Technology

Topline

The #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. Tune in every week to hear Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman discuss and debate the trends, news, and developments impacting the B2B tech world. Enjoy the hot takes, strong opinions, and dry humor.

Latest Episodes:

E70: Navigating Market Volatility: Recession Fear, Jobs Report, & Resiliency Aug 11, 2024

Show notes

In episode 70 of Topline, hosts Sam, Asad, and AJ navigate a range of topics, from the recent tumultuous economic events to personal reflections on leadership and feedback. They discuss the Federal Reserve's rate decisions, the labor market, and the impact of Japan's market crash.

Want more Topline? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

Secure your ticket to GTM2024 in Austin, TX (October 14 - 16).

TOPLINE HOTLINE: How can I establish a performance-driven culture among my sales team? Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

In this week's mini-episode, Sam, AJ, and Asad delve into the effectiveness of sales leaderboards and President's Club initiatives in fostering a performance-driven culture. Listen to hear what our hosts think.

Enjoy the mini-episode? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

E69: Cold Calling Sucks, and That's Why it Works with Armand Farrokh Aug 04, 2024

Show notes

Armand Farrokh, founder of the revenue media platform Minutes to President's Club and author of "Cold Calling Sucks, and That's Why It Works," joins the show to discuss the evolving landscape of outbound sales, particularly the impact of AI and automation tools.

We delve into the paradox of using cold calling techniques in a world increasingly dominated by automated outreach and ask questions like: "How important are personalized, human-driven sales tactics?" and "Are we over-reliant on technology for outreach?"

Want more Topline? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

Secure your ticket to GTM2024 in Austin, TX (October 14 - 16).

TOPLINE HOTLINE: How do I make the most of conference season without overspending? Aug 01, 2024

Show notes

In this Thursday's mini-episode, a seed round CEO wants to make the most of attending conferences and events without spending too much money. How do you pick which events to attend? Should you buy a booth? Do you just go and walk around? Listen to find out.

Enjoy the mini-episode? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

E68: How to Build the Right Executive Team to Reach $100M Jul 28, 2024

Show notes

In this week's episode, our Topline hosts discuss the recent CrowdStrike update that caused massive disruptions, the complexities of building and maintaining effective executive teams, and the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship.

Want more Topline? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

Secure your ticket to GTM2024 in Austin, TX (October 14 - 16).

TOPLINE HOTLINE: How do I swiftly transition my company from inbound to outbound sales? Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

In this week's mini-episode, the conversation revolves around a question from a new SVP of Sales and Account Management who is tasked with shifting the company's marketing strategy from 90% inbound to a 50-50 inbound-outbound split. Is it possible to make a pivot like this in just one year?

Enjoy the mini-episode? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

E67: How Clay's Co-Founders Built a $500M Series B Company Jul 21, 2024

Show notes

This week, our hosts are joined by Kareem Amin and Varun Anand, co-founders of Clay. They discuss their recent $46 million Series B funding round. Kareem and Varun also share insights on their growth journey, the impact of AI on sales and marketing, and how Kareem's experience at a silent retreat influenced his leadership style.

Want more Topline? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and subscribe to Topline Newsletter.

Secure your ticket to GTM2024 in Austin (October 14 - 16).

TOPLINE HOTLINE: What should a CRO communicate to their board about pipeline? Jul 18, 2024

Show notes

In this week's mini-episode, Sam, AJ, and Asad tackle a question about effectively communicating pipeline health during board meetings. What details are essential to include? What do you typically hold back? Listen to this week's Topline Hotline to see what our hosts think.

Enjoy the mini-episode? Read the recaps and join our Slack channel to engage with other listeners here.

E66: Sales Tech Mayhem - Gartner Analyst Dan Gottlieb's Insights on B2B Market Shifts Jul 14, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Topline, the hosts welcome Dan Gottlieb, Vice President at Gartner, to discuss the evolving landscape of sales technology. The conversation delves into the competitive dynamics among sales tech companies such as Gong, Outreach, and Salesloft, exploring how these companies navigate growth and innovation challenges. Dan also shares insights on the importance of AI and data interoperability in shaping the future of sales tech, the potential for large enterprises to adopt these technologies, and more.

Want more Topline? Join the Topline Slack channel to engage with hosts, guests, and other listeners and read episode recaps.

Secure your ticket to GTM2024 in Austin (October 14 - 16).

TOPLINE HOTLINE: How do you balance getting the best deal with choosing the right product? Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

Join hosts AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman on this episode of Topline Hotline as they tackle a pressing question from the go-to-market community: how to balance getting a great deal for your company while choosing the right product. They discuss the importance of being a savvy buyer, the dynamics of commoditized versus non-commoditized products, and the role of leverage in negotiations.

Enjoy the mini-episode? Read the recaps and join our Slack channel to engage with other listeners here.