Shows
The Unexpected LeverReplacing Sales Bloatware with AI That WorksWhy does so much sales tech still feel like extra work? And how can AI actually make life easier for AEs and SEs instead of adding to the noise?In this episode, Vivun’s senior selling team, Account Executive Mike Capitolo and Sales Engineer Clay Killgore, join Vivun CEO Matt Darrow to reveal where most sales tools go wrong and what it looks like when AI is built with the rep in mind. They share how agentic AI helps cut prep time, eliminate Frankenstack bloat, and support strategic selling without getting in the way.I...2025-06-0321 min
The AI for Sales PodcastAI's Impact on the Customer JourneySummary
In this episode of the AI for Sales podcast, Chad Burmeister interviews Matt Darrow, co-founder and CEO of Vivun. They discuss the significance of the name 'Vivian', which means 'lever' in Finnish, and how it relates to the company's mission of creating AI sales engineers that provide leverage to organizations. The conversation explores how AI is transforming the customer journey, the importance of human interaction in sales, and the misconceptions surrounding AI deployment. Matt shares insights on leveraging AI for sales efficiency, ethical considerations in AI, and the critical role of data management in maximizing AI's potential.
Takeaways
The...2025-05-1025 minThe Unexpected LeverIs AI Exposing Marketers Who Can’t Connect? with Lucas WelchCan AI make us more human in how we go to market?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Lucas Welch, VP of Corporate Marketing at Highspot, for a conversation about authenticity, AI, and the power of personal connection in modern marketing.Lucas shares how AI isn’t replacing relationships but encouraging deeper ones, especially when go-to-market teams build experiences that reflect what people actually care about. He walks through how his team uses tools like intent data and Mentimeter to shape events that feel personal, not prescriptive.Tune in to ge...2025-05-0816 minThe Unexpected LeverThe Truth About Scaling GTM with AI with Jarod GreeneHow do you scale a team without scaling headcount? And why are some companies still slow to adopt AI despite clear advantages?In this episode, Vivun CEO Matt Darrow sits down with CMO and fellow podcast host Jarod Greene to discuss how marketing and sales teams can operate at a higher level using AI without losing the human element.They share how a five-person marketing team can outperform teams four times its size, what gets in the way of broader AI adoption, and why the best enablement isn’t more training, but less friction. 2025-04-2225 minThe Unexpected LeverThe Rise of SEs in Sales with Michelle AfsharIs the traditional sales model evolving with the rise of SEs?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Michelle Afshar, Global Head of Enablement at Darktrace, to unfold the shifting dynamics within B2B sales teams, focusing on the increasing importance of SEs.Michelle explains why the future of sales belongs to sales engineers, emphasizing the need for sellers to be more technical. She argues that aligning SEs and AEs is essential for closing deals in today’s tech-driven landscape. Tune in to learn why modern sales roles are evolving.In...2025-04-1716 minThe Unexpected LeverLeveraging AI for Meaningful Market Research with Claudia Natasia, Riley AIAre you using AI correctly for market research? In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene sits down with Claudia Natasia, CEO of Riley AI, to discuss the evolving role of AI in customer insights.Claudia breaks down how AI is transforming market research, but she’s quick to caution against a plug-and-play approach. Off-the-shelf tools or LLMs alone won’t cut it if you want a real edge. She shares why blending proprietary data with AI is the key to unlocking insights your competitors will miss. With Riley’s innovative approach, they're helping businesses uncove...2025-04-1006 minThe Unexpected LeverThe Future of CROs in B2B Sales with Kelly LewisIs the CRO role changing to meet modern sales demands?In this episode, Jarod Greene connects with Kelly Lewis of B2B Go-To-Market Strategy, to discuss the ever-evolving nature of the CRO role and B2B selling teams in general.Kelly explains why today’s CROs need more than just sales skills. They have to master strategy, operations and even AI to lead teams effectively and scale success. She also predicts a rise in CRO educational programs to meet these needs.Listen to learn how sales leaders can evolve into CROs and adapt to...2025-04-0318 minThe Unexpected LeverSoftware Is a Commodity with Margaret Kelsey, KodarisIs brand the last real differentiator?In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene talks with Margaret Kelsey, CMO of Kodaris, about the shifting landscape of B2B marketing.Margaret argues that software has become a commodity—AI has made it easier than ever to build and replicate products. Yet many companies still rely on outdated go-to-market strategies instead of investing in brand and creative distribution. She explains why personal brands, employee advocacy, and strong cultural alignment are the key to standing out in a crowded market.In this episode, you’ll learn:Wh...2025-03-2708 minThe Unexpected LeverWhat Sales Leaders Actually Need to Know About AI with Trevor JettWhat actually is an AI agent vs. a personal productivity tool? And how do you navigate the vast vendor landscape? AI is changing the sales game, but are leaders truly harnessing its potential? In this episode, Vivun CEO Matt Darrow and CRO Trevor Jett break down what sales leaders need to know about AI agents.From cutting through vendor noise to understanding the real impact on sales productivity, they bring clarity to an often-misunderstood topic. With firsthand insights from scaling high-performing teams, they explore how AI can democratize expertise, not replace sales roles.2025-03-2522 min
The Revenue InsidersDisruptive AI: How Vivun and Their AI Sales Engineer are Solving for the Messy MiddleJoin us for an exciting and insightful discussion with Jarod Greene from Vivun, as we delve deep into the transformative world of AI in sales engineering.In this engaging conversation, we will explore the ways in which AI agents are revolutionizing the role of Sales Engineers (SEs) and redefining the dynamics between Account Executives (AEs) and SEs. Jarod will share invaluable insights into Vivun's cutting-edge platform, specifically designed to empower and equip sales engineers with the tools they need to succeed in the AI era. Additionally, he will provide a glimpse into their groundbreaking AI agent and...2025-03-2434 minThe Unexpected LeverWhy Discovery Wins Deals with Tom JosephsonAre sales engineers too focused on features instead of what customers really need?In this episode, Jarod Greene connects with Tom Josephson, Senior Director of Solution Consulting at TCP Software, to explore the power of discovery in building solid relationships with buyers.Tom explains why curiosity is a superpower for SEs, how the right questions reveal real customer needs, and why great SEs show less, not more.This episode gets into how SEs can shift their approach from demonstrating technical prowess to being strategic partners who understand the customer's goals.2025-03-2018 minThe