This is Jacob's fifth appearance on What Makes You Tick, and it's the wildest yet. In the last 90 days he has negotiated over $50 million in lift across deals touching eight billionaires.

Jacob Warwick is an executive negotiation coach who helps senior operators negotiate better salary, equity, titles, and severance packages. He has worked with leaders across tech and Hollywood, was previously a founder and CEO himself, and has helped clients secure millions in additional compensation. His approach focuses on collaboration over confrontation, understanding motivations, and treating job searches like enterprise sales processes.

We discuss:

1. Why product leaders and research scientists have overtaken sales and engineering as the highest paid people in tech

2. How AI collapsed deal timelines from four months to four days

3. Why you can't slow a deal down when the person signing it is Sam Altman

4. Why performance-based compensation signals confidence and expands the pie for everyone

5. How to prepare for a negotiation by thinking like a consultant, not a candidate

6. Why executives should be thinking three years out, not 90 days

7. Why building an audience and IP can become more valuable than the day job

Brought to you by Tick Talent, go-to-market recruitment for early-stage tech startups: https://www.tick-talent.com/

Where to find Jacob Warwick:

Substack: https://www.execsandthecity.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@predetermined-media

Website: https://www.thinkwarwick.com

Where to find Rich and Tolu:

Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

Tolu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toluadebekun/

Subscribe so you never miss an episode. New episodes every Wednesday, Best Bits every Sunday.

A great product isn't enough anymore. Investors are backing businesses that look scalable, organised, and operationally mature. In this Making Revenue Tick panel, Rich Washington is joined by three of Canada's sharpest operators to unpack what investors are really evaluating beneath the pitch.

Dean Leesui brings the technology and digital maturity lens, Deanne Kelleher brings operations and workflow, and Neil Gray brings sales and marketing. Together they cover why operational maturity is now a genuine differentiator when raising funding, and what founders get wrong on the road to investment.

The conversation covers why investors assess execution risk and operational maturity, not just product and vision, why scaling too early turns founder-led chaos into company-wide chaos, why AI amplifies whatever already exists (automate a broken process and you just break things faster), why operational maturity can add 12 to 15% to the value of a business, and why the best talent now evaluates your processes before they join.

🎙️ Guests:Dean Leesui — Fractional CIO: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanleesui/Deanne Kelleher — Operations & Workflow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannekelleher/Neil Gray — Sales & Marketing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilsgray/🎙️ Host: Richard Washington — Founder, Tick Talent🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/👉 Subscribe so you never miss an episode — Making Revenue Tick drops regularly on the  @WhatMakesYouTick  channel.#investorready #fundable #operationalmaturity #raisinginvestment #startupfunding #scalingup #digitalmaturity #AIinbusiness #founders #executionrisk #duediligence #seriesA #seedfunding #businesssystems #exitstrategy #makingreveneutick #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #scaleup

This is a WMYT takeover of Field Notes where Rich Washington and James Bissell cover two topics that every revenue leader should be thinking about right now.Topic one: AI in hiring. Most businesses are banning candidates from using AI in their application process — but Rich argues this is exactly the wrong response. If these people will have access to AI in the role, why ban it in the process? The better approach is to let candidates use it and ask them to show their workings. What prompt did they build? What was their thought process? How did they sense-check the output? That tells you far more about their resourcefulness, creativity, and problem-solving than any old-school role play. Anthropic already does this — they encourage candidates to use Claude and just ask them to show how they used it.Topic two: 2027 planning. It is June. Most revenue leaders won't start thinking about next year's headcount until December, when the new targets land and the panic begins. James breaks down why the planning conversation needs to start now — and how to work backwards from a February ramp target to show why recruiting needs to begin in August.🎙️ Hosts: Rich Washington & James Bissell🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/🔗 Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bissell1/🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/👉 Subscribe so you never miss an episode.#AIhiring #recruitment #salesleadership #CRO #VPsales #2027planning #headcountplanning #GTM #B2Bsales #revenueleadership #promptengineering #AIskills #workforceplanning #salesrecruitment #alwaysonrecruitment #fieldnotes #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #jamesbissell

