In this episode of “The Goats of Growth,” I interview Jacco van der Kooij, founder of Winning by Design, about the challenges facing SaaS companies in achieving go-to-market fit. Jacco explains that the “growth at all costs” mentality has led to inefficient spending on sales and marketing, resulting in unsustainable growth. Tune in to learn how he advocates for a shift towards process-centric strategies, emphasizing the need for data-driven decisions, cost efficiency, and the unique treatment of different market segments.
Revenue Architecture ([00:01:12]) Jacco’s book “Revenue Architecture” and its insights into successful revenue leadership.
Has SaaS lost go to market fit? ([00:01:48]) Discussion on a paper titled “Has SaaS lost go to market fit?” and its implications for venture-backed SaaS companies.
Product market fit and go to market fit ([00:02:53]) Exploration of the concepts of product market fit and go to market fit, and their significance for sustainable growth.
SaaS companies’ go to market challenges ([00:04:23]) Analysis of the challenges faced by SaaS companies in maintaining go to market fit and the increasing cost of marketing and sales.
Impact of cost increase on go to market fit ([00:05:22]) Discussion on the rising cost of acquiring revenue and its impact on go to market fit and sustainability.
Automation and evolving go to market strategies ([00:11:13]) Insights into the potential impact of automation on certain tasks and the evolution of go to market strategies in response.
The role of the CFO and CRO in go to market strategies ([00:13:47]) Exploration of the evolving roles of the CFO and CRO in managing go to market strategies for rapid growth companies.
Scaling and efficiency in go to market motions ([00:17:25]) Consideration of tactics for scaling and maintaining efficiency in go to market motions for companies reaching the $200-300 million revenue level.
The importance of being process-centric ([00:21:01]) Discussion on the shift from people-centric to process-centric organizations and the need for optimization and automation.
Impact of process automation on productivity ([00:22:21]) Exploration of how automation and technology can increase productivity and revenue per headcount.
Skills and certification for executives ([00:25:54]) Discussion on the necessary skills and certification for executives in the context of revenue architecture and the changing business landscape.
The need for education and certification in revenue architecture ([00:29:32]) Exploration of the importance of education and certification for executives to understand revenue architecture and compound growth.
Investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth ([00:32:10]) Insights into the shift from new revenue acquisition to investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth.
Challenges in shifting marketing and sales alignment ([00:37:43]) Discussion on the challenges and time required for shifting marketing and sales alignment in organizations.
Balancing short-term demands and long-term growth ([00:40:04]) Exploration of the paradoxical challenge of meeting short-term demands while focusing on long-term growth strategies.
Server, software, and GTM ([00:41:13]) Discussion on the design and success rates of server, software, and go-to-market motion.
Success rates of server and software ([00:41:57]) Explanation of the success rates of server (99%) and software (five nines).
Success rate of GTM ([00:42:39]) Exploration of the success rate of companies in the go-to-market motion, defined as closing over a $3 million round in funding.
Vision and compound growth ([00:45:41]) Discussion on the importance of vision and compound growth in go-to-market strategy.
Changing GTM motion ([00:47:44]) Exploration of the evolving go-to-market motion and the need for proper architecture in sales strategies.
Exploring future topics ([00:48:43]) Request for a future episode to delve into the seeds being planted for the next phase of go-to-market strategies.