Unexpected LeverWhat Separates Great Sales Engineers from the Rest with Marjorie AbdelkrimeAre sales engineers relying too much on technical expertise and missing what truly drives customer decisions?In this special V15 episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Marjorie Abdelkrime, Head of US West and Healthcare Solutions at VMware by Broadcom, to explore what separates great SEs from those who get stuck. Marjorie shares why curiosity is the most critical trait for success, how Sales Engineers can build trust by admitting what they don’t know, and why AI-powered demos provide an opportunity to elevate the human element in technical sales. She unpacks the evolution of the SE role, fr...2025-03-1316 minThe Unexpected LeverWhy Sales Teams Struggle to Connect with Customers with Jeff MargoleseAre sales teams too focused on flashy demos and missing what really matters to customers?In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene welcomes Jeff Margolese, SVP of Global Solution Consulting at ServiceNow, to break down one of the biggest challenges in B2B SaaS: showing real customer value. Jeff shares why sales teams often get caught up in showcasing features without connecting them to business impact—and how to fix it. He explains the power of storytelling, why ‘before and after’ framing is crucial, and how differentiation is more important than ever in a crowded AI market.F...2025-03-0606 minThe Unexpected LeverAI Agents & Security: Safeguarding Your Data in an Evolving Threat LandscapeIs AI security keeping up?Agentic AI is poised to transform B2B, but will security concerns block its potential? In this episode of The Unexpected Lever, Vivun CEO Matt Darrow sits down with security leaders Jamie Brown and Jessica Siclari to separate fact from fear in AI Agent security.From navigating the evolving threat and regulatory landscape to designing a framework for AI vendor evaluations, they cut through the hype and provide a practical lens into how businesses can embrace AI Agents without compromising security.In this episode, you’ll learn:...2025-02-2515 minThe Unexpected LeverAI-Driven Presales: Faster Onboarding, Smarter Selling with Toby PennIs an AI Sales Engineer the key to faster presales onboarding and smarter sellers?In this episode of V5, Jarod Greene sits down with Toby Penn, an experienced global presales leader, to explore how AI agents are transforming sales engineering. Toby shares how AI, specifically Vivun’s AI Sales Engineer, Ava, is helping presales teams ramp faster, stay ahead of process changes, and focus on high-value tasks. He discusses the role of AI in simplifying sales enablement, fielding complex technical questions, and even empowering Account Executives with better decision-making. From scaling SE expertise to improving sal...2025-02-2006 minThe Unexpected LeverMarketing Channels are Dead with Mark Kilens, TACKAre marketing channels dead?In this episode of The Unexpected Lever, Jarod Greene sits down with Mark Kilens, CEO and Co-Founder of TACK, to challenge a long-held belief in B2B marketing. Mark argues that traditional channels—email, paid ads, and SEO—are losing effectiveness while networks are becoming the real drivers of growth. He breaks down the shift from channels to networks and why companies need to rethink their marketing strategy. From building a network map to understanding the power of trust, this conversation explores a new way to connect with buyers.In th...2025-02-1305 minThe Unexpected LeverWhy the Traditional SaaS Model Is Broken with Bill Balnave, MezmoIs the traditional SaaS sales model holding us back?In this episode, Jarod Greene welcomes back Bill Balnave, Vice President of Technical Services of Mezmo, to explore how outdated sales processes are creating unnecessary friction for buyers and sellers alike. Bill shares why software should sell itself and how empowering buyers with the right tools and information can revolutionize the industry. From the evolving role of SDRs to cutting out red tape in SaaS deals, this conversation dives into bold ideas for a frictionless future.In this episode, you’ll learn:The real role of...2025-01-2308 minThe Unexpected LeverDesigning AI Agents that Work with Humans, with Stephany CardetWhat if your tools worked like your best teammate?In this episode, Vivun CEO Matt Darrow talks with Vivun’s Lead AI Product Designer, Stephany Cardet, about what goes into designing AI Sales Assistants that don’t just follow your lead—they help you stay ahead.Stephany shares how Vivun’s tool Ava takes the guesswork out of the process—anticipating next steps, simplifying complex tasks, and making collaboration natural. Learn how smarter design can help you do your best work, every time.In this episode, you’ll learn:From Buttons...2025-01-2118 min
Born In Silicon ValleyInspired Campervan Traveler launches a $130M funded AI StartupIn this episode, we sit down with Matt Darrow, Co-Founder and CEO of Vivun, to discuss his journey from Deloitte technology consultant to revolutionizing the world of technical sales. Matt shares his early exposure to enterprise software and how it sparked his passion for blending technical expertise with business acumen in the role of Sales Engineering. With over a decade of experience in technical sales leadership, Matt reveals the challenges and rewards of his career and how it led to co-founding Vivun, a platform that serves as the Technical Copilot for Sales teams. Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal, leads the...2025-01-1634 minThe Unexpected LeverBoosting Sales Alignment Through SE Quotas with Nicole Kawamoto, ServiceTitanAre individual quotas the secret to SE-Sales team synergy??In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Nicole Kawamoto, Director of Solutions Engineering from ServiceTitan, to explore how a shift in quota strategy can transform team dynamics and drive performance. Nicole shares why she moved her Solutions Engineering team to a hybrid quota model, the surprising impact it had on morale, and how it aligns SEs and AEs to crush sales goals together. In this episode, you’ll learn:Why individual quotas matter for SE teams: Introducing a hybrid quota model boosts performance, aligns SEs...2025-01-1605 min
