Grit

Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity, has joined the show this week to provide his take on leadership, sales, and the evolution of his career leading up to Relativity. Mike’s path into becoming a CEO is a varied one and his diverse range of experiences has helped him hone in on essential insights, which he very humbly shares. 

With a background in liberal arts, Mike has an interesting story about how he became a leader in the world of sales and technology. It all began when he made the decision to move to Costa Rica after an epic surfing trip along the coasts of South America. At one point, he faced a crossroads and had to decide between staying in Costa Rica or going back home. He chose the former and opened his own burrito shop. Afterward, Mike served as Advent’s head of product development, which set the stage for the rest of his career.

In this episode, Mike walks through the transitions in his career and shares why he was initially hesitant to join LinkedIn. He also talks about the crucial leadership skills and values he gained at LinkedIn under Jeff Weiner’s tutelage and dives into Relativity, Chicago’s “best-kept secret,” and the exciting innovations that Relativity is bringing on board. 

In this episode, we cover: 

• Mike’s fascinating professional journey leading up to LinkedIn; from turning down Goldman Sachs to opening his own burrito shop in Costa Rica - and he and Joubin discover some of the striking similarities they share. (02:03)
• The evolution of Mike's role at LinkedIn - and what factored into his decision to come on as an individual contributor. (9:47)
• The challenges LinkedIn faced in its early stages, as leadership navigated the company’s identity - and how the question, “what kind of leader do you aspire to be?” helped Mike tap into his core leadership principles. (15:37)
• Mike recounts moments when he was challenged to make decisions to preserve LinkedIn’s values as he grew into his sales leadership role - and how Jeff Weiner’s coaching gave him a more compassionate understanding of how to do business more broadly. (21:17)
• Why Relativity was the “best-kept secret in Chicago” - and why Mike feels passionate about leveraging tech companies to build ecosystems within their communities. (28:04)
• Mike’s views on investing in companies full-time and how his love for learning plays a role in his decision - and more on his transition to CEO of Relativity and how he gained his footing. (33:37)
• A look at Mike’s life as CEO: what he factors into his daily decisions, lessons learned, and his advice to those who are thinking of the next layer up job. (40:34)
• Mike elaborates on philosophies that he lives by, including his stance on hiring talent, why “yet” is the most powerful word in the English language, the power of being here by choice, and more. (45:21)
• Joubin and Mike discuss three important leadership traits - and the importance of asserting agency over your time to create a personal life harmony. (50:33)

Links:

• Connect with Mike
  • LinkedIn
  • Relativity
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Mike Clayville, CRO at Stripe, joins this week’s conversation to discuss what it's like to turn companies into forces of nature, using Mike’s chosen metaphor, the tornado. While Mike might be the first guest to compare company growth to a natural phenomenon, his insight is invaluable. 

Mike comes from a small town outside of Declo, Idaho, and grew up working on the family farm and ranch. It was there that Mike gained the hard work ethic that has catapulted him into the worlds of engineering and then finance. All along the way, he made himself known as “the guy in the cowboy hat” - be it in board meetings, or on business trips to Paris or Japan.

In this episode, Mike and Joubin discuss the cultural significance of Mike’s hat and the importance of not forgetting where you came from. They also discuss Mike’s tenure at IBM when it was in decline, and how Mike shifted things there into an upward trajectory. Mike also explains his idea of first principles as a means to leading tornado companies, the innovation of Amazon, The Clayville Foundation and their fight against cancer, and more.

