Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Great Leaders UK with Deirdre Spillane
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Great Leaders UK with Deirdre Spillane
From MongoDB to Founder: How Deirdre Spillane bet on Herself
Description
In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre Spillane, co-founder of Selr.ai and former sales leader at MongoDB and Segment. She shares her incredible journey—from building high-performing teams in one of the most feared sales orgs in tech, to stepping into the unknown and launching her own company.
We dive into the power of coaching, the danger of drowning in data, and why understanding the “why” behind people’s actions is everything. If you're in sales, leadership, or considering your next bold career move—this is your playbook.
🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai
🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - Intro
01:54 - From Oracle to MongoDB
04:01 - Learning from Carlos Delatorre
06:58 - ICP and Hard Lessons in Fit
08:44 - Coaching Is About Trust
11:14 - How to Truly Meet People Where They Are
13:19 - Building Intentional Sales Teams
15:01 - Diversity of Thought in Sales
17:38 - Data Overload in Sales Leadership
21:19 - Tracking the Right Metrics
24:10 - Aligning Personal Why with Business Goals
27:03 - Grit, Motivation & Early Indicators of Success
30:49 - What Seller Actually Does
34:42 - Founder Life vs Sales Leader Life
36:59 - Why Coaching Is Her Life's Work
---
💥 3 Biggest Lessons
1. Trust Before Tactics: Effective coaching doesn't begin with playbooks—it starts by understanding and trusting your people.
2. Data Isn’t Insight: Sales orgs today are flooded with metrics, but the true game-changers are conversion points and coaching conversations.
3. Your 'Why' Is the Multiplier: Aligning your personal drive with business objectives creates clarity, resilience, and momentum.
---
🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro
If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!
---
🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog
---
💬 Borrow these quotes from Deirdre!
“Once you get this opportunity, you take it with both hands… and you leave nothing on the field.”
“You’ve got to meet people where they are—that’s where the trust builds.”
“We don't lack data—we lack the right coaching to make sense of it.”
“Being gritty is more important than being gifted.”
---
View all episodes
By huntersandunicorns
4
3232 ratings
From MongoDB to Founder: How Deirdre Spillane bet on Herself
Description
In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre Spillane, co-founder of Selr.ai and former sales leader at MongoDB and Segment. She shares her incredible journey—from building high-performing teams in one of the most feared sales orgs in tech, to stepping into the unknown and launching her own company.
We dive into the power of coaching, the danger of drowning in data, and why understanding the “why” behind people’s actions is everything. If you're in sales, leadership, or considering your next bold career move—this is your playbook.
🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai
🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - Intro
01:54 - From Oracle to MongoDB
04:01 - Learning from Carlos Delatorre
06:58 - ICP and Hard Lessons in Fit
08:44 - Coaching Is About Trust
11:14 - How to Truly Meet People Where They Are
13:19 - Building Intentional Sales Teams
15:01 - Diversity of Thought in Sales
17:38 - Data Overload in Sales Leadership
21:19 - Tracking the Right Metrics
24:10 - Aligning Personal Why with Business Goals
27:03 - Grit, Motivation & Early Indicators of Success
30:49 - What Seller Actually Does
34:42 - Founder Life vs Sales Leader Life
36:59 - Why Coaching Is Her Life's Work
---
💥 3 Biggest Lessons
1. Trust Before Tactics: Effective coaching doesn't begin with playbooks—it starts by understanding and trusting your people.
2. Data Isn’t Insight: Sales orgs today are flooded with metrics, but the true game-changers are conversion points and coaching conversations.
3. Your 'Why' Is the Multiplier: Aligning your personal drive with business objectives creates clarity, resilience, and momentum.
---
🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro
If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!
---
🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog
---
💬 Borrow these quotes from Deirdre!
“Once you get this opportunity, you take it with both hands… and you leave nothing on the field.”
“You’ve got to meet people where they are—that’s where the trust builds.”
“We don't lack data—we lack the right coaching to make sense of it.”
“Being gritty is more important than being gifted.”
---
More shows like Hunters and Unicorns
View all
The Bill Simmons Podcast
30,319 Listeners
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
537 Listeners
The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors
180 Listeners
The Knowledge Project
2,697 Listeners
HBR IdeaCast
181 Listeners
Founders
2,196 Listeners
Modern Wisdom
4,096 Listeners
My First Million
2,655 Listeners
The Athletic FC Podcast
466 Listeners
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
841 Listeners
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
10,264 Listeners
Business Breakdowns
358 Listeners
Revenue Builders
168 Listeners
Prof G Markets
1,466 Listeners
Monetary Matters with Jack Farley
154 Listeners