Shift & Thrive: CEO Insights on Driving ChangeEmbracing Change with Agentic AI - Matt Darrow - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 027In this episode of Shift & Thrive, host Natalie sits down with Matt Darrow, CEO and co-founder of Vivun, to explore his journey from consulting to leading innovations in AI sales engineering. Matt shares insights on transforming Vivun’s SaaS offerings into AI-native solutions, navigating organizational change, and maintaining leadership vision during times of transition. From his global upbringing to risk-taking hobbies, Matt offers a fascinating perspective on leadership, adaptability, and the future of AI in sales. Tune in for actionable advice and inspiring stories from one of the industry's boldest innovators.Takeaways:Remain ag...2025-01-1548 minThe Unexpected LeverMulti-Product Generalists Are on Their Way Out with Dave Greene, GainsightAre solution consultants the key to bridging the gap between pre-sales and post-sales success?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Dave Greene, Regional Vice President of Solution Consulting at Gainsight, to unpack why the days of multi-product generalists are fading fast. Dave explains why buyers demand deeper expertise from SCs and how specialization is driving better outcomes for both customers and teams.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why specialization is the future of solution consulting: Dave explains why the shift away from multi-product generalists is critical to meeting buyer expectations an...2025-01-0905 minThe Unexpected LeverThe Future of Human-AI Interactions in SaaS with Russell Witham, VivunIs AI about to blur the lines between human and machine interactions?In this episode, Jarod Greene chats with Russell Witham from Vivun, to unpack how AI is reshaping your interactions with vendors and customers. From near-human digital assistants to AI systems that can tackle the unexpected, Russell shares his take on why the next few years could redefine the way we work and communicate.In this episode, you’ll learn:The future of AI-driven customer interactions: Why AI-powered tools are poised to blur the line between human and machine in customer support and be...2024-12-2605 minThe Unexpected LeverAdapting Sales Engineering to Buyer Behavior with Dave Schultz, EmployIs the role of the Sales Engineer or Solution Consultant evolving faster than we can keep up with?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Dave Schultz, Head of Solution Consulting at Employ, to explore how flexibility and adaptability are transforming the SE role. From navigating unpredictable buyer behavior to leading with empathy in new leadership roles, Dave shares his insights on building agile teams and creating impactful strategies that align with the shifting needs of modern B2B sales.In this episode, you’ll learn:Evolving the SE Role: The Sales En...2024-12-1906 minThe Unexpected LeverSales Teams Must Plan Purposefully with Julia Lustig, SeismicIs your team ready to tackle the next year head-on?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Julia Lustig, Head of Sales Engineering for Southern Europe at Seismic, to discuss what sales teams need to be thinking about. With budgets tighter than ever, Julia shares how to make data-informed decisions, foster collaboration, and stay flexible while maintaining focus. You’ll discover why small, intentional changes can drive big results and how aligning your team around a shared mission sets the stage for success.In this epi...2024-12-1205 minThe Unexpected LeverThis Is Gen AI’s Role in Sales Engineering with Taylor Bukowski, VivunAI isn’t taking your job—but the SE who knows how to use it, might.In this episode, Vivun CEO Matt Darrow talks to Senior Sales Engineer Taylor Bukowski about the evolving role of AI in sales engineering. As an early adopter of generative AI and Vivun’s AI Sales Engineer in particular, Taylor shares her firsthand experience using it to level up her workflow, career, and customers’ experiences. All without replacing the human touch that makes SEs irreplaceable.Tune in to learn how to use AI not as a replacement but as a par...2024-12-1025 minThe Unexpected LeverStop Wasting Time on Prompt Engineering with Kyle Coleman, Copy.aiIs prompt engineering really a skill you need to master?In this episode, Jarod Greene chats with Kyle Coleman, CMO of Copy.ai, to break down the hype around prompt engineering and uncover how AI can deliver real value to sales and marketing teams. Kyle shares why teaching your team to write perfect prompts might be a waste of time and how the best AI solutions simplify the process for seamless integration.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why Prompt Engineering Is Overrated: Kyle explains why expecting your team to master complex prompting sk...2024-12-0506 minThe Unexpected LeverFrom Help Desk to Sales Engineering Executive with Marjorie Abdelkrime, BroadcomIs career progression in tech more accessible than we think?In this episode, Jarod Greene chats with Marjorie Abdelkrime, Head of US West and Healthcare Solutions at Broadcom, to unpack the many pathways into the Sales Engineering career. From breaking into the field to thriving in a highly technical industry, Marjorie shares her unconventional journey and offers practical advice for leveling up your SE career.In this episode, you’ll learn:Breaking Industry Stigma: Marjorie challenges the traditional view of SE roles. Varied career experiences—from IT to project management—can be the perfect...2024-11-2105 minThe Unexpected LeverHow Zach Miller Built a $22M Pipeline in a YearBuilding a new sales motion from scratch—where do you start? In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Zach Miller, CRO of VanillaSoft, about the real challenges of creating an enterprise sales strategy without disrupting a successful SMB pipeline. Zach shares the hurdles of transitioning to long-cycle, multi-stage deals and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right team. In this episode, you’ll learn:Building an Enterprise Sales Motion from Scratch: Establishing an enterprise sales motion requires careful planning to maintain an existing SMB pipeline, balancing new processes with proven success in sm...2024-11-1405 minThe Unexpected LeverPreventing Hallucination in Agentic AIMost AI knows how to respond—but does it know how to solve real SE problems?In this episode, CEO Matt Darrow sits down with Vivun’s Sr. Machine Learning Engineer, Chen Liang, to explore why most AI just isn’t cut out for sales engineering—yet. While language models like ChatGPT are powerful, they lack the insider knowledge and finesse that make sales engineers irreplaceable. Matt and Chen dive into Vivun’s unique approach to building AI agents that don’t just predict answers but deliver reliable, actionable insights grounded in real-world experience. Discove...2024-11-1224 minThe Unexpected LeverAre AI SDRs the Key to Better Buyer Experiences? with Blue Bowen, G2Is the future of inbound sales powered by AI SDRs?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Blue Bowen, Research Principal at G2, to explore the game-changing role of AI SDRs in inbound lead management. AI is reshaping the buyer experience, and if companies shift focus to inbound leads, it can provide immediate wins. Tune in to learn how companies can leverage AI tools to drive more meaningful connections with potential customers.In this episode, you’ll learn:How AI SDRs Can Enhance the Buyer Experience: Using AI-powered SDRs for inbound leads ca...2024-11-0704 minThe Unexpected LeverHidden Pricing Hurts Sales with Mark Huber, UserEvidenceIs hiding your pricing costing you more than you realize?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Mark Huber, VP of Marketing at UserEvidence, as he shares his candid thoughts on the frustration of hidden pricing in B2B SaaS. He unpacks why transparent pricing is needed to build trust with buyers and how outdated sales tactics waste time for both teams and customers.