Hunters and Unicorns

1. Hunters and Unicorns - 202020 - Part 2 - The Stories - John Kaplan

In this story session we cover: 

  

• An example of John Kaplan nailing a first customer meeting 

• An example of John Kaplan “crashing and burning” in a first customer meeting  
• Why preparation is key and how to use John’s Principles to execute first customer meetings effectively 

Today we are joined by John Kaplan, President, Co-founder, & Managing Partner at Force Management. Revealing "real world" techniques, tales and insights from his 20+year career in sales, John breaks down his fundamental sales strategies to help prepare you for your next sales call and ensure you stand out from the competition. 

 

“We closed with revised required capabilities because we wanted them to be more specific, which would be valuable for them, and valuable for us. The economic buyer stopped us in the middle and said, "Hey, one question." I said, "Sure, go ahead." They said, "Are you going to teach our people how to sell like this?" And I said, "Absolutely." And that was it.” 

 

Whether you're at the top of your game or just starting, listen to discover how to apply John’s 3 “Ps” mantra to real business scenarios and learn key steps for warming up cold sales conversations and turning prospects into active opportunities your business.   

 

New to the 202020 Mastery Mission – Check out this blog for more information – https://www.somuchsoap.com/the-202020-mastery-mission/

 

  

“Are you on the mission?” 

1. Hunters and Unicorns - 202020 Mastery Mission - John Kaplan

Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns, 20/20/20 Mastery Mission.   

  

20 topics, 20 guests for 20 minutes.   

 

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 John Kaplan, President, Co-founder, & Managing Partner at Force Management. John has over 20 years of executive experience in sales, leadership, and execution, specializing in corporate sales strategy and performance management. Before co-founding Force, he was SVP of International Sales Operations for PTC, a leading software developer for content, product life cycle management. 

In episode 1, John runs through best practices for conducting effective first meetings in today’s vastly altered SaaS landscape. From warming up cold calls and overcoming “Seller Deficit Disorder” to accessing pain and using his highly effective “Three P’s” mantra to prepare for every interaction, John Kaplan covers it all. 

“When I reach out to them, they're going to go, “Why is this person calling me?” Purpose. Second, “What do they want from me?” Process. Third is, “What's in it for me? What's the benefit? What's the payoff?” I find that the people that are prepared minimally with just that, have a much better way to stand in the moment of truth and consider what the other person's reaction's going to be.” 

Preparing for a deal is critical but preparing others for your sales call can also have equal impacts on your success. Highlighting some of the most common mistakes he sees with salespeople and the discovery process, John educates us on how not to approach initial conversations and offers our listeners advice on how to use great discovery questions during execution to understand positive business outcomes, access real pain and then articulate what you’ve learned back to the customer to demonstrate the value and differentiation of your solution. 

“The more I tell them they have a problem, the more they're going to resist me, but the more I ask them discovery questions that make them stand in their moment of pain, they're going to convince themselves they have a problem.” 

Whether you're at the top of your game or just starting, we break down the best tips to prepare and practice for your next sales call. John Kaplan shares the preparation tactics he uses and teaches to accomplish critical meeting goals and achieve success in his deals.  

 

Listen to our story session to discover more advice from John on the topic of first meetings and first impressions as he delves deeper into his personal experiences with cold calling during his early days of selling and “real world" examples and insights from his 20+ year career in SaaS. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Andy Byron #017

“I go to work every day with the purpose of having a positive impact on people's lives and careers. I want to look back after Lacework and say I had a positive impact on the employees at the company, I had a positive impact on the outcomes of our customers and what they wanted and we had a positive impact in the market, and I could have a positive impact in creating a legacy of the best cloud security company in the world - that's what we're trying to build here.”  - Andy Byron

