Kaveh Rostampor

HEAVY focus video for advanced CEOs -> 98% of CEOs including at $500 million revenue scale are focusing on so many things (slowing their company acceleration down) instead of effortless yet rigorous cross value domain priority “calculations”. This video is for advanced execs. It’s fair to say…no one teaches this the way we have done this across companies, industries and countries. After I managed at million $ and billion $ scale, wrote 4 billion variable algorithms to do this (at high end versions) and implemented it over and over..I can absolutely say it works for us and our clients. This is not a sales video...just informational on how anyone can do this. We hope this helps whether you are pre-revenue or crossing $1 billion for your first time. Also covered… - AB testing science/calculations that are THE core to life and company success - The actual mechanism that causes people to lose focus, stop believing in their attempt and get unnecessarily overwhelmed - Why 1 month initiatives take people 10 months unnecessarily - just by skipping a 60 sec calculation   - Why the more ambitious people tend to get off track the most - all we need is a focus on “most efficient order” and “team/self bandwidth bounds” - It’s essential to have clear goals for 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year, 2yrs, 5yrs, 10yrs - Why we won’t work with, consult or invest in execs that do not have solid cross value domain priority calculations or execs who cannot start working with solid cross value domain priority calculations asap - Hire for just the roles that extend runway enough to get you to a runway buffer that can withstand project “failures” (experiments) that are inherent to a degree when you are growing into new things or accelerating quickly - Lacking priorities also kills the must have “positive frequency” you need to be in to operate at your highest capacity - Priority calculations should be shared with the team to create autonomous decision frameworks that scale - Lacking skills in a department is a “silent killer” - Every meeting needs priorities of the meeting as well - and to bound them to time and decision target that is tied to revenue or a top 3 priority item - Non-consistent sleep, exercise, nutrition and emotional control is one of the biggest tells that a CEO is not on their game and not going to go where they want to go in the timeline they want to For context we have a 4 billion variable function that optimizes the entirety of companies (we use it in the consulting) Every person, landing page, strategy, development cycle, design, legal context …across food, software, clothing, gaming, manufacturing, etc ..all optimized So what is discussed is grounded in mechanisms that really work across companies, industries and countries. Savannah Kelley and I hope you enjoy our nuanced chat for advanced execs :-) 

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Perfecting your product and GTM strategy are surely important. But Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie argues there's one factor that outweighs all others in startup success: recognizing and capitalizing on tech and macro tailwinds. Fighting against them? You're setting yourself up for failure. Our full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gEAPFR-A

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Cap Table guidance from Cake Equity and my former colleague Chris Hoffmann, ECA 🚀🧢 VALUATION & EQUITY MANAGEMENT: Companies should aim for balanced equity plans that are fair yet practical, involving vesting schedules to ensure employees earn their shares. Giving employees sufficient time to exercise options post-vesting can also prevent punitive exercise costs. This approach encourages loyalty and values employee contributions without overwhelming the cap table. HIGH ADMIN DEMAND IN LATER STAGES: In growth phases, especially Series C and D, managing cap tables becomes complex, with frequent hires, exits, and equity grants. Software platforms (e.g., Cake) are essential to keep cap tables organized, as manual systems like Excel can't handle the volume and complexity efficiently. IMPORTANCE OF DAILY & MONTHLY AUDITS: Regular audits are crucial to keep track of terminations, new grants, and board consents. Errors in terminations and grants can lead to costly issues during audits, financial reporting, or funding rounds. SECONDARY TRANSACTIONS & LIQUIDITY OPTIONS: Allowing limited liquidity for employees and early investors, such as through tender offers or company-facilitated secondary transactions, is valuable. These mechanisms offer flexibility without requiring a full exit or IPO, which has become less common due to the IPO market slowdown. CAP TABLE ERRORS CAN BE COSTLY: Historical errors in cap tables can create major headaches. Two examples highlight this:    - In one case, a series D company had to spend $100,000 to $150,000 on cap table corrections, which delayed planned transactions by six months.   - Another company had converted multiple financing rounds incorrectly, requiring a year and a half of back-and-forth with attorneys and investors to correct the errors. These situations emphasize the need to organize and verify cap table data from the outset to avoid costly fixes later. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOUNDERS: Early-stage companies should seek expert help in setting up and maintaining cap tables, even if through fractional CFOs or specialized attorneys. Organizing all equity-related documents digitally, using reliable software, and conducting regular audits can save time, money, and stress in the long run.

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Early stage companies can’t be simultaneously addressing every customer category, esp if there are different marketing, pricing, GTM, and other considerations in play. It is tempting to collect revenue from wherever it comes, but can backfire with messaging and a lack of focus.

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To win in the world of AI/ digital disruption, progressive startups are embracing structural change . #1. Right prioritise your planning model ( short vs long).The short game (i.e. short term planning and execution) is critically important until you get to $50 M ish, more important than the long game ( i.e. long term vision) #2. Right size-mix your organization model (i.e. hire special forces vs full time employees / build small teams vs large teams) #startup #scaling #winning #longtermvsshortterm #specialforces #growth

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🚀 Ready to supercharge your GTM strategy? Join me in Austin, Texas, from October 14th-16th for Pavilion's annual GTM2024 conference! This isn’t your typical B2B event. Over three days, you'll dive deep into hands-on sessions with other GTM leaders, crafting actionable strategies that will propel your speed to market. 🛠️✨ Oh, and did I mention? I’ll be there too! 🎉 Whether you're looking to connect, collaborate, or just grab a coffee, I’d love to chat. Fun fact: I will be speaking on my favorite topic: How to Scale AI in GTM! Stop by to be part of the conversation. Don’t miss out! If you’re interested in attending, drop me a DM or message me with “Boost my GTM” to grab my special promo code for 10% off your ticket. 🎟️ Register Here: https://lnkd.in/ebpdhUkn Let’s make GTM2024 unforgettable! 🌟 #GTM2024 #Austin #PavilionGTM #Marketing #Sales #Strategy

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I wrote two term sheets this week into startups backed by amazing founding teams, and in both cases I recommended a pivot to the team’s initial GTM strategy.   Sometimes being well networked, or building in a white hot problem space can be a gift and a curse when it catches the attention of enterprise customers.   On paper, it is the exact type of validation a funding team is seeking as they work through an initial version of their product, but more often than not it has the potential to derail a startup’s potential for success.   The startups in question were both experiencing this exact dynamic.  In one case, the team had caught the eye of one of the largest robotics companies in the world and begun conversations around a potential partnership.   The second company is backed by a 20 year industry veteran with a deep rolodex of enterprise customers within his ICP.  Some of the largest retailers in the world were engaging in conversations around piloting his product.  As I explained to both of these founders, this was amazing validation, but should also not be the focal point of their initial GTM.   The reality is, in order to successfully deploy within either of these customers, they were looking at a long and arduous path, filled with security reviews and product feature sets that realistically an early stage pre-seed company with 2 founders could not deliver upon.   My advice to them, continue those conversations, with the realization that they could take 1 year+ before realistic deployments, but focus the lion’s share of their GTM energies toward customers with lower deployment hurdles, in this case Series A/B backed robotics companies and $50M-$250M retailers.    To be clear, the  genuine interest from these enterprises is a massively positive indicator on the problem/solution set they are building for, and it is part of the reason we are bullish on the market opportunity of each startup.  I’ve just seen so many startups fail to deploy an initial product and ultimately never raise a seed round because they get stuck in a seemingly never ending enterprise sales cycle.

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KNOW YOUR REAL BUSINESS ECONOMICS • GAAP Revenue • Cash Flow • Cash • Contribution Margin • CAC • CAC Payback FUNDRAISING: PRESENT & SUBSTANTIATE FINANCIALS • Investor needs to know what your forecasts are • They need to believe them David Weiden, Khosla Ventures

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Great insights from Guy Marion, Chargebee's CMO, in a recent article for Forbes on how changing consumer behaviors are fueling a significant shift in the subscription economy. As consumers constantly reevaluate their subscriptions, businesses must adapt by prioritizing high-quality products, personalized experiences, and ongoing improvement to meet changing customer needs. Check out the full article here: https://okt.to/KTdonV

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If you enjoyed our first blog on the metrics that matter for Verticalized SaaS then don't miss on the Part II of the series where my colleagues Devraj Hom Roy and Matt Schaar discuss the strategic and operational choices to improve these operational indicators. https://lnkd.in/g5QkCrcH

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Have you ever looked for theory that can answer - how to approach investors - what kind of product to build first - how you’ll defend the company against competitors This new article from CDA partner, Kevin Maney extends Steven Johnson's writing from the book Emergence to #CategoryDesign. All #Startups and #VentureCapital teams should dig in. (link to article in comments)

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Churn isn't always a bad thing – in fact, it can be a strategic move that boosts your bottom line. In this article, Chargebee's CMO, Guy Marion explores the concept of Strategic Churn and how it can be leveraged as a powerful tool for growth and optimization. Check out the full piece here: https://chrge.be/45m1s6c #SubscriptionManagement #RetentionStrategies

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Rolling into another day of the Primary Summit. Hit me up if we should connect onsite. Kudos to the Primary Ventures team so far, as yesterday’s Pre-Seed Summit was on point. Mar Hershenson, Benjamin Sun, Chris Douvos, Zach Weinberg, and Graham Pingree all dropping helpful nuggets for fund managers. Some paraphrased highlights: - Chris Douvos (AHOY Capital) - Most fund decks are terrible. Start with your people (not your strategy) and know you have about 6 slides of his attention. - Zach Weinberg (Curie.Bio ) - beleives SF’s AI talent is a significant advantage over NY, wouldn’t build AI in NY. Also questions if VC exits can keep up with VC expansion (generally hilarious and smart Twitter follow) - Mar Hershenson (Pear VC) - VC is so much more competitive now. It’s not enough to be an ex-founder with a great network and domain expertise. Have a better “why you are different” or do something else! - Benjamin Sun (Primary Venture Partners)- still sees arbitrage in going long NY venture (vs. SF). Do the work to keep various influential networking nodes aware of what you’re doing and how you think.

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A very helpful enablement tool that almost no one has? List of initiatives / tools / programs to steal budget from + WHY our solution is a better investment. In most orgs… There are 1000 one pagers about random features. Zero one pagers about initiatives that we could get $$$ from and how to position for it.

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Director+ looking for VC-backed company roles: It's hard to get on Exec Search firm radars as they focus more on VP+ roles, but there is one networking target you must tap into... VC Talent Partners VC Talent partners these days are taking on more than just the executive searches. They help portfolio companies at VC firms with executive searches, for sure, but also: • How to run hiring processes • How to scale talent orgs • and DIRECTOR searches So here's what to do to start: 1. Find VC firms who invested in your past employers? (Crunchbase) 2. Find the Talent Partners at those firms? 3. Reach out to them, noting that you worked at their VC's portco. PS: Same goes for PE firms. Under-utilized and under-appreciated resource.

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In case you missed it last week, one of my favorite SaaS benchmark reports was released. Thanks to High Alpha and OpenView for the work and having us as a partner! This thing is stuffed full of insights on everything from growth rates, net revenue retention, ARR per FTE, and more. You can't build a great SaaS business without it! https://lnkd.in/ghKT_tBY

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Join this discussion (bit.ly/3UljG3Z) to understand how to build a revenue process that's focused on buying rather than selling. Learn how to enable salespeople to run the process and founders to evangelize and bring gravitas.

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What do you do when your customer’s success metrics don’t actually align with business value? Something I see a lot: -AE/CSM teams anchoring on a set of metrics that their primary champion has said are important -These metrics being heavily task oriented and not easily rolled up to a c-level business outcome How do you manage this?

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Winning early GTM via founder led sales is an essential step in building a consequential start up. 🎯 But, while there are countless conferences focused on scaling GTM once you've hit a couple million in revenue, to date there hasn't been a conference focused on FOUNDER LED SALES and nailing the earliest days of GTM. 👀 😅 That ends now. 🙌 Pear VC has helped 100+ founders learn how to sell, how to build their 0-to-1 sales engine, how to get from $0 ARR to $1M ARR -- and now we're introducing the first ever GTM CONFERENCE for EARLY STAGE FOUNDERS. ⭐ "Zero to $1M: Winning Early GTM" will be held in San Francisco, CA this September 5th! ⭐ If you're at the idea 💡, pre-seed 🌰 , or seed stage 🌱 , this is the GTM conference for YOU. Come hear from Pear veterans, industry leaders, and successful repeat founders like Sanjit Biswas (Samsara and Cisco Meraki Co-founder and CEO), and leave with actionable guidance to supercharge your startup’s revenue from day 1. ​ ➡ APPLY NOW! Space is limited, and the early application deadline is July 15th. Pepe Agell and I will review applications on a rolling basis. 🚀 CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE! 🚀 #earlystageGTM #zeroto1M #founderledsales

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