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Importance of Price Transparency: Openly sharing your pricing can build trust with buyers and lead to faster decision-making.Avoid Time-Wasting Sales Tactics: Hi...2024-10-3105 minThe Unexpected LeverWhy ChatGPT Isn’t Ready to Be an SEChatGPT may excel in conversation, but it’s not equipped to tackle the complex challenges that sales engineers face.In this episode, CEO Matt Darrow speaks with Vivun’s Product & AI Leader, Russell Witham, about the criteria for AI that actually “gets” sales engineering. Most existing models fail to appreciate the complexity and true value of SE work, resulting in outputs that fall short of what great sales engineers produce. Tune in to discover a new, innovative approach to empowering sales engineers with AI that understands them. In this episode, you’ll learn:...2024-10-2917 minThe Unexpected LeverWhy Sales Engineers Shouldn't Be Pooled with Kyle Smith, The Bridge GroupTime is a critical factor in B2B sales success.In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Kyle Smith, Managing Partner at The Bridge Group, to discuss the impact of direct alignment between sales engineers and account executives on customer experiences. Kyle shares his insights from the Sales perspective on how avoiding pooled resources can lead to smoother interactions and stronger client relationships.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Dangers of Resource Pooling: Kyle explains why pooling sales engineers can create a disconnect in the sales process and how it can le...2024-10-2405 minThe Unexpected LeverLetting Buyers Lead in B2B Sales with Natalie Marcotullio, NavatticAre we truly listening to our buyers?In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Natalie Marcotullio, Head of Growth and Operations at Navattic, as she shares about the pitfalls of traditional sales approaches, the importance of empowering buyers with the information they need, and how shifting our mindset can lead to stronger, more effective sales relationships.In this episode, you’ll learn:Trust Your Buyers: Buyers often have a deeper understanding of their own problems than sales representatives do about the product. Respect and leverage buyer insights to your advantage.Rethink Sales Int...2024-10-1704 minThe Unexpected LeverBoosting PreSales Productivity with AI with Leah McTiernan, DocusignAI is transforming the way PreSales teams operate. In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with Leah McTiernan, Global Vice President of PreSales at Docusign, as she shares her perspective on how AI is streamlining workflows, boosting team morale, and enabling more meaningful, strategic work. Learn how AI is enhancing the PreSales role to build stronger customer relationships and deliver greater value.In this episode, you’ll learn:How AI Transforms PreSales Efficiency: Leah explains how AI automates time-consuming tasks like demo creation and research, allowing PreSales teams to focus on more str...2024-10-1006 minThe Unexpected LeverScaling PreSales' Number One Commodity with David Yockelson, GartnerTime is the most valuable commodity for pre-sales teams. In this episode, Jarod Greene sits down with David Yockelson, Distinguished Vice President and Gartner Fellow, as he shares his insights on how driving efficiency in collaborative efforts with account executives can lead to more effective business cases and stronger customer relationships.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Importance of Time in PreSales: David highlights how presales teams often struggle with managing their time effectively. Streamlining processes like demo automation and interactive demos can give them valuable hours to focus on higher-level tasks.Col...2024-10-0307 minThe Unexpected LeverPrioritize Discovery Over Demos with Tom Josephson, TCP SoftwareIs discovery or demos the secret weapon in sales?In this episode of V5, host Jarod Greene chats with Tom Josephson, Director of Solution Consulting at TCP Software, about a controversial take: demos aren’t as crucial as everyone believes. Find out how mastering discovery can lead to deeper customer connections and more successful deals.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Power of Discovery: Tom explains why understanding your buyer’s needs through effective discovery can give you an edge over competitors, even when pricing becomes a factor.Shifting the Focus: Settin...2024-09-2606 minThe Unexpected LeverHave Multiple Sales Engineers on One Deal with Deirdre Sommerkamp, SkillibriumHow can tapping into your team's strengths transform sales engineering, boost win rates, and forge stronger customer connections?In this episode, Jarod Greene, host of V5, and Deirdre Sommerkamp, Chief Solutions Officer at Skillibrium, discuss the benefits of assigning SEs based on their specific skills for different stages of the sales cycle. In this episode, you’ll learn:The Power of Strengths-Based Sales Engineering: Deirdre introduces the concept of assigning multiple SEs to opportunities based on their unique strengths, leading to a more effective sales process.The Importance of...2024-09-1906 minThe Unexpected LeverThe Impact of AI on Sales EngineeringHow is AI transforming the role of sales engineers, and what does this mean for the future of B2B revenue streams?In this episode, Matt Darrow, CEO and Co-founder of Vivun, and Joseph Miller, Co-founder and Chief Data Scientist at Vivun, share how AI will affect sales engineering teams. They explore concepts like the integration of top-down and bottom-up approaches and how AI technologies are fundamentally altering the nature of labor in B2B sales. You’ll also learn the critical skills sales engineers need to have to stay competitive in an increasingly AI...2024-09-1729 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 18 - "You say AT&T is suing Broadcom, and I just think Alien vs Predator— whoever wins, we lose."In this new, refreshed and totally revamped (ok.. it’s still a work in progress) edition of The Wandering Tech Podcast… Lidia and Paul dive into a couple of different topics. Is the era of public cloud infrastructure over? It depends. If you ask the CEO of Broadcom you’ll get one answer, but Paul and Lidia discuss why it may not be quite so simple. And why when two big companies fight - we all lose…Then the question of whether or not there is yet ANOTHER hat that Presales a...2024-09-1048 minThe Unexpected LeverThis Is The Unexpected LeverWhat’s the real secret to sales success? It’s all in the pre-sale. On The Unexpected Lever, we’re diving deep into what happens before the deal closes and why it’s more than just demo automation. It’s about understanding real problems and providing meaningful solutions. Brought to you by Vivun, this show celebrates the unsung heroes—sales engineers—who drive revenue growth by connecting with clients, solving challenges, and delivering results.Whether you're aiming for stronger revenue, higher retention, or shorter sales cycles, remember: the pre-work makes the dream...2024-09-0900 min
DealMakers: Entrepreneur | Startups | Venture CapitalMatthew Darrow On Raising $131 Million To Create The AI-Powered Platform For PreSalesIn a recent episode of the Dealmakers' Podcast, Matthew Darrow, Co-founder of Vivun, shared his remarkable journey from being an engineer to founding a B2B enterprise software company. His experiences growing up in different parts of the world and his background in engineering laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial spirit. His venture, Vivun, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Tiger Global Management, Salesforce Ventures, Accel, and Menlo Ventures.
