Funnel Vision

About Funnel Vision

Funnel Vision is a podcast by Curvo AI featuring conversations with top sales leaders and go-to-market experts from the B2B software world. Each episode explores proven GTM strategies, revenue growth, leadership lessons, and how AI is transforming modern sales teams. Designed for founders, sales leaders, and GTM professionals, Funnel Vision delivers practical insights on building scalable, high-performing B2B organisations in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

Publisher

Curvo Ai

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Dec 2025

Latest episode

7 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Jul 2026

   AI Startups Are Being Reverse-Engineered — Celero Ventures' Nick Cochran Reveals The Hidden Threat

   AI startups are being silently reverse-engineered by Frontier Labs through their own API prompts, warns Nick Cochran, co-founder of Celero Ventures. In this episode of Funnel Vision, host Richard Bounds sits down with the former MuleSoft and Databricks post-sales leader to unpack the existential threat facing AI startups today — and what technical founders must do to survive it. Nick traces his remarkable journey from bootstrapping his first startup (with his house as collateral on a loan) through building customer success functions at two of the most iconic enterprise software companies of the last decade. At MuleSoft, he learned that execution trumps product — a lesson cemented under leaders like Greg Schott and Simon Palmer. At Databricks, he and his business partner Dave Wyatt scaled a post-sales organization from two people to hundreds of millions in revenue, refining the playbook they now call "twice as fast with half the mistakes." That playbook became the foundation of Celero Ventures, a venture capital firm that pairs investment capital with hands-on operating expertise — because, as Nick argues, money is commoditized. What technical founders actually need is the context and scar tissue that prevents early hiring mistakes, organizational design flaws, and go-to-market missteps. The conversation explores Celero's portfolio companies — from health monitoring tech that leverages widely adopted hardware to distributed model training platforms that slash energy costs — and Nick explains why proprietary, defendable technology is the only safe bet in an era where Frontier Labs can observe prompts, reverse-engineer capabilities, and wipe out entire startup segments overnight. The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on how AI is transforming post-sales and customer success, and why AI-first employees will inevitably differentiate themselves from their peers. Key topics covered: How Frontier Labs reverse-engineer startups through API prompts Why proprietary AI technology is the only defensible moat Building customer success from zero to hundreds of millions at Databricks The "twice as fast, half the mistakes" operating playbook Celero Ventures' investment thesis: technical founders + deep domain expertise AI's impact on post-sales, advisory, and customer success teams Why execution trumps product — lessons from MuleSoft and beyond Chapters: (00:00) Introduction — Richard welcomes Nick Cochran from Celero Ventures (00:38) Early Career — Mars, Ernst & Young, and transformational change at scale (01:38) First Startup — Bootstrapping, putting his house up as collateral, and selling to Informatica (03:10) MuleSoft — Building post-sales and customer success alongside Dave Wyatt (03:37) Databricks — Scaling from two people to hundreds of millions in revenue (06:05) Outcome-Based Sales — How customer success DNA drove retention and expansion (12:55) Founding Celero Ventures — The investment thesis and operating model (13:27) Execution Over Product — "Twice as fast with half the mistakes" (15:20) VC + Operating Expertise — Why money is commoditized and what founders actually need (16:22) Portfolio Deep-Dive — Health monitoring tech and distributed model training (18:03) The Frontier Labs Threat — How OpenAI reverse-engineers startups through their own prompts (19:06) AI in Post-Sales — Databricks' LLM-powered account reviews and jumpstart engagements (21:05) Closing — AI-first employees and the future of customer success Show: Funnel Vision Guest: Nick Cochran Host: Richard Bounds Editor: Taran (mail: taran@ediflick.com) Follow for weekly conversations.

2. 

