled efficient processes and data-driven decision-making.With a small ops team, you need to efficiently leverage outside help. While responsibilities like deal desk need to be handled internally, CPQ systems and data research are prime for outsourcing. A strong RevOps team allows sales to focus on selling, leading to increased opportunities and closed deals. By relieving them of administrative tasks and providing insights from reporting and analytics, time can be better utilized for maximum impact.An important cross functional initiative for any team to consider is taking information from the sales team and relaying that back to product teams. Innovation happens at the edge and bringing design teams closer to that edge results in a better product. While building a fleshed out dashboard can be a time consuming project, you will quickly reap the benefits. As future reports are requested, instead of rebuilding the dashboard, you can simply tweak the parameters to get the data you need. Otter provides a shared repository of information and an AI chat feature that helps align executives, product managers, and sales teams. Sharing this knowledge internally allows Otter to expedite their own ops processes.Quote of the Show:
“One of the main things that I love about my job is I get to teach.” - Chris HudsonShoutouts:
RevOps Co-op: https://www.revopscoop.com/ Wizards Of Ops: https://wizops.org/ Modern Sales Pros: https://modernsaleshq.com/ Stephen Daniels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenhdaniels Jeff Ignacio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbethechange/ Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjhudsonsf/ Website: https://otter.ai/ Blog: https://cjhudson.com/ Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08a4b302-d25e-4b7b-a11a-60e9b51df083/revops-rockstars Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revops-rockstars/id1654084702 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynGAP60cktaDs1Cb6Chxh 

When it comes to growing a young company, a RevOps team has their work cut out for them. With a background in VC, this week’s guest is here to help. She’s a visionary, results-driven GTM exec who excels at building multichannel teams. Please welcome to the show, Partner at Stage 2 Capital, Mandy Cole! Mandy joins David and Jarin to share her tips for RevOps teams. Mandy goes in depth on the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity, why sellers need to focus on buyer driven signals, and what the future holds for BDRs. 

 
Takeaways:
RevOps teams in a portfolio should focus on prioritizing quality over quantity in their outbound strategies. Utilizing new AI tools and personalized messaging can significantly improve pipeline building and enhance ABM strategies.The role of BDRs is evolving as companies leverage AI to improve outreach and achieve better success. While there may be a decrease in the number of BDRs needed, their focus will be on following up more effectively with targeted accounts.A successful RevOps team should prioritize both growth and retention, focusing on leading indicators of retention and product usage. By taking a data-driven approach to measuring pipeline, finger-pointing can be eliminated and shared goals can be achieved.Leveraging your CRM and incorporating a buyer-driven process ensures accurate pipeline reports and qualified leads, removing uncertainties and improving sales forecasting.It is important to consider red flags in RevOps due diligence, such as the lack of retention data, focus on inefficient growth, and absence of thoughtful processes implemented by the RevOps team.Companies should evaluate their tech stack and streamline their tools to avoid duplication and improve data integration. Additionally, they should explore new technologies, such as AI, to drive better outcomes and maximize ROI.It is crucial for companies to focus on one target market, such as mid-market, before expanding to enterprise. Attempting to cater to multiple market tiers simultaneously can strain resources and hinder success.Quote of the Show:
“It starts with really understanding your ICP and your buyer journey.” - Mandy ColeShoutouts:
Andrew Bennett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewleebennett/ Greg Kokino: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkokino/ Modern Sales Pros: https://modernsaleshq.com/ Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MandyHCole LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyhcole/ Website: https://www.stage2.capital/ Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08a4b302-d25e-4b7b-a11a-60e9b51df083/revops-rockstars Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revops-rockstars/id1654084702 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynGAP60cktaDs1Cb6Chxh 

Joining the show this week is an ops leader with experience leading global teams at scale. She’s a multi faceted ops pro, with experience in sales strategy, monetization, marketing, and business ops. Please welcome to the show, Head of Revenue Strategy and Operations at Notion, Namrata Ram! Nam sits down with David and Jarin to share how she leads Ops functions at Notion. She dives into the nuances of aligning cross functional initiatives as a PLG company, the balance between short and medium term initiatives, and how Notion’s AI is empowering teams around the world. 
Takeaways:
Proper management of a tech stack, including processes for testing and development, is crucial for empowering sales teams and minimizing the impact of system changes. This requires rigor similar to software development, even for customization changes.Outsourcing certain tasks, such as data cleanliness and repetitive work, can allow companies to focus on more strategic and complex responsibilities. Factors to consider include the complexity of the work, availability of talent, and fluctuations in workload.A key focus area for scaling a company is efficiently and responsibly establishing sales processes, methodologies, and operating cadence. These foundational elements are crucial for sustainable growth and achieving success in scaling efforts.Effective sales performance requires a balance between short and medium-term initiatives. While immediate change is possible in short deal cycles, significant results require two quarters of consistent effort to assess effectiveness and adapt accordingly.AI offers the ability to leverage personalized messaging and outreach to improve the conversion rate from outreach to meetings, ultimately leading to significant revenue impact. Notion's AI functionality offers features like summarization and improved writing, making work more efficient and impactful. By transforming meeting notes into action items and creating effective outreach, teams can enhance collaboration and productivity.In PLG companies, cross-functional initiatives between the growth and sales teams are crucial to impacting the full customer journey. By aligning onboarding processes with product usage from the beginning, teams can optimize the customer experience.Quote of the Show:
“All these different metrics that the teams are goaled on is indirectly your goal. Because your job is to make sure that they are successful.” - Namrata RamShoutouts:
Erica Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-anderson-54b5878/ Eli Weiner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliweiner/ Robert Frati: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfrati/ Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/namrata-ram-715ba415/ Website: https://www.notion.so/product Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08a4b302-d25e-4b7b-a11a-60e9b51df083/revops-rockstars Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revops-rockstars/id1654084702 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynGAP60cktaDs1Cb6Chxh 

