Sam, AJ and Asad talk about the challenges that growth stage companies face when it comes to fundraising and company building. The conversation also touches on bridge rounds and the impact on common stockholders and options holders, as well as the current trends in tech, including AI and selling to non-tech sectors. The episode also covers the importance of finding a balance between being hard-driving and creating a healthy company culture, the pressure for CEOs to always be "on," and how experience changes when transitioning from a CRO to CEO.

Sam, AJ and Asad are joined by Teampay CRO Andrea Kayal for a discussion about her career and the transition from CMO to CRO, the lessons she learned driving 70% QoQ growth at Electric while reducing sales and marketing costs by 90%, the impact that AI will have on revenue organizations, and the future of SDRs in an AI-powered world.

Is tech the canary in the Cole mine of the economy? And is this a good thing in the sense that we'll recover first? Sam, AJ and Asad cover this, along with what the rate of change in AI means for how we work and what jobs will still be around in the future, the importance of staying focused as a CEO, opening new brick and mortar offices, what constitutes a great board meeting, and being deliberate about how you structure your day.

Are we really headed for a recession? How should tech entrepreneurs and GTM leaders be thinking about sales quotas, compensation, and valuations? Have the events of the last few years impacted your mental health - and if so, how are you dealing with it? On the first episode of Topline, Sam Jacobs, AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman tackle these questions and more.