   25 Jun 2026

   The Sales Leader Who Bet on AI Infrastructure Before It Was Obvious | David Wyatt

   In this episode of Funnel Vision, we explore AI infrastructure, outcome-based selling, and the future of AI sales through the remarkable journey of David Wyatt — a sales leadership veteran who scaled MuleSoft and Databricks into hundred-million-dollar revenue engines, then pivoted into venture capital with Saliva Ventures. David unpacks the framework that turned a modest $300,000 bank engagement into a $37 million anchor deal — the very deal that became the backbone of MuleSoft's IPO. This is not a theory conversation. It's the raw, repeatable playbook of someone who built, hired, and scaled at the highest level, then bet his own capital on where the market is heading next. David breaks down the three tenets of his hiring philosophy — track record, execution, and coachability — and explains why "do what it takes" is not a cliché but a non-negotiable DNA trait he calls "uncouchable." He walks through the transition from feature-benefit B2B sales to outcome selling, revealing how he embedded frameworks like Challenger Sale into a repeatable enablement engine across entire organisations. His approach to sales hiring — screening 20 to 30 candidates per leadership role, with a 1-in-3 or 1-in-4 conversion rate — is a masterclass in sales techniques and consultative selling for anyone building a high-growth team. He also shares painful lessons from the operator-to-investor transition: learning the VC language from scratch, pitching sovereign wealth families, and applying the same customer success mindset to fundraising that he used in the field. The AI Landscape David explains why Saliva Ventures backs AI infrastructure — the "picks and shovels" layer — across three pillars: optimisation (power saving, cost efficiency, accelerators), accelerating adoption (software overlaying hardware), and driving mass efficiencies (robotics and automation). He addresses the question every tech sales professional is asking: will AI replacing sales roles become reality? His answer is nuanced — AI won't kill the salesperson, but it will radically reshape enablement, coaching, campaign management, and the daily workflow of AI in sales. He also predicts a "radicalisation" in the application market over the next 12 to 24 months, as AI SaaS products eat legacy software from the inside out. With 5,800 SaaS startup companies in the UK alone and an 85% growth rate in two years, David's framework for separating signal from noise is essential viewing for founders, operators, and investors navigating the AI automation revolution. Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction (01:21) David Wyatt's Career: Pre-Sales to MuleSoft & Databricks (05:42) What Is Outcome-Based Selling? (09:02) Transitioning a Sales Team to Outcome-Based Thinking (12:23) The Hiring Framework: Track Record, Execution & Coachability (17:00) Building Saliva Ventures: The AI Infrastructure Thesis (20:14) The Three Pillars of AI Infrastructure Investment (23:16) How AI Is Eating SaaS: The Coming Radicalisation (25:29) Will AI Replace Salespeople? The Real Answer (30:07) From Operator to VC: The Hardest Transition (33:36) The $300K-to-$37M Deal That Built MuleSoft's IPO (35:04) 5,800 AI Companies in the UK: How to Pick Winners Show Details Show: Funnel Vision Guest: David Wyatt Host: Richard Bounds Editor: Taran — taran@ediflick.com (mailto:taran@ediflick.com) Follow for weekly conversations.

3. 