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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. Episode 17 features Andy Byron, President at Lacework. Byron originally had his sights set on a career as a professional baseballer before he entered into SaaS sales. His competitive nature and innate drive to “aim for the top and execute against a plan” enabled him to excel in the sporting world, but his ability to recognise his own strengths and weaknesses led him to follow a different path and adapt his skills to software sales. Since making the transition to tech in 2004, Andy has developed a reputation as an outstanding leader with a track record of go-to-market success with innovative, fast growth start-up companies, building and managing successful sales teams for organizations including VeriCenter, BladeLogic, BMC Software, Aveksa, Fuse, Cybereason and CRV. He is now leading the sales and marketing teams for Lacework, driving their mission to be the global standard in cloud security with a personal objective to enable talent and create a legacy for himself. “Early on in my career it was about making money, then it became about, how can I show that I can lead people? At this point in my career it's about, how can I create a legacy where when I look back, a lot of people can say, "Hey, Byron was a fair leader, maybe not the easiest person to work for, but he was fair, and he enabled me to do things that I never thought I could do in my career." Accustomed to instant success in his sporting career, it took Andy a while to master the subtleties of selling technology and adapt to a new level of endurance and persistence in the SaaS arena. When he joined BladeLogic, he was surrounded by people that “pushed each other every day to be the best that they could be” and with John McMahon as his mentor, Andy became a student of the game, relentlessly focussed on four key areas that were to become the pillars of his playbook - recruiting and retainment, training and enablement, pipeline and territory management and accurate forecasting. The implementation of these playbook elements along with his unique leadership style centred around purposeful interaction and an open mindset propelled Andy’s career forward and paved the way for his remarkable success in this industry. “I have to make sure that everything aligns to one strategy and one goal. I also make sure all those things align to product and engineering and what our goals are financially. It's more than just making sure we hit the number every quarter, it's making sure we hit the number, but all the other pieces are aligned to the company hitting the number as well.” In this vodcast you will discover: The parallels between sports and sales – how Andy’s professional baseball career laid the foundations for his sales career. The importance of knowledge and an open mindset - why Andy chose to work for people over companies in the early days of his career. Change Management – what it is and how it is used to transform companies. The evolvement of Andy’s playbook – how strategy and experience has enabled Andy to keep breaking the glass ceiling. Andy Byron understands exactly how to build a first-class sales and marketing team. We discuss his extraordinary career journey from Individual Contributor to President and how his focus has changed over the years. Offering advice for next generation sales leaders, we delve into playbooks, legendary leadership, and ask Andy what key ingredients he thinks are 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. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Cedric Pech #023

You 100% join a leader; you join a person. If you join an average company with an amazing leader, you're going to have a great experience. If you join a great company with a bad leader, that's not going to work. Often, younger generations think in terms of market share and market potential which are still very important factors, but they forget the most basic things - who is the person on the other side?”  - Cedric Pech  

 

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies.  

In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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. 

 

Episode 23 features Cedric Pech, CRO of MongoDB. With over 20 years of sales leadership experience, Cedric has a track record of building high-performance sales organizations that deliver strong and consistent results. Prior to MongoDB, he led worldwide sales at Fuze, an enterprise global cloud communications and collaboration software platform. He has also held senior sales leadership roles for four different software companies, including three publicly traded companies - BladeLogic, BMC, and BazaarVoice. 

 

Cedric first joined MongoDB in 2017 to lead Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales and was promoted to CRO in 2019. Since then, he has continued to drive exceptional growth for the company, expanding into new markets, implementing new processes, and scaling formidable sales teams that have generated billions of dollars in revenue.  

 

“There is no greatness without pain but there is fairness and attention to the people – I don’t treat them like cash machines who are just there to produce software. I'm not in the software business, I'm 100% in the people business. My job is to help people fulfil their dreams.” 

 

Cedric is committed to the development of his people and dedicated to creating a nurturing environment for employees so that they can develop their skillset and thrive both as part of the teams at MongoDB and throughout their careers. His aim is to build confidence in a new generation of sales leaders by offering well-defined paths for career growth, open feedback and a culture of learning and development. In terms of how to succeed in building a great sales organization in the software business, Cedric believes in the importance of being consistent, disciplined, following the sales process, and, above all, creating a sense of purpose.  

