To keep the content engine going (to make sure we’re shipping once per week on the podcast - see how we’re thinking of our media strategy here at VibeScaling) - we’re (Cailen and I) adding a weekly “This Week In GTM” series, which I’m freaking stoked about.
goooooooood moorrrnnninnggg Vieeeeetttnnaaaaaammmm!!
Think of it as a combo of TBPN’s Run Of The Show + My First Million (specifically, Shaan’s 5 Tweet Tuesday) - sharing tweets from the week and riffing on them, specific to sales + startups + AI.
If you enjoy it, please give us a rating, review, or follow on Spotify/YouTube/Apple Podcasts - it really helps us grow this.
#1 - Everyone calling themselves GTM now
Shout out to Jen Abel for an awesome midwit meme.
We wrote about The Great Sales Title Revolution - and IMO it’s a much needed re-brand of the profession, especially slinging AI.
But I totally get this tweet, and loved it - at the core of it, it’s all just sales. To sell is human, baby.
#2 - Is sales more of an art or science?
An age-old debate. Harry Stebbings asks this on many of his 20Sales podcasts. The guests are split on which says art or science is more of the game.
We wrote about our thoughts on this earlier this year here (i.e., sales is 70% science and 30% art).
But I want to push her back here.
The best sellers in the market absolutely know how they are successful.
Mainly, they choose the right ship - aka an easy product to sell.
From there, sales is a skill like any other - and the best perfect their craft as best they can.
But I am a believer that the sundae of sales (business outcome projection that your solution delivers, aka numbers) is the science, and the cherry on top (steak dinners, charisma) is art.
It’s both, for sure. But one way more than the other.
Sales is a science > > > Sales is an art
#3 - Don’t be like Jared & how to pick your next GTM opp
You need to ensure you’re doing your due diligence before joining any startup.
For our take on the 11 traits to de-risk this, we wrote a deep dive here.
The 80/20 is 1) market pull (aka inbound) and 2) talent density (where did they work before, what schools, etc.)
One of the biggest misses from a Jared in quite some time.
the 5 dollar footlong was so elite back in the day
#4 - Best tools for GTM
Gemini is all the rage right now. OpenAI is calling it a Code Red from how good it is.
My stack:
Claude for writing/daily co-pilot
ChaptGPT for image gen
Superhuman for email
Kondo for LI
Wispr to help me type less
Many more 👇🏻
You can see the article we wrote on 17 tools to make you more efficient in GTM here.
#5 - 99% of people don’t join rocketships because they don’t get offers at said rocketships
Maggie has had an awesome career (early at Slack, Webflow, OAI).
But she keeps saying this in panels she speaks in:
“Choose the company, not the title”
Literally 99% of my friends/network are not choosing title over company, so I am curious why this keeps getting said.
People don’t work at OpenAI because they can’t get an offer from OpenAI, not because they weren’t given a certain title.
It goes back to the famous Sheryl Sandberg quote - “when you’re offered a seat on the rocketship, don’t ask what seat just get on.”
People aren’t saying no to rocketship seats.
They’re not getting the chance to get on the rocketship to begin with.
#6 - Early Stripe/OpenAI = easy mode right now
Order taker roles, no doubt.
But good for them - most of this sales game is finding the right ship/best product in the market.
You don’t get bonus points (financially, reputationally, etc) for selling a shitty product.
You owe it to yourself to find the right ship and make your life easier, like the reps at these AI-natives are doing (and making a ton doing so).
Hit me up if you’re in the market for a new role, we place for a bunch of them @ VibeScaling (see our recruiting page here).
#7 - No shit, Matt
Just another VC slinging value 👏🏻 - checks out.
The funny thing is, I think he initially tweeted this dead serious.
And then Twitter went off - electric post here.
Some other things I’d like to add to Matt’s insights:
The sky is blue for part of the day
Manhattan is technically part of New York State
My Mets and Jets are an absolute joke of a franchise (go Knicks)
Keep on keeping on, VC Twitter - this account below was made for tweets like this
“have you guys tried increasing revenue?”
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoy it, please give us a rating, review, or follow on Spotify/YouTube/Apple Podcasts - it really helps us grow this.
For those who are new, my name is Chris Balestras, partner @ VibeScaling - a GTM advisory, recruiting, media, and investing firm.
Where to find VibeScaling:
We work with most of the hottest AI-native startups in different capacities, and for those who are interested in chatting (whether to join one of them or to work together), shoot me an email at [email protected] or a DM on LI.
🫡 cheers,
Chris