Jenny Hamrick has been working in AI since long before most people knew what to call it. In this episode, she joins Rich and Tolu to explore the questions most people aren't willing to ask about where artificial intelligence is actually taking us.The conversation covers why fear is the primary reason people avoid the AI discussion, what it means that LLMs are already operating at 67 to 78% of human capability on the benchmarks the labs use to measure them, and why the question "what value do I have as a human?" may already be the wrong question to be asking.Jenny explains why AGI is defined as the moment machine intelligence can perform 100% of the tasks humans can, what it means that the human brain is still 100 million times more energy efficient than any artificial intelligence that exists today, and why she believes AI could become the great equaliser.The episode also covers the state of humanoid robotics, why chip supply and energy are the two constraints currently limiting the pace of development, what the convergence of digital intelligence and physical form actually means, and why consciousness, not capability, may be the most important question humanity has never properly answered.🎙️ Guest: Jenny Hamrick🔗 Connect with Jenny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-hamrick/🎙️ Hosts: Richard Washington & Tolu Adebekun🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/🔗 Connect with Tolu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toluadebekun/🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/👉 Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Wednesday, Best Bits every Sunday.#AI #AGI #artificialintelligence #artificialGeneralIntelligence #futureofwork #humanoidrobots #robotics #consciousness #LLM #singularity humanvsAI #AIpodcast #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #toluadebekun #jennyhamrick #anthropic #openai #elonmusk #chipshortage #energysupply #AIandjobs #wealthdistribution #quantumphysics #futureofhumanity

In this Best Bits episode of Making Revenue Tick, Richard Washington sits down with Dustin Clinard, CEO of Ignis AI, former CRO of Gatekeeper, and a revenue leader who has spent more than 20 years helping companies scale across North America and Europe.The topic? Executive communication. More specifically, why being right isn't enough.Drawing on experience as a CEO, CRO, board member, and growth-stage operator, Dustin shares the communication principles that help leaders create alignment, build trust, and gain buy-in from teams, boards, and customers.In this episode:✅ Why the best leaders don't just provide answers — they create belief✅ The communication mistake that causes great ideas to fail✅ How to build alignment with boards and executive teams✅ Why showing your work creates stronger buy-in✅ The difference between solving a problem and getting people behind the solution✅ How AI can accelerate decision-making but cannot replace leadership✅ Why recruiting and selling are the same processAbout Dustin Clinard:Dustin is the CEO of Ignis AI, an AI-driven platform focused on developing critical human power skills including communication, leadership, collaboration, creativity, and AI fluency. Previously, Dustin served as CRO at Gatekeeper, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Betterworks, CRO and Managing Director at Risk Ident, Head of Revenue Americas at Universum, and held leadership roles at Mind Gym, Corporate Executive Board, and BASF.Across his career he has led commercial teams, advised boards, scaled international revenue organisations, and helped businesses navigate the challenges of growth from startup through enterprise scale.👉 Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/OtNXcpYZTeA?si=krdkWH7FVn70EEia🎙️ Guest: Dustin Clinard — CEO, Ignis AI🔗 Connect with Dustin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinclinard/🎙️ Host: Richard Washington — Founder, Tick Talent🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/Subscribe for more conversations with founders, CROs, GTM leaders, and operators sharing the lessons that make revenue tick.#executivecommunication #leadership #revenueleadership #salesleadership #CRO #startupLeadership #scaleup #B2BSaaS #AI #makingreveneutick #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #dustinclinard #ignisai #boardcommunication #alignment #buyIn #challengersale #GTM

Amit Stark has spent many years scaling revenue for American public listed companies across EMEA — taking businesses from tens of millions to north of 100 million ARR across multiple regions and markets.In this episode of Making Revenue Tick, Amit shares the fundamental mistakes that cause companies to fail when scaling to enterprise in EMEA — and what to do instead.Amit also covers why a 180-day plan will get you nowhere when thinking about EMEA scale, why mercenaries can get you to 30 million but will kill an organisation trying to reach 100 million, and why the channel is an extended sales force — not a double bubble.🎙️ Guest: Amit Stark — Executive Director & Co-Founder, Capparis Capital🔗 Connect with Amit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitstark1/🎙️ Host: Richard Washington — Founder, Tick Talent🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/👉 Subscribe so you never miss an episode — Making Revenue Tick drops regularly on the What Makes You Tick channel.#makingreveneutick #whatmakesyoutick #enterprisescale #EMEA #gotomarket #CRO #revenueleadership #B2Bsales #salesleadership #scalingmistakes #EMEAexpansion #channelsales #productivityperhead #salesdiscipline #prematurescaling #revenuemodel #salesplaybooks #ARR #enterpriseGTM #ticktalent #richwashington #amitstark #cappariscapital #startupscaling #salesstrategy

Why do good people miss quota and bad people hit quota? Revenue only tells you what happened — not why it happened.In this Best Bits clip, Douglas Mancini and Charles Talbot join Richard Washington to discuss why behaviours are a better predictor of long-term success than results, how to define what good looks like before you hire, and what happens when you only measure performance against quota.🎙️ Guests: Douglas Mancini & Charles Talbot🔗 Connect with Douglas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/domancini/🔗 Connect with Charles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlestalbot/🎙️ Host: Richard Washington — Founder, Tick Talent🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/👉 Watch the full episode and subscribe to the channel for more.#salesleadership #hiringforbehaviours #salesrubric #quotavsculture #salesenablement #B2Bsales #GTM #salesmanagement #AEperformance #salescrafts #commercialacumen #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #douglasmancini #charlestalbot #startuphiring #performancemanagement #coachingsalespeople #salesculture #bestbits

