Scale with Strive Podcast

Scale with Strive
  • 5.0 (1)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Scale with Strive Podcast

Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast - the place where you come to listen to some of the worlds most influential leaders in the SaaS industry!

  1. JUN 25

    'The Four Pillars of SaaS Growth' with Mark Stephenson

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀 Our host is John Hitchen and on today’s episode, we are excited to welcome Mark Stephenson, Fractional CRO, Advisor and GTM Coach! Mark brings over 30 years of experience in Solution Sales and Go-To-Market Leadership, having worked with high growth venture-backed SaaS companies like Evisort and AVI Networks, as well as large organizations such as HP and Cisco. He's built a reputation for consistently delivering outstanding results, surpassing quota in 24 out of 27 years. Today, we focus in on SaaS Growth, and the four pronged growth approach that Mark believes is essential here: Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), Talent, Collaboration and Sales Process.  Some of our key takeaways from the conversation were: 💡 What defines an ideal customer profile in today's market? 💡 Strategies for identifying and attracting top talent in competitive markets 💡 Best practices for improving cross-functional collaboration between sales, marketing, and product team 💡Metrics and KPIs to measure the success of a sales process   Let’s Dive in!  ____________________________________________________________________________________________  Connect with Mark here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstephenson-consultant/ Connect with John here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhitchen/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapters 00:00  Introduction to Mark Stephenson 02:56   Understanding the Ideal Customer Profile 05:51    Talent Acquisition and Sales Debt 09:59   Collaboration in SaaS Organizations 16:45    Sales Process Design and Implementation

    34 min

  2. MAY 9

    'The Four Pillars of a GTM Playbook' with Quentin Packard

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀  Our host is John Hitchen and on today’s episode, we are excited to welcome Quentin Packard, Senior Vice President of Sales at Conduktor! Starting his career in SaaS within Operations, Quentin rose through the ranks before transferring over to commence his Sales career as an SDR and making his way up to a Global Head position.  Quentin has worked for some fantastic companies, such as Splunk, where he joined the business when they were under a Billion in Revenue and under 1,000 employees in the business. By the time he left, they'd grown to over 9,000 employees and multiple Billion Revenues in ARR. Today, we focus in on the GTM playbook, and the four pillars that Quentin believes are essential here: Recruitment, Onboarding, Sales Process and Performance / Predictable Revenue. Some of our key takeaways from the conversation were:  💡 Strategies and key attributes to look for in talent 💡 Optimizing the pipeline generation strategy. 💡 Metrics and Strategies to drive performance. Let’s Dive in!  ________________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Quentin here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/qpackard/ Connect with John here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhitchen/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/ ________________________________________________________________________________________ 0:00.     Introduction to Quentin Packard 3:11.        Recruitment: Building the Right Team 11:49.     Onboarding: First 90 Days 17:30.     Pipeline Generation: The Oxygen of Sales 27:09.    Performance and Predictable Revenue 34:16.    Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

    35 min

  3. MAY 7

    'A GenAI Case Study: Waldo' with Dan Monahan

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀  Our host is John Hitchen and on today’s episode, we are excited to welcome Dan Monahan, Head of Sales at Waldo!  Dan has a rich background in Sales and Leadership within the SaaS Space, beginning his career at ZeroTurnaround (which was later acquired by Perforce), before joining Forestry.io, leading a large Sales and Sales Engineering team.  Moving on to Snyk, he helped grow the revenue from $30M ARR to $300M ARR - and now he is at the very early stages of Waldo, an AI company focused on research and strategy.  Today, we focus in on the Gen AI space and the company Dan has recently joined, Waldo. We explore the factors he considered before making his move, what the product does and delve into the competitive space of Gen AI.   Some of our key takeaways from the conversation were:  💡 The factors to consider when considering joining an early-stage company  💡 Exploring Waldo’s AI research platform and its GTM Strategy  💡 Why sticking to your ICP, even in a busy market, is key     Let’s Dive in!  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Connect with Dan here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljohnmonahan/ Connect with John here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhitchen/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  0:00            Introduction to Dan  3:16              Why Dan Joined Waldo 7:33              Waldo's AI Research Platform Explained 11:20            Go-to-Market Strategy and Future Vision 21:09           Building Teams for AI Startups 24:35          Closing Thoughts

