GTM Science - A show for GTM and RevOps leaders

Most go-to-market teams know something is broken. The problem is figuring out exactly what, and in what order to fix it. Eddie talks to CROs every day who are overwhelmed, playing whack-a-mole across outbound, pipeline, inbound, and customer success, throwing resources at whatever squeaks loudest. Twelve months later, the same problems are still there.In this episode, Eddie Reynolds and Rachael Bueckert walk through the new GTM Ops Diagnostic Framework: a simplified version of the 150+ question diagnostic USC runs with clients, distilled into 28 questions you can answer in 20 minutes. Note: At the time this podcast was recorded, the GTM Diagnostic only covered 4 areas of GTM. We've since updated it to cover 7 areas, mirroring our updated GTM Efficiency Pyramid. Expect a walkthrough of the four maturity stages and why the order matters, how to use the GTM Ops Decision Tree to narrow focus before you start, the red-yellow-green scoring system and how to build a heat map of your go-to-market, common patterns that jump out when teams see their results, how to turn the diagnostic into a 90-day roadmap with 3–5 initiatives, and why behavioral change—not documentation—is the make-or-break for all of it.Resources mentioned in this episode:• The GTM Ops Diagnostic Framework (Published 03/28/2026)• GTM Ops Diagnostic Worksheet• The GTM Efficiency Pyramid Framework v3.0• Newsletter: The GTM Ops Decision Tree• The GTM Ops Roadmap Framework• Free GTM Efficiency Workshop[00:47] Intro and where to find the framework[02:07] What the diagnostic is and why we built it[04:40] Turning noise into signal for go-to-market teams[06:38] Why the end result is an action plan, not a PowerPoint[08:30] Why enterprise companies need this even more than SMBs[10:50] What breaks when leaders fix go-to-market reactively[12:28] The four maturity stages: fundamentals, adoption, optimization, acceleration[15:19] How to mentally approach the diagnostic without getting overwhelmed[16:58] The honesty required—good enough vs. fundamentally broken[19:04] Step one: understanding the maturity stages in depth[22:06] Why AI on top of broken process just amplifies what's broken[25:18] Step two: narrowing focus with the GTM Ops Decision Tree[28:40] Step three: the diagnostic questions and red-yellow-green scoring[32:02] The danger of being too generous with green[36:28] Evidence to pull and handling internal disagreement on scores[39:29] Step four: plotting the heat map[40:54] Patterns that jump out—what's working despite being broken[41:52] The inbound-to-outbound pivot story[44:20] Customer success: the most commonly neglected area[47:34] Step five: interpretation and prioritization[49:30] Step six: building the GTM Ops Roadmap with OKRs[51:49] Why 3–5 initiatives is the max for 90 days[53:17] Defining initiatives so they don't become big projects[55:17] Step seven: integrating planning and metrics[56:20] The chicken-and-egg of annual planning without trusted data[59:07] What's intentionally missing from the public version[01:01:07] When to go deeper and when good enough is good enough_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Bridget Winston has been a CRO across unified communications SaaS, a stock content marketplace, a membership platform for executive women, and now a vertical SaaS company serving med spas. Some people call that kind of range a liability. Bridget calls it the thing that lets her nail every role—especially in a world where the old playbooks don't work anymore.In this episode of CRO Stories, Rachael Bueckert sits down with Bridget Winston, CRO of Patient Now, for a conversation that covers how she scaled Chief from 1.5k to 20k members and a $1.1 billion valuation, what broke along the way and the pivots that followed, why she purposely took a customer success role to become a better revenue leader, how she uses AI to impact revenue, and the change management discipline she runs at every company she joins.[01:26] Intro to Bridget Winston and her path to Patient Now[02:33] What Chief is and the B2C-to-B model[03:39] Scaling Chief from 1,500 to 20,000 members—what broke along the way[05:11] The Covid pivot: from in-person to national to back again[06:23] Expanding to the UK and pulling back—hard lessons in product-market fit[08:18] How AI data enrichment revealed a completely different ICP[11:38] ICP is everything—the defining lesson of being a CRO[13:06] Why most companies think they know their ICP but haven't gone deep enough[15:22] The secret test: are you operating as a CRO or a glorified VP of Sales?