The Revenue Formula

The Revenue Formula

By Toni Hohlbein & Raul PorojanBusinessManagement
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The Revenue Formula episodes

  • Not All Consultants Are Worth It (Here’s How to Tell)

    Not all consultants are worth it. Some drive real impact. Others just burn your time and budget.

    In this episode, Toni and Raul dive into how to tell the difference. They break down when it actually makes sense to bring in outside help, how to vet someone properly, and the biggest red flags to avoid.

    You'll learn why consulting is a real skill, what good execution support looks like, and how to think about pricing and value. 

    • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (02:48) - Do you actually need consultants?
  • (05:22) - The consulting relationship with startups
  • (08:29) - Identifying red flags
  • (10:41) - The hammer people
  • (16:17) - Consulting is a skill
  • (21:14) - Consultants as challengers
  • (24:40) - Pricing and value in consulting
  • (30:06) - Execution and enablement
  • (33:38) - Summary
  • (35:45) - Next week: Chris Tottman on VCs
  • 38 min
  • How Cliff Simon Drives Millions by Simply Showing Up

    In a world of AI-generated noise and automated outreach, Cliff Simon has built a multi-million dollar business by doing something simple but rare: showing up in person.

    In this episode, Cliff shares how he turned events, community dinners, and authentic relationships into a powerful go-to-market strategy. He breaks down why most event-based approaches fail, what it really means to play the long game, and how founders and revenue leaders can drive growth without relying on cold outreach.

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    • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (01:53) - The Importance of In-Person
  • (06:01) - The Role of Pavilion
  • (08:08) - Building Relationships
  • (12:09) - Building for Long Term
  • (16:41) - Modern Networking Tactics
  • (21:58) - Evaluating Event Success
  • (24:57) - Common Misconceptions in Event Strategy
  • (26:34) - Effective Event Strategies
  • (31:39) - The Power of Personal Branding
  • (32:13) - Comparing Rev Ops Events
  • (36:28) - Next Week: What You Need to Know About Consultants
  • 38 min
  • Think CEO life is easy? Here's what they're really dealing with

    We sat down and unpacked the messy, unfiltered reality of being a startup CEO.

    The kind no one tells you about. Not at panels. Not in TechCrunch puff pieces. And definitely not on LinkedIn.

    This isn’t a “how I built this” highlight reel. It’s what actually happens when you’re juggling investors, layoffs, spin cycles, fundraising failures, and the kind of decisions that keep you up for months.

    We dig into why CEO life is less “Davos and private jets” and more “burnout, pressure, and zero control.” What it’s like to be the person everyone expects answers from, even when you’re not sure yourself. And why founders need less hype—and way more empathy.

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    • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (01:44) - Inside the minds of CEOs
  • (06:47) - Transparency and communication
  • (08:37) - Dealing with the worst problems
  • (09:51) - Limited control and influence
  • (10:59) - Fundraising challenges
  • (15:54) - Financial realities of CEOs
  • (24:57) - The emotional toll
  • (27:24) - Decision-making pressures
  • (37:16) - Final thoughts
  • 38 min
  • How to not do outbound in 2025 (and what to do instead)

    Is outbound dead? Not exactly. But it is changing fast.

    In this episode, Raul and Toni break down why the old outbound playbook is failing, where it still works, and how AI is reshaping the SDR role. We get into why brute force cold calls and emails are hitting their limits, why connect rates keep dropping, and where smart teams are still seeing success.

    We also talk about the rise of “new world SDRs,” how AI tools are changing prospecting, and how to use spiffs to actually build skills, not just spike activity. If you lead a sales team or run outbound, this one’s for you.

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    • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (02:09) - Problems with the old world SDR approach
  • (12:31) - The role of SDRs in the age of AI
  • (16:15) - What should SDRs do now?
  • (25:26) - Using SPIFS to drive change
  • (36:09) - Conclusion and final thoughts
  • (37:25) - Up next: the real life of a CEO
  • 39 min
  • We 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.

    Never miss a new episode! join our newsletter at revenueformula.substack.com 

    • (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
  • 53 min
  • 25% 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. 

    Never miss a new episode! join our newsletter at revenueformula.substack.com 

    • (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
  • 31 min
  • $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
  • 44 min
  • Burn 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
  • 50 min
  • What 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
  • 26 min
  • RevOps 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
    33 min

About The Revenue Formula

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This podcast is about scaling tech startups.

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