   8 Jan 2026

   From Maverick Seller to GTM Leader: Closing Big Deals Without Being Liked

   Episode: Building a High-Performance Go-To-Market Engine in Enterprise AI In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds is joined by James to unpack what it really takes to scale go-to-market teams in complex, enterprise AI environments. Drawing on James’s experience leading GTM at Seldon and now at Tree Foundry, the conversation explores scaling from early-stage startups to multimillion-dollar enterprise deals, creating constructive tension in sales, and leading instinctive sellers without losing discipline. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and James’s Background James shares his journey from being employee number ten at Seldon to leading go-to-market teams through Series A and B growth. (01:27) Scaling Go-To-Market from Zero Building the first GTM function, hiring teams across Europe and the US, and moving from founder-led sales. (02:57) Tripling Revenue in One Quarter How James scaled revenue rapidly at Tree Foundry and what changed operationally to make it happen. (03:29) Creating Compelling Events in Long Sales Cycles Why selling governance, risk, and control is different from selling innovation. (04:07) Elevating Deals to the Board Level How identifying the right mobilisers unlocks budget and urgency. (05:00) From Maverick Seller to Leader The challenge of turning instinctive selling into a repeatable team process. (06:16) Being Comfortable Being Uncomfortable Why great sellers lean into difficult conversations instead of hiding behind demos. (07:08) Constructive Tension in Enterprise Deals How confidence, value clarity, and challenge move deals forward. (08:15) The “Doc Joiner” Approach Building a full picture of stakeholders and motivations across the buying group. (09:14) Why Shortcuts Kill Big Deals The danger of chasing faster sales cycles at the expense of human relationships. (10:03) Transitioning from Seller to Sales Leader Letting go of personal heroics and developing gravitas as a leader. (11:31) Embedding MEDDIC Without It Becoming a Tick Box How James evolves qualification frameworks to stay relevant and effective. (13:27) Learning From Wins, Not Just Losses Why analysing why deals succeed matters more than postmortems on failures. (15:03) Every Interaction Must Move the Deal A core principle James learned from mentors and now enforces with his teams. (16:02) Keeping the Mood Music High How positivity and humour enable tough questions without damaging relationships. (18:02) The Need Not to Be Liked Balancing strong relationships with the courage to say no and challenge customers. (19:15) Owning the Problem Stays With the Customer Why sellers must help buyers solve problems without taking responsibility away from them. (21:16) Using Curiosity to Build Trust The “Columbo method” and why asking better questions beats showing how smart you are. (25:18) AI in Sales: Enhancement, Not Replacement Where AI genuinely helps sales leaders and where it should never replace humans. (26:38) Using AI for Insight and Pattern Recognition Analysing calls, proposals, objections, and pricing at scale. (28:19) Sales Tooling That Actually Matters Salesforce, intent data, research, and why dialers do not magically create effort. (31:22) Favourite Enterprise Deals Stories behind multimillion-dollar wins and the lessons they created. (35:02) Advice for New Sales Professionals Work hard, be honest, and avoid creating problems you cannot deliver on. (37:09) Staying Honest as a Leader The importance of mentors who challenge your thinking and keep you grounded. (38:01) Procrastination Kills Deals Why avoiding hard questions is one of the biggest deal blockers. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with sales leaders and go-to-market experts. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

4. 

   21 Dec 2025

   How to build Trust - in sales

   In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds is joined by Steve Hoyle to explore one of the most critical and misunderstood topics in modern sales: trust. Drawing on decades of experience in sales leadership, training, consulting, and academic research, Steve breaks down what trust really means, why it matters more than ever in an AI-driven world, and how salespeople can build long-term, ethical relationships with customers. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and Why Trust Matters More Than Ever Why trust is becoming more important as AI, automation, and information overload increase. (01:07) Steve’s Sales Journey From trainee salesperson to senior leadership, business owner, and academic researcher. (02:42) Starting a Sales Training Business Why Steve focused on account management, planning, and long-term customer value. (03:40) Studying the Ethics of Selling What ethics really means in sales and why Steve is researching it at PhD level. (06:10) Are Salespeople More Ethical Than We Think? Early research insights into ethical awareness among sales leaders. (07:23) Transparency, AI, and Buyer Confusion Why customers struggle to trust information and how this shifts the role of sales. (08:31) Trust Is About Being Trustworthy Why doing the right thing consistently matters more than clever techniques. (09:20) The Trust Equation Explained Credibility, reliability, intimacy, and low self-orientation in sales relationships. (10:23) Building Trust Through Small Actions Why trust is built slowly and can be destroyed very quickly. (10:49) End-of-Quarter Pressure and Trust Damage How short-term sales pressure can quietly erode long-term trust. (11:51) Push Selling vs Pull Selling Why modern sales must focus on the customer’s context, not the seller’s product. (13:18) Remote Selling and Human Connection The impact of remote work on trust and when face-to-face still matters. (16:08) The Real Impact of AI in Sales Efficiency gains, uncertainty, and why human judgment still matters. (18:02) Why AI Personalisation Is Losing Impact How mass AI-generated outreach is raising the bar for genuine differentiation. (19:13) The Biggest Sales Challenges Today Net-new business, buyer hesitation, and trust in crowded markets. (20:27) How Sales Leaders Should Approach AI Experimentation, fundamentals, and avoiding technology-first thinking. (22:23) Account Planning and Proactive Selling Why great sellers plan ahead instead of reacting to customers. (23:10) Growth Mindset in Modern Sales Why adaptability and learning mindset matter more than experience alone. (26:14) Advice for New Sellers Answering the three critical buyer questions: why buy, why you, and why now. (29:35) A Memorable Early Sales Lesson Why closing a deal without real customer need destroys trust. (33:22) Book Recommendations for Sales Professionals Research-backed books that shaped Steve’s approach to ethical, consultative selling. (35:59) Where to Find Steve Connecting via LinkedIn and continuing the conversation. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with sales leaders and go-to-market experts. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

