The Scale Up Show

In this episode, Ryan gives more of his unique insights on the latest in the AI world. Ryan updates on a few of the new ChatGTP4 and ChatGRP4o features, the Omnimodel release and the Google Gemini AI integration.

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• If you like seeing visuals, where use cases are broken down into steps then head over to Ryan’s YouTubechannel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFGndSHN4KkE89kUP74U7Qg
• Some of the new voice updates for ChatGPT have changed the landscape for AI, paving the way for uniqueness and making things feel more personal.
• ChatGPT can now do real-time translation in 40 languages, impacting Duolingo’s stock almost instantly.
• They have made GPT4 available for free, but you will need to pay for chatGPT4o to access speed and more advanced capabilities.
• Notebook LM is one of the new features where you can have customised data, based on your interests.
• Googlelabs the testing centre, has fewer ‘guard rails’, allowing you to flexibly test various use cases.

BEST MOMENTS

"There’s some things that they did not talk about at all that are absolutely amazing”

“All those capabilities are available for free now”

“You can pile a lot of data in there and have it customized based on your interests”

“VEO is text to video, the demos they showed are absolutely amazing”

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Ryan interviews Alex Atzberger, the CEO who took Optimizely from $100 million to $400 million in just four years. Alex shares his incredible journey, revealing the challenges, tough decisions, and the single best decision that led to this remarkable growth.

In the upcoming episode, Alex will dive into AI integration and the fascinating innovations at Optimizely. Don't miss out on the insights and knowledge shared by Alex.

Follow Alex on LinkedIn or visit optimizely.com for more on his journey and the incredible work at Optimizely. Stay tuned for the next episode. You won't want to miss it!🔥👏

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Creating a strong sense of mission and purpose is crucial when walking into any company, along with identifying the company's special assets and creating a north star for the organisation.
• Optimizely's success story began with combining content management (EpiServer) and optimization (Optimizely) to create a powerful platform for marketers.
• Building the right culture and leadership team is essential for scaling a company, as every single person matters in execution.
• Acquiring Welcome, a workflow AI-accelerated engine, was the best decision made during the four-year period, bringing in valuable solutions and people.
• Execution is everything in a company of Optimizely's size, and focusing on the main thing leads to wonderful results.
• Making changes in the leadership team, especially when it involves people who put their trust in you, can be emotionally challenging but necessary for the company's growth.
• The muscle built during the journey from $100 million to $400 million makes the next $400 million growth more feasible, enabling the company to do things they couldn't do before.

BEST MOMENTS

"Content is the heart of everything. What we are doing right now here together is content. You know, everything in a brand, everything in a, in a, in a digital team, everything on a, on a advertising team, PR, everything starts with content."

"I think I have the strongest leadership team in MarTech at this point, you know, um, you know, the founder of one of our acquisitions stuck around and is now the CMO of the company."

"The best decision, uh, was, uh, probably to acquire a company called Welcome."

"I always think it's quite personal when you bring people onto a journey, um, people that trust you. I think trust is the ultimate currency in life."

"Every single person matters, but it's all about actually executing what you say to do."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Join Ryan for the second part of his conversation with Matt Wolach, the CEO of XSellus, on the topic of lead generation in today's business landscape. Wolach shared his expertise on some common mistakes that companies make and discusses the importance of understanding your ideal customer profile and the most effective strategies for generating leads across various platforms.

🔍 Understanding your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is key to successful lead generation. Knowing exactly who you are targeting and what resonates with them is vital. 🛑 Don't give up too soon. Successful lead gen strategies take time and persistence. Building an online presence and attracting the right audience is a long-term commitment. 🚀 Tailor your lead gen strategies to fit your deal size and market. Automated approaches work for lower deal sizes, while personalized, targeted efforts are crucial for larger deals.

Tune in to the full episode to gain more insights on lead gen and its impact on your business growth. 

