In this episode of The Emblazers: B2B Leaders Igniting Revenue, host Tim Riesterer sits down with neuroscientist and entrepreneur David Shacklette, founder of Skillcraft, to explore the next frontier in sales performance—precision skills intelligence.
After leading research at Stanford and the Harvard Skills Lab, David is now applying science to one of revenue’s most persistent problems: knowing which skills actually drive performance. He explains how Skillcraft uses validated psychometrics and simulation-based assessments to identify the underlying capabilities that predict success in complex B2B selling.
Tim and David unpack why most sales assessments fail (hint: self-assessments and manager observations just aren’t precise enough), how simulations and AI are changing the game, and why defining the right skills is just as important as training them.
Tune in to learn:
Links and Resources
Learn about David Shacklette
David Shacklette is on a mission to make skills intelligence accurate, actionable, and transformative for people and their organizations. Passionate about education, technology, and the intersection of neuroscience and behavioral psychology, David has conducted research at Stanford University and Harvard’s Skills Lab. He is the Founder and CEO of Skillcraft, a company pioneering precision skills intelligence for revenue teams through validated, simulation-based assessments that reveal the skills driving real performance.
Learn about Tim Riesterer
As Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions and Chief Research Officer at Emblaze revenue leaders’ community, Tim Riesterer is a pioneering force in developing customer conversations that break through the status quo and drive measurable business results. His innovative approach helps companies craft differentiated messages and deploy them through powerful self-service and sales-directed tools that consistently outperform traditional content strategies. A recognized expert in value creation and capture, Tim enables organizations to transform their customer conversations through proven methodologies that elevate their market position and drive sustainable growth.