In this episode, we cover:

• Mike’s early life in Declo, Idaho, where he worked on his family farm - and the symbolism behind his cowboy hat. (3:11)
• The reason behind Mike’s switch from engineering to finance - and a look at his tenure at IBM, the tremendous challenge he faced during its decline, and how he turned it around. (7:06)
• Mike’s philosophy on uncovering the first principle mindset and the qualities of a tornado. (13:44)
• The early days of Amazon and public cloud - and how Mike used first principles to lead some of the largest enterprises into a new world of technology. (18:33)
• An overview of Stripe: How Stripe helps companies understand their customers and how it compares to AWS in today’s internet economy. (26:42)
• Why you should fail as an innovator and be willing to be misunderstood- and how Amazon’s innovation model contains the secret sauce of success. (32:56)
• Selling as a muscle memory sport: Why Mike refers to prospecting as the calisthenics of sales - and a dive into the stages of prospecting. (39:42)
• More on the importance of prospecting and why cold-calling is the best way to start a sales career. (43:15)
• Mike talks about his detailed briefing process and how it helps maintain efficiency when getting to the heart of their customer’s needs. (48:50)
• How Mike’s daily runs inspire some of his best ideas - and an in-depth look at his effective decision-making process. (53:51)
• The Clayville Foundation: How The Clayville Foundation honors his late wife and seeks to find cures for cancer through technology and science. (01:03:00) 

Links:

• Connect with Mike
  • LinkedIn
  • Stripe
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Rob Lehman, Chief Business Officer at Compass, has an entrepreneurial spirit that has already set him forward in a burgeoning and exciting career at a young age. Rob’s path has come by no accident. His determination to be at the innovative edge and his unconventional approach to finding his bearing at Compass speak to Rob’s unique take. 

Rob’s business-focused mindset developed early on in his childhood. In the fourth grade, Rob started a basketball camp with an all too original name. As Rob advances his career, he continues to cultivate that mentality and brings a unique offering to the world of real estate.

In this episode, learn more about Rob’s highly unconventional job search and why he makes the case for the value of the real estate agent as a deeply underappreciated asset to any business. Rob and Joubin also talk about what it is like to be the young guns at their respective companies and how they push to make the more senior members around them see their value, strengths, and much more.

In this episode, we cover:

• An overview of Rob’s background - and his earliest memory as an entrepreneur beginning in the fourth grade. (1:22)
• Searching for Compass: Rob details his methodical research and what he turned down as he sought opportunities to work for an early-stage company. (3:43)
• Rob’s pivot from finance to strategy and operations - and why the real estate agent is a profoundly misunderstood professional. (10:15)
• Rob reflects on his first signs of product market fit - and the power of momentum when building a company. (16:09)
• A deep dive on finding the best talent - and why real estate agents are a powerful business entity. (21:39) 
• Rob explains why it is crucial to think in the future and be comfortable with rapidly adapting your business. (31:40)
• Understanding the diversity of the real estate industry - and Rob’s mindset as a younger person surrounded by veterans in the field. (37:01)
• Creating Space: Joubin and Rob discuss the impact of effective time management and how your calendar can be your strategy. (42:09)
• Looking back on Rob’s earlier days at Compass and some key takeaways. (46:22)

Links:

• Connect with Rob
  • Email: [email protected]
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

To say that Brian Frank, Chief Operating Officer of Cameo, comes from a non-traditional background into the career field of sales might be an understatement. Brain’s career began in law and he spent nearly a full career there before transitioning to sales in 2008, where he has been exceedingly active. 

Brian’s multifaceted background has given him a wide range of skillsets and a deep wisdom that has become invaluable to the organizations where Brian has worked. His focus on constantly learning through experience, as well as an emphasis on transparency has led him to the hard won successes that allow him to gain these perspectives. 

In this episode, Brain and Joubin talk about Brian’s shift from law, his tenure at LinkedIn, and how experiential learning led to the inspiring story behind Brian’s decision to take up the guitar. Brian also goes into the details on Cameo and their meteoric rise, his influence there, and more.

