GTM 157: How ClickUp Scaled 17x and Cut CAC 3× — GTM Systems, Building Incrementally and Going from PLG to SLG | Gaurav Agarwal

Gaurav Agarwal is the COO of ClickUp, where he’s helped scale the company 17x in two years and cut CAC by 3x—all while leading across marketing, product, sales, and services. Formerly in banking and product roles, Gaurav brings a rare systems-oriented mindset to growth. He’s known for connecting the dots across GTM, scaling PLG engines, driving incrementality with rigor, and building cultures of experimentation, ownership, and speed.

Discussed in this episode

• Why growth is more about systems than marketing
• How ClickUp scaled 17x while reducing CAC by 3x
• The cultural shifts required to align GTM teams
• Incrementality testing vs. attribution modeling
• Building a true sales motion on top of PLG
• Input KPIs as a driver of experimentation speed
• How ClickUp is using AI across marketing and sales
• The concept of GTM as demand creation vs. harvesting

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Everyone is doing all the work—but you're winning by chance, not by design

02:01 — Gaurav on seeing growth as a systems function, not just marketing

13:33 — Culture alone delivered roughly half of the 3× CAC reduction at ClickUp

15:53 — Gaurav defines incrementality testing vs. flawed attribution models

29:27 — Setting input KPIs so squads deliver a “win every week” keeps momentum high

32:53 — AI is being embedded across PLG + GTM workflows—from content briefs to deal signals

Recommended Books

• Shareholder Letters by Jeff Bezos 

Referenced

• ClickUp:https://clickup.com/
  • Gong: https://www.gong.io/
  • Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/
  • Robinhood: https://robinhood.com/

Guest Links (Gaurav Agarwal):

• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravragarwal/

Host Speaker Links (Sophie Buonassisi):

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiebuonassisi/
• Newsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/

Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):

• Website: https://gtmnow.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gtmnow/
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_
• YouTube: /@gtm_now
• The GTMnow Podcast (on all major directories): https://gtmnow.com/tag/podcast/

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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.

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