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The ONE person you should compete against

AWS 2024: Driving Supercars, Meeting the Greatest and our INSANE podcast interviews!

Stay tuned for our upcoming series of podcast episodes recorded LIVE ...

Most first-line leaders don't do this

How to Thrive in FIRST-LINE Leadership w/ Zahir Abdelouhab

In this insightful episode of Hunters & Unicorns, Simon and Ollie sit ...

We'll be recording LIVE from Las Vegas - Wanna join us?

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! We're coming to Las Vegas! We will be recording a ...

The Founders Edition, Episode 7| Varun Mohan - We wanted to be like Google!

In this engaging conversation, Varun Mohan, CEO and Co Founder of ...

The Channel Hack, Episode 4 - Marketplace Master with Michael Musselman

In this conversation, Simon and Ollie interview Michael Musselman, the ...

In this conversation, Simon and Ollie interview Michael Musselman, the VP of Channel and Alliances at Astronomer. They discuss the evolving landscape of channel sales and partnerships, particularly in the ...context of cloud service providers like AWS, Google, and Azure. Michael shares his insights on building successful partnerships, the importance of understanding the partner's business, and the need for a give-and-take relationship. He also emphasizes the value of aligning with the market trends and leveraging the power of the cloud service providers.

Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of effective channel strategies in driving business growth. In this conversation, Michael Musselman discusses the importance of leveraging the channel and partner strategy to scale revenue for startups. He emphasizes the need to build relationships with cloud service providers and other strategic partners to generate qualified pipeline and close deals faster. Musselman introduces the concept of the 5 C's (Co-sell, Co-build, Co-market, Consumption, and Champions) as a framework for evaluating and developing successful partnerships. He also highlights the growing influence of cloud service providers in the software sales market and the need for companies to adapt to this trend.

Key Takeaways:

• Building successful partnerships requires understanding the partner's business and adding value to their operations.
• The evolving market trends indicate that every business is becoming a technology or software business, and cloud service providers play a crucial role in this transformation.
• Effective channel strategies involve aligning with market trends, leveraging the power of cloud service providers, and nurturing strong relationships with partners.
• Balancing the give-and-take relationship in partnerships is essential, where adding value to the partner's business should come before asking for favors.
• The channel sales role requires individuals with attributes like an entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity, and a growth mindset. Leveraging the channel and partner strategy can have a significant impact on the size and speed of deals.
• Building relationships with cloud service providers and strategic partners is crucial for generating qualified pipeline and closing deals faster.
• The 5 C's (Co-sell, Co-build, Co-market, Consumption, and Champions) provide a framework for evaluating and developing successful partnerships.
• Cloud service providers are playing an increasingly influential role in the software sales market, and companies need to adapt to this trend.[+] Show More

The Channel Hack, Episode 3 - Channel Amplifies Pipeline with Gardner Johnson

Gardner Johnson discusses his experiences and challenges in building ...

Gardner Johnson discusses his experiences and challenges in building successful channel ecosystems. He shares his journey from direct sales to the channel and how he developed a playbook for repeatable ...and scalable channel success.

Gardner emphasizes the importance of data and metrics in understanding partner performance and driving success. He also highlights the need for buy-in from the entire go-to-market organization and the value that a well-executed partner ecosystem can bring. The hiring criteria for partner managers are similar to those for account managers, focusing on intelligence, entrepreneurship, and a sense of urgency.

In this conversation, Gardner and the hosts discuss the qualities and skills required for success in partner management roles. They highlight the importance of drive, coachability, and experience in building successful partnerships. They also explore the challenges of convincing AEs to transition into partner roles and the need to check ego and take a backseat in sales campaigns.

The conversation delves into the critical role of champion building in partner management and the need to build champions both internally and externally. They also discuss the evolving role of the channel in the changing buyer landscape and the emergence of marketplaces. Gardner shares his insights on why the channel is becoming more important and the potential for a channel-first approach. The conversation concludes with Gardner discussing his new role at Codeium and the exciting opportunities in leveraging AI and large language models to solve specific business problems.

Key Takeaways

• Building a successful channel ecosystem requires buy-in from the entire go-to-market organization.
• Data and metrics are crucial in understanding partner performance and driving success.
• A well-executed partner ecosystem can bring significant value to an organization.
• The hiring criteria for partner managers are similar to those for account managers, focusing on intelligence, entrepreneurship, and a sense of urgency. Drive, coachability, and experience are key qualities for success in partner management roles.
• Convincing AEs to transition into partner roles can be a challenge, as it requires checking ego and taking a backseat in sales campaigns.
• Champion building is crucial in partner management, both internally and externally.
• Enablement plays a critical role in building successful partner ecosystems.
• The channel is becoming more important due to the emergence of marketplaces and changing buyer behaviors.
• AI and large language models offer opportunities to solve specific business problems and drive meaningful business value.[+] Show More

The Channel Hack, Episode 2 - Predictable Scalable Revenue with Ghazal Asif Fahadi

Ghazal Asif Fahadi, VP of Channels, Alliances, and Inside Sales at ...