5. 

   21 Dec 2025

   Procurement Insider Reveals the Truth Sellers Keep Getting Wrong

   In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds sits down with Rob, a procurement veteran turned commercial leader, to unpack what sellers consistently misunderstand about procurement. Drawing from decades of experience across procurement, consulting, and C-level roles, Rob shares an insider’s view on how buying decisions are really made, why price is rarely the deciding factor, and how great sellers think more like problem solvers than pitch machines. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and Procurement vs Sales Setting the scene and why procurement is often misunderstood by sellers. (01:04) Rob’s Career Journey into Procurement From university to Ford and early exposure to large-scale procurement decisions. (02:09) Value Over Cost Cutting Why great procurement is about value engineering, not just saving money. (03:14) Fixing Broken Supplier Relationships How procurement can improve service quality, not just negotiate price. (04:53) Finding Savings Where No One Looks The ink category story and uncovering hidden value in large spend areas. (07:14) Moving from Consultant to Operator Why Rob shifted from advisory roles to fixing businesses from the inside. (09:31) Procurement as a Networking Superpower How sitting at the centre of the organisation reveals what is really happening. (10:49) What Makes a Great Procurement Professional Objectivity, curiosity, communication, and commercial thinking. (13:10) Emotional Intelligence and Tough Decisions Handling redundancies, internal politics, and helping people save face. (15:36) Procurement vs Sales Skillsets Why the skills are almost identical and labels hold people back. (16:20) Closing Six-Figure Deals as a Procurement Leader How Rob applied the same skills to land major B2B sales wins. (18:54) How Buying Decisions Are Really Made Why price comes late and specification, risk, and outcomes come first. (21:20) Seeing the Deal from the Seller’s Perspective Understanding what motivates suppliers and how to create mutual value. (23:04) Building Human Connection in Procurement Why relationships matter long after the deal is signed. (25:26) One Piece of Advice for Sellers Ask better questions, listen deeply, and avoid jumping to conclusions. (27:16) Procurement KPIs and Incentives Why procurement is rarely rewarded like sales and how success is measured. (30:16) Cross-Functional Buying Decisions How finance, product, engineering, and sales shape procurement outcomes. (33:24) Favourite Deals and War Stories High-pressure negotiations, mistakes, and lessons learned the hard way. (34:08) What Not to Do in Negotiations An old-school negotiation story that shows exactly what sellers get wrong. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with sales leaders, founders, and go-to-market experts. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

6. 

   21 Dec 2025

   You look the same as your competitors!