Find out more about Matt Wolach on LinkedIn or visit his website, https://mattwolach.com/, for free giveaways and valuable resources.

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Understanding your ideal customer profile (ICP) is crucial for effective lead generation, marketing, and sales conversations.
• Persistence and consistency are key when implementing lead generation strategies; many companies give up too soon without seeing results.
• LinkedIn remains a powerful tool for B2B lead generation, but success requires time and effort to build a strong presence.
• Identifying the right marketing channels for your business depends on factors such as your target market, industry, budget, and time constraints.
• Deal size influences the approach to lead generation; smaller deals require automation and volume, while larger deals demand personalization.
• SEO will continue to play a role in lead generation, but businesses must adapt to changes in technology and algorithms to stay ahead of the curve.
• Utilizing AI and technology for content creation and lead generation requires a strategic approach to ensure quality and effectiveness.
• The biggest mistake founders make in lead generation is implementing strategies that don't align with their business's stage, market, or resources.

BEST MOMENTS

"If we don't know exactly the person that we're trying to sell to in terms of lead gen market to, if we don't understand what keeps them up at night, what they're worried about, what they hate, what they love, what they're trying to do, it's going to be really hard to convince that person to take steps, to take action, to book a call."

"Some of the things that we do in lead gen are going to be a much longer commitment than a few weeks or a month. And we need to stay with it."

"We need to make sure that we're identifying the three to five [marketing channels] for us that work really well for our industry, for our market, for our time allotment, for our budget and do that, because you're not going to do all 18, but let's do the ones that actually fit for us."

"I think every SEO is always going to have a place. I mean, it's people are always looking for. We've been trained for the last 20 years that if you have a problem, just look it up, figure it out."

"Sometimes we hear, 'Oh, I heard about this company that did this amazing thing. I'm going to start doing that.' Well, that company is 10X your size or less than 10X lower than you, you know? So if you do the wrong thing at the wrong time, it's not going to work."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Ryan talks with Matt Wolach, CEO of Xsellus, to dive deep into the world of closing deals and skyrocketing demo conversion rates. Matt shares his game-changing framework that helped him achieve exponential growth and gives many opportunities to learn from a true sales mastermind!

Tune in for actionable insights that can transform your sales approach!

Find out more about Matt Wolach on LinkedIn or visit his website, https://mattwolach.com/, for free giveaways and valuable resources. Stay tuned for the next episode where we delve deeper into lead generation and common sales challenges.

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Discovery is vital in the sales process;ask industry-specific questions to demonstrate expertise and uncover the buyer's pain points.
• Educate buyers on industry shifts, company founding story, and how your solution solves their problems to build a strong connection.
• Associate your product with the buyer's pain points to make them realize the value of your solution.
• Take the lead in the sales process; guide the buyer and be their trusted advisor to help them understand how your product can solve their problems.
• Calculate the financial impact of the buyer's problems to demonstrate the ROI of your solution and make pricing discussions easier.
• Understand your ideal customer profile (ICP) and ask process-based questions to uncover their challenges and pain points.
• Avoid the curse of knowledge; ask about the buyer's problems even if you already know the answer to help them realize the severity of their situation.
• Focus on the tangible ROI components, such as time, money, and people involved, to create a compelling case for your solution.

BEST MOMENTS

 "People don't take action from, 'I want to check this out.' They take action from pain."

"If you can tell that founding story and talk about, let me tell you about this guy, Steve, and he was really frustrated that he couldn't do this or that... If you tell that story, obviously a little bit with a little more beef than what I said, but that now connects the buyer to a person, as opposed to connecting them to a brand."

"Once I get discovery really good, and I kind of connect the dots on each of those pains to the way it gets solved with my tool, then I don't really have to do a lot else extra, and it's amazing how kind of easy, simple that associate that demo process comes to be."

"Discovery is as much for your buyer as it is for you. And so if we skip that piece, then they're never going to realize how bad things are."

