MOMENT: How to Identify Exceptional People Early | Cristina Cordova (Stripe, Notion, Linear)

This bonus episode dives into how Cristina Cordova (Stripe’s 20th hire, early leader at Notion, now COO at Linear) spots exceptional talent early, and how she pressure-tests whether a team and product are truly worth betting on. It’s a crisp, tactical look at evaluating “spikiness,” finding beloved products (even with limited data), and building GTM the right way from day one.Cristina Cordova is a seasoned operator who has scaled some of the most iconic companies in tech. At Stripe, she built and led partnerships that became a foundational revenue engine, including the pivotal deal with Shopify. At Notion, she helped turn viral adoption into a durable distribution strategy powered by community. Today, Cristina is the Chief Operating Officer at Linear, where she’s applying her experience building high-velocity GTM engines to the next generation of developer-first tools.This is a clip from the full episode with Cristina (an inside look at the judgment frameworks behind Stripe, Notion, and now Linear) and the practical filters every GTM leader can use to pick winners early.Discussed in This ClipHow to recognize “exceptional” even outside your own domainFinding early proof a product is truly beloved (signals > vanity metrics)Starting with a sharp market wedge, then earning the right to expandWhy founders who excel at something—anything—tend to excel at company-buildingWhat to expect from early operators: founder mode and bias to executeSales hiring for technical buyers (and why quotas can help earlier than you think)Aligning tightly with founders as an exec: relationships drive outcomesHow to assess GTM on day one: ride-alongs, raw customer feedback, ground truthHighlights00:00 — The difference between good and great—and how to spot it across functions00:12 — Why this clip hit: Cristina’s framework for identifying exceptional people early01:17 — Looking for skills you don’t have—and recognizing greatness outside your lane03:38 — Evidence a product is beloved (Stripe on Hacker News, Notion on Twitter)04:49 — Start with a wedge; win big later (why early enterprise skeptics don’t matter)07:54 — “Spikiness” and unconventional signals of excellence (Minecraft servers to sales)12:52 — What great early leaders do: see problems, create strategy, then execute16:45 — Sales at product-led companies: hire technical sellers, set quotas sooner21:31 — How Cristina assesses GTM on day one: ride-alongs, direct customer observationThis episode is brought to you by our sponsor: BoomPopWe’re deep in event planning right now, as no doubt many of you are.Whether it’s an offsite, conference, or any other kind of event, BoomPop makes that happen with end-to-end planning all in one place.They handle everything from venues to experiences, so you can focus on the delights of meeting in person, not the logistics.Being part of GTMnow, you’re eligible for full-service event planning for just $99 per person (terms apply). Head to boompop.com/gtmfund to explore seamless support for your events.The GTMnow Podcast The GTMnow Podcast is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.Visit gtmnow.com for more episodes and other interesting content.