 

“Keep reminding people why we are building the ship in the first place - keep reminding them that one day we are going to be sailing on the ocean and it's going to be fun. Remind them of the vision that you embarked on together and reinforce it - a sense of mission in the team is really, really important.” 

 

In this vodcast you will discover: 

·         An insight into the continuing growth and exciting future for MongoDB.  

·         What motivates Cedric to succeed and how Carlo Carpenelli shaped him as a leader.  

·         How to scale your career in SAAS and the importance of great leadership, especially in the early days.  

·         How use the playbook as a tool to motivate high performing teams and build a healthy culture of development.  

·         How to build solid foundations for a successful career in SAAS.  

 

 

Cedric Pech knows how to build a legendary sales organization. His incredible success in this industry is a testament to his values and unique approach to developing people. To him, MongoDB is more than just a job, it is a call of vocation, a playground for innovators and an opportunity to mould exceptional leaders who will lead the disruption of the database market, empower developers and transform the industry. In this discussion we cover all of this and more as we delve into Cedric’s past and his experiences in the software sales arena. For anyone with a passion for the technology space or an interest in sales strategy, this interview is essential listening and offers an invaluable insight into how to succeed in this industry. 

 

Hunters and Unicorns: Playbook Universe - Luke Rogers #001

“I want to codify every element of selling into a formula that is so flawless that any intelligent, coachable individual regardless of their experience can thrive. I want to dispel this art into such a science that I can create an elite sales force without having to hire lions - just brilliant, determined people that can learn.”  - Luke Rogers

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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. Episode 1 features Luke Rogers, VP of Sales at Instabase. Luke founded his first company at the age of 15. Selling computers online, Luke grew the business from zero to a quarter of a million turnover annually before he had even finished high school and experienced such explosive growth that he was able to leave home and fund his own university education. His degree in artificial intelligence and cybernetics combined with over a decade of enterprise sales experience has equipped Luke with a rich technical and business skill set. He believes that experience is the least important quality when building an elite go to market team and has dedicated his career to teaching sales as a science and diversifying the tech landscape through empowering and recruiting new voices into sales. Prior to joining Instabase, Luke was part of the team that helped take AppDynamics from $100M to a $3.7bn sale to Cisco in just four years. His current role at Instabase not only unlocks the next phase of growth for Luke, but also provides an opportunity for him to pay it forward and help change the lives of his teams and customers. “If you make it simple and merit based then people will thrive and if you give them the right training and the right mentoring, people can achieve things that they didn't think were possible. That's what happened to me.” After university, Luke worked for two of the largest tech companies on the planet, Cisco and IBM, but his hunger for growth, continuous learning, and making an impact led him to seek new opportunities in an environment that would challenge him to do better every day. He knew what he was looking for and when he met Jeremy Duggan, VP of Silicon Valley’s newest “unicorn”, AppDynamics, he knew had found it. Although Luke had never sold software before, his confidence, determination and “do whatever it takes” mentality shone through and secured him a role that would transform his career. With an industry veteran as his mentor and in an environment where “everyone was running as fast as they possibly could”, Luke “left his bags at the door” and became a disciple of Jeremy’s playbook, following the process exactly, learning it and living it better than anyone else. He received the training and enablement he needed to develop and become a master of his craft and learnt lessons in entrepreneurship that changed his life. Luke developed into the inspirational leader he is today, committed to supporting and progressing his teams whilst maintaining and developing a culture of respect, excellence, and diversity. “If we keep fishing in the same ponds, we're going to keep hiring the same people and end up with the same types of teams, and the same types of leaders, but it's new leaders that come from those different backgrounds that are diverse - they're the ones that are going to change things because they'll hire different people and then everything will change. That's what we need to do and that is important to me.” In this vodcast you will discover: The framework that enabled Luke to transition from having zero software sales experience to leading and managing teams and closing $10 million deals. What motivates Luke to succeed and how Jeremy’s belief in him has shaped him as a leader. How Luke has maintained high performance throughout his career – his personal drive and future mission. Luke’s role as VP of Sales at Instabase and what he looks for when hiring. Luke Rogers is dedicated to creating and developing a new generation of sales legends and adding meaningful value to people and organizations in a methodical and disciplined way. As his incredible career journey continues to reshape and take new turns, we cannot wait to see the next phase of his growth. We discuss all of this and more in this insightful and inspiring discussion – a special opportunity for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space to gain valuable insight into this industry.