"The devil's in the details and that's what really moves the needle is when you know those fine aspects."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Ryan shares his insightful experience working with over 220 executives and uncovers his top three problems with AI adoption in business today. Discover how you can excel past everyone else as Ryan provides valuable insights to help you embrace and develop AI use in your business.

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Most executives want their teams to use AI tools but aren't taking the time to understand them personally, hindering effective adoption and innovation.
• Create a daily routine using AI to stay ahead, brainstorm ideas, and unlock new possibilities.
• Lack of internal collaboration and knowledge sharing about AI use cases is a missed opportunity for growth and efficiency.
• Many AI users operate in stealth mode, fearing employers will demand more if productivity gains are revealed.
• Incentivize and reward employees for sharing top AI use cases and innovations to spark widespread adoption.
• Executives must personally use AI to grasp its capabilities and limitations, as it's an "alien life form" with vast potential.
• AI enables doing higher quality work in far less time but requires incentives for employees to surface these gains.

BEST MOMENTS

 "The AI's that you are leveraging today are going to be the worst version of AI's that you'll ever use."

"Create a routine where you use it every single day. You could start off simply by just replacing Google with it for 15 minutes."

"If they share and proliferate it throughout their organization, there should be really big opportunities, but why they're not sharing it is because they're afraid that their employer is going to ask for more from them."

"If you leverage those three stacks, you are going to be ahead of the majority of organizations out there. And I know this because I've spoken to a ton of them about this."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Ryan Staley sits down with Sankar Sundaresan, CEO and founder of SkyGeni, an AI-native company revolutionizing pipeline management for tech companies. Sankar shares invaluable insights on common mistakes CROs make, the importance of explainable AI in predicting pipeline yield, and how to align demand generation efforts with recent market traction. Don't miss this information-packed episode that could transform your approach to revenue growth!

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• SkyGeni is a growth acceleration platform helping revenue teams drive efficient and predictable growth by reverse-engineering pipeline needs and providing a GPS-like system for planning and course correction.
• The biggest mistake CROs make is relying on rules of thumb for pipeline requirements without considering past execution data and the importance of having enough capacity to create and convert pipelines within the quarter.
• Explainable AI mimics the judgement process of experienced CROs, capturing their expertise in ML models trained against past performance data to provide accurate pipeline yield predictions.
• Aligning demand generation efforts with recent positive market traction in specific vertical segments, products, and geographies can significantly improve win rates and revenue growth.
• Continuously tweaking the pipeline generation machine based on recent win-loss data is crucial for capitalizing on tailwinds and addressing competitive challenges.
• A two-step approach to pipeline generation by identifying the most promising segment/vertical/geo/product combinations and then determining the best channels for those combinations leads to more efficient and targeted efforts.
• AI is best applied to high-level, critical questions like predicting pipeline yield and identifying opportunities at risk of slipping based on conversational intelligence data.
• SkyGeni focuses on giving CROs the tools to develop high-confidence, long-term pipeline plans that set them up for success, rather than just chasing current quarter deals.

BEST MOMENTS

"The single biggest mistake is just relying on rules of thumb. Like I need three X pipeline. I need four X pipeline because you'll be amazed at, you know, how many jobs we've seen dropping to the ground when we actually show them."

"I think there's a huge opportunity to align where we're building pipeline with where sales teams are actually able to win as evidenced, not by people doing research on 6sense and things like that."

"Instead of making it a one-step answer, it's really a two-step answer. You solve for it one step at a time, and therefore you get to a better, more efficient way of generating the right kind of pipe, using the right channels for exactly the type of pipe you need to generate."

"If all you're doing is just chasing current quarter deals, I think you're just setting yourself up for failure, right?"

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Join Ryan for part two with Mark Roberge, the original CRO at HubSpot who took the company from zero to $100 million. Roberge shares his unique insights on native AI companies versus adapted companies, offering a fresh perspective on how to effectively use AI in go-to-market strategies. 

