Janis and Philipp break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of annual planning. From late starts and siloed workflows to unrealistic capacity models and poor communication loops, they share what goes wrong in most companies – and how to fix it.
We cover:
• The most common annual planning pitfalls – and how to avoid them
• Late starts, top-down targets, and siloed processes
• Why RevOps should take the lead in annual planning
• How to align FP&A, HR, and GTM leadership
• The impact of capacity planning, ramp time, and attrition
• Building realistic hiring and pipeline generation models
• The importance of cross-functional workshops and continuous planning
• How to move from static annual planning to adaptive execution
Weflow: getweflow.com
RevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/community
RevOps Resources: getweflow.com/revops
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Why Annual Planning Is Broken
(00:02:19) Common Pitfalls: Late Starts & Siloed Processes
(00:04:42) Why RevOps Should Lead Annual Planning
(00:06:51) The Role of FP&A, HR & Leadership Alignment
(00:08:54) Timelines, Ownership & the Cost of Starting Late
(00:11:10) Capacity Planning, Ramp Time & Hiring Models
(00:15:02) Pipeline Generation & Continuous Adjustments
(00:19:24) Running Cross-Functional Planning Workshops
(00:22:25) Setting Realistic Scenarios (Best, Base, Worst Case)
(00:25:10) Board Sign-Off & Execution Cadences
(00:27:00) Final Thoughts & Cheat Sheet Recommendation
Kunal Pathak, Director of Deal Strategy & Operations at ServiceNow, joins Philipp to unpack what it really takes to run a world-class Deal Desk. With experience building deal operations at Salesforce, DocuSign, and now ServiceNow, Kunal shares how the function evolved from a transactional back office into a strategic control tower for revenue execution.
We cover:
- What a Deal Desk is and how it’s evolved into a strategic function
- When it’s time to introduce Deal Desk (hint: when your CEO reviews every deal)
- Balancing governance and deal velocity: the CFO vs. CRO charter
- Why a bad policy is one that creates constant exceptions
- The 70/30 rule: when to automate vs. when to go high-touch
- The ideal team setup and where Deal Desk should sit (Finance vs. Sales)
- How to collaborate with Legal, Finance, and Pricing Strategy
- Building commercial constructs that make it easy to buy
- Using AI and automation to move from reactive to proactive deal strategy
- How to start a Deal Desk from scratch—and what to prioritize first
Kunal Pathak on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunal-pathak-66b27317/
Weflow: getweflow.com
RevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/community
RevOps resources: getweflow.com/revops Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Kunal
(00:02:29) What Is a Deal Desk and Why It Matters
(00:06:58) When to Introduce Deal Desk
(00:09:15) Top Challenges When Setting Up the Function
(00:11:21) Balancing Governance and Deal Velocity
(00:14:27) Policies, Exceptions & the 70/30 Rule
(00:16:06) Where Deal Desk Should Sit (RevOps vs. Finance)
(00:18:38) Building the Right Team & Hiring Profiles
(00:21:20) Legal Collaboration & Ownership Boundaries
(00:24:48) Partnering with Pricing Strategy
(00:27:59) Value Engineering and Deal Economics
(00:30:12) The Future of Deal Desk – AI & Automation
(00:35:30) How to Start a Deal Desk From Scratch
(00:37:01) The First Hire & Key Priorities
(00:40:01) Resources, Books & Final Thoughts
Tessa Whittaker, VP of Revenue Operations at ZoomInfo, joins Janis Zech to discuss the critical challenge of shifting to an AI-First mindset within the RevOps function. Many leaders feel pressure due to the AI hype, but how do you ensure your teams implement the technology effectively? Tessa shares her proprietary RevOps Maturity Scale, a framework that identifies the operational foundation (systematization and process discipline) required before AI can be successfully deployed to boost upstream RevOps team efficiency.
She reveals how her team at ZoomInfo—a multi-billion-dollar valuation company with over a billion in ARR—transformed their roadmap prioritization and requirements gathering process using AI agents. This strategy helps them eliminate "human behavior" and resource fights, leading to maximum execution speed.
We discuss:
Why manual processes and poor data are the biggest roadblocks to successful AI implementation (Garbage In, Garbage Out).
Tessa's RevOps Maturity Scale (0 to 5), and why AI-Augmented Workflows only begin at Step 3.
How to build Operational Excellence as the foundation for AI (Ad Hoc → Manual but Defined → Systematized Rigor → Agentic Assistance).
The RevOps team structure at ZoomInfo: How Sales Operations, Business Process (Product Managers), and Revenue Technology collaborate.
The transformation of the RevOps Roadmap process: Moving from firefighting to data-driven stack ranking of strategic initiatives.
The use of an AI Agent for Requirements Gathering and generating Prioritization Scores to end subjective resource battles with stakeholders.
How to coach Internal Stakeholders to bring problems instead of prescribed solutions, and how AI facilitates this shift.
Tessa’s Hackathon strategy to mandate an AI-First mindset across the RevOps team and build internal efficiency agents.
Mallory Lee on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-whittaker-44903940/
Weflow: getweflow.com
RevOps Chat Community: getweflow.com/community
RevOps resources: getweflow.com/revops
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Philipp on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction and Welcoming Tessa
(00:01:52) Tessa's Career Path: From Executive Assistant to VP of RevOps
(00:03:16) The RevOps Team Structure at ZoomInfo (Sales Ops, Business Process, RevTech)
(00:06:19) Introducing the RevOps AI Maturity Scale
(00:08:43) Steps 0 through 5: From Ad Hoc to Autonomous Operations
(00:10:45) The necessity of Operational Excellence as an AI prerequisite
(00:16:03) The RevOps reality before systematization (Chaos and Firefighting)
(00:21:44) Building Systematized Rigor: Central intake, JIRA, and capacity measurement
(00:26:40) Dealing with noise and Fire Drills: How centralized stack ranking eliminates resource fights
(00:35:17) The AI-First Leap: Transforming the RevOps Roadmap process with AI
(00:37:50) The AI Agent for Requirements Gathering: Eliminating time-consuming meetings
(00:40:24) How the AI agent calculates Prioritization Scores for dynamic sprint planning
(00:43:39) Additional AI Use Cases: Process documentation, slide generation, and monitoring
(00:44:40) The Hackathon Strategy to instill an AI-First mindset in the team
(00:46:10) Community Recommendations: The value of a tight-knit expert network
Mallory Lee, VP of RevOps at PhoneBurner, returns to the show to talk about one of the most painful but critical topics in sales: CRM hygiene. From missed updates and bloated pipelines to forecasting gaps and trust issues, Mallory shares how automation and AI can remove manual work for reps and bring accuracy back to the pipeline.
We cover:
Links & Resources
Chapters
Laura Cross, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, joins Janis and Philipp to unpack the shift from annual to continuous planning. Laura shares why static, one-and-done plans don’t work in today’s fast-changing environment and how RevOps can take the lead in building adaptive, customer-centric planning processes.
We cover:In this quick special episode (under 3 minutes!), Janis and Philipp announce something big:👉 Together with 50 RevOps leaders from around the world, we’re launching a free Slack community exclusively for Revenue Operations professionals.Here’s what you need to know: • 💬 No pitches, just real conversations • ✅ Strictly RevOps-only (every application is reviewed) • 🤝 Share challenges, get support, and learn faster • 🌍 Local chapters for real-life meetups (yes, IRL!)🚀 Request early access now: getweflow.com/community
Andy Mowat, Founder of Whisperd and longtime RevOps leader at companies like Upwork, Box, CultureAmp, and Carta, joins Janis and Philipp to share how to build a successful career in RevOps. Andy breaks down the six “superpowers” of RevOps, what separates a VP from a Director, and how to pick the right company to accelerate your growth. He also shares his perspective on how AI will reshape the future of RevOps and the GTM tech stack.
We cover:
The six “superpowers” of RevOps every operator should master
Director vs. VP: the real differences in scope and leadership
Why choosing the right company and boss matters more than comp
Head of RevOps at a startup vs. #2 at a breakout scale-up
How to identify breakout companies—and avoid toxic ones
Future trends: AI, data architecture, and the reinvention of Salesforce
Resources for career growth from Whisperd
Andy Mowat on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymowat/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Andy
(00:04:46) The Six Superpowers of RevOps
(00:07:44) Director vs. VP – Key Differences
(00:10:39) Picking Companies That Accelerate Your Career
(00:15:13) Startup vs. Scale-Up Roles
(00:23:22) Future Trends in RevOps: AI & Data
(00:29:48) Whisperd Playbooks & Final Takeaways
Lauren Hughes, VP of Revenue Effectiveness at Justworks and former Global Head of RevOps at InMobi, joins Janis and Philipp to share how RevOps can become the connective tissue between product and go-to-market. Lauren walks through her experience scaling RevOps during hypergrowth, driving alignment with product, and building operating cadences that keep leadership on the same page.
We cover:
• Lessons from scaling InMobi from $300M to $600M+ revenue
• How to build RevOps from 2 people “tinkering in Salesforce” to a 25+ person team
• Driving interlock between product and revenue teams under pressure
• Why operating cadences matter more than tools
• Balancing short-term firefighting with long-term roadmap planning
• How RevOps can translate customer needs into product strategy
Lauren Hughes on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenehughes10023/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Lauren
(00:02:00) Scaling RevOps at InMobi During Hypergrowth
(00:07:15) First Hires & Building Business Planning Into RevOps
(00:12:40) Driving Product <> Revenue Interlock
(00:18:20) Operating Cadences & Leadership Alignment
(00:23:30) Balancing Fix-It Mode With Future Planning
(00:29:10) Lessons Learned & Applying Them at Justworks
(00:34:30) Podcasts & Resources Lauren Recommends
In this episode, Janis and Philipp sit down with 5x CRO John McMahon, the Author of “The Qualified Sales Leader”, board member at Snowflake and MongoDB, and co-host of the Revenue Builders Podcast. John shares how revenue operations can play a critical role in preparing CROs and CEOs for board meetings, what metrics truly matter, and why scaling go-to-market teams is often harder than building products.
From avoiding common pitfalls in hiring and territory planning to designing repeatable frameworks for growth, this conversation is packed with insights from someone who has guided companies through hypergrowth at the highest levels.
What You’ll Learn:
How RevOps leaders can equip CROs for successful board meetings
Why headcount, productivity, and churn are the only real levers in scaling sales
The cost of hiring too late and under-investing in frontline management
Why territory fairness is critical to rep success and retention
Key frameworks for reporting to the board (5-quarter model, productivity per rep, new logos vs. existing growth)
The importance of evolving your ICP, sales process, and common language as you scale
John McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmcmahon1/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Meet John McMayhem
(00:03:45) Board Meeting Dynamics
(00:08:20) Preparation Strategies
(00:12:30) Sales Team Scaling Pitfalls
(00:16:50) Proactive Hiring Importance
(00:21:15) Territory Management
(00:25:45) Reducing Ramp Time Through Training
(00:30:00) Key Performance Metrics
(00:34:40) RevOps as Strategic Eyes and Ears
(00:38:10) Closing Thoughts & Book Recommendation
Kristina Kardell, Director of RevOps & Strategy at Leapsome, joins Janis to explore how revenue cadences can move RevOps from execution to strategy. Kristina shares how she structures cadences that align leaders, drive accountability, and unlock real business impact.We cover: • What revenue cadences actually are—and why they matter • How to set up cadences that align GTM leadership • Turning recurring meetings into drivers of accountability • Balancing operational detail with strategic oversight • Lessons learned from scaling RevOps at Leapsome • How cadences unlock cross-functional alignment
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinakardell/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Kristina
(00:02:05) Why Cadences Are a Strategic Lever
(00:06:20) Designing Cadences That Stick
(00:10:45) Leadership Alignment Through Revenue Cadences
(00:15:00) From Operations to Strategy
(00:18:25) Lessons Learned at Leapsome
(00:21:40) Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways
Dana Therrien, VP of Sales Performance Management and Revenue Operations Advisory at Anaplan, joins Janis and Philipp to unpack what it really takes to build a RevOps team that drives measurable impact. With deep expertise in GTM strategy, comp design, and performance management, Dana shares how to align revenue teams, structure for scale, and turn RevOps into a strategic growth driver—not just an operational support function.We cover: • How to design a RevOps org that accelerates GTM execution • The link between sales performance management and RevOps success • Common comp plan pitfalls and how to avoid them • Partnering effectively with CROs, CFOs, and sales leadership • Which skills turn good operators into strategic leaders • Why RevOps needs a seat at the executive tableDana Therrien on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/danatherrien/Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheetJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: • (00:00:00) Intro & Meet Dana • (00:02:20) From Sales Performance to RevOps Leadership • (00:06:05) What Great RevOps Teams Do Differently • (00:10:45) Comp Plan Design – Common Pitfalls & Fixes • (00:15:30) Partnering with CROs and CFOs • (00:20:40) Leadership Skills That Scale • (00:26:10) Structuring RevOps for Speed & Alignment • (00:31:25) Final Takeaways & Book Recommendation
After 88 episodes, Janis and Philipp look back and highlight the most shared, cited, and saved conversations from across the show. From methodology rollouts and forecasting to CS, enablement, and strategic RevOps planning—this is a curated guide to the episodes that shaped the community.We cover: • The most actionable insights across 80+ episodes • What listeners actually implement from RevOps Lab • Which guests challenged how we think about GTM • Our favorite frameworks, rituals, and cheat sheets • What’s coming next—and how we’ll keep evolvingReview our top 10 episodes: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_takeaways-from-9-revops-leaders-activity-7305237770560507905-M-Bx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIJustin Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-revops-outbound-activity-7260648519277985792-PXw5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAISamarth: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-salesops-cro-activity-7255182493337677824-YI7t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIMatthew Volm: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-tools-revops-activity-7252283401032863744-Y1fY?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAICrissy: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-revops-gtmops-activity-7250501664216875008-6o90?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIJeremy: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-gtm-saas-activity-7242861308096712705-P1eA?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAILaura Adint & Sean Lane: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-revopslab-revops-activity-7241426861497462784-1kyb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIDaphne: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_hubspot-revops-cs-activity-7238871265791410176-Q9To?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAITom: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_cros-revops-revopslab-activity-7237105621039267843-pLtb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIBen Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_saas-revops-gtm-activity-7272607315730604033-ph1c?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIEric https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_revops-saas-gtm-activity-7270780286269849600-2nDU?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIToni: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janiszech_what-are-ways-to-be-more-strategic-in-revops-activity-7269330721238880258-Iitt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADkq4oBjquoXFjbQrLH0htfS54y5Fv-tAIChapters: • (00:00:00) Intro & Why This Recap Matters • (00:02:00) Books That Shaped the Show • (00:05:00) Forecasting, Pipeline Reviews & SPICED • (00:09:00) Planning, Board Prep & Territory Design • (00:13:00) Comp Plans, Metrics & SaaS Finance • (00:16:00) RevOps & FP&A: Strategic Convergence • (00:18:00) Community Shoutouts & What’s Next
Julien Cerutti, VP Revenue Strategy at Meltwater, shares how he led the global rollout of the SPICED sales methodology across 700+ sellers. From frontline adoption to operationalizing SPICED in Salesforce and building AI-powered deal inspections, Julien walks through a practical framework for making methodology stick—at scale.
We cover:
• Why Meltwater chose SPICED over MEDDIC or BANT
• How to structure deal inspection cadences that actually work
• Building methodology into your CRM, scoring, and dashboards
• Why enablement isn’t enough—and how to align managers
• Using AI agents for deal scoring, inspection, and coaching
• What “10x sellers” might look like with operational AI support
Julien Cerutti on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliencerutti/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Meet Julien & His Role at Meltwater
(00:03:00) Choosing SPICED & Aligning Global Teams
(00:07:20) Operationalizing SPICED in Salesforce
(00:11:45) Why Deal Inspections Need Their Own Cadence
(00:15:40) Enabling Managers to Drive Adoption
(00:20:00) AI Use Cases: Scoring, Coaching, Feedback
(00:24:15) Vision for 10x Sellers with AI Agents
(00:28:40) Book Recommendations & Closing Thoughts
Mollie Bodensteiner, SVP of Operations at Engine, joins Janis and Philipp to unpack the RevOps org structure behind a 1,000-person company scaling at speed. Mollie shares how her team of 40+ built a pod-based model that balances enablement, systems, and sales ops—while staying fast, aligned, and strategic.From hiring 25 people in 6 months to syncing Asana, Slack, and sprint cycles, this is a playbook for anyone designing or rethinking their RevOps org.We cover: • How Engine designed a pod-based RevOps structure • The soft skills required for operating partners • Aligning enablement, systems, and ops around one roadmap • Scaling without drowning in meetings or Slack chaos • Tips for hiring across ops, enablement, and technical roles • How to run RevOps like a product org—with developers, BAs & roadmaps • Mollie’s framework for project prioritization (and saying no) • Why a “get the right people on the bus” mindset beats rigid job specsMollie Bodensteiner on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/molliebodensteiner/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheetJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: • (00:00:00) Meet Mollie & Her Role at Engine • (00:02:30) Why Pods? Org Design Lessons from Scaling • (00:06:00) How to Align Enablement, Ops & Systems • (00:09:45) Slack, Asana & Avoiding Communication Chaos • (00:13:00) Prioritization Frameworks & Saying No • (00:16:20) What Makes a Great RevOps Hire • (00:20:30) Running RevOps Like a Product Team • (00:25:00) When to Augment with Agencies vs. Own Internally • (00:29:30) Hiring Mindset: Skills > CVs • (00:34:00) Book Recs: Surrounded by Idiots, Thinking in Bets, Trillion Dollar Coach
Lauren Silvers, GTM Programs Lead at Ironclad, joins the show to share a bold, future-focused vision for revenue operations: one that’s deeply buyer-centric, AI-assisted, and system-aware. Drawing from her talk at RevOpsFest NYC, Lauren explores how changing buyer behavior, signal-based selling, and enablement-rooted RevOps are reshaping how GTM teams operate. It’s a masterclass in where the function is going—and what to do now to keep up.We cover:- Why current sales processes frustrate modern buyers- How to reduce context-switching and tool overload for reps- What “buyer GPTs” and signal clusters mean for the future of sales- How to orchestrate actions based on signal intent—not funnel stages- Where AI already solves CRM hygiene (and why most teams still don’t use it)- How to operationalize customer-verifiable outcomes- What a 247% pipeline lift looks like when RevOps actually quarterbackLauren Silvers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensilvers/ Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheetJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzerChapters: (00:00:00) Meet Lauren & Her Talk at RevOpsFest (00:03:15) What Buyer-Centric Actually Means (00:06:00) How Buyer Behavior Is Evolving (Fast) (00:09:40) Tool Sprawl, Friction & the Case for System Change (00:13:30) AI, CRM Hygiene & What’s Already Solved (00:16:45) Signal-Based Selling vs. Funnel Thinking (00:21:00) How Intercom Built Signal Clusters That Drove +247% Pipeline (00:25:30) How to Simplify Action for Reps Without Dumbing It Down (00:29:00) Customer-Verifiable Outcomes (CVOs) in Practice (00:34:00) The Reality of Change: Culture, Systems, and Trust (00:38:30) Lauren’s Book Rec: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
Seth London, VP of Revenue Operations at Meltwater, joins the podcast to unpack one of the most strategic (and misunderstood) relationships in GTM: the connection between RevOps and FP&A. With firsthand experience leading both functions, Seth shares how to bridge financial planning and go-to-market execution—without getting caught between the boardroom and the field.
This episode is a practical deep dive into annual planning, metrics ownership, communication cadences, and building mutual trust between RevOps and Finance.
We cover:
Seth London on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-london/
Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheet
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
00:00:00 Intro & Why FP&A and RevOps Often Misalign
00:02:30 What Seth Learned From Working in Both Worlds
00:07:00 How Meltwater Rebuilt the Planning Process
00:11:45 Translating GTM Plans into Financial Models
00:16:30 Weekly Cadence, Forecasting Rituals & Narrative Sync
00:21:40 What Makes FP&A a Champion vs. a Blocker
00:26:00 Metrics Ownership: Pipeline vs. Profitability
00:31:00 The ARR Debate, Gross Retention & CFO Buy-in
00:34:30 Final Thoughts & Reflections on Alignment
Janis and Philipp dive into one of the most requested topics in RevOps: pipeline visibility. What does it actually mean? Why is it so hard to get right? And what does good look like?Using the Pipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet as their guide, they break down the exact fields, signals, and metrics you need to track deal health and build trust in your forecast—without overwhelming reps or drowning in dashboard noise.We cover: • The four core layers of pipeline visibility: activity, conversation, methodology, and process • The 10 most important deal signals and how to operationalize them • How to spot bloated pipeline and early warning signs of risk • Stage conversion, sales velocity, and push count as leading indicators • How to start visibility tracking lean—and scale it over timePipeline Visibility Cheat Sheet: https://www.getweflow.com/content/pipeline-visibility-cheat-sheetJanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer Chapters: • (00:00:00) Introduction & Why CRM Visibility Still Fails • (00:03:05) The 4 Layers of Visibility • (00:07:42) What Makes a Deal “Real”? • (00:13:20) Deal Signals: Champions, Pain, Urgency • (00:18:09) Sales Cycle, Pushes & Stage Conversion • (00:25:32) Visibility Metrics That Actually Matter • (00:31:00) How to Roll Out Pipeline Hygiene Without Overkill • (00:36:55) Final Thoughts & Cheat Sheet Recap
Janis and Philipp are back for another guest-free deep dive—this time breaking down the most downloaded cheat sheet they’ve ever released: The Strategic RevOps Cheat Sheet. In this candid Friday-afternoon recording (yes, with beer), they talk through the key pitfalls they see across hundreds of RevOps conversations and outline a practical cadence for having real strategic impact—no matter your title or team size.
We cover:
The most common RevOps pitfalls and how to avoid them
Why being “too reactive” kills your credibility and leverage
How to operationalize annual planning, even if you don’t own it
What strategic cadence actually looks like (QBRs, forecast meetings, board prep)
How to align planning with segmentation, territory models, and pipeline goals
The mindset shift from tech firefighting to business partnership
Tactical ways to become more strategic—even at the IC level
Free RevOps Resources:
https://www.getweflow.com/revops
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Iced Tea vs. Friday Beer
(00:02:30) Pitfall 1: The Slack-Ping Hell of Internal Requests
(00:04:50) Pitfall 2: Go-to-Market Misalignment
(00:06:50) Pitfall 3: Data Trust and Strategy Disconnect
(00:09:00) The Mindset Shift: From Reactive to Proactive
(00:11:30) Strategic Operating Cadence: Annual to Monthly
(00:15:00) Bottom-Up GTM Planning and Headcount Models
(00:20:30) Aligning FP&A, Sales, and Marketing on Metrics
(00:23:45) From Planning to Execution: Staying Strategic
(00:26:00) Owning the Revenue Cadence (QBRs, Board Decks, Forecast Meetings)
(00:30:00) Strategic Impact via CSMs, Expansion, and Retention
(00:33:00) Translating KPIs to Executive Language
(00:36:00) Final Thoughts & Cheat Sheet Summary
Joe Ort, Founder of RevOps Inflection and 15-year RevOps veteran, joins the show to share his 5A Framework—a repeatable, strategic approach for diagnosing, prioritizing, and scaling RevOps impact. From fractional leadership to enterprise projects, Joe walks through how the framework applies in real-world settings and how operators can use it to build clarity, credibility, and momentum.
We cover:
• The 5A Framework: Audit, Analyze, Align, Architect, Accelerate
• How to apply the model in new roles, acquisitions, or big initiatives
• The importance of stakeholder buy-in and prioritization
• What most RevOps teams skip (and why it hurts long-term credibility)
• How to approach change management and value communication
• Common pitfalls like overloading sellers or skipping baseline metrics
Joe Ort on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeort/
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Weflow: https://www.getweflow.com
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Joe
(00:02:25) The Origin of the 5A Framework
(00:05:06) When to Use It: New Roles, Projects, Acquisitions
(00:08:43) A – Audit: What to Assess and Why It Matters
(00:13:26) Tools & Tips for a Strong Audit Phase
(00:15:18) A – Analyze: From Metrics to Root Causes
(00:18:41) When You Don’t Have the Data: Now What?
(00:20:17) A – Align: Gaining Stakeholder Buy-In Without Overload
(00:23:24) Common Pitfalls: Change Fatigue, Overcommitment
(00:27:11) A – Architect: Designing for Scalability & Adoption
(00:31:33) A – Accelerate: Driving Impact and Continuous Learning
(00:35:03) Book Recommendation: Getting Things Done by David Allen
(00:36:47) Final Thoughts & Funny Story on Lost Comp Plans
Rhys Williams, Founder of RevOps agency Domestique, joins the show to talk about one of the most frustrating (and familiar) realities in GTM: executives don’t trust the data. But the real issue? It’s almost never about the dashboard. In this episode, Rhys walks through a practical, systems-level approach to rebuilding trust in data—from strategic alignment to process design and cross-functional buy-in.
We cover:
Why “I don’t trust the data” rarely means bad reporting
The foundational role of GTM strategy and lifecycle stages
How to align MQL definitions across Marketing and Sales
Tooling traps, reverse-engineered metrics, and the danger of dashboard overload
How to use operating cadences like the “Demand Council” to drive alignment
Why RevOps teams must lead with analysis and recommendations—not just data
Rhys Williams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhys-williams-24563617/
Janis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippstelzer
Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiszech
Weflow: https://www.getweflow.com
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Rhys
(00:02:08) Why Executives Still Don’t Trust Data in 2025
(00:04:16) Strategy → Process → Tools → Data → Enablement
(00:07:05) Why MQLs Break Without Shared Definitions
(00:10:52) From Business Goals to KPI Trees
(00:13:19) Input vs. Output Metrics
(00:17:55) Designing Operating Cadences that Actually Use Data
(00:21:55) The RevOps Readout: How to Get a Seat at the Table
(00:26:35) Leading Through Influence – Even with Executives
(00:29:47) Book Recommendations: The 360 Leader, The Daily Stoic
