CPQ Podcast

In this episode, we're joined by Tina Kung, Co-Founder and CTO of Nue.io, a rising CPQ & Billing platform redefining the quote-to-cash experience for modern SaaS businesses. With a career spanning Ariba, Oracle, Zuora, Salesforce, CA Technologies, and more, Tina brings over two decades of experience building and evolving four generations of CPQ and Billing systems.

🔍 We discuss:

• Her journey from on-premise software to modern SaaS

• Key insights from working at Salesforce and Zuora, where cracks in the CPQ–Billing integration became clear to her

• How Amazon's B2C user experience inspired her to rethink B2B

• Nue.io's product strategy: real-time pricing, platform-agnostic architecture, and a unified data model

• The importance of empathy, resilience, and communication in solving complex RevOps challenges

• Why hybrid pricing models, mid-term changes, and renewals are critical in SaaS

• Her vision for AI in CPQ & Billing over the next 12 months

• The recent $20M Series A funding, the acquisition of Approvals Pro, and Nue.io's plans for Dreamforce and Q3 events

Tina also shares what sets Nue.io apart from other CPQ vendors—and how their metadata-driven, Salesforce-native approach aims to eliminate handoffs between quoting and billing entirely.

🎧 Whether you're a CPQ buyer, system integrator, SaaS leader, or RevOps pro, this episode offers rare insights into the future of revenue technology.

🔗 Learn more about Nue.io: https://www.nue.io

📊 Learn more about Nue.io in our CPQ Sales Report @ https://novuscpq.com/cpq-sales-report/

📬 Contact Tina via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinakung/ or email [email protected]

In this CPQ Podcast episode, Frank Sohn speaks with Frits Haas, consultant at Twyn.ai—a no-code, AI-powered platform purpose-built for the telecom industry. Based in South Africa and backed by Jurumani with 450+ employees, Twyn.ai delivers a unified OSS/BSS solution that includes CRM, CPQ, order management, help desk, and more.

Frits shares how Twyn.ai empowers Tier 1 to Tier 3 telcos and ISPs across Africa, Europe, and beyond—offering end-to-end quoting, product configuration, and proposal workflows powered by NLP and intelligent automation. He explains how the platform's rule-based configurator and geospatial tools help simplify complex telecom offerings, while real-time APIs enable seamless integration with systems like Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle BI.

Beyond tech, Frits emphasizes that "people buy from people"—a lesson rooted in his role as a trusted advisor and his passion for competitive mounted archery on his farm near Johannesburg.

Tune in to discover how Twyn.ai is changing the CPQ landscape for telcos—one digital twin at a time.

This episode is packed with real-world advice for CPQ professionals, ServiceNow customers, and anyone interested in scaling smarter with AI, governance, and business-led configuration.

🔗 Connect with Frits Haas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fritshaas/ 🌐 Learn more about Twyn.ai: https://twyn.ai/

In this episode, Frank talks about CPQ Podcast listener feedback. We've heard from many of you that the podcast brings value in different ways—whether it's preparing for job interviews, learning about new CPQ solutions, or gaining insights from inspiring leaders and fresh ways of thinking.

To help more like-minded listeners discover the CPQ Podcast, we kindly ask you to leave an online review—especially on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. Reviews make a big difference in helping others find the show.

We also share a quick update and acknowledgment about the CPQ Sales Report, including its online availability and the latest edition.

Finally, please note that registration for the June/July 2025 webinars will open on June 17. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] —we're happy to help!

In this special episode, host Frank Sohn shares exciting details about three upcoming webinars designed to help CPQ buyers, implementers, and decision-makers navigate the CPQ landscape more confidently.

🔹 June 24 (Date TBC) – Launch of the CPQ Briefing Subscription Get early access to exclusive insights on 15+ CPQ vendors, with 40+ briefings expected by year-end. Learn how this new resource can support your vendor research process.

