Forecasting isn’t just about predicting revenue—it’s about changing the future.

In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, we sit down with Daren Lauda, CEO of Outset, to break down how most SaaS companies are investing in go-to-market growth with zero clarity on when returns will land.

Daren brings decades of enterprise GTM experience (Salesforce, PTC, Fortiv) and is now on a mission to fix revenue forecasting with interpretable AI. We talk about:

- The flaw in traditional pipeline models

- How to map campaign ROI to month-specific returns

- Why generative AI won’t replace human insight—but should enhance it

- The real reason your sales and marketing spend is under fire

If you're a SaaS founder or GTM leader navigating tighter budgets, complex buying cycles, and pipeline anxiety—this one’s for you.

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⏱ Chapters

00:00 Intro & Daren’s Path from Infantry to CEO

03:45 Forecasting the when of ROI

06:10 Why near-bound referrals still win

08:42 Ideal customer profile for Outset

11:20 Predictive analytics vs. AI hype

14:25 Common forecasting mistakes

16:50 Managing sales & marketing like a P&L

20:10 Product roadmap & customer feedback

23:38 Outbound messaging that actually works

27:30 The magic wand: fixing customer acquisition

📚 Resources

🔗 Outset: https://www.outsetops.com

🔗 Connect with Daren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darenlauda

🔗 Big North Marketing: https://www.bignorthmarketing.com