2023-10-0537 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow LaunchDarkly found product-market fit: Edith Harbaugh on building a developer movementLaunchDarkly is a pioneer in the feature management space. Founded in 2014, while the agile and cloud movements were still relatively nascent, LaunchDarkly was ahead of its time. They have now scaled to a $3 billion company, serving over 4,000 customers.
In this episode, LaunchDarkly Co-Founder and CEO Edith Harbaugh takes us back to her initial insight as an engineering manager and product leader at TripIt, deeply versed in the value of systematic feature flagging, and keenly aware of how underutilized it was by many other dev teams. She shares the conviction required to build a product...2023-01-2341 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow LaunchDarkly found product-market fit: Edith Harbaugh on building a developer movementLaunchDarkly is a pioneer in the feature management space. Founded in 2014, while the agile and cloud movements were still relatively nascent, LaunchDarkly was ahead of its time. They have now scaled to a $3 billion company, serving over 4,000 customers. In this episode, LaunchDarkly Co-Founder and CEO Edith Harbaugh takes us back to her initial insight as an engineering manager and product leader at TripIt, deeply versed in the value of systematic feature flagging, and keenly aware of how underutilized it was by many other dev teams. She shares the conviction required to build a product that most buyers in Silicon Valley...2023-01-2341 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Jasper found product-market fit: Dave Rogenmoser on pivoting to AI SaaSJasper is a leading AI-driven content platform with over 80,000 customers. Going from launch to unicorn status in 18 months, they have been one of the fastest companies to cross $1M in MRR with a new product.
In this episode, Jasper Co-Founder Dave Rogenmoser shares his story of persistence, pivots, and market validation as he and his co-founders went from building a digital marketing agency to a hypergrowth AI unicorn. Join us as we discuss:
External and internal signals that it’s time to pivot
Validating startup ideas and how to let the user shape product decisions
Product-led GT...2023-01-0941 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow Jasper found product-market fit: Dave Rogenmoser on pivoting to AI SaaSJasper is a leading AI-driven content platform with over 80,000 customers. Going from launch to unicorn status in 18 months, they have been one of the fastest companies to cross $1M in MRR with a new product. In this episode, Jasper Co-Founder Dave Rogenmoser shares his story of persistence, pivots, and market validation as he and his co-founders went from building a digital marketing agency to a hypergrowth AI unicorn. Join us as we discuss: External and internal signals that it’s time to pivotValidating startup ideas and how to let the user shape product decisionsProduct-led GTM and getting users to buy a...2023-01-0941 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Aurora Solar found product-market fit: Chris Hopper on bootstrapping climate techAurora Solar is a solar design platform that has accelerated small business growth in the solar energy industry. Through it, vendors and homeowners have instant access to crucial data about home solar projects.
In this episode, Co-founder at Aurora Solar Chris Hopper shares how he went from installing solar panels to managing a $4B climate tech unicorn that has powered over 10 million solar projects. Join us as we discuss:
Building a product around ignored customer needs
Bootstrapping growth with SMBs for momentum
Expanding up-market in a concentrated enterprise segment
About Unusual Ventures — Unusual Ventures is a see...2022-12-0540 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow Aurora Solar found product-market fit: Chris Hopper on bootstrapping climate techAurora Solar is a solar design platform that has accelerated small business growth in the solar energy industry. Through it, vendors and homeowners have instant access to crucial data about home solar projects.In this episode, Co-founder at Aurora Solar Chris Hopper shares how he went from installing solar panels to managing a $4B climate tech unicorn that has powered over 10 million solar projects. Join us as we discuss:Building a product around ignored customer needsBootstrapping growth with SMBs for momentumExpanding up-market in a concentrated enterprise segmentAbout Unusual Ventures — Unusual Ve...2022-12-0540 minStartup Field Guide by UnusualHow Webflow found product-market fit: Bryant Chou on the low-code movementBefore Webflow, creating a website required both a designer and a coder. Now, designers can build websites without code or sacrificing their artistic vision.Listen, as Co-Founder of Webflow, Bryant Chou talks about his journey turning a simple idea of simplifying website-creation into a $4 billion dollar company.Join us as we discuss:Webflow’s organic marketing strategiesLessons learned from Webflow’s private betaHow Bryant discovered the product-market fit for WebflowWebflow’s product roadmap positioningBuilding a team that amplified Webflow’s vision About Unusual Ventures — Unusual Ventures is a seed-st...2022-11-2844 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Webflow found product-market fit: Bryant Chou on the no-code movementBefore Webflow, creating a website required both a designer and a coder. Now, designers can build websites without code or sacrificing their artistic vision.
Listen, as Co-Founder of Webflow, Bryant Chou talks about his journey turning a simple idea of simplifying website-creation into a $4 billion dollar company.
Join us as we discuss:
Webflow’s organic marketing strategies
Lessons learned from Webflow’s private beta
How Bryant discovered the product-market fit for Webflow
Webflow’s product roadmap positioning
Building a team that amplified Webflow’s vision
About Unusual Ventures — Unusual Ventures is a seed-stage venture capita...2022-11-2844 minStartup Field Guide by UnusualHow Vanta found product-market fit: Christina Cacioppo on startup complianceSOC2 certification is a daunting process for startup founders but increasingly necessary to land customers. Our guest today was among the first to understand how startup founders thought about security and compliance and set out to create the automated compliance category.Listen in as Christina Cacioppo, CEO and co-found er of Vanta talks about her journey to creating the leading automated security and compliance platform that is valued at $1.6B today.Join us as we discuss:How Christina approached finding product-market fit for VantaWhat productivity looks like for the sales team at Vanta with $10-20...2022-11-2143 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Vanta found product-market fit: Christina Cacioppo on startup complianceSOC2 certification is a daunting process for startup founders but increasingly necessary to land customers. Our guest today was among the first to understand how startup founders thought about security and compliance and set out to create the automated compliance category.
Listen in as Christina Cacioppo, CEO and co-found er of Vanta talks about her journey to creating the leading automated security and compliance platform that is valued at $1.6B today.