Dan Hurwitz, CRO and one of New York's most respected revenue leaders, joins Rich for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, value, and what modern selling actually looks like in 2026.Fresh from a panel in front of 70 enterprise AI tech buyers at New York Tech Week, Dan shares what the room was really talking about — why 95% of AI projects fail to deliver value, why success is still largely undefined, and why the biggest risk right now is doing nothing.The conversation covers why AI is replacing critical thinking in sales reps and what to do about it, why the turkey tinfoil story explains everything wrong with how businesses make decisions, what it really means to deliver value to a customer — and why that's what keeps them from leaving, how to run a hiring process that treats candidates like buyers, the difference between the job you take and the job you do, and why prompt engineering is now one of the most important skills in business.

🎙️ Guest: Dan Hurwitz — CRO

🔗 Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dahurwitz/

🎙️ Host: Richard Washington — Founder, Tick Talent

🔗 Connect with Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/

👉 Subscribe so you never miss an episode — Making Revenue Tick drops regularly on the What Makes You Tick channel.

We are taught to look for a job the wrong way. The same way we did 10 years ago.We update their CV.We click Easy Apply.We submit hundreds of applications.Then wonder why nobody replies.The reality?The best opportunities are often filled before they ever reach a job board.In this episode, Richard Washington, Founder of Tick Talent and host of @whatmakesyoutick breaks down the sales-led job search strategy that's helped hundreds of revenue professionals stand out, create conversations with decision-makers, and land opportunities before they're publicly advertised.Whether you're an SDR, AE, Sales Leader, Customer Success professional, Recruiter, Founder, or simply considering your next move, this episode will completely change the way you think about finding your next role.You'll learn:✅ Why your CV isn't the most important asset in your job search✅ The mistake 90% of candidates make before they've even spoken to a hiring manager✅ Why the KPI for your job search should be conversations, not applications✅ How to identify your ideal companies using an ICP-driven approach✅ Why the best candidates approach leaders before vacancies exist✅ How to position yourself as the solution to a business problem✅ The outreach strategy top salespeople use to create opportunities✅ How to stand out in a market flooded with generic applicationsIf you're tired of being ghosted, rejected, or stuck waiting for recruiters to get back to you, this episode is for you.Stop applying for jobs.Start creating opportunities.🎙️ About Richard Washingtonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/Richard Washington is a revenue leader, recruiter, podcast host, and creator of the Multiplier Matrix framework. He helps high-growth technology companies hire exceptional talent and helps ambitious professionals accelerate their careers by thinking like top-performing salespeople.Subscribe for more conversations on sales, leadership, hiring, career growth, startups, and revenue.#JobSearch #CareerAdvice #SalesCareers #SalesLeadership #TechSales #JobSearchStrategy #Recruitment #Hiring #CareerGrowth #whatmakesyoutick #CVtips #resumetips #howtogetired #salescareers #salesjobs #AE #SDR #jobsearchstrategy #hiringmanager #B2Bsales #salesrecruitment #careertips #whatmakesyoutick #ticktalent #richwashington #jamesbissell #jobsearchtips #salesleadership #GTM #careeradvice #linkedinjobs #salesrecruiting

What if half your performance had nothing to do with skill — and everything to do with

your mental wiring? In this episode, Rich and Tolu sit down with Kevin Bailey, founder

of Dream Fuel and neuroscience master's graduate from King's College London, to explore

the science behind high performance, the difference between happiness and pleasure, and

why most ambitious people are running on the wrong fuel.

Kevin shares how a burnout moment at his first startup sent him down a 15-year rabbit

hole of breathwork, neuroscience, and mental performance — and how the same tools used

by elite athletes can unlock extraordinary results in sales teams and founders.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

– Why dopamine (pleasure) and serotonin (happiness) are different — and why balance

between them is the key to peak performance

– The "mental skills gap" and how closing it can boost A players by 10-15% and C players

by up to 50%

– How visualization actually works neurologically — and why most people are doing it wrong

– What non-dual awareness is and why Kevin calls it "a good buzz, without the hangover"

– The difference between dreams and goals — and how to get back in touch with the real ones

– Why founders don't fail — they quit internally first

🎙️ Guest: Kevin Bailey — Founder, Dream Fuel

🔗 Connect with Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjamesbailey/

🌐 Dream Fuel: https://dreamfuel.com

🎙️ Hosts: Richard Washington & Tolu Adebekun

🔗 Rich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

🔗 Tolu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toluadebekun/

🌐 Tick Talent: https://www.tick-talent.com/

👉 Subscribe so you never miss an episode — new episodes every Wednesday, Best Bits every Sunday.