    25 min

  4. MAY 6

    'From Boardroom to Sales Floor: Aligning Teams with Company Vision' with Niall Carey

    📢 Welcome to Season 3 of the 'Scale with Strive Podcast' - the place to come to listen to some of the world's most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀  Our host today is Adam Richardson and on today’s episode, we are excited to welcome Niall Carey, Founder at Fractal Advisory.  After 15+ years leading high-performing sales teams in organisations such as DocuSign and Salesforce, Niall has now transitioned into fractional leadership to help ambitious companies scale smarter and faster.    As a Fractional CXO / VP of Sales, he partners with Founders, CEOs, and Investors to:    ✅ Build and scale sales teams to consistently hit targets  ✅ Design and execute Go-To-Market strategies   ✅ Drive predictable, sustainable revenue growth  ✅ Coach and mentor emerging sales leaders  ✅ Prepare organisations for expansion and growth    Today, we focus in on aligning sales teams with the Company Mission and Vision and some of our key takeaways from the conversation were:   💡 The disconnect between Vision and Action   💡 Storytelling as a Leadership tool   💡 Embedding the Company Vision in Sales Teams – and making it personal to them   _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Niall here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallcarey/ Connect with Adam here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saasheadhunter/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/  ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 0:00.     Introduction to Vision Alignment Challenge 5:42.     The Disconnect Between Vision and Action 11:34.   Making Vision Personal to Sales Teams 16:20.   Storytelling as a Leadership Tool 22:37.   Embedding Vision in Sales Culture 27:30.   Aligning Compensation with Company Goals 32:50.   Leadership Training and Crisis Management 37:00.   Rapid-Fire Leadership Insights

    41 min

  5. APR 30

    'Why Hiring in Germany Requires a Different Approach' with Philip Nowak

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀  I am your host, Adam Richardson and on today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Philip Nowak! Philip has over 16 years’ experience working within senior sales roles within the Germany and DACH geographies and on today’s podcast, we focus in on why hiring in Germany requires a different approach. Some of our key takeaways from the conversation were:  💡 Why the German market can bring its own unique hiring challenges 💡 How to effectively attract talent to your organisation in Germany 💡 Strategies for selecting the right location in Germany when hiring your first reps  Let’s Dive in! ________________________________________________________________________________________  Connect with Philip here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-nowak-93b84221/  Connect with Adam here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saasheadhunter/  Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/  _______________________________________________________________________________________ 0.0           Introduction to German Market Challenges 4.11          Cultural Differences and Hiring Difficulties 7.32         Attracting German Talent Effectively 11.53       Managing Counter Offers and Commitment 18.06      Finding the Right Startup Profiles 32.06     German Work Culture and Location Strategy 40.05     Remote Working and Changing Benefits

    45 min

  6. APR 10

    ‘Building & Scaling your Sales Playbook’ with Laura Smith

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀 I am your host, John Hitchen and on today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Laura Smith, Director of North American Sales at Strike.  Laura is an ex-athlete turned Sales expert, who has carved out a space for herself in the Cyber Security world. With a background in criminal justice and computer science, she's not just selling software, she's helping businesses protect themselves from real threats.   Laura's known for her ability to work complex Enterprise deals, build Go-To-Market strategies from scratch and consistently hit targets.   Today, we focus in on building and scaling your Sales Playbook and some of our key takeaways from the conversation were:  💡 Why a Sales Playbook is so important for early-stage companies  💡 How to start building a Sales Playbook – who to involve in the process, what components to include and how to make it adaptable.   💡 How to roll out your Sales Playbook, how to embed it and how to keep it relevant and updated  Let’s Dive in! ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Laura here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-smith-67939913b/ Connect with John here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhitchen/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 0:00.       Meet Laura: From Athlete to Cybersecurity Sales 8:56.        Laura's Career Journey and Athletic Background 16:05.     Why Sales Playbooks Matter for Startups 21:19       Creating an Adaptable Playbook That Scales 25:34.     Implementing and Measuring Playbook Success 29:37.     Key Lessons and Book Recommendations