[16:13] Aligning comp across marketing, sales, and CS on a shared metric[18:00] The ShoreTel story: when law firms kept churning and what changed[20:22] Why Bridget purposely took a customer success role[22:29] B2C vs. enterprise at Chief—competing for resources[24:47] First team mentality and Five Dysfunctions of a Team[27:32] Biggest lesson from Chief: you're never done with product-market fit[28:31] Big problems don't always need big solutions—two-way doors[30:08] The UK expansion failure and building the muscle to embrace failure[31:15] "It's the people"—why that diagnosis is almost never right[32:11] Shutterstock: 35% attrition, 10% quota attainment, and what was actually broken[37:14] Why a Rev Ops partner is the most critical hire for a CRO[38:28] What Bridget is bringing into Patient Now[39:19] Evaluating three AI tools in the first two weeks[40:14] The biggest hot take: B2B marketing is becoming consumer marketing[42:38] Community-led growth and the CISO example[46:50] Why Patient Now—the opportunity, the mission, and the team[51:08] Goals at Patient Now: customer centricity as a leading indicator[52:45] Universal CRO skills: range, financial acumen, and grit[56:31] The story behind her leadership: change management as a discipline[01:00:37] How AI has compressed CRO planning from five months to one[01:03:28] Where to find Bridget_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Eddie Reynolds, Founder and CEO of Union Square Consulting and creator of the GTM Efficiency Pyramid, guides a revamped framework for GTM maturity. He breaks down seven pyramids and four maturity layers. He stresses why fundamentals must come first before AI and analytics. Expect practical takes on prioritizing 90-day roadmaps, capacity-based outbound, inbound speed-to-lead, pipeline hygiene, retention, and expansion.

New CROs and GTM Ops Leaders, you have 90 days to prove you can do the job. Most new revenue leaders try to fix everything at once: outbound is broken, onboarding is a mess, pipeline is full of zombie deals, and there's pressure to "implement AI." Ninety days later, nothing has changed.In this episode, Eddie Reynolds and Rachael Bueckert walk through the operational playbook for making your first 90 days count, whether you're a new CRO or a VP of GTM Ops stepping into a company where everything feels broken. Expect a conversation on why narrowing to one priority beats boiling the ocean, how to assess the fundamentals using the GTM Efficiency Pyramid, what a realistic 90-day roadmap looks like with OKRs and sprint planning, why reports alone don't drive accountability, and what success actually looks like at the 90-day mark when your sales cycle might be longer than your timeline.Resources mentioned in this episode:• Newsletter: GTM Ops First 90 Days Playbook• The GTM Efficiency Pyramid Framework• Newsletter: The GTM Ops Decision Tree• The GTM Ops Roadmap Framework• All Union Square Consulting Frameworks[02:26] The CRO's real to-do list beyond just ops[04:16] Biggest mistake: trying to boil the ocean[05:00] The whack-a-mole problem and learning to guide the conversation[07:19] Narrowing focus: new business vs. NRR, pipeline gen vs. close rate[08:00] Why you can't fix everything in 90 days, behavior change is the bottleneck[09:34] The long-term case for net revenue retention[10:23] It's not about building everything[11:05] CRO tenure and the cost of trying to do it all[13:38] Stacking 90-day sprints across go to market[15:24] Handling complexity: multiple segments, products, and teams[19:09] Leadership capacity and the management bottleneck[20:42] The New Year's resolution analogy[27:11] Assessing the fundamentals with the GTM Efficiency Pyramid[28:06] ICP, process design, capacity planning, and target lists[29:47] From process to systems to adoption[31:32] The most basic problems are the most common ones[34:32] Reports aren't the point, driving revenue is[37:44] How to know the fundamentals are done[39:16] Iterating quarter over quarter[41:42] Building the GTM Ops Roadmap with OKRs[43:14] Setting realistic metrics with long sales cycles[45:17] Why the roadmap protects you from ad hoc requests[47:45] Execution through sprint planning[50:00] Daily and weekly priority-setting in practice[53:01] Staying organized as a neurodivergent ops person[55:35] Success at the 90-day mark: do you trust the report?[57:36] Why reports don't drive accountability—management does[58:08] Eddie's pipeline inspection story from Salesforce[01:01:53] The 24-hour pipeline cleanup and the zombie pipeline problem[01:04:16] Rebuilding CFO trust as a new CRO[01:05:05] The one metric that should change, and why it depends_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Half of the companies Eddie worked with at Salesforce failed on the platform, and it had nothing to do with the technology. After watching this play out hundreds of times across growth-stage B2B SaaS companies, the pattern was unmistakable: the ones that succeeded had executive leadership that refused to let it fail. The ones that didn't had already checked out before implementation even started.In this episode, Eddie Reynolds and Rachael Bueckert unpack what it actually takes to turn your CRM into a revenue driver, and why the answer has almost nothing to do with workflows, custom objects, or technical configuration. Expect a conversation on the single commitment from leadership that separates success from failure, how to prioritize what to fix first when everything is broken, the role of process design, metrics, and reporting in building trust in your data, why pipeline council meetings are a prerequisite and not a nice-to-have, and how to drive adoption without making your sales team feel micromanaged.Resources mentioned in this episode:• Newsletter: How to Drive Real Revenue Through Salesforce• Newsletter: The GTM Ops Decision Tree• The GTM Metrics and Insights Framework• The Pipeline Management Framework[00:00] Salesforce won't save you—but this will[01:05] The newsletter that inspired this episode[01:48] Eddie's three years at Salesforce watching companies fail[04:48] What "going all in" actually looks like for leadership[07:38] Most common mistakes when inheriting a messy Salesforce instance[12:08] Where to start when everything is broken: the GTM Ops Decision Tree[14:40] New business vs. net revenue retention—which to fix first[17:35] Translating your sales process into Salesforce fields and stages[20:12] Eddie's pipeline cleanup story: 300-day-old deals on a 60-day product[24:54] Cleaning dirty pipeline without demoralizing your reps[27:05] Defining what good looks like across every GTM process[29:06] Measuring what matters: the right metrics and real reporting[30:51] Leading and lagging indicators for revenue forecasting[33:19] Building the CRO executive dashboard[36:33] Pipeline council as a prerequisite for data-driven decisions[40:06] Can Salesforce really grow revenue by 30%?[43:01] This isn't a Salesforce endorsement—it's about process[44:07] Driving adoption: the last mile where most initiatives die[46:48] Encouraging adoption without micromanaging[49:38] Designing process around both the rep and the customer[52:33] One takeaway: pick one thing, define the process, measure it, adopt it_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Kyle Norton, CRO of Owner.com and host of the Revenue Leadership Podcast, scaled Owner.com from early ARR into the tens of millions through data-driven sales and RevOps. He recounts an AI call‑scoring experiment, surprising end-of-call win drivers, a one-change-at-a-time training rollout, a martial-arts‑inspired 4I coaching model, ruthless prioritization with a 5P framework, and why simplicity in tech pays off early.

Your marketing engine is generating leads, hitting MQL targets, and sales is following up. So why isn't revenue growing faster? The answer isn't more budget. It's optimization. Most companies skip straight from "it's working" to "let's spend more" without ever asking: which leads are actually worth something, and where are we lighting money on fire?In this episode, Eddie Reynolds and Rachael Bueckert break down how to move beyond foundational execution and start turning the knobs on your inbound marketing engine. From building a minimum viable attribution model to calculating lead value by segment, benchmarking inbound against outbound using CAC payback, and running pipeline council meetings that actually produce decisions—this episode walks through the full optimization playbook. If you've got the foundation in place and you're ready to squeeze more revenue out of what you already have, this is where you start.Resources mentioned in this episode:• Newsletter: How to Optimize Marketing Generated Revenue• GTM Efficiency Pyramid Framework• Newsletter: Benchmarking GTM Efficiency[00:00] Why optimization matters more than more budget[01:02] The related newsletter and what it covers[02:14] What the foundation looks like when it's actually working[04:11] Why the foundation alone isn't enough[06:04] Attribution: why it belongs in the optimization stage[08:47] Blending quantitative and qualitative attribution data[10:42] Minimum viable attribution—what's good enough[15:25] Setting the performance bar: lead conversion, activity-based, and CAC payback[20:30] Why CAC payback trumps other benchmarks[22:06] GTM efficiency ratio vs. CAC payback[24:14] When results justify a major strategy shift[25:55] Segmentation and lead value by channel, segment, and geography[29:24] How lead scoring ties into segmentation and optimization[32:08] Process evaluation: what to do when a segment underperforms[34:45] Sales process and pipeline management as optimization levers[39:26] Pipeline council: who participates and why it matters[43:00] Structure and cadence of pipeline council meetings[44:22] Walking away with tangible action plans[45:36] From analysis to action: the GTM ops roadmap[48:31] Prioritizing optimization projects with OKRs[50:05] Timeline expectations—from quick wins to long sales cycles[54:47] Resources and team capabilities needed for optimization[57:03] The importance of executive buy-in and accountability[1:01:56] Closing: the one thing revenue leaders should take away_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