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Paul McGrath #016

“You have to know who you are as a person and you have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. When you're in a leadership position you cannot take on the personality of someone else because people see through that. Learn how to be yourself. Be curious, be open to learning from others and have everyone else's interest in mind. If you take care of other people, they'll take care of you.”  - Paul McGrath

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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.

Episode 16 features Paul McGrath, Vice President Central at Snowflake. Paul has over 20 years of experience in managing and leading sales teams in the software industry, but his professional career actually started in the U.S. Army. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, McGrath transitioned into a sales role at Eastman Kodak Company and was recruited by PTC where he mastered the art of aggressive selling and laid the foundations for a truly remarkable career. Rising through the ranks at an impressive pace, Paul has since worked for tech heavyweights including BladeLogic, BMC, Bazaarvoice, AppDynamics and is currently in command of the record shattering teams at Snowflake, making history on the New York Stock Exchange as the largest software company to IPO in the U.S., ever. “When you're an individual contributor in the software sales game you just worry about yourself. When you become a leader, you've got to put yourself in the back seat. You've got a responsibility to your team and I was well aware of that because of my experience in the military as a leader and then at PTC.” In 2004 Paul joined BladeLogic as a Regional Director and hit the ground running. He had resilience, experience and the fundamental skills required to succeed at selling unique technology at a rapidly developing software company. Having focused on numbers and productivity at any expense at PTC, Paul already had a results-driven mindset but with John McMahon at the helm of BladeLogic, investing in training and placing a premium on good leadership, Paul discovered a new approach. McMahon was establishing a new culture centred around the development of people - leaders taking care of their people, making them better and holding them accountable. Surrounded A payers and “loving the hell out of it” Paul built enduring relationships, learnt the importance of working in partnership with his team and developed into a talented, humble leader. “If you're a hiring manager and you look for people that bring something to the table that you don't have, your life becomes so much easier. The biggest mistake that young leaders make is that they lack humility. If they look at hiring someone better than them, they might be worried that this person might outshine them, but I think nothing could be further from the truth.” In this vodcast you will discover: The pillars of Paul’s playbook and his journey to becoming a leader How to identify, recruit and enable good talent The importance of humility and learning from others What attracted Paul to Snowflake and why this is a truly remarkable company to work for Paul McGrath knows what it takes to launch and lead sales organizations. He has a unique eye for talent and is passionate about building innovative, diverse teams with big ambitions. We discuss his upward trajectory from military roots to record breaking IPOs and find out what advice he would give to the next generation of leaders looking to create their own network and ecosystem of accomplishment. This insightful discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Richard Rivera #020

“It comes down to the people in my belief and that is certainly no disrespect to the technology, but it doesn't sell itself. Big enterprises have so many options to solve their problems and there's a lot of mixed messages out there. I'm passionate about doing anything I can to help find and develop the hunters of the world, and the unicorns are a fun journey to be a part of.”  - Richard Rivera

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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.