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The science of scaling framework helps boards and founders determine when to scale revenue and at what pace, focusing on product-market fit and go-to-market fit.
• AI may significantly reduce development cycles and sales cycles, potentially leading to billion-dollar companies run by fewer than 10 people.
• AI could enable the creation of highly customized micro-products for niche markets, allowing for a multitude of smaller, specialized companies.
• Integrating AI into employees' workflows is crucial for staying ahead of the curve and capitalizing on the AI revolution.
• Embracing AI tools can save employees significant time, enabling them to explore new opportunities and innovations.
• The top 5% of individuals who actively learn and implement AI technologies will have a substantial advantage in the current business landscape.
• Identifying real AI challengers involves assessing incumbents' access to data and considering how workflows may change in a mature AI world.
• AI native companies with access to unique data sets, like AI sales coaches, have an advantage over incumbents in certain categories.

BEST MOMENTS

"When you think ahead to like a mature AI world when does, when you think about that, does the workflow change so much? That the underlying architecture of the incumbent is no longer relevant."

"We're in a hype cycle. We're about to get the first taste of companies that had no product and revenue that raised over 100 million that are going to go out of business because there's no traction."

"It's such an opportunity right now because the average person just gets like status quo. And the more you can push, push, push, push. That's what we're doing a lot with our portfolio.”

"Everyone's so excited. Cause we haven't felt this in like 20 years."

"The more we get the message out, the more people we could help, the bigger, the impact we make and the bigger the community gets, which helps everybody."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Join Ryan for part one with the legendary Mark Roberge, former CRO of HubSpot and current venture capitalist. They dive deep into the world of AI companies, discussing the immense opportunities and potential pitfalls. Mark shares his unique perspective on identifying promising AI start-ups and provides invaluable insights for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• AI is a generational technology, potentially bigger than the internet, but currently in a massive hype cycle similar to the dot-com era.
• Most current AI ideas are basic integrations into existing workflows, not reimagining the workflow, and are likely to be disrupted.
• Joining an AI company now provides valuable experience, even if 90% fail, as the winners will scoop up experienced talent.
• The AI technology creating operational efficiency in the short term may not be the same as the disruptors redefining industries over the next decade.
• Understanding prompting, the foundation of AI language is crucial for developing micro-workflows, agents, and eventually autonomous swarms.
• The innovator's dilemma and appropriate beachhead selection are key concepts for AI startups to consider when building for the long-term vision.
• RevOps, once seen as supporting humans, may flip to AI doing the job with humans tweaking and refining.
• Technical issues like hallucinations and latency will likely be ironed out as the technology matures, revealing AI's true potential.

BEST MOMENTS

"I've never had more conviction for my students that come up to me. Like, 'Hey, what's up? Professor, like what, what should I do? Like, I want to be, I want to go into startups. Like, what should I do?' And I, I've always had like different opinions. I was like, do you have to go to AI? Like every tech company is going to, in like six years is going to be native AI. You have to get that experience now."

"I think all the tea leaves are similar to like 1997. Let's not forget that in that time, we dialled up to the internet using AOL, launched a Netscape browser and did searches through AltaVista, right? Where are those companies? Lycos, right? Is, is, is, yeah, is OpenAI Netscape or is it Google? Like we got to figure that out, right?"

"The AI technology that's going to create significant operational efficiency and growth this year and next for companies, especially these bigger companies that my CROs are from is not going to be the trillion dollar new company that disrupts the space."

"I've kind of come to the conclusion that the AI companies, vendors, technology that is going to create the most operational efficiency, even for our start-ups in the next year is not going to be the same AI technology company, et cetera, that becomes the disruptor over the next decade and redefines the sales and martech sector."