   In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds is joined by Mark Sampson to explore why most companies struggle to stand out and how true differentiation has very little to do with product features. Mark shares lessons from his journey through IBM, building and exiting a business, and now helping growth-stage companies define who they really are, why they exist, and how that story should power sales, marketing, and culture. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and the Problem of Sameness Why 90 percent of companies look identical to their competitors and where differentiation really lives. (01:07) Early Career and Getting into IBM Mark’s background, early career choices, and how he talked his way into IBM. (02:25) First Sales Role and Spotting a Real Problem How noticing a simple customer pain point led to starting a business. (04:13) Exiting the Business and the Breaking Point Why the company succeeded financially but failed philosophically. (05:13) Advising Similar Businesses Discovering that many companies share the same model, products, and challenges. (06:15) The 90 Percent vs 10 Percent Rule Why most of what companies do is the same, and why the final 10 percent is everything. (06:38) Defining the Core Difference Framework Customer, Origin, Reason, and Ethos as the foundation of differentiation. (08:11) Growth-Stage Companies and Identity Fracture What happens when businesses scale without clarity on who they are. (09:03) The ICP Problem Why “anyone with a pulse” is not a strategy and how poor ICP clarity hurts sales. (10:26) Category Thinking vs Customer Reality Why defining yourself by category or features fails to resonate with buyers. (10:59) Buyers, Comparison, and Looking the Same How modern buyers view vendors late in the journey and struggle to see differences. (11:20) Story as the Real Differentiator Why stories create connection, trust, and memorability in sales. (12:32) The Story Is the Strategy Why defining narrative is a CEO responsibility, not a marketing task. (13:32) Learning from Salesforce and Clear Enemies How strong points of view and a defined enemy helped Salesforce stand out. (15:04) AI, Sales, and Finding a Unique Narrative Using AI and data to uncover what customers really connect with. (16:00) Competitors Are Not the Enemy Why focusing on competitors is lazy and weakens sales conversations. (17:23) Defining the Real Enemy Lessons from brands like O’Neill and fighting a problem, not a rival. (20:14) Standing Out in Mature Markets Why mission, purpose, and story matter more than features. (21:09) AI Makes Starting Easy, Standing Out Hard How democratisation of technology increases the need for strong narrative. (22:18) Buy From You vs Buy Into You Why long-term loyalty comes from belief, not transactions. (22:43) Using AI for Self-Awareness and Leadership How Mark uses AI to understand himself, energy, and working environments. (25:08) Culture, Ethos, and In-Person Work Why real culture is revealed in behaviour, not value statements. (27:22) Values vs Reality How companies often deceive themselves about culture. (28:25) Working with the Right Founders Why Mark only works with leaders open to uncomfortable truths. (29:28) Personal Motivation Behind the Work How past business failure and family experience shaped Mark’s focus on environment. (32:07) Sales Teams as the Front of House Why sales behaviour defines how prospects feel about your company. (33:17) Winning the First Meeting Why deals are often lost early and how to centre the prospect, not the seller. (34:28) Stop Making the Product the Hero Why the customer, not the product, should be at the centre of the story. (36:05) Closing Thoughts Why differentiation is human, emotional, and rooted in purpose. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with sales leaders, founders, and go-to-market thinkers. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

7. 