Episode 20 features Richard Rivera, Chief Revenue Officer at Vibes. Over the past two decades, Rivera has established a significant track record of success building and scaling multiple disruptive technologies and cloud-based SaaS businesses. He has held prominent revenue-generating leadership roles at firms such as Medallia, Monetate, Dialpad, Fuze, BMC Software and BladeLogic. During Rivera’s tenure, these tech companies have seen 200%+ average revenue spikes during their early to mid-stage growth phases. Richard is now elevating the vision, mission and identity of Vibes, the Gartner Leader in mobile engagement and taking this technology pioneer into its next phase of hyper growth. “I wasn't then and nor am I now a technologist. I'm just not that into it. For me, it was leaning into what I do - I came from a football and teaching background so I would just teach, and I would really pay attention to the individuals that I was working with. I got introduced to the concept of a champion and I knew that champion had to have criteria that aligned to my unique value proposition and differentiation, so I knew early on that it was about selling to people.” When Richard joined BladeLogic under the leadership of John McMahon, he was able to optimise his potential for the first time in his career. As a Sales Rep for leading edge software with zero passion for technology, he relied on his experience as a teacher and coach and connected with the simplicity of a strategy that focused on people and building champions. Even though he says he “wasn't the best salesperson on the planet and certainly not the best one in that salesforce,” he found a way to survive by connecting with the people he was selling to, having an open mindset, and learning from the elite sellers surrounding him. His dedication to the playbook, deep understanding of the concept of productivity and passion for operational excellence has enabled Richard to drive alignment and commitment throughout his career whilst developing and inspiring his teams, colleagues, and customers. “Leadership is establishing a vision of what good looks like, a plan of how they get there, and then developing them towards the plan, and then inspiring them every day. If you're only thinking about winning the next deal and you're not really passionate about serving the people on your team and making them better, your motivation is going to affect your habits and behaviours. Your mindset is what drives your habits and behaviours and if your mindset's not right for leadership, then your habits and behaviours will make a negative impact on your team.” In this vodcast you will discover: How a background in sports and teaching paved the way for Richard’s success in SaaS Sales. How the MEDDIC framework enabled Richard to transition from sales rep to CRO and beyond. Recruitment - what key traits Richard looks for in interviewees. Why Richard chose to return to operating after starting his own consultancy business and why he chose Vibes. In terms of the journey to becoming a successful growth company, Richard’s world begins and ends with people. His passion is for more than just sales execution, he believes that “if you expect something out of a leader you've got to train and coach it up,” and he is devoted to doing just that. He has taken risks, made mistakes and had a lot of success in his career due to his incredible ability to learn and evolve. We discuss the core pillars of Richard’s playbook, how a 15-minute interview with McMahon changed his whole life and ask him to answer our all-important question: does the hunter make the unicorn? This deep dive into the world of SaaS Sales from the perspective of proven growth technology executive with more than 20 years of experience is an absolute must for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space. 

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Tom Schmit #021

 

“How do we activate people's greatness? That’s what it’s all about. So many have it inside of them, but it hasn't come out. It's our job to develop the hell out of them and truly make them great. They signed up, they took a chance, now what are we going to do to make them great? If you focus on that and have the playbook in place - that's how you make something magical.” – Tom Schmit

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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.

Episode 21 features Tom Schmit, Chief Revenue Officer at AuditBoard. Schmit is a SaaS master with extensive leadership experience in customer acquisition and retention at fast-growing enterprise software companies. Prior to AuditBoard, Tom served as Chief Revenue Officer for AppDynamics where he led and scaled a global team of over one thousand people and was instrumental in driving annual recurring revenue growth from less than $50M to more than $500M. Before his tenure at AppDynamics, Tom rose through BMC's sales leadership ranks over 5 years post the acquisition of BladeLogic, where he was originally introduced to the art and science of enterprise platform sales. In January 2021, Tom “followed his passion” and joined the executive team at AuditBoard to help scale and unlock the full potential of their customer-first sales approach. Building on an already successful model, Tom intends to drive evolution as the platform’s products and solutions continue to expand, using his expertise to enhance customer value and relationships and create a “legendary” company. “What is your why? It's amazing what you can get out when you lead with that - you build this relationship with your team where it's so much bigger than just the deal and everything that we talk about in the playbook which is really critical, but now there's this emotional attachment that when they're having success, it's based on something bigger than that. If you don't have that connection, I think you're a dying breed as a leader. I don't think it matters what playbook you have.”