Join us as we discuss:
How Christina approached finding product-market fit for Vanta
What productivity looks like for the sales team at Vanta...2022-11-2143 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow Cockroach Labs Found Product-Market Fit: Peter Mattis on Leveraging Open Source SoftwareThe SQL database that sits under most applications in the world is old technology that was not built with the Cloud in mind. Now we live in a Cloud-Native world and it's important for developers to have a database that offers the same guarantees as legacy SQL database technology while also taking advantage of life in the cloud.Listen in as Peter Mattis Co-founder and CTO at Cockroach Labs talks about the cloud-native, distributed SQL database that provides next-level consistency, ultra-resilience, data locality, and massive scale to modern cloud applications.Join us as we discuss:What were...2022-11-1445 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Cockroach Labs Found Product-Market Fit: Peter Mattis on Leveraging Open Source SoftwareThe SQL database that sits under most applications in the world is old technology that was not built with the Cloud in mind. Now we live in a Cloud-Native world and it's important for developers to have a database that offers the same guarantees as legacy SQL database technology while also taking advantage of life in the cloud.
Listen in as Peter Mattis Co-founder and CTO at Cockroach Labs talks about the cloud-native, distributed SQL database that provides next-level consistency, ultra-resilience, data locality, and massive scale to modern cloud applications.
Join us as we discuss:2022-11-1445 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualAndy Rachleff on coining the term product-market fitIn today's episode, we hear from Andy Rachleff, who coined the term “product-market fit” which served as the inspiration for this podcast.Andy Rachleff is a legendary Venture Capitalist who originally coined the term "product-market fit." Andy has had an incredibly accomplished career in the tech industry, co-founding Benchmark Capital in 1995 and Wealthfront in 2008. Andy has mentored and guided hundreds of founders and investors, and in this episode talks about why understanding product-market fit is the only thing that matters and all the pitfalls founders face along the way.Join us as we discuss:How Andy got into...2022-10-3148 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastAndy Rachleff on coining the term product-market fitIn today's episode, we hear from Andy Rachleff, who coined the term “product-market fit” which served as the inspiration for this podcast.
Andy Rachleff is a legendary Venture Capitalist who originally coined the term "product-market fit." Andy has had an incredibly accomplished career in the tech industry, co-founding Benchmark Capital in 1995 and Wealthfront in 2008. Andy has mentored and guided hundreds of founders and investors, and in this episode talks about why understanding product-market fit is the only thing that matters and all the pitfalls founders face along the way.
Join us as we discuss:
How...2022-10-3148 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow SessionM found product-market fit: Lars Albright on customer loyaltyEarly revenue can sometimes fool you into thinking that you have product-market fit. Startups begin to focus on growth without having solved the core problem their customers are playing them to address.In this episode, we are joined by Lars Albright, a General Partner at Unusual Ventures, where he leads investments in vertical SaaS and fintech startups. Lars is a three-time founder of enterprise software companies, having sold two of his companies to Apple and Mastercard. Today, Lars joins us to talk about his last startup SessionM, a pioneer in mobile loyalty, and even today, powers the loyalty infrastructure...2022-10-1744 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow SessionM found product-market fit: Lars Albright on customer loyaltyEarly revenue can sometimes fool you into thinking that you have product-market fit. Startups begin to focus on growth without having solved the core problem their customers are playing them to address.
In this episode, we are joined by Lars Albright, a General Partner at Unusual Ventures, where he leads investments in vertical SaaS and fintech startups. Lars is a three-time founder of enterprise software companies, having sold two of his companies to Apple and Mastercard. Today, Lars joins us to talk about his last startup SessionM, a pioneer in mobile loyalty, and even today, powers the...2022-10-1744 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow Shippo found product market fit: Laura Behrens Wu on democratizing shipping for small businessesSuccessful startups need to solve a problem, but there is a big difference between a founder knowing a problem exists in the abstract and a founder experiencing the pain points firsthand and developing ways to solve it.Laura Behrens Wu is the Founder and CEO of Shippo, a shipping platform designed to give every merchant access to the best-in-class tools and technology reserved for retail giants. Over 100k brands trust Shippo to ensure their customers love how their products are delivered. In this episode, Laura takes us through the product-market fit journey of Shippo and her journey of evolving...2022-10-1026 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Shippo found product market fit: Laura Behrens Wu on democratizing shipping for small businessesSuccessful startups need to solve a problem, but there is a big difference between a founder knowing a problem exists in the abstract and a founder experiencing the pain points firsthand and developing ways to solve it.
Laura Behrens Wu is the Founder and CEO of Shippo, a shipping platform designed to give every merchant access to the best-in-class tools and technology reserved for retail giants. Over 100k brands trust Shippo to ensure their customers love how their products are delivered. In this episode, Laura takes us through the product-market fit journey of Shippo and her journey...2022-10-1026 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow Oyster HR found product-market fit: Tony Jamous on leveling the global employment playing fieldSince the rise of COVID-19, every company has adopted remote work, and our guest's mission is to create a more equal world by making it possible for talented professionals to work from any country they choose to.Tony Jamous is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Oyster, a global employment unicorn that helps companies hire employees and contractors anywhere in the world. Before Oyster, Tony was the founder of Nexmo (2010), a Twilio competitor that was acquired by Vonage in 2016 for $230M. In this episode, Tony takes us through the product-market fit journey of Oyster.Join us as...2022-09-2640 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Oyster HR found product-market fit: Tony Jamous on leveling the global employment playing fieldSince the rise of COVID-19, every company has adopted remote work, and our guest's mission is to create a more equal world by making it possible for talented professionals to work from any country they choose to.
Tony Jamous is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Oyster, a global employment unicorn that helps companies hire employees and contractors anywhere in the world. Before Oyster, Tony was the founder of Nexmo (2010), a Twilio competitor that was acquired by Vonage in 2016 for $230M. In this episode, Tony takes us through the product-market fit journey of...2022-09-2640 min
Startup Field Guide by UnusualHow Arctic Wolf found product-market fit: Brian NeSmith on getting to the tipping pointWhile some startups experiment and pivot their way into product-market fit, others have founders with a unique insight that needs persistence. After a rough 6 year start as a company between 2012-2018, Arctic Wolf hit a tipping point driven by market awareness. In the past 4 years, the growth rate of the business has been phenomenal. Founder Brian NeSmith joins us to discuss his conviction to keep going and how he kept his talented team together even when results weren't what they expected.Brian NeSmith is a cybersecurity industry veteran, having led three successful companies - the latest of which is A...2022-09-1245 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Arctic Wolf found product-market fit: Brian NeSmith on getting to the tipping pointWhile some startups experiment and pivot their way into product-market fit, others have founders with a unique insight that needs persistence. After a rough 6 year start as a company between 2012-2018, Arctic Wolf hit a tipping point driven by market awareness. In the past 4 years, the growth rate of the business has been phenomenal. Founder Brian NeSmith joins us to discuss his conviction to keep going and how he kept his talented team together even when results weren't what they expected.