In this episode, we cover:

• Brian talks about his shift from law, to finance, and finally to sales. (1:09)
• Brian’s colorful employment history (which began at age 13) prior to graduating from UC San Diego. (6:41)
• How Brian approaches outbound opportunities - and how a quick LinkedIn message led to a business partnership. (10:37)
• What Brian’s LinkedIn colleagues have to say about him - and his inspiring anecdote about how he met his guitar instructor, Marty Schwartz. (13:34)
• The story behind Brian’s ban from LinkedIn - and why his experiential learning style works for him. (17:15)
• All things sales ops: From defining the role to hiring and developing talent. (21:53)
• ‘What do you value most?’: Joubin and Brian rank and discuss career, money, company and manager. (32:17)
• The lowest points of Brian’s LinkedIn ride - and what led him to be more transparent and open with his team. (36:37)
• What is Cameo? Breaking down Cameo and its fascinating growth. (45:34)
• How Brian assessed Cameo to determine if he was a fit - and his mindset when joining the company. (51:06)
• Why most businesses are demand constrained - and more on Cameo’s B2B expansion. (54:16)

Links:

• Connect with Brian
  • LinkedIn
  • Cameo
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Marc Maloy’s storied career with IPOs and acquisitions has helped him develop essential insights into career success, leading him to become President of Field Ops at BetterUp.

While Marc’s history is steeped with successful transitions, at each step he never failed to stay focused on the people. Marc remains focused on empathy, developing leaders first, and helping everyone in an organization reach their objectives. 

In this episode of Go to Market Grit Marc and Joubin go into the details on Marc’s offerings to RVPs and the importance of forecasting, lessons and takeaways from Marc’s acquisitions, notes on leadership, and what he brings to BetterUp.

In this episode, we cover: 

• With two IPOs and an acquisition under his belt, Marc shares why an IPO is a milestone and not just the end goal. (3:04)
• Why mentorship and building a formal career development plan helps avoid distraction and encourages pipeline generation. (4:32)
• Career planning with Marc: The importance of helping people reach their personal and professional goals. (9:06)
• The concept of your 50 50: Why RVPs should understand the process behind forecasting. (14:16)
• What Dan Shapero (Linkedin COO) and Marc have in common - and the most important quality of a leader. (17:27)
• From Glint to LinkedIn: Marc shares what he would have done differently during the acquisition - and what he’s learned. (23:27) 
• What is BetterUp? The vision of BetterUp - and how it helps people thrive through the whole person assessment. (29:17)   
• Permission to languish: The impact of top-performing athletes, like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, as the lines between our mental, physical, personal and professional lives continue to blur. (31:50)
• Leading with empathy: What it means to help your team drive flourishment in their personal lives. (37:26)
• Why authenticity is an effective leadership style - and why Marc signed up to be a Lyft Driver. (42:01)
• Seek to serve others before you seek to serve yourself: How this mindset enhances performance. (46:08)
• Hiring employees who embody BetterUp's value of "zest" - and Marc’s favorite interview question. (50:22)
• President of Field Operations: The meaning and importance of Marc’s role at BetterUp. (53:00)
• KPIs, metrics, and the health of your business: Marc's answer to the question he has asked many CEOs. (55:46)

Links:

• Connect with Marc 
  • Email: [email protected]
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Since the 1990s, Scott Jones has had a successful career working in sales at technology companies including SAP, Tableau, and Alteryx. 

In early 2021, Scott took a job that had never before appeared on his resume — the role of Chief Executive Officer at Incorta, a company creating direct data analytics software.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Scott talk about Scott’s career, the value of making relationships with others in business, and the questions Scott had as he settled into his new role as CEO of Incorta.