Schmit’s natural sales ability was apparent before he joined BladeLogic but John McMahon’s commitment to the development of his teams, training and MEDDIC gave Tom the compass he needed to understand why he had been so successful in the past and how to develop his skills to transition into leadership roles. Tom became a student of the sales process and learnt how to build top-performing teams by focussing on recruitment and development— critical capabilities required for his future positions leading world-class enterprise sales organizations through rapid growth. “It's more than just accepting who you are, it's finding your own style and your own way to inspire and develop. Be authentic, be real, be vulnerable. It's not about being perfect, just truly own it. I think that's so critical especially in today's day and age. People don't have time for bullshit.” In this vodcast you will discover: What it takes to be a leader in the SaaS industry How to develop a team of selfless high performers by unlocking the “why?” How the MEDDIC framework gave Tom the compass he needed to transition from sales to leadership The secrets to Tom’s success and his current mission at AuditBoard Tom Schmit is a builder of top-performing teams. His reputation for generating strong sustained revenue growth while scaling teams is a testament to the unique energy he brings to leadership which is fuelled by his passion for recruiting talented individuals, developing them and witnessing their success. We discuss the highs and lows of Tom’s experiences in this fast-paced industry and find out what key ingredients are required in this day and age to build a unicorn. This insightful discussion is essential listening for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space.

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - Vance Loiselle #019

“I was never a six-foot, four-point shooter, I always played a lot of sports and was good at the sports that I played, but at the end of the day I was a grinder. You put me in something, and I will grind my way out of it and figure it out and work as hard if not harder than anybody to make it successful.” - Vance Loiselle

 

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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.

Episode 19 features Vance Loiselle, President & CEO Propertybase. Vance is an accomplished enterprise software leader with more than 20 years of experience building high-tech companies into market leaders. As co-founder of BladeLogic, he helped lead the company from an idea and initial funding to IPO and subsequent $900 million acquisition by BMC Software. After BMC Software acquired BladeLogic in 2008, he remained with the company for four years serving in various executive positions, including Worldwide Vice President of Global Services, sales operations, field marketing and software consulting. After BMC, Loiselle was president and CEO of Sumo Logic, leading the company from launch through multiple years of hyper-growth in employees, customers, and revenue. In 2017, he made the transition into real estate, joining Boston Logic as President and Chief Executive Officer and becoming responsible for driving company strategy and expansion. Now, categorised as a “Software Champion,” Loiselle is applying his vast experience in cloud, data analytics and machine learning software companies to Propertybase, driving growth, and enabling brokers, teams and agents to embrace technology at an accelerated rate. “Not all of the companies that I've been affiliated with had a great product and great sales. We used both of those things, the product that we were building coupled with trying to figure out how to get even a sliver of the John McMahon playbook into what we were doing. You learn a lot, but boy it was great to fall back on the playbook that I had learned at BladeLogic. Hiring John McMahon to lead the BladeLogic sale force marked the beginning of a new era of progression and accomplishment for Vance and the entire BladeLogic team. Witnessing John and Dev Ittycheria’s absolute confidence in a playbook centred around number-driven sales strategies and a dedication to the success of others, Vance discovered the “science to sales,” and learnt how to adapt and develop the proven formula to achieve huge success in his career thereafter. Since co-founding BladeLogic, where he gained a deep understanding of how to address application and infrastructure problems at large scale, Vance has developed a unique skill set. He has impeccable instincts and a proven track record in taking a compelling technology that solves the biggest enterprise problems and transforming it into a high-growth company primed for rapid expansion. “The same things that I learned at BladeLogic and the playbook I apply here, everything from, how do you recruit folks? How do you enable and train them? How do you move on from decisions quickly? How do you make sure you put your team ahead of yourself when you're coaching and figure out what their personal wins are? I apply all that stuff here with both people that I've worked with in the past and new people that I have in the organization.”

In this vodcast you will discover:

The genesis of BladeLogic – a behind-the-scenes story from the co-founder.

