E61: GTM Strategy: 5 Insights from 500 B2B SaaS Companies (Jeremey Donovan, EVP Sales + CS at Insight Partners)

As EVP of Sales and CS at Insight Partners, Jeremey advises over 500 B2B SaaS companies. In this episode, he reveals why the top 10% of performers are actually expanding their outbound teams, not cutting them. And we cover a ton, including: The Outbound Paradox: Why winning companies are doubling down on SDRs while everyone else pulls back. Build vs. Buy: Why purchasing point solutions right now is a "risky business" (and the case for building your own). The Great Consolidation: How AEs are absorbing the SDR function and what it means for your org chart. The CRO Differentiator: The one trait that separates good revenue leaders from the truly great. 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 Introduction and Jeremey Donovan's Career Journey 03:59 AI Adoption: Disillusionment vs. Reality 06:28 Shifting From Bottom-Up to Top-Down AI Innovation 08:29 Navigating Governance and the "AI Czar" Role 13:58 Why Disciplined Execution Trumps AI Tactics 16:11 AI for Performance Reviews and Real-Time Feedback 21:45 The Rise of "Build" and Agentic Coding 27:33 Augmentation, Outbound Sales, and Human Effort 41:40 The Build vs. Buy Debate in RevTech 52:13 Realistic Expectations for AI Productivity Gains 59:13 The Future of SDR and Solutions Engineer Roles 01:03:12 Redesigning Processes and Unbundling Roles for AI 01:13:06 Preserving Critical Thinking in an AI World 01:19:05 Quick Fire: Leadership, Hiring, and Hard Lessons