In this episode, we cover: 

• Scott's career up until his current role as CEO at Incorta and the story of his very first job. (1:42)
• A more prominent role at a smaller company: The factors behind Scott's decision to leave SAP to work at Alteryx in 2017. (5:37)
• 'A relationship business': The value of making connections and building a professional network. (9:01)
• The responsibilities of a CEO, the common qualities of successful leaders. and the conversation that put Scott on the path to eventually running a company. (12:41)
• Imposter syndrome: Dealing with self-doubt and insecurity, why failure is part of success, and the importance of taking risks. (16:27)
• How Scott's current company, Incorta, is streamlining data delivery to business users through a data and analytics platform — and why Scott wanted to work at Incorta. (22:59)
• Fundraising and dealing with a board and investors: Questions Scott had when he took his first CEO job — and keeping a company's co-founders around as a new CEO. (26:42)
• Problem-solving, selling, and messaging: Scott's first fundraise as CEO. (33:59)
• How the responsibilities of a CEO differ from that of a CRO — and the importance of being self-reflective when preparing for a CEO role. (37:07)
• The "prep homework" Scott gives to salespeople and sales engineers when they start work at Incorta. (44:24)
• What the word grit means to Scott. (46:44)

Links:

• Connect with Scott
  • LinkedIn
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Ever wonder how McDonald’s came up with its famous “I’m Lovin’ It” tagline? Brandon Snow knows all about it — in fact, he worked for the German advertising agency Heye & Partner when it pitched the winning slogan years ago. 

With an impressive career that took him to live in Poland, Germany and China, Brandon has worked for not only Heye & Partner, but also the NBA as a senior marketing leader. Now, Brandon works as head of Activision Blizzard Esports — where he leads the effort to leverage the company’s popular video games such as Overwatch and Call of Duty to create city-based global franchise esports leagues.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Brandon talk about the importance of creativity and charisma in the advertising industry, Brandon’s experience working for the NBA in China, and Activision Blizzard’s vision to build “generational fandom” around its esports leagues over time.

In this episode, we cover:

• 'I'm lovin' it': Brandon's experience of working at marketing firm Heye & Partner as it first pitched McDonald's now-famous worldwide tagline. (3:03)
• Why Brandon left the NBA to transition from marketing to sales — and his eventual return to the NBA to work in sales. (7:02)
• 'Managing an orchestra': The incredibly long hours spent working on pitches as head of new business of an advertising agency — and the chances a pitch will succeed. (10:55)
• The importance of creativity and charisma in the advertising business — and how sports sponsorship has evolved over time. (13:50)
• Brandon's experience working for the NBA in Beijing, China — and the importance of embracing how different cultures conduct business. (18:38)
• China, Hong Kong, and the NBA: The politics of running a global business. (24:04)
• How Activision Blizzard is creating professional, NFL-like global esports leagues with its existing video game IPs. (28:01)
• Activision Blizzard's vision to build 'generational fandom' in its professional, global, and city-based esports leagues over time. (35:06)
• Ticket sales, sponsors, and digital goods: The revenue models behind the 'Overwatch' and 'Call of Duty' esports leagues. (39:55)
• Activision Blizzard's franchise model for esports leagues — and why the esports industry must mature past sponsorship as its main revenue source. (43:16)
• What other entertainment industries can learn from the video games business — and why Activision Blizzard continues to invest in its already popular video game franchises. (49:17)
• What the word grit means to Brandon. (53:53)

Links:

• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

When Oliver Jay worked for venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates in the late 2000s, he found that the most rewarding aspect for him was working with portfolio companies and watching the beginnings of sales operations.

“But as an associate, let’s be honest, I was there to crunch numbers, and write memos, and source deals,” Oliver said. “That’s why I decided to leave. Even though I loved the job intellectually, I just wanted a piece of the action.”

