Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast GTM Vault

In this episode of GTM Vault, Ben Collins, co-founder and CEO of Woz (YC Winter ’25), reveals how AI agents are replacing the need for technical co-founders—launching software businesses in days, not months. Ben shares the story behind Woz, explains how AI-native tools mimic engineering and product teams, and why the human “last mile” remains critical for building trust. He also explores how AI shifts GTM strategy, redefines venture capital, and sketches a bold vision for autonomous company creation by 2030. Perfect for founders, operators, and investors navigating the future of AI-enabled entrepreneurship.

Sponsored by ZoomInfo — GTM Intelligence that automates outreach, triggers plays, and turns signals into revenue. Learn more at zoominfo.com/gtmvault.

Discover how modern GTM engines evolve from product-led growth to sales-assisted—and why speed is the unlock for AI adoption—in this episode of GTM Vault featuring Branca Ballot, VP of Marketing at Glide.

Branca shares how her team grew signups 5x, increased sales-assisted ACV 10x, and launched 5 AI agents in just 40 days. She unpacks the myths around PLG companies adding sales, why RevOps accelerates GTM shifts, and how to align marketing with revenue without killing creativity.

With a background spanning GoDaddy, Zenefits, KKR, and BCG, Branca delivers a tactical playbook for founders, marketers, and operators building scalable GTM machines at the intersection of PLG, AI, and high-velocity sales.

Listen as she breaks down Glide’s modern growth system—self-serve, partner-led, and sales-led—and where AI is adding real value in GTM today.

Sponsored by ZoomInfo — GTM Intelligence that automates outreach, triggers plays, and turns signals into revenue. Learn more at zoominfo.com/gtmvault.

Discover how affiliate-led GTM is evolving—and why it's becoming one of the most overlooked growth engines in modern go-to-market—in this episode of GTM Vault featuring Ian Brodie, CEO of Levanta. A repeat founder and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum, Ian previously co-founded Grovia (acquired in under two years) and led GTM at Acceleration Partners.

Ian shares how Levanta helps Amazon sellers connect with high-impact creators, and how they’ve scaled by turning agency partnerships into a performance flywheel. He unpacks why most affiliate programs fail, how AI is reshaping creator recruitment and segmentation, and what it really takes to scale a relationship-first channel in an AI-driven world.

Listen as Ian breaks down Levanta’s modern GTM system—powered by AI, fueled by partnerships, and built for multi-channel traction across Amazon, Walmart, TikTok Shop, and DTC.

Sponsored by ZoomInfo—GTM Intelligence that automates outreach, triggers plays, and turns signals into revenue. Learn more at zoominfo.com/gtmvault.

Discover why traditional funnels are collapsing—and learn how to rebuild them around buyers, not blind automation—in this episode of GTM Vault featuring Santosh Sharan, co‑founder and CEO of Zeer AI. Building on his experience scaling Apollo.io, Retention.com, ZoomInfo—and advising Gong, LeadIQ, Lusha, and ContactOut—Santosh dives deep into the shift from volume‑heavy outbound to high‑trust, buyer‑first engagement. He explains why LinkedIn outperforms cold email, how “agents” are replacing SDRs to pre-qualify leads, and why compounding systems consistently beat short-lived hacks.

Listen as Santosh unfolds the strategy behind his 100‑meeting LinkedIn playbook, pinpoints what most AI sales tools get wrong, and outlines how to blend product‑led, sales‑led, and data‑led GTM into a unified, scalable engine. Essential insights for any operator striving to reduce CAC, boost conversion, and ditch broken funnels for good.

Sponsored by ZoomInfo—GTM Intelligence that automates outreach, triggers plays, and turns signals into revenue. Learn more at zoominfo.com/gtmvault.

Vijay Rajendran — executive coach, venture builder, and author of The Funding Framework — joins GTM Vault to explore what it really takes to grow from founder to fundable CEO in today’s fast-moving startup landscape.

Vijay has helped founders raise capital in 80+ countries, led Portfolio Value at 500 Global, and now coaches high-growth leaders on how to lead with clarity, raise with confidence, and scale without burning out.

In this episode:

• Why confidence comes from clarity

• How to shift from reactive hustle to intentional leadership

• The role of GTM motion in making your startup default investable

• Fundraising strategy for founders outside SF and NYC

• How product-market fit has evolved in 2025

• What most CEOs get wrong about alignment, rhythm, and self-management

Whether you’re raising your first round or scaling toward $100M, this episode will help you grow your company by growing yourself first.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ZoomInfo. Learn more at zoominfo.com.