   21 Dec 2025

   From C grades to CEO

   In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds sits down with Leo to unpack his journey from being a C-grade student to becoming a founder and CEO. Leo shares how he stumbled into sales, scaled from SDR to Head of Sales, and ultimately built Playbook Agency by turning real-world sales experience into a go-to-market engine. The conversation dives deep into ICP clarity, AI-driven outbound, go-to-market engineering, and how modern sellers must adapt to an increasingly informed buyer. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and How Richard and Leo Met A chance meeting, a conversation over beers, and the start of the discussion. (00:40) Entering Sales by Accident How Leo stumbled into sales as his first commercial role at Sales Flow. (01:17) From SDR to Head of Sales Scaling quickly inside a growing startup and leading a sales team early in his career. (01:40) The Drive to Start a Business Why Leo always wanted to build something of his own. (02:07) Antler and the Entrepreneurial Wake-Up Call What Leo learned from being surrounded by consultants, bankers, and founders. (02:50) Learning Sales the Hard Way Making mistakes, learning on the job, and why curiosity beat formal sales training. (03:22) Mastering ICP and Industry Knowledge Why knowing the market and customer problems mattered more than frameworks. (04:39) Founder Fit, VC Thinking, and Bootstrapping The contrast between bootstrapped businesses and venture-backed expectations. (05:41) Building Playbook Agency How a consultancy evolved into a lead generation agency and then into AI revenue implementation. (06:04) Defining the Ideal Customer Profile Breaking down Playbook’s three ICPs, from founder-led businesses to Series A–C SaaS companies. (07:56) SDRs, Efficiency, and AI Enablement How AI helps modern sellers handle volume, research, and personalization. (09:01) What Is a Go-To-Market Engineer? Why technical skill without commercial understanding does not work. (10:01) Using AI Tools in Practice How Playbook uses Clay, OpenAI, Claude, and Perplexity together. (11:48) Why Not Just Do This In-House? The challenge of consistency, adoption, and scaling AI workflows across teams. (13:10) The Biggest Challenges Facing Sellers Today Pipeline pressure, higher volume requirements, and underused internal data. (14:28) Harnessing Call Transcripts and Sales Data Turning conversations into insight for better prospecting and ICP refinement. (17:10) The Future of Sales Roles Why sales is splitting into relationship-led sellers and highly technical sellers. (19:08) Buyer Awareness and Late-Stage Engagement How buyers now contact sales much later in their decision process. (21:16) Turning Time Saved into a Clear ROI Story How Playbook quantifies value beyond just closed deals. (23:01) Data Providers and Sales Tooling Choices Why the right data source matters more than having every tool. (25:08) Automation vs Personalisation When AI-driven outreach works and when it fails. (26:26) Long-Term Vision for the Business Becoming the leading go-to-market operations company in London and beyond. (28:18) Go-To-Market vs RevOps Where responsibilities overlap and why RevOps can no longer ignore GTM engines. (31:09) From C Grades to Confidence How education struggles shaped Leo’s motivation to prove himself through building. (32:47) Using AI to Analyse Won Deals Why analysing transcripts from closed deals is an untapped advantage. (35:37) A Deal He’s Most Proud Of Applying Playbook’s own principles successfully in a recent win. (37:38) Where to Find Leo Connecting via LinkedIn and continuing the conversation. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with sales leaders and founders. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

8. 

   21 Dec 2025

   Secrets of Leading a $200M Sales Business - From Adobe to 2x CRO

   In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Leo Rogers is joined by Mark Greenway, a seasoned sales leader with over 25 years of experience. Mark shares his journey from early roles in technology and sales to leading a $200M business at Adobe and stepping into CRO roles. The conversation dives deep into sales leadership, focus, ICP strategy, value-based selling, and how to build high-performing teams in both growth and efficiency-driven environments. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and Mark’s Background Mark’s career overview, including 16 years at Adobe and leading a $200M sales business. (01:52) From Academia and Sailing to Sales How Mark consciously chose sales and the influence of science, technology, and sailing on his career. (04:18) Entering Tech Sales and Pre-Sales Early experiences in software, technical pre-sales, and transitioning into quota-carrying roles. (07:46) The Shift to Carrying a Quota Why moving from pre-sales to sales was the biggest step in Mark’s career. (10:31) Focus as the Key to Sales Success How single-minded focus, ICP clarity, and persona targeting drive results. (12:34) Defining a Real ICP Why loose ICPs kill deals and how to identify true economic buyers and sponsors. (15:31) Navigating Champions and Sponsors Handling gatekeepers and ensuring executive alignment in complex deal cycles. (18:06) From Individual Contributor to Sales Leader The mindset shift required to build, develop, and scale sales teams. (19:53) What Makes a Great Sales Leader Putting the team first, creating structure, and driving collective success. (22:04) Leading Adobe Sign to $200M How focus, segmentation, and opportunity allocation helped scale the business. (25:23) Competing with DocuSign Differentiation, value-based selling, and avoiding price-led commoditisation. (31:01) Insight-Led and Value-Based Selling Moving beyond feature demos to insight-driven, consultative sales conversations. (35:49) CRM to AI: Two Sales Revolutions Lessons from the CRM era and Mark’s perspective on AI in modern sales teams. (37:22) Why Automated Outreach Fails at Enterprise The risks of over-automation and the importance of quality, timing, and signal. (41:09) Using AI for Signal, Not Noise Where AI genuinely adds value in preparation, research, and engagement. (46:01) Will AI Replace Salespeople? Why trust, relationships, and human judgement still matter in B2B sales. (50:17) Life as a CRO How the role changes when you own revenue, planning, and cross-functional alignment. (53:11) Boards, Economics, and Profitability Reporting to boards, modelling CAC and retention, and building sustainable growth. (56:20) Advice to His Younger Self Taking calculated risks, focusing on relationships, and building a strong network. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with leading sales and go-to-market leaders. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

