From MongoDB to Founder: How Deirdre Spillane bet on Herself DescriptionIn this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre Spillane, co-founder of Selr.ai and former sales leader at MongoDB and Segment. She shares her incredible journey—from building high-performing teams in one of the most feared sales orgs in tech, to stepping into the unknown and launching her own company. We dive into the power of coaching, the danger of drowning in data, and why understanding the “why” behind people’s actions is everything. If you're in sales, leadership, or considering your next bold career move—this is your playbook. 🙌  Thanks to our Sponsors!PG AI: https://www.getpg.aiSelr: https://selr.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered00:00 - Intro01:54 - From Oracle to MongoDB04:01 - Learning from Carlos Delatorre06:58 - ICP and Hard Lessons in Fit08:44 - Coaching Is About Trust11:14 - How to Truly Meet People Where They Are13:19 - Building Intentional Sales Teams15:01 - Diversity of Thought in Sales17:38 - Data Overload in Sales Leadership21:19 - Tracking the Right Metrics24:10 - Aligning Personal Why with Business Goals27:03 - Grit, Motivation & Early Indicators of Success30:49 - What Seller Actually Does34:42 - Founder Life vs Sales Leader Life36:59 - Why Coaching Is Her Life's Work --- 💥 3 Biggest Lessons 1. Trust Before Tactics: Effective coaching doesn't begin with playbooks—it starts by understanding and trusting your people.2. Data Isn’t Insight: Sales orgs today are flooded with metrics, but the true game-changers are conversion points and coaching conversations.3. Your 'Why' Is the Multiplier: Aligning your personal drive with business objectives creates clarity, resilience, and momentum. --- 🙌 Thanks for listening!This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.proIf you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! --- 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1cornsInstagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicornsBlog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog --- 💬 Borrow these quotes from Deirdre! “Once you get this opportunity, you take it with both hands… and you leave nothing on the field.”“You’ve got to meet people where they are—that’s where the trust builds.”“We don't lack data—we lack the right coaching to make sense of it.”“Being gritty is more important than being gifted.” ---