In today's episode, I chat with Youssef, a GTM engineer, about automations that drive revenue beyond just outbound - including pre-call prep, automatic CRM updates, and reducing no-shows with AI calls 15 minutes before appointments. 

We explore his creative campaigns for a German web agency targeting health professionals by scraping Google Maps data with SerperDev API, testing personalized outreach with reviews that flopped initially (2-3% reply rate), pivoting to automated videos (10% reply rate, 30-40% positive), and his brilliant forwarded email simulation from the founder's dentist dad asking colleagues to check out their work - getting so many positive replies they had to stop because they couldn't handle volume. Youssef shares his evergreen automation workflow monitoring Gmail newsletters like TFN for recently-raised startups, using N8N to parse company names and funding proof, sending data to Clay via webhook to waterfall domain verification (Clearbit, SerperDev), finding founders on LinkedIn, and automatically launching personalized campaigns with perfect timing, and his unconventional journey from French master's studying consulting (hating slide-making), joining Jellyfish running YouTube campaigns, moving to growth marketing at PayFit (HR unicorn), discovering outbound at fintech Silver before marketing got laid off, betting on AI to start his business, initially using Make (breaking every 2-3 days), switching to self-hosted N8N (zero operating costs), and discovering Clay by accident. He predicts 100% automation for signals and intent, the space evolving to sync inbound/outbound into one big marketing engine, and Clay becoming a real-time listening layer beyond just cold email. Youssef's advice: skip certifications, find a mission even for free because learning happens by doing - you gain experience faster when you're the only one responsible. 

Enjoy 🙂

(00:00) Introduction to Outbound Wizards
(00:26) What a GTM Engineer Does: Automations That Drive Revenue
(02:12) Use Cases Beyond Outbound: Reducing No-Shows with AI Calls
(03:04) The Process: Auditing Existing Stack Before Adding Tools
(04:25) Testing with 1K-2K Leads, Focusing on Deliverability First
(05:49) Creative Campaign: German Web Agency Targeting Health Professionals
(06:49) Scraping Google Maps with SerperDev API
(07:56) Initial Campaign Flopped (2-3% Reply Rate)
(08:44) Automated Videos Increased to 10% Reply Rate
(09:46) Forwarded Email Simulation from Founder's Dentist Dad
(11:52) Evergreen Automation: Monitoring TFN Newsletter for Raised Startups
(13:05) N8N to Clay Webhook, Waterfall Domain Verification
(15:17) Journey: French Master's, Consulting (Hating Slide-Making)
(16:26) Jellyfish Display/Video, PayFit Growth Marketing
(17:06) Discovering Outbound at Silver Before Marketing Layoffs
(18:29) Self-Hosting N8N/NoCodeDB (Zero Operating Costs)
(19:27) Discovering Clay by Accident with Client
(20:39) Future Prediction: 100% Automated Signals and Intent
(22:06) Clay Evolving Beyond Outbound (Real-Time Listening Layer)
(23:42) Advice: Skip Courses, Find Free Mission and Learn by Doing
(24:36) Closing and Contact Information

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