Ghazal Asif Fahadi, VP of Channels, Alliances, and Inside Sales at Rubrik, shares her expertise on the importance of channel partnerships in software sales. She highlights two primary reasons why ...companies often get the channel playbook wrong: inadequate measurement of channel impact and working with too many partners.

Ghazal emphasizes that companies often fail to track the incremental contribution of the channel to the business, leading to mistrust and self-sourcing of deals. To address this, she recommends measuring the deals that are sourced by partners and approved by reps to ensure accurate tracking. This approach will enable companies to understand the channel's true impact and make data-driven decisions.

Ghazal advises companies to highly qualify their partners, commit to a few strategic partners, and invest in them instead of trying to work with a large number of partners. This strategic approach will allow companies to build stronger relationships, improve focus, and increase accountability.

Ghazal attributes the failure of the conventional channel playbook to the lack of understanding of the channel's true impact, particularly among software companies. She notes that many large technology companies that have grown up in the hardware industry may not fully comprehend the importance of measuring channel contributions. This gap in understanding can lead to misguided strategies and ineffective channel partnerships.

Ghazal shares a personal anecdote about a turning point at AppDynamics, where they realized the need to establish leading indicators for their channel partners. These leading indicators would help track progress, ensure accountability, and provide a more sales-organization-like approach to the channel. Rubrik has implemented a set of leading indicators to measure the performance of their channel partners, including:
* Deal registration: The number of deal registrations submitted by partners
* Deal registration conversion: The conversion rate of deal registrations into opportunities
* Opportunity conversion: The conversion rate of opportunities into closed deals
* Save the Data: A group of people who learn about the chaos caused by cyber attacks and attend events that generate pipeline
* Account mapping: Research and identification of high-potential accounts
* Propensity to buy: Researching and identifying accounts with a higher likelihood of purchasing the company's technology[+] Show More

The Channel Hack, Episode 1 - Channel Forward Approach with Tom Henderson

The Importance of Channel Sales and Leveraging Partnerships Tom ...

The Importance of Channel Sales and Leveraging Partnerships

Tom Henderson, VP of Worldwide Channel at Wiz, delves into the world of channel sales and provides valuable insights on how to implement ...a successful channel go-to-market strategy. As someone who has spent years working in the channel sales ecosystem, Tom shares his personal experiences and expertise, highlighting the misconceptions and strategies that companies often overlook.

According to Tom, many playbook companies struggle to effectively leverage the channel due to a lack of understanding of how to build a channel sales motion. He attributes this to a focus on direct sales and neglecting the importance of building relationships with partners. Tom emphasizes the need for a channel-forward approach, where companies prioritize building trust and relationships with partners to generate revenue.

Tom highlights the numerous benefits of leveraging the channel, including reduced rep ramp time, bigger deal sizes, and faster deal cycles. He also mentions the importance of pipeline generation and marrying it with channel sales. Tom suggests that companies should focus on understanding what their partners do well and building champions, as this is key to successful deal-making.

The podcast stresses the importance of building trust and relationships with partners to generate revenue. Tom emphasizes the need for executives to provide sponsorship and support, as well as for companies to spend time with partners and build trust. This trust is essential for partners to generate revenue and for companies to achieve their goals.

Tom emphasizes the importance of executive sponsorship and building champions at the executive level to help reps become more productive. He suggests that having a business partner mindset is essential for success, and that companies like Pure Storage have demonstrated this by making their channel person a business partner of the second-line manager.

The podcast also discusses the importance of having a playbook and structure to make the most of the channel's potential. Tom has developed a playbook that has evolved through his different jobs and companies, and emphasizes the importance of getting reps productive and having good RD enablement.

Tom speaks about building a team with a mix of experienced sales reps and people who have run their own companies. He emphasizes the importance of molding each person's growth and development, and suggests that it's not necessary to hire people with 10,000 hours of experience, but rather those who are curious and have good DNA.

Tom's playbook is quite prescribed, but he emphasizes that it can be adjusted to fit the channel by moving a few parts. He suggests that having a business partner mindset and a clear structure is essential for success in the channel.[+] Show More

The Playbook Universe Episode 19 | Arturo Marin - Transformed Sales Leader

Summary of Arturo Marin's Transformation Journey: From Salesperson to ...