This week’s RevOps Rockstar is a high caliber leader at a high growth company. From his many years of experience, he understands the power of a centralized ops team. Our guest this week is none other than SVP of Revenue Operations and Partnerships at Apollo.io, Henry Mizel! Henry sits down with David and Jarin to share his expertise as an Ops leader, and how he’s helped drive revenue at a unicorn company. Henry dives into the importance of alignment, how his team is utilizing an automated SDR, and why teams should embrace rather than fear AI. 

 
Takeaways:
Driving alignment across teams and maintaining clear communication are essential to success. Creating transparency, understanding the audience, and simplifying complex ideas are key strategies for achieving this.Outsourcing or offshoring can be effective for new initiatives, but overreliance can become costly and less efficient. It's crucial to strategically hire for long-term projects that support teams and organizations.Achieving company goals and fostering alignment around strategy, definitions, and data are key indicators of success in the role of RevOps. A successful RevOps team ensures company growth and effective collaboration across departments.When it’s time to interact with the board, alignment and understanding your audience are the two main components. Partnering with the right teams, and tailoring the information to the makeup of the board ensures you continue to be involved in decisions. For Apollo, the use of an automated SDR is allowing them to revamp their sales engagement. By more effectively tracking demographic and product signals, they can trigger automated emails in a timely, personalized manner.Tech stack consolidation and leveraging AI are key disruptive trends in RevOps, with potential benefits and risks. Simplifying and streamlining tools can enhance efficiency, while harnessing AI can significantly boost productivity without job replacement.RevOps teams need to look at AI as a tool to help boost efficiency and productivity, rather than a concern that will take their jobs. Good ops teams who can leverage AI tools will see a boost in the output of their team. Quote of the Show:
“If the company is aligned around strategy, definitions, and data, then I think RevOps is doing a good job.” - Henry MizelShoutouts:
Brad Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonarbrad/ Matt Curl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-curl-51470714/ Peter Kazanjy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/ Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrymizel/ Website: https://www.apollo.io/ Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08a4b302-d25e-4b7b-a11a-60e9b51df083/revops-rockstars Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revops-rockstars/id1654084702 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynGAP60cktaDs1Cb6Chxh 

Joining us on today's podcast is an esteemed RevOps executive who has played a pivotal role in fostering the expansion of numerous generative AI companies. Welcome to the show, Director of Revenue Operations at Phrasee, Hugo Robein.

Hugo joins hosts David Carnes and Jarin Chu to delve into the impact of generative AI in regard to the future of RevOps. Hugo shares his insights on the use cases of AI tools such as Phrasee and Chat GPT, and utilizing generative AI to create on-brand content for your company while optimizing your data with the aid of AI.
Takeaways:
In RevOps, nothing will ever be perfect. RevOps is full of change and it is important to acknowledge and understand that. While you may seek perfection, you need to utilize iterative change to make small improvements. Although it feels like companies are finally understanding what the role of RevOps is, it continues to evolve. While traditionally it was about marketing and sales alignment, RevOps teams are now responsible for also aligning CS teams. RevOps has the ability to provide crucial insights into the pricing structure for your company. By analyzing market trends, competitor pricing, as well as insights from sales calls and current clients, Ops teams can make crucial pricing decisions. When you interact with the board of directors, you need to be concise, and understand who your stakeholders are. Understand your metrics of success, and condense your findings into short insights that speak to your audience. One area of advancement with AI that Ops leaders should focus on is automation of tasks. Models that will allow you to connect applications and automate data entry will save hours of manual work. AI models that provide predictive analysis offer another opportunity for Ops leaders. Data engineers and analysts come at a high cost, and having an AI assistant that provides even a base level of predictive analytics will help many teams. While generative AI models are tempting tools for marketers, not all tools are created equal. Before sending your prompt, consider if that tool can write within your brand standards, follow regulations, and ultimately produce good content. Quote of the Show:
“You need to understand what you want to achieve before going into AI. Otherwise, you're going to get a solution and you won't have any idea of how you're going to use it” - Hugo RobeinShoutouts:
Matthew Volm, CEO and Co-Founder of RevOps Co-op: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewvolm Erol Toker, Automation, Technology, and RevOps: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eroltoker Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hsrobein Phrasee (Company Website): https://phrasee.coPhotography: https://chloeboucherit.com/ Ways to Tune In:
Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/08a4b302-d25e-4b7b-a11a-60e9b51df083/revops-rockstars Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revops-rockstars/id1654084702 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynGAP60cktaDs1Cb6Chxh