9. 

   21 Dec 2025

   Cold Email is Broken: Where 90% of Pipeline Really Comes From. GTM Expert Stuart Brinicombe.

   Episode: Cold Email Is Broken: Where 90% of Pipeline Really Comes From In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Leo Rogers is joined by GTM expert Stuart Brinicombe to unpack why cold email is no longer effective and where modern B2B pipeline actually comes from. Drawing on decades of experience across companies like Novell, Oracle, and Couchbase, Stuart shares practical insights on go-to-market strategy, enablement, leadership, and how sales teams should really be thinking about channels, timing, and AI. Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Season Two and Stuart’s Background An overview of Stuart’s career in sales and go-to-market leadership. (00:56) From University to Sales How Stuart found his way into sales and why curiosity mattered early on. (03:04) Curiosity as a Sales Superpower Why asking questions and discovery outperform pitching. (05:57) Sales Enablement That Actually Works The importance of frameworks, practice, and experimentation in sales training. (08:19) Learning Through Small Improvements Why compounding 1 percent gains matter more than big enablement programmes. (09:08) Lessons from Oracle What Stuart learned from leadership, acquisitions, and change management at scale. (13:01) Simplifying Go-To-Market Strategy Using simple frameworks to align teams and execute consistently. (16:25) Sales Motions and Buyer Journeys Why understanding lifecycle stages matters more than generic pitches. (22:29) AI Hype vs Reality in Sales How to separate real value from AI noise in go-to-market tools. (27:31) Fix the Process Before Buying Tools Why teams should start with problem statements, not shiny solutions. (31:11) What Actually Works in Prospecting Why cold email is broken and where pipeline really comes from. (36:17) Communities, Calling, and Timing Showing up where buyers already are and why timing beats channel choice. (44:08) Where 90 Percent of Enterprise Pipeline Comes From Why calling, advocacy, and human signal outperform email. (50:43) Leadership and Building High-Performance Teams Caring about people, shared vision, and empowering individual styles. (56:57) Lessons from Great Leaders The impact of humility, culture, and learning from different leadership styles. (01:02:06) Advice to His Younger Self Embracing uncertainty, experimenting with AI, and staying open to change. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with leading sales and go-to-market leaders. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

10. 

    21 Dec 2025

    $400M to scaling from Zero!