🔹 July 9 (Date TBC) – CPQ Webinar auf Deutsch A German-language session covering the CPQ Sales Report and the CPQ Briefing Subscription—ideal for German-speaking CPQ professionals.

🔹 July 16 (Date TBC) – CPQ Selection Process at Novus CPQ Discover how the CPQ Briefing Documents, CPQ Sales Report, and our proven selection framework come together to help you choose the right CPQ solution.

✅ Perfect for: CPQ buyers, solution architects, sales ops leaders, and digital transformation teams

📺 Register, follow, or subscribe so you don't miss out.

Looking for CPQ solutions and expert advice? In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we're joined by Julian Hodges, Co-Founder of Sneeyeg, a ServiceNow system integrator specializing in CPQ, billing, and enterprise transformation. With over 20 years of experience from Amdocs, CloudSense, and Salesforce, Julian shares invaluable insights on achieving CPQ success. Discover why strong governance and effective modeling are crucial, and how focusing on business outcomes drives project success. Julian also discusses AI/ML in CPQ for cross-sell and up-sell, the challenges of customization versus configuration, and why large enterprises trust Sneeyeg for CPQ leadership. Tune in for essential CPQ guidance!

He also dives into:

• Sneeyeg's 100% focus on ServiceNow and partnerships with ISVs like Logik.ai and Aria Systems
• The challenges of customization vs. configuration in modern CPQ implementations
• How AI/ML is transforming CPQ—especially in cross-sell, up-sell, and retention strategies
• Why large enterprises in telco, tech, and utilities look to Sneeyeg for CPQ leadership
• What makes productization a smart move for services firms—and what Sneeyeg is planning next

This episode is packed with real-world advice for CPQ professionals, ServiceNow customers, and anyone interested in scaling smarter with AI, governance, and business-led configuration.

🔗 Connect with Julian Hodges: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-hodges-1ab930/ 🌐 Learn more about Sneeyeg: https://sneeyeg.com

In this episode, Frank speaks with Kristian Frøstrup Madsen, a CPQ expert with over 13 years at CPC (now part of PDSVision), about how modular thinking is reshaping CPQ for complex manufacturing industries.

They cover:

• How CPC approaches Modular Architecture, Modular PLM, and Modular CPQ

• Why a product-focused background leads to better CPQ outcomes than pure IT consulting

• The growing need to connect PLM and CPQ

• Practical insights on where AI adds value to CPQ projects—and where it doesn't

• Partnerships with leading CPQ vendors like Tacton, Configit and Epicor

Kristian also shares a personal glimpse into his life near Denmark's "Cold Hawaii," where he surfs with his kids—and what keeps him passionate about solving complex configuration challenges.

Whether you work in CPQ, PLM, or complex B2B manufacturing, this episode offers valuable perspectives on building smarter, modular configurators.

🔗 Listen now at https://novuscpq.com/cpq-podcast-2025/ 🌐 Learn more at pfmp.com 📍 Catch CPC at Smart Variant Con in Berlin, June 23–24

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we sit down with Philip Cunningham—CPQ veteran and co-founder of Shiftlogic—to explore his journey from the early BigMachines days through Oracle, SteelBrick, Salesforce, and now to leading one of Europe's fastest-growing Salesforce Revenue Cloud consultancies.

Philip shares how his experiences at global CPQ leaders shaped his vision for Shiftlogic, a bootstrapped firm that reached Summit Partner Status in under three years and is now delivering high-impact Revenue Cloud Advanced solutions across industries like manufacturing, automotive, high tech, and financial services. With a deep focus on Europe—including the UK, DACH, France, and the Nordics—Shiftlogic is thriving without outside investors, and Philip explains why that matters.