Brian NeSmith is a cybersecurity industry veteran, having led three successful companies - the latest of w...2022-09-1245 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow StackRox found product-market fit: Wei Lien Dang on riding tech stack tailwindsStackRox is a security startup born in 2015. After many initial setbacks, StackRox went on to become a leader in container security, riding the Kubernetes wave and helping cloud-native companies secure their software. Wei Lien Dang joins us today to discuss how StackRox found product-market fit.
Wei Lien Dang is a General Partner at Unusual Ventures. Before joining the venture capital firm, Wei was the Co-Founder of StackRox. StackRox became one of the first startups in the container security world to offer a Kubernetes-native solution and in 2021, was acquired by Red Hat.
Join us as we disc...2022-09-0236 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Carta found product-market fit: Henry Ward on distribution-led product strategyHenry Ward joins us to talk about how his team of fewer than 20 employees scaled their startup, then known as eShares, to product-market fit and eventually became a household name in equity management software.
Henry Ward is the Co-Founder and CEO of Carta. This $7.4B business has created a new category of software in equity management by helping companies and investors manage their cap tables, valuations, investments, and equity plans. Henry gives us insight into the early stages of Carta: the initial products that Carta built, gaining validation through investor networks, closing their first 100 customers, and how...2022-08-1852 min
PreSales HeroesAndy Raskin on the Power of StorytellingJoin special guest Andy Raskin for his perspective on the power of storytelling for Solutions teams–a topic he'll address in his UNXPCTD keynote. Andy has helped some of the biggest names in tech align their teams around a strategic narrative to drive success across GTM. Save your seat for the full talk at https://unxpctd.vivun.com/.2022-08-1826 min
20MinuteLeaders | The Human Zero DayEp885: Matt Darrow | CEO & Co-Founder, VivunMatt's an enterprise software leader with experience growing businesses, building global teams, and delivering products. Before founding Vivun, he worked at Zuora, BigMachines, and Deloitte.2022-08-1522 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Nextdoor found product-market fit: Sarah Leary shares how pivoting helped Nextdoor scale to over 250,000 neighborhoodsHow do you know when an early-stage startup idea is working, and what do you do if it isn’t?
Today we talk with Sarah Leary, the Co-Founder of Nextdoor, the iconic neighborhood network that enables local communities to receive trusted information, give and get help, get things done, and build real-world connections with those nearby. Sarah gives us insight into the early days of Nextdoor: the pivots they made, community-building strategies they used, and how they found product-market fit on their path to being adopted by over 250,000 communities in 11 countries.
Join us as we disc...2022-08-0154 min
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastHow Snyk found product-market fit: Guy Podjarny on building a dev-centric security companyWhen running a startup, finding product-market fit is a crucial measurement to the success of the business. Today, we talk about the cybersecurity company over 2.5 million developers have tried, Snyk. Snyk is a developer-friendly security platform for anyone responsible for securing code.
Hear our conversation with Co-Founder Guy Podjarny and Ben Williams, VP of Product at Snyk, about the early days of Snyk and how they have found product-market fit.
How Snyk has found product-market fit
How Snyk has scaled over the last two years
How Snyk’s GTM helped them climb to over 5,000 customers
More informa...2022-07-181h 04
Startup Field Guide by Unusual Ventures: The Product Market Fit PodcastFinding product-market fit: An introduction to the Startup Field Guide with SandhyaHow do software startups find product-market fit? How do you know if you have it? What does it take to get there? These questions keep every early stage founder up at night.
In this introductory episode, we discuss our goals for the show and who it’s for.
Hear our conversation with Sandhya Hegde, General Partner at Unusual Ventures about
The biggest challenges faced by the startup ecosystem today
Why we are launching this podcast for early stage enthusiasts
Why the product-market fit playbook matters so much
More information about Sandhya Hegde and today’...2022-07-1108 minPreSales HeroesAdapting to Win: An AE Learns from PreSalesAccount executive, Robert Crayton III, discusses how adopting PreSales traits helps him reach sales-proof buyers at a lean startup.2022-06-2225 minPreSales HeroesScaling up to Deliver a Differentiated Buying ExperienceFind out how Stephen Morrow, Solution Engineering leader at Devo, keeps up with the demand for PreSales in an industry where buyers need to get hands-on with products in virtually every deal.2022-03-1824 min
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vivun käytön perusidea...2022-02-2256 minPreSales HeroesHow to Arm Your PreSales Team to Own Their PerformanceTune in to hear how a PreSales Individual Contributor, Katie Barends, Senior Solutions Consultant at Iterable, leverages data to unlock her full potential. In addition to working closely with sales to win deals, she also gets to be the voice of the customer before they become customers and share tribal knowledge across her department and the business.2022-01-1931 min
Mind Your MarketingMYM #168 - How Marketers Can Prove Their Worth Within an Organization With Greg Howard (Vivun)Having trouble proving your worth to your organization? If so, this episode is for you. We sat with Greg Howard from Vivun, to talk about how marketers can (i) grow pipeline and (ii) show the internal team that they drove the lead.Cave Social - https://www.cavesocial.com/greg-howardLinkedIn: Greg Howard - https://www.linkedin.com/in/greghoward-vivun/#Website: Vivun - https://vivun.com/Jordan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanscheltgen/Jordan's X: https://twitter.com/jordanscheltge...2022-01-1415 minPreSales HeroesSusan Beal on "The Other Side of the Table: Acquiring a Platform for PreSales"Learn how and why the Corporate VP of PreSales at Blue Yonder acquired a platform for her org. Susan Beal shares what it was like being on "the other side of the table" to buy software for her department and details her mission to get better visibility and elevate the role of PreSales.2021-12-1024 min
PreSales Unleashed | Sales Engineering im B2B Software Vertrieb🇬🇧 Why PreSales is booming, with Matt Darrow CEO @ Vivun (070)
PreSales is booming 💥 But why? Today, we are joined by Matt Darrow, CEO of Vivun. While we also learn about his founder story, we talk about the following:
➡️ PreSales has been booming in the past few years. Why?