"RevOps has become huge, didn't even exist 15 years ago. And for the most part, RevOps is seen as an organization that supports the humans to do their job. And that flips with what you're saying. Is, at some point, it flips where RevOps does the job and humans there to tweak it."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

🎙 Exciting news! I recently had the pleasure of having Stephanie Valenti on the Scale Up Show for part 2 of our conversation. We dove deep into the topic of retaining perceived value in a fast-moving market, especially with the rapid advancement of AI and technology. If you're looking for insights on how to navigate this challenge, this episode is a must-listen.

🔍 In the episode, we discussed strategies for retaining perceived value in a fast-moving market, drawing from my experience in various leadership positions across B2C, B2B, and enterprise environments. We also explored the impact of AI on client relationships and continuous value creation. 

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Embrace constant creativity and think outside the box to bring value based on your organization's strengths
• Understand the initial impact that made clients choose your business and continue to focus on that throughout the relationship
• Leverage AI to supplement human experiences and provide consistent value to clients
• Stay informed about competitors, AI advancements, and work closely with product teams to deliver value rapidly
• Prioritize human elements like co-selling, sponsorships, and events that AI cannot replicate
• Be proactive in client communication at the executive level to gather feedback and address any lack of value
• Segment business and assign executive ownership for constant communication and proactive feedback gathering
• Consolidate client feedback, identify trends, and take action to maintain and enhance value

BEST MOMENTS

"It's constant creativity on a leader's part, how are you thinking outside the box to make sure that you're bringing value based on what your organization can provide."

"You've got to think about what is the human element that can supplement an AI experience."

"It's the human element. It's the co-selling. It's the sponsorships. It's the events. And it's no surprise why those are at the top. It's because it's human and that can't be replaced, at least yet." -

"You generally don't know if you've lost perceived value until it's gone if you're not proactive

"Proactivity is key. After that, if you start to lose, then you're just playing catch up and that can be a really dangerous game."

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets

Stephanie Valenti, a four-time executive operator, shares her insights on turning chaos into scalability in organizations. She emphasizes the importance of creating structure, processes, and a strong team to achieve long-term growth. Valenti also highlights the need for pre-work, such as defining mission, vision, and values, and setting clear goals. She advises founders to slow down and celebrate successes, analyze what worked, and prioritize and prune initiatives to avoid shiny object syndrome. The conversation will continue in part two, where Valenti will discuss retaining perceived value in a fast-paced environment.

Don't miss Part 2 of our conversation for more insights on retaining perceived value in a fast-moving market. Stay tuned!

Join 2,500+ readers getting weekly practical guidance to scale themselves and their companies using Artificial Intelligence and Revenue Cheat Codes.  

Explore becoming Superhuman here: https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• During COVID-19, Stephanie recognised she had a gap in knowledge where ‘wider’ business was concerned as she had always worked in fortune 500 companies. She then became a COO for a manufacturing company where she learnt an incredible amount.
• Start-ups operate differently to large businesses, in the early stages it’s more about trial and error than planning.
• Understanding structure allows start-ups to move into the next phase of their business and to scale effectively.
• Sometimes you need to slow everything down to be able to then scale and grow. This is especially true when trying to figure out product market fit.
• Tracking things early on with help you choose the strategies and tactics that work further down the line. It helps you avoid ‘shiny penny syndrome’ as a founder and aids you in making effective decisions.

BEST MOMENTS

“I could do four whole podcast shows talking about my experience and the mistakes and successes that I had”

“In a start-up, it’s in the moment, it’s let’s throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks”

“What would a structure look like at $100 million? What roles would we need? What types of people would we need?”

“Slow down to speed up”

“When money is involved it’s super emotional so of course then want to keep moving it forward”

“Just because something worked once, doesn’t mean it will again”

Ryan Staley

Founder and CEO

Whale Boss

[email protected]

www.ryanstaley.io 

Saas, Saas growth, Scale, Business Growth, B2b Saas, Saas Sales, Enterprise Saas, Business growth strategy, founder, ceo: https://www.whalesellingsystem.com/closingsecrets