We discuss:

• Why demand for Salesforce CPQ and Revenue Cloud Advanced is growing fast in 2025

• How Shiftlogic's company culture fuels feedback-driven growth and high performance

• Their plans to launch proprietary AI agents in response to growing customer demand

• What it takes to scale a specialized consultancy across diverse industries

• How Philip balances entrepreneurship with audiobooks and cycling

If you're interested in Salesforce Revenue Cloud, CPQ innovation, or building founder-led consultancies in Europe—this episode is for you.

Shiftlogic contact information:

📧 Email Philip: [email protected]

🔗 Learn more about Philip Cunningham: LinkedIn

🌐 Visit Shiftlogic: shiftlogic.io

How do you bring structure to the chaos of service pricing? In this episode, Frank talks with Tracey Shirtcliff, founder of ScopeBetter, a "Services CPQ" platform helping creative agencies and consultancies ditch the spreadsheets and build scalable, repeatable pricing models.

Tracey shares her journey from building Traffic Live to launching ScopeBetter, and why most of their competition is still Excel. You'll hear about:

• Why service pricing is messy — and how to fix it

• How AI and automation are reshaping the billable hour

• The role of integrations, open APIs, and their 12-week implementation model

• What it means to give teams pricing consistency across roles, regions, and workflows

From SaaS innovation to outdoor adventure and biohacking, Tracey's passion for pushing limits comes through—don't miss this unique look into the future of services CPQ.

🎧 Listen now: https://novuscpq.com/cpq-podcast-2025/

ScopeBetter contact information:

• Website: https://www.scopebetter.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyshirtcliff/

#CPQ #ProfessionalServices #SaaS #ScopeBetter #Pricing #AI #B2B

In this CPQ Podcast episode, Frank Sohn welcomes Jon Scott, Co-Founder and CEO of ScopeStack. With nearly 20 years of experience in the IT services industry, Jon shares the story behind launching ScopeStack in 2018 to eliminate the chaos of spreadsheets and manual SOW creation. Learn how ScopeStack's innovative platform bridges CRM and PSA systems, complements product CPQ solutions like Salesforce and NetSuite, and helps IT service providers deliver consistent, accurate project scopes.

Jon discusses ScopeStack's growth journey — from securing Series A funding with Cultivation Capital to serving clients across North America and Australia — and gives insights into their API-first architecture, PSA integrations, and emerging AI initiatives. Plus, Jon reflects on sales lessons learned, entrepreneurship challenges, and why getting back into golf is now on his personal to-do list.

Whether you're focused on streamlining IT services, improving project planning, or exploring CPQ and PSA integrations, this conversation offers valuable real-world insights.

Listen now to discover how ScopeStack is transforming IT service delivery for mid-market and enterprise organizations!

ScopeStack contact information:

• Website: https://scopestack.io/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scopestackjon/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scopestack/featured

In this CPQ Podcast episode, Frank Sohn speaks with Ethan, co-founder of Vendori, a fast-growing CPQ startup focused on reducing implementation time, cutting costs, and delivering faster ROI through a no-code, multi-tenant solution.

Ethan shares his journey from Wall Street M&A at Merrill Lynch to leadership roles at SAP and Citrix, where he saw firsthand how traditional CPQ tools often caused more friction than they solved—especially for companies shifting to SaaS. That experience inspired him to create a better path forward.

Vendori is built for B2B tech companies—hardware and SaaS—starting with 5-10 CPQ users and scaling into the hundreds. The platform offers subscription management, guided selling, and AI-assisted workflows, while boasting integrations with Salesforce, Hubspot, Oracle, SAP, Teams, and Slack—with some customers onboarded in under a day.

In the episode, Ethan unpacks:

• Why many customers are three years into "18-month" CPQ rollouts

• How Vendori focuses on control and velocity

• The real role of AI in CPQ—and why price optimization isn't the holy grail

• What it means to build a CPQ company around family, faith, and community

If you're exploring CPQ or rethinking your current solution, this is one episode you won't want to miss.

Vendori contact information:

• Website: https://vendori.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-garonzik-1565aa2b/