➡️ Why PreSales should connect GTM and Product Development?
➡️ How to give presales a seat at the executive table?
Thanks for joining us on the show, Matt!
💡 Your path is an inspiration for all of us in PreSales. Let’s continue to strengthen the role and give it the attention (and the tools) it deserves t...2021-09-2844 minPreSales HeroesRamzi Marjaba on Getting the Tech WinIn this episode of PreSales Heroes, you'll get key finding's from Vivun's most recent benchmark report along with insights from our guest Ramzi Marjaba of We the Sales Engineers.2021-09-0832 minPreSales HeroesVivun CEO on creating a new category: PreSales Intel & OpsLearn why Matt Darrow cofounded the first AI-driven platform for PreSales and what it does for industry-leading companies in B2B tech.2021-07-2835 min
The AI for Sales PodcastHelping Sales Professionals Trust AIAI technology is here to help us. It can make increase research, decision-making, and efficiency in your business. AI is not here to get your job, it's here to simplify it. Join your host, Chad Burmeister and his guest Joseph Miller to talk about the usefulness of AI in the PreSales space. Joseph is the co-founder and Chief Data Scientist of Vivun. Vivun is an enterprise software company that is focused solely on presales. Learn what the job is of the AI in Vivun and it enhances the job of a sales engineer.
Proudly brought to...2021-07-1830 minPreSales HeroesEmpowering Women in PreSalesLearn how to build gender balance into your PreSales team and within your mentorship network.2021-06-0925 minPreSales HeroesIs POV (Proof of Value) the new POC?PreSales' Role in Value Selling according to Bob Burkhardt, the VP of Global Systems Engineering at Sumo Logic. Learn how to leverage POVs in the sales cycle to make your buyers (and deals) more successful.2021-05-1933 minPreSales HeroesAn Opera Singer's Guide to Pre and Post-Sales HarmonyTia Wucher, Customer Engineering Director at Sourcegraph discusses how to build a technical team who will own the entire customer journey.2021-04-2037 minPreSales HeroesBuilding Customer Empathy in PreSales with Tosin AjayiHear from Tosin Ajayi, Director of Solutions Architecture at MongoDB, how succeeding in PreSales is all about having empathy for your prospects and customers.2021-04-0542 minPreSales HeroesBringing Product and PreSales Together with AITune in to hear how Product teams build better software with PreSales inputs and data science. 2021-03-1834 min
Sales Influence PodcastThis Week in Sales with Victor Antonio and Will BarronEP18 - THIS WEEK IN SALES On this week in sales we’ll be looking at: Salesforce declaring the 9-to-5 workday dead HubSpot Signs Agreement to Acquire The Hustle (and proves us right) Boutique CRMs Yext, Inc., the Search Experience Cloud company, announced the promotion of David Rudnitsky to President and Chief Revenue Officer. B2B sales data startup Lusha secures $40 million Series A funding SugarCRM Users Can Now Utilize Exceed’s Conversational AI to Automate Lead Qualification Vivun raises $35 million to advance presales engineering platform The Top Real Estate CRM software Market Leader Follow Up B...2021-02-161h 05PreSales HeroesThe Path from IC to Executive LeadershipIn this episode you'll gain insights into the evolution of a leader and how we do Presales at Vivun.2021-01-2219 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun - Resolutions for Presales Leaders in 2021Today’s topic is “Resolutions for Presales Leaders in 2021”, our guest Chris Browne, Director of Solutions Consulting at Dynamic Signal, will share some compelling best practices to help presales leaders build happy, strategic and effective teams.2021-01-0725 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun - How to Train Your Team to be StorytellersBrian Cotter, VP Global Sales Engineering at Seismic Software, discusses how he trains his team to become amazing storytellers. He outlines his framework, and offers how he uses a combination of the Seismic and Vivun platform to create additional impact.2020-11-0934 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun - Unlocking Your Team's Strategic PotentialMarjorie Abdelkrime is a Sr. Director of Sales Engineering at VMWare, and she discusses her approach to raising her team's strategic profile. What part should they play in the sales forecast, and how does she coach them to think more about the business than technical features?2020-11-0324 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun - Navigating your POCTony Matos, Director of Sales Engineering at Citrix, discusses his recently published book: The Essential Guide to Navigate your Proof of Concept.2020-10-2728 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes: Hiring, Onboarding, and Managing Great TalentLara Meadows, VP Sales Engineering at ThreatConnect, discusses her approach to hiring, onboarding, and managing great talent.2020-10-1926 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun: Jeff Beane, Director of Technical Sales, MicrosoftJeff Beane talks about his experiences as fast-growth startups as well as large enterprises, and switching hats from Sales to Presales -- and back again.2020-09-2223 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun - Dave Russell, VP Solutions Engineering, Grafana LabsDave Russell, VP Solutions at Grafana Labs, discusses his playbook for being the first presales hire at a fast-growth startup and then building up a high performance team. He also discusses his strategy for managing a highly distributed team -- something he's done for years.2020-09-2129 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun: Shannon Holgate from OracleShannon Holgate, Solutions Engineering at Oracle discusses how Oracle sources the next generation of presales leaders out of college, and also some surprising insights in regards to how presales should work when an enterprise like Oracle is moving down market and selling to smaller companies.2020-09-0426 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun: Joe Miller, Chief Data ScientistVivun's Chief Data Scientist Joe Miller discusses how he's using data science to help presales leaders improve forecast accuracy, as well as identify patterns that help them assign the right presales team members to particular opportunities.2020-08-0426 minPreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun: Leah McTiernan, VP at DocusignLeah McTiernan, VP Solutions Engineering at Docusign discusses her career path -- including an aborted foray into software development -- and her work at Docusign building W.I.S.E (Women in Solutions Engineering). She talks about why sales engineering is an incredible career for women, and how she uses her work to positively impact the business.2020-07-3129 min
PreSales HeroesPresales Heroes from Vivun: Scott Wood, VP at Hewlett-Packard EnterprisesPresales Heroes interviews with leaders and incredible people in the presales and sales engineering fields. From Vivun. In this episode, Scott talks about his 32-year career at Hewlett-Packard Enterprises and the strategies he uses to manage a 600+ team. He also talks passionately about his program to identify and recruit brand new presales talent directly out of college -- and how he knows he's found the next superstar.2020-07-2829 min