Welcome, 2024!

Hope everyone had an awesome New Year and a relaxing holiday season.

We are now at 2,700+ readers of the Collab (since launching in October).

I’m filled with such excitement to be figuring out messaging, how to write a newsletter and grow this alongside your support.

Together we are building a movement that benefits both the people and the companies we support.

David Maxey, Head of RevOps & Fractional Leader, is again featured in this issue for part II in his three-part series: the why, what, and how of fractional leaders helping companies grow.

Let’s dive into the first issue of 2024.

The Big Idea

Identifying what to fix

In Part I, we discovered why understanding the 'why' behind problems is crucial for fractional leaders. Now, let’s dive into the 'what' – figuring out exactly what needs fixing in a company to make it successful. It’s like being a detective in a mystery game; first, you understand why there’s a mystery, and now you're looking for clues to solve it.

1. Finding the Weak Spots

Just like a doctor finds out what's making you sick, fractional leaders need to spot the weak areas in a company. These could be things like not enough customers, employees not working well together, or maybe the company is spending too much money on things it doesn’t need.

2. Understanding Customer Needs

Every great company needs to make sure its customers are happy. Fractional leaders act like detectives, figuring out what customers really want. Maybe the company's products aren't what people need, or the customer service isn’t helpful. Fixing these can make a big difference.

3. Improving Teamwork

Sometimes, the problem is that the people in the company aren’t working together well. It’s like a sports team where the players aren’t passing the ball to each other. Fractional leaders look for ways to make everyone work together better, like a coach finding the right strategy for the team.

4. Streamlining Operations

Think of a company as a machine. If some parts of the machine aren’t working well, the whole thing slows down. Fractional leaders look at how the company works and try to make everything smoother and more efficient. This could mean changing how things are done or using new tools and technologies.

5. Boosting Sales and Marketing

If a company isn’t selling enough, it's like a store with no customers. Fractional leaders might find that the company needs better advertising or a new way to talk about its products. They help come up with ideas to get more people interested in what the company offers.

6. Managing Money Smartly

Another big thing to fix can be how the company is spending its money. It’s like having a piggy bank; you want to make sure you’re saving enough and not wasting your money. Fractional leaders look at the company's expenses and find ways to save money or spend it more wisely.

7. Keeping Up with Technology

Technology always outpaced regulation and compliance, meaning staying up-to-date with technology while understanding future compliance and regulation measures is super important. If a company is using old tools and methods, it's like trying to win a race with a slow car. Fractional leaders check if the company needs newer technology to stay competitive.

8. Building a Strong Culture

The heart of a company is its culture – how people feel about working there and what values they share. If the company's culture isn’t strong, it's like a team without team spirit. Fractional leaders work on building a positive, motivating workplace.  Remember, culture eats strategy for breakfast, but so does capability eat hierarch for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and midnight snack (the latter is a “Maxism”).

Conclusion

Now that we've looked at the 'what' – the things in a company that might need fixing – fractional leaders are ready to think about the 'how'. This means coming up with specific plans and actions to solve these problems. It's like having all the pieces of a puzzle and starting to put them together to see the whole picture. In the next part, we'll explore the different ways to put these puzzle pieces together.

2 Resources

I. The Rule of X and how cloud leaders should think about growth versus profit

Assigning equal weight to growth and profitability for late-stage businesses is flawed and has caused misguided business decisions. (TechCrunch, read here)

II. Investors are optimistic about 2024

We’re starting the year off on a high note: After a mediocre 2023, investors are optimistic about exit activity picking back up in 2024. Some think M&A activity will skyrocket, while others think we will see the IPO market bounce back. (TechCrunch, read here)

3 Collaborators

I. Jodie Pait

Jodie simplifies complex digital acquisition strategies to accelerate growth. She uses a data-driven approach to generating revenue that drives a qualified, well-optimized pipeline.

Here's what she delivered recently at a Series B start-up:

• Increased MQLs by 400% and pipeline by 500% YoY.

• Closed more than 50% of 2023 US revenue goals in 3 months.

• Delivered 25x ROI. (and much more… LinkedIn)

II. Kevin Gaither

Kevin loves helping leaders at early-stage tech companies avoid mistakes in all aspects of growing their sales team.

His experiences:

• 3 startups he’s been with have had liquidity events (none fire sales)

• Helped build 3 businesses into Inc 500/Deloitte Fast 500 companies (that means fast revenue growth)

• Built sales teams at 8 Startups since 1997

• Built teams of 30 salespeople - 550 salespeople with GREAT gross margins

• Built multiple Inside Sales, SDR/BDR, Account Management, and Enterprise Sales teams.

• Been in Sales Leadership since 1997 (LinkedIn)

III. Jacki Leahy

Jacki is an incredible fractional RevOps advisor and founder who focuses on:

✨ Optimizing Revenue Operations: she specializes in empowering B2B companies with fewer than 200 employees, architecting processes and systems across the entire revenue engine

🛠️ Tech Mastery: As Salesforce ecosystem aficionados, her company navigates the intricate landscape of administration, development, process automation, data hygiene, and integrations.

🧙🏼 Decades of Wisdom: At Activate the Magic, they’re not just about tools; they’re about strategy and wisdom that stand the test of time. Their dynamic team brings together decades of combined experience across a myriad of go-to-market motions, diverse business models, and intricate industry landscapes. (LinkedIn)

3 ways I can help you scale your business:

LinkedIn

Check out Amelia Taylor & other collaborators in this influencer campaign by Sendoso. Results are already looking positive and we will feature some of the details behind the campaign in an upcoming issue.

Thanks for reading!

Have any awesome folks you’d like to refer?

Reply to this email and let us know what you’d like to see more. And a big thank you to all who made it to this point.

Until next week,

Jared