The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton

Tyler Will (VP RevOps, Intercom) breaks down how Intercom overhauled its go-to-market engine after shifting to AI-first products.
What we cover:
- Why too many revenue leaders obsess over success metrics but ignore the inputs that actually drive them
- The specific comp plan changes Intercom made when moving from seats to usage-based pricing... including giving reps MRR credit for overages without forcing awkward contract conversations
- How post-sales motions fundamentally change when you're monetizing resolutions instead of seats
- Tyler's four principles for comp plans that actually work
Also discussed: When to do a real comp overhaul vs. minor tweaks, why RevOps teams are getting bigger before they get smaller, and using Claude Code to query Snowflake directly.
 
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Background
01:59 Shifting Focus From Success Metrics to Input Metrics
06:06 AI Literacy Required for Modern Revenue Leaders
09:24 Selecting Metrics Without Micromanaging Behavior
17:01 Intercom's Internal and GTM AI Transformation
20:01 Shifting to Resolution-Based Pricing Models
25:46 Evolving the CSM Role for Consumption
28:53 Adapting Compensation Plans for Usage-Based Revenue
33:52 Core Principles for Variable Compensation Design
44:37 Aligning Compensation Strategy With Product Roadmaps
52:00 Restructuring RevOps and Hiring GTM Engineers
56:44 Automating RevOps Tasks With Cloud Code
01:05:58 Impact of AI on SDR and Success Teams
01:09:10 Specific Internal AI Use Cases at Intercom
01:15:20 Quick Fire: Good vs. Great CROs and Advice

Jason Lemkin (Founder & CEO @ SaaStr) returns to talk about replacing his sales team with 20+ AI agents.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Why Jason stopped paying six-figure SDRs who ghost—and what he built instead
- The 70,000 AI-sent emails that drove 15% of SaaStr London revenue
- How to pick your first AI tool (hint: do a 2-vendor bakeoff, not 10)
- Why Salesforce is suddenly the hub every agent needs
- The "incognito test" every GTM leader should run on their own website
(And a whole lot more!)
Thanks for tuning in. Catch new episodes every Wednesday. 
 
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Chapters:
00:49 Introduction and Jason's Investment Philosophy
04:07 Evaluating Founders and the "Why Now" Question
09:32 The Step Function Change in GTM AI
14:15 Managing Conflict Between Multiple AI Agents
17:43 Replacing Human Sales Teams with AI Agents
21:50 The Importance of Forward Deployed Engineers
24:57 The Terminal Decline of Mid-Pack Sales Roles
30:09 Finding the Internal GTM Nerd to Lead AI
34:15 Executives Must Roll Up Sleeves and Implement
46:22 Fixing Inbound and Support with Instant Answers
53:15 Why You're Failing To Source The Right Tools
57:27 Evaluating Incumbents vs. AI-Native Startups
01:02:41 The Salesforce Renaissance and Agentforce
01:09:45 Triple, Triple, Double, Double in the AI Era
01:15:28 Choosing Between High Intensity and Lifestyle Roles

Hiring a VP or CRO has never been tougher (or more important). Asad Zaman, CEO of Sales Talent Agency - and one of the most trusted voices in GTM recruiting - joins host Kyle Norton to talk about how GTM leadership hiring is changing fast.  
They dig into:  
- Why AI broke the traditional interview process, and what they do now instead 
- How to build a robust hiring scorecard that performs miles better than a fluffy job description
- The trade‑offs that actually kill VP hiring processes
- How top CROs should evaluate future leaders (and spot "pre‑peak" talent)
- The biggest blind spot CROs have when hiring VPs
I mean... who isn't curious about the tested frameworks from the guy behind 1,000+ GTM placements a year?  
 
Thanks for tuning in. Catch new episodes every Wednesday. 
 
Subscribe to Topline Newsletter.
Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech.
Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!
 
Chapters:  
00:34 Guest Introduction: Asad from STA (Sales Talent Agency)
02:30 Today's Topic: The Challenge of Leadership Hiring  
04:14 How AI Has Changed Executive Hiring  
07:53 The Rise of the AI-Native Leader  
10:26 Market Polarization: Talent Demand and Layoffs  
19:03 The New Definition of a Great Leader  
24:22 Building an Effective Leadership Hiring Scorecard  
29:15 Defining Problems, Jobs to Be Done, and Constraints  
35:11 Compensation Psychology and Negotiation Pitfalls  
40:34 Mapping the Market and Operationalizing the Scorecard  
49:27 Modern Interview Design for Senior Roles  
53:12 Teaching as a Core Leadership Skill  
56:27 Live Whiteboarding: Replacing Case Studies  
01:01:54 Evaluating Candidates for Peak Performance and Potential  
02:03:31 CROs' Biggest Blind Spot in Hiring VPs of Sales

Allison Metcalfe's path to CRO was built on systems thinking, multiplier leadership, and a journalist's instinct for "why." In this episode, Kyle and Allison talk through what separates good revenue leaders from great ones, and how to actually lead peers and execs, not just manage them. And maybe we shouldn't tell you this, but… Allison even reveals her hardcore alter-ego that helps her better ride the highs and lows in the CRO role.
Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Wednesday. 
Subscribe to Topline Newsletter.
Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech.
Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!
 
Chapters:  
01:47 Allison Metcalfe's Career Journey  
03:41 Non-Traditional Path to CRO  
05:16 Architecture Thinking and the AI Era  
07:25 Systems Thinking and Curiosity in Revenue Leadership  
09:01 Managing Executive Relationships  
10:56 Discovering Multiplier Leadership  
18:44 Decision-Making Without Consensus Paralysis  
24:30 Building Healthy Executive Relationships  
30:11 Authenticity and Connection in Remote Work  
33:09 Using Enneagram for Team Understanding  
38:00 Radical Empathy Across Departments  
46:27 Collaborating Effectively with Finance  
53:21 Navigating 2026 Planning Conflicts  
58:26 Data-Driven Decision Making and Change Management  
01:03:32 Quick Fire: Career Lessons, Alter Egos, and Book Recommendations

Peter Grant helped take Siebel from $39M to $2B in revenue and was employee #9 for Salesforce in Europe. He knows exactly what a platform shift looks like. Now, as the CRO of You.com, Peter argues that the AI wave is moving 30x faster than the internet era—and your current sales playbook is already obsolete.
In this episode, Peter strips away the hype to focus on the operational reality of running an AI-first GTM organization. He explains the skill stack today's sellers need, why your team needs to understand APIs, and the specific benchmarks you need to hit to survive the next two years. Plus a whole lot more!
 
Thanks for tuning in. Catch new episodes every Wednesday. 
Subscribe to Topline Newsletter.
Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech.
Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!
 
Chapters: 
00:00 Peter Grant's Career and Revenue History 
07:32 Choosing You.com and Pivoting to Enterprise 
11:46 How AI Search Transforms Sales Discovery 
16:12 The Speed and Scale of AI Sales 
20:55 Embedding AI Agents into Existing Workflows 
27:11 Benchmarking Enterprise AI Spend and Adoption 
33:14 Solving the Employee AI Literacy Gap 
38:59 The Evolution of the Sales Rep Profile 
43:06 Implementing and Prioritizing AI Transformation 
52:05 The Hard Reality for Sales Laggards 
59:30 Investing Upfront Time to Master Prompting 
01:03:10 Why Revenue Leaders Must Be Context Setters 
01:10:12 How Tactics Dictate Strategy in Enterprise Deals 
01:12:49 Rapid Fire: Leadership Advice and Lessons