GTM 90: The GTM Playbook Under Attack and Bootstrapping a Community to Multi-Million Dollar Revenue with James Kaikis

James Kaikis currently serves as the Head of Go-To-Market and Chief Solutions Officer at TestBox, an innovative company revolutionizing the way buyers interact with product demos. Before his tenure at TestBox, James co-founded the PreSales Collective with Yuji Higashi. Under their leadership, the community became a pivotal resource in the presales domain until its successful acquisition in November 2021. James also has a rich history in solution-oriented leadership roles at prominent companies including Salesforce and Showpad.

Discussed in this Episode:

• The power of presales in driving revenue growth and customer success
• Strategies for scaling a community-based business from zero to millions
• The future of B2B software demos and how TestBox is leading the charge
• Lessons learned from a successful startup exit in just 18 months
• Insights on go-to-market strategy, product-led growth, and customer-centricity

Highlights:

6:05 - Bootstrapping a community-based business to multi-million dollar revenue.

8:35 - Secrets behind PreSales Collective's rapid growth and successful exit.

11:05 - Transitioning from founder to Chief Solutions Officer at TestBox.

13:35 - The future of B2B software demos and TestBox's innovative approach.

18:35 - The untapped potential of presales in driving revenue growth.

21:05 - Balancing product-led growth with customer-centricity.

23:35 - Lessons learned from building, scaling, and exiting a successful startup.

28:35 - The importance of aligning presales, sales, and customer success.

31:05 - James' vision for the future of presales and B2B software demos.

33:35 - Advice for entrepreneurs and revenue leaders looking to drive growth.

45:05 - One thing revenue leaders believe to be true that James thinks is bull$***.

48:09 - One thing that is working for James in go-to-market right now.

Guest Speaker Links (James Kaikis):

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameskaikis/

Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ssbarker/

Newsletter: thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/

Sponsors:

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The GTM Podcast
Don’t miss The GTM Podcast dropping every Tuesday discussing true stories and experiences including trials and tribulations in the Go-To-Market world.