Dave Boyce (Executive Chairman at Winning by Design, board member at Forrester) joins GTM Vault to break down why most SaaS onboarding fails — and how AI is redefining the Product-Led GTM playbook.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why “time to first impact” is your most critical growth lever

• How AI agents can drive onboarding, retention, and renewal

• The difference between a PLG motion vs. a PLG company

• What to measure before revenue shows up

• When layering sales kills product-led growth

Dave built and sold companies to Oracle and Amazon, created the first MBA course on PLG, and now coaches the world’s top GTM teams.

If you’re building in SaaS, this is a must-listen.

🔗 Explore the full GTM course, tools, and operator playbooks at gtmvault.wiki

Michael Sarrugia is the #1 Clay GTM advisor in the world and the architect of a new GTM movement: the rise of the GTM Engineer.

In this episode, we break down:

• What a GTM Engineer actually is — and why this role is replacing traditional RevOps

• How Clay is powering AI-driven workflows across outbound, inbound, and RevOps

• The most effective Clay playbooks used by $50M+ ARR scale-ups

• Why “revenue per employee” is the new north star metric for GTM teams

• Common mistakes founders make when automating their GTM motion

Michael has trained 600+ operators and helped scale some of the fastest-growing SaaS companies. If you’re building or optimizing a modern GTM system, this conversation is a must-listen.

🔗 Explore Clay playbooks: https://clayoperator.com
📚 Join 20,000+ founders & operators inside GTM Vault: https://gtmvault.wiki

Needle AI isn’t just another ChatGPT wrapper — it’s building the AI intern your company actually needs.

In this episode, Rick Koleta sits down with Jan Heimes and Onur Eken, co-founders of Needle-AI.com, to unpack how they raised $2.2M to help companies become AI-enabled in one day.

We dive into:

• Why most AI tools become shelfware (and how Needle avoids it)

• Their pivot from RAG APIs to a full-stack execution layer

• The “intern, not overlord” mindset for integrating AI

• What convinced investors to back them early

• Their hybrid GTM motion: grassroots traction meets top-down sales

• How they build trust, ship fast, and get teams live in minutes

Needle connects to Gmail, Notion, HubSpot, Google Drive and more — giving you a command center for executing real work, not just chatting.

🔗 Learn more at https://needle-ai.com
🎯 Join 20,000+ founders at https://gtmvault.wiki

Charles Cormier has launched 10,000+ cold email campaigns, interviewed 2,500+ founders, and built a system that converts podcast appearances into high-ticket clients. In this episode, he shares his $200/month GTM stack, AI-powered follow-up workflows, and how to build a predictable lead gen engine in 2025.

Sean Ellis — the growth architect behind Dropbox, Eventbrite, and LogMeIn — reveals why most startups stall after early traction and how to build sustainable growth engines.

In this episode of GTM Vault, Rick Koleta and Sean break down:

• Why product-market fit still beats any AI hack
• How Dropbox’s real growth started before the referral program
• The freemium mistake that almost killed LogMeIn
• How to fix your activation flow and stop churn before it starts
• How to build a high-speed, learning-driven culture
• Why founders must personally own growth — not delegate it

Zayd Ali is the founder and CEO of Valley, an AI-powered outbound engine turning the LinkedIn sales tools industry upside down. With two prior exits, global team scaling experience, and backing from General Catalyst, Jason Calacanis, and top sales leaders, Zayd is on a mission to redefine outbound sales. Valley has already generated $120M in pipeline for companies like Front, Cardlytics, and 70+ startups backed by Sequoia, a16z, and more.

But here’s the bombshell: Valley is considering giving its core features away for free—undercutting competitors and forcing the industry to innovate or fade out. Is this a genius growth play or a death sentence for legacy tools?

Tune in to find out.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why now is the perfect time to disrupt LinkedIn automation (and why incumbents are vulnerable)

• How Valley’s signal-based, hyper-personalized outreach achieves 60% reply rates

• The HubSpot-esque freemium playbook Valley is using to dominate the market• Why LinkedIn won’t crack down on automation (and how Valley avoids risks)

• The #1 operational mistake Zayd made scaling Valley (and how to avoid it)

• Fundraising insights from raising $3.2M: “Just build a fucking good company”

Episode 16 features Amos Bar-Joseph, CEO of Swan AI—a Tel Aviv-based startup using AI agents to supercharge human-led sales, not replace them. A 2x-exited founder and ex-KPMG advisor, Amos reveals why most teams use AI wrong and how to scale pipeline without sacrificing authenticity.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, we sit down with Selin Kocalar, co-founder and COO of Delve, the AI-powered compliance platform transforming how startups achieve SOC 2, HIPAA, and GDPR certifications. From leaving MIT to joining Y Combinator, running marathons, and even conquering a Navy SEAL bootcamp, Selin’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

We dive deep into:
🚀 The pivotal moment that led her to launch Delve and disrupt the compliance space
💡 How AI is revolutionizing compliance, slashing timelines from months to weeks
📈 Raising $3.3M and scaling to a multi-million dollar revenue run rate
📣 Why word-of-mouth is Delve’s #1 GTM motion and how viral moments on social media helped fuel growth
🏃 How personal resilience—through marathons and bootcamps—translates into leadership and startup success

Selin shares tactical insights on fundraising, growth strategies, and navigating the high-stakes world of AI compliance. If you’re a founder, operator, or investor looking to understand how AI is reshaping enterprise security and compliance, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more GTM insights!

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta sits down with Nick Velkovski, Co-Founder and CEO of Heyreach, a leading LinkedIn outreach tool built for agencies and sales teams. Nick shares the journey of pivoting from Howitzer to Heyreach, the challenges of gaining early adoption, and how niching down to lead-gen agencies transformed their growth. Discover key insights on scaling LinkedIn outreach, defining your ideal customer profile, and the technology behind Heyreach’s unique features.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, Rick Koleta sits down with Yuhong Sun, co-founder of Danswer, a YC-backed groundbreaking open-source Gen AI platform. Danswer is helping enterprises solve critical challenges in AI-powered search, with a key focus on data privacy and security. Yuhong shares insights on how Danswer is filling the gaps left by mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT, providing companies with secure, self-hostable solutions to manage internal knowledge.

We're excited to have Ayush Khanna, New Ventures Lead at super{set}—a startup studio dedicated to building transformative data and AI companies. With extensive experience in founding and scaling B2B SaaS startups, Ayush shares his insights on the challenges and opportunities of creating successful ventures.

Join us for an enlightening episode of the GTM Vault Podcast as host Rick Koleta interviews Dawson Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Martin, a Y Combinator-backed startup revolutionizing the personal voice AI space. Dawson shares his inspiring journey from working with NASA and Stanford to founding his own companies. In this episode, we dive deep into the development challenges of Martin, the future of personal voice AI, and how Dawson's diverse experiences—from blockchain to student council—have shaped his entrepreneurial journey.

Discover how Martin aims to be the most personalized AI assistant on the market and what sets it apart from other voice AI technologies. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with valuable insights on innovation, leadership, and the evolving landscape of AI.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta sits down with Kathryn Wu, co-founder of Openmart, an AI-powered alternative to ZoomInfo backed by Y Combinator. Kathryn shares her journey from roles at Pinterest and Data Bento to founding Openmart, diving deep into the challenges and opportunities in go-to-market strategies. Tune in to learn about the unique advantages Openmart offers in lead generation, the evolving role of AI in business, and Kathryn’s experiences as a woman in tech. Discover how AI is transforming sales research and what the future holds for AI in lead gen.

In Episode 9 of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta dives into the biotech world with Savva Kerdemelidis, the founder and CEO of Public Good Pharma. Savva, with over 20 years of experience as a registered patent and trademark attorney, shares his innovative approach to developing cost-effective therapies through self-funding clinical trials.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, Rick Koleta sits down with Mariane Bekker, CTO, Investor, and Managing Partner at Founders Bay. Mariane shares her journey from engineering leader to advocate for women founders, offering insights into building diverse teams, overcoming funding challenges, and the transformative role of AI in tech.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, Rick Koleta sits down with Ana Leyva, a dynamic early-stage VC and B2B sales leader currently at Pear VC. Ana brings a unique blend of experience from both startup and enterprise environments. Join us as Ana shares her journey from being the daughter of immigrants to becoming a successful entrepreneur and advisor to startups. She discusses pivotal moments in her career, her approach to developing go-to-market strategies, and the unique challenges and opportunities in the startup ecosystem.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta interviews Venki Pola, Co-Founder and CTO of OneShot AI. Dive into Venki's inspiring journey from his early days in India, through his career at Salesforce, to co-founding OneShot AI, a pioneering platform transforming B2B sales prospecting with AI. Looking for a fractional CMO? https://calendly.com/ritegtm/30min Check out my website! https://ritegtm.com/ Join our events! https://www.gtmnights.com/ Subscribe to my newsletter! https://gtmvault.substack.com/ Read my marketing blog! https://rickkoleta.com/ Send me an email! rickkoleta@gmail.com

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta sits down with Mike Soylu, Co-Founder of Adaptive Computer, to dive into how AI is revolutionizing digital product development. Mike shares insights on the evolution of technology over the past decade, the current AI landscape, and the future of AI in mainstream applications. Tune in to hear about: - The journey of Adaptive Computer and its innovative approach to software development. - How AI is making software more accessible, affordable, and customizable. - The profound implications for product development and marketing. - The potential global impact and adoption of AI technologies. Looking for a fractional CMO? https://calendly.com/ritegtm/30min Check out my website! https://ritegtm.com/ Join my events! https://www.gtmnights.com/ Join my newsletter! https://gtmvault.substack.com/ Read my marketing blog! https://rickkoleta.com/ Send me an email! rickkoleta@gmail.com

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta sits down with Dmitry Stavisky, a seasoned startup advisor with extensive experience in building and scaling tech companies internationally. Dmitry shares his journey from climate modeling and coding to leading product development at Unicorn startups. They dive deep into how AI is reshaping product development, the challenges and opportunities it presents, and what the future holds as AI goes mainstream. Additionally, Dmitry offers insights into his advisory services for post-Series A companies on international expansion and early-stage startup founders. Tune in to explore: - The evolution of digital product development over the last decade - AI's impact on internal processes and user experience - Key factors influencing AI's mainstream adoption - Strategies for international expansion and market selection - Skills engineers, product developers, and marketers need to stay relevant in an AI-driven landscape Don't miss out on this insightful conversation packed with valuable advice and future predictions.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, we dive into the transformative world of social selling with Parthi Loganathan, Founder & CEO of Letterdrop. Parthi shares his expertise on leveraging social platforms to enhance sales efficiency, the critical metrics for success, and the role of AI in maintaining a human touch in sales.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of engaging with customers on social platforms
• Key metrics for measuring social selling success: connect rates, reply rates, and content engagement
• How AI and automation can enhance sales efficiency while preserving human-to-human connections
• The growing importance of personal branding for sales professionals
• Adapting to the ever-changing sales landscape through effective use of data and intelligence

Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction
00:44 - The Evolving World of Social Selling
08:05 - Aligning Sales and Marketing
10:59 - Key Metrics for Social Selling Success
13:11 - The Transformative Role of AI in Sales
15:32 - Retention and Engagement with Existing Customers
20:49 - Adapting to the Changing Sales Landscape
24:20 - Predicting Future Trends in Sales and Marketing
25:57 - Conclusion

Quotes:

• "If you become a person that your buyer wants to connect with, your chance of getting that message read increases exponentially."
• "Conversations with actual customers are a gold mine of information that you should be sharing with the rest of the world."
• "Sales and marketing should be blurred. They should be really thinking about revenue for the business."

Don't miss out on Parthi's valuable insights on how to leverage social selling to drive your business forward.

In this episode of the GTM Vault Podcast, host Rick Koleta dives into the world of Revenue Operations (RevOps) with Zachary Lukasiewicz, an expert with extensive experience in private equity and venture capital. Discover how RevOps is revolutionizing business operations by aligning sales, marketing, and customer success teams to drive sustainable growth.

Key insights include:

• The rising importance of RevOps in modern businesses
• Evolution of RevOps roles over time
• Critical developments to watch in the RevOps space
• Challenges and solutions for early-stage SaaS companies
• Essential metrics and KPIs for tracking success
• Recommended tools for enhancing RevOps effectiveness
• Strategies for aligning teams for optimal performance

Tune in for valuable strategies and actionable advice on leveraging RevOps to optimize your go-to-market strategies and accelerate business growth.

In the first episode of GTM Vault, I welcome Sriharsha Guduguntla, CEO of Hyperbound, to discuss the future of sales efficiency powered by AI. We explore how Hyperbound’s AI roleplay technology is accelerating sales training and enhancing team performance. Sriharsha provides insightful perspectives on how sales professionals can upskill and shares actionable strategies for startups to leverage AI effectively. This episode is essential for anyone looking to understand the future of AI in sales.

Key Takeaways:

• The transformative role of AI in modern sales processes and daily workflows.

• An in-depth look at Hyperbound's AI roleplay technology and its benefits for sales organizations.

• Practical strategies for startups to boost sales efficiency using AI applications.

• Insights into the potential convergence of marketing, sales, and customer success into a unified revenue team.

• Essential skills for sales professionals to stay relevant in an AI-driven landscape.

• Real-world success stories and key metrics demonstrating the impact of AI roleplay on sales performance.

• Predictions on the adoption speed and mainstream potential of AI roleplay across industries.