The Revenue Formula

By Toni Hohlbein & Raul Porojan

This podcast is about scaling tech startups.

Hosted by Toni Hohlbein & Mikkel Plaehn, together they look at the full funnel.

With a combined 20 years of experience in B2B SaaS and 3 exits, they ... more

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FAQs about The Revenue Formula:

How many episodes does The Revenue Formula have?

The podcast currently has 222 episodes available.

The Revenue Formula episodes:

June 10, 2025We just leaked Jacco's new playbook. Here's what's inside.
We got our hands on Jacco van der Kooij’s latest GTM playbook.
The one he’s only been sharing behind closed doors at high-ticket, invite-only events. And yes, we’re leaking it.
This isn’t just a few new tactics. It’s a complete shift in how revenue leaders think about growth. No more chasing leads at all costs. No more funnels that fall apart at scale. Instead, it’s about turning your users into your biggest growth engine.
We dig into what’s changing, what companies like Notion and Snowflake are doing differently, and why this approach might be the healthiest way to grow in B2B right now.
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(00:00) - Introduction
(01:24) - Exploring the New Playbook
(08:04) - Activating Your User Base
(23:01) - The tiered users ecosystem
(29:43) - Cohort-Based Events
(36:56) - Human-Led Growth: The Power of Real Connections
(43:21) - The New Playbook: Integrating Sales and Success
(51:23) - Up next: The SDR Playbook
...more
53min
June 03, 202525% of SaaS Execs Are on the Bench. Here's Why.
Why are so many SaaS executives struggling to get hired?
In this episode, Raul and Toni dive deep into the surprising stat that 25% of Pavilion members—many of them seasoned SaaS execs—are currently “on the bench.” We explore what’s really going on in the market, how layoffs and short stints are damaging even top-tier CVs, and why CROs are applying for AE roles just to stay in the game.

We also talk mental health, the rise of “consulting” as a placeholder, and whether now might be the time to walk away from SaaS altogether. If you're a founder, CRO, or GTM leader, this one's for you.
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(00:00) - Introduction
(02:18) - 25% of Pavilion execs "on the bench"
(03:41) - The SaaS recession
(09:08) - Job hunting and mental health issues
(13:48) - Going into consulting
(18:26) - Leave tech behind?
(22:01) - Private equity and VC roles
(24:48) - Rethinking CV evaluations
(28:09) - Conclusion
(29:31) - Up next: Jacco's new playbook
...more
31min
May 27, 2025$10M ARR per founder. No Employees. All Agents. (with Amos Bar-Joseph)
What if a company could hit $10M ARR per founder—with zero employees?
In this episode, Amos Bar-Joseph (CEO of Swan) joins Toni to break down their radical vision: scaling to $30M ARR with just three founders and an army of AI agents. They unpack what it really means to run an "autonomous business," why headcount isn't always the answer, and how AI is transforming go-to-market strategy from the inside out.
If you're a founder, CRO, or GTM leader, this one's for you.
Never miss a new episode! join our newsletter at revenueformula.substack.com
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:23) - Road to $30M ARR with AI
(05:11) - Orchestration over operation
(07:35) - Navigating AI and human jobs
(11:43) - Strategies for scaling with AI
(22:20) - The Second Wave of AI
(25:38) - What exactly is Swan?
(28:46) - The future of AI in business
(36:58) - The new AI playbook
(41:49) - Wrapping up
(42:19) - Up next: Unemployment in the GTM community
...more
44min
May 20, 2025Burn the old playbook (With Jacco van der Kooij)
AI won’t fix your sales model if the foundation is broken. In this episode, Jacco van der Kooij explains why the old go-to-market playbook is collapsing—and what the new, AI-powered future actually looks like.

Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:32) - AI and the old playbook
(10:34) - The role of customers in growth
(25:56) - Human-Led Growth Powered by AI
(33:57) - AI Integration in Sales
(37:51) - The Future of AI in Business Operations
(46:09) - Wrapping up
(48:37) - On the next episode
...more
50min
May 13, 2025What you need to know about AI SDRs
Thinking about adding AI SDRs to your sales team? In this episode, we break down what actually works—and what doesn't—when implementing AI in your sales development process. From common onboarding mistakes to where AI truly shines (and stumbles), here’s what you need to know before you plug it in.
Articles mentioned in the episode:

11x CEO Hasan Sukkar steps down - https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/05/11x-ceo-hasan-sukkar-steps-down/
Artisan Raises $25M Series A - https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariashunina/2025/04/09/artisan-raises-25m-to-replace-repetitive-work-with-ai-employees/
11x.ai Review worth the hype? - https://saassalesdirector.medium.com/11x-ai-review-worth-the-hype-a33e89a9716f
Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:21) - Implementing AI SDRs
(03:51) - The state of AI SDR vendors
(05:58) - AI fatigue is real
(07:15) - The AI SDR in your funnel
(10:50) - Where the AI is actually better than your team
(13:03) - Onboarding and training AI
(20:04) - Project managing AI SDRs
(24:12) - Wrapping up
...more
26min
May 06, 2025RevOps to VP? Here's why you're not getting promoted
Why aren’t more RevOps leaders getting promoted to VP or CRO roles? In this episode, we break down the biggest career blockers holding Revenue Operations professionals back, from focusing too much on tooling to missing what execs actually care about.
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:00) - RevOps not getting promoted?
(05:40) - What does the CRO want to hear?
(13:57) - Sales experience in RevOps
(16:39) - The importance of relationships
(21:03) - Taking on orphan teams
(24:04) - The RevOps leader
(27:53) - RevOps, AI and transformational change
(31:08) - Final advice

Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
...more
33min
April 29, 2025How to build a $5M SaaS with 3 people and no VC funding (With Esben Friis-Jensen)
After building a successful VC-backed company, Esben Friis-Jensen took a different path — bootstrapping his next SaaS startup to $5M ARR with just a team of 3.
In this episode, he shares why he turned down venture funding, how he built an efficient, product-led growth engine, and lessons on scaling smart without sacrificing ownership or speed.
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:32) - Meet Esben Friis-Jensen
(02:30) - The Decision to Bootstrap
(06:27) - Product-Led Growth Strategy
(11:25) - Competing in a Crowded Market
(18:54) - The Role of AI in Business Operations
(22:08) - Efficiency and Execution in Small Teams
(27:48) - Making Tough Decision
(31:17) - Revenue Metrics
(32:10) - Speed of Decisions
(38:43) - Challenges and Benefits of Founder-Led Companies
(40:49) - Joining a Bootstrapped Company

Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
...more
44min
April 23, 2025Don’t Believe LinkedIn. Do This Instead.
If you're feeling anxious about AI. If LinkedIn's making you doubt your GTM. You need this episode.
We break down what’s real, what’s hype, and why boring execution still wins.
(00:00) - Introduction
(02:51) - Don't believe the LinkedIn echo chamber
(06:42) - Understanding Business Fundamentals
(12:09) - Stop comparing yourself to AI companies
(14:28) - Growing without outside capital
(17:15) - The Importance of First Principles Thinking
(24:13) - Focus on your team
(30:08) - Conclusion

Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
...more
31min
April 08, 2025Founders maze: A real look at a company in the making
No. This is not a tactical episode. But. You will get a real look inside of a company being created.
(00:00) - Introduction
(04:01) - Scar tissue
(09:31) - Feedback and Market Research
(13:28) - AI in Data Analysis and Future Prospects
(16:06) - AI's Growing Influence in Business
(18:06) - Exploring New Data Sources
(19:05) - Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption
(20:07) - Pivoting to Product Marketing Managers
(21:50) - VC Inbounds and Funding Decisions
(23:02) - Mickel's Departure and Reflections
(25:05) - Breakthrough in Data Integration
(27:26) - Introducing the GTM Graph
(30:55) - Use Cases and Applications
(36:31) - Call to Action and Conclusion

This episode is brought to you by Everstage - the highest rated Sales Commissions Platform on G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Trustradius with over 2,000+ customer reviews. Some of their customers include leading brands like Diligent, Wiley, Trimble, Postman, Chargebee etc.,
You can go to https://www.everstage.com/revenue-formula to check out Everstage and mention Revenue Formula to unlock a personalized Sales Compensation Strategy Session with Everstage’s RevOps experts—crafted for enterprise teams to maximize performance.

Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
...more
39min
April 03, 2025LinkedIn blueprint: How SDRs can book more meetings (with Morgan Ingram)
If you're running outbound. If you're using SDRs. Or planning to. You've got to listen to this episode.
We got Morgan Ingram on the show, and he broke down his LinkedIn playbook to get replies at scale.
(00:00) - Introduction
(03:18) - Outbound Marketing and Career Choices
(06:16) - Optimizing LinkedIn Profiles
(07:45) - Common Mistakes in Outbound Messaging
(11:34) - Effective LinkedIn Connection Strategies
(17:58) - Using Videos and Voice Notes in Outreach
(19:41) - Humanizing Your Outreach
(22:35) - The Challenges of SDRing Outbound
(23:00) - Essential Tools for Effective Sales
(26:33) - Creative Sales Tactics: The Alley Oop Play
(31:35) - Pipeline Development Strategies
(36:04) - The Role of LinkedIn in Modern Sales
(40:03) - The Future of Email in Sales

This episode is brought to you by Everstage - the highest rated Sales Commissions Platform on G2, Gartner Peer Insights, Trustradius with over 2,000+ customer reviews. Some of their customers include leading brands like Diligent, Wiley, Trimble, Postman, Chargebee etc.,
You can go to https://www.everstage.com/revenue-formula to check out Everstage and mention Revenue Formula to unlock a personalized Sales Compensation Strategy Session with Everstage’s RevOps experts—crafted for enterprise teams to maximize performance.

Never miss a new episode, join our newsletter on revenueformula.substack.com
...more
48min

FAQs about The Revenue Formula:

How many episodes does The Revenue Formula have?

The podcast currently has 222 episodes available.

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