AI can automate busy work, but it won't automate judgment, empathy, or curiosity—the things that actually win deals. Too many go-to-market teams are chasing speed before trust, buying AI tools hoping they'll fix what's broken instead of understanding the system first. The result? Automation that scales confusion instead of growth.CRO Stories host Rachael Bueckert sits down with Jody Geiger, Co-founder of AI Sales Studio at GTM Shift, to explore what it actually takes to build a culture of innovation around AI in go-to-market operations. With 20 years in sales leadership across companies like Apple, Galvanize, and Rogers, Jody brings hard-won perspective on what separates teams that succeed with AI from those that chase shiny objects and miss the fundamentals.The episode digs into practical applications of AI in GTM operations, from auditing workflows at the click level to building systems with learning loops built in. For GTM leaders trying to tie AI to pipeline, win rates, and rep productivity, Jody offers a clear framework: find the friction in your system, do good discovery like a salesperson would, audit workflows at the ground level, and build a business case before implementing. The goal isn't to replace human capabilities but to augment them, freeing up teams to focus on the things AI can't do—building relationships, exercising judgment, and staying curious.Key topics covered:[00:00] Intro[03:35] Building Go-to-Market Orgs from Scratch[08:05] Skills and Mindsets for High-Performing Revenue Teams[09:29] Scaling the Unscalable Differentiator[13:37] Capturing Customer Insights Without Extra Time[16:05] AI Sales Studio Origin Story[18:28] Best Use Cases for AI Implementation[22:21] First Measurable AI Win Demo Automation[26:37] Streamlining Outbound Email with AI Workflows[29:51] Teaching AI Implementation Through Workshops[33:14] Behaviors of AI-Enabled Elite Sellers[36:36] Measuring AI Impact on Pipeline and Productivity[38:45] Where to Find Jody and AI Sales Studio_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

Two-thirds of B2B teams are using AI in go-to-market, and 85% report seeing a boost. But there's a massive gap between teams just saving time with AI and those seeing actual pipeline and conversion improvements. What separates winners from experimenters?Eddie Reynolds sits down with Craig Rosenberg, Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners, to break down their State of GTM AI Report and reveal what's actually working and why most companies still aren’t seeing the results they expected.Craig shares the data on which AI implementations drive real revenue impact versus which just save time. From autonomous SDR bots booking qualified meetings to AI-powered competitive intelligence systems that surface opportunities your reps would never find manually, this conversation goes deep on specific examples. Eddie and Craig discuss what "GTM engineers" actually do, whether to buy or build AI solutions, and why most companies struggle to measure ROI despite seeing results.The conversation also digs into what has to be in place before AI can really make an impact on revenue, which teams are best positioned to lead adoption, and how top performers are using new tools to sharpen what they already do well. If you're trying to figure out where AI fits in your GTM stack and how to move beyond surface-level implementations, this episode delivers the data-backed playbook.Read Scale Venture Partners’ State of GTM AI Report here.Listen to Craig Rosenberg’s Podcast: The Transaction PodcastKey topics covered:[00:00] Intro[00:32] Phase One vs Phase Two AI Implementation[03:55] Marketing Teams Leading AI Adoption[06:00] Strategy First, Technology Second Approach[08:42] Successful AI Users Define Specific Outcomes[11:28] Human in the Loop Requirements[14:16] Campaign Analysis Driving 3x Pipeline Growth[18:19] Data Quality Challenges and Solutions[23:22] Toughest Go to Market Environment Ever[27:27] Clay and Micro Segmentation Success Stories[32:51] Account Research Made Fast and Effective[35:14] AI-Powered Pipeline Reviews[38:33] Rev Ops Leading AI Implementation[41:35] Individual Innovation vs Organizational Scale_______________________________________________________________GTM STRATEGY, GROWTH PLANNING, & REVOPS SERVICES● Website● LinkedIn● TikTok

They unpack why go-to-market processes exist but often go unused and how that breaks pipeline hygiene. Topics include using reports to spot adoption gaps, embedding methodology into CRM stages, and creating accountability through coaching and reviews. They also cover territory design, inbound follow-up cadences, and post-sale handoffs to protect retention.