    30 min

  7. APR 7

    'Key Lessons in Sales Leadership' with John Turner

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀 I am your host, John Hitchen and on today’s episode, I am excited to welcome John Turner (JT), CRO and Strategic Advisor at companies such as Stairwell and Observe.AI. JT is a Sales Leader whose career spans from some of the biggest names in the Tech Industry.  ✅ He's led a 400-person sales team in a 250 million emerging tech sales team at Symantec.  ✅ He took TriNet through an IPO. ✅ He was responsible for the global sales team at Google Cloud Security Products.  These days, he's advising in high-growth startups, including one of Forbes' 50 AI companies. JT has seen every single side of this market engine, from Startup to Global scale, and he brings a straight talking, deeply strategic approach to Sales Leadership.  Today, we focus in on all things Sales Leadership and some of our key takeaways from the conversation were:    💡 Sales Leader Fundamentals - the differences between Sales Leadership and Sales Management.   💡 How to build a world-class Sales Team. 💡 How to balance short term targets, with long term development.    Let’s Dive in!    ________________________________________________________________________________   Connect with JT here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnturner1000/ Connect with John here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhitchen/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/ _________________________________________________________________________________    Chapters 0:00     Introduction to JT's Leadership Journey 3:12     Difference Between Sales Management and Leadership 8:32     The Truth Is in the Field Philosophy 14:30   Four Legs of the Table: Hiring Great Sales Reps 22:48   Creating an Authentic Sales Culture 31:58   Navigating Leadership Challenges and Transitions 39:45   Learning from History: Leadership Insights

    41 min

  8. MAR 11

    ‘Generative AI: Hype, Reality & What’s Next’ with Dave Joshua

    Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast, the place where you come to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders of the SaaS industry. 🚀 I am your host, Adam Richardson and on today’s episode, I am excited to welcome Dave Joshua, Founder at Scale Gen AI, a Consultancy which helps Generative AI startups and creators move beyond founder-led growth with lean, AI-powered Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies. Dave has spent 20+ years leading GTM, marketing, sales, and revenue strategy for AI companies, including Stability AI and other generative AI pioneers. His expertise covers, amongst other things: ✅ AI-Native GTM – Integrating AI-driven sales, marketing, and customer success ✅ Enterprise Monetization – API, platform, and direct sales strategies ✅ D2C/B2C Growth – Scaling acquisition, prosumer/consumer segmentation, and retention ✅ Strategic Hiring – Building lean, high-impact GTM teams that leverage AI ✅ Exit Strategy – Positioning for IPO, acquisition, or sustainable growth Today, we focus in on all things Gen AI and some of my key takeaways from our conversation were:   💡The growth of the Gen AI space in the last three years and where investment has concentrated.    💡 GTM Strategies for Gen AI start-ups - including Proof of Concept, identifying ICP, product simplification and Customer Acquisition Costs. 💡 The future of the Gen AI space.    Let’s Dive in!   ________________________________________________________________________________  Watch the episode on YouTube 🎥 – https://youtu.be/lUpb-mpt-EU Connect with Dave here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davejoshua/ Connect with Adam here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saasheadhunter/ Learn more about Strive here - https://scalewithstrive.com/  _________________________________________________________________________________    Chapters 00:00     Introduction to Generative AI and Dave's Background 02:58      The Current State of Generative AI 06:03      Investment Trends and Market Dynamics in Gen.AI 09:12       The Role of Investors and the Impact of OpenAI 11:59        Challenges in Go-to-Market Strategies for Gen.AI 15:02       Navigating the Gen.AI Landscape: Opportunities and Risks 23:15        Navigating Market Pivots 26:49       Understanding Revenue Models and Growth Challenges 30:22       The Importance of Product Management 34:49       Identifying Ideal Customer Profiles 38:27        Pricing Strategies and Revenue Predictions 43:25       Future Trends in the Generative AI Market

    47 min
See All (26)

About

Welcome to the Scale with Strive podcast - the place where you come to listen to some of the worlds most influential leaders in the SaaS industry!

Information

  • Creator
    Scale with Strive
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Scale with Strive Podcast
  • Show Website
    Scale with Strive Podcast

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada