Grit

Latest Episodes:

CRO Amplitude, Matt Heinz: Exploring The Mindset of a Successful Sales Leader Mar 08, 2021

Show notes

When Matt Heinz took a quota-carrying sales job in 2011 after having worked in sales leadership, he knew that “it was a step back, from the way that you look at it on a piece of paper.”

But in the end, Matt saw success as he helped turn a company doing $11 million a year in revenue to one that sold for over $5 billion. Now, Matt serves as the Chief Revenue officer of Amplitude, a leading company in product analytics.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Matt discuss the many leadership lessons Matt learned throughout his career, go-to-market strategies and what a successful relationship between a sales engineer and a sales rep looks like.

Links:

Connect with Matt Heinz
- LinkedIn
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

SVP Global Strategic Services at UiPath, Jay Snyder: Driving Customer Engagement Through Value-Based Selling Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

If a customer doesn’t understand how a product will provide a positive impact to their business, will they buy it? It may seem like a simple question — but for Jay Snyder, identifying and communicating such areas of value to customers is a crucial aspect of keeping a business growing.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Jay and Joubin discuss ways to build respect as a new leader, how to effectively communicate a product’s value to a customer, and why simplifying a business is crucial to successfully scaling it.

Links:

Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

CRO Clari, Kevin Knieriem: Exploring the Benefits of Data-Driven Sales Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

No matter how advanced sales technology gets, it’s still imperative for Kevin Knieriem to listen to his gut intuition when it comes to making business choices. And for good reason — his “Spidey senses,” as he jokingly calls them, are always accurate.

But that doesn’t mean that artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics can’t help him and his team make better decisions. In fact, as Chief Revenue Officer of Clari, a company that makes software to help businesses visualize revenue operations, Kevin’s seen firsthand how getting a handle on data can make an organization thrive.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Kevin talk about the various ways data analytics has changed sales as well as what Kevin looks for in new sales hires.

Links:

Connect with Kevin Knieriem
- Email: kevink@clari.com
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

CRO ServiceTitan, Ross Biestman: ‘Team Before Self’: Motivating High-Performing Salespeople Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

If you ask Ross Biestman about the highest-performing environment he’s ever been a part of, you might be surprised to hear nothing of his time as an investment banking analyst or as a salesperson at Adobe.

Instead, Ross points to his time on the University of California, Berkeley rugby team — an organization that he says instilled team values that he still brings to every company he works with. In addition to his position as Chief Revenue Officer of ServiceTitan, Ross currently serves as the CRO Executive in Residence at Bessemer Venture Partners.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Ross talk about how to motivate sales teams and increase their overall performance, the shared characteristics of high-performing people and how ServiceTitan is pushing full steam ahead on its go-to-market strategy.

Links:

Connect with Ross Biestman
- LinkedIn
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
ServiceTitan: https://www.servicetitan.com/
ServiceTitan Careers: https://www.servicetitan.com/careers

CRO Snowflake, Chris Degnan: Building Snowflake’s Successful Sales Organization from the Ground Up Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

Cloud-based data storage company Snowflake made headlines this past September when it underwent the highest-valued software IPO in stock market history. For the company’s Chief Revenue Officer, Chris Degnan, this blockbuster success was many years in the making.

Having joined Snowflake in 2013 while the company was still in its early stages, Chris led the effort to build the business’ sales organization. Now, as CRO, Chris remains an integral force of Snowflake’s continued growth.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Chris discuss what it was like to work at Snowflake in its early stages, how Chris built Snowflake’s sales organization from the ground up, and how the fear of failure can be an effective motivator.

Links:

Connect with Chris Degnan
- LinkedIn
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

CRO Flexport, Will Urban: Streamlining Global Trade With Revolutionary Technology Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Global trade is as complex as it is essential to worldwide economic stability. From organizing freight shipped through the air or over oceans, to customs and other governmental red tape, there’s a lot for businesses to worry about when it comes to world commerce.

Just take it from Will Urban, Chief Revenue Officer of the freight forwarding company Flexport — a business creating cutting-edge technology that has changed the way organizations visualize their supply chain by digitizing data to drive greater efficiency and profit.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Will talk about how Flexport is disrupting the freight forwarding industry, what the company’s go-to-market engine looks like, and why Will believes relationship building is important for salespeople.

In this episode, we cover:

The ways freight forwarding and logistics companies manage world commerce, why global trade is so complex, and how Will began working in the industry. (2:28)
What Will learned from taking a sabbatical from work — and how his time off led to his current job as Chief Revenue Officer of Flexport. (11:32)
How Flexport is streamlining global trade with technology that makes it easier for customers to see and interact with freight data from across the world. (20:00)
Will’s go-to-market strategy for Flexport and why he thinks sales in the shipping and freight forwarding industry is unique to other fields. (31:05)
Why domain expertise matters for shipping and freight forwarding industry salespeople. (34:43)
The benefits that Will and Joubin see to building long-term relationships with customers. (39:04)
How Will defines grit. (49:36)

Links:

Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
Flexport
Connect with Will
- LinkedIn

Founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, Qasar Younis: Creating Customer-Oriented Company Cultures Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

When it comes to building a company from the ground up, Qasar Younis has done it all.

A mechanical engineer by trade and entrepreneur at heart, Qasar transitioned from working on cars to building startups, eventually selling his second business venture TalkBin to Google in 2011. Qasar has also helped fund and advise early-stage companies as a partner at Y Combinator. Now, Qasar is the founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, a company valued at $1.25 billion that develops simulation software that engineers use to create self-driving systems.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Qasar discuss what patterns Qasar has noticed about go-to-market strategies while working in startups and how he’s built two massively successful businesses.

In this episode, we cover:

Why Qasar decided to enroll in Harvard Business School after working as a mechanical engineer. (4:20)
How one of Qasar’s early startups, Camessa, failed — and what Qasar learned from this failure. (8:50)
What Y Combinator does and how it has grown in scale. (11:11)
How Qasar and others analyzed the retail market and the emergence of new technology to come up with the idea for TalkBin. (12:15)
How Qasar’s “boots-on-the-ground” sales experience helps create a more balanced environment at Applied Intuition and how he learned about developing early sales motions while working at Y Combinator. (15:39)
Qasar’s take on why centering a company around the customer can dismantle engineering-oriented cultures and unite a business around a common goal. (18:58)
The divide between engineers and business people and why leaders need to have a diversity of skills. (21:40)
‘Market risk’: Why cultivating a deep understanding of the market and its demands can make or break a business. (24:43)
Reasons why some businesses fail to listen to its customers. (30:53)
What Qasar’s current business, Applied Intuition, does. (32:15)
The present and future of autonomous cars. (34:21)
How Applied Intuition penetrated the autonomous car market by creating software that manufacturers want. (37:50)
Why Applied Intuition doesn’t only focus on selling to car manufacturers — and how its technology can save a business money. (45:24)
Qasar’s thoughts on how long it will take for autonomous driving features to come standard in cars. (47:52)
The cultural challenges of taking a company international and the importance of focusing on hiring the right people who can carry company values. (49:10)
How Qasar defines grit. (53:22)

Board Director at Fastly, Kelly Wright: How She Went from Selling Door to Door to Board Director Jan 11, 2021

Show notes

Kelly Wright has had a remarkable career in sales, from her early days selling books door to door to joining Tableau as a developing startup and helping them grow into a multi-billion dollar company as a key member of their executive team. Today, she is board director at Fastly, a leading cloud services provider.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Kelly discuss Kelly’s incredible career path, including her decision to attend business school, how she landed at Tableau, and how she secured a position as board director.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, we cover:

Kelly’s thoughts on Tableau’s high profile acquisition by Salesforce.
Kelly’s career journey, and how she ended up at Tableau as EVP of sales. Kelly also talks about her early experiences selling books door to door, and how she built up grit and resilience.
Why Kelly went to business school, even though her calling was in sales.
What Kelly saw in Tableau, and why she decided to take a leap of faith and join the company.
How Kelly measured herself, as the first account executive at a developing startup without a formal tracking system in place.
How Kelly dealt with change management during her early days at Tableau.
The concept of hiring for culture fit, and why Kelly prioritizes this when searching for new team members. Kelly also talks about how interviewing quickly at scale, and how she determines whether interviewees have the potential to be successful.
Kelly’s advice on how to get on a company board.
Kelly’s definition of grit.

Links:

Connect with Kelly Wright
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

CRO Auth0, Dave Wilner: Discussing Growth and Leadership Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

Dave Wilner joined Auth0 in November of 2014, and has played an instrumental role in growing the company to $1 billion in valuation.

In this episode of Go to Market, Joubin and Dave discuss Dave’s unique career journey, including his background as a former lawyer. They also discuss the pressures and expectations of succeeding in a high profile sales role and how Dave has managed to be so successful.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, we cover:

How and why Dave made the transition from law partner to sales rep at an eight person startup.
Why top sales performers tend to have a broad range of experiences, and how it’s helped Dave succeed.
The role that perspective plays in driving sales.
The importance of picking the right companies to acquire — and what Dave tends to look for during the vetting process.
Dave’s strategy for vetting private companies when he has limited data available.
How Dave has thrived in his role, despite the fact that most first time sales leaders don’t last very long. Dave opens up about how he’s working to buck the trend.
The evolution of sales, marketing and the customer experience — and why they’re starting to blend together.
How Dave defines grit.

Links:

Connect with Dave Wilner
- LinkedIn
- Email: first.last@auth0.com
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

CRO Atlassian, Cameron Deatsch: Exploring Atlassian’s Unorthodox Strategy Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

Atlassian is one of the most unorthodox technology companies in the world. Almost everything the company does is completely different than what you would expect. And yet, the organization has been massively successful and efficient in achieving growth.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Cameron discuss how Cameron built a $44 billion business without a sales team, and some of the company’s key growth levers.

In this episode of Go to Market Grit, we cover:

Cameron’s role as CRO of Atlassian, and what he does on a daily basis.
Some of the factors that make Atlassian unique. For example, the company spends more on R&D than sales and marketing.
Why price transparency plays a key role in Atlassian
The various positions that Greg has held at Atlassian, and how they influence his current role as CRO.
The difference between customer advocacy and sales at Atlassian.
How Atlassian defines success across various roles.
Why Atlassian has one of the most efficient go to market strategies in the history of go to market enterprise software.
Atlassian’s workflow, and how the company drives customers forward.
Cameron’s thoughts on product-led growth models, and why it works for Atlassian.
Atlassian’s strategic approach to managing around target numbers — and why the company is firm about not giving discounts to drive deals.
How geographic location tends to impact software purchasing.
How Atlassian manages to navigate and manage risk, and operate with a very unorthodox business model — and how their leadership helps ensure success. Cameron also talks about how the company maintains this model as a publicly traded organization.
Atlassian’s primary growth levers — and why there will most likely never be another Atlassian.
Some key failures that Cameron and his team have worked through — including how they turned a massive failure into one of their biggest successes.
The ethos that exists in Silicon Valley around building products from within, and how Atlassian has bucked that trend through M&A.
The characteristics that have made Cameron so successful.
How Cameron defines grit.

Links: