The GTMnow Podcast

How Sophos Scales Customer Success for 600,000 Customers in a 24/7 Cyber Threat Environment, with Teresa Anania, SVP of Customer Experience

This episode was recorded prior to Teresa Anania’s move to Chief Customer Officer at Verint. At the time of recording, she was SVP of Customer Experience at Sophos.Teresa Anania (CCO at Verint, formerly CCO at Sophos) joins GTMnow to share how she's built customer success into a true revenue engine at a company serving 600,000 customers across over $1 billion in annual revenue, and why the old reactive, relationship-based CS model is no longer cutting it.At Sophos, the threat landscape is compounding fast. AI is accelerating the speed and sophistication of attacks, which means response times, customer journeys, and success motions all have to evolve in lockstep in order to keep up. Teresa has spent her career at companies like Zendesk, Autodesk, and ON24 building the operational frameworks that make that possible at scale.Mentioned Resources: Cleverbridge: Merchant of Record for Software & SaaS​Guest links: Teresa Anania - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-anania/Sophos - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sophos/Sophos - Website: https://www.sophos.com/Host links:Sophie Buonassisi - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/Sophie Buonassisi - X (Twitter): https://x.com/sophiebuonaNewsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.comSponsors: - HockeyStack - the AI platform that unifies GTM data to help teams convert, expand, and scale. Learn more at https://www.hockeystack.com/- Nooks - the AI workspace for outbound teams, where AI agents handle prospecting, research, and sequencing so reps can focus on conversations. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/- Cleverbridge – the digital commerce platform helping enterprises optimize post-sale revenue through renewals, winbacks, and add-ons with buyer-friendly purchasing experiences. Learn more at https://grow.cleverbridge.com/lp/digital-commerceTranscript available under the episode here: https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/Subscribe to GTMnow for the latest episodes! https://gtmnow.com/Highlights:00:00 – Sophos at a glance: 600K customers, $1B+ in revenue, and why cybersecurity keeps growing when everything else slows down01:51 – AI vs. AI: how threat actors are using the same tools Sophos is building against03:02 – The 2026 Active Adversary Report: why attackers are logging in, not breaking in04:20 – Attackers move in 3-4 hours and how Sophos structures CS to respond before the customer even knows there's a problem06:05 – Connecting CS activity directly to retention and expansion: the attribution model08:45 – Advice for early-stage companies that want this kind of rigor but don't have perfect data yet10:06 – Automation as a scale lever: crawl, walk, run and why you should start at the end of the renewal cycle13:43 – The future of go-to-market: self-serve from first touch through win-back, powered by AI18:20 – "The customer should never feel your org chart": building a digital journey that meets people where they are20:39 – Going from legacy manual to digital without blowing up the business22:00 – Dynamic segmentation: why hard lines on ACV are the wrong way to assign CS coverage26:02 – The two-by-two that actually matters: risk, spend, and growth potential32:08 – The humble confidence hire: why Teresa looks for this specific combination across her entire org34:15 – The 5-to-1 scorecard and what Teresa has learned about earning customer trust over time36:14 – Inner and outer feedback loops: how Sophos turns NPS data into cross-functional action38:11 – Why retention has to be an all-company meeting, not a CS slideFor inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email gtmnow@gtmfund.comGTMnow is a media brand brought to you by VC firm, GTMfund: https://gtmfund.com/

Bonus Episode: GTMfund Hires a New Partner!

Jason Demont just joined GTMfund as Partner, Head of Networks after 6 years at Foundation Capital where he reviewed over 1,000 emerging manager funds and invested in 100+.In this episode, Max (GP), Paul (GP), and Jason break down what separates the VC firms that survive from the ones that quietly die, why the best founders today are skipping mega funds at pre-seed, and what LPs are excited in about emerging managers.What we cover:The real reason raising from mega funds at pre-seed can backfireWhy less than 10% of VC firms ever make it to Fund 3What makes an emerging manager fundable (sourcing, founder support, durability)The media flywheel that gives certain funds an unfair advantageHow LPs should think about mega funds vs. emerging platforms (the barbell approach)Why founders are the ones now choosing their investors, not the other way aroundConnect with Jason:   / jasondemant   Connect with Max:   / maxaltschuler  Connect with Paul:   / paulsirving  GTMnow is the media extension of GTMfund, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage B2B companies. Every episode features operators, investors, and founders on the front lines of go-to-market.Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:54 Jason's Background at Foundation Capital3:07 Why Jason Chose GTMfund4:35 How Media Has Evolved in the VC Ecosystem6:20 What Separates Winning Emerging Managers from the Rest8:28 GTM Fund's Flywheel: Fund, Community & Media10:41 Building a VC Firm Is Like Building a Startup12:31 Emerging Managers vs. Mega Funds (a16z, Lightspeed)14:01 Why Top Founders Are Picking Emerging Managers for Early Rounds16:36 The LP Perspective: Emerging Managers vs. Platform Funds18:39 The Barbell Strategy for LP Portfolio Construction19:14 Early Stage vs. Growth Stage: Risk, Return & Why Early Stage Wins20:18 Closing Thoughts & Welcome to the TeamVisit us and subscribe: https://gtmnow.comFollow us on LinkedIn:   / gtmnow  Follow us on X (Twitter): https://x.com/GTMnow_Follow us on YouTube:    / @gtm_now  Follow us on TikTok:   / gtmnow_  Follow us on Instagram:   / gtmnow_  Sign up for the Newsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.com

Inside ServiceNow’s $10B Go-to-Market Engine with Paul Fipps

NEW: @Paul Fipps (President of Global Customer Operations at @ServiceNow) joins GTMnow to break down how ServiceNow built the customer engine behind $10B+ in revenue and 20%+ growth for five consecutive years.From CIO at Under Armour overseeing a 300 million-member connected fitness ecosystem, to now leading global sales, customer success, field marketing, and partners at one of the most disciplined GTM organizations in enterprise software, Paul has seen what it takes to scale from both sides of the table.In this conversation, you'll learn:- Why complacency is a bigger threat than competition at scale- How to detect churn long before it shows up in a report- What a CIO cancelling 900 AI pilots tells you about where enterprise AI is actually headed- How ServiceNow unified sales, customer success, field marketing, and partners into one GTM motion so customers never feel the org chart- Why ServiceNow monitors customer health daily — and what signals their teams actually track- How community became a core GTM advantage, not just a marketing channel- How ServiceNow’s AI Control Tower governs agents across the enterprise stack- Inside “Now on Now”: how ServiceNow generated $335M in annualized AI productivity gains using its own platform- How integrating Claude into the GTM workflow cut account planning from days to minutes- What DTC product thinking from Under Armour unlocked in enterprise GTM- How ServiceNow shifted from 6-month product releases to monthly innovation cycles- Paul’s advice for building a world-class GTM organization: put the best people in the right seatsGuest links: Guest - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulfipps/Guest company - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/servicenow/Guest company website: https://www.servicenow.com/Host links:Sophie Buonassisi - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/Sophie Buonassisi - X (Twitter): https://x.com/sophiebuonaNewsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.comSponsors:HockeyStack - the AI platform that unifies GTM data to help teams convert, expand, and scale. Learn more at https://www.hockeystack.com/Transcript available under the episode here: https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/Subscribe to GTMnow for the latest episodes! https://gtmnow.com/Highlights:00:00 – How ServiceNow built one of the most disciplined GTM engines in enterprise software01:22 – 80B workflows, $10B+ revenue: what gets harder and easier at scale02:05 – Why complacency is the real threat at scale05:49 – Why ServiceNow unified sales, customer success, field marketing, and partners under one motion06:49 – The post-sale handoff problem: signing on Friday, new team showing up Monday08:22 – How to spot churn before it shows up in a report09:55 – How often ServiceNow teams check customer health12:25 – If you took away the dashboards, how would you know a customer is truly winning?15:35 – Why Paul blocks calendar time every week for direct customer conversations (and responds within 24 hours)17:53 – From Under Armour to ServiceNow: what DTC product thinking unlocks in enterprise B2B21:06 – The personalization gap in B2B enterprise software and how ServiceNow is closing it25:18 – The CIO with 900 AI pilots who cancelled every single one26:03 – How embedding agentic AI inside existing workflows drives measurable ROI32:39 – "Now on Now": $335M in productivity gains running on their own platform34:18 – Integrating Claude into the GTM motion for all 10,000 go-to-market team members36:44 – The AI control tower: governing every agent across the entire enterprise39:15 – Paul's one piece of advice for every GTM leader: get the best people in the right seats40:21 – The book that shaped Paul's career: Execution by Bossidy & CharanFor inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email gtmnow@gtmfund.comGTMnow is a media brand brought to you by VC firm, GTMfund: https://gtmfund.com/

What Wins When Anyone Can Build Anything with Brett Queener, Partner at Bonfire Ventures

Brett Queener (Partner at Bonfire Ventures) joins GTMnow to share what three decades across Siebel, early Salesforce, co-founding, and seed-stage investing has taught him about what actually wins now that software is cheaper and faster than he ever imagined.Brett was one of the earliest GTM hires at Salesforce when it had seven employees. He helped build the go-to-market playbook that defined a generation of SaaS: enterprise segmentation, sales motion design, product marketing, the whole works. He then co-founded SmartRecruiters, angel invested in companies like Outreach and Pando, and eventually joined Bonfire Ventures as a Partner to do early-stage investing the way he thinks it should be done: hands-on, operator-led, and built around founders who are ruthless about execution.Guest links:Brett Queener - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/Bonfire Ventures - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonfire-ventures/Guest company website: https://www.bonfirevc.com/Host links:Max - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxaltschuler/Max - X: https://x.com/HackItMaxPaul - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsirving/Paul - X: https://x.com/PaulGTMNewsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.comBrought to you by: AngelListFrom starting as a small, operator-led rolling fund, to evolving to an institutional platform, AngelList has been a core partner in every phase of GTMfund’s growth. Their software-first fund admin infrastructure allowed us to scale without sacrificing agility — from onboarding hundreds of LPs seamlessly to handling compliance, capital calls, and reporting as our fund size evolved.As we expanded from Fund I to Fund II, AngelList took care of the back-office operations, allowing us to stay focused on what matters most: investing in world-class founders and building the strongest go-to-market network in venture.They’ve scaled with us across funds and into the future.If your fund is growing in size or complexity, check them out at https://angellist.com/gtmfund.Transcript available under the episode here: https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/Subscribe to GTMnow for the latest episodes! https://gtmnow.com/Highlights:00:00 – Brett's career: Siebel, Salesforce employee #7, co-founder, angel investor, seed-stage VC06:58 – The big shift: from passive CRUD apps to agentic software that does the work for you08:07 – "Failing upwards" and what the fastest-growing companies taught Brett about investing in people10:58 – Why Brett moved into VC: 25 years of operators whose collective worth hit $25B16:50 – What Brett looks for in founders now and how it's changed over 6-7 years18:05 – Why anybody can build anything: Brett builds a fully functional travel app in 15 minutes19:20 – The last remaining moat in software26:20 – The real threat to Salesforce and HubSpot and why their ecosystem might be the boat anchor34:20 – How the entire GTM motion changes when the product does the job instead of just enabling it38:30 – Why communicating the right problem to the right ICP hasn't changed in 30 years39:20 – Deploy first, close later40:20 – Why face-to-face matters more now, not less41:00 – Why events are driving 75%+ of pipeline at Brett's early-stage portfolio companies42:10 – Pricing and packaging: the most important GTM lever nobody talks about enough46:35 – The death of the smooth-talking GTM leader47:25 – What happens to VC when software is no longer scarce to build52:00 – Why vertical software wins in the AI era: context, workflow, and the non-tech buyer55:20 – The rep who drove 65 miles to drop off donuts and closed an $80K dealFor inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email gtmnow@gtmfund.comGTMnow is a media brand brought to you by VC firm, GTMfund: https://gtmfund.com/

AI at the Edge: How Armada is Taking Compute Everywhere the Cloud Can't Go | Dan Wright (CEO of Armada)

Dan Wright (Co-founder & CEO of Armada) joins GTMnow to unpack what it actually takes to bring AI infrastructure to the places the cloud was never built to reach.The cloud covers about 30% of the world. The other 70% (think: oil rigs, the Arctic tundra, military ships, remote mines) is where some of the most critical decisions happen, making latency a life-or-death and billions of dollars difference. Armada is building the infrastructure for that part of the world: modular, ruggedized AI data centers that go to the data, instead of the other way around.From the first offshore edge computing deployment with the US Navy, to cutting avalanche response times in Alaska from over a day to real time, to sovereign AI installations in Saudi Arabia with Aramco and Microsoft, Armada is redefining what operating at the edge even means.In this episode, we cover:- Why cloud infrastructure was built for a pre-AI world and what that gap costs- How Starlink turned every remote location into a potential AI cluster- What "distributed intelligence" means and why it's the founding principle behind Armada- The global race for AI sovereignty and why modular compute is the linchpin- How Armada goes to market when a product demo involves shipping a 40-foot container to a desert (yes, really)- Why customer champions are better than any sales rep- The Microsoft partnership and how Armada extends Azure to places Azure could never go on its own- Category creation lessons from building a company before the market had a name for the industry- What's next: SpaceX, sovereign AI, and why Dan thinks humans are on the moon in two years (yes, REALLY)Guest links: Dan Wright - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wrightdh/, hDan Wright - X: https://x.com/danwrightSFArmada - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/armadaai/Armada - Website: https://www.armada.ai/Host links:Sophie Buonassisi - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/Sophie Buonassisi - X: https://x.com/sophiebuonaNewsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.comSponsors: HockeyStack - the AI platform that unifies GTM data to help teams convert, expand, and scale. Learn more at https://www.hockeystack.com/Nooks - the AI workspace for outbound teams, where AI agents handle prospecting, research, and sequencing so reps can focus on conversations. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/Transcript available under the episode here: https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/Subscribe to GTMnow for the latest episodes! https://gtmnow.com/Highlights:00:00 – Why the cloud only reaches 30% of the world and what Armada actually builds03:11 – From Saudi Arabia to the Arctic: recent deployments that redefine the edge04:12 – AI's physics problem: why distance from data breaks everything05:31 – How Starlink turned every remote location into a potential AI cluster07:14 – What distributed intelligence means and why it's Armada's founding principle08:14 – The global AI race: sovereign compute as a national security strategy09:00 – The Genesis Mission, the White House, and Davos: why sovereign AI is mainstream12:49 – GTM for a hardware company when the demo involves shipping a 40-foot container15:18 – Why Armada's customers do the selling for them (and do a better job than some reps)17:35 – The Microsoft partnership and extending Azure to the places it can't reach on its own18:51 – Category creation: the lesson Dan learned about specificity and business value21:02 – What's next for Armada, SpaceX, and why Dan thinks we're two years from the moon25:34 – The founder advice Dan wishes more people took seriouslyFor inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email gtmnow@gtmfund.comGTMnow is a media brand brought to you by VC firm, GTMfund: https://gtmfund.com/