John McMahon’s influence - how he transformed BladeLogic with his playbook and mindset.

The pillars of Vance’s playbook. How and why Vance transitioned into the real estate industry and what the future holds. Vance has deep experience in not only founding and growing start-up technology companies but running large-scale enterprise businesses and building unicorns. We discuss the genesis of BladeLogic and Vance’s incredible journey through the SaaS landscape from his initial indoctrination at Andersen Consulting to management and leadership roles, through to his current position as President and CEO of the leading software provider to the real estate industry. This is a truly inspirational conversation for those with an interest in sales strategy, as well as anyone with a passion for the technology space.

Hunters + Unicorns: The 33 CxOs - The Dev Ittycheria Interview #022

“The lesson I've learned the hard way is that the only way you build a great business is by marrying a great product with a great distribution channel. That's essentially what we did at BladeLogic and that's what we're trying to do at MongoDB and when I look at all the great software companies, I can't think of one who doesn't have those two elements.”  - Dev Ittycheria

Hunters and Unicorns shares the playbooks from leaders, founders, executives and investors from high growth technology companies. In this special edition series The 33 CXOs we investigate the greatest success story in the history of software sales. 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. The final episode of this series features Dev Ittycheria, CEO Of MongoDB. Dev has over two decades of experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and leader, specialising in high-growth software companies. Dev joined MongoDB in 2014 and has led the company through some of its highest growth years. Before MongoDB, Dev founded and IPOed two companies—Breakaway Solutions, which went public in 1999 and was acquired by Verizon in 2001, and BladeLogic, which had one of the most successful IPOs of 2007 and was later acquired by BMC Software for $900 million. He has also invested in and served on the boards of many successful software companies including AppDynamics, Athenahealth, and Datadog. “I’ve seen many execs fail or stop scaling because they feel like they've mastered the system and all of a sudden, they hit a wall. The best people always have some degree of doubt and are constantly trying to understand and adapt to what's happening. You can’t cut and paste from a past experience. Every company has its own unique issues and needs different things as it grows and as a leader, you need to be able to adapt.” Dev’s philosophy is simple – always be a student of the game.

In reference to his earlier career, Dev discusses experiencing imposter syndrome, feeling “caught in a trap of trying to portray that you’re on top of everything” and his inspiring realisation that vulnerability can actually be strength, not a weakness. “You don't need to have the answers to everything, you just need to be able to ask good questions and surround yourself with good people.” Dev accredits his astounding success to having a learning mindset and to the incredible teams and mentors who have helped shape his management philosophy over the years, especially Steve Walski and John McMahon. He is a true believer in the importance of building trust across an organization and creating a strong culture of communication by providing a safe space for teams to discuss, experiment, and give candid feedback. As a leader, he understands that people mirror how he behaves and is therefore very intentional about the values he sets and creating a meritocratic environment in order to attract and retain great people.

“I consider myself almost like the conductor of an orchestra. I don't really make the music, I don't even necessarily write the music, but I make sure that all the different people in the orchestra work well together and that together, we make beautiful music.”

In this vodcast you will discover: Dev’s reflection on the success and impact of BladeLogic How Dev manages the huge pressure and decision processes attached to the role of CEO How to recruit the right people and lead by influence, not fear Dev’s operating rhythm – how he views his role and is able to focus on the right areas MongoDB’s powerful position in the evolving digital world Dev Ittycheria is an inspiration for all concerned in today's transformational environment of business technology. As the visionary founder behind BladeLogic, he has immense pride for the achievements of his teams and mentors both past and present and continues to redefine great leadership at MongoDB by aiming to create a “company for the ages” by putting a foundation in place so that the company can continue to soar even in his absence. We discuss Dev’s path into tech, leadership and investing, and gain a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes journey of a company from start-up to unicorn status. This one-off discussion has been a true honour for us and is essential listening for anyone with an interest in sales strategy, as well as a passion for the technology space.