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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. ( https://www.somuchsoap.com/the-33-cxos )
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Founders Edition - Jyoti Bansal EP001
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Founders Edition.
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!!
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Dan Miller #012
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe. Today we welcome Dan Miller! Key takeaways from this episode are: • What it took to close a deal worth just short of $100m • Why he never missed his number • Why allies and mentors in GTM community are essential Dan Miller is a GTM Advisor at Loft Lab sand Observable, focusing on revenue strategies. In this Hunters and Unicorns podcast, Dan reflects on his career-defining moments at prestigious companies such as Splunk, Nimble Storage, Sumo Logic and SignalFX. He shares his experience when transitioning from an IC to a Leadership role and the challenges he faced. Dan is a force of nature within the playbook space. His list of achievements is extensive and includes; • Exceeding 100% every year • Closed the larges deal in Splunk’s history • Exposed to the playbooks of both John McMahon and Mark Cranny We loved understanding more from Dan about identifying early-stage companies and the right strategies needed for implementation. How can champions really be identified consistently? What are the real impactful metrics when it comes to sales? Dan shares with us his insight pertaining to sales as a science as opposed to an art. He also shares the inspirational story of Mark Cranney and his journey including competing with the Bladelogic team at Opsware and driving a $1.6 billion sale to HP. Dan gives us real insight to the SignalFX story! This episode is not to be missed!
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Chris Mahoney #011
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe.
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!
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Seth Olsen #010
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe. We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success.
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.
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Jason Eubanks #009
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe.
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.
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Pete Agresta #008
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe. We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success. We aim to uncover: · The Importance of value selling within the sales motion · How to focus more on real growth · The skills required to excel in the sales space Today we are joined by Pete Agresta, CRO at Nasuni. Pete is responsible for growing and scaling the revenue-generating organization for Nasuni including worldwide Sales and Solution Engineering, Channel Sales and Strategic Business Development. His notable achievements include being Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Americas for Pure Storage. Whilst there, Pete led a team that more than doubled the business to over $1B during his 4-year tenure. Prior to that, he was CRO for LookingGlass Cyber, where he helped recapitalize the company, acquired and commercialized a threat intel platform, and grew the business over 50%. In this Hunters and Unicorns episode, Pete shares with us his journey including the earlier stages where he spent a decade with Cisco Systems, which was pivotal in his career. He recalls fondly working closely with John Chambers and on some of the largest deals within the space at the time. As CEO of the company at the time, John’s influence on Pete was hugely significant. Stemming from his inherent curiosity, Pete also shared his chapter whereby he embarked on a career in Wall Street and how he transferred his sales skills into this different domain. Upon his return to the GTM space, Pete thrived at LookingGlass and then transitioned to Pure Storage. Pete shares with us the enterprise and business solutions lessons learned along the way. In this exciting episode, Pete also discusses the fantastic opportunity which presented itself with Nasuni and how his role contributes to the company innovating and disrupting the market.
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Chris Singletary #007
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe. We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success.
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.
Monday May 15, 2023
DEAR FUTURE CRO | by Culture Crunch x GrowthQ - Kelly O. Kay
Monday May 15, 2023
Monday May 15, 2023
Welcome to Dear Future CRO, bought to you by GrowthQ and Culture Crunch. We’re here to showcase leaders within the tech space and explore their guiding principles for future leaders. Today we are joined by Kelly O. Kay, Co-founder of the Sales Officer practice at Heidrick & Struggles, specialising in sales leadership roles within the tech space. As a thought leader featured in numerous prestigious publications such as Forbes and The Wall Street Journal, we’re thrilled to understand Kelly’s insight on the ever-evolving role of the CRO. He shares how the current economic climate has impacted demand for the CRO as well as which relationships are critical for the successful CRO. Kelly also shares tangible tips for progressing your career – from interview tips, best practice and lessons learned. His insight truly transcends all industry parameters and will help our viewers whether or not they’re on the CRO path.
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Hunters and Unicorns | The Playbook Universe - Philip van der Wilt #006
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: 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!
Friday May 05, 2023
DEAR FUTURE CRO | by Culture Crunch x GrowthQ - Carolyn Henry
Friday May 05, 2023
Friday May 05, 2023
Welcome to Dear Future CRO, bought to you by GrowthQ and Culture Crunch. We’re here to showcase leaders within the tech space and explore their guiding principles for future leaders. Today we are joined by Carolyn Henry, VP CMO of Americas Regional Marketing at Intel Corporation. We explore Carolyn’s exponential career trajectory within the tech marketing space. Although she began her professional journey with a liberal arts foundation, Carolyn made the decision after working for a VC firm to return to grad school and qualify in Technical Communications. She explains that a career in STEM can begin slightly later but can still demonstrate exponential cadence. Carolyn discusses her time with IBM where she really learnt the importance of marketers working in synergy with the selling partners. She shares her perspective on the role of empathy for marketers aiming to grow these successful partnerships and scale their careers. Now in a senior leadership position at Intel, Carolyn’s gives us invaluable insight into Intel’s formula for success regarding diverse hires and propelling forward underrepresented minorities for leadership. She also discusses her unwavering passion for marketing – specifically reaching new audiences and connecting generations. Carolyn also talks about the ‘Marketing Wheel’ – a spectrum of different disciplines, areas of focus and wide-ranging skill sets which fall under the marketing umbrella. She shares with us her perspective on the huge significance of mentoring, sponsoring and structured job rotations in contributing to positive business culture and individual career growth.