In this episode, I speak with Koen Stam and André about Cross-Functional Pods – an organisational structure that breaks down silos and creates customer-centric teams.

What you can expect:

• How Cross-Functional Pods improve communication and collaboration between Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success
• The right timing and ideal size for implementing Pods (4-6 people per Pod)
• Why Leadership Alignment is the critical success factor for functioning Pods
• Different approaches to Pod structuring: by verticals, ACV, or geographic regions
• Practical experiences with Pod structures across companies of different sizes

My highlights:

• The tension between functional expertise and cross-functional teamwork
• Balancing functional specialisation and holistic GTM steering
• The challenges of incentives and compensation in Pod structures

About the guests:

Koen Stam leads Benelux operations as Country Manager at Personio and has extensive experience implementing Pod structures. In 2019, he successfully introduced Pods at Team Leader and understands both the benefits and risks of this organisational model.

André Bressel works as an operational consultant with SaaS companies between $5-50 million ARR, helping founders develop effective go-to-market strategies. He brings practical experience implementing Pods in various contexts and advocates for a customer-centric approach.

Who should definitely listen to this episode:

• Go-to-Market leaders looking to break down silos in their organisations
• Executives in growing SaaS companies with complex sales processes
• Team and department leaders aiming for stronger customer orientation
• Change managers seeking ways to promote cross-functional collaboration

The recipe for success?

Leadership alignment, customer-oriented thinking, and a pragmatic approach to implementing Pod structures, without making drastic changes all at once.

- - -
Björn's Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order Now: My GTM Book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

My Homepage: www.rowing8.com

In dieser Folge tauche ich mit Dominic Blank – Mitgründer von Hyrise - in die Kunst des strategischen Vertriebsaufbaus ein. Als mehrfacher Gründer teilt Dominic wertvolle Erkenntnisse zum entscheidenden Übergang vom Founder Sales zur strukturierten Vertriebsorganisation.

Was dich erwartet:

• Die Gründer-Typologie: Wie tech-orientierte und vertriebsaffine Gründer völlig unterschiedliche Vertriebsstrategien benötigen
• Der kritische Wendepunkt: Wann genau der richtige Moment für den Aufbau deiner Vertriebsorganisation gekommen ist
• Die 5 essentiellen Grundlagen vor jeder Vertriebseinstellung: Problem, Lösung, Zielgruppe, Messaging und Verkaufsprozess
• Insider-Einblicke: Welche Vertriebsprofile in welcher Unternehmensphase den größten Impact haben
• Dominics persönliche Learnings aus dem Aufbau von Hyrise und der Begleitung zahlreicher B2B-Tech-Unternehmen

Meine Highlights:

• Warum das erste Vertriebsprofil je nach Gründertyp völlig unterschiedlich aussehen sollte
• Die brillante "Penicillin vs. Aspirin"-Methode zur Identifikation echter Kundenschmerzen
• Die Founder-Falle: Warum du mental niemals komplett aus dem Vertrieb aussteigen kannst (und solltest!)

Über den Gast:

Dominic Blank treibt als Mitgründer von Hyrise die Vertriebsexzellenz in der Tech-Branche voran. Mit seinen zwei Kernservices – dem strategischen Recruiting von Vertriebstalenten und dem zielgerichteten Training bestehender Teams – hat er den kompletten Überblick über erfolgreiche Sales-Strukturen. Seine Expertise aus mehrfachen eigenen Gründungen macht ihn zum idealen Sparringspartner für Unternehmen in der kritischen Wachstumsphase vom Founder-Led-Sales zum skalierbaren Vertriebsteam.

Wer diese Folge unbedingt hören sollte:

• Gründer an der Schwelle vom persönlichen Verkauf zum ersten Vertriebsteam
• Tech-Visionäre, die endlich einen strukturierten Vertriebsprozess aufbauen wollen
• Sales-Verantwortliche, die ihre Teams nach bewährten Prinzipien skalieren möchten
• Alle, die mehr Systematik und weniger Bauchgefühl in ihren Vertriebsprozess bringen wollen

Das Erfolgsrezept? Eine messerscharfe Zielgruppendefinition, tiefes Problemverständnis und ein systematischer Ansatz zur Vertriebsskalierung – gepaart mit kontinuierlichem Enablement für nachhaltige Performance.

Song by StockTune

- - -
Björn's Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order Now: My GTM Book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

My Homepage: www.rowing8.com

What to expect:

• Stefan's 25-year journey as an entrepreneur, including how he navigated companies through pivots after they'd already achieved product-market fit
• A practical framework for assessing when your business needs minor adjustments versus a fundamental change in business model
• Why the AI revolution is forcing many B2B SaaS companies to consider pivoting to managed service providers
• The importance of systematically exploring alternative paths, even when your business is growing
• How to avoid founder blind spots when your current business model starts showing warning signs

My highlights:

• Stefan's "wake up in the middle of the night" test: If you can't see how your business survives the next 12 months, it's time to pivot
• His E3 model for balancing resources: Exploit what works, Experiment with promising ideas, and Explore future possibilities
• The revelation that 90% of VC-backed startups don't meet their initial plans, and why the best time to discuss pivoting is right after funding
• How his Pivot Framework, based on Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas, maps 49 different pivot patterns from studying 300+ companies

About my guest:

Stefan Zanetti is a veteran entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in founding and scaling multiple companies. After stepping back from his operational roles 18 months ago (though he remains board president of his last venture), he focuses on helping founders systematically approach pivots. Drawing from his own hard-earned lessons, including one company that lost 75% of its revenue, Stefan has developed a comprehensive framework for detecting when a fundamental business model change is needed and executing it successfully.

Who should listen to this episode:

• Founders of SaaS companies experiencing slowing growth or market saturation
• CEOs assessing whether their current challenges demand tactical fixes or fundamental pivots
• Leadership teams evaluating the impact of AI on their business model viability
• Investors seeking frameworks to help portfolio companies navigate existential challenges

The success formula?

Don't wait until you hit the wall – create systems to evaluate the fundamentals of your business model regularly, involve outside perspectives to overcome blind spots, and be willing to make tough choices when adjusting sales and marketing strategies isn't enough to resolve your growth challenges.

- - -
Björn's Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order Now: My GTM Book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

My Homepage: www.rowing8.com