Summary of Arturo Marin's Transformation Journey: From Salesperson to Successful Leader

Early Career Challenges

Arturo Marin, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of cast.ai, shares his remarkable transformation journey from being a talented ...salesperson to a successful leader. In the early stages of his career, Marin reflects on his time at SAP, where he was initially successful due to his "take-charge" personality. However, his inability to accept feedback and criticism from others led to a significant issue - his entire team quit. This critical moment forced Marin to realize the importance of adaptability and humility in leadership.

Mentorship and Growth

Marin's awakening was a turning point in his career. He met his first mentor, Bob Ranaldi, at PTC, who taught him the value of selling by emphasizing the importance of process, prioritizing transparency, and adapting to new challenges. Marin was initially hesitant to learn from Ranaldi but eventually developed the skills to lead and retain top talent, resulting in increased revenue.
Marin's growth continued under the guidance of another mentor, Helio Samora, who instilled in him the responsibility that comes with leadership. Samora encouraged Marin to take on leadership roles, which ultimately led to his appointment as the director of Latin America.

Leadership Roles and Success

Marin's success in Latin America caught the attention of Jason Eubanks, who approached him to lead the Latin America team for Meraki, a Cisco acquisition. Despite initial hesitation, Marin took on the challenge and led the team to success.
Throughout his journey, Marin credits his mentors for providing valuable guidance and support, which helped him evolve into a high-potential CRO. His mentors, including Helio and Bob, taught him the importance of following a process, prioritizing transparency, and adapting to new challenges.

Key Takeaways and Insights

Marin's story highlights several critical factors that contributed to his success in sales and leadership:
1. Mentorship: Marin emphasizes the importance of choosing leaders and mentors who can guide and mentor young salespeople, providing valuable advice and feedback.
2. Continuous Learning: Marin believes that being open to learning from others, asking for help, and surrounding themselves with people who are better than them have been critical to their success.
3. Adaptability: Marin's ability to adapt to new challenges and learn from his mistakes has been instrumental in his growth as a leader.
4. Diversity: Marin's experience with diverse mentors and leadership styles has taught him the value of embracing different approaches, which has greatly benefited his development as a leader.

In conclusion, Arturo Marin's transformation journey from a talented salesperson to a successful leader serves as a testament to the power of mentorship, diversity, and continuous learning. His story provides valuable insights for those looking to build a successful career in sales and leadership.[+] Show More

The Founders Edition, Episode 6 - Laurent Gil - Founder Led Sales

**Finding Product-Market Fit and Building a Successful Company** ...

**Finding Product-Market Fit and Building a Successful Company**

Laurent Gil, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of cast.ai, shares his insights on finding product-market fit and how it drives organizational success. Discover ...how elite sales, combined with product-market fit, create a successful company.

**Journey as an Entrepreneur**

Laurent recounts his entrepreneurial journey, from his 2005 startup using facial recognition technology acquired by Google to founding a cybersecurity company leveraging GPUs for machine learning. Learn how he overcame skepticism and demonstrated the potential of facial recognition, paving the way for digital sharing and social media.

**From Idea to Success**

Laurent emphasizes that commercial viability comes from solving real problems, not just building cool products. He underscores the importance of understanding issues and developing effective solutions.

**Cast AI: Optimizing Cloud Costs**

Laurent's company, Cast AI, tackles the problem of cloud over-provisioning, where 87% of machine utilization is wasted. Cast AI's engine dynamically adjusts resources in real-time to optimize costs, especially for applications with variable user traffic.

**Key Insights**

- Over-provisioning wastes 87% of machine utilization.
- Cast AI dynamically adjusts cloud resources to optimize costs.
- Beneficial for applications with variable user traffic.

**Case Study: Bank Client**

Learn how a bank client used Cast AI to scale compute resources based on user activity, minimizing waste and reducing costs during off-peak hours.

**Challenges in Selecting Machine Types**

Laurent discusses the difficulty of choosing the right machine type from numerous options. Cast AI automates this process, selecting the most efficient machine based on real-time usage and cloud provider availability.

**Traction and Scalability**

Discover how Cast AI developed its technology with a California client, optimized their compute resources, and gained traction with other clients, becoming a scalable solution for cloud optimization.

**Actionable Insights**

- Understand and solve real problems.
- Optimize cloud costs to reduce waste.
- Utilize technology like Cast AI for real-time resource adjustment.

Laurent's experiences offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and tech professionals on finding product-market fit and building successful companies.[+] Show More

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