Soon after, Oliver earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and flexed his sales knowledge at companies like Dropbox. Now, Oliver works as Head of Global Revenue and Business Development at Asana, a company developing a work management platform.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Oliver talk about Oliver’s upbringing, the benefits of implementing “checks and balances” into the hiring process, and how to blend product-led growth and value enterprise sales.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Oliver educated himself about go-to-market operations by embarking on a 'campaign' to meet and learn from successful sales leaders. (3:03)
• 'I learned a ton': Oliver's thoughts on the value of business school. (9:04)
• Oliver's experience as an immigrant in the United States — and how he wants to teach authenticity and grit to his children. (12:18)
• How Oliver learned that he had an eye for identifying talent — and how he motivates and inspires teams with long term goals. (17:31)
• Building 'checks and balances' into the hiring process. (21:56)
• Uber vs. Grab: Oliver's firsthand experience on the board of Grab as it competed with Uber for the Asian rideshare market. (24:19)
• 'Seed, land, and expand': What Oliver's experience working at Dropbox taught him about structuring sales organizations at product-led companies. (28:06)
• Oliver's current business, Asana, its work management platform — and building a ‘balanced’ company culture. (38:28)
• Uncovering whether a job candidate understands excellence during an interview — and the value of helping people grow and develop. (41:28)
• What the word grit means to Oliver. (44:41)

Links:

• Connect with Oliver
  • https://asana.com
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Eric Morse is unabashedly a “super nerd.”

With a degree in physics from Duke University, Eric taught himself how to program and joined a consulting firm where he worked at implementing PeopleSoft, a human resource management system. Eventually, Eric found his way into sales — working at Google, NetSuite, and Ayden — until he eventually and most recently became SVP of Sales at Affirm, Inc. in 2018.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Eric talk about Eric’s interest in technology, collaborative sales environments, and how Eric’s company Affirm is changing the way consumer loans work.

In this episode, we cover:

• From $0 to $60 million in 18 months: How Eric's background studying physics and learning to program helped him sell the Google Cloud Platform in the early 2010s. (2:47)
• Technology and product-market fit: How Eric evaluates companies during a job search. (12:10)
• Why it takes Eric time to understand a company's technology upon being hired — and how he makes an immediate impact on how teams are structured and organized. (16:09)
• Building a collaborative and supportive sales environment. (19:57)
• Eric's current company, Affirm, and its role as a financial loan lender for consumers and as a marketing accelerator for merchants. (24:11)
• A tech company in finance: How Affirm calculates borrower risk during the underwriting process — and how the company assumes liability of the loans it lends. (29:36)
• Affirm loan vs. credit cards: How Eric believes Affirm can help people budget for goods and services in a transparent way. (33:42)
• 'The consumer has to be the center': How Affirm is keeping its responsibilities to the consumer as competition increases. (38:01)
• Affirm’s company culture of debate and discussion. (45:09)
• What the word grit means to Eric. (48:09)

Links:

• Connect with Eric
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Many successful LinkedIn alumni have been welcomed as guests on this podcast — and this week, the insightful LB Harvey will be joining those ranks.

After starting her sales career as a Sales Executive at Corporate Executive Board, LB spent six years as an account executive and sales leader at LinkedIn before moving to Intercom to work in sales leadership. Now, LB serves as Chief Revenue and Success Officer of Front, a growing company creating a customer communication platform. 

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and LB talk about authenticity in the workplace, interviewing job candidates, and tips for successfully bringing a company up-market.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why LB decided to leave LinkedIn — and how she built cross-functional go-to-market knowledge. (3:13)
• 'A high-quality revenue machine': LB's current company, Front, and its customer communication platform. (7:12)
• The 'inner competitor' within LB, the innate and learned aspects of confidence, and the importance of staying authentic. (11:24)
• The importance of being clear with job candidates about the opportunities, challenges and expectations of the role. (22:36)
• Why LB is 'biased against' having team members partake in the evaluation of a manager or director level job candidate. (26:55)
• Asking sales job candidates how they prioritize their calendars to evaluate for intensity, productivity and speed. (29:18)
• The importance of executive alignment when working to bring a company up-market. (31:59)
• Why investing in sales operations is critical in the early stages of bringing a company up-market. (37:06)
• The benefits of outbound sales — and why sales leaders should focus on operational excellence. (39:44)
• What the word grit means to LB. (43:28)

Links:

• Connect with LB
  • Email: [email protected]
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins