Rev Ops Revolution, SaaS, Go To Market, Startups, Tech Growth Revenue Operations Conversations – Details, episodes & analysis

In today’s episode of Rev Ops Revolution, host Jesse Morris sits down with sales leader and coach, Alyson Baber. From leading high-performing teams at major organizations like Intuit, Zoom, and Outreach to coaching the next generation of go-to-market leaders, Alyson brings a wealth of experience, wisdom, and a uniquely candid perspective on leadership.

The conversation covers everything from starting new sales divisions from scratch to building winning team cultures, navigating critical decision-making under uncertainty, and the evolving challenges of sales leadership—especially in a remote-first world. Alyson also shares personal stories, her favorite leadership mantras, and how she stays grounded and resilient through professional and personal challenges.

Key Topics Covered:

Alyson’s Leadership Journey:

Transitioning from a chemical engineer to leading sales at top tech companies

Lessons from launching new teams and divisions (Intuit, Zoom during the pandemic, and more)

Building Winning Cultures:

Why trust and process are as vital as product

Celebrating small wins and reinforcing team momentum

How losing, not activity metrics, kills culture

Pipeline & Performance:

Metrics that matter and why pipeline is king

Balancing activity-based cultures and outcomes-driven results

Leading Through Change and Uncertainty:

How to make tough decisions with incomplete information

Handling layoffs and major organizational changes with empathy and integrity

Coaching teams through chaos and fostering psychological safety

Leadership Mindsets:

Alyson’s favorite mantras (“Smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors,” “Progress, not perfection”)

The importance of strategic focus and letting go of perfectionism

Shifting from execution to empowerment as a leader

From Individual Contributor to Leader:

The hardest transitions for new leaders

Why knowing your “secret sauce” matters and hiring for blind spots

Coaching vs. telling—how to ask the right questions and develop your team

Memorable Quotes

“You can have the best product, but without the right process, expectations, and trust, you’ll never get results.”

“Losing kills culture. Winning begets winning.”

"Progress, not perfection. Focus on the small things along the way.”

“As a leader, your job is not to do the work, but to empower your team to execute.”

“Say no to more things so you can say yes to the right things... and have more fun.”

Resources & Links

Follow Alyson Baber on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysonbaber/

Jesse Morris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessemorris1/

Connect with the Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the RevOps Revolution Podcast on your favorite platform. Join us for more insightful conversations with industry leaders about driving change and transforming your revenue operations.

Welcome to another episode of RevOps Revolution! This episode, Jesse Morris sits down with Elio Narciso, a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Scalestack, to dive deep into the world of agentic AI and how it’s transforming revenue operations. Elio shares his journey from frustration with messy go-to-market processes—even at Amazon—to building a company dedicated to cleaning up the data chaos and automating “boring but critical” RevOps work.

What You’ll Hear in this Episode:

The Origin Story:

• Elio discusses the personal frustration that originated ScaleStack—discovering that even top companies like AWS struggle with messy, untrustworthy CRM data and inefficient processes.

Early Challenges in AI Adoption:

• Lessons learned from trying to automate the “last mile” (SDR and outbound email) with agentic AI, and why true impact comes from targeting foundational, backend processes first.

Data Quality & ‘Busy Work’:

• The pitfalls of bad data in CRMs and why agentic AI is best applied to tasks that teams typically avoid—cleaning, enriching, and prioritizing data—so humans can focus on higher-value work.

RevOps as a Strategic Partner:

• Why companies that empower their RevOps/Go-to-Market operations teams win with AI, and the risks of relegating ops roles to “ticket handlers” without strategic influence.
• The Rapid Evolution of AI:
• Elio predicts what’s ahead for agentic AI in the next 1, 3, and 5 years, drawing parallels to the mobile revolution. He foresees fully-automated backend workflows, AI agents managing other agents, and the need for every team member to embrace building with AI for true competitive advantage.

Lessons from a Serial Founder:

• Build “painkillers,” not “vitamins.”
• Always start from the customer’s pain, not just a love for technology.
• Find (and appreciate) great co-founders.
• Be very strategic about fundraising—take only what you need.

Links & Resources:

• Elio Narciso on LinkedIn
• Scalestack
• Elio’s Podcast: Revenue Engine Masters by Scalestack

Enjoyed the episode?

Please remember to subscribe, leave a review, and connect with both Jesse and Elio on LinkedIn.

This topic is one most companies struggle with a lot. It’s all about balancing plans that motivate team members and are feasible, while also managing the financial implications of those compensation incentives. It’s often a highly overlooked topic until it becomes an issue. 

Power of Feedback

Getting feedback from  your stakeholders on what has worked well. These may include field staff, finance teams, sales leaders, CRO, CGO, and sales compensation team members. Sometimes your CEO may want to speak into this topic as well. Talk to these teams to get feedback about what’s worked well and what hasn’t to improve compensation plans moving forward. 

*Questions to ask: 

• Where are we headed? 
• What behaviors do we want to drive? 
• What did we not do well in the past? 

Variables on Compensation Plans

While you can try to stay simple or get complicated, I typically like to have two variables involved maximum; one variable is ideal if you can. These are often around new logo and expansion or retention. There are a lot of ways to achieve your goals while minimizing your variables. You can’t solve for it all, so focus on the main pieces to avoid over-complication. 

Listen to hear more about sales compensation planning as it relates to fiscal year planning!

Connect with Jesse:

Website

LinkedIn

Fiscal Year Planning: Marketing Insights

Welcome to today's episode, where we're diving into one of the hottest topics in Revenue Operations: Marketing Insights. 

Why Marketing Insights Matter

Marketing Insights are essential for understanding and optimizing the interplay between marketing and sales. By integrating Marketing Ops into Revenue Ops, we bridge the gap between these two crucial functions, ensuring that our strategies are synchronized and effective.

A Few Key Questions to Answer:

• What questions are we trying to address with our marketing insights?
• How do we measure ROI and determine which areas are influencing revenue?
• Are our marketing efforts improving, and where should we invest more?

Key Components to Be Looking at:

Marketing Lifecycle:

• Key Stages: MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead), SQL (Sales Qualified Lead), Meeting Scheduled, Closed Won/Lost
• Methodologies: True Funnel vs. Snapshot Approach
• Challenges with long sales cycles and managing conversion rates

Pipeline and Lead Source Attribution:

• Understanding different types: Original Source vs. Most Recent
• Automating data capture and setting up objects, fields, and data schema
• Campaign Attribution and ROI Methodologies: Split credit vs. Weighted credit

ROI & Costs:

• Deciding what costs to include, such as salaries and large one-time events
• Importance of granularity and the challenge of short-term fiscal measurements

Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Avoiding the illusion of perfect data and industry benchmarks
• The risks of over-spending early and changing methodologies mid-year
• Focusing too much on data quality frustrations rather than on continuous improvement

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Connect with Jesse:

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LinkedIn

All fiscal year planning starts with data. It's better to have shorter time frames of consistent data than long-term timeframes of data that are inconsistent. Your methodology matters which is why we focus on key data and inputs to be most efficient with sales modeling as we look into the upcoming year.

Data & Inputs Needed:

• Pipeline Creation
• Conversion Rates
• Segmentation
• Budget & Hiring Timelines
• Ramp Schedules
• Additional Investments
• Added Products & Enhancements
• Trend Data
• Board Expectations & Alignment
• Capacity and Support Ratios
• Lead Source Attribution

Types of Sales Models

• Cohort Expansion and New Business Growth
• Rep Capacity
• Rep Productivity
• Pipeline Forecasting

Connect with Jesse:

Website

LinkedIn

The Path to Sales Success with Michael Heuer

In this episode of our podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Heuer, a seasoned sales leader renowned for his operationally minded approach and impressive track record in revenue operations. With over 25 years in sales leadership across diverse markets, including EMEA, Michael brings a wealth of experience and a strategic perspective to the table.

Michael's journey began as a developer with an entrepreneurial spirit, having started his own business at just 15. This early exposure to both technology and sales laid the foundation for his career. Over the years, Michael has navigated through various tech revolutions, from the early days of email systems and groupware to cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions and now, SaaS data protection at KeepIt. 

During our conversation, Michael shared insights into his operationally focused sales leadership approach. He emphasized his interest in data and its role in driving sales success has been a constant throughout his career. For Michael, effective sales leadership goes beyond just setting strategy; it involves backing it up with data, selecting the right team, targeting the right customers, and helping them achieve their goals.

One key area of discussion was the foundational elements that give Michael's teams an edge. He stressed the importance of understanding price points, analyzing win/loss reasons, and having a comprehensive grasp of the sales cycle. His approach also includes a keen focus on lead generation, whether through marketing, channels, or SDR/BDR teams. According to Michael, success in sales requires discipline, a clear focus, customer orientation, and assembling the right team.

We also talked about the nuances of leading sales teams across different regions. Michael compared the European market to other regions, noting that while there are commonalities, local differences do exist. For instance, European procurement processes are more powerful, and employment laws are more stringent compared to other regions. These factors can impact hiring practices and sales processes significantly.

When discussing turnaround stories, Michael shared his experience in transforming struggling sales teams. Common challenges he has encountered include a lack of clear profiles for customers, opportunities, and partners, as well as ineffective hiring processes and sales methodologies. Addressing these basics often leads to significant improvements.

Finally, Michael's passion for team culture and leadership shone through. He highlighted the importance of building trust within the team and maintaining honesty in all dealings. His advice for new sales leaders includes hiring individuals with a strong desire to win, focusing on output rather than just input, and mastering revenue operations.

This episode offers a wealth of practical insights from a veteran sales leader who blends operational expertise with a deep understanding of the sales process. Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or new to the field, Michael's experiences and advice provide valuable lessons for driving success in sales.

Connect with Michael:

LinkedIn

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Connect with Jesse:

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LinkedIn

People, Process & Technology with Carrie Ingersoll

Carrie Ingersoll has amazing experience in both large and small organizations. Her entry point was a contributor in account management. She focuses heavily on the trifecta of people, process, and technology for success in a software company. Jesse and Carrie focus on the power of data for account management. Knowing what your success metrics are is so important. She shares how important it is to start with the end in mind. 

Investing in Your People

Building trust with your account team and creating a culture of trust is so vital in SaaS. Listening goes a long way to build trust and keep your team on board, even in hard times. 

“People help support what they create.” - Carrie Ingersoll

Defining the Process

There’s a huge relationship between Rev Ops and Account Management teams. There’s a balance between finding the right process, but also a process that doesn’t become cumbersome. 

Embracing Technology

Looking for ways that technology can help you automate the parts of your process that may not necessitate the human touch can free your team up for more meaningful engagements with customers, such as detailed business reviews. These are key to uncovering the information that you need to drive retention and upsells. For example, if you are aiming to improve efficiency and timeliness of contract renewals, using automation to send personalized communications to customers to educate them about the process, and then focusing your follow-up only where needed, can make a significant difference. 

Connect with Carrie

Dive into this episode of Rev Ops Revolution, where guest Paul Ross unveils the secret to mastering operational alignment and the art of negotiation in revenue operations. Discover how a team overcame obstacles with data-driven decisions, leadership principles, and a fresh approach to simplifying business processes. Don’t miss his insights on predictability in sales and the challenge of creating a thriving, debate-friendly environment.

Paul Ross is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in sales operations, enablement, and revenue operations on a global scale. His career includes significant experience in product marketing, sales, and product management teams, despite initially stepping into product marketing without prior experience. Paul has worked with both SaaS and system companies, encompassing hardware and software, and has navigated through startups and established organizations, ranging from private to public sectors. This extensive journey has given him a wealth of knowledge and learning from numerous challenges along the way. Outside of his professional life, Paul enjoys engaging in various outdoor activities.

Below are the key takeaways from this episode:

• Operational Alignment and Leadership: Paul Ross highlights operational alignment as crucial for effective execution. He emphasizes the role of a revenue operations leader as a negotiator and mediator, bringing teams together for optimal performance.
• Data-Driven Decisions: The necessity of making data-driven decisions is underscored through a story about addressing marketing qualified leads, cautioning against optimizing for a single metric without considering the broader context.
• Simplifying Business Operations: Both Jesse Morris and Paul Ross advocate for simplifying business operations, from compensation plans to sales processes, to support employees better and ensure operational efficiency.
• Value of Diverse Perspectives: Paul's admiration for Abraham Lincoln’s leadership style underscores the importance of having a team with diverse perspectives. Encouraging debate and respectful disagreements leads to better decision-making and exceptional outcomes.
• Overcoming Hiring Challenges: The discussion on the challenges of hiring for specific skill sets and designing processes for the majority rather than relying on exceptional talent highlights the importance of effective processes and ramping up new hires efficiently.

Todays guest, Paul Ross, can be found online at:

Website: https://lative.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosspaul/

Your host, Jesse Morris, can be found online at:

Website: https://rev-ops-revolution.captivate.fm/listen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessemorris1/

Join Jesse and SaaS expert Sylvia Price as they delve into the intricacies of the quote-to-cash process, discuss the critical importance of stakeholder management, and provide deep insights into building an efficient, high-performing RevOps team. Discover Sylvia's essential strategies for integrating CPQ and billing systems to achieve scalable success.

Sylvia Price has spent over two decades navigating the enterprise software landscape. She began her career in business consulting before transitioning into various roles supporting sales, including presales, sales operations, and systems management. Sylvia thrives on driving large-scale transformation projects that blend people, processes, and technology to generate business value. With roots as an industrial engineer in manufacturing, she has effectively leveraged her expertise in process and technology to adapt and excel within the SaaS industry. Sylvia's unwavering commitment to fostering change and achieving business success has defined her impressive career trajectory.

Below are the key takeaways from this episode:

• Streamlined Sales Processes: Sylvia Price highlights the importance of streamlining the sales process to enable better conversations between sellers and businesses, emphasizing pragmatism and effective stakeholder management.
• Value of Soft Skills: Both Sylvia and Jesse discuss the critical role of soft skills such as listening, communication, and transparency in achieving success, agreeing that these skills are crucial for change management and collaboration.
• Quote-to-Cash Complexities: The discussion delves into the challenges of the quote-to-cash process, including data migration, aligning CPQ and billing systems, and the need for manual workarounds, all of which impact data integrity and system scalability.
• Team Building and Mentorship: Sylvia underscores the importance of hiring technically skilled team members who are also strong communicators and listeners, and discusses valuing cultural fit and teamwork over individual glory, stressing the importance of mentorship and coaching for team success.
• Recognizing Team Achievements: The episode touches on the significance of vocal affirmation and celebrating team accomplishments to foster a positive culture and enhance team morale.

Todays guest, Sylvia Price, can be found online at:

Website: https://www.onsolve.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviaprice/

Your host, Jesse Morris, can be found online at:

Website: https://rev-ops-revolution.captivate.fm/listen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessemorris1/

Dive deep with Aaron Mellman of Aiden Tech as he uncovers the transformative power of data in Rev Ops, detailing the journey from TV production to leading marketing and revenue operations. Tune in to discover the secrets behind targeting C-suite executives, crafting impactful event strategies, and harnessing AI to revolutionize marketing efficiency.

Aaron Mellman serves as a marketing and revenue operations leader at Aiden Tech, a cybersecurity company. With a rich background that began in television production, Aaron transitioned his storytelling skills to marketing before discovering his passion for technology and operations within IT and cybersecurity. His zeal for data analysis, continual learning, and efficiency is at the core of his role, with a particular interest in AI implementations and their impact on software development and marketing attribution. Aaron's varied career and deep-seated curiosity about technological advancements make him a font of knowledge and experience, which he shares generously with his audience.

Below are the key takeaways from this episode:

• The critical role of data in shaping marketing operations, from cleaning up data to creating effective dashboards for strategic decision-making.
• The emphasis on understanding and engaging with specific audience needs, highlighted by the significance of targeted marketing towards CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, as well as the importance of customer-centric event strategies.
• The value placed on continual learning, open-mindedness to failure, and the drive to constantly improve in order to offer more value to customers and the company.
• The strategic approach to marketing investments, especially in events, where Aaron Mellman stresses the need for detailed tracking and ROI optimization to ensure stand-out results and direct alignment with customer interests.
• The transformative impact of AI on marketing and software development, as Aaron Mellman shares his excitement for tools like Microsoft's Copilot and discusses leveraging AI within existing technologies to enhance marketing efficiency.

Connect with Jesse:

Website

LinkedIn

Connect with Aaron:

Website

LinkedIn