    In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds speaks with Geraint Thomason about a sales career spanning global enterprises, startups, and advisory roles. From leading teams with a $400M annual target to helping early-stage founders scale from zero, Geraint shares deep insights on sales leadership, qualification, strategy, and how AI is reshaping modern sales teams. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and Mentoring at Techstars Geraint shares his experience mentoring early-stage founders and why many great ideas struggle without a sales strategy. (00:50) Early Career in Enterprise Sales A look at Geraint’s decades in corporate IT sales across IBM, Unisys, EMC, and telecoms. (02:00) Enterprise Sales Leadership and Culture Key differences between large enterprise sales cultures and what Geraint learned leading large teams. (03:33) Managing Sales Teams Across Europe Lessons from leading multicultural sales teams and adapting to different business and employment cultures. (05:51) Transition from Corporate to Startups Why Geraint left corporate life and moved into the startup and accelerator ecosystem. (06:38) Teaching Founders How to Sell Common sales mistakes founders make and how to define target markets, value, and routes to market. (08:22) Fractional CRO and Advisory Roles How Geraint supports startups through strategy, sales process design, and partnerships. (10:59) Building Sales Foundations Why CRM discipline, lead generation, contracts, and fast customer response are critical for scale. (13:14) Scaling Sales and the $400M Target What it takes to lead large sales organisations and manage significant revenue responsibility. (15:01) How Sales Has Changed Over Time From Rolodexes to AI, how technology has transformed selling and buyer behaviour. (17:11) The Modern Salesperson’s Role Why sales is now about helping informed buyers make sense of complexity. (20:19) Common Startup Growth Challenges Product-market fit, cash management, focus, and the danger of chasing every deal. (22:07) Deal Qualification and Sales Discipline Why qualification matters and how frameworks like BANT and MEDDIC prevent wasted effort. (24:12) Is AI Bigger Than the Internet? Geraint’s perspective on the scale of AI and how he uses it daily. (25:48) AI for Sales Leaders and Teams How AI can improve consistency, coaching, forecasting, and motivation across sales teams. (28:16) Freeing Sales Teams to Sell Why AI matters most if it gives sellers more time with customers. (34:07) The Future of Sales Roles Which roles may change, what cannot be automated, and why people still buy from people. (37:00) One Piece of Advice for New Salespeople Geraint’s single most important tip for anyone starting in sales. (37:35) Favourite Deals and Team Wins Why the best deals are won as a team and create lasting customer impact. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with leading sales and go-to-market professionals. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

11. 

    21 Dec 2025

    From Rolexes to Building Value for customers

    In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Richard Bounds sits down with Lisa Occleshaw to discuss her journey in sales, leadership, and building real customer value. Lisa shares insights from her early career through to senior leadership roles, unpacking what it truly means to succeed in modern B2B sales beyond titles and incentives. Chapters (00:00) Introduction and Career Beginnings Lisa shares how her career started and the early influences that shaped her approach to sales. (01:03) IBM Years and Career Transitions Reflections on her time at IBM and how those years prepared her for future leadership roles. (04:38) Sales Leadership and Team Building A deep dive into sales methodologies, building strong teams, and what it means to be a true self-starter. (07:02) Women in Tech and Diversity in Sales Lisa discusses the importance of diversity, inclusion, and creating opportunities for women in the tech and sales industries. (12:34) AI in Sales and the Future How AI is reshaping sales teams and what the future holds for sales professionals. (29:29) Favourite Deals, Lessons, and Closing Thoughts Key lessons from standout deals and Lisa’s final thoughts on building long-term value for customers. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with leading sales and go-to-market professionals. Visit https://funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Curvo AI: https://curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai/)

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    21 Dec 2025

    How Dale Payne Scaled Adobe Sign in Europe

    In this episode of the Funnel Vision podcast, host Leo Rogers speaks with Dale Payne about his journey through sales and leadership. From studying sports and leisure management to becoming a top-performing salesperson and sales leader, Dale shares the experiences, mindset, and decisions that shaped his successful career in B2B sales. Chapters (02:24) Traits of a Successful Salesperson Dale explains the key characteristics needed to succeed in sales, including resilience, grit, and consistency. (07:43) Early Career Lessons Why focusing on quality over quantity in sales calls can lead to better long-term results. (14:29) The Adobe Journey Dale shares how he joined Adobe and the three T’s behind his success: territory, timing, and talent. (25:41) Transition to Leadership The challenges of moving from an individual contributor to a people manager and the lessons learned along the way. (41:07) Qualifying Deals Early Why it is important to disqualify deals early and how to identify the right opportunities. (44:24) Leadership Philosophy Dale’s perspective on effective leadership, covering empathy, transparency, and building a strong team culture. (52:49) Advice for His Younger Self Three key pieces of advice for building a successful career in SaaS sales. Follow Funnel Vision for more conversations with leading sales and go-to-market professionals. Visit funnel-vision.ai (https://funnel-vision.ai/) Powered by curvo.ai (https://curvo.ai)