E57: The New Rules of Executive Recruiting in the AI Era (Asad Zaman, CEO @STA)

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